2nd Kings

The book of Second Kings covers the last 130 years of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the last 250 years of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It records the translation of the prophet Elijah into heaven in a fiery chariot and the subsequent ministry of his successor, Elisha. The prophet Elisha ministered to Israel, Judah and even to foreign countries.

"The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: 'Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.' But they would not listen…they rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless." (2 Kings 17:13-15). And so God gave them over to captivity by the world powers at the time.

The captivity of Israel by the Assyrian Empire in 722 B.C. is noted (17:23). The captivity of Judah by the Babylonian Empire in 586 B.C. is also described with the destruction of Jerusalem, her walls and the Temple (25:21).

Second Kings records the end of Elijah's ministry and the ministry of the great prophet Elisha. The record of Elisha's death (from natural causes) is found in 2Kings 13:20.

The seven lessons below report Elisha's ministries.