Elijah and the “flaming chariot”
Most people are familiar with the story of Elijah, the prophet of Israel who was “taken up to heaven” by horses and a “chariot of fire”. So, Elijah went to heaven – the abode of God, the Father, Creator of the universe, right? Not really! Here’s the rest of that story.
Elijah’s story is told I Kings 16:1 – II Kings 2:12
Here is the timeline of Elijah’s story: The Kingdom of Israel’s king was Ahab who reigned from 874 to 853 with Ahab’s son Ahaziah ruling for the following 2 years.
It was shortly after Ahaziah’s death that Elijah was taken up with the “flaming chariot” – most likely the incident occurred in 852 BC.
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. 2 Kings 2:11 (NKJV)
The Hebrew word translated as “heaven” is used often in the Bible to indicate the sky above us – the atmosphere that contains the air we breathe, the clouds etc.
Elijah had a death warrant against him, and the entire army of the Kingdom of Israel was trying to find him to carry out the sentence. It is likely than that God just took Elijah to some safe place on this earth. After all, about 900 years later, Jesus said:
13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. John 3:13 (NIV84)
Elijah was still on this earth capable of writing a letter some 10 years after he went into that “heaven”.
Here’s that story that almost no one knows.
During the time of Elijah, the Kingdom of Judah was ruled by Asa (910 – 869) followed by Jehoshaphat (869 – 848).
The next king of Judah was Jehoram who ruled from 848 – 841.
4 Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 21:4–6 (NKJV)
Somewhere in that seven-year period – 4 to 11 years after Elijah was taken away – Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram.
12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day. 2 Chronicles 21:12–15 (NKJV)
As with the rest of Elijah’s prophecies, this one also came true. [2 Chronicles 21:16–20]
