Passing The Mantle To Elisha
The first two chapters of 2 Kings tells about how Elijah was take by God into heaven. Elisha and Elijah were on a journey. Elisha had asked for a double portion of the spirit of God to be on his life as was on the life of Elijah. Elijah said that if the younger prophet was with him when he went to heaven then he would be given his desires.
The two men were separated by a fiery chariot and Elijah was carried into heaven in a whirlwind . Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah. When the younger prophet returned to his home the other prophets knew knew immediately that the spirit of Elijah was upon the younger man . There was something obviously different about his demeanor.
He Preached The Doctrine Of Monotheism
- M.A., Princeton University
- B.A., University of Pennsylvania
Elijah appears in the Judaic/Christian religious texts as well as in the Quran of Islam as a prophet and messenger of God. He also plays a role as a prophet for Mormons in the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Elijah serves slightly different roles in these various religious traditions but is often depicted as an early savior, a precursor to more major figures such as John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. His name translates literally as “my Lord is Jehovah.”
Whether or not the legendary character of Elijah is based on a true person, as is true of Jesus and other biblical characters, is uncertain. The clearest biography of him, however, comes from the Old Testament Christian Bible.
The Story Of The Prophet Elijah Jezebel And King Ahab
Nov 11, 2018 ·The Bible, Illustrated: Joseph thrown into a pit The story of the prophet Elijah, Jezebel and King Ahab Jonah swallowed by a whale Palm Sunday: Holy week and the symbolism of the palm branch Jim Robidoux is father of four, lives and works in Manchester, and writes about life in The Life Section specifically, his own. He enjoys bicycling …
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Who Was Elijah In The Bible
Elijah was a prophet of Israel during the Old Testament period. He first appears in 1 Kings 17:1 and is described as a Tishbite in Gilead, a region of Israel referenced earlier in places like Genesis 31:2122 and Judges 10:4.
Like most prophets mentioned in the Old Testament, Elijahs job involved condemning sinful leaders and foretelling the punishments that God would bring if people didnt repent. His first appearance is telling King Ahab of Israel that because he has turned Israel to false gods, a drought will cover the land. The drought ended seven years later with a dramatic showdown between Elijah and 850 pagan priests. As detailed in the next section, Elijah went through a period of discouragement after things didnt go quite as he expected following this big success.
After these dramatic events, Elijah took on a disciple, Elisha. Elijah continued to speak out against Ahab on at least one occasion when he had someone murdered. He also spoke out against Ahabs successor, Ahaziah. Sometime after Ahaziahs death, Elijah passed his title on to Elishain a particularly dramatic way.
The Prophets Of Baal Defeated
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name, 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood. 34 And he said, Do it a second time. And they did it a second time. And he said, Do it a third time. And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
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Elijah Leaves For Zarephath
God commands a widow in Zarephath to feed Elijah and instructs him to head there. As he enters the gate of the town, Elijah sees a widow gathering firewood. He asks for a cup of water. As she fetches the cup of water, Elijah requests for some bread to boot. The woman swears by the Almighty that she does not have any bread. All she has is a handful flour and some drops of oil to bake, eat with her son and afterwards starve to death. Elijah insists, he promises, âproceed and prepare first a small loaf of bread and bring it to me. You will then bake yours and for your son for the Lord of Israel says neither the bowl will run out of flour nor jar run out of oil before the day I Lord will send rainâ. It so happened, according to the word of God, that the Widow eat all the days of the drought until God sent rain. Her story is testimony that Elijah was a man of God. But for how long will Elijah stay in Zarephath?
The Power Of Confession
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.Psalm 32:4
California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the stateshorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall.
Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his bones grew old and he groaned all the day long . It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him . And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made .
Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Hiding sin does not remove it from Gods sight but when we seek Gods forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restoredthat is the power of confession.
The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.Richard Sibbes
I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.Psalm 119:162
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How The Story Of Elias In The Bible Points To Christ
The story is another excellent example of God’s story to save his people. Time and time again, he proves that he is faithful to disobedient and contrary people. God’s people show themselves to be reliable, but regardless he sends help through people like Elijah and Moses. God empowers these people to work miracles and do things that prove that God is working through them.
All of this to prove and point to the one who will come. All of this to point to Jesus, who will go and die and do what no one else could. Jesus lived a perfect life to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is the one who saved us all from eternal separation from God.
Way To Introduce The Story:
Before class hide a picture of Elijah somewhere in the room. Tell the children that you have hidden a picture of a man named Elijah and that they must try to find him. The children may want to take turns hiding him too! After that, tell the children that you will be learning about a time when God hid Elijah. He hid him in the best place ever where no one could find him.top
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Why Didn’t Elijah Die
The Bible doesnt explicitly give any reason why Elijah was taken directly into heaven, any more than it gives for why Enoch was taken up to heaven. There are debates among Revelation scholars about whether both men will eventually die. Specifically, the argument goes that since Hebrews 9:27 says that all humans must die once, Elijah and Enoch are the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3-12 who come at the End Times, get killed, and then return to heaven.
It is worth noting that Enoch is commended in Hebrews 11:5 for his great faith. While Elijah seems to have doubted Gods protection after Mount Carmel, that doesnt necessarily mean he didnt have great faith. He continued to serve God well after that and passed on his learning to Elisha.
In the end analysis, it may be best to admit we arent sure why Elijah received this honor, but that it shows us something encouraging. The fact that God honored Elijah in spite of his doubts reminds us that in the end, God will decide our legacies. Being fallible human beings, we will all struggle. We will not always live the victorious Christian life we see in inspirational stories. Regardless of our struggles, doubts, or mistakes, God loves us and uses us in unexpected ways.
