Miracles of Elijah and Elisha

Most of the miracles of Elijah and Elisha are summarized on this page.

1 Kings

1 Kings 17:1 Rain stops falling in Israel after the prayer of Elijah.

1 Kings 17:2-7 Elijah is fed by ravens.

1 Kings 17:8-16 Elijah, a widow, and her son all live for a long time eating from a tiny amount of flour and oil that miraculously never runs out during that time.

1 Kings 17:17-24 Elijah stretches himself out on the widow’s dead son, prays for him, and he is resurrected.

1 Kings 18:1-46 A contest is held between the “prophets” of Baal, and Elijah. The contest is to determine which god is real: the God of Elijah, or Baal. Elijah calls down fire from Heaven, proving that his God is the real god (1 Kings 18:36-38). All of the “prophets” of Baal are then executed.

After this, rain returns to Israel, again after the prayer of Elijah.

As the rain was coming, Elijah and King Ahab hurried down from the top of Mt. Carmel to Jezreel. Ahab was in a chariot, pulled by horses; but Elijah, having the Spirit of God, was able to run ahead of the chariot all the way to Jezreel. This means Elijah was able to run faster than a horse-drawn chariot (1 Kings 18:44-46).

1 Kings 19:1-18 Elijah flees into the desert after his life is threatened by queen Jezebel for the execution of her “prophets” of Baal. While in the desert, he fasts (no food or drink) for 40 days and nights; and walks to Horeb, the Mountain of God (1 Kings 19:8).

In the mountain, God passes in front of Elijah, while Elijah stands in a cave (1 Kings 19:11). As God passes Elijah, there is a wind so powerful that it breaks some of the rocks; then there is an earthquake; then there is a fire; and finally, there is calm, and the quiet, soft voice of God (1 Kings 19:12-18).

God declares that Elijah should anoint Elisha as Elijah’s replacement (1 Kings 19:16). God also tells Elijah to anoint Hazael as king of the land of Aram; and anoint Jehu as king of Israel (1 Kings 19:15-16).

1 Kings 19:19-21 Elisha agrees to be Elijah’s servant.

Elijah and Elisha are not mentioned in 1 Kings chapter 20.

1 Kings 21:1-29 Elijah prophesies against King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

1 Kings 22:1-40 Part of Elijah’s prophecy against King Ahab (1 Kings 21:19) is fulfilled (1 Kings 22:37-38).

2 Kings

2 Kings 1:1-18 Elijah prophesies against King Ahaziah (2 Kings 1:4), and it is fulfilled (2 Kings 1:17).

As part of this narrative, Elijah calls down fire from Heaven twice (2 Kings 1:10,12).

2 Kings 2:1-18 Elijah ascends (is taken up) into Heaven, while he is still alive.

Elisha goes with Elijah to the place where Elijah is taken up to Heaven. To get to the place of ascension, Elijah strikes the water of the Jordan River with a rolled-up part of his clothing; the river divides across its width; and the two prophets cross the river by walking on the dry ground of the river bottom (2 Kings 2:8).

As the prophets approach the spot of Elijah’s ascension, Elijah asks Elisha if there is anything he can do for Elisha. This is how Elijah offers his "final blessing" to Elisha.

The "final blessing" is very much like a "Last Will and Testament" document: it is how a person disperses the things he or she has before dieing (or being transferred alive into Heaven, in the case of Elijah). Such a "blessing" was legally required to be given by a father to his son (or, if there was no son, then a daughter, or other "birth" / "blood" / genetic relative); this was the Law, as it is written in Numbers 27:8-11.

However, Elijah did NOT have any BIRTH son (or other "birth" / "blood" / genetic relative), to whom to "bequeath his possessions"--no birth son, or other such relative, to "bless".

(Note: for two more examples of Biblical blessings, see the blessing by Isaac in Genesis 27:1-40; and the blessing by Jacob in Genesis 48:1-49:33.)

Elisha replied to Elijah by saying “Please let double the spirit in you come to me!” (2 Kings 2:9). This “spirit”, and Elijah's clothes, were all that Elijah had in this world.

Elisha is requesting that he be allowed to serve God as Elijah did, now that Elijah is leaving the world. Elisha wants to inherit the special ministry that God gave to Elijah. Elisha wants to receive the inheritance of a firstBORN son of Elijah (see Deuteronomy 21:15-17).

In fact, Elisha is asking to be treated as an adopted son of Elijah. (This is an example of adoption in the Old Testament.)

In reply, Elijah tells Elisha that Elisha's request will be granted if Elisha is able to see Elijah as he ascends into Heaven (2 Kings 2:10); and Elisha does indeed see Elijah ascend into Heaven (2 Kings 2:12).

At the time of Elijah's ascension to Heaven, a chariot of fire, with horses of fire, comes in a whirlwind to carry Elijah away (2 Kings 2:11).

Elisha takes Elijah’s clothing (which falls from Elijah as he ascends into Heaven) and strikes the Jordan River again, as Elijah had done before; and he crosses back across the dry bottom of the river (2 Kings 2:13-14).

Though fifty men searched for the body of Elijah for three days, it was never found (2 Kings 2:16-18). Presumably this is because Elijah was not just lifted up into the sky, and then thrown back down to somewhere on Earth; but was indeed taken into Heaven.

