Introduction

As I was on the way with our dog on the first day of Shavuot, I passed a crossroad. While I passed the crossroad I looked up to the roof of a house, where a blanket of fur was spread out of an open window from a room and covered the roof like liquid, that was poured out.

As I saw it, I got reminded of the mantle of Elijah, which Elisha received as a double portion but also on the day of Pentecost as the apostles and the other 120 saints got filled in the upper room with the Holy Ghost and with fire (see 2 Kings 2:6-15 in conjunction with Acts 2:1-13).

Pentecost and the number “50”

Before I begin to share more about the supernatural visitation at Pentecost I want to mention, that Pentecost is linked to the number “50” which means in the Greek “pentekosté- the fiftieth day”.
It was on the fiftieth day, that is also called “Shavuot- The fest of weeks/ 7 weeks/ 49 days” where the people of Israel remember and celebrate the giving of the Torah (note: means “teaching of God”) by God on the mount Sinai/ Horeb to Moses.
The giving of the Torah was also connected to the fire and the height like it happened in the time of Pentecost in the upper room in Jerusalem (see Exodus 19:16-19).

Exodus 19:16-19 (NIV):
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.
19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him (note: with thunder).

The mantle of Elijah

I want now to connect Pentecost with the mantle of the prophet Elijah, that was passed on to the prophet Elisha.
The mantle of Elijah was made from goat fur, which is also close connected to the covering of the Tabernacle (see 2 Kings 1:8 in conjunction with Exodus 26:7).

2 Kings 1:8 (NIV):
8 They replied, “He had a garment of hair (note: of goat fur) and had a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

Exodus 26:7 (NIV):
7 “Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether.

The Gershonites and the covering of the Tabernacle

The responsibility for the coverings of the Tabernacle had the Gershonites (note: means “banishment”), which also reflects the power of God’s love, that drives out all fear and this is Jesus Christ (see Numbers 4:24-26 in conjunction with 1 John 4:18; John 3:16).

Numbers 4:24-26 (NIV):
24 “This is the service of the Gershonite clans in their carrying and their other work: 25 They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, that is, the tent of meeting, its covering and its outer covering of durable leather, the curtains for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the curtains of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes and all the equipment used in the service of the tent. The Gershonites are to do all that needs to be done with these things.

1 John 4:18 (NIV):
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

John 3:16 (NIV):
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The close connection from the mantle of Elijah to the Tabernacle shows, that the prophet is in close relationship and love with God. He carries a high burden for the house of God on earth but also an anointing like a firewall of a computer to protect the house of God from the influence of corruption from the outside (see Isaiah 62:6-7).

Isaiah 62:6-7 (NIV):
6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

It is not a coincidence, that the curtains of the Tabernacle were altogether eleven, because the number “11” is amongst other explanations symbolizing the number of the office of the prophet.
The reason for this is, that the number “12” is the number of the apostle, which is the “leading office” in the church. To find out the number of the prophet, we have to count down from “12”, because it is the second named office in the church (see Ephesians 2:20; Ephesians 4:11).

Ephesians 2:20 (NIV):
… 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 4:11 (NIV):
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, …

The prophetic knowing by the prophet’s disciples

As Elijah passed his mantle on to Elisha, he stopped at different places (note: left Gilgal, stopped at Bethel, Jericho and at least the Jordan area), where the prophet’s disciples had the revelatory insight, that a prophetic season was about to end and a new season beginning (see 2 Kings 2:3.5).

2 Kings 2:3.5 (NIV):
3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” ...
5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

I would describe the movement of the two prophets in this ending season as a “crossroad movement”, which was a reflection or revelation for the time of change.

The mantle of Elijah and the fire

It is interesting to study about the description of the substance of the mantle of Elijah as it was mentioned in 2 Kings 1:8 (note: goat fur).
This description is the last statement about the activity of Elijah’s mantle in public towards the people, who were in governmental authority, which is connected to the number “50” as well as the upper room and the falling of fire from Heaven.
We can read about it in 2 Kings 1.
In this season, the political leader over Samaria, Ahaziah (means: “JAHWE has seized/ taken.”) began to ask a demonic source (Beelzebub- "Lord of the flies”, the “God” of Ekron- “eradication, torn up by the roots”) for revelatory guidance, because of an accident, where he fell through a lattice of his upper room (see 1 Kings 1:1-2).

2 Kings 1:1-2 (NIV):
1 After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

The two captains and the consuming fire from Heaven

Because of the asking of king Ahaziah Elijah’s anointing as a prophet got into action to tell him, that he would die. Before this happened, king Ahaziah send three times captains over 50 people to Elijah to ask him to come down to him. Two times the captains and their people got consumed with fire from heaven (see 2 Kings 1:9-12 in conjunction with Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:28-29).

