Today we are going to find out about Elijah's Mantle and the Super Mantle and the link between the Mantles and Bethel, Jericho and Jordan. We have to know this before we know how to use the Mantle which we have received and if we are even using it.
We who have read the Old Testament know that Elijah was a great prophet of God who did many exploits for God's kingdom through the power of God's Spirit. He was the prophet of all prophets and he was the only other human being who was taken up into heaven with his body, soul and spirit in a fiery chariot, other than Enoch.
We know that when he was taken up to heaven, he gave his mantle to Elisha who received a double portion of Elijah's annointing with that mantle and Elisha began doing greater exploits, than Elijah did, for God .
Here, we might envy Elisha, but let me tell you that we do not have to, cause we have received a super mantle which is greater than Elijah's.
I will first explain how Elisha received Elijah's mantle and then lead you into the secret of our super mantle. Tarry with me awhile longer and you will know what I mean.
Elisha knew that Elijah was going to be taken up, therefore he did not want to let him out of his sight. (Read 2 Kings chapter 2). He followed Elijah wherever the Lord sent him. Elijah was sent to three places by the Lord just before his homegoing and before going to each place he asked Elisha to stay behind but Elisha, not wanting to let him out of his sight, tagged along.
The first place, God led him to, was Bethel, next Jericho and the last was Jordan. After which, Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him before he departed to heaven. Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah's anointing. Note that he did not ask for the mantle of Elijah. He knew that Elijah operated in God's power. Therefore he asked for the double portion of the anointing which was on Elijah, but what he received was Elijah's mantle which carried the double portion of his anointing.
How do we know that Elisha trusted in God's power and not in the power of the mantle? When we read further into 2 Kings 2:13-14 NIV
'Elisha then picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. [14] 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.' Yes the water divided into two, just as it did when Elijah struck it earlier. Elisha asked to see the power of the God of Elijah and not the power of the mantle. Thus we know that Elisha depended on God's power.
Now before we go on, let us explore the significance of the three places where God led Elijah, where Elisha tagged along. We need to have a proper understanding of the Old Testament before we go on to the New Testament. We need to read and explore both, hand in hand.
Bethel : - Bethel is where Jacob received supernatural knowledge of God's power, where he wrestled with God and where his eyes were opened to see supernatural celestial visions when he saw the angels of God ascending and descending.
Jericho :- Jericho was a city fortified with extremely humongous strong walls which could only be destroyed by obedience and faith in God. It is the very place where Joshua and the Israelites learnt to patiently obey and trust wholly on God.
Jordan :- Jordan was the river which Joshua crossed, leading the Israelites, before the destruction of the walls of Jericho. It is a place which signifies the transition from the old life to the new life; from spiritual death to life in God. In fact it is a type of baptism. (Later in the New Testament we see John the Baptist baptizing people in the very river of Jordan.)
Now Elisha who went with Elijah to all these three places, first at Bethel, would have received supernatural knowledge of the precepts of God and anointing where his eyes were to be opened to see Elijah going up to heaven in the fiery chariot. Next at Jericho, he would have received supernatural anointing to have faith in God's power to destroy the supernatural evil fortresses of the evil one. Finally at Jordan when he crossed it with Elijah, he would have supernaturally died to himself and became alive in God, ready to receive his double anointing. I would say that Elisha was being trained in the school of the Holy Spirit with Elijah as his guide.
When Elisha asked for the double portion of anointing this is what Elijah said, “What you are asking me for, is very difficult, yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
Only after the supernatural encounters at the three places could Elisha see Elijah being taken to heaven and receive the double portion of anointing. He had to have his spiritual eyes opened, he had to develop obedience, patience and faith in God's power and he had to die to his own desires before he could receive his double anointing.
We too, the baptized Christians, have received a mantle which is far more superior than Elijah's. Why do I say that? It is because Elijah's mantle was visible but the one we have received is invisible. Elijah's mantle carried a double portion of his annointing but this other mantle carries immeasurable and inexhaustible annointing and power of the victorious, resurrected Christ. It is the 'Cloak of the Righteousness' of Christ Jesus. We cannot see it but we put it on, in faith.
