Question about Elijah Taken Up To Heaven

[cmuchristianguy]

I would like to get what people think of Elijah being taken up to heaven.

Takes place in 2 Kings 2:1-18

Verse 11-12 say "11 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." (NIV)

Does anyone know any scripture that might explain why God did this? There probably isn't a clear answer, I just wondered if anyone had any insight into this event.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Why is a question we often can't answer. Elijah was righteous, maybe God just decided to treat him well, maybe He just wanted to make an example of power to Elisha. Other people in the OT didn't die either, maybe just their righteousness and faith.

 

[Andry]

Although there is not a specific verse as in III Kings 1:1...., I think we can gain some insight if we looked at Elijah's life and ministry as a whole.

The big event in Elijah's life was that he was taken in a chariot of fire. Well bless God.

Although we cannot argue that Elijah's ministry started with a bang - he went into kings' palaces and courts, at his word it wouldn't rain, his contest at Mt. Carmel against the prophets of Baal, he raised the dead, he miraculously extended the widow's oil - but he was a very different man at the end of his ministry: he didn't anoint the kings he was suppose to anoint, he didn't anoint Elisha (in fact, he never said a kind word to Elisha), he didn't change the nations.

So his time was up, and it ends up with him and Elisha, in the middle of nowhere, where nobody sees them, and he gets taken up in a chariot of fire. That became the big event of his life.

Why do you think Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, and not God's spirit. Because if all Elijah had took him to where he was now at - in the middle of nowhere, and not obeyed what God had told him to do, and not changed the nations - then Elisha would end up in exactly the place where Elijah was, so Elisha thinks, I better have twice of up you had, otherwise I'll end up this same place.

 

[Duggie]

[cmuchristianguy]I would like to get what people think of Elijah being taken up to heaven.

Takes place in 2 Kings 2:1-18

Verse 11-12 say "11 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." (NIV)

Does anyone know any scripture that might explain why God did this? There probably isn't a clear answer, I just wondered if anyone had any insight into this event.

I'm not sure but I'm more curious as to why God also took Enoch (Genesis 5:24)

 

[muffler dragon]

I'm not sure but I'm more curious as to why God also took Enoch (Genesis 5:24)

Apparently, he was in a close enough relationship that G-d just kind of figured, "We spend enough time together. Why don't you do it up here where we can have more face time. You deserve it."

 

[PaladinValer]

Elijah was so righteous and so blameless that God saw fit to bring him straight to heaven instead of allowing him to die and go to sheol. The same thing happened with Enoch in the early chapters of Genesis.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

This is sort of an odd question, but what heaven would he go up to? Is there a description of the old one?

 

[Andry]

Elijah was so righteous and so blameless that God saw fit to bring him straight to heaven instead of allowing him to die and go to sheol. The same thing happened with Enoch in the early chapters of Genesis.

Read your bible again: 1 Kings 19:15-16
15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet." NIV

He didn't do any of that. He didn't even anoint Elisha.

Read 2 Kings 1:1-15. Killing 100 innocent men is blameless?

Elijah was a great man of God, but at the end of his ministry he was not the same man that began his ministry. He didn't change the nations he was suppose to change, and he became ineffective. He was into protectionism, he was grumpy, because he never turned possibility into fulfillment of purpose. Why do you think Jesus compares him (or vice versa) to John the Baptist?

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

We can't claim to know all of the circumstances. Do not pass judgement on him.

 

[prodromos]

Well one reason Elijah was taken up was so he could represent the living (righteous) at Christ's transfiguration along with Moses who was representing the dead (righteous).

 

[Duggie]

[muffler dragon]Apparently, he was in a close enough relationship that G-d just kind of figured, "We spend enough time together. Why don't you do it up here where we can have more face time. You deserve it."

Yeah!! that's kinda what I thought, Thanks

 

[ps139]

This just goes to show you that God is not bound by His own rules.
What happened to Elijah, Moses and Enoch is also what Catholics and Orthodox believe happened to Mary - Assumption.

 

[Andry]

This just goes to show you that God is not bound by His own rules.
What happened to Elijah, Moses and Enoch is also what Catholics and Orthodox believe happened to Mary - Assumption.

