Shirley H Supporter Wife, mother, veteran in the spiritual war we all face!

Elijah appears in 1 Kings 17:1. His name means, "the Lord is my God."

Elijah was "on fire" for God. Moses had encountered God in the 'burning bush.'

God is Holy, Holy, Holy! He is perfect in every way. He is full of love and mercy, righteousness and goodness. He is indescribable in human terms. He transcends time and space He is, and was and always will be.

In the book of Ezekiel we read about Ezekiel's vision of God. The hand of God had touched him. The name Ezekiel comes from the verb that means to seize. Ezekiel, like Elijah was a man "on fire" for God.

Notice in Ezekiel's vision the whirlwind, the cloud, the raging fire, the brightness. I think all these things are indicators of the presence of God.

Compare that to Exodus 19:16-20.

Look at Psalm 18:7-15 and read the description of God's appearance. There was thunder, fire clouds...

These phenomena are regularly associated with an appearance of God to His people.

In 1 Kings 19:11-13, we read about God's revelation to Elijah on the mountain. God is a God of the spectacular events and also God of gentleness and stillness. He is anything He wants or needs to be to whomever He chooses to reveal Himself.

This Holy Bible of ours is filled with fire. Note how many passages have fire or fiery in them!

In the wilderness in Exodus, there was the pillar of cloud, and the pillar of fire! I believe that is to remind us that God is near to us throughout our journey on the earth! He made a spectacle of Himself, so that we will remember that He is powerful and everywhere at the same time. Because He is omnipresent, we need not fear.

In 2 Kings 2:11, I believe that the horses and the chariot being fiery, are an indication of God's presence...

Isaiah saw fiery angels stationed around the throne of God in chapter 6 verse 2. (Seraphims, a Hebrew word for burners) 

The seraphims only appear one other time in the Bible. You will find them in Revelation 4:6-8. There they are standing around the throne of God.

In Psalm 104:3,4 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of wind, Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.

This is God! Elijah was His minister.. his name means "the Lord is my God." Elijah was a man whose ministry was associated with fire. His ascension to heaven was in a chariot of fire with fiery horses, and a whirlwind.

Elisha was a witness and he said, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!"

Elijah's departure was fixed in Elisha's mind. Note, when Elisha's call to go home came, from the illness that took his life, Joash (king of Israel wept) and said, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen!"

So yes, I would say that the meaning of 1 Kings 2:11 is that a fiery chariot with fiery horses actually came and took Elijah up in a whirlwind to heaven where God is! Elisha saw it, never forgot it, and probably told others of the experience! Why else would the King of Israel repeat what Elisha had said?

AMEN... the clouds opened, the horses brought the chariot to receive Elijah and take him home!

November 07 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Great question, Rotimi: What does the scripture in 2 Kings 2:11 mean? Was Elijah taken to heaven where God and the angels live?

2 Kings 2:11

ESV - 11 "And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." 

This was a dramatic exit! I mean, who goes to heaven that way? Oh, we could wish to make a grand exit like Elijah did. And some of us reading this probably will if you read this before the rapture takes place, are saved, and you will go up ("be caught up") in the clouds to meet the Lord [Jesus] in the air to be with Him forever and ever in Heaven where God's angels are now. {If you are not saved, this won't happen to you}. But it doesn't mean everyone will see you, Christian, go up into heaven. I believe only Christians will see this spectacular event happening.

August 24 2024 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Leslie Coutinho Supporter

2 Kings 2:11: And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

At the beginning of God’s creation of mankind, Lord God walked along with His creation, spoke to them, stood by them, and revealed unto them. (Gen 3:8-9) Those who were called and stood before Him rejoiced to see His day, as they saw it, and were glad. (Genesis 18:2,33/John 8:56) For those who stood by Him and then died in a good old age were buried, the ones who had filthy garments were clothed with rich robes of raiment by the angels who stand before Him, the Lord of the whole earth. (Zec 3:3-7) Elijah was the man of God who stood before Him, the Tishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead. (1 Kings 17:1) After all the prophecies came to pass as the word of the Lord came unto him, he was taken to heaven on a chariot by God the Father. Today he is one of the two olive trees that stands by the right hand and the left hand of the Lord of the whole Earth, the candlestick, and pours out the golden oil out of themselves through the golden pipe. (Zec 4:12-14)

Elijah was then sent along with Moses who had trespassed against the Lord among the children of Israel in the wilderness of Zin. Moses's body when he died was guarded by the angels, just as Joshua who stood by the angels of the Lord and then clothed with rich robes of raiment. (Deu 32:51/Zec 3:1-3/Jude 1:9) They were sent by God the Father to witness His Son our Lord Jesus on the earth, he was transfigured before them, His face shined as the sun and his raiment was as white as the light. For God, the Father then appeared by a bright cloud, which overshadowed them, and they were told, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him.” For they will be the two witnesses to testify His second coming. (Mat 17:3,5) 

The two olive trees and candlestick, being the witnesses standing before the God of the earth, will be given the power to prophesy for the first half of the tribulation period. (Rev 11:3-4) Moses, who led the people out of the land of Egypt, could not go to the promised land, but stood on Mount Abarim and saw the promised land that stood before him, the land of Canaan. He will be clothed with rich robes and sent along with Elijha to give their testimony, judge, keep His courts, and be given places to walk among those who wait upon the Lord. For they will be sent before the second coming of the Lord Jesus onto this earth, “Whose feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives,” which is before Jerusalem. (Zec 14:4)

Zechariah 4:14: Then said he, "These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."

12 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report