Read the full scripture text of the Bible story of Elijah below and discover Articles, Videos, and Sermons relating to his life!
Elisha Purifies Water In Jericho
Later, men come from the city of Jericho crying that the water in the city is poisonous, it causes miscarriages and has affected the fertility of the soil. Elisha orders them to bring a little salt in a bowl. He then goes forth unto the spring of the waters and casts the salt in the waters, and he says this is what the Lord God has said, I have healed these waters there shall not be any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. 2 Kings 2:21-22.
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Ascension Into The Heavens
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, the Son of man which is in heaven.”
Traditionally Christianity interprets the “Son of Man” as a title of Jesus, but this has never been an article of faith and there are other interpretations. Further interpreting this quote, some Christians believe that Elijah was not assumed into heaven but simply transferred to another assignment either in heaven or with King Jehoram of Judah. The prophets reacted in such a way that makes sense if he was carried away, and not simply straight up.
The question of whether Elijah was in heaven or elsewhere on earth depends partly on the view of the letter Jehoram received from Elijah in 2 Chronicles 21 after Elijah had ascended. Some have suggested that the letter was written before Elijah ascended, but only delivered later. The rabbinical Seder Olam explains that the letter was delivered seven years after his ascension. This is also a possible explanation for some variation in manuscripts of Josephus‘ Antiquities of the Jews when dealing with this issue. Others have argued that Elijah was only “caught away” such as Philip in Acts 8John Lightfoot reasoned that it must have been a different Elijah.
What God Wants Today
We can learn about the message of the final Elijah by studying the mission of John the Baptist. Gabriel brought a message from God that a prophet was coming to announce that Jesus was the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah. John the Baptist was that prophet, and Jesus declared that John was an Elijah-like figure, in addition to one who would come later .
An angel declared of Johns mission: And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord .
The messages of Elijah and the other prophets of the Old Testament played an important role in the establishment of the New Testament Church. Paul told Church members of the first century that they were part of the household of God that had been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone .
At the time of the end, just before the great and dreadful day of Gods wrath, the world will again be given the same message that was preached by Elijah the prophet. As noted, Malachi 4:5-6 seems to indicate that an Elijah-like work will be done before Christs return.
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Elisha Removes Stew From Poison
In 2 kings 4:38-44, Elisha removes poison from a stew during a famine and feeds one hundred men by multiplying twenty loaves of bread. Again the sons of the prophets say unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Let us go, we pray you, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. But as one is felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cries Alas, master! it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where has it fallen? And he shewed him the place. He then cuts down a stick and casts it in, and the iron axe floats. He tells him to take it up. 2 Kings 6:1-7.
The Story Of Elijah Lesson
Oct 13, 2016 ·MAIN IDEA: Elijah was a prophet who stood up to the evil ruler Ahab. And even though Elijah had times of trouble, God protected him and used him to lead the nation of Israel away from idol worship. SCRIPTURE PASSAGES: 1 Kings 16:29-30, 18:4, 17:1-5, 18:16-19, 18:25-29, 21:21-23. MATERIAL: All About Elijah word search
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Rabbi Joshua Ben Levi
References to Elijah in Jewish folklore range from short observations to lengthy parables on the nature of God’s justice.
One such story is that of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi. The rabbi, a friend of Elijah’s, was asked what favor he might wish. The rabbi answered only that he be able to join Elijah in his wanderings. Elijah granted his wish only if he refrained from asking any questions about any of the prophet’s actions. He agreed and they began their journey. The first place they came to was the house of an elderly couple who were so poor they had only one old cow. The old couple gave of their hospitality as best they could. The next morning, as the travelers left, Elijah prayed that the old cow would die and it did. The second place they came to was the home of a wealthy man. He had no patience for his visitors and chased them away with the admonition that they should get jobs and not beg from honest people. As they were leaving, they passed the man’s wall and saw that it was crumbling. Elijah prayed that the wall be repaired and it was so. Next, they came to a wealthy synagogue. They were allowed to spend the night with only the smallest of provisions. When they left, Elijah prayed that every member of the synagogue might become a leader.
Elijah On Mount Carmel
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What Are Some Of Elijah’s Most Famous Moments
Elijahs life had many great moments worth exploring. The most famous ones are arguably the following:
Raising a boy back to life . After speaking out against Ahab, Elijah spent seven years in hiding, much of it staying with a widow and her son in the Sidonian town Zarephath. During this period, the widows son died of illness and Elijah prayed for the boy to come back to life. After Elijah prayed and touched the boy three times, he came back to life.
Fire on Mount Carmel . After seven years of drought, Elijah had King Ahab bring the 450 priests of Baal and 400 priests of Asherah to Mount Carmel. There, he issued a challenge: built an altar and see which god set it on fire. After many hours of the pagan priests trying to get a response from Baal, Elijah built his altar. To make things more interesting, Elijah covered his altar with water after he built it. After praying to God, fire came from heaven and lit Elijahs water, even making the water burn. To top the event off, Elijah had all the priests of Baal killed.
Meeting God at Mount Horeb . After Elijah had shown Gods power on Mount Carmel and killed all the prophets of Baal, Ahabs wife Jezebel planned to have him killed. Elijah fled into the desert prayed for his death. Instead, an angel appeared multiple times and gave him food. Ultimately, Elijah reached Mount Horeb, and God spoke to him, giving him new tasks and generally making it clear that he wasnt finished with Elijah yet.