VLADIMIR PUTIN AND RUSSIA

 

Reposting this article from 2014 to give readers an insight into Vladimir Putin. The NATO Alliance refused to honor the 1999 Minsk Agreement allowing the Donbass and other Russian areas in Ukraine to vote on allowing them to speak Russia as the province language. NATO and Ukraine also promised to not allow nuclear weapons in Ukraine. 

Mr. Putin was patient for many years but the agreement was only a lie to allow NATO to rearm Ukraine. Angela Merkel herself said this a few months ago…look it up. 

This short article details how Mr. Putin became what he is. At the bottom of the page I posted some links. The most important is www.armstrongeconomisc.com  

That site will furnish you with the truth on the deep corruption of Ukraine and what is really going on.

 

Vladimir Putin has been described as a ruthless bully, and to some degree that is true, but there is much more to this man than the west wishes to believe. Mr. Putin is a shrewd ex-KGB operative who has a vision for his country. The Bible says: Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he (Poverbs 29.18).

Interestingly enough, this proverb applies to Putin in every sense. He has a long range vision for his country and believes in keeping the law as it applies to Russia and international politics. He has been the President of Russia since 7 May 2012. He previously served as President from 2000 to 2008, and as Prime Mister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. During his last term as Prime Minister, he was also the Chairman of United Russia , the ruling party.

He moved to Moscow, from St. Petersburg, where he was born, in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin 's administration where he rose quickly, becoming Acting President on 31 December 1999 when Yeltsin resigned unexpectedly. Putin won the subsequent 2000 presidential election and was re-elected in 2004.

He has never been pleased with the fall of the Soviet Empire and dreams of restoring Russian’s former glory on the world stage. He has been planning for many years to make Russia a major world player through the use of her natural resources.

Russia is blessed with a wealth of oil, natural gas, LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), coal, and uranium. In the communist days these natural resources were totally mismanaged by the ruling Communists. Putin has always believed that the key to Russian Empire is to develop the natural resources that the world hungers for. Since taking power in Russia Putin has been focused on this very thing. All of his energy has been devoted to developing Russia’s energy, no pun intended.

Mr. Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1952. His hero when growing up was Peter the Great who began to take Russia into the modern world during the latter part of the 1600’s and early 1700’s. He grew up poor but through his grandfather Spiridon Ivanovic Putin had contact with the Russian elites of the day.

His grandfather was trained as a chef and cooked for Rasputin, Lenin, and Stalin! He managed to avoid political contamination and outlived all his famous employers. Until his death, when Putin was 13 years old, he shared many insights with his grandson Vladimir.

Around the age of 12, while his grandfather was still alive, Putin started boxing and then moved on to judo, karate, and the Soviet martial art sambo. He would go on to become the citywide sambo champion. He loved the spiritual and physical demands these martial arts demanded of him. They also taught him be smart, cunning, and, above all, tightly disciplined.

In the ninth grade Putin actually went to the KGB to find out how to get a job with them. They told him he should go to law school which he did. When he graduated law school in 1975 the KGB recruited him. For the next 16 years he worked as an intelligence agent, was fluent in German, and was stationed in East Germany for five years in the 1980’s.

He resigned from the KGB in 1991 and returned to the Leningrad State University where he wrote his doctoral thesis on Russia’s economic resources being a key to Russian success and empire. After college, Putin entered politics in St. Petersburg, where he fostered a relationship with Dmitry Medvedev.

Later after entering polictics Boris Yeltsin would name Putin as his successor after Putin put down the rebellion in Chechnya. To make a long story short, Putin was first elected President in 2000 and has shared this position with Dmitry Medvedev since then.

During Putin’s rule of Russia he has seized control of Russian energy companies which had been privatized during Yeltsin’s time in power. He has accomplished this by working “legally” through Russian law and by disposing the rich Oligarch’s who had bought these companies at pennies to the dollar when the Soviet Union fell in 1998.

These companies are now partly owned by government and shareholders. Putin has taken control and they are now not only profitable, but developing Russia’s natural resources at a fast pace. Russia supplies anywhere form 25% to 90% of many European nation’s gas and oil needs. Europe depends on Russian oil and gas to stay warm in winter. Putin can shut off the tap at any provocation. Think about how this affects American influence in the region!

