He had been there, with the Father, and the 24 elders, and all the angels. he BELIEVES Jesus Christ Himself. Peter spoke of David’s future resurrection, and of his present state, in his famous sermon on the Day of Pentecost! Some believe Enoch and Elijah are the two witnesses described in Revelation 11:3–12 and were taken in preparation for this role. It says the penalty for breaking God’s Ten Commandments is DEATH! Suddenly Elisha saw what appeared to be a fiery vision, and Elijah was taken, bodily, up into “heaven.” No doubt Elisha watched him until he was out of sight! 2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah, one of God's most powerful prophets, did not die but was simply taken to heaven. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”. The word “turning” means CHANGING, EXCHANGING, SUBSTITUTING. You should approach all your Bible study in this fashion. The gospel means “GOOD NEWS”! ]: … Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God … and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN [onto this earth!] Believe them—and do not confuse yourself by deceiving yourself into believing you are “disagreeing with Garner Ted Armstrong”! Review what you have read about the state of the dead; the RESURRECTION; the fact that Christ will return to and rule ON THIS EARTH; and the plain statements that ‘WO MAN HATH ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN” given to you by Jesus Christ of Nazareth Himself! The “chariots of God” were evidently the angels (Psalm 68:17). The true Christian approaches the study of God’s Word in total subjection. Never believe men. You cannot want your own way—you cannot cling doggedly to preconceived notions, opinions or previous religious teachings. . Jesus, who had just come from heaven, and who appeared in human flesh, said, plainly that Elijah was not in heaven! “The birds of the air to rest on them…” (2 Samuel 2:10). Christ is the “firstfruits” from the dead, and AFTERWARD—they that are the “dead in Christ” (including Elijah and Enoch) will rise from their graves to IMMORTALITY (1 Corinthians 15:50-52) AT HIS COMING, and not one second before! .” (Genesis 8:2). 3:13 that he was not in heaven … . Jesus did not lie. Obviously, for there to be a whirlwind, it would have to be within the first level of “heaven.” As we understand it, whirlwinds do not exist beyond the canopy that encloses the atmosphere above the earth. Only Jesus Christ has been resurrected to spiritual, eternal LIFE! 21:12. Is This the Beginning of the GREAT TRIBULATION OF PROPHECY? (2 Kings 2:11). Yet the Bible says, “. Here is a prophecy, given from God more than 120 years after the last ruling king of 10-tribed Israel went into captivity, hundreds of years after David died, plainly saying that David will be resurrected! . And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven … The Greek word metatithemi is used only in Acts 7:16, Galatians 1:6, Hebrews 7:12, Hebrews 11:5 (twice) and Jude 4. (Acts 2:34). The “House of Israel” will be resettled in “their old estates.”. Though God took Elijah into a place of protection and “retirement,” he was still active enough to send a powerful letter to the king of Israel some years later! Another had to do with the transporting of dead bodies from one place to another! . Is King David, described in the Bible as “a man after God’s own heart,” a lesser person in God’s eyes than Elijah? Elijah Taken Up to Heaven. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Elijah was perhaps the most powerful of God’s prophets in the Old Testament. The Gospel… A Message for the Next Millennium. The Millennium: Will It Be Spent in Heaven, or on Earth? Must You “Speak With Other TONGUES…” To Be SAVED? Christ will require that all implements of war be converted to implements of peace. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. (Acts 2:29, 34). “And many people will go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem. All rights reserved worldwide. “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. All nations will soon recognize Christ’s rule. “Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. Elijah was not even ill—he was still doing the work which God had set before him and was merely talking with Elisha, walking along engaged in conversation. No MAN has ascended to the heaven of God’s throne! shall come, and say, come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal [the capital of the Kingdom of God at Jerusalem! Notice I avoided its usage when I spoke of changing a word from the Greek language into the English, choosing to use “rendering.” This was to avoid confusion so I did not use the word “translation” twice in a row. They did NOT “receive the promise”! Notice how the apostle Paul reaffirms this: “And what shall I more say.? “And He shall judge among many people [these are human, physical nations, ON THIS EARTH! .” ‘ ” (2 Chronicles 21:12-15). MIDEAST STRIFE—Will It Lead To ARMAGEDDON? NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. .”! Do You believe Christ? A curious passage in 2 Kings seems to imply that Elijah was whisked away to God's throne in heaven. Notice! . Second Kings 2:11 tells us, "Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." shall not precede [margin] them which are asleep [are dead]. No, the argument that the body may die, but “souls” go up to heaven, just does not apply! Elijah did not go into the heaven of God’s throne. 