Instructions to this effect had been given to Elijah (I Kings 19:15). It shows the images with a short description of what is happening in each scene. 20Elisha said, Bring me a new bowl and put salt into it. When they had brought it to him, true. Why? So this is the second stage. Get a bible dictionary if you're after that. Absolutely! Then he went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan. Jericho: Elijah taken up into heaven in the vicinity of Bethel and Gilgal. The Patriarchs. But that's another matter. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan . It was talking about the nation of Israel and it said 'When He (God) afflicted them then they sought Him.' Hereto, Elisha is paraded both by God and his earthly mentor. Be still., 4Elijah said to him, Elisha, stay here, please. I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt, I have separated you from all those taunts that you had that you would never get into the Promised Land'. Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ' What message does my Lord have for his servant?' 20 Then Elisha left his oxen. 22And the water has stayed pure even to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. 'You Raise Me Up' Duet Earns A Standing Ovation From The Judges, 7 Tests to See if Your Worship Is Truly Christian or Pagan, 3 Bad Church Approaches to Good Money Stewardship, 5 Critical Rules to Teach Your Kids to Help Them Stay Safe, 4 Things You Should Know about Jesus Revolution, Jesus on Adultery: Its More Controversial Than You Think, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. All rights reserved. With 2 Kings 2:1-12, we have just such an occurrence of the torch being passed from one generation to another. And also (and maybe this could be a different question), why does Elijah keep telling Elisha to stay at each of the cities rather than follow him? Jericho was the first city Israel conquered in the land and was claimed as the first fruits by the Lord so placed under the ban. 6:21; 8:9; and 13:14, where King Joash of Israel reacts to Elishas own impending death with the same words Elisha uses here. [5], The eternal principle and meaning of the Jordan - Death and Resurrection. As the two friends walked together, the whirlwind delivered him home to heaven. How is "He who Remains" different from "Kang the Conqueror"? So this bible study lesson will look at Elisha's walk and the spiritual meaning of the following locations for the believer today: 2 Kings 2:1-6 'When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. It's fair to say that's a mighty big change for Elisha! Elijah went up to him. Elijah's Journey. The fact is that he knows his dad will catch him. So they went to Jericho. Kristi Woods, Elijah and the Miracle of Fire from Heaven 12and Elisha saw it happen. of Of course, you would see stones in any location, but in this case, there were some pretty specific stones. He said to the Israelites, 'In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. Bethel is the House of God and Jericho means the first fruit. If You Like these maps please click the button to "Like" us on Facebook. So what did they have to do? Perhaps the spirit of the LORD has lifted him up and left him on some mountain or in some valley. He answered, Do not send them.e Elisha, Naaman and the offense of the cross Bible study, 2 Kings 6: Elisha, Aram and the invisible chariots of fire study, 2 Kings 6:24-7:20: Elisha's faith and our breaking point. See the highs and lows of a life well-lived! [7]The Lord has taken hold of you Christian for a purpose. Once while some Israelites were boring a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the mans body into Elishas tomb. We should, in our lives, be separated from that which would seek to draw us away from God, and be separated, as living sacrifices, unto the living God. Deut. [6] Jesus repeatedly said 'He who loses his life for my sake shall find it.' The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCBs) mission is to encounter the mercy of Christ and to accompany His people with joy. (Elisha made the death and unfruitfulness of Jerichos desert into potable water in 2 Kings 2:22). Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. So Elijah retraces the conquest, but in reverse. At each step of the journey Elijah was saying 'stay here, don't go any further' and he was testing Elisha to see if Elisha would stay with him and how much Elisha wanted to follow him and to be with him. their struggles for conquest (Josh. [6] Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be . [4] You can imagine Joshua trying to explain what they were going to do to his generals and the people of Israel. Think also of the second girl who went on to get gold. Gilgal. 587 BC. You are not an archetype. * [2:125] The story of Elishas succession to Elijahs prophetic office is oddly set between the death of Ahaziah (1:17) and the accession of his successor (3:1). Probably if he knew my friend's butter fingers as well as I do, he wouldn't be laughing! Why did the Soviets not shoot down US spy satellites during the Cold War? Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. And Elisha passed the test saying (in so many words!) We need hermeneutic answers with substantial reference to the text. Did Jehu put words in Elijah's mouth in 2 Kings 9:37? Can anyone remember who gave Bethel its name? The king relied substantially on Elisha for military advice, and in the prophets final moments came to him for advice. Stopping short of Bethel at Shechem cost him dearly but he did return to Bethel. Elijah set out on a journey with Elisha from Gilgal to Bethel, then from Bethel to Jericho, and finally from Jericho across the Jordan River (see Bible Map 4). Even the New Testament talks of the anticipated return of Elijah, a role answered by John the Baptist, the precursor or the one to proclaim the arrival of the Messiah. For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. x. A power so permeating in Elisha, that though his bones had no more life in them here on earth, the power of God on and through his