ELISHA
“God is salvation” (the English form is derived from the Greek “Elisaios” of Luke 4:27, not from the Hebrew “Elicha”).
Successor of the prophet Elijah in the northern kingdom. Son of Shafat; He lived in Abel-Mehola, in the Jordan Valley, and belonged to a well-off family; They owned 12 pairs of oxen that worked in their fields.
God appointed him as the successor of Elijah, who, finding him behind the plow, threw his mantle over him (1 Kings 19:16, 19).
Elisha understood the meaning of this symbolic gesture. Returning to his own, he offered a sacrifice and gave his people a farewell feast, and then followed Elijah and served him (1 Kings 19:19-21). Elijah, before being caught up, crossed the Jordan, and Elisha refused to leave him. Elijah told him to ask for whatever he wanted.
Then Elisha had the wisdom to request a double portion of Elijah’s wisdom. He saw how the chariot of fire snatched away his master; He took the cloak that Elijah had dropped, and with it he struck the Jordan, which opened. Elisha crossed the river and crossed to the west bank (2 Kings 2:1-18).
A series of supernatural events mark the course of his ministry: miracles of knowledge, or miracles of power, all of them accomplished expressly in the name of the Lord. In the history of redemption, he is part of the second group of miracles. (See MIRACLES).
The miracles of Elisha took place at a time when the religion of Jehovah was totally opposed to the cult of Baal. In the same way as the miracles of Elijah, those of Elisha were intended to manifest the authority of the prophet and to present the living God. This supernatural power of Elisha was such that he could use it freely; in the same way that Christ frequently employed it in simple acts of mercy.
In the name of the Lord:
He healed the waters of the fountain of Jericho with salt (2 Kings 2: 19-22).
Some boys who mocked the person of the prophet of the eternal received a curse from Elisha in the name of the Lord. Two bears dismembered 42 of these young men (2 Kings 2:23-25).
He predicted the success of the expedition against Moab (2 Kings 3: 11-27);
he multiplied a widow’s oil (2 Kings 4:1-7);
announced the birth of a son to a Shunammite woman; When this son died, Elisha’s prayer claimed him to life (2 Kings 4:8-37).
He indicated an antidote to the poisonous plant that was in the food of the prophets (2 Kings 4:38-41).
During a famine, the prophet fed 100 men with 20 barley loaves and some new ears of grain (2 Kings 4:42-44).
He commanded Naaman to bathe in the Jordan to be healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-19), and
He announced to Gizei that this leprosy would always remain attached to him due to his greed (2 Kings 5:20-27).
He floated to the surface of the Jordan the iron of an ax that had fallen into the river (2 Kings 6:1-7), and
He revealed to the king of Israel the movements and intentions of his enemies, the Syrians (2 Kings 6:8-12).
In response to Elisha’s prayer, the Lord opened the eyes of his servant to see the chariots and horses of fire that protected them (2 Kings 6:13-17).
Elisha blinded the men the king of Syria had sent to arrest him (2 Kings 6:18-23).
He declared, before anyone told him, that an emissary from the king of Israel was at the door to take his life (2 Kings 6:32, 33).
During the famine of the siege of Samaria, he predicted that the next day provisions would be plentiful and cheap, adding that the unbelieving officer, who scoffed at this prophecy, would see it but would not enjoy it. A crowd crushed this officer, who died before the gate of Samaria (2 Kings 7).
Elisha made it known that Ben-hadad, king of Syria, would die (2 Kings 8:7-15).
He announced the destruction of Ahab and his entire house; He sent a young prophet to anoint Jehu, who should execute the predicted judgment (2 Kings 9:1-10:28).
Elisha revealed in advance that there would be 3 victories over the Syrians (2 Kings 13:14-19).
Finally, a corpse that had been hastily thrown into Elisha’s tomb came to life when it touched Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:20, 21).
All this miraculous power did not prevent this great servant of God from one day “Elisha being sick with the disease from which he died” (2 Kings 13:14).
Since the believer must one day leave this world, he may well come to have an illness from which he cannot cure. It will be very different for those who live on the day of the rapture of the church.
Then, both living believers and the dead, who will be resurrected, will receive “the adoption, the redemption of our body” in a wonderful transformation (Rom. 8:23) by the power of the life that is in Christ.