Elisha – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty Sat, 10 Dec 2022 16:52:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cropped-headerlogo-32x32.png Elisha – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com 32 32 Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 13:14-25  “For the battle is the LORD’S,  and he will give you into our hands” (1Sa  1 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-1314-25-for-the-battle-is-the-lords-and-he-will-give-you-into-our-hands-1sa-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-1314-25-for-the-battle-is-the-lords-and-he-will-give-you-into-our-hands-1sa-1 Thu, 08 Dec 2022 23:24:20 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=26710 2Ki 13:14-25  “For the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands” (1Sa 17:47)
[Study Aired December 8, 2022]

2Ki 13:14  Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. 
2Ki 13:15  And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
2Ki 13:16  And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. 
2Ki 13:17  And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
2Ki 13:18  And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 
2Ki 13:19  And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. 
2Ki 13:20  And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 
2Ki 13:21  And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet. 
2Ki 13:22  But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 
2Ki 13:23  And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. 
2Ki 13:24  So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. 
2Ki 13:25  And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.

In last week’s study we learned that Jehoahaz besought the Lord to take the nation of Israel out from under the oppressive bondage of “Hazael king of Syria” and “Benhadad the son of Hazael“, and the LORD hearkened unto Jehoahaz and gave Israel a savior who we learn in this section of kings is Elisha who typifies Christ our savior. 

2Ki 13:3  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days. 
2Ki 13:4  And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. 
2Ki 13:5  (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

The deliverance God gave Israel came as a result of Elisha, just as our deliverance is completely dependent upon Christ’s hand in our lives (Joh 10:28, 2Ki 13:16-17) and there are many instructive events which take place in this section of kings that show us how we are to make spiritual warfare in our walk in Christ as we die daily and are blessed to be “baptized into his death” (Rom 6:3).

Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

2Ki 13:16  And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. [Php 2:12] And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. [Php 2:13]
2Ki 13:17  And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Without Christ our hope of glory within (Col 1:27), we cannot make war against the enemy within (Rev 13:4) and cannot understand the extent of the battle to which the Lord has called us that belongs to him (1Sa 17:47). In the end, the Lord will triumph through His people both to will and to do God’s good pleasure which is to give us the kingdom of God (Luk 12:32) through the destruction of the giants in our own land [our bodies, our hearts and minds] typified in this story by the nation of Syria which is oppressing Israel. God calls us to arm ourselves with His mind and to not take any anxious thought for the morrow because “the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands” (1Sa 17:47, 1Pe 4:1-2, Mat 6:34).

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?

1Sa 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

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. 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

2Ki 13:14  Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. 

Elisha is on his deathbed when these events transpire with Joash, and what we are being shown is in the sickness that he had “whereof he died” is the sickness we all have, which is found in these corruptible marred vessels that are in the hand of the Potter (Jer 18:4) who knows all our days and how they are numbered and meant to play out according to the counsel of His own will (Psa 139:16, Eph 1:11).

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.

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

What God is showing Joash, in type and shadow through Elisha, is that his deliverance and the nation’s are going to come through the death of his carnal nature which can only happen through Christ abiding in us (Ecc 7:2-4). He is mournful for the condition of Elijah, “And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face“, and does not yet understand the power that this situation represents (Luk 23:28-31) even though he alludes to it in his description and memory of Elijah, “O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.“

Ecc 7:2  It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 
Ecc 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 
Ecc 7:4  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 

Luk 23:28  But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 
Luk 23:29  For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck [Gal 4:27]. 
Luk 23:30  Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 
Luk 23:31  For if they do these things in a green tree [Christ and his Christ], what shall be done in the dry? [1Pe 4:17-18, Joh 5:29]

2Ki 13:15  And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. 
2Ki 13:16  And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. 

It is in our weakest state where God’s strength is made perfect through us (2Co 12:9) as we learn to make war against the enemy within us with the word of God symbolized by “arrows“. The bow represents the strength of God’s arm in our lives (Gen 49:22-24, Gen 9:13), and the arrows represent the word of God (Num 24:8, Psa 127:4-5) which enables us to accomplish what God proclaims from His mouth (Isa 55:11).

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Gen 9:13  I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 
Gen 9:14  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth [Rev 11:15], that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: [Heb 1:21]

Gen 49:22  Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
Gen 49:23  The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 
Gen 49:24  But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel).

Psa 127:4  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth [2Pe 1:4]. 
Psa 127:5  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate [2Ti 2:15].

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Verse 16 further confirms where our strength comes from and how God is faithful to accomplish all He has set out to do through Christ (Joh 4:23).

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

The imagery of these words “And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands” represents our putting our trust in the strength of Christ in our lives who is represented by the bow. Elisha putting his hand upon the king’s hand reminds us that our victory in the Lord is not by might nor power but by God’s holy spirit (Zec 4:6). As mentioned earlier, it is all of the Lord both to will and to do of His good pleasure as we are instructed by the Lord to trust in His power in which we rest, “And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow (Php 2:12).” It is when we cast our cares upon the Lord, or rest in Him, that we learn of His mercy and great power and continual desire to deliver us from ourselves, “And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands” (Php 2:13).

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling [resting our hand on the bow].
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. [Typified by Elisha who puts his hand upon the king’s hand, Christ’s effectual working in His body (Eph 4:16).]

2Ki 13:17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. 

Then Joash was instructed by Elisha to open the eastward window and to shoot an arrow which symbolizes the need for our obedience to God’s word as we are led by the spirit to accomplish God’s will of overcoming the enemy within us (Act 5:32, Rom 8:14). God’s word is the “The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance” that if we are blessed to continue will set us free (Joh 8:31-32). We are delivered from the sin within our members, typified by Syria, and it is in “AphekH663” this battle takes place “till thou have consumed them“. Aphek represents the strongholds of our flesh which are giants in our lands that will be bread for us at the appointed time of their destruction (Num 23:30, Exo 14:9). It is at an appointed time, and the process starts by shooting an arrow toward the east, meaning the word of God comes into our heart and starts a process of judgment which destroys the man of sin within us who is destroyed by the brightness of His coming from the east unto the west (Mat 24:27, 2Th 2:8).

Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

2Ki 13:18  And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 
2Ki 13:19  And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

This part of our study references back to Romans 6:1-3 where we are shown that initially we are repentant and do war against our flesh, but it is not enough to completely defeat the enemy within us as we can’t help but “continue in sin, that grace may abound”, so it is worded this way, “And he smote thrice, and stayed.“

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, [stop trying to overcome and not keep under ourselves, and just abide (stay) in sin] that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? [Rom 6:11] 
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [rather abide, (stay) alive in Christ and be dead to sin]

Joash has no idea how many times he should have smitten the ground, and yet the prophet was inspired to say that three times is not enough, that initial process of judgment is not enough as it caused him to “stay” and not move forward. This movement forward is what happens when we abide in Christ or stay in Christ in order to become His disciples indeed who go unto perfection on the third day, pressing toward the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ (Joh 8:31-32, Luk 13:32, Php 3:14). In this story we see the number three being used to demonstrate judgment that is not complete, and the need to endure until the end (Mat 24:13) to be saved going beyond these verses in Hebrew 6:1-3, Lord willing.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

‘Disciples indeed’ are permitted to go beyond this degree of overcoming by the grace of God that gives us the power to overcome our flesh. “Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times“, which is something that is permitted by God (Heb 6:3). The man of God being “wroth with him” typifies God’s wrath against our old man, and God knows the only way to go onto perfection is to have that man of sin within us smitten “five or six times” which represents the chastening grace of our Father in the elect’s lives that causes us to be received by the Lord (Heb 12:6-7). The earlier mentioned three [3] times smiting the ground is worldly repentance, but the [2×3=6] witnesses [2] to the process of judgment that brings about Godly repentance which moves us forward by God’s grace through faith [5] (2Co 7:9-10).

Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

2Co 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 
2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

The foundation of Christ in our lives [12] is preceded by the dissolution of our flesh, represented by the number eleven [“five or six times“=11]. We must endure His chastening from start to finish, in other words, in order to have Christ’s body built upon the Rock that is Christ [12] (Mat 21:44, Mat 16:18).

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

2Ki 13:20  And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 
2Ki 13:21  And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
2Ki 13:22  But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 

It is when Elisha dies that “the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year” showing us the natural way our flesh goes when Christ is no longer in our midst, who is typified by Elisha (Act 20:29-30, Joh 21:3).

Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 

Joh 21:3  Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing [as opposed to when Christ was there giving direction Joh 21:6, Rev 7:9].

The Moabites invaded Israel’s land, and at one point “as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha“.  This situation is a parable for us of how the dead bury their dead or hide their sinful flesh that will be exposed through a resurrection which comes about as a result of our being touched by Christ who is the power of the resurrection (Joh 11:25). 

It is “when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, [that] he revived, and stood up on his feet“. BonesH6106 are a symbol of our essence/substance/self but they are not the body and blood of Christ and the flesh and bones that together make it possible for God’s elect to be raised in heavenly places today with our Father and Christ, in earnest, in heaven (Eph 5:30, Eph 2:6).

These chapters in 2 Kings don’t follow a strict timeline as we see here with the writer being inspired to now return to remind us of the king of Syria who has been given a hardened and unbelieving heart to continue oppressing his neighbor, “But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.” We do not know if Hazael had heard of this miracle of a resurrection, but because of its placement here in scripture, right after mention of the man touching the bones of Elisha and reviving, it brings to mind how it is the Lord who opens and closes the hearts and minds to fulfill His will (Job 12:14, Rev 3:7, Rev 17:17).

The elect rising from the dead in the first resurrection will cause the world to believe at first, like certain Jews that believed on Christ but could not continue in that belief (Luk 16:31, Joh 8:31-32). This unbelief is centered around the inability to repent “but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent“, not until they are washed with the word of God and baptized with fire in the lake of fire (Joh 3:5-6). This resurrection of the nameless man was temporary, as all others were, until Christ comes (Psa 85:6, Isa 57:15,  Rom 7:9, Rom 14:7-9).

Luk 16:30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 
Luk 16:31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

Psa 85:6  Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 

Rom 7:9  For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died [Gal 2:20].

Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 
Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 
Rom 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 

2Ki 13:23 And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

The Lord is not a respecter of persons but “because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob“, He will save all of humanity, which can only happen by going through a process of judgment that is shown us in the symbolic words of “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” [3 people]. 

‘Jacob’ is whom God loves while we are in this flesh as His elect, and ‘Esau’ our old man is whom He hates within us (Rom 9:13). The seed of promise matures and progressively goes from Jacob to Isaac, who is the more mature man of God being formed in us, leading to the father of the faithful Abraham, who typifies the matured creation that will go on to perfection on the third day as a result of coming into the unity of the faith through Christ (Luk 13:32, Eph 4:13). 

Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in 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:

Abraham is mentioned first because God declares the end from the beginning and knows that all men will be saved by grace through faith, typified by Abraham who is a type of Christ (Heb 11:8, Rom 5:19).

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; [Php 2:12] and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 

Rom 5:19  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Christ] shall many be made righteous [all in Adam (1Co 15:22)]. 

2Ki 13:24  So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. 
2Ki 13:25  And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel. 

After Hazael king of Syria dies, Benhadad his son reigned in his stead, and “Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war“. These cities that were taken represent the bondage of sin that our old man overtakes in us at an appointed time, and only by God’s mercy can we recover “the cities of Israel” (Pro 16:4). 

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 

The “three times” that Joash beat Benhadad reminds us that overcoming in the Lord is a lifetime process of judgment where we must keep under our body, “and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1Co 9:27). This exercise of evil is one that is unavoidable as the body of Christ (Ecc 9:3, 1Pe 5:6, Act 14:22), and yet it is one that we can rejoice in, and again I say rejoice, because it is through this process of which we pray we never grow weary, which we learn of our Lord’s faithfulness toward His children and the certainty of our victory through Christ over our enemies within, “for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands” (1Sa 17:47).

Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 

1Sa 17:47  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 8:7-15  “Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry” https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-87-15-set-a-mark-upon-the-foreheads-of-the-men-that-sigh-and-that-cry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-87-15-set-a-mark-upon-the-foreheads-of-the-men-that-sigh-and-that-cry Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:09:01 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=26451 2Ki 8:7-15  “Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry”
[Study Aired October 20, 2022]

2Ki 8:7  And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. 
2Ki 8:8  And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 
2Ki 8:9  So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 
2Ki 8:10  And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die. 
2Ki 8:11  And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. 
2Ki 8:12  And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
2Ki 8:13  And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. 
2Ki 8:14  So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.
2Ki 8:15  And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

As was mentioned last week, the first section of chapter eight of 2 Kings represents more of the positive sowing that is happening by way of the woman who represents the body of Christ whose son was healed. In the verses we’re looking at in this section of Kings, we’ll see the negative tares that will be sown and used according to the counsel of God’s own will via king Hazael who represents Babylon within us who rejects the message of the true gospel of God (Eph 1:11). As always these things are written for our sake and for our admonition upon whom the end of the ages is come as they motivate us to ‘come out of her my people’ that we be not partakers of her plagues (1Co 10:11, 2Co 6:17). 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

After Hazael kills Benhadad the king of Syria, he in turn becomes the king of Syria as Elisha prophesied, and things just wax worse and worse (2Ti 3:13). Elisha was weeping over the future events he knew were going to come upon Judah just as Christ wept over Jerusalem (Luk 19:41-42). All of this story is to tell us the mindset we should have as the body of Christ as we near the end of this wicked generation knowing there is both an inward and outward application that God has to give us to understand. The world will not repent because of the hardness of their hearts, and those who do repent (Rom 2:4) are those who will be sealed with the holy spirit of promise experiencing God’s goodness in this age (Eph 1:13), typified by a set “mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Eze 9:4, Mat 24:22). 

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 

Luk 19:41  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Mat 24:22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

The elect are typified by these verses in Ezekiel that describe six men who came from the way of the higher gate which represents Christ who is judging God’s elect at this higher gate that lies toward the north from where judgment comes (Eze 9:2-3, 1Pe 4:17). There are six men representing our flesh which needs to be put off in order for us to be clothed with linen, which is a symbol of Christ’s righteousness within us making it possible for us to have a writer’s inkhornH7083 by our side, which symbolically means we can now read, hear and keep the sayings of the prophecies of Christ that bless us (Rev 1:3) due to his judgments which take us out of our previous foolish state of not knowing God (Pro 24:7, Psa 14:1). It is “one man”, and that one man represents Christ who is doing the work within us (Php 2:12-13) as we go into the court where the brasen altar is which represents a place of washing and repentance. All these thoughts in Ezekiel 9:2-3 lead up to the most important verse telling us the mindset of those who have been truly washed with the water of the word in this age (Eze 9:4).

Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. 
Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhornH7083 by his side; 
Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads (Eph 1:13, 1Jn 2:20) of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

2Ki 8:7  And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither. 
2Ki 8:8  And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 
2Ki 8:9  So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? 
2Ki 8:10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die. 

The king of Syria represents Babylon who, although they seek the Lord, will not find the spiritual healing which will only come to a few in this life (Mat 22:14). Elisha coming to Damascus reminds us that Christ is not far from anyone (Act 17:27, Mar 12:34, Rev 3:20, Mat 13:16). Not everyone is being dragged to Christ, and even those who are dragged to Christ are not assured of continuing in a relationship with our Lord unless it has been ordained to be that way (Joh 6:44, Joh 8:31-32).

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 

Mar 12:34  And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

So Hazael, at the request of the king, is sent to enquire of the man of God if he shall recover from his disease. Hazael is also told to bring a gift to Elisha “every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden” which represents the many wonderful gentile (camel) works that we do in this life without giving credit to Christ for being the one who has done them (Mat 7:22-23). Bringing forty camels foreshadows the great tribulation and death that is going to come to the king of Syria, and the nation of Israel (2Ki 13:22) and represents the death of our old man within us as well (Gen 6:3).

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

2Ki 13:22  But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 

Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years (40 years x 3) (Deu 31:2 , Deu 34:7).

Hazael is now standing before Elisha and asks this question on behalf of the king of Syria: “Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?” The treachery in Hazael’s heart has not been revealed yet and even when it is, he can’t believe that he is the murderous man: “But what, is thy servant a dog“, that Elisha describes with such detail in the next few verses (Pro 14:5, 2Sa 12:7).

Pro 14:5  A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. 

2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 

Elisha’s response to Hazael is, “Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.” So essentially Elisha was telling Hazael that Benhadad would have survived if he hadn’t killed him. The mindset of Hazael is typical of one who crucifies Christ afresh, and he was the king’s servant who betrayed him, representing our flesh that denies Christ and, but for the grace of God, would crucify him afresh as well “and put him to an open shame” (Mat 10:33, 2Ti 2:13, Heb 6:6).

Mat 10:33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 

Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

All these events unfolded as they did according to the counsel of God’s will (Eph 1:11) at the hand of a king’s servant, Hazael, who was caused by God to do these treacherous events to further destroy the kingdoms of men around him. 

God anointed these events through Elijah who was told of the Lord years prior, to “anoint Hazael to be king over Syria”, of which truth Elisha was just now coming to understand since he was not yet with Elijah at that point in time (1Ki 19:15-17). This all demonstrates God’s sovereignty over all the plans of mankind and how that plan is only revealed to the few (Amo 3:7) who, by the grace of God, don’t bend the knee to Baal (1Ki 19:18) as was explained to Elijah prior to his being commanded to go anoint Hazael (1Ki 19:15, 1Ki 19:1-14).

1Ki 19:15  And the LORD said unto him [Elijah], Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 
1Ki 19:16  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 
1Ki 19:17  And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 
1Ki 19:18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 

2Ki 8:11  And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed:H954 and the man of God wept.

2Ki 8:11  Elisha began to stare. He stared until [Hazael] felt embarrassed. Then the man of God began to cry. (ERV)

Everything Elisha says to Hazael and his reaction to those prophecies reminds us that the world does not know “the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes” (Luk 19:41-42, Eze 9:4, Joh 8:36). We are incredibly blessed to have His peace in this world, a peace that passes all understanding, given to us by God so we can endure unto the end (Php 4:6).

Luk 19:41  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

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

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 
Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Elisha was broken up over what he knew was coming, but he was not overwhelmed or destroyed by it. Peace is not peace as our flesh wants to define peace, but peace comes to us when we can believe Christ and labor for our daily bread, which He gives to those who seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness (Mat 6:33). We labor therefore for that peace which passes all understanding, and it is peace that needs to be nurtured by thinking on things true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Also think of the virtue of Christ we see in the body of Christ that goes out from each of us and any praise, think on these things so God’s peace can be sustained within us (2Co 4:8-10, Php 4:8).

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 
2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 
2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body [Eph 5:30]. 

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

2Ki 8:12  And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. 

This section of scripture is a type of the destruction of Babylon at the hands of the wicked Hazael who was anointed to be this driving spirit in his day (Rev 17:16). The terminology reveals that this mayhem which is prophesied to ensue is synonymous with the destruction of the churches and false doctrines and strongholds in the flesh which mankind holds onto at all cost, “Their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.” It is very reminiscent of the ten horns upon the beast that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire (Psa 17:13, Rev 17:16).

Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: 

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 

2Ki 8:13  And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. 

Hazael then asks Elisha, is “thy servant a dog” that he should bring all this destruction, to which Elisha answers, “The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria“, meaning, “Yes, you are a gentile dog in spirit being used in the service of God to accomplish His will.” Of course Hazael doesn’t see it this way, and yet he won’t stop at anything to get to the prominent place of power after which he is lusting even after being given the witness by God’s servant, Elisha. It doesn’t matter what God’s elect says to people during the thousand-year reign, or even today for that matter. A man convinced against his own will (which is not free) is of the same opinion still (and that stubbornness is of God as well [1Sa 15:23, 1Sa 16:14]), the lesson being it is only Christ who can convert our hearts so that His spirit within us can give us the ability to believe and continue to abide in that belief until our last breath (Php 1:21).

1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. 

Php 1:21  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

2Ki 8:14  So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. 
2Ki 8:15  And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.

In this 14th verse we see the forked tongue of the devil being revealed in Hazael who tells Benhadad the truth that he will recover, but fails to leave out the detail that he’s going to kill him on the morrow (Gen 2:16-17, Gen 3:1-5). 

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 
Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 
Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 
Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [“He told me that thou shouldest surely recover“]
Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Something done “on the morrow” is a biblical phrase that often accompanies judgment as these verses below indicate. Keep in mind as we read those verses that “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us”. In other words, that judgment is needful upon our flesh and it leads to life in Christ if we are blessed to be judged (1Pe 4:17) in this life (Gen 19:34, Exo 18:13, Exo 32:30, 1Sa 18:10, 1Sa 31:8, Jas 4:14-15, 2Co 1:20). 

Gen 19:34  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. [First man Adam who cannot be ‘crucified with Christ’ (Gal 2:20, Gal 5:24)] 

Exo 18:13  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

Exo 32:30  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

1Sa 18:10  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. 

1Sa 31:8  And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 
Jas 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

The way in which he kills him ‘on the morrow’ is symbolic of how Babylon’s doctrines suffocate the life of Christ in us and blind us to the truth of God’s word which can set us free if we are granted to continue in them (Joh 8:31-32). He took a thick cloth and “dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died.” Dipping it in the waters of Babylon, not the living waters of God’s words, and spreading it on his face where, in a right relationship, symbolizes how we see Christ face to face in earnest (1Co 13:12-13, Eph 1:14). In Babylon, Christ is hidden from us, and there is no chance for life. The end result of these evil actions is that Hazael got the promotion he was looking for in his flesh as this is all that mattered to him.