You've piqued my curiosity. Can you please eloborate on what you mean by 'assumption'. Thanks.

 

[ps139]

You've piqued my curiosity. Can you please eloborate on what you mean by 'assumption'. Thanks.

It would be my pleasure to. By assumption I mean "taken up body and soul into Heaven."
With the case of Enoch, the Scriptures say "he walked with God." With Elijah they say that he went "up by a whirlwind into Heaven." Both of these are descriptions of Assumption.

 

[hraedisc]

Elijah was a type of the saints who will be living on the earth at the time of the second advent of Christ and who will be "changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump," without tasting of death. 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52. It was as a representative of those who shall be thus translated that Elijah, near the close of Christ's earthly ministry, was permitted to stand with Moses by the side of the Saviour on the mount of transfiguration. In these glorified ones, the disciples saw in miniature a representation of the kingdom of the redeemed. They beheld Jesus clothed with the light of heaven; they heard the "voice out of the cloud" (Luke 9:35), acknowledging Him as the Son of God; they saw Moses, representing those who will be raised from the dead at the time of the second advent; and there also stood Elijah, representing those who at the close of earth's history will be changed from mortal to immortal and be translated to heaven without seeing death.

In the desert, in loneliness and discouragement, Elijah had said that he had had enough of life and had prayed that he might die. But the Lord in His mercy had not taken him at his word. There was yet a great work for Elijah to do; and when his work was done, he was not to perish in discouragement and solitude. Not for him the descent into the tomb, but the ascent with God's angels to the presence of His glory.

"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." 2 Kings 2:12-15.

When the Lord in His providence sees fit to remove from His work those to whom He has given wisdom, He helps and strengthens their successors, if they will look to Him for aid and will walk in His ways. They may be even wiser than their predecessors; for they may profit by their experience and learn wisdom from their mistakes. Henceforth Elisha stood in Elijah's place. He who had been faithful in that which was least was to prove himself faithful also in much.

 

[inhimitrust]

Very interesting. The only difference we share is on fulfillment in the bible. I actually read the bible as a completed book myself, and hope I don't get labeled a "heretic" for reading it that way, but my faith and love for Christ and His Father is more powerfull than ever, and I thank God everyday for all of us for having His Book to read.
I believe God did indeed keep His promises to His chosen in Christ and continues to do it today thru the outpouring of His Spirit, and I tend to look at the world today as a glass half full instead of half empty, at least compared to centuries ago as in the "dark ages". When one reads back in history on how bad things really were compared to today(bibles were burned and also people that read them, for instance or just for a different belief), one begins to appreciate more what God has accomplished today thru His saints. The one saying I always love is "the blood of saints fertilizes the earth", just as the blood of Christ "fertilized" us. I am not interested in much of endtime prophecy as just reading and learning about God and how He worked with His people in the bible and to harmonize the bible, both the OT and NT. It is a living book and the deeper meanings and mysteries become more revealed as we read it, and to me, it comes more alive with each chapter I read.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Very insightful! We need to be VERY grateful for all we have!

 

[inhimitrust]

This just goes to show you that God is not bound by His own rules.
What happened to Elijah, Moses and Enoch is also what Catholics and Orthodox believe happened to Mary - Assumption.

So what verses in the bible do they assume this from? There is none greater than Jesus Christ or God the Father, and if we were going to delegate special persons, how about Moses, Joshua, King David, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Apostles, Paul etc.
To take even a little focus off of Christ to me seems to belittle Him as He was the one sent by God for our redemption. I guess that is why I stay non-denominational and focus only on Christ and God the Creator. In fact, Mary Magdelene was the most important woman in the NT as far as I am concerned.

 

[G4m]

I would like to get what people think of Elijah being taken up to heaven.


Takes place in 2 Kings 2:1-18

Verse 11-12 say "11 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." (NIV)

Does anyone know any scripture that might explain why God did this? There probably isn't a clear answer, I just wondered if anyone had any insight into this event.

Probably the same reason He took Enoch:

Hebrews 11
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.