There are so many mysteries hidden in the Old Testament. The Church of Christ has been there since the beginning. Today we will see her during two famous passages - 1 Kings 17:8-16 and 2 Kings 4:1-7, about two widows and two prophets: Elijah and Elisha! But if you only have religious eyes, all you will see is in a carnal dimension, as just Bible stories. Unless you begin to get inside of the Word, unless you begin to understand that you have also become the Word, you may never see the church hidden in the pages of the Old Testament; and, for that reason, you may never be part of the continuous manifestation of that same Church mentioned in the New Testament, part of the manifestation of the temple of God. Many become one as the Spirit of God is God!
One day, I heard God telling me to talk about the oil in the vessels in the passage of Elijah and Elisha! Back then, oil made by men was used for many reasons, used in the natural, for cooking, anointing upon the flesh, as fuel for burning lamps, and many other things. But we have to see the oil as the Holy Spirit, the Glory! Now we are the vessels, the lamps, the temple of God, containers of the Glory!
Let's look at the parallels. Jesus spoke using so many parallels all the time, and He saw Himself in the scriptures as He was speaking about them. He had that understanding. The oil must multiply; the oil must continuously be poured out! The oil in the Old Testament was also very symbolic, but now, being baptized in the Holy Spirit, we see Him and experience the power of Him – the Holy Spirit!
In many situations in the Bible, we see oil being used as a symbol of anointing. People were anointed in a moment of healing. And we also see oil used to mark God's calling on a man's life. But who anointed Paul with oil? It wasn't man, but the Holy Spirit! What is really wrong is that we have a lot of men anointing men and giving them positions, but God has never called them or anointed them. People go to theological schools, get a job in the institution or organization they call the Church, and get paid by them. Many of these are man-made denominations and religious sects, but they deny the power (the Holy Spirit, the oil, the hidden treasure). They have a name that they are alive, but they are dead on the inside (Revelation 3:1).
But the anointing is not earned by studies! You can take 10 thousand classes and never get a drop of oil! There is something about being born anointed! God took away all that Paul knew, and caused him to know Him only and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)! And only then he started getting into the mysteries, only then he entered the kingdom of God, the kingdom that cannot be seen by the natural eye, that cannot be understood by the carnal mind.
Anointing comes from obedience! Obedience was displayed through the lives of these two widows and two prophets! I believe there were two purposes and a lot of revelation as we read these two stories. It is very interesting that God used oil in these two miracles that happened to these two widows, through these two prophets, with the same transference of anointing! But what is inside the actual words they spoke to both widows? Revelation!
We have to realize that when all these stories are written and shared, they are in the Bible for a Holy purpose and always for the revelation of Christ and the Church! Right here is where theologians and biblical scholars can't see past the pages! But we all are to know what the Spirit is always saying to the Church! How? By revelation! By insight and by the Spirit of God.
Look at these parallels written through these stories as Christ and the Church! Elijah was taken up, just as Christ, and then he left a double portion. Now, let's take a look at the shadows, contrast, and the revelation of this passage! Elisha is a representation of the Church, the Bride, of the Body of Christ! Someone's obedience brought a double portion, and that double portion brought corporate oil to two families run now by two different widows! We, not yet saved, represented the widow woman. Now, we need Jesus to become our hope, our savior, and our provision. The first widow was about to die of famine. The second widow was in debt, and her children were about to be taken as slaves because they could not pay their debts. So profound these two stories. Let's get to it!
Let's start with Elijah in 1 Kings 17:8-16. This is the context: there was famine in the land and but the Word of God came to Elijah telling him, "Go" (verse 9). Sometimes we become foolish virgins, meaning that we run out of oil. Sometimes, when we stop obeying what He is saying, the oil dries up. Obedience is everything! Are we not all waiting for the provisions of God to knock on our door? Have you been gathering sticks? Are you at the end of your rope? Have you been at the midnight hour waiting for God? Obtaining the promises you already have now, you just need to do what anointed and sent people are telling you to do. "So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." Verse 10
This woman was gathering sticks, and she was ready to prepare her last supper. She was getting ready to die (verse 12). Who was the last person that knew that He was going to die and had a meal with His disciples? That was Jesus, and He ate bread and became the bread for all of us! The bread of life (Matthew 26:17-30)! God wanted her to have that supper with the prophet. Elijah, being a type and a shadow again of us and Christ, asked her, "And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand,". She said, "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die." Verse 11,12
Here comes the man of God, Elijah, sent to that one widow (just as Jesus was sent to us): "And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth." Verse 13-14
Yes, we need rain to get the harvest. She had seed in her hands! What do you have in your possession? Her last possession, her last supper, turned into a long banquet: "And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days" Verse 15. If she had just made her and her son that last meal, they both would have died any how because at some point, the food would have run out. But she served the prophet! "And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah" Verse 16. Now we, as the widow woman, have a table set before us to eat - the spiritual food is Christ. Now we eat His flesh and drink His blood and sit with Him!
