In 2 Kings 2, the prophet Elisha tells the prophet Elijah that he will not leave his teacher’s side, when he wants to set out on a journey to Bethel, Jericho and Jordan. Elisha tells him three times – “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” This passage may be a parallel to Matthew 26:
Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Matthew 26:33-34
Peter does not stay by the Lord’s side like Elisha did for Elijah. In fact, three times he denies Him. But there is more going on here than what is on the surface. Did you notice how it says the rooster will crow at night? Interestingly, this is not an actual rooster being referenced. The Greek word for rooster is alektór (Strong’s 220), however, the “cockcrow” was a technical term in Jewish law: kri’at hagever which referred to a time of day prior to dawn that marked the end of night. In the Mishnah, the earliest compilation of rabbinic oral law, the call of the cock actually refers to a church crier, who calls out and blows a horn to notify the people of the early morning sacrifice which happens around the 3rd watch of the night (midnight to 3am). The rooster is like a red flag to dig deeper to discover more meaning within the text.
Additionally, if we look at Mark 13, when Jesus is explaining to the disciples that they need to stay awake, He says this:
“Therefore stay awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning — lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
Mark 13:35-36
There is also a footnote on biblegateway.com on Mark 13:35 that states it is a 3rd watch of the night.
Continuing in 2 Kings 2, Elijah parted the Jordan just like Joshua did before coming into the promised land. Elijah tells Elisha to ‘ask and you shall receive’ (2 Kings 2:9). Elisha boldly asks for a double portion of the spirit, which is when Elijah says:
If you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.
2 Kings 2:10
Does this sound familiar? This passage reminded me of John 16. I always thought it was weird that in this passage the ‘a little while you will see me’ language was repeated over and over. But now, I think I know why. Because when scripture repeats something, we should pay attention. These scriptures are connected somehow.
A little while, and you will see me no longer and again a little while, and you will see me.
John 16:16
If we go back to 2 Kings again, we see that the chariots of fire (along with a whirlwind) separated the two prophets.
And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
2 Kings 2:11
Now this scripture parallels Acts 2, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
Acts 2:3
When Elijah was lifted up in a cloud (2 Kings 2:15) there were 50 witnesses. This passage parallels Acts 1 when Jesus was lifted up in the clouds when the two witnesses stood by:
He was lifted up and a cloud took Him out of their site. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes.
Acts 1:9-10
There were also LOTS of witnesses when the Holy Spirit fell in the book of Acts. However, the two witnesses are an important part of these related scriptures. The two witnesses are also highlighted in Revelation 11 and Zechariah 4:
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
Revelation 11:3-5
Compare this to Zechariah 4:
And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Zechariah 4:12-14
The fire and the lamp stands do connect to one another. When the tabernacle was set up, as described in the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to keep the oil burning day and night.
You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.
Exodus 27:20
And
Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly.
Leviticus 24:2
This reminds me of the 10 virgins who were instructed to keep their lamps burning, yet some did not bring enough oil (Matthew 25). We are called to be the Lord’s witnesses in this hour. Our lamps need to be lit and burning God’s truth and love to the world.
Again, the scriptures say that the olive trees and the lamp stands represent the two anointed ones or witnesses. This is important.
Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making My words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.”
Jeremiah 5:14
Compared to:
And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.
Revelation 9:17
Sapphire is known to be in the throne of Heaven. Are these flaming horses the chariots of fire as described in 2 Kings 2:11?
In Revelation 11, it talks about the same olive trees and lamp stands (2 witnesses) that will pour fire out of their mouth to consume their enemies:
And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes.
Revelation 11:5
This we can see in Malachi 4 as well:
For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.
Malachi 4:1
I highly recommend reading all of Malachi 4, which helps fits more pieces together.
Interestingly, in Isaiah 6, the prophet Isaiah is set before Almighty God and realizes that he is a man of unclean lips. A burning coal is used to atone for Isaiah’s sins:
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:6-7
The Hebrew word for mouth is Peh (Strong’s 6310). Other meanings for this word, in Hebrew, can be two-edged much like the scripture stated in Revelation 1:
In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Revelation 1:16
So many of these scriptures connect, but when I stepped back and looked at the big picture, it looks like there is A LOT more to the chariots of fire than I thought. Are we made clean by the fire of God? And as we know, in scripture it says that the sword of the spirit is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12). Are we made clean by the Word of God? If we know the Word of God, we can speak truth into a world that is full of deception. And if scripture says that the Word was with God from the beginning, then that would mean that we are made clean through the Word, who is JESUS!
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
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