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<< 2 Kings 2: Elijah and Elisha >>

Elijah THE time had come when the Lord would take Elijah into heaven. Elijah knew it and Elisha knew it, as they walked on together. They went as the Lord sent Elijah, to  visit for the last time the companies of the prophets who were living in several places.

They went from Gilgal, probably not the town of this name which we know best, in the Jordan valley near Jericho, but a place in the hills of Ephraim to the north of Bethel, the home of one of the companies of prophets.   From Gilgal Elijah went to Bethel, and the faithful Elisha with him. Here other prophets lived.   They knew, as Elisha knew, that Elijah was about to be taken into heaven.   The two passed on from Bethel down to Jericho, the home of another company of prophets.

Fifty of the prophets stood watching as Elijah and Elisha went together across the plain and stood by the river. It was almost like the day when the river divided before the ark and let the people come into the land. This time the prophet smote the water with his mantle wrapped together, and they passed over to the eastern side, perhaps to the hills of Gilead which had been Elijah's home.

As they walked, Elisha asked that a double portion of Elijah's spirit might rest upon him as a parting blessing. The words no doubt referred to the "double portion" which a father left to his eldest son, making him his successor. It should be granted if Elisha should see his master when he was parted from him.
Now we must read so much of the story, and learn what Elisha saw.

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day?

And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?---2 Kings II. 1-18.

The Lord's power was with Elisha as it had been with Elijah, and it was shown in many wonderful things that the prophet did.

Where the city of Jericho stood in the Old-Testament days there is a hill formed in part of the ruins of the city. Looking south from old Jericho: Elisha's fountain. As you stand on this hill a stern old cliff rises behind you, and before you the broad plain stretches away to the Jordan and the Dead Sea and the purple mountains on the eastern side. The soil is good and the sunshine is hot, and wherever there is water plants and trees grow finely. You can believe that this was once "the city of palm trees," and can see why it was called Jericho, "a fragrant place."

A fine spring which once gave water to the city and the gardens comes from the ground just at the foot of the hill of ruins. It is called Elisha's fountain. You will see why when we read more of the story.

 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.---2 Kings II. 19-25.

Here are two other short stories about Elisha, which really belong a little later. One of them will remind you of what Elisha saw when Elijah was taken up into heaven.

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it. Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?  And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.---2 Kings VI. 1-17.

The power and protection of heaven were with the Lord's prophets, and the same power and protection come to us with the Lord's Holy Word, which is our prophet, as we read it and try to obey it.

Author: William L. Worcester 1904

Spiritual Correspondences

      Elijah's mantle >> The letter of the Word

      Horses and Chariot of fire >> Spiritual understanding and love of the Word

      Water healed by new cruse of salt >> Truth is made fruiful by uniting it with the Good of uses

      Hair >> Letter of the Lord's Word

      Calling "bald head" >> Ridiculing the letter of the Lord's Word and its holiness

      Bears >> Obscure thoughts about the Word that are destructive

      Oil >> Good of Love

      Borrow empty Vessels >> Look for opportunities to be kind and helpful

      She poured out >> Goodness and sustenance is multiplied through charity

Spiritual Meaning

2 KINGS II

1And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
 
I. It is according to Divine Order that when the spiritual church is desolated by the increase of evil and falsity, the Word, or the Divine Truth thereof, disappears from among men, and is preserved in heaven; and this begins to take place when men depart as to internals and also as to externals from a state of charity.
 
  2And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
 
 2. But the genuine truth of the Word teaches that man, or the church generally, should not recede from an internal to an external state, or from a state of charity to a state of faith, although this is the tendency of a declining church. And yet, because all life is from Divine Good conjoined to Divine Truth, the state of the man of the church as to truth is according to his state as to good, and hence, if there is a descent as to good, there must also be a descent as to truth.
 
  3And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
 
 3. And when this descent has taken place, there is perception from the state of man as to truths, that the Word will cease to be understood in its genuine meaning; but those who are in the love of truth, knowing this, are astonished and grieved.
 
  4And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
 
 4. Again the genuine truth of the Word teaches, that if man is in a state of faith, he should not descend therefrom to a state of the knowledges of faith merely, although the tendency of a declining church is to do this. But still, since all life is from the Lord by the conjunction of good and truth, the state of the man of the church as to knowledges is according to his state as to good, and hence if there is a descent as to good in this case the good of truth, or faith-there must also be a descent as to knowledge.
 
