Elijah
was aware that God wished to call him to himself. He went into the region
beyond the Jordon. He wanted to be alone. But Elisha, his pupil, did not want
to leave him alone. He went with Elijah. Elisha saw how fire came down from
heaven, a mighty whirlwind. It surrounded Elijah and carried him up to heaven
as if in a chariot.
As
Elisha came back across the Jordon alone, he met fifty disciples of the
prophets. They asked: Where is Elijah? Let us look for him! You will not find
him, answered Elisha. For three days they searched for Elijah but did not
find him. They came back and said: God has taken the prophet to himself in a
fiery chariot. Since then the people of Israel believe that at the end
of time God will send his messenger Elijah back to earth again.