Kings 2:11  As they were walking along and talking together, 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.

Have you ever wondered just what the purpose of the Transfiguration of
Jesus was?  We are so often in such pure awe of the actual event that we
forget to comprehend for ourselves the reason for the event.  Yet the
reason is very important.
What you need to know is that the Transfiguration of Jesus, to the best
of our knowledge, took place for Jesus somewhere in the opening months of
his third year of ministry.  Already Jesus was beginning to teach his
disciples about his suffering, death and resurrection.   Jesus wanted his
disciples prepared for the ugly events and dark days that were to come,
events that were just a year to nine months away.  These disciples would
need every ounce of knowledge Jesus could give them in order to have
their faith survive what was yet to come.
Perhaps the biggest thing to know about this time of Jesus' life is the
fact that Jesus' third year of ministry is known as "The Year of
Oppostion."  During this time is when Jesus' enemies seemed to best
mobilize and gain ground.  During this time people began to dessert Jesus
and turn away from his teachings.  During this time the hatreds of the
religious leadership toward Jesus would reach their height and culminate
in their successful bid to rid the world of Jesus.  During this time the
disciples would feel the stress and pressure of being followers of Jesus.
 Their faith would be sorely tested in the year to come.
It is for this reason that I believe the Lord allowed three of his
disciples the privilege of seeing him in his full majesty and glory as
God.  These three were the leaders of the group.  These three would be
the ones to keep the other disciples together until all things should be
revealed to them through the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and also
through the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  These three, I
believe, were chosen because they were the three best prepared for the
wonder and marvel that the transfiguration was.  In other words, the
transfiguration was God's way of helping his people in what would be
difficult times to come.
This is something that God has clearly done in the past.  In the text
that lay before us we have another instance of God helping his people,
specifically God helping his prophets be prepared for the difficult times
to come.  The fact that our text deals with the history of one of the
prophets who appeared at the Transfiguration of Jesus is important.  It
links these events and their lessons in a unique way.  Let's consider
then the lesson of the history before us under the theme: LESSONS OF
LIFE.  1st. The Lord Prepares his people.  2nd. The Lord is in control.
3rd. God's promises are true.
Did you notice what it was that was going on in this history?  Our text
starts by saying, "When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to
heaven..."  Those words and the actions that follow those words tell us
some rather important things.  Elijah and even the prophets they went to
visit had knowledge that God was about to take Elijah out of this world.
We aren't told that they knew how this would happen, just the fact that
it was going to take place.  It is in this coming event that some rather
wonderful things happen.
First note the activity of Elijah and Elisha.  No one stopped working.
No one determined that since the time was near for the end that they had
nothing else to do.  Nope, what you find is Elijah engaging in some final
work for the Lord.  His final work was to prepare and encourage the
faithful around him.
That's the reason you find these two prophets going from Gilgal, to
Bethel and then to Jericho.  At each one of those places there were
"schools of the prophets."  We don't know much about these schools other
than to tell you that they were filled with young men who were training
to be spokesmen or prophets of God.  The first such school had come into
existence in the days of the Prophet Samuel and as far as we know
continued into the days of Elijah.  What we also know is that these
schools of prophets were composed of the faithful, those who knew and
wished to share the wonder and joy of God with others.  The purpose for
Elijah going was to prepare them for his leaving and to prepare them for
their next leader.
I can't begin to tell you how important it was to prepare the prophets
for what was to come.  Elijah had been the spiritual leader of the land
of Israel for quite some time now.  He had the daunting task of breaking
the hold the cult of the Baals had over the people of Israel.  He was one
of the most picturesque and powerful of the prophets of God.  Next to
Moses, Elijah was considered the greatest of the prophets of God.  There
is no doubt that Elijah's ministry had been an important one.
Now that was going to change.  God was going to take Elijah to heaven.
How would the battle fair without Elijah?  What would the prophets do?
Would they crumble and forget their job?  Would the people go back to
Baal worship and forget the true God?  Now you can understand why God
prepared his people.  There were many challenges yet ahead and God wanted
his people to stay faithful and true.
It seems that there was other work going on also.  Did you note how
Elijah kept telling Elisha to stay where he was and the Elisha kept
saying that he was coming anyway?  Scholars agree that all of this takes
place for the sake of Elisha, to test Elisha's committement to the work
of God.  It seems that Elisha passes this test with flying colors and
that he indeed became the next appointed prophet of God, carrying out the
work and ministry of the Lord for the sake of the people.
