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2 Kings 1 - 2
2 Kings Chapter 1:
Elijah Goes for a Ride in the Sky
After King Ahab died in battle, the king of Moab decided to go to war with Israel. Moabites, you might recall, were descendants of Lot who lived east of the Dead Sea. At one time they oppressed Israel for 18 years, later David subdued them. Let’s just say that they weren’t the best of neighbors to each other. With Ahab dead and a new, perhaps untested king in place, the King of Moab may have thought that Israel was vulnerable, so he decided to go to war.
Additionally, Ahaziah, the new king of Israel, had a bit of a mishap while he was in his upper room, a rooftop patio. News reports claim that he fell through the lattice and plummeted to the ground (verse 2). Rumors may have suggested that there was a bit too much drinking involved. There might also have been an investigation into the construction of the lattice work to determine whether the building codes were adhered to.
The young king wanted to know if he would recover from this mishap. Should he have called a doctor? Had a CAT scan or X Rays? Does he go to the prophet Elijah, who his dad hated, but always seemed to be right. No! He seeks the opinion of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron. Perhaps he was taking the advice of his mom, Jezebel. She’s still around and still pulling the strings.
Who is this Baal-Zebub? Opinions differ on what the name means. Some scholars say that he was the “Fly-lord,” the god of the Philistines, believed to be able to avert the plague of flies which feed on excrement. Some Jewish scholars have interpreted the title of "Lord of the Flies" as the Hebrew way of calling Ba'al a pile of excrement, and comparing Ba'al followers to flies. In Luke 11:14-20, some people accused Jesus Christ of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
The messengers of Ahab found a man who told him to say to the king, (verse 5), “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebus, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”
When the king heard this harsh and unwelcomed message, he asked, (verse 7), “What kind of a man was it who came to meet you and told you this?” Didn’t Elijah even introduce himself to the messengers?
“They replied, ‘He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.’” The king recognized the man as Elijah. I guess only prophets wore a garment of hair with a leather belt (verse 8). It might have been the uniform of the prophet like Buddhist monks who wear orange robes. After this incident, I wonder if the school of the prophets issued a new uniform regulation that said all prophets must wear a name tag over their left chest pocket.
Not pleased with Elijah’s message, the king sent out a captain, not just a messenger with a company of fifty men. When the captain found Elijah sitting on a mountain, he ordered him to “come down” (verse 9). The whole unit was roasted, (verse 10) “fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.”
So, the king sent a second captain with fifty more men. When they approached Elijah, the captain commanded, “Come down, AT ONCE.” The first captain simply said, “come down.” This one said, “Come down AT ONCE.” Neither one of them said, “Elijah, Sir, would you be so kind as to come down, please.” I wonder if the second captain knew what happened to the first. When he approached the mountain, did he see the smoldering remains of charred bodies all over the place?
The second captain and his men were also turned into crispy critters. Then the King sent a third group. Do you think that these soldiers knew what had happened to the first two? Do you think they volunteered for this mission? Do you think they were as bold and arrogant as the first two groups of soldiers?
The third captain, as he approached the mountain, fell on his knees, and addressed Elijah by his true title (verse 13), “Man of God, please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants.”
An angel of the Lord said to Elijah, (verse 15), “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” This, “do not be afraid of him” suggests that the earlier soldiers may have had some plans to do violence against Elijah.
Here’s a lesson we can learn from this incident: Always be polite to your adversaries. If the first two captains had addressed Elijah as they should have and asked gently for him to come down, maybe even offered him a cold beverage and some snacks, they might have lived.
For the king, the result of all of this is, verse 17, “So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.” And since he didn’t have any children, his brother, Joram succeeded him.
And of course, if you want to learn more about the reign of Ahaziah, where do you go? That’s right, “the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.”
2 Kings Chapter 2:
Elijah Goes for a Ride
Chapter two is the dramatic story of Elijah being taken “to heaven in a whirlwind.” But before his departure he paid a visit to Bethel, Jericho, and Gilgal where there were groups of prophets. It was sort of a farewell tour like aging rock stars make. With each visit the prophets would say, (verses 3 & 5) “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” Yes, I know, but do not speak of it.” It sounds to me that as he visited each school of the prophets, he didn’t want any long-winded speeches (you know how prophets can be), ceremonial bestowing of certificates of appreciation for his work, no gifts, no cakes, etc. He just wanted to encourage everyone to continue with their duties and not allow his visit to interrupt them.