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 
1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Obviously Hazael is not a type of one who sighs and cries for the abominations of the world, but more perfectly demonstrates the problem with our carnal nature which needs to be destroyed by the brightness of God’s coming (2Th 2:8). 

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: 

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 4:8-16  “With the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-48-16-with-the-same-measure-that-ye-mete-withal-it-shall-be-measured-to-you-again/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-48-16-with-the-same-measure-that-ye-mete-withal-it-shall-be-measured-to-you-again Thu, 25 Aug 2022 17:52:18 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=26158

2Ki 4:8-16 With the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again

[Study Aired August 25, 2022]

2Ki 4:8  And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
2Ki 4:9  And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
2Ki 4:10  Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
2Ki 4:11  And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
2Ki 4:12  And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
2Ki 4:13  And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
2Ki 4:14  And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
2Ki 4:15  And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 
2Ki 4:16  And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

The first seven verses of this fourth chapter of 2nd Kings set the tone for the rest of the parables about God’s provision that is supplied, in Christ or of Christ or through Christ (Eph 2:6-7,  Eph 4:13, Rom 3:24, Rom 8:2, Rom 8:39) who was symbolized by the man who died in 2 Kings 4:1 leaving his impoverished wife, who represents the church prior to Pentecost (Luk 24:49, Joh 16:13). Each of those phrases, ‘in Christ’, ‘of Christ’, and ‘through Christ’ are the same Greek word ChristosG5547 and mean the anointing or unction that God has placed upon the body of Christ. The word ‘unction’ found in 1 John 2:20 is related to this word and explains how God is able to accomplish all that He does through the church, through Christ’s body (Col 1:24).

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in ChristG5547 Jesus: 
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through ChristG5547 Jesus.

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in 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 ChristG5547:

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in ChristG5547 Jesus: 

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in ChristG5547 Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in ChristG5547 Jesus our Lord.

Luk 24:48  And ye are witnesses [Rev 11:3] of these things. 
Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

1Jn 2:20  But ye have an unctionG5545 from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictionsG2347 of ChristG5547 in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the SpiritG4151 of GodG2316 : Every spiritG4151 that confesseth that Jesus ChristG5547 is come in the flesh is of God:

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the SpiritG4151, if so be that the SpiritG4151 of GodG2316 dwell in you [Col 1:27]. Now if any man have not the SpiritG4151 of ChristG5547, he is none of his [Mat 28:18, Joh 16:15].

Elisha’s coming into the life of this woman, whose circumstances are described as such, “Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil”, is a parable of how we need the Comforter to come into our life to lead us into all truth (Luk 6:38, Mal 3:10) represented by the oil that is going to be provided for her and her family after she obeys the direction of the prophet, an obedience that tells us she is a type of God’s elect who are led of the holy spirit into the liberty that is found in Christ (Gal 2:4, Gal 5:1, 2Co 3:17).

Luk 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, [Php 2:12] that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, [Php 2:13] and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Gal 2:4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The measure of oil that she has is not enough, and it will only multiply through her diligence which typifies that zealousness of Christ in our lives as a peculiar people (1Pe 2:9) who are zealous of good works, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”. “For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38 reminds us that if we are granted to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul”  and “love thy neighbor as thyself” we will be bringing “all the tithes into the storehouse”, meaning all our life will be focused on these commandments of which Christ tells us, “There is none other commandment greater than these” (Tit 2:14, Exo 19:5, 1Pe 2:9, Psa 135:4). Bringing all the tithe includes being part of the process of saving the world (Oba 1:21) and bringing that later harvest in the storehouse as well (Jas 5:7).

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works [2Co 7:11] .

Exo 19:5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 

Psa 135:4  For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself [Rom 9:13], and Israel for his peculiar treasure [Gal 6:16].

The opening verses of this section of several parables speaks of “a great woman” who represents the church that forges a relationship with Elisha, who is a type of Christ and His elect, which leads to her being given a child by the Lord who, like the man in the earlier verses, dies (2Ki 4:1). In this case however the child is restored again as a type of the elect who are given life through God’s holy spirit (Mat 17:11-12). It took Elisha coming into her life to ultimately bring about the blessing of this son, which typifies how God’s holy spirit must come into our lives so a manchild can be brought forth and mature (Rev 12:5).

Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 

2Ki 4:8  And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to ShunemH7766, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

This constraining Elisha to come in and eat bread (“and she constrained him to eat bread“) is typical of our desire to have Christ sit with us and teach us (Jdg 13:8, Job 37:19, Luk 19:5-6).

Jdg 13:8  Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born [Heb 10:25].

Job 37:19  Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

Luk 19:5  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 
Luk 19:6  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

This “great woman” is giving him what she can of her own and being blessed to have this relationship with Elisha (Act 20:35).

Act 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

This is all reminiscent of Abraham’s actions toward Christ (Gen 18:3-6, Luk 24:27-33).

Gen 18:6  And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth  [Php 2:12-13].

Luk 24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 
Luk 24:28  And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 
Luk 24:29  But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
Luk 24:30  And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 
Luk 24:31  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight [Jer 15:16].

God’s rest is symbolized by the city Elisha passed to [“passed to Shunem”H7766]  [Mat 24:45-50]. This woman’s desire to provide for Elisha typifies the zealous spirit we need in order to be overcomers as Christ was in this life, which is how we enter into that rest (Luk 2:49, Mat 24:46, Heb 4:11). Our Father’s business within us is called His workmanship (Eph 2:10, Eph 2:20), and through Christ we are providing for each other what we need both physically and spiritually in this life (Luk 2:49, 1Jn 4:17, Joh 21:17, 1Jn 3:17, Joh 15:10).

Luk 2:49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business [Eph 2:10]?

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing [Php 2:12-13]. 
Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

1Jn 3:17  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

2Ki 4:9  And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

This perception given to the “great woman” further confirms for us that she is a type of the bride of Christ who has been given spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears that hear (Mat 13:16). Christ is the “holy man of God, which passeth by us continually” and provides for us what we need on a daily basis so we can live abundant lives in Him (Joh 10:10-11).

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

2Ki 4:10  Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

A bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick, symbolize what we need in Christ, or through Christ, in order to live Godly lives of contentment which is great gain (1Ti 6:6-8). God is the one who provides the undefiled bed in our life where our relationship of love thrives with Christ (Heb 13:4, Eph 5:25-26). He also provides a table which represents where we eat at an altar at which the world cannot eat at this time (Heb 13:10). There is also a stool where we can rest because we have been blessed to be risen with Christ and seated in heavenly places where we find rest and peace that passes all understanding through Christ (Eph 2:6, Rev 4:10, Rev 4:2). The candlestick is symbolic of the light of Christ and the spirit of the church that is in the hand of God, telling us that our salvation is completely [7] secure in Him (Rev 1:20, Joh 10:28). It is a “little chamber” for us today as the Lord teaches us to live Godly lives that are content and not despise the day of small things (Zec 4:10, Luk 12:15). All of these spiritual items are “on the wall” and are required for that wall to become “great and high” within the body of Christ (Rev 21:12).

