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Ezekiel 29:1-21 Prophesy Against Egypt

Introduction

[Study Aired August 26, 2024]

Today’s study is about King Pharoah and Egypt. The Lord told Ezekiel to speak His words concerning the impending destruction of Pharoah and also the desolation of the land of Egypt. The chapter also promise a restoration for the Egyptians after forty years and the giving of the land of Egypt by the Lord to Nebuchadnezzar as a reward for the destruction of Tyre. The chapter ends with a promise of the Lord’s goodness to the people of Israel who represents His elect.  

The Prophesy Against Pharoah, the King of Egypt

Eze 29:1  In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 29:2  Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt: 
Eze 29:3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. 

The tenth year in the tenth month on the twelfth day of the month spiritually suggests that it is when the sins of our flesh have become complete (significance of the number 10) that the Lord (significance of the number 12) comes to us with His word. His coming is the beginning of the judgement of our old man. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Verse 2 shows us that the King of Egypt, Pharoah, is the focus of the Lord’s words. The question is, who does Pharoah signify spiritually?  To answer this, we need to look at what is said about Pharoah in verse 3 which states that the King of Egypt, Pharoah, is the great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers. In the following verses, the rivers are the same as the deep which refers to the sea:

Isa 44:27  That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

Eze 31:15  Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. 

The midst of thy rivers in verse 3 refers to the sea of flesh. The King of Egypt lying in the midst of his rivers therefore means that the King of Egypt or Pharoah is our flesh. Just as we represent Christ and therefore, we can be referred to as Jesus, the children of Satan (Those who live by the flesh) who is the great dragon, can be referred to as the great dragon. Thus, the King of Pharoah is not Satan but represents our flesh or old man who is empowered or influenced by Satan.

Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 

Here in verse 3, Pharoah is saying that he has his own river and has made it for himself. The river here is the false doctrines emanating from our flesh, that is, man’s wisdom and traditions, which the devil is using to deceive the whole world.  

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 

Eze 29:4  But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales. 
Eze 29:5  And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

In view of the sins of our flesh, the Lord comes to us with His judgement. In verse 4, the Lord is saying that He will put hooks in our jaws and will cause the fish of our rivers to stick unto our scales by putting us out of the midst of our rivers. Putting the hooks in our jaws means the Lord will be dragging us. The scales in this case, spiritually indicates the pride of our old man as shown in the following verse:

Job 41:15  His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

The Lord used the phrase “I will make you fishers of men” to refer to those that He will drag to Himself through the apostles. The fish of our rivers in verse 3 therefore refers to us His elect who were dominated by our old man or flesh through the deception of the false doctrine of man’s wisdom and tradition which makes us proud.

Mat 4:18  And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

In verses 4 and 5, the Lord is saying that He will bring us up out of the midst of our rivers by throwing us into the wilderness where we shall fall into the open fields and not be gathered together. In this situation, we become like meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven. As the Lord’s elect, we shall surely be delivered from all the false doctrines of man’s wisdom and traditions. However, verses 4 and 5 show us that the Lord’s deliverance is through an evil experience which starts with the Lord dragging us into the wilderness which represents Babylon or the physical churches of this world where we are starved of the word of the Lord. 

1Sa 3:1  Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. (ESV)

This Babylon is also likened to open fields which means that the churches of this world is part of the world system. At this stage, we, His elect, are not part of the assembly of the church of the firstborn as we have not yet been gathered together with His people as the Lord has promised. 

Jer 29:14  And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. 

During this walk with the Lord in the wilderness or open fields, we are given as meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven. The beasts of the field refers to these men who walk in the flesh but parade as apostles of Christ in the churches of this world, deceiving us. This is how the apostles, Peter and Jude, referred to them:

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 

As Jesus indicated, the fowls of the heaven signify the devil or evil one when He explained the parable of the sower to His disciples. 

Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 
Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 

Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside. 

Being meat to the fowls of the heaven therefore means that we become victims of the devil as every word of the Lord that is shown in our hearts is  taken away.