Then, when Elijah was about to leave, Elisha asked for a favor. Perhaps he didn’t feel quite qualified to follow in the footsteps of Elijah, and who could blame him? He asked for a “double portion of your spirit” (verse 9). He wanted, somehow, to have the ability to do the job as well as Elijah did. How would you like to have to follow in the footsteps of the great prophet Elijah, the Hero of Mt. Carmel? Elisha might have felt like Harry Truman when Franklin Roosevelt died, unprepared, and unqualified. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from Harry Truman. When he was elected to the U.S. Senate, he felt totally unqualified and inadequate for the task at hand. An older senator went up to him and said, “Harry, for the first six months you’ll wonder how you got here. After that, you will wonder how the rest of us got here.” Harry grew into the job and so did Elisha. And so can you and I, usually.
In Tanzania and Kenya, I like to ask the pastors questions that they might get from their church members. After they give me their answers, we look at some passages, then I ask them the same questions again. Usually, they’ve changed their answers after we discussed the passages.
Here is a question: What happened to Elijah when we read in verse 11, “Suddenly, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”
There are so few details in this story. When Lazarus died (Luke 16), an angel came and escorted him to paradise. So, when the chariot came, was there a safety briefing given to Elijah before they took off?
RULES FOR CHARIOT PASSENGERS
- Always keep your hands and arms inside the chariot.
- Always hold onto the safety bar in front of you.
- Keep your helmet and safety strap on for the duration of the trip.
- Don’t scream like a frightened girl, it irritates the chariot pilot.
- No alcoholic beverages will be served in flight.
- Air sickness bags are available
- All Passengers Must Sign a RELEASE OF LIABILITY STATEMENT.
With the safety briefing over and the legal forms signed, Elijah is strapped, in and off they went to heaven, the throne of God. Is that what happened? And why do you need horses or a chariot in the first place? Did Lazarus ride in a chariot?
First, let’s look at the term “heaven.” There are three heavens mentioned in Scripture.
The first heaven, in terms of distance from us, is the earth’s atmosphere. It’s where clouds form and from where rain falls. It’s where we all go when we are in an aircraft.
Luke 4:25, “But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land.”
Luke 17:24, “For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.”
The second heaven, in terms of distance from us, is outer space. It’s where the stars are. And unless you are an astronaut, you haven’t been there.
Matt. 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
The third heaven, in terms of distance from us, is the throne of God. It’s where God is.
Matt. 5:34, “But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne.”
Acts 7:49, “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, or what is the place of My rest?”
2 Cor. 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago; whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows; such a one was caught up to the third heaven.”
As to the third heaven, where God is, no one has made it there except the one who came from there, Jesus.
John 3:13 tells us that no one has made it there, the third heaven, except for Jesus. “No one has ever gone into heaven (God’s throne) except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”
Which of these three heavens was Elijah taken to? Did Elijah go to third heaven? If he did, then is John 3:13 mistaken in saying that no one has gone into the third heaven except the one who came down (Jesus)?
What did the prophets on the ground, who witnessed Elijah’s departure think happened to him? The prophets who said good-bye to Elijah believed that he was taken to another location, not to third heaven. Why would they think this? Perhaps the trajectory of Elijah’s flight was not straight up like a rocket but more like a low-level flight over the ground. 2 Kings 2:16, “Look, they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
When Jesus ascended into the third heaven, he went straight up. Elijah’s trajectory must have been in a direction that other than straight up otherwise the prophets wouldn’t know which way to go to search for him.
Heb. 9:27 says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
If Elijah didn’t die first, does that contradict the above passage? If he went to the third heave, does that contradict John 3:13?
There is more than one heaven. Is there more than one death? There is a first and a second death. The first death is the death of our physical body. The second death is synonymous with the lake of fire. It is a “death” in that it is a separation from God. Rev. 21:8, “The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Rev. 2:11, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
Another person who experienced a similar event was Enoch. Gen. 5: 21-24, “Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more because God took him away.”
Heb. 11:5, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”
Where was Enoch taken? Which death did Enoch not experience?
John 8:51, “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
So, we have three heavens and two deaths to consider in these passages. Enoch and Elijah experienced one of three heavens and one of two deaths. Which ones make the most sense?
