The Mantle of Elijah
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, where is the Lord God of Elijah? II Kings 2:9-14
When the Lord first gave me this thought, I knew the story but had not done any research on the subject. As destiny would have it, I received a prophetic word that would cause me find information to support it. This is a very familiar passage and most of us know the story of Elijah, the prophet, being caught up in a whirlwind in a chariot of fire and horses. When he is lifted up toward heaven, he drops his mantle. After reading the story again, I became so intrigued that I wanted to know more details about his life. It led me to dig deeper and read more. There are certain historic events that we associate with Elijah but I was fascinated and knew there had to be so much more to his story. If you are not familiar with his journey, it makes for a good read and honestly, second to none in drama. After reading, I concluded that Elijah had a certain quality of mystery about him. His life was interesting and his characteristics could be described in several words like bold, direct, and authoritative to name a few. The things he did over the course of his ministry showed that He truly was a man who trusted, believed, and walked in the power and the authority of God. He stood firm that His God was the one and only true God and proved it.
In this passage of scripture, Elijah is being taken up by a whirlwind on a chariot of fire and his successor, Elisha has picked up the dropped mantle. The mantle automatically marked a man as a prophet, or a spokesman for God and this mantle was a symbol of Elijah's power as well as, his authority as a prophet. It is also known as a symbol of sacrifice and commitment. Before Elijah’s departure, it had already been established and purposed by God that Elisha would succeed him. He had been anointed to take over; although, it is hard to see by Elisha's response here in the scripture. Elijah had been being with him daily for years as a father, a teacher, and a confidant and watching him ascend into the heavens could not have been easy. Elijah passing on the mantle symbolizes the passing of prophetic authority which signifies that he was literally transferring his prophetic ministry to his student, Elisha, the man chosen and anointed by God to succeed in his stead.
Jesus has done the same; He has spiritually transferred that mantle to us, his heirs, to carry on in His stead until He returns. No, we don't have a physical mantle to speak of, but the Spirit of God is our mantle, our source of power, our source of authority, and our source of strength for what He has purposed for us. Oftentimes, the Lord calls us to do more than we think we can or are able to do, but He always supplies us with the strength and equips us for kingdom work. He is looking for someone to pick up the mantle with power and authority. He needs someone with passion and fervor; someone with the same obedience, sacrifice and commitment of an Elijah and an Elisha; someone who is bold and confident that will walk in authority; someone will speak, live, and walk in truth, as well as teach the truth with compassion, grace, and love.
In my mind, I saw Elijah tossing the mantle down to Elisha, giving him that look and saying, "It's now your turn to carry on in my stead, go and do greater works." As he caught it, he wrapped it around himself in obedience and carried the mantle of Elijah to complete the mission that the Lord would give him. Let's be encouraged and inspired to do the same.
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
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