Eze 29:6  And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 
Eze 29:7  When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand. 

In verse 6, the house of Israel here refers to the Lord’s elect. The inhabitants of Egypt signify all those who walk according to worldly principles of man’s wisdom and tradition which we were being fed with when we were in the churches of this world. It also means all those who are dominated by the flesh. Verse 6 shows us that walking in the flesh is likened to a staff of reed or an unreliable walking stick. The verse is therefore telling us that as the Lord’s elect (house of Israel), we shall come to see that we cannot rely on our walk in the flesh or worldly principles before Him. 

Verse 7 shows us the unreliability of our flesh in serving the Lord. When we depends on our flesh or the worldly wisdom and traditions of this world, we are going to be disappointed. The verse likens our walk in the flesh as walking with a stick which when we use, it splinters and tear up our shoulders and when we lean on, it breaks and wrench our backs. All of this is showing us that there is no good thing in our flesh or our old man when it comes to serving the Lord.

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. 

As we can see from Romans 7:24-25, when we are under the control of our old man or flesh, we are wretched, poor and blind until the Lord Jesus Christ comes to us with His judgement. 

The Benefits of the Judgment of the Lord

Eze 29:8  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cutoff man and beast out of thee. 
Eze 29:9  And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it. 
Eze 29:10  Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. 
Eze 29:11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. 

Verse 8 is shows us the way the Lord comes to deal with us to destroy our old man or flesh – by  coming to us with His judgement. The Lord’s judgement in this case is the sword which He uses to cut off man and beast from our lives. The man and beast here refers to the beast within manor our flesh, which the Lord deals with through the spirit of His mouth (sword) and His brightness.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  

The land of Egypt in verse 9 refers to our bodies when we are under the dominion of the flesh. In such a state, we are just like anybody pursuing the things of this world. As indicated earlier, the rivers in verse 9 symbolize the false doctrines of man’s wisdom and traditions of this world. These rivers are what sustain Egypt or Babylon. At the time of Jacob and his sons, Egypt represents Babylon. Here in verses 9 and 10, the Lord has promised to come and judge our old man or body (the land of Egypt) together with destruction of her rivers which is the false doctrines. The land of Egypt becoming desolate and waste implies that nothing can grow on the land since there is no water or river to nourish the land. Since the land is our bodies, the Lord’s judgment ensures that our old man or flesh together with the false doctrines in our heavens are destroyed, paving the way for the birth and growth of our new man created after the image of Christ.

It is instructive to note that in verse 11, we are told that the land shall not be inhabited for forty years and that no foot of man or the foot of beast shall pass through it. The number forty signifies the period of our fiery trial or judgement. 

Gen 7:4  For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
Gen 7:17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

As the Lord’s elect, our period of judgment lasts until our last breadth. This implies that during this period of our lives as we are being judged by the Lord in this life, our land shall not be inhabited by any beast or man. That is to say that our old man or flesh shall be put to death and shall not have any influence in our lives again. 

Psa 119:67  Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Psa 119:71  It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 

Psa 119:75  I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.  

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.  

Eze 29:12  And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. 
Eze 29:13 Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered: 

As indicated earlier, Egypt also refers to Babylon. The Lord making Egypt the most desolate country in the world means that the Lord shall destroy Babylon within us through His judgment of our old man. The forty years represents the period we are being judged in this life. 

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 

Outwardly, the Lord shall judge Babylon in the fulness of time.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

In verse 13, we are being assured that the Lord’s judgment of Babylon will result in the saving of our brothers and sisters in Babylon as they will be gathered together after a symbolic forty years. 

Eze 29:14  And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom. 
Eze 29:15 It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. 