Some translation of the Bible uses the word “translate,” which means to put or place in another place, to transfer. The same word is used in Acts 7:16 where Jacob’s body was “translated” or “transferred” to the place of burial.
Col. 1:13, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought (translated) us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Even though we are still alive.”
Heb. 13, 39, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.”
Elijah might not have been the only person who appears to have taken a ride in the sky. Philip may have had a similar experience.
Acts 8 tells the story of the Ethiopian who was struggling to understand what he was reading in the Book of Isaiah. Philip approaches him and explains the passage. The Ethiopian was then baptized and when they came up out of the water, “the Spirit of the Lord (verse 39) suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again.” Where did Philip go? To Azotus (verse 40). Does this mean that he was “raptured” like Elijah was? Or could the passage mean that the Spirit showed him that he had to leave, and he then traveled by normal means. If so, then Paul had a similar experience when the Holy Spirit directed Paul to travel to Macedonia instead of to Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-10). In Paul’s case, they “got ready at once to leave for Macedonia.”
How did Philip get from one place to another? Science fiction novels portray matter being transported from one place to another without traversing the physical space between them. This is called teleportation. It defies all the laws of physics which only God, the one who created those laws can overrule, when necessary. Teleportation seems to be the fastest and cheapest form of transportation. Highly desirable for those who are in the middle of a 25-hour flight in economy class with obese passengers on either side of you and crying babies both in front and behind.
Let’s look at another passage.
2 Chron. 21:12, “Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah.”
If Elijah was taken to the third heaven, how did he send a letter to Jehoram from heaven? What did it cost in postage? Did the king save the stamp? How much was the stamp worth to other collectors? If you are a stamp collector and someone tries to sell you an Elijah Stamp from Heaven, it is a scam. Don’t buy it.
If we follow the chronology based on the order the events as presented in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, here is what led up to Elijah’s letter to Jehoram:
1. Elijah is translated to heaven (2 Kings 2:1–18).
2. Jehoshaphat, advised by Elisha, teams with the king of Israel in a fight against Moab (2 Kings 3).
3. Jehoshaphat dies, leaving Jehoram to rule alone (2 Chron. 21:1).
4. Jehoram murders all his brothers (2 Chron. 21:4) and builds idolatrous high places in Judah (verse 11). All these events take time.
5. Jehoram receives a letter from Elijah that details his judgment (2 Chron. 21:12–15).
How was Elijah’s letter delivered to King Jehoram seemingly after Elijah’s translation to heaven?
Option 1: It was common for the historical accounts to not be in chronological order. Another possibility is that Elijah wrote the letter to Jehoram before his departure to heaven and left it for Elisha or someone else to deliver it at a particular time. God could easily have given him the words to write ahead of time.
Option 2: Before his translation to heaven, Elijah told Elisha what Jehoram would do and what God’s judgment would be. When the time came, Elisha wrote out Elijah’s prophecy and delivered it to King Jehoram.
Option 3: Elijah was not translated to heaven but was whisked away to another location, much like Philip was in Acts 8:39–40. Elijah then was able to write the letter personally at the time of Jehoram’s sin and have it delivered through a courier. According to this theory, after the whirlwind experience of 2 Kings 2, Elijah lived out the remainder of his days in a secret location.
As for what happened to Enoch, did God take him away and bury him so as not to be found, just as he did with the body of Moses (Deut. 34:6)?
Another question is, “Why was there all of these theatrics with whirlwinds, chariots of fire, etc.?” I think it was for the benefit of Elisha and the members of the school of prophets left behind with the departure of Elijah. Elisha requested a “double portion” of Elijah’s power and this spectacle reassured him that he was the rightful successor to Elijah and that God was with him.
Now, to get back to the questions I asked the pastors. What happened to Elijah? There are three heavens and two deaths. Which scenario makes the most sense? Which explanation has the fewest problems? Which one doesn’t contradict other passages?
Whatever view you take, whether Enoch and Elijah experienced the first death and went to the third heaven or whether they didn’t die and were just relocated and died later, does not take away from the fact that God performed a miracle of some sort with Enoch, Elijah and Philip.
Elijah has stepped from the scene and Elisha is the ranking prophet. Let’s call him the Chief Prophet. When you have a new commander, supervisor or pastor, some of the people don’t quickly accept them until they’ve proven themselves. In time, the new leader proves himself and he is accepted. In the next passages I think Elisha get’s to do just that.
