Elijah Taken Up to Heaven – A reflection of a Christian life (Part 2)

After Bethel, Elijah continued his journey to Jericho. Jericho was situated ten miles northwest of where the Jordan River enters the Dead Sea and four miles from the river, at an elevation of one thousand feet below sea level. Jericho is situated on a narrow plain on the western side of the Jordan Valley. Behind the city, the land rises sharply into a mountainous wilderness.

A perennial spring supplies abundant water (more than one thousand gallons an hour), making Jericho a productive tropical oasis. It was called "the city of palm trees" (Deut 34:3), an indication of the extraordinary production of dates.

The passage in Revelation 7:9 where the glorified of all nations are described as "clothed with white robes and palms in their hands," might seem to us a purely classical image; but palm branches were used by the Jews in token of victory and peace. We, as Christians, can live a victory life with the help of the Holy Spirit. Reading His words through frequent devotion will strengthen our faith.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” (Ephesians 3:16)

We eliminate our bad habits with the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ blood cleansed our robes and we want to keep clean of our white robes. It is important for us to read his words and equip ourselves against all types of temptations. As a Christian, we face challenges and his words are like the light in the darkness, compass in the wilderness, we can always find our directions no matter how bad the situation is.

Just like what Elijah encountered when he reached the Jordan River. He could not get pass the river without getting wet. With his faith and belief, he divided the water, just like what Moses did in Exodus. These two spiritual leaders were just like you and I. They faced various challenges and persecutions but they did not lose their faith. They knew God is a true and eternal one. With faith and perseverance, they received the prize in heaven.

The four places where Elijah visited: Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and River Jordan represented the four stages in our Christian life. Firstly, we cleansed ourselves through baptism; secondly, we received the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, we live a victory life with the help of the Holy Spirit and finally, we wait for our ultimate prize by passing all challenges and persecution through faith and our belief.

Elijah Taken Up to Heaven – A reflection of a Christian life (Part 1)

Passage: 2 Kings 2:1-11

As a Christian, we always prepare ourselves for the second appearance of Christ Jesus. Elijah meaning “Yahweh is God" was a prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC. He was the only two persons recorded in bible whom ascended into heaven by a whirlwind (Along with Enoch). He is also one of two Old Testament figures (along with Moses) who appear and converses with Jesus on Mount Hermon during the Transfiguration.

“According to the Lord’s own word, who are left till the coming of Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come own from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of god, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)

Apostle Paul of Tarsus wrote this letter to the church of the Thessalonians, indicated the scenario of the coming of the Lord. Those who are still alive during the second coming of the Lord will not have to suffer death. We will be caught up together in the air to meet the Lord. The situation will be same as Elijah and Enoch.

According to the bible, Elijah went to four different places before he was taken to heaven. God sent Elijah to these places ALONE; but Elisha refused to let his master to go alone. The first place they visited was GILGAL.

There are several towns are named Gilgal in Scripture. Gilgal near the Jordan, however, is the most important historically. The exact location of Gilgal is not known, but apparently it lay in the flat plain of the Jordan about two miles northeast of Jericho.

There are a few biblical and historical significances such as when Joshua led the nation through the Jordan, representatives of the twelve tribes carried twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan riverbed. They piled them up at Gilgal as a memorial of God’s miracle in allowing Israel to cross through the river on dry ground (Josh 4:20-24).

The main purpose of this event in this particular context is the males of Israel were circumcised at Gilgal because they had not practiced this ritual during the forty years in the wilderness (Josh 5:7). At Gilgal, the Israelites observed the Passover for the first time since leaving Egypt (Josh 5:10). The day after that Passover, the Israelites ate produce from the land as the supply of manna ceased (Josh 5:11,12).

This marked a significant end of the forty years of wilderness and they restored their relationship as God’s chosen nation. On the other hand, it also means the freedom from human regulations through life with Christ. “In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ” (Colossians 2:11-12)

Baptism has the same functionality as circumcision. In New Testament, baptism represented the circumcision. This particular acts means in preparation for Christians to enter the kingdom of God, we have to confess our sins, accept Christ Jesus of his salvation and admission to the kingdom of God through baptism.

Later on, Lord asked Elijah to visit a place called Bethel. Bethel is mentioned several times in Genesis. It is first mentioned in Genesis 12, but the best-known instance is probably Genesis 28:19, when Jacob, fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau, falls asleep on a stone and dreams of a ladder stretching between Heaven and Earth and thronged with angels; Yahweh stands at the top of the ladder, and promises Jacob the land of Canaan; when Jacob awakes he anoints the stone (baetylus) with oil and names the place Bethel. Another account, from Genesis 35 repeats the covenant with God and the naming of the place (as El-Bethel), and makes this the site of Jacob's own change of name to Israel. Both versions state that the original name of the place was Luz, a Canaanite name.

