The Death of Elisha

In the book of 2 Kings, Elisha had become sick with an illness of which he would die (2 Kgs. 13:14-20).

Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness

from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went

down to see him and wept over him. “My father!

My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen

of Israel!”

Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”

Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will

defeat it only three times.”

 

Elisha died and was buried. (2 Kings 14-20)

 

What happened in this account? There was a seed form of the Spirit of prophecy that manifested. Elisha gave the king of Israel a clue. He was giving specific words of knowledge against the Syrians. What was the implication of this account?

Elisha already gave the king a warning. He told him the object represented Satan. He told him to do something about it. Elisha was telling him, under the Spirit of prophecy, how one related to the object showed the strength of the hatred of the king against the enemy. It manifested what was already in his heart. The object was just to bring this out in the open.

 

If you were given a prophetic word that the object in your hand is the devil, and you must do with it, what you would do to the devil if he was in front of you? What would you do to this object? If the prophet said, what you do to this object shows the extent of your hatred against evil, what would you do? In his last moments, Elisha was giving a prophetic word to the king and he was exposing what was in his heart. In that moment, under the anointing of the man of God, he did something that brought forth what was already in his heart. Under the anointing of the man of God, the king did not really exert effort to defeat the enemy.

 

Believers who experience being in the ministry for many years can relate when a younger person comes up to them, and they have a sense if this person will succeed in their dedication to God and their commitment in the ministry. They can tell by their fervor for God, their love for people, and their ability to relate. They can tell just by virtue because of their years of experience in the Lord. This ability, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, is called the first degree—enupnion.

 

 

Experience the Power of Prophecy as a gift to open your mind to receive the Mind of Christ.

Be bold and spend time with someone who has been in the

ministry for many years. Allow them to minister wisdom and

to impart anointing into your life. Reflect on what you’ve

learned from this person.