Annotations: Presentation – Elisha

Annotations: connected with a presentation concerning 2Kings 2:23-25; held on Sunday August 5, 2012 in the Hague. torn up? As far as I’ve been able to check, all Bible translations speak of 42 boys who are torn up (2 Kings 2:24). The Hebrew word that is used (baqa; Strong 1234) occurs 51x in the Bible. In the KJV, baqa is 2x translated as tear/tare and the other times most often as cleave (= the primary sense) including such associated words as broken up, divide, break through, burst, breach; Genesis 7:11; Exodus 14:21; 2 Sam.23:16, Job 32:19; Isaiah 7:6. The idea that the she bears tore up the 42 youths, one by one, is rather suggestive. Much more meaningful is it that the two she bears divided or broke up the group, i.e., the boys fled in all directions. This perfectly fits with the meaning of the Hebrew word and is much easier to picture, than to imagine that the boys would have stayed watching, when their playmates were being killed, one by one… Elijah & Elisha In 2 Kings 2, we find a description of how Elisha (=my God is Saviour) takes over the role of Elijah (= my God is Yahweh). This is illustrated in the mantle that Elijah left behind for Elisha. Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Note that Elisha performed double the number (16) of miracles than did Elijah (8). 2Kings 2:9, 13,15 Elijah and Elisha form, as a pair, a portrayal of the Christ Who would come, in which Elisha is more specifically an image of the Christ after His resurrection (see below). roll, Jordan roll The miraculous road through the Jordan river, before Elijah ascends to heaven, refers to the victory over death. The Jordan river has always been a type of death (Jordan of death) and a road through the Jordan therefore speaks of resurrection. It is the road that leads directly to the Promised Land. Once, Israel was led by Joshua through the Jordan. John baptized in the Jordan. Naaman had to baptize himself in the Jordan. Always the idea that one had to go into or through the Jordan, in order to rise out of it. Also consider the history (even in Elisha’s days) of the lost ax that was resurfaced in the Jordan River. Joshua 3, Matthew 3:6; 2Kings 5; 6:6. three days After Elijah ascended to heaven, he is then searched for, in vain, for three days by the students of the school of the prophets. The mention of three days usually refers to the resurrection of Christ, or to the period of time prior to Israel’s restoration. In the latter case, it is not about days of 12 hours, but as Peter emphatically said, about days of a thousand years. The three days refer to the millennia that the Lord will hide His face and will in vain be sought. It is a depiction of the present time. 2Kings 2:17; Hosea 6:1-3 Marah & the unhealthy source of Jericho After the mentioning of the three days, we find the history of the unhealthy well of water in Jericho, which was made healthy. The order of these wonderful events runs parallel to Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea, three days searching for water and then the bitter waters of Marah. And while Moses on that occasion was shown a wood to toss into the water, Elisha throws salt out of a new bowl into the water. In both cases it had the same effect: the water became healthy. The wood, in the history of Moses, is an emblem of the death and resurrection of Christ and the salt from the new bowl with Elisha, is no different. Salt is what stops decay and, therefore, also speaks of victory over death. The new bowl from which the salt is taken, underscores this meaning. Exodus 14 and 15:22-27 the unhealthy source & the old covenant The three days in Exodus 15 lead to the restoration of the waters of Marah (= bitterness) and in 2Kings 2 to the healing of the source in Jericho. A water source (well), generally, refers to the words of God and a bitter, sick source speaks of God’s Word that brings death and condemnation. It speaks of “the letters engraved on stones” which is a “ministry of death” and “condemnation”. When the words of God requires of man, this causes only bitterness. But as soon as the “you shall” is understood as a promise, then the same word produces life and justification! 2Corinthians 3:7-11; Jeremiah 2:13 When Israel in the near future (read: the third day!), will be confronted with “the man of God”, then “the old covenant” will make way for “the new covenant”. The same source (the Torah) that once was dead, will be dis-covered and bring healing. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 42 youths of Bethel & 2 she bears The narrative of the mocking boys of Bethel (= house of God) prophetically refers to unbelieving Jerusalem, the city of the House of God. The boys mocked the bald man. Because hair speaks of luster and glory, baldness refers precisely to the opposite: darkness and a lack of glory. Judaism rejects the Messianic claims of Jesus of Nazareth, because He lacks the glory of the Messiah, which, according to them, He should have. Was the Messiah not to sit on the throne of David and inaugurate the Messianic kingdom? A Messiah who misses this glory is, in their eyes, bare (bald). Even as the boys of Bethel were mocking Elijah’s ascension by calling to Elisha: Go up!, so Judaism is not able to cope with the truth of an ascended Messiah into heaven… The mocking of the man of God by the boys of Bethel results in a curse. The 42 boys who are attacked by two she bears, gives a perfect picture of what will occur in the end times. According to the book of Revelation, the city of Jerusalem will be trampled under foot for 42 months under the direction of two wild Beasts: The Beast from the sea (with legs as of a bear!) and the Beast from the earth. Revelation 11:2, 13:5; in Rev.13:2, the word for “bear” is feminine and, therefore, represents she bears. Mount Carmel and Samaria After the affair with the 42 boys and 2 she bears, Elisha goes to Mount Carmel. This mountain recalls the actions of his predecessor Elijah, when it yielded convincing evidence that YAHWEH is God. Please note: that miracle took place after 42 months of drought! Mount Carmel speaks of the Kingdom, beginning after the “Great Tribulation” of 42 months. 2Kings 2:25; 1Kings 18; Luke 4:25; James 5:17 It is remarkable that while one verse speaks of Elisha as a bald head, the next verse mentions his visit to Mount Carmel, which had a proverbial reputation due to its lush crown. The glory that Elisha initially was missing, is (as it were) being compensated on Mount Carmel. Song of songs 7:5; Isaiah 35:2; Amos 1:2  After visiting Mount Carmel, Elisha goes to Samaria, which was in those days Israel’s capital. It speaks of the Messiah, Who will take His throne in Israel’s capital. prophetic line in 2kings 2 Summary of the prophetic-chronological line in 2kings 2:

• the road through the Jordan (> resurrection);
• a few days searching for the ascended prophet (> the millennia in which the Lord is in hiding);
• the healing of the bitter source (> the new Covenant);
• the 42 mocking boys of Betel attacked by the 2 she bears (> 42 months great tribulation);
• the visit to the Mount Carmel and then to Israel’s capital (> termination of “the great tribulation” and the dawning of the Kingdom).

Delen: