Elisha Bible Study Lesson Snippet
Elijah was taken into heaven as a picture of the rapture of all believers!
2Ki 2:11-12 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. (12) Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.
Here one minute... gone the next! As Elisha looked on a chariot of fire took his master Elijah up into heaven. And in doing so, Elijah became only the second man to ever enter heaven without seeing death. Can you name the first? We have in this little story a picture of something that will take place one day on a far greater scale... the rapture of the bride of Christ. For as quick as Elijah was here one minute and taken the next, even so the chariots of God will one day take all those that truly believe in His name up into the place that has been prepared for them. In the twinkling of the eye, Paul tells us, we shall be changed. (1 Cor 15:52). It has been the hope of many over two thousand years... But do not lose heart for we see the day drawing even closer. For 'the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.' (Hab 2:3)
As Elijah went up into the sky, Elisha cried out ' My Father, my Father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel'. At first reading you would be forgiven for thinking that Elisha is saying 'Elijah, look at that! Check out the chariots and the horses coming down in the sky!' You would be forgiven for thinking that it is similar to tattoo on 'Fantasy Island' yelling out 'da plane, da plane.' Let me assure you, thankfully, that there is no likeness to Fantasy Island here, nor Tattoo for that matter, for Elisha wasn't pointing out anything to his master Elijah. He was saying that Elijah was the strength of Israel. He was their chariots, he was their horses. Israel's strength as a nation was found in the person of Elijah because of God's power through that man. It is a remarkable statement that Elisha said as his master went from him into heaven.
This saying 'My father, my father, the chariots of God and its horseman' was a phrase known in Israel. And it wasn't just limited to Elijah. One day, it would be said about Elisha himself. If you have a look at 2 Kings 13:14 you will see that as Elisha was dying, the king of Israel used this exact same phrase about Elisha himself for he knew that Elisha was the strength of Israel just as Elijah had been before him.
From: The Rapture of Elijah - Swing Low Sweet Chariot!(Part 2)