Rev 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Zec 4:10  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Rev 21:12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

2Ki 4:11  And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 
2Ki 4:12  And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
2Ki 4:13  And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

Christ comes into our life at an appointed time that was written in our book, and so we see these words, “And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there“, which remind us that when that day comes we will find rest as a result of God’s spirit abiding within us, symbolized by Elisha who “turned  into the chamber, and lay there“. This is where he lay as Christ lay and rested in the hull of the ship, always wakeful over His disciples and ready to bring the peace that passes all understanding after the storms are raised and calmed by His hand (Mat 8:24-26, Php 4:7).

Mat 8:24  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
Mat 8:25  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 
Mat 8:26  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This “great woman“, who represents the elect church, is called and stands before Elisha to receive a blessing of him for her works done unto him, which typifies the blessing we are called unto in this life both now and in the first resurrection for the works God has done through the true bride of Christ to Christ in each other and to our fellow man (1Pe 3:9, Mat 25:40, Mat 19:27-30). “Gehazi his servant” represents how the holy spirit leads us into all truth that gives us the vision of who Christ is through the church, “GehaziH1522 his servant“. The reward today and the eternal reward of God to the elect comes as a result of God mercifully giving us the vision we need through the church, which is Christ’s body (Joh 17:3, Pro 29:18).

This “great woman” is a “Shunammite”H7767 and tells Gehazi “I dwell among mine own people” telling Gehazi that her blessing is to be among “her own people” [Rth 1:16], and being a female inhabitant of Shunem, which means ‘rest’, is more symbolic language telling Gehazi that she already is resting [Shunem] in the Lord, so ‘yes’ would be the answer to “Wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host?” In type and shadow she already has audience with the king or “to the captain of the host”, both referencing Christ. As a type of the bride of Christ, we learn this of her: “Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care“, with emphasis on the point that she had been careful, and caring toward Christ and as such was blessed (Mat 25:40-45).

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 
Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

2Ki 4:14  And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 
2Ki 4:15  And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 
2Ki 4:16  And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 

Like Abraham, who was old and well stricken in age (Gen 18:11-14), the Shunammite’s husband was also old (and her husband is old), telling us that the birth which is going to take place is symbolic of the supernatural birth we have in Christ that is not dependent on our strength (Joh 3:3).

Gen 18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 
Gen 18:12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 
Gen 18:13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 
Gen 18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. [“And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son.” (2Ki 4:16)]

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We are called of God (Mat 22:14), typified through “the great woman” being called of Elisha through Gehazi: “And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.” When we are called of God we begin to realize our powerlessness over sin that lies at the door (Gen 4:7), but because we are given the power to stand through Christ [Mal 3:2, Psa 24:3, Psa 130:3], we can give an accounting of our life and confess our faults and overcome through Him who is the door upon whom we stand: “she stood in the door” (Mat 16:18, Joh 10:7). Lord willing, we continue to abide in Christ so that this calling becomes one that purifies us and strengthens us through our trials so we endure unto the end (Num 14:9, Mat 24:12-13).

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Mal 3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: 

Psa 24:3  Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

Psa 130:3  If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Even with the promise given to us by the servant of the Lord, “And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son“, like Sarah who doubted she and Abraham being old could have a child, (“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”) so the Shunammite woman also doubted. So also “the great woman” who represents the elect will only be convinced over a period of time that all these exceedingly great and precious promises apply to us (2Pe 1:4), including the promise that nothing is too hard for the Lord, including His giving us the faith to be persuaded and convinced that nothing is going to separate us from His love: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Rom 8:38, Gen 18:14)

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gen 18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 

These words (“with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again”) should have a great impact on us when we consider that God is the one who is measuring the temple which we are so that we grow in our ability to believe, so we can do the work of God in this age (Joh 6:28-29, Rev 11:1). He is the one who is measuring us with the measuring line in the hand of Zerubbabel, who represents Christ who is giving us the increase that comes by way of His judgments, His measurements in our earth (Zec 2:1-2, Zec 4:9-11, Isa 26:9).

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 

Zec 2:1  I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 
Zec 2:2  Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof [Eph 3:18, Eph 4:13].

Zec 4:9  The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zec 4:10  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. 
Zec 4:11  Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? [Rev 11:3-4]

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early [1Pe 4:17]: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

]]> 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 https://www.dropbox.com/s/5wb40ao97h5400x/20220804-Study_TonyC-MantleofElijah.m4a?raw=1

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.

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 2:1-10  “Be Content with Such things as ye Have https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-21-10-be-content-with-such-things-as-ye-have/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-21-10-be-content-with-such-things-as-ye-have Thu, 28 Jul 2022 03:15:59 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=26025 2Ki 2:1-10  “Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”
[Study Aired July 28, 2022]

One of the major keys to helping us understand the book of kings, as with all scripture, is knowing that it was written for God’s elect (2Co 4:15), and more specifically in this chapter, how the two main characters, Elijah and Elisha, represent Christ and His Christ.

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

With that principle in mind, we can look into this very hope-filled section of scripture which takes us to a very specific time and journey of Elijah and Elisha where we’re shown the transfer of power that was given to Elisha from Elijah, which is typical of these verses amongst others (Luk 24:49, Luk 22:32).

Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

It was expedient that Christ, who is typified by Elijah here, had to go away (Joh 16:7) so that the greater works of which Christ spoke could be accomplished through the body of Christ, the promised remnant (Rom 11:5) who have been promised an author and finisher of our faith to whom we confidently look (Php 1:6, 2Co 3:12, Heb 12:2) as He works in us both to will and to do of God’s pleasure (Php 2:12-13) which is to give us the kingdom (Luk 12:32).

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

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  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

We have God’s kingdom within us now in earnest (Luk 17:20, Eph 1:14, Php 1:20) and are confident that Christ who has all power over our heavens and earth (Mat 28:18) can make the rejoicing bride ready (Rev 19:7) for that much anticipated time when, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” will happen (1Co 15:52). That is just how important this section of scripture should be to us as it is a typical moment in history that points to something that God has promised He will do through the church, not by might nor by power but by his holy spirit (Zec 4:6) that was given in double portion to Elisha which typifies the witness that God’s elect have been given the very faith of  Jesus Christ by which we live (Gal 2:20).

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].

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

Php 1:20  According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me [Rom 5:8-10].

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

The double portion [2] of God’s spirit given to Elisha represents Christ in us the faithful witness (Rev 1:5), who can do these greater works today within us (Joh 15:5, Col 1:27) as we’re led by the spirit of the Lord  so we can open up the eyes and ears of those who are spiritually blind. These are the greater works that Christ spoke of that His disciples would one day accomplish once the holy spirit was given to them (Joh 16:7, Joh 14:12).

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

2Ki 2:1  And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from GilgalH1537.
2Ki 2:2  And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
2Ki 2:3  And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2Ki 2:4  And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
2Ki 2:5  And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2Ki 2:6  And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
2Ki 2:7  And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
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 2:9  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 
2Ki 2:10  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

2Ki 2:1  And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from GilgalH1537.

It is from GilgalH1537 where Elijah and Elisha (Christ and His Christ) are seen walking together (vs 1), and this time of walking together represents the time when Christ’s disciples walked with Him on the earth, and when God’s elect knew Christ after the flesh (2Co 5:15-16). It will require Elijah being taken up “into heaven by a whirlwind“, a type of Christ being risen “and rose again” in order to develop a deep and lasting trust between these two prophets (Christ and His Christ).

2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 
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.

