CHARIOT RIDE to HEAVEN

STRANGEST THINGS OF THE BIBLE

ELIJAH WANTED ELISHA TO STAY AT GILGAL

   

"It was almost time for the Lord to take Elijah by a whirlwind up into heaven. While Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal,  Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here. The Lord has told me to go to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you

live, I won’t leave you.” 

So they went down to Bethel.   2 Kings 2:1-2  NCV

The people at Bethel talked to Elisha about the

prophecy of Elijah being taken away by God.

"The groups of prophets at Bethel came out to

Elisha and said to him, “Do you know

the Lord will take your master away from you

today?”

Elisha said, “Yes, I know, but don’t talk about

it.” 2 Kings 2:3  NCV

Elijah wanted Elisha to remain at Bethel,

because the LORD was calling him to go to

Jericho.   Elisha swore he wouldn't leave

Elijah.

"Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha, because

the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you

live, I won’t leave you.”

So they went to Jericho.   2 Kings 2:4  NCV

The people at Jericho talked to Elisha about

the prophecy of Elijah being taken away by

God.

"The groups of prophets at Jericho came to

Elisha and said, “Do you know that

the Lord will take your master away from you

today?” 

Elisha answered, “Yes, I know, but don’t talk

about it.”

 2 Kings 2:5  NCV

Again Elisah refused to remain, and swore he

would follow Elijah.

Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here. The Lord has

sent me to the Jordan River.”

Elisha answered, “As the Lord lives, and as

you live, I won’t leave you.”  So the two of

them went on.   

2 Kings 2:6  NCV

Elijah slapped his coat on the Jordan river, and

the water parted.  

"Fifty men of the groups of prophets came and

stood far from where Elijah and Elisha were by

the Jordan. Elijah took off his coat, rolled it up,

and hit the water. The water divided to the right

and to the left, and Elijah and Elisha crossed

over on dry ground."  2 Kings 2:7-8  NCV

Elijah's final words to Elisha, "Is there anything

I can do for you before I leave?"   Elisha

requested a double portion of the spirit.

"After they had crossed over, Elijah said to

Elisha, “What can I do for you before I am

taken from you?”

Elisha said, “Leave me a double share of your

spirit.”

Elijah said, “You have asked a hard thing. But

if you see me when I am taken from you, it will

be yours. If you don’t, it won’t happen.”  

2 Kings 2:9-10  NCV

Elisha saw a fiery chariot snatch Elijah away,

in a whirlwind he ascended into the clouds, to

heaven.  Was Elijah raptured?

"As they were walking and talking, a chariot

and horses of fire appeared and separated

Elijah from Elisha. Then Elijah went up to

heaven in a whirlwind."  

2 Kings 2:11 NCVNew Century Version 

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UZZIAH'S EARTHQUAKE

PRIDE BUSTERS 

UZZIAH WAS KING OF JUDAH 

AT AGE 16, AND REIGNED 52 YEARS.

In the beginning he was faithful to God.  But PRIDE brought him down, the day he went into the Temple in Jerusalem to burn incense on the holy altar.

"But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense."  2 Chronicles 26:16  NIV

Azariah and eighty other priest confronted 

Uzziah and demanding for him to leave.

"Azariah the priest with eighty other

 courageous priests of the Lord followed him

 in. They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It

 is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to

 the Lord. That is for the priests, the

 descendants of Aaron, who have been

 consecrated to burn incense. Leave the

 sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and

 you will not be honored by the Lord God.”  

2 Chronicles 26:17-18  NIV

Uzziah full of anger at the priests, was struck

with leprosy on his forehead.

"Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to

 burn incense, became angry. While he was

 raging at the priests in their presence before

 the incense altar in the Lord’s temple,

 leprosy broke out on his forehead. When

 Azariah the chief priest and all the other

 priests looked at him, they saw that he had

 leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him

 out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave,

 because the Lord had afflicted him."  

2 Chronicles 26:19-20  NIV

King Uzziah had to be isolated, because of his

leprosy; until the day he died.

"King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died.

 He lived in a separate house—leprous, and

 banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham

 his son had charge of the palace and

 governed the people of the land."  2 Chronicles 26:21  NIV

"The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from

 beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet

 Isaiah son of Amoz.  Uzziah rested with his

 ancestors and was buried near them in a

 cemetery that belonged to the kings, for

 people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his

 son succeeded him as king."  

2 Chronicles 26:22-23  NIV  New International Version

JOSEPHUS WRITES ABOUT THIS EVENT. 

At the time Uzziah offered incense, a GREAT

EARTHQUAKE happened.  A ray of sunshine

came down and shown on Uzziah's face giving

him leprosy.  And a landslide occurred 

destroying the King's gardens.