These verses continue to assure us that the Lord’s judgement of Babylon shall result in restoration as He brings again the captivity of Egypt. As indicated, Egypt represented Babylon at a certain stage of the Lord’s people and therefore the Egyptians represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon of which we were part of when we were in the churches of this world, conforming to its worldly standards. In verse 14, the Lord is saying that the Egyptians shall possess their land. This implies that the Lord’s judgement shall result in the possession of their soul just as the people of Israel, the Lord’s elect, shall possess their bodies and offer them as living sacrifices to the Lord. However, as stated in verse 14 and 15, our brothers and sisters in Babylon shall not be given to rule the nations as they shall be the basest of the kingdoms. As stated in verse 15, they shall no more rule over the nations. It is only the Lord’s elect who are given to rule the nations of this world as they overcome the flesh or old man through the Lord’s judgment in this age. 

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Eze 29:16  And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 

A simpler rendition of this verse is as follows:

Eze 29:16  The nation of Israel will never trust Egypt again. The people of Israel will remember how wrong they were whenever they turned to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Almighty LORD.'” (GW)

The house of Israel in verse 16 refers to the Lord’s elect. As the Lord’s elect, we shall not have confidence in the flesh which is the hallmark of all those who walk in the flesh who are symbolically represented by Egypt. As the Lord takes us though His judgment to destroy our old man or flesh, we shall come to remember how wrong we were when depended on our flesh or have confidence in our flesh. At the end of the day, this process of the Lord’s judgment will cause us to know who the Lord really is as we come to have the mind of Christ.

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 
Php 3:4  Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 
Php 3:5  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 
Php 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 
Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

The Reward for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

Eze 29:17  And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 

The first day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year when the Lord came to Ezekiel is very significant. The number one symbolizes that everything is from the Lord. The number twenty-seven is used in the Bible to signify the visiting of the Lord with His goodness after His judgment. This is made clear in the following verses:

Gen 8:14  And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried (after the flood).

2Ki 25:27  And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;   

This implies that the word of the Lord spoken to Ezekiel on the first day of the first month in the twenty-seventh year, is to show us the goodness of the Lord as He comes to visit us after we have gone through His judgment.

Eze 29:18  Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it: 
Eze 29:19  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. 
Eze 29:20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD. 

These verses show us the goodness of the Lord which is extended to all His creation, even people who do not know Him. In verses 18 to 20, the Lord is saying that He is a rewarder even to the people of this world that He uses to judge us. Here the Lord is rewarding the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar  with the land and people of Egypt for sending him to conquer Tyre. Seeing that our Lord is a rewarder, we are assured that He will surely come to us with His reward!! Faithful is He who has called us!! 

Heb 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 

Spiritually, the verses also show us how the Lord is rewarding our brothers and sisters in Babylon even for the work that He has given to them – to keep the multitude from coming to know Him in this age.

Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

If we look around, we can see how the Lord has given to the churches of this world, the wealth of this world (Egypt) even for this evil work that they are doing. 

Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city (Babylon), that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! 
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 

Eze 29:21  In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

In this verse, the Lord is telling us that He has not forgotten His elect and that He will cause us to be strong in Him through what He gives to us through what every joint supplies. That is what will guarantee our reward in the fulness of time as we come to know Him.  Knowing this, we can clearly see that our labor shall be rewarded even in this life and in another age. However, what we receive here in this life is only a down payment for the real riches that awaits us.

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 
Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

May the Name of the Lord be praised!! Amen!! 

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 2:11-25  “So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake” https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-211-25-so-the-waters-were-healed-unto-this-day-according-to-the-saying-of-elisha-which-he-spake/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-211-25-so-the-waters-were-healed-unto-this-day-according-to-the-saying-of-elisha-which-he-spake Thu, 04 Aug 2022 16:29:54 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=26091

2Ki 2:11-25  “So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake”

[Study Aired August 4, 2022]

2Ki 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
2Ki 2:12  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. 
2Ki 2:13  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
2Ki 2:14  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.
2Ki 2:15  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.
2Ki 2:16  And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 
2Ki 2:17  And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. 
2Ki 2:18  And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not? 
2Ki 2:19  And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. 
2Ki 2:20  And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
2Ki 2:21  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
2Ki 2:22  So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. 
2Ki 2:23  And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 
2Ki 2:24  And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
2Ki 2:25  And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

