Elisha

The Bible in its literal sense – the words we see, the stories we read – is, according to Swedenborg, a sort of container for the divine things the Lord wants to teach us. In a way, that makes it a container for the Lord himself.

Swedenborg says that the various prophets — including Elisha — represent the Bible in its role as a container for the Lord and the Lord’s truth.

In particular, Elisha – who wore soft clothing, counseled kings, could see spiritual things and frequently performed miracles of healing – represents the loving, caring, nurturing and healing lessons the Lord offers us in the Bible.

Passages from Swedenborg

Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 395

[3]

That a robe, a gown, and a cloak, signify Divine truth in general is evident also from the following passages. In Zechariah:

 “The prophets shall be ashamed every one on account of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a mantle of hair to deceive” (xiii. 4).

 By prophets are signified those who teach truths from the Word, and in an abstract sense, truths of doctrine from the Word, and because these things were signified by prophets, therefore, these were clothed with a mantle of hair; for by a mantle of hair was signified Divine truth in ultimates, which is Divine truth in general, for the ultimate contains all things interior, hair also signifies the ultimate. Hence it was, that Elijah from his mantle was also called a hairy man (2 Kings i. 7, 8); and that John the Baptist, who was like Elias, by reason of a similar representation, had a garment of camel’s hair (Matt. iii. 4). From these things it is evident what is signified by the prophets not wearing a mantle of hair to deceive, namely, that they shall not declare truths to be falsities, and falsities to be truths, this being signified by deceiving.

[4] Because Elijah represented the Lord as to the Word, which is the very doctrine of truth, and Elisha continued the representation; and because a mantle signified Divine truth in general, which is the Word in ultimates, therefore, the mantle of Elijah passed to Elisha; and by Elijah’s mantle also the waters of Jordan were divided, according, to these statements in the books of the Kings:

 When Elijah found Elisha “he cast his mantle upon him” (1 Kings xix. 19).

 “Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters” of Jordan, “which were divided hither and thither, and they two went over on dry ground.”

 Elisha seeing “when Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven,” took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle and smote the waters, which parted hither and thither; and he went over” (2 Kings ii. 8, 11-14).

 That Elijah cast his mantle upon Elisha, signified that he transferred to Elisha the representation of the Lord as to the Word; and the mantle falling from Elijah, when he was taken away, and being taken up by Elisha, signified that that representation was transferred to Elisha, for Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, and were clothed according to what they represented; the mantle signifying the Word in ultimates, which is Divine truth in general, or Divine truth in its whole extent. The waters of Jordan being divided by Elijah’s mantle, first by Elijah and afterwards by Elisha, signified the power of Divine truth in ultimates. The waters of Jordan also signified the first truths which introduce into the church, and these first [truths] are those in the ultimates of the Word. Hence also it is evident that a mantle and robe signify Divine Truth in general. The first truths are also ultimate truths, such as are those in the sense of the letter of the Word; for by these entrance is effected, for they are first learnt, and in them are all the interior things that constitute the internal sense of the Word.

Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5321

[5]

The fact that such things are meant by ‘chariots and horses’ is perfectly plain from the occasion when Elijah was seen riding into heaven in a chariot of fire with horses of fire, and from what both he and Elisha were called – ‘the chariot of Israel and its horsemen’. The two of them are spoken of in the second Book of Kings as follows,

 Behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire came between them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven; Elisha saw this and cried out, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen. 2 Kings 2:11, 12.

 And in a reference to Elisha in the same book,

 When Elisha was sick with the illness from which he died, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept before his face and said, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen. 2 Kings 13:14.

 The reason they were called this is that both of them – Elijah and Elisha – represented the Lord as to the Word, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 2762, 5247 (end). The Word itself is primarily doctrinal teaching about what is good and true, for the Word is the source of all doctrinal teaching. It was for the same reason that Elisha’s servant, whose eyes had been opened by Jehovah, saw around Elisha,

Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5247

 [6]

Both Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, and so represented the Word itself, specifically the prophetical part, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 2762. Being covered with hair and having a skin girdle meant the literal sense, ‘a man covered with hair’ meaning that sense so far as truths were concerned, ‘wearing a skin girdle around his loins’ so far as forms of good were concerned. For the literal sense is the natural sense of the Word since it employs ideas formed from things that exist in the world, whereas the internal sense is the spiritual sense because it employs ideas formed from things existing in heaven. These two senses are related to each other in the way that the internal and the external are related in the human being. But because the internal can have no existence without the external, the external being the last and lowest degree of order within which the internal is held in being, the calling of Elisha ‘baldhead’ therefore meant the shameful accusation made against the Word that it lacked so to speak an external and so lacked a sense suited to man’s capacity to understand it.

Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 328
328. Then white robes were given to each of them. (6:11) This symbolically means that they were given a communication and conjunction with angels who possessed Divine truths.
Garments symbolize truths (no. 166), and white garments symbolize genuine truths (no. 212). This is the symbolism of garments because all the inhabitants in heaven are clothed in accordance with the truths they possess, and every spirit has a garment in keeping with his conjunction with angelic societies. Consequently, when a conjunction exists, spirits instantly appear similarly clothed. So it is that white robes being given to each of the people here. This symbolically means that they were given a communication and conjunction with angels who possessed Divine truths.
Robes, gowns, and cloaks symbolize truths in general, because they are general coverings. Someone who knows this symbolism that these have can know the secrets that lie concealed in the following instances:

 That when Elijah found Elisha, he threw his mantle on him (1 Kings 19:19).

 That Elijah used his mantle to part the waters of the Jordan (2 Kings 2:8).

 That Elisha did likewise (2 Kings 2:14).

