Elijah, Elisha, Jesus & the Church

I see in Elijah and Elisha a type of Jesus and the Church. When Elisha knew that the Lord was going to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, he stuck by his side. [1] This is what the disciples did. They stayed with Jesus until He was taken up into heaven.

When Elijah said to Elisha, “’Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?’

Elisha said, ‘Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’” [2]

When Elijah was taken up to heaven by chariot and horses of fire, Elisha was there. Elijah’s mantle fell to him. He picked it up and immediately was anointed of God to do a miracle. He parted the Jordan River. The sons of the prophets who saw this miracle declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” [3] This is what after Jesus ascended to heaven. Ten days after His ascension into heaven the Spirit of Jesus fell on the disciples and on all in the upper room and they were filled and indwelt by His Spirit. This is the day the Christian Church was born – the Day of Pentecost.

Elisha received a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah. If you count the miracles of Elijah, there are seven. If you count the miracles of Elisha, there are fourteen. The last miracle of Elisha happened after he was dead. Men placed a dead man in his tomb, and when the dead man contacted Elisha’s bones, he came back to life. [4]

Jesus said to His disciples before His ascension into heaven, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” [5] The Church has done greater works because after Jesus went to heaven, He gave His Spirit to Christians so that we can continue His ministry here on earth. Miracles have been done by Christians through the centuries since Christ ascended into heaven, and these miracles are continuing until today.

The stops at Bethel, Jericho and Jordan by Elijah on his rapture day have special meaning.

Bethel means “House of God.” Bethel is where the Lord appeared to Abraham, and then later to Jacob.

Jericho is where the walls of a seemingly invincible city collapsed after Joshua and the people of Israel marched around that city for seven days. By the way, Joshua is the Hebrew pronunciation of Jesus, and the name means “the Lord saves.” This story represents the lasts days, when after the seven angels sound their trumpets, the kingdoms of this world will collapse before the Lord.

Jordan is where John the Baptist announced the coming of the Messiah and it is where Jesus was baptized. It is also where the voice of God the Father was heard from heaven declaring that Jesus is His Son, and it is where the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove.

The Bible points to Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. In the end, He wins.

[1] 2 Kings 2:1-6
[2] 2 Kings 2:9
[3] 2 Kings 2:10-15
[4] 2 Kings 13:21
[5] John 14:12