Each joint of Christ’s body is contributing in love to the labor He has called us unto, of seeing every part of His bride come into the unity of the faith “and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). He leads us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake that restore us (1Co 15:58, 1Ti 6:6-8, Psa 23:1-4), and we are being persuaded through that relationship of obedience to His word “for his name’s sake” (Rom 8:38), that it is Christ who is doing that labor within us both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure which is to give us the kingdom, a kingdom within, now (Luk 17:21). This is understood by knowing God and His son (Joh 17:3) in a relationship that we’ve been promised that none can separate us from if we are His (Php 2:13, Luk 12:32, Joh 17:12), and these truths are really at the heart of what Elijah and Elisha’s journeys will mean to God’s elect who are being led by the spirit of God today (Rom 8:14-16).

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [Php 2:12], forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord [Php 2:13].

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out [1Co 15:50]. 
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content [the food and the raiment symbolize what we labor for with a hunger and thirst God gives us for His righteousness (Mat 5:6), a desire that God abundantly satiates as we seek the kingdom of God first and see all our needs met in Him (Mat 6:33-34)].

Last week’s study pointed to the transition of power that would be given to Elisha after Elijah went away, and it is a typical story written for the elect’s sake (1Co 10:11, 1Pe 1:12) of how the holy spirit would be sent to the church who were tarrying in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. They were told to wait on the Lord and the Lord, who does not change (Mal 3:6), will always be faithful to send the comforter to us as we learn to wait on Him, possessing our souls patiently (Luk 21:19) in Jerusalem above where we have been raised (Luk 24:49, Joh 16:7, Psa 27:14, Eph 2:6, Eph 3:10).

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [“but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem“]

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, [“but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem” (Heb 10:25)]

This section of the book of Kings typifies for us how we can work out our own salvation with fear and trembling as a result of having His life within us (Php 2:12, Col 1:27, Rom 8:9). With that life of Christ within us we can “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2Pe 3:18) and learn to rightly divide God’s word through a lifelong process of “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” within us that is needful if we are going to be able to try the spirits outside ourselves (2Co 10:5, 1Jn 4:1). These heavenly endeavors spoken of in 2Corinthians 10:5 describe our spiritual wrestling match in this life, which is not against flesh and blood and is carried out in weak and contemptible earthen vessels that must die daily, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Eph 6:12, Rom 8:13).

It is in Christ’s body, the church (Col 1:24, Eph 5:30), where we learn of ‘the principalities and powers in heaven‘ that we can rule over through Christ who is far higher than all those principalities and powers (Eph 1:21, Eph 2:6, Eph 3:10, Rom 8:37).

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

At this stage in Elisha’s journey, he is being separated from Elijah where great miracles are manifesting outwardly, as they did for Paul on the road to Damascus and the early church on Pentecost. When we no longer know Christ after the flesh, typified by Elisha not seeing Elijah after he departed in a whirlwind, then we begin to believe that Christ is abiding within us, and with that belief we can now do the work of God, works that will be typified by the actions of Elisha that we will be looking at in this study (Joh 6:28-29).

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

2Ki 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

The first thing we notice is that when we know Christ after the flesh and then don’t know Him in that regard, it takes great spiritual forces to separate us from that immature initial way of knowing Christ, and this separation is typified by this moment when Elijah and Elisha are still walking together both in their flesh and then “a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven“. The chariot represents Christ who is the vessel of honor God gave to the church so He can increase and mature within us as a result of having our senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb 5:14). The discerning does not come about except there is power from God being given to help us through the process of having our senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Christ is that power in our heavens who makes this possible along with His word and His life within us, represented by “a chariot of fire, and horses of fire” that give us the ability to part way with our corrupt flesh, forsaking ungodliness and worldly lust (Tit 2:12).

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Christ is the one represented by Elijah who has the preeminence in all things (Col 1:18) as Elijah, in type and shadow, was the first one to go on to perfection, which was typified by this separation from Elisha. The “chariot of fire, and horses of fire” represent the power of God’s word that separates us from our fleshly thinking via the judgment of God that is progressively explained in the four horses spoken of in the book of revelation (Rev 6:1). These “horses of fire” are a precursor to the horses talked about in Zechariah 6:1-5 and then later in Revelation 6:1 and reveal a progression of judgment that matures the body of Christ.

