2Ki 2:12 | KingComments | STEP | After his rapture, Elijah’s service ends and Elisha’s service begins. After his calling, Elisha first stayed for a while in the shade, in the school of exercise of God. Elisha’s task began with the question of the double portion, the question of birthright. He was given this, because the condition was met that he would see Elijah go to heaven. It says emphatically here: “Elisha saw [it]”. Elisha called Elijah “my father” and “the chariot of Israel and its horsemen”. In doing so, he acknowledges that he was the spiritual child of Elijah, and that he saw in Elijah, the whole power of the army of Israel concentrated. The spiritual power of God’s people rests in times of decay, in the last days, not with the masses, but is present in the individual who is a man of God, man or woman. The Lord Jesus is in every way, the true Man of God, the true Israel. He went to heaven. Who, in His power, now bear witness before God in the midst of an apostate Christianity? Elisha “saw Elijah no more”, just as we no longer see the Lord Jesus on earth. The Lord Jesus is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Paul also did not know Him any more according to the flesh ( ). Like Elisha, the (spiritual) Christian walks in the Spirit of the glorified Lord ( ). Elisha is a picture of Christ coming to His people in the Spirit. The Lord Jesus said that after His going away He would come to His disciples: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” ( ). This happened when the Holy Spirit came to earth ( ). Then Elisha ripped his clothes into two pieces. He was the man of grace, but he only could be because he radically dealt to the old. We have already seen this, when after his calling by Elijah, he left his oxen and slaughtered a pair and cooked their flesh on the wood from their yoke ( ). The tearing of his clothes meant that Elisha had put aside the old in order to put on the new ( ).

‏ 2 Kings 2:12

Reaction of Elisha

After his rapture, Elijah’s service ends and Elisha’s service begins. After his calling, Elisha first stayed for a while in the shade, in the school of exercise of God. Elisha’s task began with the question of the double portion, the question of birthright. He was given this, because the condition was met that he would see Elijah go to heaven. It says emphatically here: “Elisha saw [it]”.

Elisha called Elijah “my father” and “the chariot of Israel and its horsemen”. In doing so, he acknowledges that he was the spiritual child of Elijah, and that he saw in Elijah, the whole power of the army of Israel concentrated. The spiritual power of God’s people rests in times of decay, in the last days, not with the masses, but is present in the individual who is a man of God, man or woman. The Lord Jesus is in every way, the true Man of God, the true Israel. He went to heaven. Who, in His power, now bear witness before God in the midst of an apostate Christianity?

Elisha “saw Elijah no more”, just as we no longer see the Lord Jesus on earth. The Lord Jesus is now at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Paul also did not know Him any more according to the flesh (2Cor 5:16). Like Elisha, the (spiritual) Christian walks in the Spirit of the glorified Lord (Gal 5:25). Elisha is a picture of Christ coming to His people in the Spirit. The Lord Jesus said that after His going away He would come to His disciples: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (Jn 14:18). This happened when the Holy Spirit came to earth (Jn 14:16-17).

Then Elisha ripped his clothes into two pieces. He was the man of grace, but he only could be because he radically dealt to the old. We have already seen this, when after his calling by Elijah, he left his oxen and slaughtered a pair and cooked their flesh on the wood from their yoke (1Kgs 19:20-21). The tearing of his clothes meant that Elisha had put aside the old in order to put on the new (2Cor 5:17).