Biblical Prophets - Bible Study Online

In the last article, we learnt that Elijah's earthly ministry had just come to an end: for the Lord had taken the prophet.

But before Elijah was taken, his student Elisha, had asked for a double portion of the prophet's anointing.

After hearing his request, Elijah told his student: "If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours."

A short while later, Elisha would indeed see his master get taken by the Lord. And while he was being taken up to the heavens, Elijah would drop his cloak for Elisha to have.

This cloak would represent Elijah's mantle. For it symbolized the preeminence and authority that the prophet's earthly ministry had bestowed on it. Now, this same cloak would be passed on to his most dedicated student, Elisha. This was a confirmation in the natural that Elijah had given to his successor that would make Elisha's new ministry official in the eyes of the other student prophets.

After Elisha had mourned Elijah's departure for a moment, he would then pick up his newly acquired cloak and walk back to the river Jordan. When he came to the bank of the river, Elisha would use the cloak to strike the river Jordan.

"Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" he would cry out. Then the prophet would strike the water for a second time and on this strike, the river divided so that he could cross over on dry ground to the other side.

This miraculous act, would be Elisha's first recorded miracle. On top of that, this miraculous act, would be a divine confirmation from the heavens, showing that Elisha had now been commissioned by the Lord to succeed Elijah.

Now, while all of this was going on, the student prophets from Jericho was watching from afar: "Look! The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." They would say as they went to meet and bow before their new master.

I find it interesting that after they had saw Elisha perform his first miracle, which was a direct divine confirmation from the Lord: that they still had doubts when it came to Elisha's report on Elijah: "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."

After hearing their proposal, Elisha responded: "No, do not send them." But the student prophets of Jericho would be very persistent and continue to ask their master until he was too ashamed to refuse them any longer: "Go head and send them."

So the student prophets of Jericho had sent a search party of fifty men to look for the body of Elijah. They would search for three days and needless to say -- they returned back unsuccessful: "Didn't I tell you not to go?" Elisha would say to them as he saw them coming back with nothing in hand.

A little while later, the student prophets of Jericho would say to Elisha: "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive."

After hearing their concerns, Elisha responded: "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it." So the student prophets brought Elisha what he had asked for. Then the master prophet went out to the spring and threw the salt into it saying: "This is what the Lord says: 'I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive." And the water would remain wholesome and healthy to this very day, according to the word the prophet Elisha had spoken.

Although Elijah has been taken by God, we are still in a three phase judgment plan that the Lord has going against Israel.

"Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet." (1 Kings 19:15-16)

Phase One Complete: The prophet Elijah has been taken by the Lord and Elisha has just graduated to master prophet.

Phase Two Still In The Works: Ben-Hadad has been partially remove from his throne as king of Aram, somewhat opening the door for Hazael to take the throne later on down the line.

Phase Three Still In The Works: Ahab has passed away and his descendants are a few steps closer to being cutoff from the throne of Israel. This gets Jehu closer to becoming king of Israel.

Elijah the Fire Prophet

Elisha the Prophet Apprentice

**YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE**

Family Dynasties Unite

13) Elijah and the Chariot of Fire

14) <-CURRENT PAGE->

15) Elisha - She Bears Attacking

16) King Mesha's Rebellion

17) The Blood Water

18) The Widow's Oil Treasure

19) Shunammite's Son Raised From The Dead

20) Elisha and the Pot of Death

21) The Leprosy of Naaman

22) The Floating Iron Axhead

23) The Fire Horse Army

24) The Siege of the Dark Famine

25) The Four Starving Lepers

26) The Shunammite's Divine Provision

27) Hazael Anointed Syrian King

28) Family Dynasties United

29) Jehu Is Anointed King of Israel

30) The Demise of Jehoram & Ahaziah

31) The Demise of Jezebel