 Or we could talk of the fact that some of the prophets from the school
of prophets were involved in following these men.  Perhaps they were told
to do this, we don't know, but the fact that they followed allowed them
to be witnesses that Elisha was the next prophet.  It just reminds us
that the Lord thoroughly prepares.  It's just what Jesus was doing when
three of his disciples were allowed to see his transfiguration.  He was
preparing them for what was yet to come.
 What came next?  After speaking with the school of prophets and going on
to the Jordan we are told, "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."  Please note what the Scripture says.  He was taken to heaven
in a whirlwind not in the chariot.  We also learn that Elisha who was
standing there saw many chariots (notice his plural) and horsemen of the
surrounding hills, what he called, "The chariots and horsemen of Israel."
Just a few points of interest for you.  While I absolutely believe that
as it is written so it happened, I also believe that there was tremendous
symbolism involved in these events.  For instance, the chariot of fire
and horses of fire.  Here is a symbol of the very majesty and power of
God.  Chariots were the vehicles of kings and royalty.  Fire was the
symbol of God.  The message here is clear.  What is happening is because
of God's power and majesty.  God is in control and calling all the shots.
The same can be said for the whirlwind.  When you realize that the word
"spirit" in both the Hebrew and the Greek means wind you realize that the
message here again is that God's power is responsible for the event.
Elijah was taken to God's spirit world by God's powerful Spirit.  God is
in control.
Finally there are the chariots and horsemen of Israel.  These beings are
referred to in other portions of Scripture.  The best we can say is that
these beings are heavenly beings who serve the Lord.  They are a part of
God's heavenly army who do the bidding of God often for the benefit of
man.  Again the message is that God is in control.
So it is that Elisha is left alone.  As the text goes on we learn a few
more things.  Elisha now sees Elijah's cloak.  Elisha picks up the cloak,
goes to the Jordan River and parts the waters just like Elijah did.  This
the company of prophets sees.  They know that Elisha has God's spirit
upon him.  They know that God is still watching over them.  They know
that God is in control and that God is calling all the shots.
Such is the power of God.  I realize that often we forget that God is in
control and he is calling the shots.  He calls the shots for our good.
He brings things about for our salvation.  Our God is a loving God always
working for the good of his people even as He did back then.  It is a
power that all of us should recognize.  It is the power that moved God to
send his Son on our behalf.  It is the power that God used to sacrifice
his Son for the sake of our sins.  It is the power of God that raised
Jesus Christ from the dead.  The same message that we find in the events
of Elijah taken to heaven is the same message we find in Jesus
transfigured, Jesus crucified, Jesus risen and Jesus ascending into
heaven.  God is in control and God is calling the shots.
Do you know how wonderful it is to understand that message?  I hope to go
to heaven.  I hope that my sins are forgiven.  I hope that God is
watching over me and guiding my life.  But what I have is more than just
a mere hope.  It is a certainty.  It is something that I am sure of
because all of these things depend on God's promises, promises that he
keeps.  God has promised a Savior.  God has promises forgiveness of sins.
 God delivers those things in Jesus. God has accomplished them.  God has
guaranteed them.  God will see to it that all his promises are carried
out in just the very way that He has revealed in his Holy Word.
More than that, God gives us a tangible lesson on the fact that his
promises are true in this text.  Do you know what that lesson is?  The
lesson is found in the fact that Elijah is in heaven with God.  Elijah
did not die but went directly to heaven.  He lives there now.  He lives
there and when Jesus was transfigured he appeared with Jesus.  He lives
there and right now is with Jesus, both with their physical bodies.  It
is a subtle lesson found here but one of great importance.  Heaven is a
real place where real humans and their real bodies can go.  Elijah has
his body.  Jesus has his body.  Enoch has his body.   Heaven is a real
place not just a spiritual dream.
For all those who come up with fanciful explanations for why we won't or
can't have our bodies in heaven, well, take that!  At least three human
bodies are still with their souls and they are in heaven!  God reveals
it.  That settles it.  God's promises are true, yes, even his promise of
eternal physical existence with Him.
Our God is an awesome God.  He works for our good.  He cares for our
souls.  He always has in mind what is for our eternal good.  And he
delivers.  He got the power to do it.  He promises to do it and his
promises are true.  Amen.