The Loss and Gain of Ascension

2 Kings 2:1-18
    1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel."  But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel.
    3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?"  And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"  4 Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho."  But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho.  5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?"  So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"
    6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan."  But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
    9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?"  Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."  10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
    12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
    15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 16 Then they said to him, "Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley."  And he said, "You shall not send anyone."
    17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send them!" Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. 18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?"

The time came when Elijah was done with the mission the LORD called him for, and He was ready to call him to Himself in a whirlwind as in Psalm 107:25 where His storm lifted the water of the Red Sea to allow His people to cross over.  He brought Elisha with him as his successor, then told him to go to Bethel (literally the house of God), but Elisha refused to leave Elijah.  Everywhere they went, there were other prophets who kept asking Elisha if he knew that the LORD would be taking Elijah that day.  He did not want to face the possibility of the loss of his mentor, so he kept telling them all to stop talking about what he already knew but did not want to face.  Finally, they came to cross over the Jordan River as fifty prophets watched at a distance.  Elijah then took off his mantle and struck the water for it to part and make a way across.  On the other side, Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him before he ascended to be with the LORD.  Elisha asked for a difficult and seemingly lofty thing, that he might have a double part of God’s Spirit on him, most likely that he could continue the difficult work Elijah began and therefore needed more to make up what he lacked as Elijah’s equal.  The condition to grant this was that Elisha had to see the LORD take him up into heaven in the tempest; just then the LORD’s chariot of fire swept down ant took Elijah up!  He realized that it was the LORD who sent the chariot with flaming horses to ascend with His faithful servant into the heavens.  Elisha then took up his mentor’s mantle and crossed back over the Jordan as the prophets witnessed all things occurring there.  He asked where the God of Elijah was as he struck the waters as of to validate that the LORD had indeed put His Spirit on Elisha as promised, then crossed over the dry land between the waters and on to the work he was promised and called to, much like Israel called out of bondage to worship and serve the LORD.  The onlooking prophets did not miss the sight of the chariot of fire, but refused to believe that Elijah was really gone, and kept seeking where he might be until giving up after three days.  They wanted to believe that the LORD had just picked him up and put him down elsewhere.  At the same time, they acknowledged that the spirit of Elijah was now on Elisha as he took up his master’s mantle.  This was the transition of ministry with both the loss of Elijah through his ascension, and the gain of a calling to continue the work of God’s messenger.  In a similar manner, the disciples suffered loss as Jesus ascended into heaven (Luke 24:51, Acts 1:2, 8-9), yet gained a call to be the gospel mouthpieces of the Lord.  We are those who have taken up the Lord Jesus Christ’s mantle of good news of reconciliation with God the Father through Him.  We are His messengers who continue His work in the measure of His Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, 8) given us as our Helper for the work, much like the picture of Elisha to continue the work of Elijah in delivering God’s word.