Elijah’s Chariot of Fire:
When Elijah and Elisha arrives in Jericho, Elijah said to Elisha, “We will tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho.” And he said, “As the Lord liveth, and the soul liveth, I will not leave thee. The sons of the prophets that were in Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, “Knowest thou that the master from thy head to day?” He answered, “Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. (2 Kings 2:4 – 8)
Elijah unto him, “Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan.” And he said, “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee,” and the two went on to Jordan. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they stood by Jordan.
As Elijah and Elisha walked to the Jordan River, Elijah rolls up his mantle, the kind of animal-hair cloak worn by many of the prophets in the Bible, touches it to the river. The waters parts and allows the two to cross, the same as it did when Joshua and the Israelites entered the Promised Land.
When they were across the Jordan River, Elijah said unto Elisha, “What shall I do for thee, before I be taken away from thee.” Elisha replies, “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” Elisha tells Elijah, “Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I’m taken from thee, it shall be unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.” (2 Kings 9 -10)
As the two went on, they talked, 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. (2 Kings 11) All that remained of Elijah was his mantle, which Elisha retrieved.
Elisha had seen the complete event before his eyes, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. He could see nothing else and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He also took Elijah’s mantle which had fell from him and went back to stand by the bank of the Jordan. (2 Kings 2:12 – 13)
As Elisha also smote the Jordan River, asking, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah,” and the waters parted and Elisha went across? This fulfilled the request of Elisha to inherit Elijah’s spirit to confirm, his request was granted, and from then on, Elisha would be Israel’s major prophet. 2 Kings 2:14)
Reference:
King James Version of the Bible – The Old Testament 2 Kings