Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.  (2Ki 2:13-15 NIV)

There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”  The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. (1Ki 19:9-16 NIV)

 ah had allowed the words spoken against him by Jezebel to affect him, and so he takes off running.  In the New Testament, the Apostle John mentions the prophetess Jezebel as a follower of antinomianism, the belief that a Christian is under no obligation to any moral or ethical law, the spirit of this age. Twice God asks “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Twice Elijah gives a lame excuse that the persecution was more than he could stand and that he was the only one left.  God sends him away with a commission to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha.  Only one out of the three was anointed, Elisha.  As a passing comment, God tells Elijah that he still had several hundred that had not given into Jezebel.

Elijah was taken up, and his mantle fell to the ground.  Elisha could have just walked away, but he chooses to pick up the mantle and walk in the spirit and power of Elijah with twice the anointing.  How much more effective will the Christian be, ministering in that same Spirit and power only this time with the fullness of the Spirit.  Will you pick up the mantle and stand against the spirit of the age?