The Miracles of Elijah and Elisha -- #1 Quiz

Answer: Jordan

Elijah parted the Jordan River when he struck it with his cloak, as per 2 Kings 2:8. The verse states Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. Miraculously, the water "divided to the right and to the left" and Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry land.

It was just after this incident Elisha requested he receive a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Scripture goes on to tell of Elisha using Elijah's cloak to also part the Jordan River.

Answer: Naaman

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was cleansed of leprosy by Elisha, as per 2 Kings 5:1-14. (In the NIV, it states he was commander of the army of the king of Aram.)

According to the passage, Naaman followed the advice of an unnamed Jewish slave girl and travelled to Israel to meet with Elisha to be cleansed of the disease. Scripture goes on to state a messenger of Elisha met Naaman and instructed him to "go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean."

Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. In fact, Verse 14 states "his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child."

Answer: Elijah

Elijah is the correct answer. 2 Kings 2:0-12 tells of Elijah and his understudy Elisha walking along when his miraculous departure took place. Verse 11 in the NKJV explains things this way: "Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."

No further details are given.

Answer: Added salt to it

Elisha purified the water by adding salt to it, as per 2 Kings 2:18-22. After being informed the water of Jericho was bitter and the ground barren, Elisha took decisive action. Scripture tells of Elisha taking a new bowl, putting salt in it, and casting the salt into the water.

The passage goes on to tell of the bitterness being removed and "the water remains healed to this day."

Answer: Ravens

1 Kings 17:1-7 tells of Elijah proclaiming a prolonged drought for Israel and then receiving instructions from God to go into hiding as he was a marked man by Ahab and his wife Jezebel. The passage tells of Elijah going into hiding by the Brook Cherith where God told him he could drink water from the book and that He had "commanded the ravens to feed" him.

Rather than Brook Cherith, the NIV states Elijah went into hiding in the Kerith Ravine.

Answer: He threw a stick on the water

2 Kings 6:4-7 states Elisha simply threw a stick on the water and the axe head floated on the Jordan River. According to Scripture, sons of prophets of God were building a new dwelling when one of the workers had his axe head fly off the handle and fall into the Jordan River.

The unnamed worker was filled with despair because the axe had been borrowed. However, after he showed Elisha the spot where the axe head fell, things changed dramatically. Verse 6 tells of Elisha cutting off a stick and throwing it into the river, resulting in the axe head floating.

The passage goes on to tell of the worker reaching out his hand and retrieving the axe head.

Answer: 450

Elijah had a show down with no less than four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and scored a decisive victory. 1 Kings 18:20-40 provides details of the dramatic show down with Elijah and the prophets of Baal both calling on a higher power to ignite a sacrificial offering. While Elijah called on God to ignite his offering, the prophets called on Baal, the principal male god of the Phoenicians. A number of Israelites, under the direction of Ahab and Jezebel, had also started to worship Baal.

While the prophets of Baal were unable to ignite their sacrificial offering despite numerous attempts, Scripture states Elijah had no problem in realizing success.

The passage concludes with the people following the orders of Elijah and executing the prophets of Baal by the Brook Kishon. In the NIV, it states they were executed in the Kishon Valley.

Answer: True

True. They both raised people from the dead.

First, Elijah raised the son of a widow from Zarephath from the dead, as recounted in 1 Kings 17:17-22. Then 2 Kings 4:32-35 tells of Elisha raising the son of a Shunammite woman from the dead.

In Elijah's case, he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD, stating, "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him." Moments later the child was miraculously revived.

Scripture also tells of Elisha laying on the child he brought back to life. According to the passage, he prayed to God and then laid on the child and "put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands." Within moments, the flesh of the child became warm and he sneezed seven times before opening his eyes.

No names are given for the two children brought back to life or their mothers.

Answer: True

True. Elijah and Moses joined Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration, according to New Testament Scripture. Witnessing the spectacle were three of the original Twelve Disciples -- Peter, James and John.

During the incident, Scripture states the disciples saw "a bright cloud" overshadowing them with a voice coming out of the cloud saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"

Scripture goes on tell of the disciples being terrified and they fell on their faces. When Jesus touched them and told them not to be afraid, they opened their eyes and saw no one but Christ.

See Matthew 17:1-13 for details.

Answer: An unnamed Shunammite woman

An unnamed Shunammite woman is the correct answer. No details are given as to the woman's name or age, but in 2 Kings 4:8 in the NKJV, she is described as a "notable woman". (In the NIV, she is described as a "well-to-do woman.") It also appears she was unable to conceive as 2 Kings 4:14 states her husband was old.

Verse 16 states Elisha boldly predicted she would embrace a son "about this time next year."

Sure enough, Scripture goes on to tell of the woman giving birth to a bouncing baby boy "when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her."