Elijah – his home going
II Kings 2:11-15
A unique event, which we wish the Lord, had given us more details. Verse 11a, we find Elijah and Elisha “talking together”, fellowship with each other, Elijah continuing to disciple Elisha. While we may retire from our occupational employment, there should be no retirement from the ministry that God has given to each one of us. We may not be able to do all that we once did, but there is always something that we accomplish. This is what Elijah was doing.
In verse 11b, we are given a glimpse of the translation of Elijah to glory. The principle of this event shows that God alone is indispensable. While it is never easy to lose a loved one, it should never neutralize us but let it thrush us into new relationship in the Lord. It witnesses that death is not a cessation of life. Paul wrote “away from the body present with the Lord” II Cor 5:8. Centuries after this event we see Elijah once more on the Mount of Transfiguration, alive standing with Moses and Jesus Christ. The teaching of this event is that some day the Lord is going to suddenly return for his people. (Rev 3:10; I Thess 1:10, 5:9). This event reveals that we of the church age look for “the rapture”, an event that will take all those who are “in Christ”, whether they had already died or are still living and usher us into the presence of the Lord, that same as what happened to Elijah.
In verses 12-15, the ministry has been passed on to Elisha. So it is with us, when a loved one is taken home to be with the Lord, we carry on with the ministry until God the Father answers Christ prayer for us in John 17:34 “Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory …”
Elijah was a man of faith. Not a super human but simply a man who trusted in God. May this also be said of us when we come to the end of our ministry?