After Elijah was taken bodily into heaven, the double portion of his Spirit came upon Elisha, who witnessed his rapture first hand.
There were other prophets who knew about Elijah’s exit but did not have a Revelation of what really happened.
Soon after Elijah’s disappearance, the sons of the prophets began to lobby for a rescue party to be sent to look for him. Perhaps the chariots of fire had suffered engine failure and had landed on a mountain far away?
Elisha refused to authorize the search. He knew where Elijah was. But they pressed until he became ashamed, lest he look like an uncaring disciple.
The search party wasted three days in a forlorn escapade, and came back sorrowful.
As it was then, so it is now. The rapture is a revelation only to those who are watching and waiting.