2 Kings 1:9-12 (NIV):
9 Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’ ”
10 Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and con-sume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.
11 At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’ ”
12 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

Deuteronomy 4:24 (NIV):
24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV):
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

The honoring of the prophet by the third captain

On the basis of the result of the consuming fire from heaven, we can see, that the first two captains were not honoring the prophet, because they were close connected to the asking of their king Ahaziah.
But the third captain and his unit of “50” had the right heart attitude. They were humble and honoring the prophetic anointing.
Because of this, they got not consumed by the fire from heaven and opened the way for the manifestation of the word of the prophet to the king Ahaziah (means: “JAHWE has seized/ taken.” - the open hand of God coming down) as well as for the new governmental administration “Joram” (means: “JAHWE is exalted.” - the open hands of people are lifted up= praise, worship and adoration; see 2 Kings 1:13-17).

2 Kings 1:13-17 (NIV):
13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants!
14 See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”
15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
16 He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”
17 So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.

The Hebrew letter “Tzadik” and the third captain

The behavior of the third captain and his unit of “50”  is connected to the 18`th Hebrew letter called “Tzadik”, which carries the value of “90” and means “to chase, to destroy, side, next to, righteous, innocent, righteous one”. The letter symbolizes “a hook or a kneeling righteous person with lifted arms” and is close connected with the “overcoming of hindrances similar like a locust, that is jumping”.

This revelation means for our time, that the third captain with his “50” people opened up by his righteous act of honoring the “spirit of prophecy”, which is the testimony of Jesus (see Revelation 19:10), a new movement of the Holy Spirit.
He brought up with the “hook of righteousness” the “gold in the mouth of the fish” (see Matthew 17:27)!
It is also not a coincidence, that Peter quoted in the time of Pentecost the book of the prophet Joel (see Acts 2:14-21).

The number “50” and the breadth of the ark of Noah

The number “50” is appearing the first time in the Bible in Genesis 6:15-16 and is connected with the breadth/ width of the ark of Noah.
The breadth was the carrier or securing power for the height of the ark of Noah (see Genesis 6:15-16).

Genesis 6:15-16 (NIV):
15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.
16 A window you shall make to the ark, and in a cubit you shall finish it above; and the door of the ark you shall set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories you shall make it.

It is also carrying the power of the outstretched arms of God through his send love Jesus at the mid-dle cross of Calvary and the redemption of the one criminal, who was crucified next to the side of Jesus (see Luke 23:40-43)!
The “breadth” is one part of the force, that drives out all fear and doubt (see John 20:24-28).

The story of Ahaziah is showing, that we can only receive the increase of the Holy Spirit if we are right positioned and have not fallen apart from the first love (see Revelation 2:4-5).
If we have, we have to come back into the structure of “Joram - praise, worship, adoration”!

The time before and of Pentecost

If we look to the time of Shavuot/ Pentecost, we can see, that these feasts are connected to 50 days after which the fire of God fell.
At the end of the time of the ministry of Elijah, we can also see, that this phase of time was close connected to the number “50” and the falling of fire.
Before Elisha went with Elijah to the Jordan area, where he was taken to Heaven, Elijah had one task to do as I mentioned above with king Ahaziah.
At this time of his last public task, the number “50” went before the outpouring of the fire from Heaven and this also happened while Elisha was in the process to enter into the “double prophet portion” of Elijah.
It is written in 2 Kings 2:7, that “50” men of the company of the prophets were looking from the distance to the Jordan on the coming prophetic change, that they would receive (note: Elisha).

2 Kings 2:7 (NIV):
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.

The place, where they were looking to two prophets of God, they saw and received later the new double prophetic movement of God- Elisha (see 2 Kings 2:15).

2 Kings 2:15 (NIV):
15 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.

I believe, that it is not a coincidence, that God put between the occasion of the wind and the fire by which Elijah was taken to Heaven on the other side of the Jordan the 50 men of the company of the prophets and the 50 “able men”, who were searching after the “old structure- Elijah” (see 2 Kings 2:16-18).

2 Kings 2:16-18 (NIV):
16 “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master.
17 But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him.
18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

God is saying through this situation of the searching by the “50 able men”, that we should not search after the old structure (Elijah: “God is JAHWE!”= statement of truth) but moving in God’s  new given structure (Elischa: “My God is salvation!”=  statement of testimony= experience of salvation), that is bringing us to a new place like the ship with the sign of the twins in the time of Paul (note: double portion; see Acts 28:11).

Acts 28:11 (NIV):
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexan-drian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.

Rome, the place of the apostolic house

Rome was the season of the “apostolic house-ministry” with angelic assistance (see Acts 28:16.23. 30)!

Acts 28:16.23.30 (NIV):
16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

The folded and unfolded mantle of the prophet

At least I would like to describe the time before Pentecost as the time of the folded goat fur mantle of Elijah and the time from Pentecost on as the time of the unfolded mantle of Elijah, which is now the mantle of Elisha, that means the double portion (see 2 Kings 2:8-14 in conjunction with Isaiah 61:7).

2 Kings 2:8-14 (NIV):
8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire ap-peared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13 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.

Isaiah 61:7 (NIV):
7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

The double portion is the portion to be equipped to leave an old place and to step into the new place to equip others.

Amen and Amen.

In His wisdom and glory,

Daniel Glimm