Elisha’s unwavering commitment to rely on God’s power led to a miraculous restoration of the Shunammite’s son.
Elisha, who ministered as a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the mid-9th century BC, had earlier been summoned to Shunem, a village in the region of Issachar (about five miles north of Jezreel in the fertile Jezreel Valley), to pray over a young boy who had died. While in the upper chamber of the Shunammite woman’s house, Scripture explains that “Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes” (v.35). The prophet’s pacing in the house suggests a posture of intercession, underscoring his complete reliance on God’s power for the restoration of this precious child’s life.
The miracle unfolds when Elisha stretches himself again on the lifeless boy; the text narrates that “the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes” (v.35). Sneezing seven times is a striking detail, as seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or perfection (Genesis 2:2, Revelation 1:4). It emphasizes how God’s life-giving power is thorough and complete in fulfilling His purposes. This remarkable event reveals not only Elisha’s role as God’s instrument of divine intervention, but also God’s compassionate response to a grieving mother’s need.
In the wider context of Scripture, this miracle foreshadows the resurrection power later demonstrated by Jesus Christ, who raised the dead during His earthly ministry (Luke 7:14-15). Elisha belongs to a prophetic lineage that consistently pointed forward to the ultimate Redeemer who would conquer death itself. God uses Elisha’s persistent and obedient faith to restore hope and life where there was only despair, illustrating that life always proceeds from the Lord’s merciful hand.
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2 Kings 4:35 meaning
Elisha, who ministered as a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the mid-9th century BC, had earlier been summoned to Shunem, a village in the region of Issachar (about five miles north of Jezreel in the fertile Jezreel Valley), to pray over a young boy who had died. While in the upper chamber of the Shunammite woman’s house, Scripture explains that “Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes” (v.35). The prophet’s pacing in the house suggests a posture of intercession, underscoring his complete reliance on God’s power for the restoration of this precious child’s life.
The miracle unfolds when Elisha stretches himself again on the lifeless boy; the text narrates that “the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes” (v.35). Sneezing seven times is a striking detail, as seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or perfection (Genesis 2:2, Revelation 1:4). It emphasizes how God’s life-giving power is thorough and complete in fulfilling His purposes. This remarkable event reveals not only Elisha’s role as God’s instrument of divine intervention, but also God’s compassionate response to a grieving mother’s need.
In the wider context of Scripture, this miracle foreshadows the resurrection power later demonstrated by Jesus Christ, who raised the dead during His earthly ministry (Luke 7:14-15). Elisha belongs to a prophetic lineage that consistently pointed forward to the ultimate Redeemer who would conquer death itself. God uses Elisha’s persistent and obedient faith to restore hope and life where there was only despair, illustrating that life always proceeds from the Lord’s merciful hand.