Russia recently closed two 400 billion dollar energy deals with the Chinese. They trade with Iran, Turkey, India, Pakistan, and all the other “stans” in their geopolitical area. They are the energy power in Europe and Eurasia. Putin knows how to use this energy power to Russia’s advantage.

He also supplies Syria and other Muslim countries with oil and gas. He has made a deal with Israel to develop the gigantic gas deposits off the coast of Israel. Russian energy tentacles have hold on countries throughout the Mediterranean to Japan. They are truly becoming a powerful and wealthy nation through this industry.

As I’ve pointed out in previous postings a new world currency is on the horizon. Russian energy is being sold and traded in currencies other than the US dollar as I write. Putin’s plan is to use the Russian Ruble, gold, the Chinese Yuan, or any other national currency to conduct trade--to the exclusion of the US dollar.

Those countries that trade with Russia will be pleased to trade in their own currencies as it will be cheaper and easier for them to conduct trade without having to stock pile dollars. This is how the dollar is going to be dethroned from being the world’s reserve currency. This is Putin’s long range carefully planned strategy. This will have a huge affect on America’s ability to finance her debt.

In the United States politicians only worry about getting elected every four years by promising the voters hand outs. In Russia they have a long range goal to become the world’s premier supplier of gas, oil, coal, and uranium. This will give them great leverage over the countries that depend on them for these resources. You can see where this is leading.

This is going to have a great impact on events in the Middle East that concern Biblical prophecy. Russia is going to be a major player in end time events that include Islam, Europe, and Israel. Keep this in mind as we continue this series.

For further insights: Below 1^st 3 from 2014, the others much more recent.
 

Putin's gold play?
http://davidstockmanscontracorner.com/as-the-sanctions-war-heats-up-will-putin-play-his-gold-card/

Allowing the Ruble to float.
http://rt.com/business/203959-russian-ruble-free-float-bank/

Freedom from Visa and Master Card!
http://rt.com/business/204459-russia-swift-payment-alternative/

Recent: Read www.armstrongeconomics.com on a daily basis on Ukraine corruption and the ongoing neocon war.

This page has the latest information https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/?s=ukraine

 

THE WORD AND SPIRIT

A popular buzz word today is “paradigm.” Everyone uses it today. The real question is what is a paradigm and how are we to use them in our study?

 Paradigm - noun

 1. Grammar.

1.      A. a set of forms all of which contain a particular element, especially the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme.
2.      B. a display in fixed arrangement of such a set, as boy, boy's, boys, boys'.

2. An example serving as a model; pattern. Synonyms: mold, standard; ideal, paragon, touchstone.

3. A framework containing the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methodology that are commonly accepted by members of a scientific community.

    B. such a cognitive framework shared by members of any discipline or group: the company’s business paradigm.

 The Bible is full of paradigms that are only discovered by prayerful word studies. When we allow the Bible to interpret itself we will look up various words and how they are used in the scriptures. By doing this we begin to find these “paradigms” or ways of thinking and discerning words and deeper meaning to parables, etc.

 The word star, for instance, means angel(s) throughout the Bible. In speaking of the creation of the world Job 38.7 says: when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

STAR Strong’s 3556 – heavenly power (that serve God) is the meaning in Hebrew.

Revelation 1.20 - the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Revelation 3.1 - And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Psalm 147.4 - He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

The above are just a few examples. As we begin to understand this paradigm the word begins to open in a spiritual way. We begin to have the mind of Yahweh. We can see things in a different light.

As an example: Revelation 6.12-14…And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind and the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.                                      

Rev 8.10-11 - And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Many will teach that a meteorite or asteroid is going to strike the earth during the tribulation. WE have all these silly ideas of planet X and Nibiru hitting earth. Perhaps, one will, but that is not necessarily the meaning of these verses. It is much better to look for understanding in a more realistic way.

If stars are angels, then the stars falling to earth would be demonic in nature in these passages. They are cast out of heaven to wreak havoc on the earth. It is not a meteorite hitting earth.

In the Bible water is Torah or God’s law. Water is a blessing. It comes down from heaven and waters the earth which brings forth fruit. The Torah is like water. It comes down from above and waters the earth (man is of the earth, earthy) and will bring forth fruit in a person who loves God’s Law (Ps 119).

