Did Elijah go up into heaven riding a flaming chariot?

Question

How many horses were pulling that thing?

Answer 1

Yes, it seems as though Elijah may have been a passenger on the "chariot" being drawn by at least two visionary "horses". The wording allows that Elijah may have ascended merely on the wind itself, perhaps alongside the chariot.

(2 Kings 2:11) Look! a fiery war chariot and fiery horses, and they proceeded to make a separation between them both [Elijah and Elisha]; and Elijah went ascending in the windstorm to the heavens.


Of course, Elijah's ascent was not permanent and was merely to the physical heavens (the sky) rather than to "heaven".

Bible students note that Jesus had to be the first resurrected to heaven.
...(John 3:13) Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.
...(Acts 2:34) Actually David did not ascend to the heavens
...(Hebrews 9:8) Thus the holy spirit makes it plain that the way into the holy place [heaven] had not yet been made manifest while the first tent [the Jewish Mosaic Law] was standing [which it did until Christ's impalement].


Clearly, those Christian accounts are discussing "heaven" as the invisible realm of spirit beings such as God and the angels. By contrast, the windstorm account at 2 Kings referred to the physical heavens (the sky).

The matter is rather obvious when one recognizes that Elijah could not have written a letter from heaven. It is revealing to note that 2 Kings 3:11,12 specifically notes that Jehoshaphat was still alive after Elijah's windstorm incident, whereas Jehoshaphat seems long-dead by the time Elijah wrote to Jehoshaphat's son (in the letter mentioned at 2 Chronicles 21:12).

Clearly, years earlier the prophet Elijah had simply experienced a miraculous transportation through the physical troposphere or stratosphere, similar to that which was later experienced by the prophet Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 8:3).

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/200603q/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001001/article_02.htm

Answer 2

Elijah would not die at the instant, nor does he bypass into the invisible spirit realm, yet he's transferred to a distinctive prophetic task. (Joh 3:13) that's shown by way of the fact that Elisha would not carry any era of mourning for his grasp. countless years after his ascension interior the windstorm Elijah continues to be alive and lively as a prophet, this time to the king of Judah. by means of depraved course taken by way of King Jehoram of Judah, Elijah writes him a letter expressing Jehovah’s condemnation, it is fulfilled shortly thereafter.—2Ch 21:12-15

Answer 3

If the chariot was flaming, does that mean he came out of the closet?

Answer 4

That was a space ship, ie. a UFO.
Just like in the Book of Ezekiel.
All cultures had such descriptions - all ancient civilisations had similiar contacts.

Meaning all prophets were UFO contactees.

See the Billy Meier story - who is a modern day prophet.

Answer 5

2 or 1
that is the number of horses chariots normally hold

Answer 6

read the first few chapters of Ezekiel it is very descriptive of God vehicles.

Answer 7

No he did not he was taken up in a wind.

Answer 8

If it's not in the Bible, why do you ask?