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 

Zec 6:1  And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. 
Zec 6:2  In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; 
Zec 6:3  And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. 
Zec 6:4  Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? 
Zec 6:5  And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

Rev 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

[It will be the matured resurrected first fruits of God having had the experience of  “These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth” accomplished in their heavens that will instruct others as to what these things mean saying, “Come and see.“]

2Ki 2:12  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. 

Elijah told Elisha “if thou see me when I am taken from thee” then what you have asked me regarding receiving the double portion of spirit will happen (2Ki 2:10). In order to see Christ in whom we are hidden from the world (Col 3:3), we must have God’s spirit within us typified by the double portion that was given to Elisha, and so Elijah being taken away represents our now knowing or seeing Christ in the spirit, no longer needing to have signs of any nature (Joh 20:29) to convince us of our relationship with our Father and Christ and each other which now manifests within us (Joh 14:10, Joh 14:20) and brings forth the fruit of love that witnesses to this  outward relationship (Luk 6:43-46, Luk 17:20-21).

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Luk 6:43  For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Luk 6:44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart [Col 1:27, Mat 13:46, Mat 6:21] bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you [Joh 20:29].

This section of scripture where Elisha says “And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof” is also typical of this section of scripture in Acts 1:9-11, and the last part of the verse which reads “And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces” is a type and shadow of the veil of the temple being rent, which temple we are (1Co 3:16) and can only be rent by Christ within us who gives us power over our flesh (Heb 10:20), or former conversation represented by Elisha’s old clothes that must be rent. The renting represents our putting off our flesh through Christ who is the faithful witness who makes this possible, and so it is in “two pieces” (Mar 15:38, Joh 8:36, Rev 3:14, Php 1:6).

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 
Act 1:10  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 
Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 

Mar 15:38  And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. 

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: [Heb 12:2]

2Ki 2:13  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 
2Ki 2:14  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.

After our flesh is rent, our own righteousness represented by the garment of Elisha (Isa 4:1), we are found in this ‘abased’ position represented by standing “by the bank of Jordan”H3383 and begin to do the work of God symbolized by taking “up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him“. That it “fell from” Elijah is symbolic language of how the comforter is sent to us coming from heaven, from above (Joh 14:26, Jas 1:17)

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

It is with “the mantle of Elijah that fell from him“, representing the righteousness of Christ, that we can be given power to continue to search for the Lord with all our hearts (Isa 61:10, Rev 19:8, Jer 29:13).

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 

We rightly divide God’s word like Elisha used this mantle of clothing to part the waters when he “smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” Smiting the waters is akin to these statements the apostle Paul made in 2 Timothy 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 9:27.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

The water can represent our flesh or the word of God that must be tried within us through affliction, persecution, tribulation, and suffering, in order for these symbolic words to become a reality in our lives: “and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over“. The parting “hither and thither” is a witness to that symbolic language telling us that the word of God must be rightly divided in order for us to be baptized into Christ’s death (Rom 6:3) which baptism was also typified in the Red Sea when Israel crossed over (1Co 10:2, 1Co 10:11,  1Pe 3:21).

Christ is found in our lives by our being received of him through chastening and scourging that is represented by the smiting of the waters in this story (Heb 12:6). It is only when we cease from sinning as a result of suffering (2Ti 2:12) that we can go forward in our walk, and this increase is a gift from God who provides the water and the seed of which He gives increase (1Co 3:6). Notice that Elisha does what Elijah did first (2Ki 2:8, 2Ki 2:14) reminding us that Christ like us was tempted in all diverse manner and had to overcome all the pulls of His flesh and the powers and principalities in heavenly places as His body the church is able to do now through Him (Heb 4:14-16, Rom 5:10). With this gift from God we are becoming as Christ is (1Jn 4:17), and with the mind of Christ we can live to the will of God (1Pe 4:1-2) as this story typifies.