2 Kings 2:23-24 Forty-two boys that tease Elisha for being bald are mauled to death by bears.

2 Kings 2:25-3:27 Elisha prophesies in favor of the army of Israel, and the prophecies are fulfilled.

Among the prophecies is a prophecy for water to fill trenches, so that the people and animals would have drinking water (2 Kings 2:15-23). According to 2 Kings 2:22-23, the water looked like blood when viewed from a point a long distance away.

2 Kings 4:1-7 A prophet’s widow needs money to pay a debt remaining after her husband’s death. By Elisha’s word, she collects all the empty containers that she can from all of her neighbors; and a “flask” (a small quantity) of oil is poured out into all of the containers, filling all of them. The proceeds from the sale of the oil is enough to pay the debt, plus leave enough for the widow and her sons to survive on for some time (2 Kings 4:7).

2 Kings 4:8-37 A woman in the town of Shunem builds a room for Elisha to use when he is in town (2 Kings 4:8-10). Because of this kindness, Elisha tells the childless woman that she will have a son, even though her husband is old; and she does (2 Kings 4:11-17).

However, when the child is older, it dies (2 Kings 4:18-20). Elisha goes to the child. When he gets to the child, he stretches himself out on the woman’s dead son, prays for him, and he is resurrected (2 Kings 4:32-37).

2 Kings 4:38-41 Elisha detoxifies (removes the poison from) a pot of vegetables that some prophets were going to eat during a time of famine.

2 Kings 4:42-44 At the word of Elisha, 100 people eat 20 loaves of bread, and there is some bread remaining afterwards.

2 Kings 5:1-27 The warrior Naaman, at the word of Elisha, bathes seven times in the Jordan River and is healed of a terrible disease. However, the prophet Gehazi (who lives with Elisha), is greedy, and takes payment for Naaman’s healing. Because of this, he becomes afflicted with the disease from which Naaman was healed.

2 Kings 6:1-7 Elisha recovers a borrowed axe head that is lost in the Jordan River.

2 Kings 6:8-23 Elisha is involved in the miraculous rescue of the city of Dothan from the Syrian army.

2 Kings 6:24-7:20 The city of Samaria is besieged by the Syrian army, and the people in the city are starving. Eventually, the king becomes exceedingly angry that God doesn’t end the famine in the city; and he threatens to have Elisha’s head cut off (2 Kings 6:31-32).

At this time, Elisha prophesies that food will become plentiful in the city, but prophesies against one unbelieving servant of the king (2 Kings 7:1-2). These prophesies are fulfilled (2 Kings 7:16-20).

2 Kings 8:1-6 Elisha had warned the Shunem woman who had helped him that a famine was coming to where she lived, and she had moved away. Miraculously, when she returns from being gone away for seven years, the king orders all of her property to be restored to her.

2 Kings 8:7-15 Elisha prophesies that the king of Syria will die; who his successor will be; and that the people of Israel will suffer because of the new Syrian king. The Syrian king dies (murdered by his successor) just as Elisha prophesied (2 Kings 8:15). This fulfills a commission given to Elijah in 1 Kings 18:15.

2 Kings 9:1-10:36 Elisha prophesies that Yehu will become king over Israel, and sends a prophet to anoint Yehu to be king (2 Kings 9:1-3). This prophecy is fulfilled (2 Kings 9:4-13). This fulfills a commission given to Elijah in 1 Kings 18:16.

Elijah’s prophecy against queen Jezebel (1 Kings 21:23) is also fulfilled (2 Kings 9:30-37). And the remainder of Elijah’s prophesies against king Ahab (1 Kings 21:20-24) are fulfilled, too (2 Kings 10:1-17).

After this, King Yehu ends Baal worship in Israel (2 Kings 10:28)

Elijah and Elisha are not mentioned in 2 Kings chapters 11 and 12.

2 Kings 13:3-7 Elisha’s prophecy about the new Syrian king causing Israel to suffer terribly (2 Kings 8:12-13) is fulfilled.

2 Kings 13:14-19 Elisha prophesies somewhat against Israel (2 Kings 13:19).

2 Kings 13:20-21 Elisha dies, and is buried; and another miracle of resurrection happens when a dead person’s body is thrown onto Elisha’s bones.

2 Kings 13:22-25 Elisha’s prophecy against Israel (2 Kings 13:19) is fulfilled (2 Kings 13:25).

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 21:12-19 Elijah prophesies against King Jehoram of Judah. In particular, Elijah prophesies that the king will die of an intestinal tract disease. This prophecy is fulfilled (2 Chronicles 21:18-19).

Malachi

Malachi 4:5-6 Malachi prophesies that in the future Yehovah (God) will again send Elijah to the Earth; and either "...[Elijah] will restore the hearts of fathers towards sons, and sons towards their fathers...", or God will bring "doom" on the Earth. This prophecy is fulfilled (Matthew 11:7-14; Matthew 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13; and Luke 1:13-18).

Matthew, Mark, and Luke

Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36 Elijah and Moses appear before a transformed Jesus, whose face was shining like the sun; and Elijah and Moses speak with Jesus. According to Luke 9:31, the three were discussing the death of Jesus which was coming soon (this transformation is often referred to as a “transfiguration”; and the place where it occurred is often referred to as the “Mount of Transfiguration”).

James

James 5:17-18 James recalls the human nature of Elijah, as well as the miracle of the 3 1/2 year drought (followed by the return of the rains) which occurred according to Elijah's prayers.

This completes the summary.