127
A fiery chariot carries Elijah to
heaven in this 16th-century Russian
icon. Although the Bible mentions
horses of fire, the presence of angels,
seen here, is not explicitly stated.See also: A Prophet in Hiding 124 ■ Elijah and the Prophets of Baal 125THE HISTORICAL BOOKS
burning chariot divides him from
Elisha. Indeed, it is more of a
disappearance than a death, and
he later returns to Earth, along
with the prophet Moses (see
pp. 234–35). The chariot of fire
Elisha sees has connotations with
God’s heavenly host of angels,
which further suggests that Elijah
does not simply die, but joins the
ranks of God’s faithful in heaven.
When Elijah disappears, Elisha
cries out and rips his garments in
two, an action that is often a
response to calamity in the Bible.
He picks up Elijah’s cloak and
strikes the Jordan River with it.
The waters part, just as they did for
Elijah, and Elisha crosses the river
on dry land. Prophets from Jericho
witness the miracle and proclaim
that “the spirit of Elijah is resting
on Elisha” (2:15). They hail Elisha as
Elijah’s chosen successor.Two contrasting leaders
Elijah and Elisha are both chosen
by God, who empowers them
to carry out miraculous deeds.
Yet, their backgrounds could notbe more different. Elijah was born
and raised in rural Gilead beyond
the Jordan River, probably in a poor
family, whereas Elisha is the son of
a wealthy Israelite landowner.
While there is no doubting that
Elijah has the harder task of the
two in rekindling the Israelites’
faith in God and turning them
away from the god Baal, Elishacompetently carries on his legacy,
counseling the rulers of the time
and continuing to produce many
more miracles in service to God. ■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.
2 Kings 2:11US_126-127_The_chariot_of_fire.indd 127 21/09/17 11:30 am