2Ki 2:8  And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

2Ki 2:14  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. 

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

2Ki 2:15  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. 
2Ki 2:16  And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 
2Ki 2:17  And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. 
2Ki 2:18  And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at JerichoH3405) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not? 

The sons of the prophets see Elisha now at JerichoH3405 which is a symbolic name that reveals that Elisha is now reflecting the light of Christ in type and shadow. The prophets saw him and said “The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha“. It rests on the prophets of old but it abides within God’s elect today (Rom 9:8). These prophets have been given a spirit of discernment and believe that Elisha is anointed and so “they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him“. What they’ve come to ask of Elisha however represents the idol of their own hearts and is not what Elisha wants to do. Elisha is told “there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master” which is a shadow of how we seek after the Lord with our own strength and not by being led by the holy spirit (Rom 8:14-16).

These fifty prophets represent the way we can falsely apply grace in our search for Christ and reveal how we will not find him even as these prophets will not find Elijah who typifies Christ. God therefore answers us according to the idol of  our heart with all such endeavors as Elisha did with these prophets who continued to urge him to let them go search for Elijah by their own efforts (Eze 14:4). These words of the prophets, “Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send” reminds us of the persistent spirit in Babylon to follow a man after the flesh (2Co 5:16, Heb 12:14).  Matthew 24:26 also mirrors this spirit shown to us by these prophets in regard to how the world says where Christ is, “Peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.“

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Mat 24:26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

They were truly persistent and, trying to convince Elisha against his own will, the end result of that persistence is: “they sought three days, but found him not.” The fruit of that search yielded nothing; no stay of bread or water was found, represented by Elijah who is a type of Christ who they did not find. It also took three days to come to that conclusion as these actions represent judgment that was upon these ever-searching-but-never-able-to-come-to-the-knowledge-of-the-Lord prophets (2Ti 3:7).

When the search was over Elisha says, “And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?” But we do go, and all of our searching in Babylon is needful to create contrast for when we are given to find the pearl of great price, Jesus Christ (Mat 13:46). Then we can look back and clearly see the vanity of all our efforts of trying to only know Christ after the flesh.

Mat 13:46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

2Ki 2:19  And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. 
2Ki 2:20  And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

The prophets reporting on the real condition of the city is a confession of sorts that the outside of the sepulcher is white, “the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth“, but the inside is dry and full of dead men’s bones: “but the water is naught, and the ground barren” (Mat 23:27-28).

Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 
Mat 23:28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 

The new cruse with salt put therein that Elisha asked them to bring to him represents the new vessel God is making that was initially marred in the hand of the Potter (Jer 18:4), and the salt in the vessel is a symbol of the covenant of the Lord that He will heal the land so that it will become spiritually abundant in time. The salt also represents the fiery trials that must come upon the land in order to rid it of all impurities so that it can bring forth much fruit (Amo 3:6). Every sacrifice was salted with fire in other words (Num 18:19, Mat 5:13, Mar 9:49-50).

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Num 18:19  All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee.

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

Mar 9:49  For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 
Mar 9:50  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

2Ki 2:21  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
2Ki 2:22  So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. 

The waters being healed from that day forward “according to the saying of Elisha which he spake” is a reminder of what Christ has done for humanity, and how God “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom 4:17). Christ’s life was sacrificed for us, and He represents these new living waters that were made possible by his presenting himself a living sacrifice to God which we now do through him (Rom 12:1-2). Christ is the salt of the earth within his people (Mat 5:13, 1Jn 4:17) and the words “I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.” spoken after Elisha “went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there“ is also expressed with these verses (Joh 6:55-56, Joh 4:10-11, 2Pe 1:8).

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed [Eph 5:30].
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 4:11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 

2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is “according to the saying of Elisha which he spake” which symbolizes God’s word being sent forth to heal all the nations, first within the body of Christ upon whom His judgments are (1Pe 4:17), and then the rest of humanity in the great white throne judgment (1Pe 4:18, Rev 20:11-12) that this healing will be accomplished: “So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake“. It takes God’s judgments in our earth (Isa 26:9) in order for us to be healed which is what these symbolic actions of Elisha typify for us.