 That when Elijah was taken up, the mantle that was upon him fell, and Elisha picked it up (2 Kings 2:12, 13)

 For Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord in relation to the Word, and therefore their mantle symbolized the Word’s Divine truth in general.

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10105
[3]

That “to boil in water” denotes to reduce truths into doctrine, and thus prepare them for the use of life, appears at first sight strange and farfetched; but that such is nevertheless the signification can be seen from the passages in the Word where “boiling in water” is spoken of, and also where the “pot” is mentioned in which the boiling is done; as in the second book of Kings:
Elisha returned unto Gilgal, when there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his boy, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds, “and shred them into the pot of pottage. As they were eating of the pottage, they cried out, O man of God there is death in the pot! Wherefore he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot, and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And then there was no evil thing in the pot (2 Kings 4:38-42).
This miracle, like all others in the Word, involves holy things of the church, which are opened by means of the internal sense. From this it is known that Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, in like manner as did Elijah; that the “sons of the prophets” denote those who teach truth from the Word; that the “pot” which was set on by order of Elisha, denotes the doctrine from it; and that a “wild vine” and the “gourds” from it denote falsities. From this it is plain what is meant by “death in the pot.” The “meal” which he cast into the pot denotes truth from good, and as the doctrine is amended by this truth, it came to pass that there was no evil thing in the pot. From this also it is plain that “to boil in a pot” denotes to collate into doctrine, and thus prepare for use.

Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3316 
[3]

That ‘pottage’ or soup means a massing together may be seen also from what is said about the sons of the prophets and Elisha in the Book of Kings,

 Elisha came again to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one of them went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine, and gathered from it wild gourds his lap full, and came and cut them up into the pot of pottage, for they did not know [what they were]. And they poured out for the men to eat. And it happened, while they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said, There is death in the pot, O man of God! And they could not eat it. And he said, Then bring flour. And he threw it into the pot, and said, Pour out for the people. And they ate, and there was no harm in the pot. 2 Kings 4:38-41.

 In the internal sense these words have an altogether different meaning from what they do in the sense of the letter, that is to say, ‘a famine in the land’ means a dearth of cognitions of good and truth, 1460; ‘the sons of the prophets’ means those who teach, 2543; ‘pottage’ facts badly massed together; ‘flour’ truth which is obtained from good, or that which is spiritual obtained from that which is celestial, 2177. Thus the description of Elisha throwing the flour into the pot, at which point it ceased to contain anything harmful, means that those facts, massed together so, were put right by means of spiritual truth from the Lord’s Word – for ‘Elisha’ represented the Lord as to the Word, 2762. Devoid of this spiritual sense the story about the pottage and the change effected by the flour would not have been worthy of mention in the most holy Word. As with the rest of the miracles in the Word, all of which conceal what is Divine within them, this miracle was performed for the sake of representing those things.

White Horse (Whitehead) n. 2
(W)ho can know the reason why Elijah and Elisha were called “the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof;” and why “the boy of Elisha saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire;” except it be known what is signified by “chariots,” and what was represented by “Elijah and Elisha”? For Elisha said to Elijah:
My father, my father, the chariot and horsemen* of Israel and the horsemen thereof (2 Kings 2:11, 12).
And Joash the king said to Elisha:
My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof (2 Kings 13:14).
And, speaking of the boy of Elisha, it is said:
Jehovah opened the eyes of the boy of Elisha, and he saw and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (2 Kings 6:17).
The reason why Elijah and Elisha were called “the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof,” is because they both represented the Lord as to the Word, and “a chariot” signifies doctrine from the Word, and “horsemen” intelligence.

True Christian Religion 223
Since hair means truth on the outermost levels and therefore means the literal meaning of the Word, we become bald in the spiritual world if we despise the Word. On the other hand, if we value the Word highly and hold it as sacred, we will have good-looking hair in that world.
This correspondence is the reason why forty-two youths were torn apart by two she-bears for calling Elisha bald (2 Kings 2:23, 24). Elisha represented the church’s teaching from the Word. The she-bears stood for the power of truth on the outermost levels.
The power of divine truth or of the Word exists in its literal meaning because at that level the Word is complete, and people and angels of each of the Lord’s kingdoms share in it together.

Apocalypse Reveleaed 573

In the second book of Kings we read that Elisha was mocked by some boys and called a baldhead, and that forty-two boys were therefore torn apart by two female bears from the woods (2 Kings 2:23, 24). This occurred because Elisha represented the Lord in respect to the Word (no. 298), because baldness symbolized the Word without its literal sense, thus having no reality (no. 47), because the number forty-two symbolized blasphemy (no. 583), and because female bears symbolized the literal sense of the Word read indeed, but not understood.

Apocalypse Explained 781

In the second book of Kings:
When Elisha went up to Bethel, as he was going up in the way there came forth boys out of the city and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up thou baldhead, go up thou baldhead. And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah; and there came forth two she-bears out of the forest, and tare in pieces forty-two boys (2:23, 24).
Why the boys were cursed by Elisha and in consequence were torn by two bears because they called him “baldhead,” cannot be known except by knowing what “Elisha” represented, and what a “baldhead” signifies, and what “bears” signify.
This evidently was not done by Elisha from unrestrained anger and without just cause, for he could not have been so cruel merely because the little boys said, “Go up thou baldhead.” This was indeed, an insult to the prophet, but not a sufficient reason for their being therefore torn to pieces by bears.

But this was done because Elisha represented the Lord in respect to the Word, thus the Word that is from the Lord. “Baldhead” signified the Word deprived of the natural sense, which is the sense of its letter; and “bears out of the forest” signified power from the natural sense or sense of the letter of the Word, as has been said above; and these “boys” signified such as blaspheme the Word because its natural sense is such as it is; and “forty-two” signifies blasphemy.