In verse 19 a city was having difficulty with their water supply. So Elijah look into the Prophet’s Manual to determine what steps should be taken, or maybe not, and he put a new bowl with salt in it and tossed it into the water and make it pure. Although it isn’t stated, some commentators say that this city is the city of Jericho. What message was being sent to the people? Perhaps that the curse that was once on the city had been lifted. Jericho thrived as a fertile, spring-fed oasis. In the Old Testament, it was often called the “City of Palms” for its abundance of palm trees and many water springs (Deut. 34:3; Judges 1:16; 3:13; 2 Chron. 28:15). Today, Jericho, with a population of about 14,000. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than 20 successive settlements in Jericho.
As Elisha was traveling to Bethel (verse 23), “some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’” Elisha didn’t care for their disrespectful behavior and called down a curse on them. “Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths” (verse 24).
Did Elisha overreact to an insult by children? These “youths” weren’t children making faces at him and calling him names. They were young adults, more like a street gang looking for trouble than children looking for play. “Go on up” might have meant, “drop dead.” They might have meant to hurt or even kill Elisha. Also, Elisha was God’s mouthpiece, to insult him was to insult God. Finally, it wasn’t Elisha who took their lives, it was God who chose to do it. So, however we might understand what happened, a just God understood it clearly and punished them fairly. Or as one commentator wrote, “The story lacks enough detail for us to tell exactly what was going on.” I like that line. I’ll try to remember it when I’m asked a tough question.
Recent Articles
Purim is a Jewish celebration, more like the Fourth of July or Mother’s Day, than a religious holiday like Passover. Purin is usually observed in February or March of each year. The word Purim means, “lots” as in a lottery, which was the means that the villainous Haman, an Amalekite, used to set the date for the massacre of Jews in Persia (previously Babylon). These events in the Book of Esther take place between chapters six and seven of the Book of Ezra. The setting is Persia, seventy years after they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Israel spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, which was later taken over by the Persians in 539 B.C. Just a year later, the Persian King Cyrus decreed throughout his empire that any captive Jews in Babylonia who desired could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus even allowed the vessels of gold and silver stolen by Nebuchadnezzar’s troops to be returned. As we will read in Isaiah 48 , they all should have left, but some stayed behind. Let’s look at the cast of characters in this drama. The villain in the story was Haman, an Amalekite. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. You might recall that these siblings had a long-standing conflict that revolved around the birthright. Esau, the firstborn, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. The hostility that Jacob and Esau had for one another carried on through the generations like a bad gene. Esau had a grandson named Amalek, from which we get the name Amalekites. These cousins of the Israelites attacked them whenever they had the chance. When the Jews were led out of Egypt by Moses, the Amalekites attacked them in Rephidim, in the Sinai Desert. This unprovoked attack led God to promise to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Ex. 17:8-14) . Forty years later, in his last major speech to his people, Moses reminded the Jews of the command to go after Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19) . Saul, the first King of Israel, was commanded to wipe out the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:2-3) . But Saul disobeyed and spared the life of King Agag (I Sam 15:9) . This led to the premature end of the reign of Saul (I Sam. 15:23) . Saul, realizing his mistake, subsequently did kill Agag, but one of his sons survived. So not only was he disobedient, but he was also incompetent. Some 500 years later, one of his descendants was Haman. Others in the cast of characters included the royal couple, King Xerxes (some think it was King Ahasuerus or perhaps both names refer to the same person), and Queen Vashti. Then there was Esther, the Jewish maiden, and her uncle Mordecai. And so, with the setting in place, the cast of characters on stage, let the drama that led to Purim begin.
JOB SUFFERS AND DEMANDS FROM GOD AN EXPLANATION AS TO “WHY?”
Did it Really Happen? Does it Really Matter?
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem and Teaches the People
The Miracle of Passover: Zola Levitt
The Jews Journey to Jerusalem
The Israelites Head for Jerusalem and Rebuild their Temple.
How Israelites Should Behave When They Return Home
December 7-15, 2023, is Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
Chapter 22: The Book of the Law was Found, Josiah leads a Return to God
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Why Study the Bible?
Don’t many consider the Bible to be just a book of myths? Why do we read the Bible rather than the sacred literature of other religions?
How do we know that it is from God? How do we know that what we have today is an accurate translation from the original? Is the Bible complete or have there been some books that have been lost?
We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.