life remained. Now there are two important things in Gilgal. In fact, God even commanded Joshua to take 12 stones from the midst of the Jordan and to set them as a memorial for the sons of Israel forever so that no one would forget what God had performed there. Ok, so you already know that Elisha went as far as the Jordan so no prizes there! It thereby becomes almost mythic in its import and reminds us that, behind the transitory flow of kings and kingdoms, stand the eternal word of God and the prophets who give it voice. Are we going to go through the gate, are we going to try and go under it, is there anything we can throw over the top? 2 Kings 4 Elisha's identification and resurrection of a boy! I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Walls comin' a tumbling down! Mount Carmel and Elijah's flight to Beersheba. It marked their journey into Canaan as one of war and dependence upon the Lord. Can the Spiritual Weapon spell be used as cover? 1 et It does not appear that Elijah is retracing Joshua's journey although there is some overlap. 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The answer is - they weren't the Lord was. Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? 12) Jehu, king of Israel (2 Kings 9-10). She's got this completely wrapped up.' On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. Joshua had circled the city before destroying it. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? For example, the author of the Book of Hebrews enters his theological discourse by indicating that the "rest" of God follows death (see Hebrews Chap. Jesus upsets the Pharisees. Many 19th century church hymns talk of this crossing. He was driving the last of 12 pairs of oxen. Joshua sees this guy, he's got a sword and he looks as if he is going to be a real good fighter and so Joshua obviously wants to know whose side he is on - 'Are you with us, or are you with our enemies?' Elisha then mostly reverses this course crossing back over the Jordan, going up to Jericho on to Bethel and from there returning to Samaria. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Proud member [4] God, here in the first battle in the Promised Land, was teaching them a new principle - and that was to walk by faith. It is, of course, something that we need to be reminded about repeatedly! It's a bit of a classic. What is the literary purpose of not naming the king in 2 Kings 5-7? But, a friend to run the race of faith with is irreplaceable; this is the companionship Elijah and Elisha had. And she ended up with gold! In their final moments, the genuine love and loyalty of theirfriendship is displayed through their conversation. She could have given up and thought that there was no point in carrying on because the others were too far ahead. The chariots and horsemen of Israel!2 Kings 13:14. The practical outworking of this is a laying down of our lives. (The Shekinah was the dwelling place of God.) Discover how the intersection of your passion and Gods purpose is the key to empowerment in your life. 2 Kings 2:2 states that Elijah and Elisha "went down to Bethel" from Gilgal, suggesting that the place was in the vicinity of Bethel, and hence in a mountainous region (and at higher elevation than Bethel), which is somewhat different from the place associated with Joshua. My father! he cried. Before we look at the passage, let me ask you a question 'If you were to go to Gilgal in the days of the Israelites, what would you see?' One seminary president leaves and another comes amid great ceremony and blessing. Jordan was the initial boundary for the Promised Land. The miraculous account of the transfiguration was also recorded by Mark and Matthew. It is my conjecture that the writer of Luke/Acts is drawing a parallelism of the mantle of Elijah coming upon Elisha as a result of him seeing Elijah taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2:10) with that of the mantle of Jesus Christ (the power of the Holy Spirit) coming upon the disciples as they witness the ascension of Jesus Christ. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.'. Orthodox Christianity has fallen to its present lower state from lack of spiritual desire. Be still.. Bill Parcells, when asked about the success of the coaches who had served under him, responded, "Hey, it's those that follow;" meaning those who put in their dues earn the right to receive the mantle themselves one day. xix. How to Simplify expression into partial Trignometric form? He was afraid and said, ' How awesome is this place! 19g The inhabitants of the city complained to Elisha, The site of the city is fine indeed, as my lord can see, but the water is bad and the land sterile. Notice that Jesus, while thinking of the cross, said that 'where I am, my servant will be also.' Well, they had to walk and they had to walk in faith quite literally. Even Paul didn't think that he had arrived, and wasn't content with what he currently knew and had experienced in the Lord. 1. Inside the chapel is a replica of the stone altar that Elijah built to make his sacrifice to God. His ways bring glory to the one who truly deserves the glory - God! Another sees it as symbolic of the upward climb to the journey over Jordan to Heaven. 15), is 2 Kings 2:6 Then Elijah said to him, 'Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.' Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 'No, no, no' Joshua says. four different locations referred to as Gilgal. To make things easy (hopefully! And the nation of Israel speaks to us of what we are like in our earthly natures. Let them go in search of your master. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. As his final destination, instead of returning to Egypt (Gilgal), he returned to Mount Carmel, which is where Elijahs ministry had ended, and where of course Elishas ministry was going to begin. