Elijah & Elisha were also 'types' of Christ and imprinted in both Elijah & Elisha, God was foreshadowing the promise of miraculous power for His people through Jesus Christ
Elijah and Elisha came after Solomon and acted as prophets early in the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel when Israel suffered through civil war and separated into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah
Elijah was born about 900BC and was taken alive into Heaven at the age of 51 (849BC)
Elijah’s ministry was during the reign of 3 Northern kings: Ahab, Ahaziah and Joram and lasted for only 21 years (874BC to 853 BC)
1 Kings 17: 1 - 2 Kings 2: 11
Elisha was born about 885BC, and he lived till the age of 87 (798BC)
Elisha's ministry was during the reign of 3 Northern kings: Jehu, Jehoahaz and Joash and lasted for 54 years (852BC to 798BC)
2 Kings 2: 14 – 2 Kings 13: 14-19
God never used Elijah or Elisha to write any Old Testament Books, but He did use both of them mightily to demonstrate His miraculous power to His people
Here are some of the imprinted likenesses in Elijah and Elisha that find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior
Firstly, Elijah was supernaturally kept alive by God in the beginning of his ministry, 1 Kings 17: 6 as was Jesus also supernaturally kept alive by God in the beginning of his ministry, Matthew 4: 2, 11
Elijah raised a widow’s son from the dead and gave him back to his mother, 1 Kings 17: 17-24. Jesus also raised a widow’s son from the dead and gave him back to his mother, Luke 7: 1-17
At the end of his ministry, Elijah was taken alive into Heaven, 2 Kings 2: 11. And at the end of His ministry, Jesus was also taken alive into Heaven, Luke 24: 50-51
What about Elisha?
Firstly, Elisha healed a leper, 2 Kings 5: 1-19, Jesus also healed a leper, Matthew 8: 1-4
Elisha raised a prominent woman’s son from the dead, 2 Kings 4: 8-37, and Jesus raised a prominent woman’s daughter from the dead, Matthew 9: 23-25
Twice, Elisha multiplied food to feed the hungry, 2 Kings 4: 1-7, 42-44 and twice, Jesus also multiplied food to feed the hungry, Matthew 14: 13-21; Matthew 15: 32-39
OK, so where did Elijah’s miraculous power come from, 1 Kings 18: 46 ‘the Lord gave special strength to Elijah’. In the New Testament James tells us, James 5: 17 ‘Remember Elijah? He was a man, no different from us.’
OK, so where did Elisha’s miraculous power come from? Elisha wanted the same power that Elijah had, but Elijah tested Elisha’s desire for the power of God.
2 Kings 2: 1-9, Elijah said, 2 Kings 2: 10a 'you have asked for a difficult thing’. Elisha’s request was answered, 2 Kings 2: 10b-14, 14 ‘He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.’
OK, where did Jesus miraculous power come from? Luke 4: 14a ‘Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power.’
Do you desire the promise of the miraculous power of God in your ministry that was foreshadowed in Elijah and Elisha and found it’s fulfillment in Jesus Christ? The Apostle Peter said the miraculous power of God is for everyone that comes to Him; on the Day of Pentecost as Peter was preaching to the crowds in Jerusalem he said, Acts 2: 38-39 ‘“Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of the Spirit is for you, for your children, for all people—even those considered outsiders and outcasts—the Lord our God invites everyone to come to Him.” NLT & VOICE compilation
There is another manifestation of the miraculous power of God that we often overlook and that is the miraculous power of God in the telling of the Gospel; Jesus said this, Acts 1: 8 ‘” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”’
The Apostle Paul said this, Romans 1: 16 ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes’ NIVUK
Testimony: about the miraculous power of the Gospel
in 1995, in our first Church, we invited an evangelist by the name of Jeff Beacham to do a series of Meetings in our Church. Jeff was from the Christian Life Center Waterloo in Sydney Australia. We had come to know Jeff after visiting the CLC Church and Ministry Team on 2 occasions.
We started the meetings on the Thursday night, and continued Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning. Over these four meetings, the attendance continued to increase and on the final night, the Sunday night, so many people came to the meeting that all 150 seats in the auditorium were taken. We had a front entrance foyer that was also filled up with people and a side entrance foyer that was filled up with people too. We also opened 2 side rooms that became filled up with people and a larger over-flow room behind the stage that was also full of people. None of these people outside the auditorium could see the meeting but they could hear it!
At the end of each Gospel Message Jeff would give an invitation for people to come to the front and give their lives to Christ. Lots of people responded.
After the Sunday night meeting, I met one of the mothers of one of our young people and she told me that she had only come to pick up her daughter from the meeting, but she got stuck in the crowd and couldn’t get out and said that she gave her life to Christ!
Dear friends, there is miraculous power in the Gospel – let's use it for the salvation of the lost and for the glory of God. Amen!
Evangelist Jeff Beacham
2 Corinthians 5: 8 'absent from the body but present with the Lord.'
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