Is Elijah In Heaven?

Written by Bro. Josh Sparks March 11th 2009.

Praise the name of Jesus Christ.

We are going to continue in our studies concerning this false message being taught to the people of God that heaven is their reward and that one must go to heaven to receive their reward when Jesus Christ our God and King declared to John in (Revelation 22:12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. And as Jesus declared in (Matthew 5: 12) 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. This reward as we read in the previous article is reserved for us in Heaven and Jesus will bring it with Him when He comes. That reward is immortality or everlasting life with Jesus and our inheritance also includes the earth.

I was at a funeral for a dear person recently and all the preacher talked about is how this individual has received their reward in Heaven. When reading Paul's message to Timothy the important parts of the verses were read through quickly not paying any mind to the way Paul was writing and to the future event he was looking towards. ( 2 Timothy 4:6-8 ) 6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Notice Paul states He would receive the crown of righteousness that will never fade away at that day what day at Jesus appearing.

So many have asked well then what about Elijah ? Was not Elijah taking up to Heaven in a chariot of fire ? The answer to the question is No and absolutely not. The bible speaks in ( 2 Kings 2:11) 11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Did Elijah go to Heaven? Does this verse of scripture contradict what Jesus declared in (John 3:13) And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. The answer is no it is not a contradiction. The word heaven mentioned in 2Kings 2:11 is the Hebrew word shaw-mah'-yim, shaw-meh' (Strongs Hebrew 8064) which means the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move. Heaven as Jesus spoke of in John 3:13 is the greek word oo-ran-os' (Strongs Greek 3772) which means Perhaps from the same as G3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension heaven (as the abode of God).

The Heaven Elijah was taken up into was the sky or the atmosphere. The Heaven Jesus spoke about was the very abode or dwelling place of God.  The Heaven Jesus was speaking of is where His throne is. Another misconception and false teaching about Heaven is it's streets of gold and walls of jasper and gates of pearl. If one closely reads the bible in the book of Revelation  one will see that is describing the New Jerusalem God city that will come down from God out of Heaven ( Revelation 21: 10-27). So many wander why their preaching doesnt really effect anybody is because they reject the commandments of God by their traditions and make the Word of God of none effect. ( Mark 7:7,9,13) 7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. To understand the Heaven Elijah was taken up into we must look at the scripture in context. It was into the sky or earths atmosphere were Elijah was taken up into. God told Elijah that He was going to ordain and annoint another person in his stead to be a prophet and he later appointed Elisha as his successor. ( 1 Kings 19:16) And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. Later on in the story Elijah and Elisah are walking together and Elijah asks him in ( 2 Kings 2:9) And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.So we see Elijah was commanded by God to anoint another prophet in his room or his stead. Elijah asked Elisha what shall I do for thee before I am taken away from thee? Notice he didnt say not taken away to heaven but just taken away. Elijah told him ( 2 Kings 2:10) And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And then in vese 11 it happens. Elijah is taken up in Heaven and the spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha. ( 2 Kings 2: 11) And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And those who followed the ministry of the Prophet Elijah accepted the new prophet and declared in ( 2Kings 2:15) And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. Here is where many bible scholars and preachers assume that Elijah went to be with God and this is absolutely so far from the truth and false. God didnt have a party waiting on Elijah when he got to Heaven but moved him from one location to another. The sons of the prophets who said the spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha knew Elijah was not taken up into Heaven and obviously Elijah knew what was going to happen and even spke with them about it. ( 2 Kings 2: 16-17) 16And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.  17And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. These men wanted to go find Elijeah just to make sure God didnt leave him stranded on a mountain or in a valley. The bible also proves this to be true because several years later Elijah the Prophet wrote a letter to Jehoram King of Judah after the fact that He had been removed from Elisha in the whirlwind. Elijah had told Ahaziah He would die because of his sins ( 2Kings 1:3,17) 3But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? 17So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. Ahaziah reigned for about one year. Jehoshaphat reigned as King of Judah ( 2 Kings 8 :16) and Jehoram reigned as King after His Father.. Jehoram reigned after the fact Elijah had been taken into Heaven in a whirlwind. Jehoram was wicked and lead led Judah in rebellion against God and Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram. ( 2 Chronicles 21:12-15) 12And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself: 14Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods: 15And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.Elijah did not write this letter from Heaven sitting around the throne with Jesus but in another location God had moved him to. The bible is quiet after this about the rest of Elijahs life but we know he died for the bibles declares in ( Hebrews 9:27) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Also Paul tells us in Hebrews that Elijeah was like the prophets as well as like Enoch all died seeing but not receiving the promise. ( Hebrews 11: 13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Elijah was not taken a Heaven that we have been so misinformed about where gates are pearl and streets are gold and walls are jasper but to another location and even was used as a prophet afterwards in his letter to Jehoran King of Judah. So many people preach the word out of tradition but truth will always set you free and will always overcome traditions of men which make the word of God of none effect.In Jesus Name,Bro. Josh Sparks.