2Ki 2:23  And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 
2Ki 2:24  And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

It was as Elisha was heading up to Bethel, which means “house of God“, that God inspired these circumstances (2Ki 2:23-25) to demonstrate to us what happens when His judgments are in our earth. In the preceding verses we are told, “So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake” and this healed water, which represents the undefiled word of God, was made so by the salt being put into “the spring of the waters“.

Then we are shown another outward example through Elisha who is a type of the elect of what God’s word can accomplish within us and how increase comes in our life through the destruction of false doctrines represented by these “little children out of the city” who “mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head”.

First, let’s establish this point that ‘children’ represent ‘doctrine’ in God’s word. In Luke 8:11 we learn “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God“, and the opposite of the “good seed” are “tares”, referring to doctrine in this parable in Matthew 13:38.

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

These little children who come out of the city to mock Elisha in this story are a witness to the whole of Babylon that mocks us with their false doctrine, 4 being the whole and 2 representing the witness to the fact that there is no stay of bread or water in Babylon (42 children – Isa 3:1). It also shows us the utter carnality of Babylon as Mike describes in this FAQ:

Elisha “turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD” which is what we can do when we submit to God and resist the devil (Jas 4:7) and repent of all the lies of Babylon, all the leaven of the Pharisees which is their doctrine (Mat 16:12) that tries to contaminate our spiritual house (Gal 5:9). We discern their falsehood by trying their spirits (1Jn 4:1) symbolized by Elisha who “looked on them”  and then cursed them “in the name of the Lord” (Zec 3:2, Jud 1:9).

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Mat 16:12  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 

Gal 5:9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

Zec 3:2  And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 

Jud 1:9  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

The healing of the waters in our life through Christ is connected to this death of the forty-two children as they represent tares or false doctrine that must be plucked up and burned, and the means by which this is done in this story is by “two she bears out of the wood“. The woods are symbolic of the wilderness of Babylon, and the “two she bears” are a witness of Satan’s influence in the churches of Babylon [two she bears]. The power that God has over all such powers and principalities [two she bears] is demonstrated by the destruction of all these children. God uses the devil in other words as His sword (Psa 17:13) which is what happens here when Elisha “cursed them in the name of the LORD“.

All of this death happened because of the mocking that occurred to Elisha, and God tells us that this will happen to His elect as it did to Christ (Joh 15:20, Luk 23:31). The most noted case of mocking that comes to mind in God’s word was when Christ was mocked on the cross (Luk 23:36) as we are mocked and hated by all men for not running to the same excess of this world (1Pe 4:4) as we die daily and mortify the deeds of our flesh (Rom 8:13) being crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20).

The specific way that the children mocked Elisha was cruel and the insults were directed at his head saying “Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head“, so they were in type and shadow mockings that were directed at Christ his head. Elisha simply “cursed them in the name of the LORD” and the prophet of God knew this was not going to end well for these children (Amo 3:6-7). The obvious lesson is to honour your head (1Co 11:3), which we do when we don’t think above what is written (1Co 4:6) and cast “down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2Co 10:4-5).

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

That he was bald can also signify both mourning and a new start on our road to Christ (Isa 22:12, Jer 48:37, Lev 13:40, Act 21:24)

Isa 22:12  And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: 

Jer 48:37  For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. 

Lev 13:40  And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.

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2Ki 2:25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

After this destructive event of these children that represents the death of our old man and his false doctrines or tares, we are shown that Elisha’s life typifies the elect seed or vessel of honor that is dying to self and going to bring forth much fruit as a result of this process of dying daily (Joh 12:24).

The place that Elisha goes to now, after these events, will symbolize bringing forth much fruit in his life “mount Carmel”H3760 and then after that he goes to “Samaria”H8111 H8104 to continue to be the watchman of God’s word that he represents.

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