We see these stars falling to earth and the “water” becomes bitter like wormwood. When men turn away from Yahweh and His laws their lives become bitter. The water they drink is not Torah but that of the world (earth). Jesus said if we believe in Him rivers of living water will come forth out of us!

This will be a time of great apostasy on the earth. Men will refuse to repent. Their lives will become bitter as they follow the spirits of the demons loosed upon the earth. The stars falling from heaven is Yahweh shaking the heavens and cleaning house.

Water in the Bible as in “seas” also is a paradigm for nations or people. The beast arises from the sea. The sea represents the nations or mankind. The beast rises from mankind-the sea. The beast is a government created by the nations. The number of a man is the number of the beast (Rev 13.8).

Man is made predominately by the element Carbon, number six on the table of elements. Carbon has 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons = 666. Carbon is a six sided crystal and six is the number of man. Carbon is black—the opposite of light. The BEAST is a government that is created by the PRIDE of man.

These are just a few examples of how word study and prayerful attention to allowing the Bible to metaphorically interpret itself can give us great insight into the word. There is so much MORE available to those who prayerfully ask and seek the wisdom from above.

When we understand the Hebraic roots of the written word we begin to see with fresh eyes and understand with the mind of Yahweh. Could a meteor physically strike earth? Of course, but is that really what the word is implying?

Will there be a physical image of a beast or idol set up in a temple? Perhaps, but the word really seems to indicate this image is the image of man, a government created by man, and a wicked government that lifts up the glory of man rather than the Almighty God of the Universe.

The key to study is to allow the Bible to interpret itself. This is the only way to dig for the truth. The difficulty lies in the fact that we must search the word diligently to understand what it is saying. This is where we often disagree with one another.

The examples above provide some direction. These examples are using the Word of God from many scriptures to help us understand and see with spiritual eyes.

Here is one more example: Trees in the Bible often refer to people or nations. When Yeshua healed the blind man the man said he “saw men like trees walking.” Mark 8.24

In Hosea 9.10 the prophet compares Israel to the fig tree. In the end times Israel will blossom like a fig tree.

In Revelation 22 we see 12 trees of life by the river yielding fruit every month for the healing of the nations. There are 12 trees representing Israel and God’s Kingdom. These kingdom trees are for the healing of the nations. They are by a river—water represents Torah—God’s law. Rivers of living water!

Allow the Bible to interpret itself! Things will begin to make sense as we wait, meditate on the word, and seek His interpretation.

The Word is full of Wisdom, Love, and Judgment. Yahweh judges us because He loves us. This judgment from above produces wisdom if we allow it. Let the WORD interpret itself and perhaps we will achieve some unity in the body.

We lack unity because we cannot agree on truth. Truth is found by allowing the word to interpret itself. We like to change what we do not understand. We want “in the box doctrines of men” rather than the true interpretation of the word. Seek truth and be transformed! Wait on the set apart Spirit for interpretation while meditating on the WORD.

We do not want an “EMPTY HEAD” but we meditate on the written word. An empty head can be filled by lies. Meditate on the WORD and wait for, and seek the word for understanding.

Without knowledge of what the word says it is impossible to understand what the word is saying!

 

Where Is Enoch?

I found this article years ago when researching what happens when we die. I apologize for having forgotten who wrote it. I agree with this explanation and present it here for you. Keep in mind that this study is based on allowing ALL of the Bible to interpret itself. It is not based on the writer's opinion, but on what the Bible itself says.

 

Study to show thyself approved unto God … 2 Timothy 2:15

 As you read remember: And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. John 3:13

 

For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “’The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand” Acts 2:34

                                                                              Part one

ENOCH was "translated." Where did he go? Was he immediately taken to heaven? NO! Because Yeshua Himself said: "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man"(John 3:13). Here are Jesus' own words that no man, except Himself, had ascended into heaven! And how did He know? Why, He came from there! Then where is Enoch? Let's see what the Holy Scriptures says. 

Enoch Walked With God

At the age of 65 Enoch had a son Methuselah. "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters" (Genesis 5:22).

 Here was a man that PLEASED God, a man that WALKED WITH GOD. Enoch had to have faith, for in Hebrews 11:6 the Apostle said, "But without faith it is impossible to PLEASE Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him." So Enoch walked with God. He obeyed God, and followed Him in His paths BY FAITH.

