Elisha Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Elijah taken in the whirlwind=== [[File:Jericho - Elisha's Fountain1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9| [[Ein es-Sultan]] in Jericho (also known as "Elisha's Spring"), believed to be the fountain purified by Elisha in [[2 Kings 2]]:19β22, now inside a protective building.]] Elisha accompanied Elijah to [[Jericho]], where according to 2 Kings 2:3β9,<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Kings|2:3β9|HE}}</ref> "the sons of the prophets" tell Elisha that the {{Lord}} would "will take away thy master from thy head to-day". Elijah and Elisha went to the [[Jordan River]]. Elijah rolls up his mantle and strikes the water,<ref>{{Bibleverse|2 Kings|2:8|HE}}</ref> the waters of which divided so as to permit both to pass over on dry ground. Elisha asks to "inherit a double-portion" of Elijah's spirit. Suddenly, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and Elijah was lifted up in a whirlwind. As Elijah was lifted up, his mantle fell to the ground and Elisha picked it up. Some scholars see this as indicative of the property inheritance customs of the time, where the oldest son received twice as much of the father's inheritance as each of the younger sons. In this interpretation Elisha is asking that he may be seen as the "rightful heir" and successor to Elijah.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rabatchurch.org/sermons/asking-for-a-double-portion|title=Wald, Jack, "Asking for a double share", Rabat International Church, November 2, 2003}}</ref> Critics of this view point out that Elisha was already appointed as Elijah's successor earlier in the narrative and that Elisha is described as performing twice as many miracles as Elijah. In this interpretation the "double-portion" is not merely an allusion to primacy in succession, but is instead a request for greater prophetic power even than Elijah.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gospel.org.nz/index.php/articles/articles-by-rodney/230-the-prophetic-double-anointing|last=Francis|first=RW|title=The Prophetic Double Anointing|work=The Gospel Faith Messenger|publisher=gospel.org.nz}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page