"Accordingly, when a remarkable day was

 come, and a general festival was to be

 celebrated, he put on the holy garment, and

 went into the temple to offer incense to God

 upon the golden altar, which he was prohibited

 to do by Azariah the high priest, who had

 fourscore priests with him, and who told him

 that it was not lawful for him to offer sacrifice

, and that "none besides the posterity of Aaron

 were permitted so to do." And when they cried

 out that he must go out of the temple, and not

 transgress against God, he was wroth at

 them, and threatened to kill them, unless they

 would hold their peace. In the mean time a

 great earthquake shook the ground and a rent

 was made in the temple, and the bright rays of

 the sun shone through it, and fell upon the

 king's face, insomuch that the leprosy seized

 upon him immediately. And before the city, at

 a place called Eroge, half the mountain broke

 off from the rest on the west, and rolled itself

 four furlongs, and stood still at the east

 mountain, till the roads, as well as the king's

 gardens, were spoiled by the obstruction."

Josephus "Antiquities of the Jews" chapter 10, section 4

AMOS PROPHESIED ABOUT THIS EARTHQUAKE  

 "The words of Amos, who was one of

 the  sheep breeders from Tekoa—what he

 saw  regarding Israel in the days of

 Uzziah, king of  Judah, and Jeroboam son of

 Jehoash, king of  Israel, two years before the

 earthquake."

 Amos 1:1 HCSB  Holman Christian Standard Bible

WAS PHILIP RAPTURED?

STRANGEST THINGS OF THE BIBLE

 SCROLL OF ISAIAH

An angel woke up Philip, telling him to go south on the desert road from Jerusalem to the coastal town Gaza.

"Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert."  (Acts 8:26  NKJV) 

Queen Candace's eunuch was returning

home, after worshiping in Jerusalem.   Sitting

in his chariot he was reading a scroll of Isaiah.

"So he arose and went. And behold, a man of

 Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under

 Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who

 had charge of all her treasury, and had come

 to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And

 sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the

 prophet."  (Acts 8:27-28  NKJV) 

The Holy Spirit spoke to Philip saying, Run and

overtake the chariot.

"Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and

 overtake this chariot.”  (Acts 8:29  NKJV) 

Out of breathe, Philip heard him reading

Isaiah; asking the eunuch if he understood

what he was reading.

"So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading

 the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you

 understand what you are reading?” 

"And he said, “How can I, unless someone

 guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up

 and sit with him.  The place in the Scripture

 which he read was this: "He was led as a

 sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before

 its shearer is silent, so He opened not His

 mouth.  In His humiliation His justice was

 taken away, and who will declare His

 generation?  For His life is taken from the

 earth."  (Acts 8:31-33  NKJV)

The eunuch asked if Isaiah was talking about

himself or another man.

"So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I 

 ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, 

 of himself or of some other man?”  

(Acts 8:34  NKJV) 

Philip talked about Jesus the Messiah.

"Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning

 at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

  (Acts 8:35  NKJV) 

The eunuch comes to some water and wants

to be baptized.

"Now as they went down the road, they came

 to some water. And the eunuch said,

 “See, here is water. What hinders me from

 being baptized?”

"Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your

 heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”  

(Acts 8:36-37  NKJV) 

The eunuch went down into the water.

"So he commanded the chariot to stand still.

 And both Philip and the eunuch went down

 into the water, and he baptized him." 

 (Acts 8:38  NKJV) 

When the eunuch came up, Philip had

disappeared.  The Lord "caught" (harpazo )

Philip away.  

Harpazo is the Greek word; and

Rapura is the Latin word; where we get the

word RAPTURE from.

"Now when they came up out of the water, the

 Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that

 the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on

 his way rejoicing.  

(Acts 8:39  NKJV) 

The Lord snatched up Philip from the desert

 road and was brought to the coastal town of

 Azotus, about 30 miles north of Gaza.

"But Philip was found at Azotus.

 And passing through, he preached in all the

 cities till he came to Caesarea."  

(Acts 8:40  NKJV - New King James Version)

FAMOUS WHINERS of the BIBLE ~ JONAH 1

GOD SPEAKS TO JONAH 

"The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”  Jonah 1:1-2 NIV

COAST OF THE MEDITERIAN SEA

Jonah hiked 60 miles from his home town of

 Gath Hepher to Joppa and paid money to

 board a ship to flee God's calling to Nineveh.

"But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord."  Jonah 1:3  NIV

God creates the PERFECT STORM.

"Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.    Jonah 1:4  NIV

Sailors wonder why Jonah is sleeping through the storm.

"All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.  The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”  Jonah 1:5-8  NIV

Jonah woke up, telling the crew he is a Hebrew and worshiper of the Lord.  But the ship's men knew he was a runaway from God.

"He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”  Jonah 1:9-11  NIV

Jonah whines, and wants to commit suicide; telling the crew to throw him overboard; but the crew is reluctant.

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.          Jonah 1:12-13  NIV

The crew gave in to Jonah and cast him into the sea.

"Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”  Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.  Jonah 1:14-16  NIV

God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah.

"Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." Jonah 1:17  NIV (New International Version 2011)