To Gilgal (1-2)

Elijah was coming to the final days of work and ministry. He had been the bold and undaunted leader of the prophetic opposition to the house of Ahab and especially the opponent of Jezebel’s prophets, but it had come time for his season of ministry to end. The story in 2 Kings breaks in on the day when Elijah was to be taken in a whirlwind. He and Elisha were traveling together to Gilgal, a place in the mountains and a school to the prophets (1). Elijah, wishing for some solitude on his final day to think and ponder, requested Elisha to stay in Gilgal while he pressed on toward Bethel. By oath, Elisha refused. It would seem Elisha had a revelation that something was about to happen, and nothing was going to deter him from being at Elijah’s side to the end. So they came down to Bethel, likely the prophetic capital of Israel (2).

To Bethel (3-4)

At Bethel, the prophets began to share a prophetic rumor concerning Elijah’s end, which was going to occur on that day. Elisha told them all to quiet their speculations and maintain themselves with more dignity (3). Again, Elijah wanted time alone and asked for Elisha to depart, but again, Elisha took an oath not to leave him on that day, so they took the even more jagged 20-mile decline into Jericho (4).

To Jericho (5-6)

History kept repeating itself that day as the two prophets came to Jericho. Elisha had to quell the prophetic speculations about Elijah’s departure, and Elijah wanted to go on alone, but Elisha sacredly refused to leave Elijah’s side (5-6).

Crossing the Jordan (7-8)

As they left Jericho, 50 prophets followed at a distance. They came to a hill where they could see for some distance and watched as Elijah rolled up his mantle (a physical outer garment symbolizing the prophetic anointing), made a limp stick out of it, and then struck the waters. As his coat hit the water, the water parted, and dry ground was prepared for the two to cross (7-8).

Elisha’s Inheritance (9-14)

After they crossed the river, Elijah asked the servant Elisha, who had not left his side since the day Elijah threw his cloak around his shoulders (1 Kings 19:19-21), what parting gesture he would wish to receive. Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah’s inheritance, meaning he wanted to be considered Elijah’s firstborn son and continue to lead the prophetic ministry in Israel (9). Elijah told Elisha that that request was not his to fulfill, but would be his only if Elisha could see Elijah taken physically from him, if he were able to feel the wind and see the chariot of Yahweh and Elijah being taken up, then God would give him the leadership of the prophets (10).

A bit later, it happened. The only way Elisha could describe what he had seen was to call the fire coming from Heaven like a chariot ablaze and the fire pulling the chariot like a horse ablaze. Then Elisha said the fire mysteriously separated the two of them, and Elijah was pulled heavenward, caught up in a heavenly draft or a whirlwind (11).

When Elisha saw the whole event, revelation struck him. Some have assumed Elisha was crying out to Elijah as he was watching him being carried away, but it is unlikely. Elisha, at that moment, received the essential prophetic revelation of Yahweh—He is Father, and His sovereign might rules over the world and, in Elisha’s case, Israel.

As soon as the heavenly encounter was over, Elisha tore up his own cloak. As he had slaughtered the oxen in symbolic commitment to the life of a prophet (1 Kings 19:19-21), the tearing of his own cloak symbolized the end of his ministry as it had been (12). He then put on the cloak that had fallen from Elijah during the whirlwind ascent, claiming a fresh day of prophetic leadership. With this new prophetic mantle, Elisha made his way back to the edge of the Jordan River (13).

Standing by the Jordan River, Elisha took Elijah’s mantle and asked Yahweh the question, “In this fresh prophetic mission You are sending me on, where are You? Are You with me to do miracles as You were with Elijah, or is there something completely different I should anticipate?” Elisha then struck the Jordan as Elijah had done, the waters parted, and Elisha crossed (14).

The Prophet’s Servant’s Search (15-18)

When Elisha crossed the river, it would seem the 50 prophets at the other side either saw the river open or saw Elisha cross with his clothes dry, so they bowed in reverence as servants and claimed the same spirit they had witnessed in Elijah was now working in Elisha (15). After Elisha had related the taking of Elijah, the prophets were concerned that Yahweh had dropped Elijah off somewhere in the wilderness, so they begged Elisha to let them send 50 of their strongest servants to search for him. They pressed Elisha so hard that he was embarrassed by their lack of confidence in his leadership and dispatched them to go search, which they did for three days (16-17). Eventually, they returned, finding nothing. Elisha reminded them that he had told them before they had left that their journey would be useless (18).

Healing Death Waters (19-22)

The leaders of Jericho had heard about Elisha and the miracle associated with crossing the river, so they came to inquire about a spring that was the source of miscarriage and death to the people and the cattle of the Jericho area (19). Elisha had a new bowl of salt brought to him, and he went to the spring, threw the salt in, and declared the word of Yahweh over the spring: “Thus says the Lord; I have healed this water …” The waters were healed; neither death nor miscarriage was ever caused by it again (20-21). It’s important to note that, even with the throwing in of the salt, the waters were healed by the word of the Lord (22).

The Cursing of the Boys Who Mocked (23-24)

Elisha decided to leave Jericho and go to Bethel, likely to inform the prophets there of the details of Elijah’s departure. As he was nearing Bethel, some rebellious and mouthy youths came out of the city, and recognizing him to be the servant prophet of Elijah, began scoffing at his premature aging as seen in his balding. Also, upon hearing the rumor of Elijah’s departure, which they assumed to be a ruse, they taunted him mercilessly to “go up” as Elijah supposedly had (23). Elisha had had enough and turned and cursed them (Leviticus 24:16) for their utter disrespect and lack of honor in implying he had spread an untruth. As soon as he cursed them, two she-bears came out of the woods and ravaged the 42 boys—if any or how many died is unclear (24).

On to Samaria (25)

Elisha traveled from Bethel to Carmel, likely to see prophets there and pass on firsthand the news of Elijah, and then Elisha went to Samaria (25).