On Mount Horeb God assigned the prophet Elijah: “Anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat, prophet in your stead”.  And when the prophet returned home he found him ploughing his field with twelve yoke (pairs) of oxen.  He was therefore a wealthy farmer.  But when Elijah had hung his coat around him, he felt full of his power and gave a supper to celebrate his departure. 

Now began the new prophet’s calling to become a great miracle-worker. There followed a great number of miracles such as healings, rescues, triumphant battles, the awakening of a dead man, even a miraculous increase in the bread supply.  During the siege of King Benadad of Damascus there was a terrible famine.  The King of Israel wished to have the prophet killed, seeing him as the cause of all his distress.  But Elisha prophesied that soon there would be food in abundance.  Overnight the enemies fled, frightened by unnatural noises and leaving behind all their supplies that became welcome booty and helped in the end to save the besieged.  Thus the prophet grew old in his miracle-working.  On his sickbed he prophesied to King Johan of Israel victory over the Syrians. Around the year 790 AD this true Man of God died.

The life of Elisha is not as rich as that of his master Elijah.  In the writings of Jesus, son of Syrah, in one of the last books of the Old Testament, it is said of Elisha, “During his life he feared no monarch and no power of man could overcome him. Nothing was too difficult for his miraculous powers and after he had died his body still retained its prophetic look!”.  In his workings Elisha remained in the shadow of Elijah and the New Testament gives little mention of his name.  Yet he remained a popular prophet, this Anthony of Padua of the Old Testament.