Images of the Savior (The Ascension of Elijah)

And it came to pass, when they had gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken away from you”. And Elisha said, “I ask you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if you see me, when I am taken away from you, it shall be so unto you; but if not, it shall not be so”. – 2 Kings 2:9-10

Of the Messiah in each of his three offices (that is, his offices of prophet, priest, and king), we encounter in the Old Testament scriptures certain types and foreshadows that stand out from all the others by virtue of the clarity and pre-eminence with which they signify the coming Savior, over and above every other example of their kind. Thus, although the persons and activities of all of the Aaronic priesthood prefigured, in some way, the person and work of Jesus Christ, yet it was the sole priest Melchizedek who served as the ultimate type and example of our great High Priest (see Genesis 14:17-20; Hebrews 6:20-7:28). Although the entire line of Davidic kings looked ahead to the reigning Jesus, it was the golden age under David and Solomon, and most specifically, the lifetime of David himself, in which we find the most notable expressions of Jesus’ life and victory. And, although every true prophet of the Lord called to mind the infallible words and teachings of Jesus, he was pre-eminently to be a prophet “like unto [Moses]” (Deuteronomy 18:15), who spoke with God face-to-face, brought the holy Law of God to the people, and interceded for them with earnestness and effectiveness.

And yet, we must give some more thought to this prophetic office: for, although Moses was certainly the pre-eminent prophet of Israel’s early days, there was another great time of prophecy connected with Israel’s decline, captivity, and restoration. Just as there was a great prophet associated with Israel’s formation as the people and nation of God, so there was a great prophet associated with Israel’s decline and hope of future restoration. And just as that great prophet Moses was, in a peculiar and supreme way, the type of the coming Christ, who would go through his forty day-years in the wilderness, on his way to winning for his people an eternal Eden-rest in fellowship with God; so that great prophet of the latter era of prophecy in Israel prefigured in an exceptional way the mighty miracle-working Christ, who, through the power of the Spirit, would accomplish great wonders in Israel; and who would, moreover, leave his Spirit to continue his ministry with even greater power, after he had ascended to heaven. That prophet is, of course, Elijah: and when we see Moses and Elijah appearing before Christ on the mount of transfiguration, we are instructed that Jesus does fulfill, in his own person, the greatest types of the two greatest eras of prophecy in Israel’s history (Matthew 17:1-6). As we think of these parallels in a little more detail, it will be helpful to focus on that event in which Elijah as a type of Christ most poignantly displayed his coming ministry – his ascension and the bestowal of his spirit upon his successor, Elisha.

But first, let us consider what we may of Elijah’s ministry: first, he stood before the mightiest kings and rulers of his day, and spoke to them the word of God with absolute authority; second, it was by the word of his judgment that the earth withheld her rain and fruitfulness (1 Kings 17:1); third, after his sentence of judgment, he hid himself in a place of obscurity, and waited in obedience upon the Lord, who sent his humblest creatures to provide all his wants (1 Kings 17:3-7); fourth, after his time of obscurity, he began to spread the fruits of God’s mercy to the Gentiles, even a Phoenician woman, and not to God’s people Israel (1 Kings 17:8-16); fifth, he gave new, resurrection life to those whom he had thus blessed with the fruits of his ongoing sustenance (1 Kings 17:17-24); Sixth, through his great sacrifice, he utterly destroyed every false prophet and god, and wrested shouts of praise from God’s hard-hearted people (1 Kings 18:1-40); seventh, after his victorious sacrifice, he offered up fervent prayers of intercession, and was heard, so that the heavens once again gave their rain (1 Kings 18:41-46); eighth, he communed in private with his God, and was heard and sustained by him (1 Kings 19:1-14); ninth, he anointed both prophet and king to reign over God’s own people, and indeed all the nations of the world (1 Kings 19:15-21); tenth, all the hosts of his enemies who approached him presumptuously were consumed with fire from God, while they who approached him in fear and humility met with his favor (2 Kings 1:1-18). And so we arrive at the time of Elijah’s departure from earth.