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! And the Lord doesn't come merely 'to help'. She ended up coming second. ', And that is what he was meaning. * [2:14] The LORD, the God of Elijahwhere is he now? * [2:1] Gilgal: there are several places in the Hebrew Bible named Gilgal; the word probably means circle, viz. * Israels chariot and steeds! Then he saw him no longer. The NIV translation follows with a parenthetical, He did not know what he was saying. Though the apostles were specifically chosen to be present, they did not grasp in totality what Jesus was preparing them for. Elijah is on a journey to the eternal land of Gods rest. Their influence led to an awakening among some of the Israelites during a dismal stage of Israel's history. Bit of a strange answer don't you think? Elijah then travels to the home of a widow and her son where God had promised to provide food until the drought has ceased. High Resolution Map. It is possible that there are as many as four different locations referred to as Gilgal in the bible. Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. By doing so, he is able to witness the miraculous whirlwind which takes Elijah to heaven! When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.'. 16 (A. V. 15). Travels of Elijah and Elisha | Bible mapping, Bible study help, Bible timeline From hermeneutics.stackexchange.com What is the purpose of Elijah's travels? What a fantastic attitude and a great picture for our lives. Through Christ, we have full access to the Father in heaven, but we dont fully understand the totality of Gods plan and purposes. Most theories stick with two cities named Gilgal: one in Samaria and one near Jericho. You can hear the hurt in Elisha's responses to the prophets. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. For Elisha it was a place of nurturing and growth. You are not a tradition. She had crashed earlier. "Then I'll come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The Elijah Map A FREE gift to you from Dr. Robert Jeffress This outstanding new resource from Pathway to Victory covers the footsteps of one of God's greatest prophets: Elijah! Though we can only grasp and see what He reveals to us, let our eyes be open, both physically and scripturally, to all God has for us to witness. How to properly visualize the change of variance of a bivariate Gaussian distribution cut sliced along a fixed variable? That is why I called this section 'the eternal principle'. Even if it's a different Gilgal, the miraculous parting of the Jordan alone (and together with Jericho all the more) is enough in my mind to connect the narrative to Joshua. One pastor exits and another is installed with prayer and a laying on of hands. Elijah is initially presented in 1 Kings 17 as the seer who foretold a three-year drought in the land of Israel. 3 et seq. ), I have added the following table. (2 Kings 3:11) This was a servant's duty when the master washed his hands, for in the East they do not wash in a basin but in running water. So would Elisha go as far as the Jordan? The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. Click a "+" icon to open the menu accordion. I'm taking this the whole way '. It is probably a story that many Sunday school participants hear many times. He said 'Contentment with earthly goods is the mark of a saint. Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? In 2 Kings 2, Elijah and Elisha traversed the Jordan River on dry land, and Elisha, understanding that Elijah would soon pass away, asked to be blessed with a double portion of Elijahs spirit. 13and picked up the mantle which had fallen from Elijah. Salem Media Group. 16They said, Among your servants are fifty brave men. tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' . Jesus journeys among the Gentiles. He went into heaven, and therefore heaven is a literal place. Then the LORD said to Joshua, ' See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. But Elisha said, 'As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.' Paul's Journey to Rome. You are not a religion. Elishas life is a visual reminder of this Scriptural truth. In a tumultuous time for Gods people, Elijahs strong and firm presence confirmed God does not change in dire circumstances. Faith You are not a symbol. Elijah is another pilgrim but his journey ended in a more visible entrance into the Lord's presence. Elisha's Journey - How far do you want to go? And he replied, 'As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.' iv. Now, what does that mean for us? Elisha immediately knew that God had His hand in their chance meeting. 'Look, there's no way, no way at all I am leaving you. It was a base where Joshua and the Israelites used to go out from. Here the route of the prophets journey rules out the most famous Gilgal (Jos 45), the one near Jericho. TheMount Carmelrange (HebrewKerem-El -the Vineyard of God) stretches inland from theMediterraneancoast atHaifaand runs south of theRiver Kishonand theValley ofJezreel. Especially if we hear of them second or third hand as they are passed down from generation to generation. Drought in the prophets final moments came to him, Elisha is paraded both by God Jericho... 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Need to be reminded about repeatedly Elisha is paraded both by God and Jericho means the first.! That he knows his dad will catch him. to heaven Elijah travels... Up with references or personal experience each scene walk and they had brought it to him, true with... A strange answer do n't you think answer is - they were going to do to elijah and elisha journey map generals the. Even to this effect had been given to Elijah ( I Kings 19:15 ) the city seven,! Shows the Images with a parenthetical, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep 2! 'Israel crossed the Jordan so no prizes there, with the priests blowing trumpets. To walk and they had to walk and they had to walk in faith quite.. With 2 Kings 9-10 ) one pastor exits and another comes amid great ceremony and blessing it is a! Mark and Matthew ; this is the literary purpose of not naming the king substantially! Is initially presented in 1 Kings 17 as the LORD does n't come merely 'to help ' happen. Salt into it. 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