11. That Will Be Glory

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes, Prayer Meeting, Audio Sermons 2016, January 2016 Tagged with , , , ,

Hymns: 546 For All the Saints 547 O That Will Be Glory 543 Face to Face

 

Life of Elijah

(Light Amidst Gross Darkness)

– O That Will Be Glory

 

2 Kings 2:1-14 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. 6 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. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 8 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. 9 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. 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.

 

OUTLINE

  • Review of Earthly Life (v1-10)
  • Ready for Eternal Life (v11-14)

 

INTRODUCTION

Last year, we saw the departure of three of our beloved members and friend – Mrs Evelyn Ong, Elder Dr Tow Siang Yeow, Mdm Ivy Ng – Jamieson. We saw how their lives touched many lives.

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Both Elder Tow and Sister Ivy were buried just beside one another, with another in between, at the Choa Chu Kang Christian cemetery 29 November 2015 and 2 January 2016 as they were when they came to church on wheelchairs at the back of the sanctuary in the Worship Centre.

We took time to recount how their lives touched our lives. Many came to the vigil services to encourage and support the bereaved families.

Our text gives to us the final day of Elijah’s life. His was no ordinary departing for Elijah did not see death. He was taken directly to heaven by a whirlwind in a chariot of fire, a most unusual, amazing, dramatic departure for this humble prophet of God. There is only one other person in the Old Testament who did not see death. It was the man Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam.

Genesis 5:18-24 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: 19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. 21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

He was caught up to heaven, raptured! Like Elijah, Enoch did not see death. We live in a generation where Jesus Christ can return any time to take His church to glory. We could be the generation of believers who will not see death but will be translated directly to heaven.

 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

For Mrs Evelyn Ong, Elder Tow and Sister Ivy Ng – Jamieson, they are the those who the Apostle Paul described as being “asleep”. When Jesus returns, they would be awakened, given glorified bodies. They will be first to rise from the dead and we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord.

For Elijah, he knew that he would not see death. God revealed it to him. He was taken up to heaven alive! He is a most appropriate Bible character to study, a “fitting example” as one pastor puts it, “of how we should be living in anticipation of Christ’s return.”[1]

All three, Mrs Evelyn Ong, Elder Tow and Mdm Ivy departed peacefully Elder Tow and Mdm Ivy early in the morning 7.15am – 8.15am whilst for Mrs Ong just before noon.

 

(1) Review of Life (v1-10)

1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

God directed Elijah to visit several places before he was taken to heaven that day. He was at Gilgal, then he went to Bethel from there he arrived at Jericho and finally he came to the Jordan River. All this time, Elisha was with him. You recall, God called Elisha to be a companion and friend to Elijah. And Elisha will continue the prophetic ministry after God took Elijah to heaven.[2]

Map

Gilgal was the place Israel first stepped foot upon in the Promised Land after they crossed the Jordan River. It was there that the people of Israel received the blueprint for the conquest of Jericho. It was a place of preparation before the battle.

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.

Bethel was a place of prayer where the patriarch frequently returned to pray. It was the place where Abraham set up an altar to call upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 12:8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

 Elijah saw the remnant of monuments that attested to the faith of his “spiritual ancestors”.[3] You recall at the brook Cherith where Elijah first set up the altar to seek God as he experienced the faithfulness of God in caring for him by a raven enabled food catering morning and evening. And we recall the place Zarephath where God brought him to move through hostile territories to the Medittarean Sea coast town where he was asked to stay with a poor widow and her son. And how God raised the son to life from the dead! It was a time of reflection of life.

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.

There was a prophetic school in Bethel. The young prophets knew what God will do to take Elijah home to glory this day.

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.

We see him now going from Bethel to Jericho. Jericho was the place of Israel’s first battle in the Promised Land against a formidable fortress. God gave them the victory when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down on the 7th day and 7th round of encircling the city by the Israelite soldiers’ concerted shout!

Elijah, perhaps reflected upon the battles of the past[4], upon his battle at Carmel against the darkness of evil Baal prophets. At the battlefield, God sent fire from heaven to defeat the Baal prophets. It was a resounding victory. And the time when God sent fire from heaven to stop the Israelite soldiers from going to seek the occult counsel at Ekron at the behest of the king Ahaziah before he died.

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.

There was also a school of prophets in Jericho. Perhaps Elijah was making a final visit to the prophetic schools before his departure. They all knew this was the day when the Lord would take him to glory.

6 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. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

Jordan is the final place where Elijah would be taken home to glory. It was as it were a place that marked his departure

8 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. 9 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.

Here, Elijah would pass his mantle to Elisha, his successor! Elisha requested that God would endow him with a double portion of the Spirit’s power to aid him in service to the Lord.

 

(2) Ready for Eternal Life (v11-14)

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.

The time of his departure was at hand. The Lord sent a chariot of fire and horses of fire to transport Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven. What a glorious sight!

The time of our Lord’s return will be glorious. An instant transformation will take place and the saints will be given a glorious incorruptible body.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Indeed, death will be gloriously defeated on that day of consummation. This is the greatest prophecy in the Bible soon to be fulfilled. Are you ready?

Elisha saw his mentor, spiritual father, taken from him. He will see Elijah no more till he would himself be taken to heaven.

In the meantime, God has work for Elisha. He was now to pick up the mantle of Elijah to carry on the prophetic ministry entrusted to him when Elijah sought him out and anointed him for the prophetic ministry.

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.

God gave Elisha His endorsement when the Jordan River parted to provide a dry path for Elisha just like it was when Elijah was alive just moments ago when the two prophets crossed the Jordan together on dry land. It was a notable miracle to authenticate God’s chosen prophet.

 

CONCLUSION

This marks the end of the illustrious life of Elijah the prophet. A light for God that shined in the midst of gross darkness. It was a life fraught with dangers and persecutions, yet through them all, the Lord delivered him. It was a life well-lived. It was a life according to God’s purpose and plan. He carried God’s will with great distinction. Elijah faced a severe bout of depression in which God delivered him. God blessed His dear servant that he did not see death. What a life. What a man of God. Elijah was a man who walked with God and experienced the power of the living and true God flowing through his life to bless many lives. A lifetime of service amidst often loneliness and suffering for God’s name sake. It was well-worth it! May the Lord help members of His church to serve Him in these last of the last days like this man of God from of old. A man of prayer, a man who obeyed God’s Word. A man who feared God, yet a man like us. If God could use Elijah, he could use you too. May the Lord cause you to yield to His call. Amen.

[1] Charles Swindoll, Elijah – A Man of Heroism and Humility, Thomas Nelson, 2000, 163.

[2] http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/2723/what-is-the-purpose-of-elijahs-travels

[3] Charles Swindoll, Elijah – A Man of Heroism and Humility, Thomas Nelson, 2000, 166.

[4] Ibid.,167.