Paul the Poke

2 Kings 2:11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.

Elisha was not the only witness to this event. 2 Kings 2:7 Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. The text says there were at least 51 others at the event site.

Elijah and Elisha knew God was coming to get Elijah. This is documented and noted frequently in 2 Kings 2:1-11. Members of the prophetic guild or school in Bethel (2 Kings 2:3) and Jericho (2 Kings 2:5) were aware that God was coming to take Elijah. Hundreds of people knew Elijah was going to be taken into Heaven.

Things are no different today in 2014. There has been notification for over 1,900 years. People are aware there is a time coming when those who believe in Christ will be taken into the clouds to meet the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

So whatever became of Enoch and Elijah? God took them both into Heaven. They did not die. Scripture says we all die once. Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment…

Two witnesses show up on the scene in Revelation 11:3 “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” Scholars debate the identity of these two witnesses. Elijah is promised to come again before the tribulation. Malachi 4:5 Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. Many agree one of these witnesses is Elijah. Others debate the identity of the second as either Enoch or Moses. Enoch was taken alive by God in Genesis 5:24. Moses died and was personally buried by God in Deuteronomy 34:6. Draw your own conclusions as to who the second witness is. These two witnesses die at the hand of the beast in Revelation 11:7. Three and a half days later, the witnesses are resurrected back to life for people to see. Then, they are called from and ascend into Heaven (Revelation 11:11-12).

Elijah’s resume: Rapture, return, death, resurrection, and ascension…That is quite an experience through time.

This entry was posted on June 29, 2014 at 8:40 AM and is filed under Prophecy, Rapture with tags 1 Thessalonians 4, 2 Kings 2, chariot of fire, Elijah, Elisha, Enoch, Hebrews 9, Malachi 4, Rapture, Revelation 11. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.