In Second Kings, chapter thirteen, verse fourteen, Elisha, through whom God performed many extraordinary miracles, eventually succumbed to a fatal illness. Elisha lived long, for it was now about sixty years since before becoming a prophet. It was a great mercy to Israel, especially to the sons of the prophets, and continued so long as a burning and shining light. Elijah finished his testimony in the fourth part of that time. For the prophet of God have their day appointed them, longer or shorter, as infinite wisdom sees fit. Reality dictates that people of great faith die, and ironically, death comes through sickness to those who have themselves had a healing ministry.
The time of Elisha’s flourishing was much less than the time of his living. During all the latter part of his life, from the anointing of Jehu, which was forty-five years before Joash began his reign, there is no mention of him, nor anything he did, until here upon his deathbed. He was, no doubt, used to the last, yet, it seems, not so famous as he had formerly been. Among the universal consequences of the fall of Adam and Eve are sickness and death: not even the prophet was exempt from it.
The closing scene of the life of Elisha, after sixty-three years since his call, would be at this time very possibly above ninety. He seems to have lived in almost complete retirement from when he sent the young prophet to anoint Jehu king as in Second Kings nine, verse one. And now it was not he who sought the king, but the king who wanted him. The function of the two great Israelite prophets (Elijah and Elisha) was to counteract the influence of the Baalistic rites. When these ceased, their extraordinary ministry came to an end.