  5And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
 
 5. And when this descent has taken place, there is perception from the state of man as to knowledges, that the Word will cease to be understood in its genuine meaning, in a greater degree; but those who are in the love of obedience, knowing this, are astonished and grieved.

  6And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
 
 6. Thirdly, the genuine truth of the Word teaches, that they who are in obedience from knowledges ought not to descend into a state of initiation into knowledges only; but that still the tendency of the declining church is to do this, in which case the states of good and truth again proceed together.
 
  7And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
 
 7. And, in this state or the church, all those who teach are in a condition or uncertain perception, and expectation, remote from genuine truth in internal and external, because only the literal sense of the Word is known and acknowledged.
 
  8And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
 
 8. But the same literal sense, in the hands of those who are in good, when its consistency is seen from good, is all-powerful, and disperses falsities before him who is on his way for heaven both as to good and as to truth.
 
  9And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
 
 9. And when falsities are dispersed by the power of the Divine Word there is perception thence, with those who are in good, that their desire for good is increased, producing an earnest longing for the full conjunction of goodness and truth from the Lord in themselves.
 
  10And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
 
 10. And also that this conjunction is difficult when truth is about to be withdrawn from the corrupted church; but that nevertheless it is accomplished with those who see truths from the affection of truth, and thus are gifted with conscience, but not otherwise.
 
  11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
 
 11. And, it happens in the progress of regeneration, that as truths are appropriated from the Word, it is at length clearly seen to be the doctrine of charity and of faith from charity, which distinguishes those in the internal church from those in the external; and that therefore, when the church is desolated by falsities, the internal of the Word is withdrawn and reserved in heaven; also, generally, that in his final preparation for heaven, man is divested of all false principles by enduring the extreme of spiritual temptation.
 
  12And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
 
 12. But those who have conscience, in the corrupted state of the church, perceive the true quality of the Word from the love of good, and the love of truth, which involve the doctrine of the true spiritual church, and form its intellectual principle; but in the state of desolation, Divine Truth disappears; wherefore there is mourning on account of lost truth, and, so far, disjunction of interior truths from those which are exterior.
 
  13He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
 
 13. Nevertheless the exterior truths, in the literal sense of the Word, which no longer appertain to the angels, are elevated in the minds of those who have conscience, and thus the Word continues, even when the church has descended to mere externals.
 
  14And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
 
 14. For the literal sense of the Word, in the hands of the good, because it is from the Lord through the internal sense, although no longer appertaining to the angels, has power to disperse falsities, since the Lord Himself as to the Divine Good and Truth of the internal sense, is in it. The consequence is, therefore, that falsities are dispersed, and a new church commences.
 
  15And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
 
 15. And when those who teach, and whose minds are active as to the natural affection of truth, or the love or knowledge, perceive the power of the Word, they acknowledge that the internal sense thereof is manifest in the external, and thus come into profound humiliation before the Lord, who is THE WORD.
 
  16And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
 
 16. But there is a tendency with them to exalt the natural reason in its Iulness, and to suppose that, by its means, they can discover interior truths, or the spiritual sense of the Word, from natural affection interior or exterior; and the Word teaches that this cannot be done.
 
  17And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.
 
 17. Nevertheless, the temptation to do this is urgent and painful, in consequence or which, they are permitted to make the effort; and after doing this thoroughly with the full power of the intellect, it is discovered to be impossible.
 
  18And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
 
 18. Wherefore, the temptation being past, they again have recourse to the Word from a genuine love of knowledge, and are confirmed in the truth that the spiritual sense of the Word
cannot be known from natural affection and natural intelligence only.
 
 19And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
 
 19. And now, therefore, they perceive that although the natural love of knowledge, and knowledge itself, are delightful, which is according to the truth of the Word, yet such knowledge alone is of very little value, and its affection unproductive.
 
 20And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
 
 20. On which account they learn from the Word, that they need a new form of doctrine, infilled with a new motive, which is the spiritual affection of truth, the desire of truth for good, or the desire of good for truth; and this they receive.
 
  21And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
 
 21. And then, from the Word, they receive help; and the desire for good is conjoined with truths in the natural mind, it being of the Lord, that truths are vivified from good; and when this is so, truth and good are no longer unproductive.
 
