Passing the Mantle
It’s so important to teach the younger generation. Elijah mentored Elisha for almost eight years. Then Elisha made an unusual request. One of the most difficult aspects of growing older is being able to let go. It seems so easy to hold onto a job or position too long. Instead of holding on, we should diligently seek someone younger to mentor. So when the time comes for us to step down, the workGet More Articles—Subscribe Today!
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What happened to the mantle of Elijah and Elisha; was it out in Holy Place? Zacharias John Baptist priest father dumbed by Gabriel angle; could this have also been John’s mantle?
Wow I am learning so much from reading these papers that have been lent to my by my friend, a retired pastor aged 87 years old.
AT A JEWISH PASSOVER SEDER, AN EMPTY CHAIR IS AT THE TABLE FOR THE PROPHET ELIJAH….CAN YOU TELL ME THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS EMPTY CHAIR AT THE SEDER?
Thank you so much for reading IMG and for writing to us. Traditionally, as you mentioned a special place is set and left empty for Elijah at the majority, if not all Passover Seders. Part of the answer to the question is found in Malachi, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Mal 4:5-6).
According to Jewish tradition Elijah’s cup is considered the fifth ceremonial cup of wine poured during the family Seder dinner on Passover. It is left untouched in honour of Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the advent of the Messiah.
Wow God! Yes! I do mentor four young men and three young women and they too, will continue to pass on the Biblical torch, well after I’m gone. Thank you for this timely post!
Such encouragement, thank you.
Jack Sullivan
Interesting question, Tom Simcox asks, Was Elisha’s request granted?
We read in 2 Kings 2:9-10 that Elisha requested a “double portion of Elijah’s spirit.” Did God give Elisha what he asked of the LORD? Well Elijah had 5 miracles.
1) Elijah declared a drought upon the land. – 1 Kings 17:1-7
2) Elijah’s multiplied the widow’s oil. – 1 Kings 17:9-16
3) Elijah raised the widow’s son from the dead. – 1 Kings 17:17-23
4) Elijah called down the fire from heaven. – 1 Kings 18:20-38
5 Elijah smote the river with his mantle and divided the waters. – 2 Kings 2:8
Now let’s see if Elisha reached 10:
1) Elisha smote the river with Elijah’s mantle and divided the waters. – 2 Kings 2:14
2) Elisha went to Jericho and transformed a poison water supply into a clean spring. – 2 Kings 2:19-22
3) Elisha called down a curse on a group of young attackers. – 2 Kings 2:23-25
4) Elisha supplied water when Jehoram’s army was suffering from thirst. – 2 Kings 3:9-20
5) Elisha increased the poor widow’s supply of oil. – 2 Kings 4:1-7
6) Elisha restored to life the son of the woman of Shunem. – 2 Kings 4:18-37
7) Elisha cured a poisonous pot of stew. – 2 Kings 4:38-41
8) Elisha multiplied 20 loaves of bread into enough to feed 100 men. – 2 Kings 4:42-44
9) Elisha cured Naaman the Syrian of his leprosy. – 2 Kings 5:1-14
10) Elisha made an iron ax head float in the Jordan river. – 2 Kings 6:1-7
So Elisha got what he had asked of God. But wait, don’t stop there, as God has more blessings for us than we can even imagine. We read in 2 Kings 13:14; 20 that Elisha died in his own house of an illness and was buried. But then what happens? As we keep reading in verse 21 we read, ”So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.”
Just like with the loaves and fishes God does not just give us enough. And with Elisha, God did not just stop at 10, which is all that Elisha had asked for. Just another example in His Word that our Heavenly Father, our Abba, has more in store for us then we can ever imagine!