Joshua 6:24-27 KJV And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. (25) And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. (26) And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. (27) So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country. 1 Kings 16:33-17:1 KJV And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. (34) In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. (17:1) And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. When Israel first entered Canaan and the promised land, they conquered Jericho.
It was THEN that Elijah crossed the same Jordan river Israel first crossed under Joshua, and came into a land of Israel that was perverted and corrupted, with the likes of wicked King Ahab and his evil queen who ran the land named Jezebel. ELIJAH WOULD RESTORE THINGS! Joshua made this curse: "Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."
“Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him” Under King Ahab, a man named HIEL did the very thing Joshua cursed, and it was due to Ahab LETTING IT HAPPEN, which is why it was said this occurred in Ahab’s reign. 1
Kings 16:34 In his days
did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in
Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his
youngest son Segub, according to the word of the
LORD, which
he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. “
It is immediately after this that we read of ELIJAH’S ENTRANCE ON THE SCENE. (17:1)
And Elijah the
Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said
unto
Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I
stand,
there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
The miraculous had stopped.
What the curse meant was that in rebuilding Jericho, the start would see his first son, ABIRAM, die, and the finish would see his youngest son, SEGUB, die. Notice that Joshua ONLY CURSED THAT MAN. Elijah comes on and ministers precisely the same time JESUS DID – 3.5 years. When Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind and fire, Elisha received his mantle and continued on. On his way to depart from the world, Elijah came from GILGAL and passed through Bethel and Jericho.
2Ki
2:1-5 KJV And it
came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a
whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from
Gilgal. (2) And Elijah said unto
Elisha, Tarry
here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha
said unto him, As the LORD liveth,
and as thy soul
liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to
Bethel. (3) And the sons of the
prophets
that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said
unto him,
Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to
day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your
peace. (4) And Elijah said unto
him, Elisha,
tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he
said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I
will not
leave thee. So they came to
Jericho. (5) And the
sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to
Elisha, and
said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master
from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye
your peace.
Along the way, the sons of the prophets knew enough about hearing from God that they received revelation that Elijah was going to leave!
These sons of the prophets represent people of God who are seeking and serving God.
Jordan is six miles away from Jericho.
2Ki
2:6 KJV And
Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent
me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth,
and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And
they two
went on.
2Ki
2:7 KJV And
fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off:
and they two stood by Jordan.
I find it interesting that 50 is the number of students and PENTECOST means 50th.
2Ki
2:8 KJV And Elijah
took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote
the
waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went
over on dry ground.
450 years ago this same thing occurred.
2Ki
2:9-14
KJV And it came to pass, when they were gone over,
that
Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be
taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double
portion of thy spirit be upon
me. (10) And he
said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see
me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto
thee; but
if not, it shall not be so.
While 50 disciples were watching afar off, Elisha is CLOSER THAN ALL OF THEM.
(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. (12) And Elisha
saw it, and he
cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen
thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes,
and rent them in two
pieces. (13) He took up also
the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by
the bank of Jordan; (14) And he
took the mantle
of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said,
Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had
smitten
the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
Since Elijah came on the scene and ministered 3.5 years like Jesus, we can see Jesus is represented here.
2Ki
2:15 KJV And when
the sons of the prophets which were to view at
Jericho saw
him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came
to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
For Elijah to tell Elisha he had to SEE HIM ASCEND to get the double portion, and yet the sons of the prophets saw the spirit of Elijah resting on Elisha, we realize the SONS OF THE PROPHETS DID NOT SEE ENOUGH.
Ephesians
1:18-20 The eyes
of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the
hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints, (19) And what is the
exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working
of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in
Christ, when
he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places,
If we UNDERSTAND HIS ASCENSION, we will understand THE POWER THAT RAISED HIM UP IS TOWARDS US!
John
14:12 Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he
do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my
Father.
The sons of the prophets lacked so much. 2Ki
2:16 KJV And they
said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men;
let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the
Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain,
or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
The same FIFTY want to recover Elijah’s body, MISUNDERSTANDING HIS ASCENSION since they WERE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE IT. Somehow to MEMORIALIZE HIS BODY.
Now, if there was one thing Jesus had a problem getting across to the disciples, it was his crucifixion and resurrection. John 16:12 KJV I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Luke
18:31-34 KJV Then
he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go
up
to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of man shall be
accomplished. (32) For he shall
be delivered unto
the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and
spitted on: (33) And they shall
scourge him, and
put him to death: and the third day he shall rise
again. (34) And they understood
none of these
things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things
which were spoken.
Luke 9:44-45 KJV Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. (45) But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. Mar
9:9-10 KJV And as
they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell
no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from
the dead. (10) And they kept that
saying with
themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead
should mean.
It took them THREE DAYS to figure out Elijah was really gone. 2Ki
2:17-18 KJV And
when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent
therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him
not. (18) And when they came
again to him, (for
he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go
not?
Since THREE DAYS is the time from Jesus, death to his resurrection, it represents what you have to learn in order to truly understand HE HAS ASCENDED. Then Elisha GOES TO JERICHO! 2Ki
2:19-22
KJV And the men of the city said unto Elisha,
Behold, I pray
thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my
lord
seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground
barren. (20) And he said, Bring
me a new cruse,
and put salt therein. And they brought it to
him. (21) And he went forth unto
the spring of
the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD,
I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more
death or
barren land. (22) So the
waters
were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he
spake.
Sons of the prophets were there.
But people suffered a curse that should be gone, just like believers do not enjoy the dominion Jesus came to give.
Only when you truly get a revelation of HIS ASCENSION, can you overcome because HIS ASCENSION put Him on the throne, and HIS POWER was THEN poured out for us who CAN SEE IT.
In our text HIEL was called a BETHELITE.
2Ki
2:23-25
KJV And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as
he was
going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city,
and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou
bald head. (24) And he turned
back, and looked on
them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two
she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of
them. (25) And he went from
thence to mount
Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
Things got run down 450 years after Joshua took Israel in.
These 42 children were likely not children by age, but CHILDREN OF BELIAL.
2
Kings 4:38-41 And Elisha
came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons
of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant,
Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the
prophets. (39) And one went out into the field to
gather
herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap
full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew
them not. (40) So they poured out for the men to
eat. And
it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried
out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they
could not eat thereof. (41) But he said, Then bring
meal.
And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that
they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
GILGAL was the place where Elijah and Elisha first left on their trip to Jordan.
He removes curses. Then Elisha repeats something JESUS DID! 2Ki
4:42 And there came a
man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the
firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk
thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
2Ki 4:43 And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. 2Ki 4:44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD. Talk about the power of Jesus resting on us in double portion!
Elijah conquered the JEZEBEL AND AHAB spirit and saw the supernatural flowing again. ELISHA carried it on! |