Bethel also means the Temple of God. King Solomon built the Temple of God in Jerusalem. In New Testament, the Church is the Temple of God. The church does not mean the place where Christians worship, the church literary means a group of Christian members who worship. In another context, our body is the Temple of God. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and the God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) God’s Spirit means the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will only dwell in us when we come clean and pure before God. We have to empty all hidden sins and burdens inside us before we ask for the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is given to us as our counselor.

GILGAL

The site enclosed by a wall on this long, oval hill overlooking the Wadi Far’ah is known to the Arabs as el ’Unuq (the necklace). Zertal suggests that it may be the Gilgal mentioned in Deuteronomy 11:30 as a reference point for the location of Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. Apparently unnoticed by archaeologists until examined by the author in 1985, the site features a nearly 6-foot-wide wall of unworked stones enclosing an area measuring 800 feet by 500 feet. A possible inner wall divides the enclosure into a one-third portion in the northern (far) end and a two-thirds portion in the southern (near) end. One of the site’s most intriguing features, which the author hopes to excavate some day, is a stone pile positioned on the long axis in the southern portion. The ribbon of greenery behind the hill marks the course of the fertile Wadi Far’ah, which links the sites of Shechem, Mt. Ebal and Tell Far’ah North (Tirzah) to the Jordan River.The name "Gilgal" was not originally a specific place-name, but rather a term for a fortified camp. El ’Unuq appears to be just that. Although the site lacks permanent living quarters, it contains considerable pottery, the earliest of which dates to the 13th and 12th centuries B.C.E. and closely resembles pottery from the altar the author excavated on Mt. Ebal. In addition, the monumental size of el ’Unuq’s enclosure wall suggests a fortification. This evidence supports the identification of el ’Unuq as a fortified camp from the early Iron I period, the period of Israel’s earliest history in Canaan.
Professor Benjamin Mazar of the Hebrew University has further elaborated this idea. He identified the valley of Succoth at the point where the Jabbok River enters the Jordan—exactly opposite Wadi Far’ah—as a vital area in the patriarchal narratives and showed how this same area played a central role in early Israelite history.
　
According to the Jericho tradition, however, the important site of Gilgal was in the neighborhood of Jericho: "The people came up from the Jordan … and encamped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho" (Joshua 4:19), where Joshua set up 12 stones to commemorate the Jordan crossing.

Another Gilgal, a northern Gilgal, a rival to the famous Gilgal of Jericho. (Hence, the title of Sellin’s book, Gilgal.) In Deuteronomy 11:30, after describing how the blessings should be pronounced on Mt. Gerizim and the curses on Mt. Ebal, the text locates these two well-known mountains in these words:

"Are they [Gerizim and Ebal] not on the other side [of the] Jordan, by the way where the sun goes down [west], in the land of the Canaanites that dwell in the country over against Gilgal, besides … Moreh."

Apparently there were two Gilgals (and more), a northern one and a southern one (and others). It has long been recognized that "Gilgal" is not a specific location, but a type of fortified camp.

Historical and Biblical Significance

• When Joshua led the nation through the Jordan, representatives of the twelve tribes carried twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan riverbed. They piled them up at Gilgal as a memorial of God’s miracle in allowing Israel to cross through the river on dry ground (Josh 4:20-24).
  
• The males of Israel were circumcised at Gilgal because they had not practiced this ritual during the forty years in the wilderness (Josh 5:7).
  
• At Gilgal, the Israelites observed the Passover for the first time since leaving Egypt (Josh 5:10).
  
• The day after that Passover, the Israelites ate produce from the land as the supply of manna ceased (Josh 5:11,12).
  
• Gilgal became Joshua’s base after Israel entered the Land. It was from there that they attacked Jericho and later launched the central campaign against the cities of the hill country. From Gilgal, Israel’s men climbed from twelve hundred feet below sea level to an elevation of three thousand feet to the Central Benjamite Plain.
  
• Representatives from Gibeon, the largest city of the Central Benjamite Plain area, came to Gilgal to deceive Joshua into making a covenant that Israel would defend their city if attacked (Josh 9:6).
  
• Gilgal was one of the cities, together with Bethel and Mizpah, Samuel visited annually to judge the people (1 Sam 7:16).
  
• Saul was confirmed as the first king of Israel at Gilgal after he rescued the city of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites (1 Sam 11:14,15).
  
• Saul used Gilgal as a base camp for his attack against the Amalekites. Samuel rebuked Saul for taking the spoils of this battle, which was contrary to God’s command. The prophet told him that, because of his disobedience, the kingdom of Israel would be taken from him (1 Sam 15:21-33).