Second Kings:
Elijah parted the Jordan River with his cloak (2 Kings 2:8) and then was carried by a whirlwind into heaven, following a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), leaving Elisha as the main priest of "Israel" (Northern Kingdom) and with twice the prophetic power of Elijah. Elisha was credited with several miracles:- Also parting the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:13-14);
- Causing a poor widow to have her olive oil multiplied many times so that she could pay her debts and live normally (2 Kings 4:1-7).
- Enabling a barren woman to have a child (2 Kings 4:14-17) and then bringing the child back to life afer its dying (2 Kings 4:32-35) -- a story sounding much like modern-day mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
- Multiplying loaves and grain to feed 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44).
- Healing a leper, by having him wash 7 times in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:10;14)
- Causing an axhead to float (2 Kings 6:5-7).
Elisha anointed Jehu as king of "Israel," and Jehu had king Ahab's wife,
Jezebel, killed and, as prophesied by Elijah, her body was scattered (2 Kings 9: 30-36).
After Elisha died, a man's body was thrown into Elisha's tomb and was revived (2 Kings
13:20-21).
The fall of "Israel" (Northern Kingdom, including Samaria) and the people's
exile to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6) around 721 B.C. was attributed to their not following the
Lord. At that point, Judah (the Southern Kingdom, which included Jerusalem) still was
independent. The "gods" from other areas included Succoth-benoth, Nergal,
Ashima, Nibhaz, Tartak, Adrammelech, Anammelech, Molech, Asherah, Nisroch, Topheth,
Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Milcom, and Baal; these were being worshipped also by the Hebrews,
angering the Lord. In the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, Isaiah was the prophet. Isaiah
caused time to go backwards (2 Kings 20:11).
During the reign of Josiah as king of Judah, Hilkiah (the High Priest) discovered a scroll
of laws in the temple. Josiah restored the Lord's Temple and destroyed the shrines to
other "gods," but Huldah (the prophetess: 2 Kings 22: 14-20) told Josiah that
Judah would be destroyed because of its worshipping these "gods." Finally, King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took over Judah in 586 B.C. Thus, the Southern Kingdom was
independent for 135 years longer than the Northern Kingdom.