◄ 2 Kings 2:11 ►
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.
Study Bible
As they were walking along and talking together
This phrase sets the scene of a close relationship between Elijah and Elisha, his devoted disciple. The Hebrew root for "walking" (הָלַךְ, halak) often implies a journey or a way of life, suggesting that their relationship was not just physical but spiritual. The act of "talking" (דָּבַר, dabar) indicates a deep communication, possibly about the prophetic ministry or the things of God. This moment reflects the importance of mentorship and fellowship in the faith journey, emphasizing that spiritual growth often occurs in the context of community and shared experiences.

suddenly
The suddenness of the event underscores the divine intervention and the unexpected nature of God's actions. The Hebrew word "פִּתְאֹם" (pithom) conveys an element of surprise, reminding believers that God's plans and timing are often beyond human understanding. This serves as a reminder to remain vigilant and prepared for God's work in our lives, as His ways are higher than ours.

a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared
The imagery of "a chariot of fire with horses of fire" is rich with symbolism. In the ancient Near Eastern context, chariots were symbols of power and warfare. The "fire" (אֵשׁ, esh) represents God's presence, purity, and judgment. This divine chariot signifies God's power and approval of Elijah's ministry. It also prefigures the spiritual warfare that believers are engaged in, reminding us of the heavenly resources available to us through faith.

and separated the two of them
The act of separation here is significant. The Hebrew verb "פָּרַד" (parad) implies a division or distinction. This moment marks the end of Elijah's earthly ministry and the beginning of Elisha's. It highlights the transition of leadership and the continuation of God's work through different vessels. For believers, it is a reminder that while human leaders may change, God's mission continues, and He raises new leaders to carry on His work.

and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind
Elijah's ascension "to heaven in a whirlwind" is a unique event in Scripture, paralleled only by Enoch's translation. The "whirlwind" (סְעָרָה, se'arah) is often associated with God's powerful presence and judgment, as seen in Job and the Psalms. Elijah's departure in this manner signifies God's approval and the fulfillment of his prophetic mission. It serves as a foreshadowing of Christ's ascension and the promise of eternal life for believers. This event inspires hope and assurance of God's ultimate victory and the believer's future glorification.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Elijah
A prophet of God known for his powerful ministry and miracles, including the confrontation with the prophets of Baal. His ascension to heaven marks a significant transition in prophetic leadership.

2. Elisha
The successor of Elijah, who was chosen by God to continue the prophetic ministry. He witnesses Elijah's ascension, which confirms his calling and the transfer of prophetic authority.

3. Chariot of Fire and Horses of Fire
Symbolic of God's divine presence and power. They serve as the vehicle for Elijah's ascension, emphasizing the supernatural nature of the event.

4. Whirlwind
Represents God's mighty and sovereign power. In Hebrew, the word "se'arah" conveys a sense of a powerful storm or tempest, often associated with divine intervention.

5. Heaven
The destination of Elijah's ascension, signifying his unique departure from earthly life and his entrance into God's presence.
Teaching Points
Divine Calling and Succession
God's work continues through chosen individuals. Elijah's ascension and Elisha's succession remind us of the importance of mentoring and preparing the next generation for ministry.

God's Sovereignty and Power
The chariot of fire and whirlwind illustrate God's control over nature and history. Trust in God's power, even when circumstances seem overwhelming.

Faithfulness and Reward
Elijah's faithful service is rewarded with a unique departure. Our faithfulness to God's calling will be recognized and rewarded in His timing.

Witnessing God's Work
Elisha's presence during Elijah's ascension underscores the importance of being attentive to God's work around us. Seek to witness and testify to God's actions in your life.

Hope of Eternal Life
Elijah's ascension prefigures the believer's hope of eternal life and being in God's presence. Live with an eternal perspective, focusing on the promises of God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Elijah's ascension challenge our understanding of life and death from a biblical perspective?

2. In what ways can we prepare and mentor others for spiritual leadership, as Elijah did with Elisha?

3. How does the imagery of the chariot of fire and whirlwind enhance our understanding of God's power and presence?

4. What are some practical ways we can remain faithful to God's calling in our lives, even when the path is difficult?

5. How does the hope of eternal life, as illustrated by Elijah's ascension, influence our daily decisions and priorities?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 5:24
Enoch's walk with God and his subsequent taking by God parallels Elijah's ascension, highlighting the theme of divine favor and the possibility of bypassing death.

Acts 1:9-11
Jesus' ascension into heaven mirrors Elijah's, reinforcing the concept of divine mission and the promise of return.

Revelation 11:3-12
The two witnesses' ascension in Revelation echoes Elijah's experience, symbolizing God's ultimate victory and the vindication of His servants.
Sermons
Preparing to DepartCharles Haddon Spurgeon 2 Kings 2:11
The Departure of Good MenD. Thomas 2 Kings 2:1-14
Elijah TranslatedH. Crosby, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
Elijah TranslatedMonday Club Sermons2 Kings 2:1-15
Elisha's Love for ElijahL. A. Banks, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
EvensongF. B. Meyer, B. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
Life's EventideF. S. Webster, M. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Ascension of ElijahCanon Hutchings, M. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Christian a Native of HeavenAlex. Maclaren, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Departure of Good MenHomilist2 Kings 2:1-15
The Translation of ElijahJ. Parker, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
Elijah Taken UpJ. Orr 2 Kings 2:7-15
A Nation's True DependenceHomiletic Monthly2 Kings 2:11-12
Chariots of Fire for the New YearJohn Thomas, M. A.2 Kings 2:11-12
Parted FriendsC.H. Irwin 2 Kings 2:11, 12
The Ascension of ElijahW. Jay.2 Kings 2:11-12
The Chariot of FireL. A. Banks, D. D.2 Kings 2:11-12
The TranslationF. B. Meyer, B. A.2 Kings 2:11-12
The Translation of Elijah and the Ascension of ChristA. Maclaren, D. D.2 Kings 2:11-12
Three PartingsC. J. Vaughan, D. D.2 Kings 2:11-12
Two Prophets PartedF. Hastings.2 Kings 2:11-12
Waggons2 Kings 2:11-12
People
Elijah, Elisha
Places
Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho, Jordan River, Mount Carmel, Samaria
Topics
Along, Appeared, Assunder, Asunder, Behold, Carriages, Chariot, Elijah, Eli'jah, Fire, Heaven, Heavens, Horses, Parted, Pass, Separate, Separated, Separating, Speaking, Suddenly, Talked, Talking, Whirlwind, Wind
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 2:11

