In First Kings, chapter nineteen, verse sixteen, God directed Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor. Not only were priests and kings ordained to their respective offices, but prophets as well. Elisha was to minister to Elijah, help Hazael, King of Syria, and Jehu, King of Israel, defeat the enemies of God, and proclaim the word of God to a faithful remnant. Elijah and Elisha’s ministries covered seventy-five years during the reigns of Ahab, Ahaziah, Jehoram/Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Johoash/Joash, respectively. Elisha was a faithful servant to the older prophet and was known as the one “which poured out water on the hands of Elijah as in Second Kings three, verse eleven.
These words would teach Elijah that he was not to expect the accomplishment of all God’s purposes during his lifetime but only to prepare a representative to be ready when it was God’s will to call him away. Till Elijah is about to be taken into heaven, as in Second Kings Two, we read no more of Elisha than is told in this chapter. He ministered unto Elijah and was ready to attend him on his last journey his ministration. He doubtless received all the teaching, which God had given to his master, and was made to see how the hand of God was ever working amidst His people.
When Elijah heard this, he covered up his face in his cloak and went out to the entrance to the cave. And behold, hearing the question, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” Answered with a repetition of his complaint and showed him that He did not leave guilt unpunished since the Lord gave him the following command, as in Kings nineteen, verse fifteen: “Go back in thy way to the desert of Damascus, and anoint Hazael king over Aram, and Jehu the son of Nimshi king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat prophet in thy stead.”