 No one can walk with God unless he is in agreement with the will of God and doing it. Amos the prophet said: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos3:3.) So in his generation Enoch was the only recorded person who followed the ways of God - even though it’s possible it took him sixty-five years to learn to walk with God!

 But how long did Enoch walk with God? The Scripture says that he "walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years." So Enoch followed God's ways for three hundred years. Notice that Moses did not record that Enoch is still walking with God. The Scripture says that Enoch WALKED with God for three hundred years and not one year more! The Enoch is not still walking with God! Why?

 Because, "all the days of Enoch; were three hundred sixty-five years" (Gen. 5:23). ALL the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Not just part of his days, but all his days! If Enoch did not die-if he was changed to immortality-and thus continued to walk with God, then his days would have been more than three hundred and sixty-five years. But the Scripture plainly says that ALL his days were just that many and no more!

 This expression "all his days" is used in the same fifth chapter of Genesis about a dozen times and it always means that the person lived for that length of time ONLY "and he died." So Enoch lived NO MORE than three hundred and sixty-five years because "all his days were three hundred and sixty-five years." As he lived only for this length of time THEN HE MUST HAVE DIED! However, what about his translation? Does that mean he didn't die? That's what many people carelessly assume without proof.

What Really Happened at Enoch's Translation?

 Remember, Moses didn't write that Enoch did not die. Rather Moses wrote that "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Gen. 5:24). Paul records the same event by saying that he "was not found, because God had translated him" (Heb. 11:5). Thus the Scripture records that Enoch was not found because God took him, or "translated" him. THE SCRIPTURES DOES NOT SAY THAT ENOCH WENT TO HEAVEN when he was translated. Instead it says he was not found. Certainly Enoch was "translated," but what does the word "translate" mean?

Strange as it may seem, nowhere in the entire Scripture does "translate" mean to make immortal!

The original Greek word for "translate" is metatithemi. According to Strong's Concordance it signifies: transfer, transport, exchange, change sides.

This same Greek word is rendered "carried over" in Acts 7:16. Here we read that after Jacob DIED his body was "carried over"-transported, 'TRANSLATED-to Sychem WHERE HE WAS BURIED! That's what your Scripture says! Jacob was transported or TRANSLATED to the place of burial!

That is why Moses said that God TOOK Enoch. God removed-translated-him so that he was not found; God took Enoch and buried him! In Deuteronomy 34:6 we read also how God took Moses from the people after which he died and was buried by God. "But no man knoweth his sepulcher unto this day." God removed Moses-God translated him-and he was not found either!

 So Enoch was not made immortal after all! He was taken away and was not found. ALL his days were three hundred and sixty-five! That's as long as Enoch lived.

 Notice another proof that "translate" does not mean to make immortal. It is found in Col. 1:13: the Father "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath TRANSLATED us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Here the Bible says that Believers are already translated-but we as believers still die! We do not now have immortal bodies, but mortal flesh and blood. Although we were once part of the darkness in this world; now we are TRANSLATED and removed from darkness, into the light of the Kingdom of God.

Didn't Receive the Promise

Enoch is included by Paul (in Hebrews 11) among the fathers who obtained a good report through faith; but "ALL these, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise" (Heb. 11:39). What promise? The, "hope of eternal life” that God; who is not able to lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2).

 So Enoch therefore is one of "ALL THESE" who have not yet obtained the promise of eternal life and inheritance. Enoch and all the “worthies” of old, will receive the promise at the return of Messiah, the same time obtain it (Heb. 11: 39-40). That is yet future!

 Since Enoch has not yet inherited eternal life he must be dead! This is exactly what Paul writes in Heb. 11:13! Paul says Enoch DIED! Notice it! "These ALL died in faith, not having received what was promised." Who were these "ALL"?

 Paul tells us: Abel, ENOCH, Noah, and the patriarchs and their wives. Hebrews 11:1-12 lists those who had faith and Enoch is included among them. Then in verse 13 Paul proved that they had not inherited the promises by saying: "These ALL [including Enoch] died in faith." But what about Paul's saying that Enoch "should not see death"?