     4657   horse
     4826   fire
     4858   whirlwind
     5252   chariots
     5621   wheel
     8341   separation
     9021   death, natural
     9136   immortality, OT

2 Kings 2:11-12

     5092   Elijah
     5188   tearing of clothes
     7775   prophets, lives

Library
The Translation of Elijah and the Ascension of Christ
'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.'--2 KINGS ii. 11. 'And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.'--LUKE xxiv. 51. These two events, the translation of Elijah and the Ascension of our Lord, have sometimes been put side by side in order to show that the latter narrative is nothing …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Elijah's Translation and Elisha's Deathbed
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.'--2 KINGS ii. 12. '...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.'--2 KINGS xiii. U. The scenes and the speakers are strangely different in these two incidents. The one scene is that mysterious translation on the further bank of the Jordan, when a mortal was swept up to heaven in a …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Chariot of Fire
'And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. 80 they went down to Beth-el 3, And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Gentleness Succeeding Strength
'He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 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. 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 …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Preparing to Depart
"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."--2 Kings 2:11. IT seems to me that the departure of Elijah from the world, though of course he did not "die" at all, may furnish us with a very good type of the decease of those saints who, although taken away on a sudden, are not without some previous intimation that in such a manner they will be …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 54: 1908

Whether Hope is a Help or a Hindrance to Action?
Objection 1: It would seem that hope is not a help but a hindrance to action. Because hope implies security. But security begets negligence which hinders action. Therefore hope is a hindrance to action. Objection 2: Further, sorrow hinders action, as stated above ([1361]Q[37], A[3]). But hope sometimes causes sorrow: for it is written (Prov. 13:12): "Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul." Therefore hope hinders action. Objection 3: Further, despair is contrary to hope, as stated above [1362](A[4]). …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Jericho Itself.
We read, that this city was not only wasted by Joshua with fire and sword, but cursed also. "Cursed be he before the Lord, who shall rise up and build that city Jericho," Joshua 6:26. "Nor was another city to be built (says the Talmudists), which was to be called by the name of Jericho: nor was Jericho itself to be built, although to be called by another name." And yet I know not by what chance this city crept out of dust and rubbish, lived again, and flourished, and became the second city to Jerusalem. …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Consolations against the Fear of Death.
If in the time of thy sickness thou findest thyself fearful to die, meditate-- 1. That it argueth a dastardly mind to fear that which is not; for in the church of Christ there is no death (Isa. xxv. 7, 8), and whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ, shall never die (John xi. 26). Let them fear death who live without Christ. Christians die not; but when they please God, they are like Enoch translated unto God (Gen. v. 24;) their pains are but Elijah's fiery chariot to carry them up to heaven (2 …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Baptist's Testimony.
"There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.... John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying, This was He of whom I said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. For of His fulness we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. …
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
1. The Greek word canon (originally a straight rod or pole, measuring-rod, then rule) denotes that collection of books which the churches receive as given by inspiration of God, and therefore as constituting for them a divine rule of faith and practice. To the books included in it the term canonical is applied. The Canon of the Old Testament, considered in reference to its constituent parts, was formed gradually; formed under divine superintendence by a process of growth extending through …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Epistle vii. To Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius.
To Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius. Gregory to Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius, Bishops [1688] . I rejoice exceedingly that you welcomed with great joy the ordination of the most holy Cyriacus, my brother and fellow-priest. And since we have learnt from the preaching of Paul the apostle that If one member rejoice, all the members rejoice with it (1 Cor. xii. 26), you must needs consider with how great exultation I rejoice with you in this thing, wherein not one member, but many members of Christ have …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8. …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to Christians to be Holy. By John Bunyan.
Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.'--[Psalm 93:5] London, by B. W., for Benj. Alsop, at the Angel and Bible, in the Poultrey. 1684. THE EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. This is the most searching treatise that has ever fallen under our notice. It is an invaluable guide to those sincere Christians, who, under a sense of the infinite importance of the salvation of an immortal soul, and of the deceitfulness of their hearts, sigh and cry, "O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

That Upon the Conquest and Slaughter of vitellius Vespasian Hastened his Journey to Rome; but Titus his Son Returned to Jerusalem.
1. And now, when Vespasian had given answers to the embassages, and had disposed of the places of power justly, [25] and according to every one's deserts, he came to Antioch, and consulting which way he had best take, he preferred to go for Rome, rather than to march to Alexandria, because he saw that Alexandria was sure to him already, but that the affairs at Rome were put into disorder by Vitellius; so he sent Mucianus to Italy, and committed a considerable army both of horsemen and footmen to …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

Paul's Departure and Crown;
OR, AN EXPOSITION UPON 2 TIM. IV. 6-8 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR How great and glorious is the Christian's ultimate destiny--a kingdom and a crown! Surely it hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive what ear never heard, nor mortal eye ever saw? the mansions of the blest--the realms of glory--'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' For whom can so precious an inheritance be intended? How are those treated in this world who are entitled to so glorious, so exalted, so eternal, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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