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Royalty and Ruin
Many Will Be Translated Without Tasting Death
Elijah foreshadowed the experience of God’s people who will
be living at the time of Christ’s second advent and who will be
“changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trum-
pet,” without tasting death.
1 Corinthians 15:51, 52
. As a represen-
tative of those who will be translated, Elijah was permitted to stand
with Moses by the Savior’s side on the mount of transfiguration.
The disciples saw Jesus clothed with the light of heaven; they heard
the voice that came “out of the cloud” (
Luke 9:35
), acknowledging
Him as the Son of God. They saw Moses, representing those who
will be raised from the dead at the Second Advent. And there also
stood Elijah, representing those who will be changed from mortal to
immortal at the close of earth’s history, translated to heaven without
seeing death.
In the desert, discouraged and lonely, Elijah had prayed that he
might die. But God still had a great work for Elijah to do; and when
his work was done, he was not to perish alone and in discouragement.
Going down into the tomb was not his destiny. He would ascend
with God’s angels to the presence of His glory.
“And Elisha ... saw him no more. And ... he also took up the
mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood
by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle ... and struck
the water, and said, ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?’ And when
he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and
Elisha crossed over.
“Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho
saw him, they said, ‘The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.’”
2 Kings
2:12-15
.
When the Lord sees fit to remove from His work those to whom
He has given wisdom, He strengthens their successors, if they will
look to Him for aid and will walk in His ways. They may be even
wiser than their predecessors, for they may profit from their experi-
ence.
After this Elisha stood in Elijah’s place. Faithful in that which
was least, he was to prove himself faithful also in much.
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