Life-Study of 1 Kings, 10: The Reign of Ahaziah Over Israel and Rapture of Elijah

2 Kings 2:1-18

Elija - a type of old testament age
Elisha - a type of new testament age 

Four-stops journey that brought us from old testament age to new testament age

Gilgal - The dealing of flesh (circumcision) 

Bethel - Give up the world (taking God's interests and Christ as all)

Jericho - the head of God's enemy, Satan (God's children's experience in the victory over Satan)

Jordan - death to old man, the natural man 

"The first step was from Gilgal to Bethel (vv. 1-3); the second step was from Bethel to Jericho (vv. 4-5); and the third step was from Jericho to the river Jordan. Fifty sons (disciples) of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance. Elijah struck the water with his mantle, and the water parted so that he and Elisha crossed over on dry ground (vv. 6-8)."

The mantle Spirit

"Finally, Elijah and Elisha went to the river Jordan, which signifies death. The New Testament baptism, putting people into death, began from the Jordan (Matt. 3:5-6, 13). To cross the river Jordan, Elijah struck the water with his mantle. Elijah's mantle typifies the outpoured Spirit, the Spirit of power. The Spirit of power, which some Bible teachers call the "mantle Spirit," dealt with the river of death so that the way was opened for Elijah and Elisha to cross over."

Eventually, Elijah was taken up and left his mantle; Elisha tore his cloth into two pieces and put on Elijah's mantle. By so doing, Elisha was clothed with the power from on high, even a doule portion of Spirit as he requested. 

Dealing with the power of death (the river Jordan) requires us not to trust in our own ability (typified by Elisha's own cloth) and cloth with the power from on high (typified by Elija's mantle).

(Some materials were directly quoted from "LIFE-STUDY OF FIRST AND SECOND KINGS - msg 12)