River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-03-09
Kings 4:25-37-March II

" one of week ago. Elisha
was with Elijah until the whirlwind
separated them and took Elijah out
of sight. His mantle dropped to
Elisha and Elisha's prayer was
answered that a double portion OF
Eliiah's spirit might rest upon him
and that he might take up, IN a
measure, the work of Elijah as a
teacher. Using the mantle to
smite the river Jordan, the same
miracle occurred to him as to Elijah.
He passed over safely. On the
other side of the Jordan he began
his career as a prophet. AT Jericho
the supply of water came from a
brackish stream, unpalatable and
unhealthful. Elisha went to the
fountain and there performed mir
acle similar to the one performed
by Moses at the Wells of Moses at
Marah. To this day the spring is
known as Elisha's Fountain.
Again we read that one Of these
"sons of the prophets" or students,
died and that his widowed mother
was in want and that the Prophet
Elisha helped her to exercise
faith. She had a cruise of oil which
increased in supply as she poured it
from vessel to vessel until she had
a sufficient quantity for all her
debts. Several other miracles of a
restorationary character are noted,
the most prominent of which is re-
lated in our lesson, namely, the
restoration of boy to life and
health. The thing connected with
Elisha's experiences which has at
tracted to him worldwide atten-
ton and general reprobration was
his cursing of forty-two youths.
A JUST REBUKE AND PROFITABLE
LESSON
Elisha did not swear at the chill
dren, when we read that he cursed
them the proper thought is that he
condemned them, just as Jesus
said to some with most kindly art,
"Woe unto you, scribes and Phari-
Sees" etc. So Elisha pronounced
woe or blight apon those youths of
various ages who tainted him. He
declared that something would be-
fall them. Divine Justice would
square accounts and vindicate him.
Forthwith two she bears came upon
the rabble, put them TO flight, and
forty-two of the mob were torn and
wounded-more or less. Oppo-
nents of the Bible read into this
that forty-two children were killed,
but nothing of the kind is stated.
We are to remember that the Is
raelites under the leadership of
their King Ahab and Queen Jezebel
had been turned to idolatry, and
that although the Prophet Elijah
had established the true religion,
the King and Queen and the major
ity of the people merely tolerated
it. These youths who had TRADED
against the Prophet were probably
the young men and boys of Jericho,
a hooGlum set ranging in years
from ten to twenty, who had follow
ed the Prophet, taunting him and
doubtless at the instigation of their
parents, seemed to destroy Elisha
influence.
ELIJAH CONSIDERED TYPICAL
Our interest in this story Of Eli
sha's experiences after Elijah was
taken away increases as we consid-
er the fact that he, like Elijah, was
quite positive and typical charac-
ter. We have already intimated a
CORRESPONDENCE between Elijah and
the antitypical priests and between
Elisha and the antitypical Levites
of the Gospel Age. Elisha may al.
so typify the Ancient Worthless, into
whose hand the instruction and
blessing of the world will be placed
at the inauguration of Messiah
Kingdoms: Princes in all the
earth" From this standpoint we
might think of Elisha representing
the secondary class of the spirit-be.
gotten ones first, and that his cross
ing of Jordan represents the death
of this class of antitypical Levites
With this view the after progress
of Elisha and his work of judg-
ment and restitution already refer
red to, correspond we'll with what
we should expect at the Inaugural
ton of Messiah's Kingdom under
the princes. The healing of the
water sping would well represent
the healing of the stream of Truth.
For long centuries error and super
stition, combined with Satan S
great falsehood, We shall not surely