Which Death Did Enoch Escape?

Enoch lived only three hundred sixty-five years. Then what could Paul possibly have meant by saying: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found because God had translated him?" This verse nowhere says that Enoch did not die. Rather, it says that Enoch "should not see death." But what does it mean?Remember, there is more than one death mentioned in the Scriptures. There is a first death, and there is a second death (Rev. 20:6). Which death did Paul mean?

 The first death is appointed unto men (Heb. 9:27). That death cannot be humanly evaded. It is inevitable. That death Enoch died, as we have already proved. But Paul was not writing about that death. The phrase "should not see" is in the conditional tense of the verb, having reference to a future event. It is not in the past tense, that he "did not see' death-but that he "should not see death." So this death that Enoch escaped by being translated is one that he can escape in the future. ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS!

 Did Yeshua ever speak of a death that might be escaped? He certainly did! In John 8:51 Yeshua said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my sayings, he shall never see death"-shall never see-that is, suffer-the second death! Revelation 20. And again in John 11:26, "Whoso liveth and believeth in me shall never die"-or "shall not die forever."

 This death is one than can be escaped on condition that men keep the saying of Yeshua and believe Him. This death is not the first death, because believers who keep Yeshua’s sayings die this first death. Then the death which Enoch should escape must be the second death, which NEVER TOUCH THOSE WHO ARE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION (Rev. 20:6). And Enoch will be in the first resurrection because he met the conditions! He Walked with God!

 Enoch had faith. He believed God and walked with God, obeying Him. In keeping the sayings of God, Enoch kept the sayings of Yeshua too; because Yeshua did not speak of Himself, but spoke what the Father commanded Him (John 14:10).Thus Enoch met the conditions so that he should not see death. The second death shall never touch Enoch, because of his faith and obedience. Praise our savior Yeshua!

Two Translations

Now this scripture we can understand in Hebrews 11:5: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." This verse plainly mentions two translations.

 Examining this verse fact by fact, we notice that Enoch had faith and was translated. This translation-removal, transference-was on condition of FAITH. NOW what translation mentioned in the Bible is on condition of faith? Why, it’s the one we read about in Colossians 1:13. The Father "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son."

 This is a FIGURATIVE translation-a FIGURATIVE removal or transference from the spiritual darkness of this world to the light of the family or kingdom of God and Messiah. In verse 10 Paul shows that to abide in this kingdom we must "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." This is exactly what Enoch did. He walked with God, and pleased God.

 Then Enoch, the same as all believers, was delivered from the power of sin and darkness in which he had been living for sixty-five years. He was removed (translated) from the ways of the world and lived three hundred years according to God's ways so that he might inherit eternal life at Messiah’s return, and should not suffer the second death.

 By faith Enoch was separated-removed or translated-from the world, the same as All Believers who are not to be a part of the world, although living in the world. Not only was Enoch FIGURATIVELY taken from the society of his day, but he was also LITERALLY removed-translated-so that he was not found.

God took him physically away from the people, just as He later took Moses. And God buried each so well that neither has ever been found since! Enoch had completed this present normal life. "All his days were three hundred sixty-five years. This was the second translation-a literal removal at death.

 God gave Enoch this sign of physical removal as a type for all those who should later follow Enoch's example of faith. He was taken physically from the people just as true Believers are to be spiritually removed from the ways of the world. The physical translation or carrying away of Enoch was also a sign to him from God that his faith had been accepted-God often gives signs (Isaiah 38:7).

 Like every true saint, Enoch is awaiting the hope of the resurrection and the return of Messiah (Jude 14, 15). 

Did Elijah Go To Heaven?

Part Two

YOU have been told that Elijah went to heaven. Yet over 900 years after Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind Yeshua Himself said: "NO MAN hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man!" (John 3:13.)Is this a Scriptural contradiction? Did Elijah really ascend to the heaven where God's throne is-even though Yeshua said he didn't? If Elijah is not in heaven today, then where did Elijah go? 

Which Heaven?

There are three heavens mentioned in the Scripture, not just one! And if, as Yeshua said, no man, which included Elijah, had ever ascended to the heaven where He came from; the heaven into which Elijah was taken had to be a different heaven! Which one was it?