GilgalH1537 is a reminder to God’s people of what God is going to do for them after Christ is resurrected (Rom 4:17), and so it is through the resurrected Christ that we can now see a whirlwind which typifies God’s spirit that moves our earthly lives in a direction that creates a commitment and trust in him (Joh 6:63). Gilgal is also likened unto “heaven, rolling thing, wheel”, words that remind us of these prophetic verses in Ezekiel 1:15-17 that describe for us how our Father and Christ and our being in Christ (Joh 14:20) empowers us now (Rev 11:3) to interact through God’s holy spirit that makes it possible for these wheel within wheels to function to the glory of God (Php 2:12-13).

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Eze 1:15  Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 
Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 
Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 

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

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

2Ki 2:2  And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to BethelH1008.

Elijah telling Elisha to “Tarry here, I pray thee” is typical of what Christ said to his disciples (Luk 24:49) before he was resurrected and went unto our Father in his house, typified by the name “BethelH1008” where the spirit would be sent on Pentecost and given to those who were added to the church (Act 2:1-3)

Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 
Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Then Elisha prophecies that because the Lord lives he lives (“And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth” Rom 14:8-9), and as such we are inseparable (“I will not leave thee” Heb 13:5, Rom 8:38-39), as we go down to Bethel with Christ [Elijah in type] which typifies our being raised in heavenly places and being seated with our Lord in God’s house [BethelH1008] having the earnest of God’s spirit today (Eph 2:6).

Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 
Rom 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

2Ki 2:3  And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 
2Ki 2:4  And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to JerichoH3405. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to JerichoH3405.

The prophets that were at Bethel represent that part of us that lacks faith and causes us to question God’s intentions for us in this life, and so we need to be helped in our unbelief (Mar 9:24-25) which is what Elijah who represents Christ is going to do for Elisha, reassuring him of his commitment to not leave or forsake him in the next verse. Elisha was convinced of what God was doing and so he says these words, telling our old man who lacks faith to “hold ye your peace“, which also reminds us of what Christ said to his disciples in turbulent times at sea “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” (Mat 8:25-26).

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 
Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him [“and there was a great calm”].

This point of not leaving Elijah is twice stated now to remind us that this is the truth of the gospel of God that Christ who is our hope of glory within will not leave us or forsake us and will finish this work of faith to the end which is being typified with these two prophets (Col 1:27, Php 1:6).

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

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:

Elijah telling Elisha that he is going to go to “JerichoH3405” symbolizes Christ going to the church via the comforter (Joh 16:13), to enable the body of Christ to bring forth fruit that was made possible by the earlier typical statement of Elijah going to “BethelH1008” representing Christ going to His Father. Jericho means ‘moon’ and ‘fragrant’, and it is in the church, the temple of the living God, that we become a fragrant-smelling living sacrifice unto God. The moon in the positive sense is being used here as we can reflect the light of Christ in the church just as the moon can reflect the sun of righteousness (2Co 2:15, Eph 5:1-2, Mal 4:2, Eph 3:10).

2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 

Eph 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 
Eph 5:2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

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,

2Ki 2:5  And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
2Ki 2:6  And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

Now a third place of destination is mentioned that Elijah was sent “Jordan“. So we see a process of judgment being shown [3 places] which starts in our life when the spirit of God is sent to us on Pentecost made possible by Christ being resurrected to our Father’s house “Bethel“, then Elijah is said to go to “Jericho” representing the body of Christ and the fruit of his spirit in our life, and then to “JordanH3383“. The lower region of the Jordan represents the humbled life in Christ that is needed and can only be accomplished through a process of judgment that is upon the house of God today (1Pe 4:17, Mat 23:12).

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 

Mat 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Once again our doubting-Thomas flesh, represented by this third time pronounced statement made by the sons of the prophets, “And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day?” This is again answered a third time by Elisha telling them, “Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace” which reminds us that two things are always happening in the life of God’s elect; Christ is increasing, and our old man is decreasing via the judgments God brings to us (Joh 3:30). And Elisha continues on with Elijah to Jericho. Like Peter, Elisha has an unction from God and his continuing with Elijah is akin to Peter wanting to continue with Christ because he has the words of eternal life “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (Joh 6:67-68, Joh 8:31-32).

Joh 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease. 

Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 
Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

2Ki 2:7  And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
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.

We can be living witnesses of God’s power in this world to those whose spiritual growth has not gone beyond “the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit” (Heb 6:1-6). Those who see this witness of growth are represented by the “fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan“. Like John the Baptist, these [50] have a favor given them as John did who had a humility and greatness that Christ spoke of but, because he typifies those who do not have Christ’s spirit within, the least is greater than John (Luk 7:28). This becomes an admonition for God’s elect that we are standing only because of Christ and reminds us that “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1Co 1:26-27).

Luk 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

Elijah taking his mantle and wrapping it together [line upon line, precept upon precept (Isa 28:10)] and smiting the waters so that they were divided hither and thither is symbolic of our rightly dividing the word of God so we can walk on dry ground. Dry ground can be both negative or positive, but in this case the dry ground is good as it symbolizes that we’ve gone beyond the early baptism stage of our walk of Hebrews 6:2 and are moving forward as a result of our waters, our flesh being smitten by the Lord or chastened and scourged so that we can forsake ungodliness and worldly lust (Tit 2:12) and learn of His righteousness because of His judgments in our earth (Isa 26:9) that cause us to move forward on the dry land (Heb 12:6, Rom 8:14-16, Heb 5:8).

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

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. 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

2Ki 2:9  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 
2Ki 2:10  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

Now both prophets have crossed the Jordan, and at this point Elisha is no different than Moses who in type and shadow cannot enter into the promised land unless the holy spirit is given, which we are told to ask for: “And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (Jas 4:2, Luk 11:13).

Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

The promised land is Christ, and again the request of Elisha to “let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” is comparable to our crying out to God for His spirit, and being given a thirst to ask for those living waters in this age (Mat 5:6, Joh 7:37-38) that make it possible for us to be true overcomers in this life who cross the Jordan and enter into the promised land (Rom 8:8-9). Peter and all of us like Elisha lack faith and will be devoured by the devil unless the Lord prays for us and faith is given, typified by the double portion of the spirit that will be given to Elisha (Luk 22:32).

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 
Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

The spirit bears witness that we are sons of God (Rom 8:16) and Elijah points out that in his flesh he has asked a hard thing wanting a double portion of God’s spirit, but nothing is impossible for God (Luk 1:37), and so the proof given to Elisha that his request has been answered comes in the form of the statement “nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.” It is when Christ is taken from us that we ‘go a fishing’ (Joh 21:3), but if God’s spirit is given to us, as was the case in this type and shadow story of Elisha, who represents the elect, then we do not need to see Christ as typified by these words: “if thou see me taken from thee” (Joh 20:29). Elisha did see him taken from him, and those expedient actions were typical of what Christ said of himself so that we can see him in the spirit and “be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Joh 16:7, Joh 14:18).