20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. “The way of an eagle in the air…“ Proverbs 30:19). YOU have no basis for your belief in Jesus Christ as your Savior, and you have no basis for believing you can be SAVED! In His night conversation with Nicodemus, the Savior says, And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven, even the Son of man Which is in Heaven (Jn. But, some will argue, Jesus didn’t say no souls ascended into heaven! Yet He plainly contradicts what 2 Kings 2:11 SEEMS to say! Because he trembles to misinterpret or misapply the Bible, he will use the PLAIN, incontrovertible, impossible-to-be-misunderstood scriptures to assist him in understanding the vague, or ambiguous, ones. First, let’s see what is to be David’s final REWARD. Otherwise, this would be a clear error—and the very Word of God would appear to contain a colossal mistake. What was the promise? But Jesus will not REMAIN in heaven for much longer! Elijah "went up by a whirlwind into heaven"—not to the heaven of God's throne, but into this earth's atmosphere, the first heaven. They await a RESURRECTION upon the return of Jesus Christ! . You know that he “received not the promise” (Hebrews 11:13, 39, 40) and that, like David, Elijah is not ascended into the heavens”! Every one of us is born with a ‘soul,’ which means we have eternal life already dwelling within us!”. It reads, “Now unto the King Eternal, IMMORTAL…”. His prayers were bold and he called on God to do the miraculous. It is absolutely essential that you understand this GREAT PRINCIPLE! He not only expects you to learn His truth, He expects you to become so joyous at discovering new truth that you will eagerly and anxiously desire to share it with OTHERS! Here’s The BEST NEWS You Could Ever Hear! with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds [a part of this earth’s immediate atmosphere] to meet the Lord IN THE AIR [He is coming all the way down OUT of heaven, TO this earth, to the lowest level of clouds where the human eye can see Him!] To support that claim, many will point to the story of Elijah’s departure from Jericho as proof that the righteous go to heaven upon death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT OF GOD isETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord”! It says that, on the other hand, the GIFT of God is the OPPOSITE of death; it is ETERNAL LIFE! People, NATIONS, are not “up in heaven”! (John 10:35). “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE”! You have already read it, but read it again: “For as in Adam all die [just as Elijah DIED]: even so in Christ shall all be made alive. “And I the Eternal will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Eternal have spoken it. A reader asks if Elijah and Moses died and were later assumed into heaven like Mary. . Elijah was a prophet of God in the ninth century B.C. . If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But this is the opposite of what the Bible plainly says! The ministry of the latter-day prophet who will come in the power and the spirit of Elijah is to PREPARE THE WAY for the second coming of Christ! Must You LOATHE Yourself To Become A Christian? positively identifies the “third heaven” as the heaven of God’s throne! The Bible states that "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11). An important point to consider is that the Bible clearly teaches us that “no one has ascended to heaven” (John 3:13). Enoch is described as a man who "walked with God for 300 years" (Genesis 5:23). 14 He took the cloak(X) that had fallen from Elijah and struck(Y) the water with it. This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Look at the accurate meanings of each of the Greek words used for “soul” in the New Testament! Why did Jesus say “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the son of man, which is in heaven”? Review, in your own mind, what you have SEEN with your own eyes from YOUR BIBLE! “These all DIED in faith, not having received the promises . You may not publish it for general audiences. “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2-4). Think for a moment! . .” (Hebrews 11:13). Jesus, who had just come from heaven, and who appeared in human flesh, said, plainly that Elijah was not in heaven! The Bible doesn’t actually say that Elijah rode to heaven in a chariot of fire, but that is the assumption, since was a flaming chariot and horses of fire at the scene, along with the whirlwind. Enoch was one of God’s faithful prophets. Or do you prefer to believe, instead, what you have always been taught, by men? But NONE of these was resurrected to spiritual, eternal life! Elijah wrote a letter to King Jehoram as recorded in II Chron. .”. It is eternal life in a different place, and not death! But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”(F) So they went down to Bethel. Underline or make a mark beside the ones that are outstandingly important. “And many nations [physical, human beings comprise ‘nations’ on this earth!] He will catch up the righteous living, and the righteous dead, to meet Him in. My father! Likewise shall also the son of man suffer of them. It is found in 1 Timothy 1:17, and it refers to Jesus Christ of Nazareth! WHY do millions of churchgoing, professing Christians believe the exact opposite of what the Bible plainly says? .”. They KNEW that what they had seen was a VISION! The sacred Word of God insists that Enoch and Elijah are dead. “To Eat, or Not to Eat…?” That is the Question, “UPSIDE DOWN”–The Distorted Theory of Evolution. More intriguing still is what happened to Elijah afterward. In the remainder of the discussion, you see how Jesus revealed to them that John the Baptist was a type, a “forerunner,” of the prophesied end-time prophet who is to come in “the power and the spirit of Elijah”! Jesus Christ is described as the WORD (Greek: logos)—He is the Scripture, the Word of God personified! You would tremble in fear to doggedly cling to a preconceived notion, argument, personal point of view or opinion of your own—especially when those opinions are proved WRONG by the divinely inspired Word of God! (Romans 6:23). . “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse(AH) on them in the name(AI) of the Lord. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven [He is coming BACK to THIS EARTH!] He is utterly unconscious—unaware of the passage of time; he is in his grave! . When you know the truth, you become responsible for it! Elijah and Enoch HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISES. “And the ransomed of the Eternal shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:1-10). . “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Notice! It is something with which we are born. Must You be a “Member” of a CHURCH to be Saved? The very “heaven” OF GOD’S THRONE will descend from God OUT OF HEAVEN to this earth (Revelation 21; Revelation 22). Millions believe the exact opposite of what that scripture plainly says. . Bible verses about Elijah Going Into Heaven. 3 The company(G) of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”, “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”, 4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.(H)”. Now read the account of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ in Matthew 17 verses 1 through. Can the preconceived notions and opinions of deceived persons nullify the very AUTHORITY of the living Christ? “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both DEAD and BURIED, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day” (Acts 2:29). “…Gave names … to the fowl of the air…” (Genesis 2:20). As for Mary, he clarifies what the Church Fathers taught about her death and assumption. They sing of... Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association. Elijah Haven is committed to the prevention of violence in homes, relationships, and community through education, awareness, and equipping individuals with tools for a healthy and safe lifestyle. It was the promise of eternal life; corulership with Christ! You will see that he was still aware of what was happening in his nation; that others were communicating with him, and that HE communicated with the king who succeeded Ahab and Jezebel! That message was the good news about Christ’s coming KINGDOM; it has, as its great, central HOPE, the RETURN OF CHRIST TO EARTH! Should You Avoid All “Organized Religion”? David was a man after God’s own heart—and Peter tells us, in his inspired sermon on the Day of Pentecost, that David is both dead and buried, that his sepulcher remains with us unto this day, and that David IS NOT in the heavens! Whatever happened to him happened BODILY; he was taken up out of Elisha’s sight into the AIR! Following Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided, and the dynasty of kings over northern 10-tribed Israel began, under Jeroboam. Do you tremble before the divinely inspired, holy and sacredWord of God? As one of the very FEW during that violent, sinful period, he was preaching the gospel as a WITNESS against evil, sinning, satanic men! Actually, the expression should be rendered “removing,” or that they were in the process of moving away from the original body of truth to false doctrine! “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth“! Jesus plainly TOLD THEM SO! “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure(AF) to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. “Then the disciples understood that he spake of them of John the Baptist”! ], and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem. And what is the order of events so far as dead men (like Elijah) are concerned? Now, what will you do with certain vague, seemingly contradictory, scriptures which you think say the saints go to heaven? The water divided(O) to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry(P) ground. Rather, like an innocent little child, you must yield your heart and your whole being completely to GOD! Greatest Time Of World Trouble In History! The word means “CARRIED OVER—REMOVED”! 8. Then followed a description of the horrible fate that Elijah, who was STILL ALIVE, described would occur to Jehoram! YOU KNOW that what the disciples saw was merely a VISION! He had the Spirit of prophecy, and therefore was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elijah didn’t even have a headache—was not ill, or anywhere near death! Elijah did not die. Even now, He is on a “countdown” to come back down to this earth, FROM heaven, and to RULE with a rod of iron! . This is a great, sweeping, GLOBAL picture of the beginning of the KINGDOM OF GOD on this earth! “. Elijah the Tishbite, from the region of Gilead, was one of the two men in the Hebrew Scriptures who did not die but was taken by God; the other was Enoch (Genesis 5:24). The Real Reasons Why Christ Came To This Earth. If I tell you the truth, quote it for you out of your own Bible, no amount of dogging or evading that truth—no amount of taking issue with me as a human being—can nullify or make void that eternal TRUTH you have been told. “And they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Eternal of hosts hath spoken it” (Micah 4:1-4). Why God Commands Our Presence at His Feast! When we die, we go to the grave, and we are completely oblivious, unconscious, of the passage of time, where we await a resurrection! WHY did He say “. Literally dozens of scriptures throughout the Old and New Testament plainly show that the Kingdom of God will reign on the earth.