God said, His words shall not return void (Isaiah 55:11)! Elijah's word did not return void. He told the widow what to do, and she did it! Elijah was a forerunner of the revelation of Jesus. Elijah represents the Word of God by the sound of a voice in a carnal ear. Some people can be in this building, built by man, hearing the words that are being spoken, but not hearing Christ speaking through them in the form of the Spirit and of life! Jesus came and spoke to a multitude of people, but only a few heard and perceived it; only a few had ears to hear it! There is a difference between going to the temple and being the temple! Those who are one with the Word of God don't need to find Him in the pages because they are the pages. They are the Book that was and is being written as living epistles.
As we behold Him, we are transformed into Him. If we behold Him in the pages, we will be transformed into the Word! We are a miracle! The multiplying Christ in us is a miracle! The miracle is not what you can get from God, but that you are becoming like Him, like Christ! Religion tries to use the letter to get what they want to have. But all we want is to see the Bride being manifested! During a marriage ceremony, the husband and the wife walk down the aisle until they stand at the altar. At first, they look at the front, then they face one another. In the same way, when we get to a place of covenant, a vow, a commitment, we are placed by the Holy Spirit to behold one another, and then we become one with Him, with the Word. Another example, we can find in the story of Genesis 30:39-41, when they were to divide Laban's flock. Jacob carved out spots on the fence, and look what happened: "And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods," Verse 41. They became what they kept looking at, what they were beholding. In the same way, we do become what we behold. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18
Behold Christ and the Church! In the Old Testament, God used something to cover sin, but in this New Covenant, He took sin away! We now become Holy as He is Holy because we keep beholding Him! As we behold Him, we are transformed into Him, His character, His fire, and His image that is the power of the cross.
That widow had to obey. The promises that Elijah made for her and her family would have meant nothing, and we would have never heard about that one widow in Zarephath! She and her small handful of flour, that cruse of oil keeps feeding us up to this day! It brought provision for her whole family, including our own!
Right now, we have been fed because of her obedience. Did she say, "You selfish prophet?"…No! What if she had not trusted the prophet? She would have eaten it and died. The prophet represented the Word of God. That is how God would speak to His people back then. Now, we see the Word being Christ, and the church being the widow woman. God used Elijah to stop her own death! But she had to give! She had to sacrifice. She had to trust God, and then God did the miracle! Just like when Christ multiplied the bread. We will get into that later in this writing.
The Word was sent to her, and she followed it without questioning! We need to have the same quick obedience and humbleness. But this is what happens…The prophet comes to tell you what to do, but you believe the lies of the enemy, saying, "He has a hidden agenda", "He is just being carnal; that is just a man telling me what to do", "You don't care about my son?", "He is just a man full of imperfection. Why would I listen to him?" "My trust was broken. Why in the world will I trust again?" If the widow had given ears to all of these justifications, as we often have, she would have been dead, and nobody would have ever known about her and her obedience and miracle! The problem is that a carnal person is always reasoning, trying to understand a spiritual man, but don't try to judge a spiritual man because the Bible says it is impossible! "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man" (1 Corinthians 2:15). A carnal man can't ever and will never understand spiritual guidance. They will miss their own destiny and blessings.