Now, let us briefly consider how well the circumstances of this life prefigure for us the life and works of our great prophet Jesus: for first of all, he too speaks with God’s own authority, being the very Word of God, and he alone has the power to command all the mightiest kings and rulers of this earth; second, it was his judgment, as the Word of God, that the earth was cast into a cursed existence of fruitlessness because of man’s sin; third, when he had determined to overturn this curse, he immediately took up a state of obscurity, hiding his glory from all men, and being sparingly sustained by his Father in a life of humble obedience; fourth, after entering the public eye, subsequent to his years of obscurity, he spread the fruits of his mercy to Phoenician and Samaritan women, sinners and publicans, Greeks and Gentiles, while his own people received only a hardened heart; fifth, the end result of those blessings with which he flooded the nations was nothing less than an eternal resurrection life, in fellowship with the Father; sixth, it was through his own self-sacrifice that Jesus finally destroyed every false god, and all the hosts of Satan, and it is because of his sacrifice that he will one day be praised by every tongue, as they confess that he is Lord and God; seventh, after his self-sacrifice, Jesus offered up fervent prayers of intercession for his people, and rained down upon them God’s blessings that had hitherto been dammed up; eighth, in his days upon the earth, he spent much time in communion with his Father, and was thereby sustained through his darkest hours; ninth, after winning his victory, he seized all authority in his hand, so that he alone sets kings up and takes them down, and he alone will give authority to all of God’s prophets to reign at his side, and judge the earth with him; and tenth, all those who resist him will experience the full extent of God’s fiery wrath, but those who bow before him will know grace and mercy. So we see how well-adapted Elijah’s life is to prefigure the work of Christ; and this brief comparison leads us to our examination of his ascension and the bestowal of his spirit upon his successor.

We note first of all, that Elijah’s path on this earth was most difficult, and that he who would be his follower was required to leave everything and follow him, in spite of every reason not to do so. All of the prophets were encouraging Elisha not to continue after Elijah, for they knew that he was soon to leave this earth; but stopping up his ears, he pressed on behind him with unshakable resolution. Second, we note how distraught Elisha was, considering that the great prophet of God would soon be gone from his people – and what would become of the people of God, after that? Third, we see Elisha’s bold request, that he be granted a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, to carry on his work. Fourth, we see the answer to that request, that it would be done unto him, only if he saw Elijah taken up. Fifth, we see that, by taking up Elijah’s cloak, he was able to do the very deeds of Elijah, calling upon the name of his God. Sixth, we see that the first fruits of his newly-received spirit was to take away the bitterness from the waters of the land, by using salt. And seventh, we see that those who mocked him received a curse from God, being torn by the agents of his judgment, instead of the blessing which he freely gave to those who asked.

Now, let us again consider the end of the ministry of Jesus. First, his path was difficult, and he frequently exhorted his disciples that, if they would be worthy of him, and receive a share in his kingdom, they must forsake all to follow him; but we know how the world in its wisdom counseled against this advice, even as the sons of the prophets counseled Elisha. Second, we know how distraught Jesus’ true disciples were, when they learned that he must soon be taken from them. Third, we learn from Jesus that he who has the same Spirit by which he carried out his ministry would do the same works, and we are admonished by him, that those who ask boldly will receive the Spirit from the Father, even as Elisha received his bold request (Luke 11:13). Fourth, the condition for the reception of the Spirit was the same: Jesus would only send him, if he were taken up from his disciples (John 16:7). Fifth, we note that, once Jesus had gone, his disciples were able to do his same works, only by putting on his garments; for without the imputation of the righteousness which he won for us, there will be no impartation of his practical righteousness in our daily lives; and even this will only come as we call upon the name of his God and ours. Sixth, after the disciples received the Spirit of God, in consequence of Jesus’ ascension to the Father, they immediately took away the death-poison from the seas of bitter and hopeless men, by their restorative ministry among them as “the salt of the earth”. And seventh, those who rejected their ministry and the offer of the gospel which they held forth to all men, will receive God’s judgment, and be torn by his wrath.

Dear reader, the coincidence in the design of these two lives and ministries, that of the prophet Elijah and the Great Prophet Jesus; and especially, the coincidence in the events of their ascension and the bestowal of the Spirit upon their followers, is too great and manifold to be mere happenstance. These things were intended for our instruction, and we must be careful to learn from them, if we would grow in our knowledge of Christ the Redeemer. As we examine these accounts, let us be as Elisha, following our Great Prophet through every hindrance and in spite of the scorn of every religious person and creed; let us look to him at all times, seated in victory upon the throne of David; let us beseech our Father for a double portion (that is, the portion of the firstborn heir and successor) of the Spirit by whom Christ carried out his earthly ministry; and let us be bold to follow in the example of his footsteps, working the mighty gospel-wonders of conversion and hope in the bitter souls of men, as the power of the Spirit within us stirs them to life through the message we proclaim. It was a wonder and a staggering blessing for Elisha to receive an inheritance of Elijah’s mighty spirit of ministry – how much more that we may receive the same Spirit which anointed Jesus, and carry out his same works, yes, and even greater works than he (John 14:12)? Christians, the Spirit of Jesus, the greater Elijah, is our Spirit: let us press on in bold and earnest hope, until the day that we join our Master in the presence of the Father, where he has ascended on high to reign forevermore and to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh!

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