he cast himself down and slept in the shadow of a juniper-tree; and behold, an angel of the Lord touched him and said: “Arise, eat; for thou hast yet a great way to go.” Elias looked and saw at his head a hearth-cake and a vessel of water. He arose, ate and drank, and walked in the strength[1] of that food forty days and forty nights, until he came to the mount of God [2], Horeb.
Then the Lord appeared to him amidst the breezes of a gentle wind, consoled him and said: “Return and anoint Eliseus to be prophet in thy room, and I will leave Me [3] seven thousand men whose knees have not bowed before Baal.” Elias departed and found Eliseus[4] ploughing with oxen. He cast his mantle[5] upon him, and Eliseus forthwith left the oxen and the plough, followed Elias and ministered to him.
But the time came when the Lord wished to take Elias from the earth. The Spirit of God led him [6] to the Jordan, and Eliseus accompanied him. Elias took his mantle, folded it together and struck the waters; the waters divided, and both passed over on dry ground. As they walked on, there appeared a fiery chariot [7] with horses. Elias was taken up alive to heaven [8]. Eliseus saw him
- ↑ In the strength. He was so strengthened by this food that he was able to travel fasting for forty days and forty nights, as far as Horeb, one of the mountains of Sinai.
- ↑ The mount of God. So called, because God Himself had appeared there to Moses (chapter XXXI). It was only two hundred miles from Bersabee to Sinai; and if Elias had not made a circuit he might have reached the holy mountain much sooner than he did. Probably he visited on the way some of the places sanctified by the miracles wrought by God during the Israelites’ passage through the wilderness. By his pilgrimage to the mountain, consecrated by the giving of the Law, and to other places full of mighty associations, Elias hoped to gain strength, courage and consolation for the further pursuit of his high calling.
- ↑ Will leave me. i. e. “you must not believe that idolatry is universal in Israel. There are several thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal, or who in other words have not succumbed to idolatry”.
- ↑ Found Eliseus. In the plain to the south of the Sea of Galilee. Eliseus and his servants were ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, by which wfe can see that he was a man of means.
- ↑ His mantle. As a sign that Eliseus was to be his successor in the prophetical office.
- ↑ Led him. The Spirit of God had revealed to Elias his approaching translation from this earth, and had inspired him to go to the Jordan.
- ↑ A fiery chariot. Angels snatched up Elias from the earth by means of a fiery apparition having the semblance of a chariot and horses.
- ↑ To heaven. Or rather heavenwards. He could not be taken into heaven. Like Henoch, he was translated without tasting death, and was taken to a mysterious abode of peace and consolation. Before our Lord’s second coming to judge the world, Elias will come again to this earth to preach penance (Mat. 17, 11).