 The third heaven is the heaven of God's throne, where Yeshua is today. Yeshua , being the High Priest of God, is the only one who has the right to be in that heaven with the Father. It’s important to notice why! Hebrews 8:1-5 explains that the original earthly tabernacle under the Old Covenant, with its most holy place, or compartment, was the type of the throne of God in heaven. Only the high priest-type of Messiah as High Priest now-was allowed to enter!

 The second heaven represents the expanse of this great universe-the space where we find the sun, moon, stars, comets and planets. How often do we find the Psalmist admiring the "heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which Thou hast ordained" (Psalm 8:3; Genesis 1:15-17)

 Beside the heaven of the stars, we find that the atmosphere, the air that surrounds this world, is also called heaven. Birds fly "in the midst of heaven"-certainly not God's throne in heaven-for we read in Genesis 1:20 of "fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." In blessing Jacob, Isaac said; "God give thee of the dew of heaven," and Moses joyful that the "heavens shall drop down dew" (see Gen. 27:28 and Dent. 33:28).

 This first heaven, from which dew comes, means the atmosphere, where the clouds and the wind roam. Every one of us is right now breathing the air of heaven!

 Since Elijah could not have gone to the heaven of God's throne, then to which heaven did he go?-for the Scripture reads: "and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (II Kings 2:1, 11).

 The answer ought to already be quite obvious! Elijah, "went up by a whirlwind into heaven"- not to the heaven of God's throne, but into this earth's atmosphere, the first heaven.There could be no whirlwind in any other place but in the atmosphere surrounding this earth-in the first heaven, in which the birds fly. You certainly have seen the great lifting power of a whirlwind, haven't you?

Why Taken Up?

What was the reason for this unusual act of God? Why did He take Elijah up into the atmosphere? Was it to make him immortal? No! The Scripture says no word about that! The ancient prophet including Elijah did not receive any promise of immortality prior to or apart from us.

 Notice it in Hebrews 11:32 and 39: "These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise!" And we shall not receive it until Messiah returns (Heb. 11:40).

 So Elijah was not to be made immortal for that would give him pre-eminence above Yeshua. But what does the Scripture reveal as the reason for his removal? II Kings 2:3 and 5 have the answer.

Notice now what the sons of the prophets said to Elisha: "Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?" Or as the Smith and Goodspeed translation has it' "Do you know that today the Lord is about to take away your master from being your leader?"

Messiah is the head of His called out “Elect” today as Elijah was the head or leader of the sons or disciples of the prophets in that day. God had sent Elijah as His prophet to wicked king Ahab and to his son Ahaziah. Now God wanted Elisha to direct His work, as Ahaziah the king had died (II Kings 1-18) and a new king was ruling.

So what did God do?

 He could not allow Elijah to be among the people with Elisha directing the work now. That would have been the same as disqualifying him! Since God never takes an office from a man when that man has been performing his duty well, the only thing God could do, would have been to remove Elijah so that another would fulfill the office.

 This God did do. When he was taken up, Elijah's mantle dropped from him and Elisha picked it up. See II Kings 2:12-15. And what did the "mantle" mean? In Clarke's Commentary, it is noted that it was "worn by prophets and priests as the simple insignia of their office." (Vol. 2, page 484.)

 The purpose of God in removing Elijah was to replace him with another man who would occupy Elijah's office in Israel for another fifty years. This work had to start under a new king, for Ahaziah had just died. And Elijah was already aging. So as not to disqualify Elijah in the sight of the people, God took him away from the sons of the prophets and the people, allowing the mantle which signified the office of Elijah to drop into the hands of Elisha. Thus God preserved the name and office of His prophet.

How Taken Up?

Having crossed Jordan near Jericho, Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind in what appeared to be a chariot and horses of fire. The violent motion of the wind pulled the mantle off the prophet as he was seen to ascend into the sky. You probably remember reading the promise of Elijah that Elisha would have a double portion of the Spirit of God if he would be allowed by God to see Elijah taken up (II Kings 2:9). All this meant that Elisha was to be the leader, the new head of the sons of the prophets. Having ascended into the air, Elijah was borne away out of the sight of the new leader-beyond the horizon. But…

Where Did Elijah Go?

This has been the perplexing problem to many Believers!

He did not ascend to the throne of God. Yeshua said so! Yet he couldn't remain in the air forever.