That widow had to give what she had to Elijah; she had to sacrifice. How long was she holding on to that? The longer you hold on, the harder it is to let it go. Think about Abraham and Isaac…Genesis 22…so long waiting for that son, that son became an idol. Not knowing it is more important to feed your own self spiritually first than your own son. But here comes Elijah…”Don't think about your son, just do what I am telling you”, and she did! Look at Jesus Christ now… Matthew 14:13-21… "It is my chance to do an Elijah miracle now.…What do you have? Five fish and two bread…”That little boy had to believe in the spokesman of God! He trusted Him. He had to let go of his lunch. Just think what he could have said, "Man, too bad! All of these people, following them all of these days, and they don't come prepared. They did not even think about bringing food." But instead, the little boy let go and gave it to Jesus. And then he made history. Up to this day, we are still talking about him. So, Jesus took what the little boy gave and blessed it, and as the bread was being given, the miracle kept happening! This passage shows His provision, God's faithfulness, His power, and His compassion! The same shadow, the same power, the same supernatural! Now, if we want to follow her example, we have this weekly and daily bread! Obey, obey, obey! That was a test for that woman! Because of her obedience, God's goodness was shown to many generations! There was something so special about this woman that Jesus even mentioned it in Luke 4:22-28. Jesus made a parallel with Elijah when the religious people were trying to get him to prove Himself. And in verse 26, Jesus Himself mentioned the widow of Sarepta!
There was a word saying that Elijah was being taken up, and also we know that Jesus was taken up. What a great parallel! But Elijah never came back, and Jesus did! But we do know that the spirit of Elijah is here. It is in the apostolic church, in the last days, as it was written in the book of Malachi. John the Baptist had this spirit, too. It is also written in Luke 1:17, Malachi 4:5-6, and 2 Kings 2:15. The Spirit of Elijah has this purpose of restoring the sons and daughters back to the Father, back to the Word of God.
So, after Jesus' death, He went to the altar once and for all, put His blood there, for the remission of the sins for all the souls, so they can believe, repent, and receive it. There will be many Elijahs who will not taste death! Elisha asked for a double portion! (2 Kings 2:4-18) …What a hard thing to ask? And Elijah told him…"When you see me going up, you will receive a double portion." And the mantle fell on Elisha. An even greater anointing has been falling on the Church if she beholds His resurrection! When He comes with a mighty shout, the dead in Christ and those sleeping will meet Him in the air. Those on the Earth who are alive and remain here will meet Him in the air as well!
Now let's go to the story of Elisha in 2 Kings 4:1-7. This widow put a demand on the servant of God. She made sure to say, "THY SERVANT." You can see that she was already mad at him and at God. When our plans change, we begin to be mad at God. The way she talked to him was not right! Verse 1: "Thy servant my husband is dead; "… "Now what am I going to do?"; "We have been going to church all of these years."; "We have given our offerings and our time."; "We have served all these years." Imagine if she had these heart attitude? Her sons were about to become slaves because of her debts. Her husband was gone. Jesus came to replace Him, to fill the void, and to take care of this faithful family! That is pure religion: to take care of the orphans and the widows! "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." James 1:27
But God was already moving in her heart. Elisha asked her what she wanted him to do for her (verse 2). Her heart attitude was, "Of course, pay my bills, give me money, fix my situation..." But if things go the way you planned, you will never walk in faith and will never be prepared by the end time because you are your own God! This woman was getting bitter! This woman became a shadow of the church. Elisha asked for the same thing: Elisha said unto her, “What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house?”… "Are you stupid?" she was thinking in her heart…"I told you, I have nothing. I have nothing. Did you hear what I said? How can you ask me that?" And she said, "Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil." Verse 2
A pot of oil! Imagine that! Just like Elijah! Another prophet, another widow, and another pot of oil. And Elisha still had to tell her what to do. "Go to the highways and byways and get more vessels!"Just like Jesus telling the Church throughout the Gospels: "Go and grab as many vessels as possible (souls)"! Another parallel with Luke 14:23…The wedding invitation: "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
The provision, the anointing, the oil that never runs out has to do with the souls, with the crowds out there! Go and gather all of the sticks! This widow is a shadow, a reminder of the commandment given in Mark 16:15-16! Go into the whole World and preach the Gospel…
Elisha started doing the miracle of Elijah! Elisha is going to save this woman just like Elijah, and her sons will not be slaves anymore! Jesus is saving His bride. Many will be transformed. Do not stop gathering vessels until no more vessels can be found! Amen!
They waited for the promise of the rain during Elijah's time, and now the rain is here in the representation of the pouring of the oil of the Spirit! The oil you look for, you will find once you start going after the vessels out there! "Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few," Verse 3. The oil will increase in your life when you are looking for vessels to be filled! You are now that widow woman! Go and get people who are empty: no hope, no future, no joy! Go and get them until you find no more! Peter found the provision in the obedience. He had to open the fish's mouth to see that coin. Obedience! God is not waiting for anything else but obedience! The obedience we saw in both widows, but you have a hard time trusting Him, and those with the commandments of Elijah and Elisha!
