TEXT:  2 Kings 2:1-11

TOPIC:  Your Last Day on Earth

Pastor Bobby Earls, First Baptist Church, Center Point, Alabama

Sunday evening, October 23, 2005

Message first preached by Dr. Cliffton Black            

What would you do if you knew you only had one day left to live?  That’s a sobering question isn’t it.  Has that thought ever entered your mind?  If somehow we could know that this is our last day in this world, on this earth, what would you do?  Would you do things differently?  Would you set your house in order?  Would there be some places you’d need to go, people you might need to see?

The Prophet Elijah was one of the most amazing personalities in all the Bible.  Chuck Swindoll says of Elijah, he “emerged on the scene as a unique and rugged man prepared to meet the rigors of his day.  Like few others in the world’s history, Elijah (God’s prophet of fury) stood alone, answering only to God for his remarkable words and works.  From his first appearance until his death, his life commands our attention.”

In the second chapter of the O.T. book known as 2 Kings, we are given the details of the Prophet Elijah’s final day on earth.  We witness here the final scenes of his life before he was taken up into God’s presence by a whirlwind (in Hebrew, literally “gust” or “stormy wind.” )

Please stand and follow along in your Bible or the sermon notes as I read from that remarkable second chapter of Second Kings. 

1And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel. 3Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”

4Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho. 5Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?” So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” 6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on. 7And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

            God moved His prophet around during his final days on earth—from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho and finally to the Jordan River.  Each place had significance to Elijah.

As Elijah moved from one place to another we are not told everything he did, but it is apparent from understanding the life of Elijah what he did not have to do. 

I.                   WHAT HE DID NOT HAVE TO DO

A.    He did not have to confess any sins.  There were no unforgiven sins, any secret or hidden sins he needed to deal with at the last minute.  Elijah, although a man of human passions, had lived a life that had been totally dedicated and separated to God.  He had honored his calling as a prophet.  He had finished the course He had kept the faith.  .

I hear so many say today that one day they will get right with God.  One day they will settle down and live the way they know God intends for them to live.  Friend, there are two problems with that mindset.  One, the Bible says we never know what a day may bring.  We don’t know whether this will be our last day on earth or not.  We just don’t know.  The Bible says, “Today, is the day of salvation.”  Right now, while there is time and opportunity, if you hear His voice, you need to give your life to Christ.  The second problem I have with the “I will someday” mentality is the tragedy of wasted time.  Most people spend the best days of their lives, when they are young and strong, living for the devil and for this world.  In turn, they miss out on the joy, the riches, the peace, the sheer satisfaction of knowing who you are in Christ.  I’m talking about the abundant life Jesus promises those of us who are truly His own.

On his final day on earth, Elijah did not need to confess any sins.  His heart was right with His God.  What about your heart?

B.     He did not have to run around and apologize or ask forgiveness from anyone.  Again, that was a product of right living.  I’m sure Elijah had many enemies.  In his preaching and prophecies he had offended many as he boldly proclaimed God’s word.  But he didn’t concern himself with those who refused to listen to or follow God.  He spent his time with God’s people.  He shared sweet fellowship with the sons of the prophets.

If you knew this were your final day on earth, who would you need to go to?  Are there those in your life that you have wronged, those you have sinned against, or sinned with?  Knowing that very shortly you will look into the face of Holy God, would you need to look into the faces of those you’ve known here on earth, and make your peace with man and with God?

C.     He did not have to ­­­­catch up on his Bible reading or his prayer life.  He didn’t need to run out to witness to that person he had never told about God before.  He didn’t need to send to the church any back tithes he owed.

II.                WHAT HE DID DO (Four Positive Things)

A.    He went to Gilgal to remind Himself of the Miracle of God. 

Gilgal represents the place of beginnings for the child of God.  Elijah, in visiting Gilgal, may have looked upon that crude pile of stones, where 550 years earlier, Joshua built a monument to honor God for opening a path through the Jordan, allowing the Israelites to pass over dry ground. 

More personally, for Elijah, some believe this was the place of his own redemption, and calling as a prophet.

For us today, Gilgal represents that place of salvation and the beginning of our walk with God.  It represents our roots and those foundational stones of our early Christian years.  Gilgal is the place of our first spiritual markers of life.

One thing is for certain.  No one is ready to live their last day on earth until they are ready to live their first day in Heaven.

ILLUSTRATION—Salvation, spiritual growth, calling, training, seminary, 1st church, 2nd Church, 3rd Church, etc. 

B.     He went to Bethel to remind Himself of the Promises of God.

Bethel means “house of God.”  Centuries before God had met with Abraham, then Isaac and Jacob.  Bethel was the place where the ancient patriarches heard the promises of God to bless their seed and to make of them a mighty nation.  In response, altars of sacrifice and surrender were built as a sign of each man’s commitment to honor and serve God. 

Elijah may have looked upon these altars as a way of reminding himself of the steadfast promises of God in his own life.  His altars had been at Mt. Carmel facing down 500 false prophets of Baal, at the brook of Cherith, when God fed him from the beak of a bird and at Zarephath, when God never allowed the oil and the bread to run out.

For us, Bethel ought to remind us of God’s faithfulness and goodness.  God allows all His children to experience times of testing and struggle.  He proves our resolve.  In the process, our lives are changed.

C.    He went to Jericho to remind Himself of the Power of God.

Not only was the ancient site of Jericho another reminder of God’s great power when the walls of Jericho collapsed, it was also the place where God honored the faith of a woman named Rahab.

Elijah was a man whose life and ministry was marked by tremendous faith.  Elijah’s resume included experience calling fire from heaven at Mt. Carmel, and the destruction of the Captains and their fifty men, the multiplication of oil and flour, raising a boy back to life, what faith!

Our lives are to be lives of faith that rely upon the power of God. 

All things are possible with God.   I can do all things. 

D.    He went to Jordan to remind Himself that Death has no power over God’s children.

Jericho has traditionally represented death.  It could represent physical death or death to self. 

Review 2 Kings 2:6 – 11

Elijah, as a man of faith, faced death with confidence and certainty.  He had no fear of death.  “O death where is your sting?  O grave, where is your victory?”

On Jordan’s Stormy Bank I Stand