And God did not say that Elijah was to die at that time. If he were, Elisha could have assumed his new office without the removal of Elijah, for we know that Elisha died in office after fulfilling his duty (II Kings 13:14).

 The sons of the prophets who knew that their master was to be removed also knew that Elijah was not to die then. That is why they were fearful that the Spirit of God might have allowed him to drop "upon some mountain, or into some valley" (II Kings 2:16). Elisha knew that God would preserve Elijah from falling, but at their insistence he permitted men to go in search for him-to no avail. Elijah was gone! Where to? Certainly the whirlwind used by God could not take him beyond the earth's atmosphere. Neither does the Scripture account leave Elijah in the air!

The Answer Unfolds

Let us notice the next few years and see what further events the Scripture records. The new king of Israel was another son of Ahab, Jehoram, or Joram as he is sometimes called. The beginning of his reign marked the year of the removal of Elijah (II Kings 1:18 and 3:1).

During this king's reign Elisha was the recognized prophet of God (II Kings 3:11). In the fifth year of Joram king of Israel, the son of the king of Judah began to reign along with his father in Judah (II Kings 8:16). His name also was Jehoram. The first thing he did to establish his kingdom rule was to put his relatives to the sword lest they should claim the throne from him (II Chronicles 21:4). For nearly six years he followed the ways of the nations about him and did evil in God's sight. Almost ten years had now expired since Elijah was taken from the people. But what do you think was about to happen?

A Letter Comes From Elijah!

Yes, after this wickedness by the Jewish king, God chose Elijah to write a letter and have it sent to the king!

The contents of the letter are found in II Chronicles 21:12-15. In part it reads: "Because thou hast not walked in the ways of . . . thy father . . . but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel . . . and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself . . . thou shalt have great sickness by disease."

From the wording of the letter, it is clear that Elijah wrote it after these events had occurred, for he speaks of them as past events, and of the disease as future. Two years after the king became diseased the king died-having reigned only eight short years (II Chronicles 21:18-20).

 This proves that the letter was written about ten years after Elijah had been taken to another location by the whirlwind. God used Elijah to convey the message because he was the prophet of God in the days of the present king's father-and the son was not going in the ways of his obedient father, Jehoshaphat.

 The letter he had others deliver was recognized as his-proving that he was known to be alive someplace. Just how much longer he lived, the Scripture does not reveal. But in that "it is appointed unto men once to die" Elijah must have died somewhat later. See Hebrews 9:27. All human beings born of Adam, and that includes Elijah, must die-for we read: "In Adam ALL DIE" (I Corinthians 15:22). Elijah was a man "subject to like passions as we are" (James 5:17) subject to human nature and death! The prophet, being mortal flesh as we are, could not have lived much beyond his seventy years.

 To suppose that God gave him the power of an endless life of nearly three thousand years already, is to read into the Scripture what is not there! He was mortal, subject to death, and after being lifted into the atmospheric heavens, spent the remaining years of his separate life at some little-known location on the earth, living as every human being, before he naturally died.

Elijah's supernatural removal was a type of the future removal to a place of safety of another man who will perform shortly before the Day of the Lord the same work which the original Elijah did (Malachi 4:5). But the Elijah to come in prophecy is not the prophet Elijah who died over [number unreadable on my copy] years ago, but one who comes "in the power and spirit of Elijah" as did John the Baptist (Luke 1:17).

Was Elijah on the Mount?

The only remaining texts that puzzle people are those relative to the appearance of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration with Yeshua. The record of the event is found in Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36.

Leaving the mountain, Yeshua told his disciples: "Tell the vision to no man (Mat. 17:9)." A vision is not a material reality but a supernatural picture observed by the eyes.

 Moses died, and was buried (Deut. 34:5-6). Both he and Elijah were still dead in their graves, but in vision both they and Yeshua were seen in the glory of the resurrection an event to which Moses and Elijah have not yet attained (Heb. 11:39). The vision was granted the disciples after Yeshua had spoken of the glory of immortality in the coming kingdom.

 How plain the Scripture is! Elijah is dead in the dust of the earth awaiting the resurrection of the just. Elijah, some years after being removed in the whirlwind, went to the grave, but will rise again to live forevermore!