 22So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
 
 22. Thus, therefore, truth is perpetually vivified, and purified from falsity, according to the testimony of the Word.
  23And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
 
 23. And thus, too, progress is made to a higher state which is the good of truth, or a state of faith, in the course of which ascent, occurs another temptation ---namely, from those who condemn the Word, despising it as though it had no literal sense, or no sense adequate to the understanding as to good and truth.
 
 24And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
 
 24. But the man of the church, in whom is the Word, perceives that those who think thus meanly of it, are such as read it carelessly, with no desire to understand it, and who are averted therefore from its good and truth, while they perish by affections of evil and falsity grounded in ignorance, and resulting in blasphemy,
 
 25And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
 
 25. And thus he is delivered, and proceeds from a state of faith to a state or charity, the spiritual church being thence again established.

2 KINGS VI

 1And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
 
 1. Those who teach truths, in the corrupt and vastatcd church have a perception from the Word: that the church, or the man of the church, cannot abide in interior truths, or in interior states in which, to them, is constraint.
 
 2Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
 

 2. Wherefore they desire to betake themselves to externals and there to be in obscure good and thus in what is congenial in which they may have freedom of life. And this is permitted.

3And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
 
 3. Nevertheless they still desire to he guided by the Word, acknowledging its supremacy. And this also is permitted.
 
  4So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
 
 4. And therefore, having the Word with them, they descend to externals, and in that state claim merit to themselves for their good deeds.
 
  5But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
 
 5. In consequence of which the truth of the literal sense of the Word, by which good is acquired, is immersed in fallacies and falsities causing distress, Since this truth is acknowledged to be from the Lord.
 
  6And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
 
 6. And therefore Divine Truth teaches that man ought to examine his state; and when this is acknowledged to be one of claiming merit, he is then enabled to do good from the Word and in this way the truth is rendered buoyant, or is delivered from fallacies and falsities.
 
  7Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
 
 7. And then man is instructed that he must, as of himself, acquire truth. And this he does, and
thus appropriates it.
 
  8Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
 
 8. But in this process the natural man in the love of knowledge is opposed to the spiritual man, and supposes that, from merely natural affection he can arrange in order his truths for conflict.
 
  9And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
 
 9. And therefore It is insinuated into the thought of the spiritual man, that he cannot engage in conflict from self-love, because selfish affection alone is not destructive of merely natural affection.
 
  10And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
 
 10. And therefore the spiritual man is obedient to the dictates of Divine Truth, influencing both his thought and affection, and so is delivered from the power of merely natural love continually.
 
  11Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
 
 11. But the affections of the natural man are greatly disturbed by the secret influence of Divine Truth, and hence he turns himself to subordinate natural powers and loves, in order that he may resist spiritual influences.

  12And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
 
12. And yet, even from the light of natural truth, he perceives his own opposition to spiritual truth, and, at the same time, that the Word of the Lord in the spiritual mind, makes manifest his inmost feelings and thoughts, or that Divine Truth sees all things.
 
 13And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
 
 13. Wherefore he seeks to investigate spiritual truth with a view to its destruction in himself. And from the light of the understanding, or from the capacity to perceive truths common to all men, he discerns that the Word of the Lord contains within it the particulars of Divine Truth, and that these are made known to the spiritual man.

  14Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
 
 14. And to these the natural man opposes his intellectual powers, his false doctrines, and all the corrupted affections and falsities of the external man, when Divine Truth is in ohscurity and spiritual darkness prevails; so that true doctrine appears to be surrounded and overcome.
 
  15And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
 
 15. And hence those who are in simple good from truth, when temptation thus occurs in its earliest activity, and inwardly a state of peace is established, are alarmed and distressed at the apparent power of evil with its cunning devices and outward plausibilities, betaking themselves to supplication, and being overome with doubt.
 
  16And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
 
 16. And therefore they receive fro m the Word interior consolation, and the assurance that they are protected by truths more powerful than all the forces of evil and error.

 17And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
 
 17. And their interior affections of good being influenced by the Word, their understandings are enlightened from the Divine Love, whence they perceive that their internal heavenly state is protected by the intelligence of angels and by the doctrines of the Word which are full of heavenly affections.

Author: Rev. HENRY MACLAGAN (1905)

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