Chariots of Fire

“And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them.  And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
—2 Kings 2:11

For Elijah, it was the end of an illustrious prophetic career.  He had been through a divine three-and-a-half-year drought; seen the ravens feed him day after day, and a widow’s oil and flour never run out.  He raised a widow’s son from the dead; had seen the fire of God come down from heaven, consuming a water-drenched sacrifice; watched in amazement as the Israelites turned to God and 450 prophets of Baal were killed.  He had seen an angel, eaten an angel’s food, and ran forty days and forty nights in the strength that food supplied.  He heard the voice of God, drafted his own successor, twice called down fire from heaven to consume fifty men, and saw the death of two kings.  But for him it was the end. His ministry was unlike any other in miracles, the power of God and the power of prayer.

Malachi prophesied that there would be a future Elijah, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (Malachi 4:5).  He would be one who would prepare the way for the Messiah’s coming.  Jesus tells us John the Baptist fulfilled Elijah’s role (Matthew 11:14).  It was prophesied before John’s birth that he would,

“…turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will 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 for the Lord a people prepared" (Luke 1:16-17).

John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, like Elijah.  He adopted similar dress—that of animal hair with a leather belt (cf. Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6).  When John was asked whether or not he was the Elijah who was to come, John replied in the negative (John 1:12).  However, Jesus assured His followers that John in fact was, even though he didn’t realize it (Matthew 11:14, 17:10-13).

References to Elijah are scattered throughout the New Testament.  Elijah appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:1-13, Luke 9:28-36).   In Luke 4:24-27, Jesus cites Elijah going to the widow of Zarephath as an example of God’s concern for the Gentiles.  In Romans 11:1-6, Elijah is presented as an example of God not forsaking His people (the Israelites).  And in James 5:17, Elijah is cited as a man “with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” And some believe that one of the two witnesses in the book of Revelation will be Elijah (Revelation 11:1-12).

Elijah, the great prophet, knew his time on this earth had come to an end, and he would be leaving.  After drafting and mentoring Elisha, he knew that today was the day.  The day began with Elijah and Elisha at Gilgal on their way to Bethel.   Elisha, aware of Elijah’s imminent departure, vowed not to leave his side all day.  While at Bethel (in the northern kingdom), students at Prophet’s Seminary questioned Elisha as to whether he was aware of Elijah’s immediate departure, and he replied in the affirmative, although he didn’t wish to speak about it.  The same scene was repeated again with Elijah going to Jericho (in the southern kingdom), Elisha refusing to leave him, and the Prophet’s Seminary at Jericho informing Elisha of Elijah’s departure.  Finally, for one last time, Elijah informs Elisha he has been sent to the Jordan, and Elisha once again affirms his commitment to stay with Elijah, but this time, there is a change.  As they were standing by the Jordan, Elijah took his cloak, wrapped it up and struck the water.  The water parted, allowing them to cross the Jordan on dry ground.

After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you” (2 Kings 2:9).  And Elisha gave his request, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me." Elijah responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so" (2 Kings 2:10).

What happened next staggers the imagination.  As they were walking and talking, chariots of fire and horses appeared, separating them.  And the Scripture says that, “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” with Elisha crying out, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” (2 Kings 2:11, 12).  And as Elijah ascended up to heaven, Elisha saw him no more.

Immediately after Elijah’s departure, Elisha took his clothes and tore them into two pieces.  He took up Elijah’s cloak, went back to the bank of the Jordan, wrapped up the cloak, struck and divided the waters, just like Elijah had done, and thus began his own prophetic ministry.

Elijah, along with Enoch, is one of two people in the history of the world to never have died (Genesis 5:24).  His ascension into heaven is an example of life well lived, the fulfillment of a faithful ministry, and a glimpse of believers being caught up with Christ at His Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

I hope that we can all be greatly encouraged and challenged by Elijah’s life, because, after all, he is a man with a nature just like ours (James 5:17).  Through his life, we can learn what it means to live a life of faith, stand for God against the Ahabs and Jezebels in this world, and pray effectively.  And God will use us, for His glory, to do things beyond what we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Amen.