Eliyah Taken Up by a Whirlwind Into Heaven
2 Melakhim 2: 1-15 reads, "2:1It happened, when Yahweh would take up Eliyah by a whirlwind into Heaven, that Eliyah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2:2Eliyah said to Elisha, 'Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Beit-El.' Elisha said, 'As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.' So they went down to Beit-El. 2:3The sons of the prophets who were at Beit-El came forth to Elisha, and said to him, 'Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from your head today?'
He said, 'Yes, I know it; hold your shalom.'
2:4
Eliyah said to him, 'Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to Yericho.' He said, 'As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.' So they came to Yericho. 2:5The sons of the prophets who were at Yericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, 'Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from your head today?'He answered, 'Yes, I know it. Hold your shalom.'
2:6
Eliyah said to him, 'Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Yarden.'He said, 'As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.' They two went on. 2:7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off. And they two stood by the Yarden. 2:8Eliyah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they two went over on dry ground. 2:9It happened, when they had gone over, that Eliyah said to Elisha, 'Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.' Elisha said, 'Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.' 2:10He said, 'You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so to you; but if not, it shall not be so.' 2:11It happened, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both apart; and Eliyah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven. 2:12Elisha saw it, and he cried, 'My father, my father, the chariots of Yisra'el and the horsemen of it!' He saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces. 2:13He took up also the mantle of Eliyah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Yarden. 2:14He took the mantle of Eliyah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, 'Where is Yahweh, the Mighty One of Eliyah?' And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went over. 2:15When the sons of the prophets who were at Yericho over against him saw him, they said, 'The spirit of Eliyah does rest on Elisha.' They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him."
Which Heaven Was Eliyah Taken Up Into?
Someone may ask, WHICH heaven was Eliyah taken up into?
It should be noted that the scriptures speak of various heavens. There is the heaven that is the location of Yahweh's throne. There are the heavens that are the various heavenly bodies, such as stars and planets. And there is the heaven that is the earth's atmosphere, where the clouds are.
It should also be noted that Eliyah was taken up by a WHIRLWIND into heaven. Therefore, the heaven he was taken into is one where whirlwinds exist. It should therefore be evident that the heaven Eliyah was taken up into was the earth's atmosphere, where whirlwinds exist!
Where Did Eliyah Come From When He Appeared And Spoke With Yah'shuah?
Someone may then ask, if Eliyah did not go up to the heaven that is the location of Yahweh's throne, then where did he come from in order to appear with Moshe and talk with Yah'shuah prior to Yah'shuah's death at Yerushalayim?
Father Yahweh Resides in Heaven
Mattityahu 5: 16 reads, "5:16Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven."
It is therefore evident that Father Yahweh resides in heaven.
Father Yahweh's Throne is in Heaven
Mattityahu 5: 33-35 reads, "5:33Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to Yahweh your vows,' 5:34but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by Heaven, for it is the throne of the Mighty One; 5:35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the city of the great King."
It is also evident that Father Yahweh the Mighty One's throne is in heaven.
Only Yah'shuah Had Ascended to Heaven
Yahchanan 3: 13 reads, "3:13No one has ascended into Heaven, but he who descended out of Heaven, the Son of Man, who is in Heaven."
It should be clear, from Yah'shuah's words, that no human being had at the time he was speaking ever ascended into heaven. The only one who had done so was he Yah'shuah, he who descended from heaven.
Seeing that Yah'shuah was speaking several generations after Eliyah's time, it is evident that Eliyah did not go to the heaven Yah'shuah was referring to. And seeing that Yah'shuah descended from the heaven that is the location of the throne of Father Yahweh, it is evident that Eliyah did not ascend to the heaven that is the location of Father Yahweh's throne. Eliyah therefore ascended to where "whirlwinds" exist, the heaven that is the earth's atmosphere, and did not ascend to the location that is Father Yahweh's throne!
The Sons of the Prophets Thought Eliyah Was on Earth
It should also be noted that the sons of the prophets did not think that Eliyah had ascended to the throne of Yahweh the Mighty One, but had just been deposited to some other location of the earth. For 2 Melakhim 2: 16-18 reads:
"2:16They said to him, 'See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray you, and seek your master, lest the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up, and cast him on some mountain, or into some valley.' He said, 'You shall not send.' 2:17When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, 'Send.' They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but didn't find him. 2:18They came back to him, while he stayed at Yericho; and he said to them, 'Didn't I tell you, "Don't go?"'"
It should therefore be clear that the sons of the prophets, over whom Eliyah presided, understood that the Spirit of Yahweh indeed took him from that particular geographic locality and deposited in some other geographic locality. What they did not know was the geographic locality where Eliyah was deposited. And that was why they sought, both mountains and valleys, in an effort to locate Eliyah. But their search proved unfruitful.
It should therefore be clear that the heaven Eliyah was taken up into was the earth's atmosphere, much like several human beings are taken up into the same heaven. The difference between them and Eliyah is that Eliyah was taken up by the Spirit of Yahweh, while humans are taken up by aircrafts. And just as aircrafts take humans from one geographic location to another, so also did the Spirit of Yahweh take up Eliyah from one geographic location to another.
Eliyah Alive on Earth After Being Taken Up Into Heaven
It should also be noted that Eliyah was indeed alive on earth several years after he was taken up into heaven by a whirlwind. The following account in Divre Hayamim proves that Eliyah was indeed alive on earth several years after he was taken up into heaven.
