In the Bible Elisha asked Elijah if he may have double the portion of his spirit. He was referring to the Holy Spirit that was on Elijah. Elijah told Elisha that if he saw him being taken up into Heaven by the Lord then he would have what he desired.

Though Elisha got what he wanted he did not have the same relationship with God that Elijah did. The would be a relationship of absolute honor and love between God and His servant. There are only two people talked of in the Bible that did not experience death. One was Enoch and the other was Elijah. Yet Elisha died and was placed in a tomb.

Elisha had a good relationship with God as there was no indication in scripture that he did not. There is even mention in scripture that a dead man’s body was dropped onto the bones of Elisha making the man come back to life. The bones or Elisha could then only be described as holy which would solidify the idea that Elisha was right with God even to his end.

The only clue we have in the Bible as to why Elisha was not taken up like Elijah is found in the book of Genesis about God’s servant Enoch.

And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

It says Enoch walked with God all of his years. That may indicate that Enoch did not do any serious transgression against the Lord. The Lord was so pleased with Enoch that He rewarded him with skipping the experience of death.

Other servants of the Lord had good relationships but were also described as displeasing the Lord God. Moses dishonored the Lord for taking credit for water coming out of a rock. David dishonored the Lord by taking a census of the Israelites without the Lord’s command to do so and previously he had an adulterous relationship. They did not fall out of favor with the Lord but were not rewarded with skipping the pains of death.

Elisha may have done something that the Lord was not pleased with or he may not have had the same heart that Elijah had for the Lord. It may simply be that the double portion of the Spirit was his equivalent reward. The last scripture of Elisha may be the clue.

Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. "Take the bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. "Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot. "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!" Elisha declared. "You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek." Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times." Elisha died and was buried.

It may have been the Lord’s will that Israel only defeat Aram 3 times. Elisha was angry that the king of Israel did not strike the ground more with the arrows to ensure Israel’s victory. Right after that scripture it states Elisha died. There was no fanfare or explanation but it right beside where Elisha disagreed with the outcome that was influenced by the Lord. Another prophet, Jonah, had a similar disagreement with the Lord’s will. Jonah was not taken up into Heaven like Enoch and Elijah either.