In John 14:12 AMP, Jesus told his apostles, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
Yes, Jesus gave us not only a double portion but an immesurable and unending portion of His anointing. We will be able to do greater things than Jesus did, whenever we put on this super mantle and by having an unshakable, steadfast faith in Him.
Unlike Elisha, the apostles and we believers must go through the Jordan experience first before we receive Christ's mantle of Righteousness. Then we need to go through the Bethel and Jericho experiences to have our faith strengthened and to have an intimate relationship with Jesus.
First the apostles were baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. They died to their sins and received the supernatural grace of God. Then Jesus called them to Himself to show them the Way. That was their Jordan experience. Although Jesus empowered them to heal the sick while He was still with them, they received their mantle from Christ only much later, after Christ resurrected and ascended into heaven, but they could only use it after their Bethel and Jericho experiences.
We believers, met Christ at Jordan when we accepted Him as our Saviour during our baptism. That was when we died to ourselves and received new life in Christ Jesus. That was our Jordan experience. We received Christ's mantle of Righteousness immediately at our acceptance of Christ. But we will only be able to operate effectively under the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ after our Bethel and Jericho experiences.
Next, Jesus kept His apostles with Him all the time, teaching them about the things of God and opening up their eyes of understanding to understand God's ways and precepts. They had the closest encounter with Christ. That was their Bethel experience.
We believers likewise must read God's Word daily, praise and worship Him and walk very closely with Jesus to have our eyes of understanding opened so that we can see the visions of God, feel His heartbeat, hear His still small voice and understand what exploits He would have us do for the advancement of His Kingdom here on earth. In short, it is our quiet time with Him.This would be our Bethel experience.
Finally, Jesus built up the faith of the apostles by assuring them that He will send a Counsellor who will counsel, comfort and teach them and us, who will believe in Him through them. He gave them strict orders to wait patiently for the Counsellor and sent Him as promised. The apostles were obedient and waited patiently upon the Lord in faith and thus received the Holy Spirit and His power to destroy the supernatural enemy's strong towers. That was their Jericho experience. Immediately after this experience, they went out boldly, clothed in the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ, winning numerous souls.
Likewise we too must be open to receive God's Spirit and obediently and patiently wait upon Him in faith, before we can put on the Righteousness of Christ to boldly stand before the Father and to courageously do spiritual warfare and win souls for Christ. This would be our Jericho experience.
Why did Elisha want the double anointing? To do greater works than Elijah for God. To stand in the gap for the people.
In the Old Testament times not all were worthy to stand before God to represent the people. Only the High priest and selected prophets who had the Spirit of God upon them, could stand in the gap for the people. If anyone other than the high priest were to enter the holy of holies, he would be struck dead immediately. Even the prophets could not enter the holy of holies but they could stand before God in their spirits and intercede for the people, because the Spirit of God was upon them.
Why do we need the Mantle of the Righteousness of Christ? We too need the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ to enter the holy of holies, to stand in the gap for the people.
The bible says, "We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and that we are not worthy to stand before Him. But again the bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV, that 'God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.'
Therefore in the New Covenant times all baptised Christians have the right to stand before the all powerful, Almighty God, only when we are clothed in the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ. Thus every believer can come freely into the holy of holies countless number of times every single day without having the fear of being struck dead.
But sadly today, even when given that special privilege to enter the holy of holies, not many believers are grabbing the opportunity to do so. They do not recognise the power of that mantle. If only every believer used it, most people would have been saved by now.
Elisha knew the power of God which was represented through the mantle of Elijah. Because he knew it, he was able to operate in the double portion of Elijah's anointing with confidence and steadfsst faith in Yahweh,
Likewise, do we know what power the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ holds for us? If only we know and believe that there is no power greater than the power in the blood of Christ, and know and believe that we have been clothed with the Righteousness of Christ, we would daily enter boldly into the holy of holies to stand in the gap for our families, the people of our nation and the nations of the world and do mighty supernatural exploits for God's Kingdom on earth.
Shalom
Mary Augustine