2 Divre Hayamim (Chronicles) 21: 1-20 reads, "21:1Yehoshafat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Yehoram his son reigned in his place. 21:2He had brothers, the sons of Yehoshafat: `Azaryah, and Yechi'el, and Zekharyah, and `Azaryah, and Mikha'el, and Shefatyahu; all these were the sons of Yehoshafat king of Yisra'el. 21:3Their father gave them great gifts, of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Yahudah. But the kingdom gave he to Yehoram, because he was the firstborn. 21:4Now when Yehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and various also of the princes of Yisra'el. 21:5Yehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Yerushalayim. 21:6He walked in the way of the kings of Yisra'el, as did the house of Ach'av; for he had the daughter of Ach'av as wife. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. 21:7However Yahweh would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children always. 21:8In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Yahudah, and made a king over themselves. 21:9Then Yehoram passed over with his captains, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and struck the Edom who surrounded him, along with the captains of the chariots. 21:10So Edom revolted from under the hand of Yahudah to this day. Then did Livna revolt at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the Mighty One of his fathers. 21:11Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Yahudah, and made the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to play the prostitute, and led Yahudah astray. 21:12There came a writing to him from Eliyah the prophet, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh, the Mighty One of David your father, "Because you have not walked in the ways of Yehoshafat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Yahudah, 21:13but have walked in the way of the kings of Yisra'el, and have made Yahudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to play the prostitute, like as the house of Ach'av did, and also have slain your brothers of your father's house, who were better than yourself. 21:14Behold, Yahweh will strike with a great plague your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your substance; 21:15and you shall have great sickness by disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day."' 21:16Yahweh stirred up against Yehoram the spirit of the Pelishtim, and of the `Aravi'im who are beside the Kushim: 21:17and they came up against Yahudah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Yeho'achaz, the youngest of his sons. 21:18After all this Yahweh struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. 21:19It happened, in process of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of sore diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers. 21:20Thirty-two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Yerushalayim eight years. And he departed without being desired; and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings."
2 Divre Hayamim 21: 12 clearly shows that Eliyah was alive and wrote to Yehoram king of Yahudah, the son of Yehoshafat king of Yahudah.
When Eliyah Wrote to Yehoram son of Yehoshafat
2 Melakhim 3: 1-19 reads, "3:1Now Yehoram the son of Ach'av began to reign over Yisra'el in Shomron in the eighteenth year of Yehoshafat king of Yahudah, and reigned twelve years. 3:2He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Ba`al that his father had made. 3:3Nevertheless he cleaved to the sins of Yarov`am the son of Nevat, wherewith he made Yisra'el to sin; he didn't depart therefrom. 3:4Now Mesha king of Mo'av was a sheep-master; and he rendered to the king of Yisra'el the wool of one hundred thousand lambs, and of one hundred thousand rams. 3:5But it happened, when Ach'av was dead, that the king of Mo'av rebelled against the king of Yisra'el. 3:6King Yehoram went out of Shomron at that time, and mustered all Yisra'el. 3:7He went and sent to Yehoshafat the king of Yahudah, saying, 'The king of Mo'av has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Mo'av to battle?' He said, 'I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.' 3:8He said, 'Which way shall we go up?' He answered, 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.' 3:9So the king of Yisra'el went, and the king of Yahudah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. And there was no water for the host, nor for the animals that followed them. 3:10The king of Yisra'el said, 'Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Mo'av.' 3:11But Yehoshafat said, 'Isn't there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?' One of the king of Yisra'el's servants answered, 'Elisha the son of Shafat is here, who poured water on the hands of Eliyah.' 3:12Yehoshafat said, 'The word of Yahweh is with him.' So the king of Yisra'el and Yehoshafat and the king of Edom went down to him. 3:13Elisha said to the king of Yisra'el, 'What have I to do with you? Get you to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother.' The king of Yisra'el said to him, 'No; for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Mo'av.' 3:14Elisha said, 'As Yahweh-Tzva'ot lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Yehoshafat the king of Yahudah, I would not look toward you, nor see you. 3:15But now bring me a minstrel.' It happened, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Yahweh came on him. 3:16He said, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Make this valley full of trenches." 3:17For thus says Yahweh, "You shall not see wind, neither shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, and you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your animals." 3:18This is but a light thing in the sight of Yahweh. He will also deliver the Mo`avim into your hand. 3:19You shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.'"
It should therefore be noted that at the time Elisha became prophet in Eliyah's stead Yehoshafat was still reigning in Yahudah. Therefore, after Eliyah had been taken up into heaven, after Elisha had become prophet in Eliyah's stead, after Yehoshafat had died, and after his son Yehoram had began to reign in his stead, Eliyah sent a letter to Yehoram son of Yehoshafat king of Yahudah. It should therefore be clear that Eliyah was indeed alive and in some geographical part of the earth, and still a prophet of Yahweh, several years after he was taken up into heaven!
The Heaven Eliyah Was Taken Up Into
It should therefore be clear that the heaven Eliyah was taken up into by a whirlwind was the earth's atmosphere, and not the location of Father Yahweh's throne!
It therefore appears, as is the way of all men, that Eliyah did indeed die once his appointed days for living had come to an end.
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