A promise given a promise kept!

“As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.” (2 Kings 13:21 NASB)

A dead body jumps back to life!

Imagine being a pallbearer at the funeral of a friend and you are carrying his dead body to the grave. Suddenly, you see a group of notorious gang members headed your way and imminent danger. So, to get away as quickly as possible, you toss the body into an open grave nearby. But then, something astounding happens! As soon as the body touches the bones of the person already in that grave, your dead friend miraculously comes back to life! That’s exactly what happened in the passage above!

What caused this miraculous event to happen, and why?

There is a reason for everything written in the Bible, even for this incident.  II Kings chapter 2 tells how Elijah passed his prophetic mantle on to the young prophet Elisha. “When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.” (2 Kings 2:8-12 NLT) This bold request of asking for a “double share of Elijah’s spirit” was granted to  Elisha. This meant that Elisha would do twice what Elijah had done during his ministry. Elijah had performed Fourteen miracles by the power of God that rested upon him. If Elisha received a double share of Elijah’s spirit, he would perform at least 28 miracles.

Elijah’s promise of a “double share” is fulfilled after Elisha’s death!

When he died, Elisha had only performed twenty-seven miracles. He was short one miracle as promised! This miracle of resurrection involving his bones made the 28th miracle performed! Thus, this miracle is an accurate fulfillment of the provision of a double portion of the spirit of Elijah resting upon Elisha and could be the reason for this amazing  story.