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| 1 And it cometh to pass, at Jehovah's taking up Elijah in a whirlwind to the heavens, that Elijah goeth, and Elisha, from Gilgal, |
Please see the Expanded Bible Comments on vss 1-14 and on to vs. 18.
LORD would take up Elijah into heaven – When the church in the flesh had reasonable expectation of their change.
Elijah – Picturing the church.
With Elijah – Picturing the great company. This shows the two classes are working together.
Gilgal – "Wheel." The name given to the first place Israel came to when the entered into the Promised Land, because God had "Rolled away their reproach." Josh. 5:9 - 1874, the beginning of the great Millennial Age ("Wheel" on the Chart of the Ages.) |
| 2 and Elijah saith unto Elisha, 'Abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me unto Beth-El;' and Elisha saith, 'Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;' and they go down to Beth-El. |
Bethel – "God's House." - Gen. 28:11-22 (esp. vs 19, 22) - 1878 when the "sleeping saints" were raised to "God's House." |
| 3 And sons of the prophets who [are] in Beth-El come out unto Elisha, and say unto him, 'Hast thou known that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head ' and he saith, 'I also have known keep silent.' |
Sons of the prophets – R4757 – Bible students who have not made a full consecration. |
| 4 And Elijah saith to him, 'Elisha, abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me to Jericho;' and he saith, 'Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;' and they come in to Jericho. |
Jericho – "Fragrant." - 1881 - How appropriate a description! Here for the first time we find the body of Christ complete in number. All the priests either having finished their sacrifice or in the process of sacrificing, taking their prayers into the holy of the tabernacle and placing that incense on the golden altar so that it may go up as a sweet smelling ("fragrant") aroma to the Lord. |
| 5 And sons of the prophets who [are] in Jericho come nigh unto Elisha, and say unto him, 'Hast thou known that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head ' and he saith, 'I also have known keep silent.' |
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| 6 And Elijah saith to him, 'Abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me to the Jordan;' and he saith, 'Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;' and they go on both of them, |
Jordan – "Judged down." - 1914, the time for the execution of God's judgment upon the nations of Christendom for they had indeed been "judged down." Here, at the end of the Gentile Times the church once again had reasonable expectation of going home. |
| 7 and fifty men of the sons of the prophets have gone on, and stand over-against afar off and both of them have stood by the Jordan. |
Sons of the prophets – Those acquainted with the teachings of Present Truth, but not consecrated.
Stood to view afar off – These had interest in 1914. What exactly would happen? These stood afar off, not becoming involved themselves, nevertheless, they were interested. |
| 8 And Elijah taketh his robe, and wrappeth [it] together, and smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and they pass over both of them on dry land. |
Elijah – The church.
Took his mantle – Took his authority.
Wrapped it together – In a concentrated effort.
See Q387[Q387:2]. Note: Money spent in the "witness work"
1912 - 1/4 million dollars
1913 - 1/2 million dollars
1914 - 1 million dollars
1915 - 1/2 million dollars
1916 - 1/4 million dollars
Smote the waters – Waters picture "Truth" as well as "peoples, nations and tongues."
Divided hither and thither – The people were indeed divided by the Great War (WWI) into various camps, whereas before they were primarily either of the sea or the earth class. They either supported the kings of the earth (divine right of kings, by belief in it or by passive support) or they were opposed (primarily the sea class.) Once the spectacle of the "Kingdoms of Christ" (Christendom) going to war against each other was put before the people, they split into various groups. Communist, Fascist, Socialist, etc.
They two – Elijah and Elisha - Little Flock and Great Company.
Went over on dry ground – Passed the judgment of 1914 and did not get caught up in the political troubles associated with the dividing of the waters, thus going over on "dry ground." |
| 9 And it cometh to pass, at their passing over, that Elijah hath said unto Elisha, 'Ask, what do I do for thee before I am taken from thee ' and Elisha saith, 'Then let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit unto me;' |
And it came to pass – Not immediately but after some non-specific period of time.
Elisha said – Hear the expression, the attitude, of the Great Company.
Double portion – The portion of the firstborn.
Of thy spirit be upon me – This sounds just like the attitude of the Great Company. Remember the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. "Give us of your oil." Matt. 25:8 |
| 10 and he saith, 'Thou hast asked a hard thing; if thou dost see me taken from thee, it is to thee so; and if not, it is not.' |
If thou see me when I go – ?? IF the Elisha class pictures the Ancient Worthies, why would the church in the flesh ask this question of Elisha?
?? If the Elisha class pictures the Great Company, how would this work? |
| 11 And it cometh to pass, they are going, going on and speaking, and lo, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and they separate between them both, and Elijah goeth up in a whirlwind, to the heavens. |
It came to pass – Eventually, after some period of time.
They still went on – Continued to walk together, Church and Great Company.
And talked – No change between them. Both little flock and great company continue in fellowship together.
There appeared – Possibly indicating this was not there before.
A chariot – An organization.
Of fire – Heat, trials, trouble. An organization that caused trials and trouble.
Horses of fire – Doctrines that cause trials. Fiery doctrines.
And parted them both asunder – These doctrines coming from this organization are so severe that it causes a separation between the church and the great company.
Elijah went up – During this time the church finishes its course.
By a whirlwind – During the time of the great whirlwind. This is the same whirlwind created by the loosing of the Four Winds.
Into heaven – The true heaven, to be with the Lord.
