Elijah to Come by D. E. Isom
"The Dual Role & Ministry of Elijah & Elisha"
A 99¢ Kindle eBook titled, "Elijah to Come" is now available from the Amazon Kindle store. (This can be read for free in its entirety on this web site here.) The following summarizes the theme and purpose of this book:
A great deal of study and discussion has been devoted to the Prophet Elijah not only due to his being only one of two figures in Scripture permanently raptured, but because he was not only divinely designated to return in the course of Christ's First Coming, but unambiguously announced by Christ as going to return yet again in the course of His Second Coming. Just as John the Baptist was identified by Christ as fulfilling that role by coming in "the spirit and power of Elijah" at His First Coming, it is natural to expect someone to likewise return in the same character in the course of the eschaton. However, there is one other unique aspect to Elijah's ministry which is rarely studied and applied to his anticipated second return, and that is in how the literal-historical Elijah's ministry was immediately picked up and continued uninterrupted in spite of Elijah's rapture by his designated protege Elisha. In fact, tasks God assigned to Elijah while on Mt. Horeb are actually fulfilled by Elisha to show how they combine into one, contiguous ministry.
This book specifically addresses the proposal that just as Elisha picked up where Elijah left off with a "double portion" of his spirit, the "Elijah to come" will pick up in the Second Coming to complete what John the Baptist in the character of Elijah began, but with a "double portion" replaying the continuation of Elisha. Where both John the Baptist and Elijah ended their ministries of the other side of the Jordan, Elisha so begins, and replays a series of spiritual events mirroring Joshua's literal conquest of Israel. Elisha has to deal with the issue of the rapture, the cleansing of the waters at Jericho, persecution because of Elijah's rapture, and several following events, all of which metaphorically speak of reconciling Israel spiritually with her Messiah.
Whereas most orthodox conservative Evangelical commentators are in near universal agreement that a revival among ethnic Israel is a key feature of God's prophetic Word which must still take place, there is no consensus as to who, when or how this will come about. Although many favor scenarios involving either the 144,000 sealed in Revelation 7 or the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 assuming the lead in these roles, the only figure in Scripture who is specifically assigned this role is Elijah. While Elijah's ministry parallels that of John the Baptist in the First Coming, Elisha assumes the mantle and immediately mirrors what "Elijah to come" will transact in the Second Coming. In other words, the life and ministry of Elijah reflects his role in the First Coming, and just as he picked up and finished that ministry, Elisha characterizes his role in the Second Coming. 