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"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.(2 Kings 2:9-NIV)
Can a prophet disburse (transfer) his ‘anointing’ to his disciples or offspring?
A question about the 'double portion' Kings 2:9
2 Kings 2:9 (NRSV)
9 "When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”
In Israel at the time, a firstborn son received two parts of his father’s inheritance, the other sons each received one part, Elisha asked for two parts of Elijah’s spiritual inheritance , in others words he wanted to be Elijah's spiritual heir.
Elijah replied “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.”(verse 10) This means that only God could determine if Elisha was to be granted what he requested and secondly he had to show endurance to stay with Elijah at all times regardless, so as to see if Elijah was being taken away from him.
God grants Elisha a double inheritance of Elijah's spirit. Elisha stayed with Elijah and saw him ascended in a whirlwind into heaven ,that was God's answer to his request, He took the mantle that had fallen from him and put it on, this identified Elisha as the prophet of God. As proof of his appointment he later performed a miracle, He struck the waters of the Jordan river dividing them in two. The events that followed :
2 Kings 2:11-15
11 "As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan."
14 "He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 15 When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