Look at this: another parallel about vessels. During the wedding…six pots…six, the number of man… "And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim" John 2:6-7. Man was empty, lost, and Jesus, the Word and the Spirit are symbolized with water, the washing of the water of the Word, the living water in our bellies. When we receive the Word, when we receive Christ, the Word, He fills us with His Spirit. The Word becomes flesh in us, and we become the vessels of the New Wine spoken. It happens when we marry the Lamb, as we are the Bride of Christ. We can see this done at a wedding. Of all places, that is when we become one with Him: at the altar!
Elisha took the oil from that widow! And gave some instructions: "And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full." Verse 4 It is our job to get the vessels! To pour out! She did not think he was crazy. She did what he told her. "I am not going to get empty vessels, no, I will go and get vessels that are already full.": This kind of attitude is selfish and rebellious. Go back to the simplicity of the things He asked us to do. She got her sons to help her. "So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out." Verse 5
Are you always pouring out? Or are you always waiting for somebody else to pour into you? Your miracle is always in the pouring out. If you are always waiting for somebody to pour in, you will always be in need! She and her sons became an apostolic family! They became a fisher of men! "And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stopped." Verse 6 Now, she went to the man of God! "Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest." Verse 7
Now Jesus is saying, "Come, empty vessels, and I will be filling them up!" Jesus paid our debts. The oil paid our debts. The anointing brings the increase; the oil fills the house, fills everything! The two widow women! Elisha is a reminder of the double portion that God has for us, for the Church, and for the Bride. Go now, buy oil without price and without money! When you buy something, you have to do a trade. You need to give something. God wants our lives! We can be filled all the way to the brim! He told her to sell the oil to pay the debt of her husband. When you sell something, you need to believe in it; you need to explain and demonstrate your product. Now we are selling the Gospel without money, for free, Christ being the anointed one paying all of our debts on the cross. It should be an easy sell for us to do now! That is good news!
It is not about Elisha, it is about you! Let us all learn from these two widows, from these two prophets. Let's be quick to obey. Let's go out and get more vessels to be filled with Him, with His oil that never, ever, ever runs out, unless there are no more vessels to bring to Him! If we keep what we have, we will die with what we have! If we give what we have, we will see a great harvest coming in! The house of our Father will be filled with vessels of honor, and they will carry within this precious treasure, which is Him, because He is the oil! Let's reproduce oil out of our vessels so that it will be overflowing! The miracles in both stories were a little different! But they both represented Christ, and the second one represented the works of the Church! As a church, go and collect the vessels! The great commission! We will see the difference between the itinerary ministry and the corporate oil, the body of Christ, the harvest, and the Church! Souls now are tied to the reproduction and multiplication of the oil!
Read Matthew 25:3-4 and remember to always get your vessels. Don't fill your lamp with your own busy life! If you have a vessel, put oil in your lamp! What is the treasure in an earthly vessel (2 Corinthians 4:7)? The oil! Why? So nobody can brag about themselves!
You can't keep oil in a basket of hay (eventually it will leak), in a vessel of clay (because it eventually will crack); it has to be vessels of gold and silver (2 Timothy 2:20-21). If you have leaks, your foundation has a problem. But if you are vessels of gold and silver, your foundation is sure, and you are always ready for the master’s use! "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." Verse 21
"Father, thank you for making us vessels and showing us that we must see you in all the pages! We were in you since the beginning! As we behold you, we are filled with you. Vessels prepared for the master's use and for every good work! We received the engrafted word and fresh oil. Help us to be obedient as the widows!"
Obedience will burn with compassion for vessels. Any time, any place, anywhere, He is leading and guiding us into all Truth. All we need is to seek first the kingdom of God, and all will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33). If you want something to be added unto you, you need to be added into Him, first!
This treasure is more precious than silver and gold. This treasure is the oil in you! If you are running out of oil, do what the prophet says, do what His Word says, and do it quickly. Bring your own vessel out and go out and bring many other vessels. Because the oil that He has for you will overflow and fill many other vessels! This is way more than a double portion waiting for us. All He is waiting for is the vessels.
Shane W Roessiger
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