Prophetic Inheritance (2Kings 2)

When you read the scriptures read as a believing believer, alive to the probabilities of the Kingdom of God near at hand. Elijah the Tishbite from the region of Gilead is a great prophet of God and a man who never died; in fact  he shows up in the New Testament on the Mount of Transfiguration near Damascus with Moses, Jesus, Peter, James and John. His residence however moved to the area of Israel’s first Passover in the Promised Land at Gilgal, a short distance from the ruins of Jericho by the lower Jordan River. Elijah was the mentor of Elisha, called by the Lord above prophet school students at Jericho and Bethel. He was called while working a field, plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, (1Kings 19:19) twelve is repeated in a significant manor, “and he was beside the twelfth.”

Elijah throws his covering (mantle) over the plowman who then burns his bridges by slaughtering the oxen, feeds his family and friends and follows the prophet. A mantle was the official garment of a prophet. This is the `adderet’, a cloak that could be made of animal hair and was a garment of distinction worn by prophets (John the Baptist came wearing a garment of camel hair). The mantle represented a man’s gift and a symbol of his sacrifice and commitment. Throwing the mantle over the shoulders is a symbolic act denoting his summons to the office of prophet, but it was also a sure sign of God’s gift that enabled him to fulfil the prophetic office and ministry.

Though Elijah had once asked the Lord to take his life after running from Queen Jezebel it was not quite time. In this time Elijah is moving towards his final hours on earth and he tries to put off Elisha from following him but his successor persists and repeats three times, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” Similar to Joshua and Moses here Elijah parts the waters of the Jordan to afford them a dry path to the far side where the translation takes place in a whirlwind separated by the golden chariot of Israel all aflame. Elijah had waited until after they had crossed over the Jordan, after this great display of the power and provision of God before saying to him, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha asked for a double anointing from Elijah who agrees to it if Elisha saw him leave.

Elisha rips his clothing in the typical expression of grief then finds his master’s mantle left behind with which he then also parts Jordan’s water. The sons the prophets in Jericho recognise the spirit of Elijah resting on Elisha and he goes on to do amazing signs and wonders. We can see in this story the devotion and humility of service Elisha gave to his master. Elisha seems to know there is a bonus if he can be around when his father figure left this life. We can similarly see the union we have with our Lord Jesus in this, that when he went up to heaven in a somewhat similar manor He sent back the power of the Holy Spirit to his successors. Not unlike this Jesus’ replacements are said to do greater things than He did because of this power from on high. This power is transferable to others and singly or perhaps doubly powerful as one might see in this example of office of the prophet.

I wonder by how much do we limit this authority in our lack of understanding about how the supernatural power of God operates. We are aware of the handkerchiefs Paul sent out to deliver the sick and bedevilled. The power of God would seem to be tangible in the mantle of Elijah as that which parts waters. Elisha knew there was something tangible to be had if he “saw” his master leave. The Lord opens and closes eyes to the miraculous and this is a test of the prophet’s connection with God so Elisha’s righteousness before God is evident in the seeing of his eyes into the spiritual realm. Similarly in the testimonies of healing evangelists we can read of the things they see and therefore act upon in the Holy Spirit to bring about the miraculous.

The record of this event between Elijah and Elisha serves to open our understanding of the very transferrable nature of the anointing of the Spirit of God. We understand transfer in the way the anointing passes between the person ministering and the one being ministered too and how a piece of cloth can carry the anointing overseas to others needing help. However, there are possibilities we haven’t even begun to understand about how the Lord works to cross boundary with miracles like parting waters, rapture and transfigurations. It would appear that we should keep seeking every level available rather than believing we have all we’re going to get, or that there are limits to the Lord’s generous and loving nature. This is synonymous with the concept of proving trustworthy with small things and moving on into trust with larger things. Elisha showed his worthiness to climb the ladder by being determined to grab all he could from the departing Elijah.

This hunger for the things of the Lord is shown to be admirable as opposed perhaps to a hunger for the rewards of mammon, i.e. you cannot serve two gods. One must conclude from this there are levels humans are sometimes called to climb according to the will of God who knows the hearts of men and is not blinded by outward shows of righteousness. God knows those “whose knees have not bowed to Baal or every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1Kings 19:18) Imagine being responsible for cleansing of bad water, cleansing the leper as Jesus called the disciples to do, feeding the multitudes as Elisha did with twenty loaves of barley bread feed the hundred, defying laws of nature with the floating axe head as Jesus and Peter walked on water. These things had long been done including with other things like going up to heaven in a whirlwind, crossing rivers on dry ground, etc. We often think Jesus and the disciples broke this ground but in fact the Old Testament prophets were doing it similarly long beforehand. The common denominator seems clearly to be the Lord speaking and acting upon it decisively. The human side of that is of course is not only hearing and discerning God’s will but also heeding the voice of the Spirit. If the anointing is in you then any or all of these things can be happening with you.

So what can the Holy Spirit filled Christian learn from this situation? Don’t linger in normality nor remain in mediocrity. Keep asking and as did Elisha and don’t accept the rebuffs. Keep seeking and you will find more and more as your journey continues. Keep knocking as Elisha did and heavenly doors will be opened to you. Be hungry for that daily bread we pray for in the Lord’s Prayer. But more so aggressively grab a hold of any opportunity to get more and more of what the Lord is doing. Reading faith increases faith but witnessing faith in meetings and on the web builds faith even more.

As Elisha, stimulate a seeing/hearing daily kingdom stance, watching and listening for the things the Lord is doing, pursuing the Lord, pursuing relationship with Our Father. These God chasers are the ones being rewarded with more and more of Him as they are being made as He suggested “in Our image.”(Gen 1-2)