It should be noted that the separation here is caused by doctrines coming from an organization. This account does NOT say that Elijah went up to heaven IN this chariot, but he goes up "BY a whirlwind." Thus the church class finishes her course during the great time of trouble. |
| 12 And Elisha is seeing, and he is crying, 'My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and its horsemen;' and he hath not seen him again; and he taketh hold on his garments, and rendeth them into two pieces. |
Elisha saw it – The great company recognizes that the church (Elijah) is gone.
The chariot of Israel – Translating the symbolic language this reads: "The organization of the Lord's people."
The horsmen thereof – "The riders of the doctrines of the organization of the Lord's people."
What bearing does 2 Kings 13:14 have on this?
His own clothes and rent them – In symbolic act of sorrow. This was the standard way of the Jews to show extreme sorrow, as mourning the dead.
Rent them in two – Possibly picturing that Elisha pictures the two classes
1) Great Company
2) Ancient Worthies. |
| 13 And he taketh up the robe of Elijah, that fell from off him, and turneth back and standeth on the edge of the Jordan,
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He took up also the mantle of Elijah – The great company takes on the authority of Elijah, i.e., the spirit of the church class.
Stood by the bank of Jordan – It would appear that the great company class revisits the work of the Elijah class in the smiting of the Jordan. |
| 14 and he taketh the robe of Elijah that fell from off him, and smiteth the waters, and saith, 'Where [is] Jehovah, God of Elijah even He ' and he smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and Elisha passeth over. |
He – The Elisha class, the great company.
Took the mantle of Elijah – The spirit of action.
Smote the waters – Just as did Elijah but with one important exception. In this case there is no folding of the mantle, no such concentrated effort as was done when Elijah smote the waters.
Where is the LORD God of Elijah? – See R2341 on this phrase.
When he had smitten the waters – Here Elisha (Great Company) is shown as being activitated to do the same works as Elijah (the Church), thus verifying that "the spirit of Elijah now rests on Elisha.")
Crossed over – Perhaps indicating the change of Elisha from the earthly to the heavenly condition. |
| 15 And they see him the sons of the prophets who [are] in Jericho over-against, and they say, 'Rested hath the spirit of Elijah on Elisha;' and they come to meet him, and bow themselves to him to the earth, |
Sons of the prophets – Those of the household of faith who know enough of the Divine Plan to recognize the two salvations.
See R3429.
Which were to view at Jericho – Which recognized the thought that the full number had been reached in 1881 (indicated by Jericho - see comments on vs. 4.)
Saw him – Saw Elisha (who now pictures the Ancient Worthies.)
The spirit of Elijah – The Holy Spirit of full consecration, authority and activity in the Lord's work.
Now doth rest on Elisha – Is now with the earthly representatives of the Kingdom, the Ancient Worthies.
They came to meet him – These believers, who had not made a full consecration when the door to the high calling was open, would likely be the first to recognize and 'meet' (cooperate) with the Ancient Worthies.
Bowed themselves to the ground before him – Indicating a recognition of the authority of the Ancient Worthies. |
| 16 and say unto him, 'Lo, we pray thee, there are with thy servants fifty men, sons of valour: let them go, we pray thee, and they seek thy lord, lest the Spirit of Jehovah hath taken him up, and doth cast him on one of the hills, or into one of the valleys;' and he saith, 'Ye do not send.' |
Let them go .. and seek thy master – Is the church class really gone to heaven?
He – Elisha, the Ancient Worthies.
Said, Ye shall not send – There is no reason to look for the church class for they are gone to heaven. |
| 17 And they press upon him, till he is ashamed, and he saith, 'Send ye;' and they send fifty men, and they seek three days, and have not found him; |
They sought three days, but found him not – See R5772 |
| 18 and they turn back unto him and he is abiding in Jericho and he saith unto them, 'Did I not say unto you, Do not go ' |
Jericho – There appear to be two meanings for the name 'Jericho.'
1) Its month.
2) Fragrant.
While the second (fragrant) fits very nicely with 1881 (the full number - 144,000 all sacrificing wound indeed be a sweet fragrance to the Lord), the reference to month or moon seems to most appropriately fit with the thought of the New (Law) Covenant. The Law Covenant is symbolized by the moon (Rev. 12:1) and so is the New Law Covenant.
This would support the thought that Elisha (at this point in the picture) is now a picture of the Ancient Worthies (who are raised at the beginning of the establishment of the New Covenant.) |
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| 19 And the men of the city say unto Elisha, 'Lo, we pray thee, the site of the city [is] good, as my lord seeth, and the waters [are] bad, and the earth sterile.' |
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| 20 And he saith, 'Bring to me a new dish, and place there salt;' and they bring [it] unto him, |
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| 21 and he goeth out unto the source of the waters, and casteth there salt, and saith, 'Thus said Jehovah, I have given healing to these waters; there is not thence any more death and sterility.' |
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| 22 And the waters are healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha, that he spake. |
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| 23 And he goeth up thence to Beth-El, and he is going up in the way, and little youths have come out from the city, and scoff at him, and say to him, 'Go up, bald-head! go up, bald-head!' |
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| 24 And he looketh behind him, and seeth them, and declareth them vile in the name of Jehovah, and two bears come out of the forest, and rend of them forty and two lads. |
2 Kings 25:1
Ninth year of his reign – This refers to the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, not the ninth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. |
| 25 And he goeth thence unto the hill of Carmel, and thence he hath turned back to Samaria. |
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