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

Luk 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 

Joh 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 1Ki 19:1-21  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-191-21-and-let-the-peace-of-god-rule-in-your-hearts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-191-21-and-let-the-peace-of-god-rule-in-your-hearts Thu, 19 May 2022 12:29:41 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=25744 https://www.dropbox.com/s/8yie6e8v11micfy/20220519-Study_TonyC-LetPeaceRule.m4a?raw=1

1Ki 19:1-21  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful…

[Study Aired May 19, 2022]

1Ki 19:1   And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 
1Ki 19:2  Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 
1Ki 19:3  And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 
1Ki 19:4  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 
1Ki 19:5  And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 
1Ki 19:6  And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 
1Ki 19:7  And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 
1Ki 19:8  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 
1Ki 19:9  And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 
1Ki 19:10  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 
1Ki 19:11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 
1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 
1Ki 19:13  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 
1Ki 19:14  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 
1Ki 19:15  And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 
1Ki 19:16  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 
1Ki 19:17  And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 
1Ki 19:18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 
1Ki 19:19  So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 
1Ki 19:20  And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 
1Ki 19:21  And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. 

God’s peace does not rule in the heart of Elijah at the start of this section of Kings (Col 3:15), and it is taken away from him for our sakes (1Co 10:11) to show us how the body of Christ will be brought to trust in Him through the fiery trials of our faith which are used to establish, strengthen and settle us in the Lord (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 5:10, 1Pe 1:7).

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

We labor to enter into His rest with the body of Christ, the many members that make up that body who are experiencing fiery and precious trials of our faith that make us stronger (1Co 12:24-27) and bring us to see the singlenessG572 that God is forming in the church, to His glory (2Co 11:3). He is raising the  storms in our life to that end so we can be convinced and learn that we can trust in our Father (2Co 1:9) and the workmanship in His hands (Eph 2:10) that we are together, as Christ’s flesh and bones (Col 1:24, Eph 5:30).

1Co 12:24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 
1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 
1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 
1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicityG572 that is in Christ. 

2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

[Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (1Co 15:31)]

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 
Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 
Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 
Eph 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. 

We are his workmanship being placed in the body with the measure of faith God has determined for the overall good of each member (1Co 12:18), and we are joints now in Christ who each supply something in love that builds us up further in our walk together through this life (Eph 4:16).

1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

As we will see in the type-and-shadow example of Elijah, our greatest resource in this life is Christ in each other (Php 4:13) and it pleases God to bruise us as He did Christ and Elijah for our sakes (Isa 53:10, 1Jn 4:17) so that we come to acknowledge and see the spiritual need that we have for each other as those joints who suffer and rejoice together and build each other up in our most holy faith (1Co 12:25-26, Jud 1:20-22).

1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 
Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 
Jud 1:22  And of some have compassion, making a difference: 

Like all of us at first, Elijah cannot see the big picture that God is going to bring brightly to his and our attention, not by might or power, but by His holy spirit that inspired the thoughts and actions of Elijah (Zec 4:6); actions that typify for us today (1Co 10:11) how God is working and has been working and will be working within the body of Christ, “Till we all come in 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” (1Co 10:11, Eph 4:13).

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

God has called us to be thankful and to rejoice in the Lord always and “again I say rejoice” (Php 4:4, Rev 19:7), and this part of Elijah’s life is very instructive in showing us how he, as a type of the elect, is in need of forming the patience and faith which will bring him out of a place of thinking these thoughts found in 1 Kings 19:10 and 1 Kings 19:14), twice mentioned in these verses we’re studying.

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

1Ki 19:10  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 

1Ki 19:14  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

Elijah was convinced that he was the only one left who was zealous for the Lord: “and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away“, and so God set the stage through the trials that were brought his way for our sakes (2Co 4:15) to remind us how we’re not alone in this great fight of faith (1Ti 6:12) that we’ve been called unto and that we will be more than conquerors through the author and finisher of our faith who is working within His own flesh and bones (Eph 5:30) both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure which promises that none shall be lost whom the Father has given to Christ (Rom 8:37, Heb 12:2, Php 2:12-13).

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 

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

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Our prayer is that God will continue to draw us together often (Heb 10:25) so we can learn from each other and comfort one another with the comfort God brings us (2Co 1:4), and in doing so, “let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 
Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 

2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

1Ki 19:1   And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

The world around us, our family and former babylonian church members, are very aware of the actions we have taken in this life, and this first verse reminds us of that fact, seeing Ahab represents the first man Adam that is still in bondage (Gal 4:3, Rom 8:21) and as such operates as an accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10) revealed to us with this verse: “And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword“. Slaying all the prophets of Baal is symbolic of our coming out of Babylon by the grace-through-faith process to which we’re called (Eph 2:8) that does away with the myriad of false doctrines that had darkened our heavens (Rev 9:2).

Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 

1Ki 19:2  Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 

This threat upon Elijah’s life should not trouble him, but the whole point of God having Jezebel send a messenger to Elijah was to teach us that the spiritual warfare in which we engage is all orchestrated by God (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:11) Who already knows what measure of faith we have and how we are going to react to any given circumstance that He allows to manifest for our growth (1Pe 1:7).

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

Jezebel is very clear in her intentions and desire to see Elijah destroyed, and throws these fiery darts at God’s anointed, whose faith at this point was not able to quench the darts that came his way (Eph 6:16): “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time“.

The lesson for God’s elect is that faith is a gift and something that God knows how to fashion and form in each of our lives (Eph 2:8-9). At first we need to see our lack of faith (Mar 9:24) before we’re given to cry out and be delivered from the storms God brings our way (Psa 107:25-28). Elijah is soon going to experience some very ‘hands-on training’ from God to bring him to see how helpless he is in his flesh and how great his deliverance will be through God’s spirit which will inspire him and bring God’s peace to him at an appointed time (Mat 10:19).

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 

Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

1Ki 19:3  And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 
1Ki 19:4  But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 
1Ki 19:5  And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 

Elijah, upon the threat of his life, fled to BeershebaH884 which means “well of an oath” and is taken from H875 which means “a pit”. His servant is his helper, who symbolically represents the faith of Christ that he leaves in Beersheba which belongs to Judah.

Elijah is separating himself from his helper (Gal 2:20, Heb 13:6) and has given up hope on what God has purposed for him. Going into the wilderness a day’s journey is a symbol of going back into the world, meaning Elijah was weary of his calling at this point and requested that he might die as he sat under a juniper tree. He says to the Lord at this point, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers“. It is at this exact moment when Elijah has been humbled to his core and knows that he is not better than anyone else and that all of his faithfulness was a result of the Lord working with him that “an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat“.

We are all brought to our wits’ end for the express purpose of knowing that it is God alone who gives us the power to witness and overcome and slay the prophets which eat at Jezebel’s table (1Ki 18:19) who represent false doctrines within us. It is also the Lord Who gives us either the courage to endure through this life or to falter due to a lack of faith. This section of Elijah’s life is being contrasted with his earlier exploits at Mount Carmel to bring the elect to see that regardless of our weariness and feeling of being overwhelmed and with no way out, the Lord will make a way, and that way is found when we get out of the way: “And as he lay and slept under a juniper treeH7574“.

That lesson was shown us of our Lord as well, in the hull of the ship, not worried about the circumstances around him knowing that God was in charge of every single molecule and motion in time (Mar 4:38). If we are bound to the altar, we are bound to the altar, and what we go through in this life is imperative to prepare us to be humbled servants of our Lord who will judge those who come up in the second resurrection (2Ti 2:12, Psa 118:27, Gen 50:20).

Mar 4:38  And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

Gen 50:20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 

The body of Christ is represented by this angel, “Behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat,” just as the angel in the garden that strengthened Christ to endure to the end represents each member of Christ’s body which is used to provide the spiritual nourishment that helps keep us awake with our lamps trimmed and ready to meet our Lord (Luk 22:43, Mat 25:2-8).

Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 

Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 
Mat 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

1Ki 19:6  And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 
1Ki 19:7  And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 
1Ki 19:8  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 

The “journey is too great for thee” is speaking to each of us who need “cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head” which represents the word of God in which we are called to diligently labour, and God promises to provide and give to those who seek the kingdom of God first and his righteousness (Mat 6:33). Elijah is weary and worn out, and even after this miracle of God’s provision and his eating of the bread and water, it is still not enough to keep him motivated and alert: “and laid him down again“. All of this is to tell us that it is a process we must go through to be fully awake in the Lord’s service and that God will not give up on us but will continue to send angels our way who will be used to provoke us to love and good works in this life (Heb 10:24).

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

The angel comes a second time now to Elijah, as a witness of God’s faithfulness to the process we are going through as Christ’s body today: “and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee“. This ‘being touched by the angel to be awoken’ is like the foolish and wise virgins being awakened at the midnight hour to trim their lamps (Mat 25:5).

Elijah is a type of the elect so he is witnessed to for our sakes as one who must be awakened twice, and the symbolic reason he arose and did eat and drink was so that he could go with “the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God” as Christ did having fasted forty days and forty nights before he was tempted of the devil (Mat 4:2 , 1Jn 4:17). That event symbolizes why we don’t forsake the assembling of the brethren where each joint supplies in love (Eph 4:16) what we need to endure the “forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God” which represents the much tribulation [number 40] we must and can endure due to the spiritual meat God will provide through the church in due season (Mat 24:44-50).

Mat 24:44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 
Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

1Ki 19:9  And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 
1Ki 19:10  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

This is the second time we see a cave being used to hide a prophet in this story. The first was Obadiah who “hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water” (1Ki 18:4). Now it is Elijah’s time to be fed by the Lord the words of truth which Elijah needs to hear in order to understand what God is doing in his life. God starts off by simply asking the question, “What doest thou here, Elijah?“. Of course God knows why he’s there. He’s terrified for his life, just like Adam in the garden when God asks him “And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”(Gen 3:9).

Elijah’s description of what he has done is not inaccurate: “I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword“… However, the last part of that statement: “and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away“, is the part that God is going to address and bring him to see that he is only looking at these circumstances through a very narrow lens (1Co 13:12) which is what we all do until the Lord opens up our understanding and increases our faith so we can gain the right and Godly perspective which tells us that we are not alone, and that, although we are hated of all men for his name’s sake, we have angelic forces behind us to strengthen us and help us endure to the end (2Ki 6:17), along with the body of Christ whose fervent prayers are going to avail much (Jas 5:16).

1Ki 19:11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 
1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 

God was using these very powerful events of strong winds that were able to “rent the mountains” and “brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD” and “after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire” to demonstrate to Elijah that his being zealous for the Lord is what was expected of him and is akin to our working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Php 2:12). Elijah keeps coming back to this point of what he did. Now the Lord, for our sakes, is going to drive this point home to Elijah that he did nothing, as it was the Lord that did it all, “both to will and to do of his good pleasure”(Php 2:13), and represents “a still small voice“.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

There is an order to the events, as God has to bring us to stand “before the LORD” and behold the salvation of the Lord in the midst of impossible physical situations. The LORD only needs to ‘pass by’ in order to have a “strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks“, which represents our pride and stubbornness that need to be broken up with God’s spirit which is likened unto wind. After the wind, “an earthquake“, which symbolizes the Lord working the events in our lives that affect us and cause our old man to die, leaving the Lord alone to be the One we acknowledge as giving us the ability to stand before Him (Heb 12:27, Eph 6:13, Rev 6:17). The ‘still small voice’ also represents that time of which Christ spoke in this verse (Joh 14:20).

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

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

1Ki 19:13  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 
1Ki 19:14  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 

Elijah is still not understanding what the Lord is saying to him in the most dramatic and profound way, as he resorts to telling God for the second time, “I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away“, which just reminds us how blind we can be if God does not open our understanding to His truths via the faith of Jesus Christ (Luk 16:31). Elijah, after hearing and seeing these physical events unfold with the wind and earthquakes and fire, “wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave” symbolizing his blindness to what was being said. It is only later on in the story that the mantle is put off of him and put on the back of Elisha the son of Shaphat (1Ki 19:19), which was a symbolic gesture of the transfer of faith and power from one servant of God to another, something that could not happen unless there was faith there in the first place to be given (Luk 8:43-48).

Luk 8:43  And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 
Luk 8:44  Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 
Luk 8:45  And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 
Luk 8:46  And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 
Luk 8:47  And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 
Luk 8:48  And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

1Ki 19:15  And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 
1Ki 19:16  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 
1Ki 19:17  And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 

Now the LORD gives Elijah straight-forward directions as to what he must do, and these actions symbolize for us the need for the many members of the body to serve one another, as opposed to Elijah’s mindset of seeing only himself at this point as the one who has the truth and who is able to be zealous for the Lord. It is each one of us in the body of Christ, represented by “Hazael” and “Jehu the son of Nimshi” along with “Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah“, these three men [“the process of spiritual completion through judgment”] who represent the body of Christ which God uses to bring forth the manifold knowledge of Christ through the church (Eph 3:10), which is likened to a sword that will destroy our old man, symbolized by these words: “And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay“.

1Ki 19:17 and it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael (god has seen) shall Jehu (Jehovah is him) slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu (Jehovah is him) shall Elisha (my god is salvation) slay. (PNB-kjv)

1Ki 19:18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 
1Ki 19:19  So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 
1Ki 19:20  And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 
1Ki 19:21  And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. 

The twelve yoke (a yoke being comprised of two oxen confirmed in 1Kings 19:21 “boiled their flesh”) of oxen are a very significant part of this story which is symbolic of where our foundational strength comes from and how it is after the twelve beasts are killed by Elisha that “he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat“. Elisha is “the son of Shaphat” and “was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth“, and this plowing is connected to God’s foundational purpose for mankind; and his being “with the twelfth” (twelfth yoke of two) symbolizes Christ who gives us the desire and strength to continue to plow (Php 4:13, Luk 9:62, Pro 24:10).

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

Pro 24:10  If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. 

It is after Elisha slays the beasts that he goes and takes a portion for his family, and it is said that he will “kiss my father and my mother” as a symbol of a right and holy kiss as opposed to the earlier kisses spoken of that the people were making toward Baal (1Ki 19:18, 1Th 5:26).

1Ki 19:18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 

1Th 5:26  Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. 

It is only by God’s grace and faith that we can come out of Babylon. The seven thousand in this verse, “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him“, represent the complete elect church [7] that comes out of the world by that grace through faith process (Eph 2:8).

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

As a type of the elect, Elisha is going to do good to all men, including his parents, and so we read “he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat” and then he goes to minister to Elijah. “Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him” reminding God’s elect that we are to do good to all men as we have opportunity but especially to the household of faith (Gal 6:10). In order for God’s peace to rule in our hearts (Col 3:15) we need to acknowledge the commandments of God (1Co 14:37) and be granted by our Father to be about His business as Christ was. As a result of being as Christ was when He was in his flesh, we will serve one another and whoever God leads us to care for, even as we keep His commandments that will give us great peace (1Jn 4:17, Psa 119:165-166).

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

Psa 119:165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. 
Psa 119:166  LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.

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