A chariot of fire, and horses of fire
When Elijah sat under a juniper tree, God had something far better for His servant. Elijah lived on and served God again. He was not going to die but be taken directly "into heaven by a whirlwind" (2 Kings 2.1). Before this dramatic event occurred, he went from Gilgal to Bethel, Jericho and Jordan, four places famous in Israel's history. Elisha refused to leave him and went with him (2 Kings 2.2-7). When they came to Jordan, Elijah struck the waters with his mantle and, miraculously, they parted and the two prophets passed over dry-shod (v.8). Elijah, conscious that he was soon to leave this world, asked Elisha what he could do for him before his, Elijah's, departure. Elisha replied, "let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me" (v.9). Elijah told him that if he saw him being taken away then his request would be granted (v.10).
As they walked along, "there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (v.11), and so Elijah went to glory. Elisha was grieved by his departure and tore his clothes (v.12). He then picked up Elijah's mantle which had fallen off, stood by the bank of Jordan, struck the waters with the mantle and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?". The waters divided, proving that God was with Elisha as He had been with Elijah (vv.13-14). It is interesting to note that, in the power of God, Elisha performed twice as many recorded miracles as did Elijah.
Subject to like passions as we are
Elijah was raised up and empowered by God to serve Him at a critical time in the history of Israel. He appears suddenly and dramatically in the Word of God (1 Kings 17.1), and he went to heaven suddenly, dramatically, and in an unprecedented way. Fire and spectacular events were seen throughout his life. On Mount Carmel, Elijah had prayed and "the fire of the Lord" had decsended on the offering on the altar (1 Kings 18.38). Fire from heaven had fallen on those who came to arrest him (2 Kings 1 10,12), and "a chariot of fire, and horses of fire" parted Elijah and Elisha.
After these events, Elijah is brought before us several times. John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ, was not Elijah (Jn 1.21), but came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Lk 1.17). Elijah, representing the prophets, and Moses, representing the Law, appeared and spoke to the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt 17.3; Lk 9.30-31). In the second half of the Great Tribulation, two witnesses will have power to prevent the rain falling, and power to turn the waters into blood and smite the world with plagues. These powers would remind us of Elijah and Moses (Rev 11.3,6).
Great blessing and encouragement can be experienced by those who prayerfully study and meditate on the life of Elijah, God's faithful, true and devoted servant. Elijah's life, service and obedience to God, show his total dedication to God and his love for Him, and show what God can achieve through such a man. Elijah honoured God, glorified and exalted Him, and, like Enoch, brought pleasure to Him. Both men were taken to heaven before they passed through death (Heb 11.5), and both were men of great faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11.6). We read that the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith" (Lk 17.5), and we would do well to pray that our faith might be increased and strengthened. Faith is a gift of God, and by faith we believe what God says: by faith we believe God's wonderful promises. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Rom 4.3). Elijah spent much time alone with God and believed what God said. He knew God, and to really know Him is to love Him, to have implicit faith and trust in Him, and to want to serve and obey Him. The trend of Elijah's life was to look in faith to God and not at circumstances. He knew that nothing is too hard for God (Jer 32.17), and proved in his life that "all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mk 9.23).
Elijah lived a life which was separated from the evil world around him. Believers are enjoined to lead lives which are separated from the world and to God (2 Cor 6.14-7.1; Ps 1.1). We are told to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph 5.11), and that "the friendship of the world is enmity with God" (James 4.4). Believers are to use their time learning and obeying the will of God. Like Elijah, we should spend time alone with God, not being conformed to this world but, as we commune with Him in prayer and feed on, and obey, His written Word, being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12.2). We should walk with God, and two cannot walk together if they are not in agreement (Amos 3.3). Elijah obeyed the will of God as and when it was revealed to him. He was not slow to obey, neither did he go ahead of God's revealed will and His commands. Elijah did not seek to serve God by following his own ideas and desires. He lived constantly in the presence of God: no matter where he was, or who was present, Elijah was aware of God and sought His glory and the blessing of His people.
Elijah "was a man subject to like passions as we are" (James 5.17). His nature was like ours: he could, and did, succumb to temptation. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is eternally holy, sinless and incapable of committing sin (1 Jn 3.5). Elijah lived in evil times when men were "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" (2 Tim 3.4), and when men worshipped idols and not the living God. We live in times which are similar in many ways. The materialistic world is full of idols such as wealth, assets, success, fame, popularity and activities which provide pleasure to the flesh and to the mind but are not in accordance with the will of God, and do not bring pleasure or glory to Him. It is only by the grace of God that believers do not pursue, or involve themselves in, these things. After being saved by grace through faith in the Person and completed work on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 2.8), they can be delivered from the dominion of sin (Rom 6.14) by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6.19). If believers do fall into sin we have this blessed assurance that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 Jn 1.7), and "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn 1.9).
Elijah was taken suddenly to be with God (2 Kings 2.11), and believers could be taken to be with the Lord at any moment (1 Cor 15.52; 1 Thess 4.16-17). Those of us who have been saved should seek to use the time God gives us to serve Him and witness to those around of the love of God, who did not spare His only begotten and beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, but delivered Him up for us all (Rom 8.32). To please God and be faithful to Him we must be consistent in our witness, and our deeds and words must reveal the reality of our faith (James 2.17). We must seek to be more conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 8.29), and the glorious truth is that the more like the Lord Jesus Christ we become, the more we shall want to be like Him. We should endeavour to do those "good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph 2.10). Elijah's life shows the heights to which a believer's life can attain if he is totally separated from the world and to God. Elijah was a man of outstanding faith. He was separated, faithful and obedient to the God he knew and loved, and delighted in His presence. His life and deeds were evidence of his faith, and God took him to be with Himself.
Concluded.
