2 Kings Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Fire from Heaven

When Ahaziah sends troops to arrest Elijah for predicting his death at the very beginning of kings, Elijah manages to evade these troops be pulling a nifty trick: he asks God to incinerate them. An...

Elijah and Elisha Cross the Jordan

This scene is a pretty neat set-piece—and it's full of symbolism. When Elijah and Elisha cross the river Jordan with miraculous aid, the big symbol here is pretty obvious: in the same way that Mo...

Elisha's Miracles

Is Elisha just the B-Side Elijah? Even though he does many of the same things Elijah did, the answer needs to be "No." Elisha performs unique miracles of his own—think about the kid-killing bears...

The Divine Army

When the Aramean army tries to hunt down and kill Elisha in 2 Kings 6, he and his servant are stuck on a mountain with the Arameans closing in. The servant (who may be the same servant as Gehazi, m...

Joash's Arrow

Even though Joash isn't supposed to be one of the good kings of Israel, he still manages to impress Elisha favorably. The main moment where they interact comes when Joash visits Elisha on his death...

Destruction of the Assyrian Army

At a moment when Judah seems outnumbered and on the verge of total destruction by the Assyrians, God intervenes. The Assyrian King Sennacherib has practically just finished boasting about how he's...

God Turns Back the Sun

Cher once expressed the wish that she "could turn back time" in her hit song. Well, in 2 Kings, God can—and does—turn back time, thus one-upping Cher. When King Hezekiah is dying, he begs God t...