The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

2 Kings 2:1-15 relates that Elijah asks Elisha what he might do for him (Elisha) before he (Elijah) leaves him. Elisha requests a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Did Elisha get his request and if so, how do we know?

Hi, Jack. It appears to me that Elisha did get his request. I misunderstood for a long time what Elisha actually asked for, thinking that he was asking for twice the anointing and power that Elijah had as a prophet of God. Rather, as Barnes explains, Once I understood this, the significance of Elisha's words in 2 Kings 2:12 suddenly came home to me: "My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!" The part about the chariot and horsemen of Israel was easy, but Elisha's address to Elijah as "my father" took on new import. Elijah had indicated in verse 10 his blessing upon Elisha's request IF Elisha saw him as we was being taken from him. Verses 11-12 tell us that Elisha did see Elijah, as well as the chariot and horsemen, as Elijah was being taken up. Presumably, therefore, Elisha's request was granted. What comes next in the narrative is, IMO, confirmation of his granted request. Elisha takes up Elijah's cloak and with it performs the same miracle that Elijah had performed in verse 8. When the rest of the prophetic guild saw this, they said "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha," they bowed before him, and they sought his permission to act. And in the ensuing history, Elisha fairly obviously stands in the place of Elijah as the greatest prophet among his contemporaries.

_________________
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

Forum Code of Conduct
The Bible NETWork Doctrinal Statement
The NET Bible Study Environment
Pastors Pro-Life Resource Center
Biblical Eldership

Gideon, there are several things I wonder about regarding this account. 1) Elijah tried to get Elisha to say in one of the 2 or three places he visited before crossing the Jordan, but Elijah refused (2 Kings 2:2-6. 2) It wasn't until they had crossed the Jordan that Elijah asked Elisha what he (Elijah) might do for him. Then when Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit, Elijah indicated there might be some difficulty doing that ("That's a tall order"), 2 Kings 2:10). 3) Why would granting Elisha's request depend on Elisha seeing him depart? ("If you see me taken from you, may it be so, but if you don't, it will not happen." 2 Kings 2:10).

Your reference to the inheritance of the oldest son is insightful; I'm just wondering if there could be something more to the "double portion" request?

Another question in my mind has to do with the epithet,'My father, my father, the chariot and horsemen of Israel'! In 2 Kings 6:17, Elisha's servant is enabled to see 'the hill full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha'. Then in 2 Kings 13:14, King Joash of Israel visiting Elisha in his illness says,"My father, my father, The chariot and horsemen of Israel"! This is the King himself say this. How do these additional references fit in with your understanding of this dramatic phrase and the attendant circumstances? (all quotes are Net)

Why would granting Elisha's request depend on Elisha seeing him depart? IMO, the anointing that Elisha sought was not Elijah's to give, and Elijah (I think) knew by the Spirit that God would grant Elisha's request if God also allowed him to see Elijah departing.

I don't think there's any particular connection between Elisha's ability to see the angelic horsemen and their chariots (2 Kings 2:11-12) and his servant's later ability to see them (2 Kings 6:15-17), except that in both cases God opened their eyes to see into the spiritual realm. As for Joash's words in 2 Kings 13:14, I think he was honoring Elisha near the end of his life as Elijah's successor and help to Israel. Allow me to quote Barnes again on this verse.
John Gill offers a similar perspective in his commentary:

_________________
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

Forum Code of Conduct
The Bible NETWork Doctrinal Statement
The NET Bible Study Environment
Pastors Pro-Life Resource Center
Biblical Eldership

Gideon: There are some interesting things to consider about the 'double portion' promise. In looking up the years of service for both prophets, Elijah's ministry lasted 27 years. Could a DOUBLE PORTION mean Elisha's ministry would be 'DOUBLE'--or twice as long as Elijah's ministry? But Elisha died after 52 years of ministry, not 54 years. But more on this a bit later. Looking at all the incidents in which both prophets were envolved during their ministries, Elisha's miracles/ unusual happenings are twice those of Elijah.

During Elijah's ministry there was a period of 3 and 1/2 years of no rain, and during Elisha's ministry a drought of 7 years.

But then Elijah was instrumental in bring back to life one person and at Elisha's death he was envolved in bring back to life only one person. So it would seem that the 'DOUBLE PORTION' did not apply since Elisha died ater only 52 years of service to God, not the 54 years that would be required to equal twice the length of Elijah's service. BUT, sometime after Elisha's death and burial, a burial party was taking out a dead man to be buried when suddenly they discovered an enemy raiding party was in their area. They hastily dumped the body into the nearest grave, and guess what; it was Elisha's tomb. When the dead body fell on Elisha's bones the man came back to life! So Elisha's double portion relative to the dead receiving life was Elisha 2-Elijah 1!!! But what about the length of service? was that actually double as well? The scripture does not tell us how long after Elisha's death this happened. How about 2 years; giving Elisha 54 years of service to Elijah's 27 years?

For me this is an amazing display of God fullfilling His annointing of Elisha, dead or alive! How is it possible to not bow in His Presence? 2 Kings 2:9-10; 13:20-21

Indeed! How is it possible to not bow in His Presence?

You've pointed out some amazing facts, Jack. It was because of the things you mentioned that I used to think the "double portion" of Elijah's spirit meant twice the anointing/power that Elijah had, but I've changed my opinion on that because it's not consistent with the meaning of a "double portion" inheritance elsewhere in scripture. I do think, however, that the facts you point out leave no reasonable room for doubt that Elisha got his request.

_________________
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

Forum Code of Conduct
The Bible NETWork Doctrinal Statement
The NET Bible Study Environment
Pastors Pro-Life Resource Center
Biblical Eldership

Jack -- count the miracles -- Elijah had 8 while Elisha had 16 -- perhaps it is that simple

Yes, Paco, precisely the point. The ministry of those 2 prophets is so amazing. This was a crisis time for Israel. Ahab, influenced heavily by Jezebel (whose father was head honcho of baalism over in Tyre and Sidon) had instituted baal worship as the state religion for the northern kingdom. This called for heroic counter measures by God's prophets.

Since baal was the rain god, Elijah called for a 3 and 1/2 year drought. That should have shown the northern kingdom the futility of worshipping baal.

Then there was the wholesale slaughter of baal's prophets, the only time in Israel's recorded history where such a thing happened. Then the rain came!! That helped the people put 2 and 2 together!

As a result, from that time on, baal worship was finished as a state religion. Glory to God!