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And Elijah went up to the sky in (with) the whirl
The episode is therefore clear: Elijah ascended to the sky in a chariot, and
this removal was expected and well-known by all the disciples who were in
the area among Beth-El, Jericho and the Jordan River.
Whether this is a real physical elevation is then confirmed by the following
verses - which are not normally given the importance that they actually have in
helping us to understand what really happened. They tell exactly what Elisha
did and above all what his followers thought to do. First, Elisha:
«Watching [...] no longer saw him»;
«he grabbed his clothes and tore them in two (2 Kings 2:12)»;
«he picked up the mantle that fell from Elijah»;
«he got back»;
«he stopped at the Jordan.».
The disciples, who had previously kept away from the scene, see him coming,
run over to him and tell him they want to go and look for Elijah because
(2:16):
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