"Was Elijah taken to heaven?"

The quick answer is no.

Let’s take a closer look and you will learn that what you have been taught is just another lie you inherited.

Jeremiah 16:19 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things.”

A closer look…

2 Kings 2:11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

It says Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven, so people believe this is where he now lives for eternity, but the Bible is clear, there was only one person who had gone to heaven, never to die again, and that was Messiah.

John 3:13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.

Romans 6:9 We know that Christ was raised from the dead. He will never die again. Death has no more power over Him.

The rest of us will enter heaven when Messiah returns, at the Feast of Trumpets.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So comfort one other with these words.

So, what does it mean when it says Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind?

The KJV uses the word, “Heaven” which can be misleading. The clearer word that should have been used is the word, “Sky”.

Strong's H8064 shaw-mah'-yim Heaven: heaven, heavens, sky.

The reason for this is because the word (sky) and (heaven) are interchangeable, depending on which heaven is being referred to because there are three heavens.

2 Corinthians 12:2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows.

Three Categories of heaven:

• The heaven where the birds fly.

• The heaven where the sun, stars and moon are.

• The heaven where Paradise and God's throne are.

Elijah didn't go to heaven where Paradise is, the Spirit of God took Elijah to a different location on earth by way of the “sky”. As a matter of fact, the people knew God was going to do this, even before it happened.

2 Kings 2:5 Then the students at Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take away your master today?'' "Will you please be quiet?'' he commanded. "Of course I know it!''

They knew that God was going to take Elijah from them and move him to another location on earth. They even offered to look for him when He did it.

2 Kings 2:16 "Elisha,'' they said, "just say the word and fifty of our best men will search the wilderness for your master (Elijah); perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has left him on some mountain or in some ravine.'' "No,'' Elisha said, "don't bother.''

Elijah was taken somewhere else on earth, not heaven. It even says he wrote a letter to the king years after he was taken up in a whirlwind.

2 Chronicles 21:12 Then Elijah the prophet wrote him this letter: "The Lord God of your ancestor David says that because you have not followed in the good ways of your father Jehoshaphat, nor the good ways of King Asa.

God caught up Elijah to a different location on earth, by way of the sky. This was not uncommon for God to do with Elijah. It even began to frustrate the people, listen.

1 Kings 18:8-12 “Yes, it is,” Elijah replied. “Now go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’” “Oh, sir,” Obadiah protested, “what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab? For I swear by the Lord your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, ‘Elijah isn’t here,’ King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim. And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, “Elijah is here.”’ But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you away to who knows where.

The Spirit of God did the same thing with Phillip, listen.

Acts 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

Did God take Phillip to heaven? No, He took Phillip to another location on earth, which was a place called, Azotus.

Acts 8:40 Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesare.

Everyone who has died prior to the resurrection is asleep in their grave waiting to be woken up on the last day.

John 6:40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

In conclusion:

The resurrection is the great hope everyone has who are in Christ. This massive event will take place in God’s time and everyone who has eternal life will be raised to perfection together, at the same time, including Moses, Elijah, Enoch and everyone else.

Hebrews 11:13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So, comfort one another with these words.

God’s plan is to resurrect everyone to perfection at the same time.

Hebrews 11:39-40 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.