Transference of Elisha's Anointing

The double portion anointing that Elisha ministered in will be released to the messengers in the final time period of this age. The anointing that Elijah carried was transferred to Elisha (in a double portion). However, that anointing was never transferred to Elisha’s servant. Elisha went to his grave with the power of the Holy Spirit remaining on him.

“Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”” (II Kings 13:14 NKJV)

“Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.” (II Kings 13:20-21 NKJV)

While we shouldn’t engage in “grave-soaking” to seek an anointing or miracle, it is clear that the Lord allowed the anointing to remain on Elisha for a reason. The resurrection of the man that was put in Elisha's tomb shows us that the anointing remained on Elisha’s body. This is very unusual, and why did the Lord do this? What is He saying to us through this peculiar act? No other place in scripture did the anointing remain on a man of God once they died.

The power of the Holy Spirit does not remain on a person who had been anointed after they have passed away. When one’s spirit and soul leave their earthly body, they are no longer in their body and their ministry is over. 

I believe the Lord is showing us that the double portion of the spirit and power of Elijah has remained on the earth. This anointing has been buried and has been dormant, but it did remain. It was not taken from the earth when Elisha passed away but was sown into the ground that it might be multiplied, released, and given to Elisha’s spiritual sons and daughters during the final years of this age.

The grain of wheat (the double portion anointing) fell into the earth and died at the passing of Elisha. That which has fallen to the earth and has been buried will produce much fruit when it springs forth. This time the anointing will not just be on one vessel, but it will be multiplied and transferred to many vessels. At the right time, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord, God will release the double portion anointing of the Spirit and power of Elijah to His messengers who have been assigned this calling. 

John the Forerunner

John ministered in the Spirit and power of Elijah but not in the full measure of that anointing. John did not perform signs and wonders, heal the sick, or cast out demons. His ministry was only to make way for the ministry of Jesus Christ who would be the One performing miracles and works of power. John came before the “acceptable or favorable” day of the Lord and not before the day of the vengeance and recompense of the Lord.

The spirit and power of Elijah must come right before the “great and dreadful” day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5) in order to fulfill the scriptures. This day will be the second coming of Jesus Christ and a day of fierce wrath and eternal judgment for many. John was clearly not ministering in the spirit and power of Elijah before that day, as he ministered nearly two thousand years ago in the days when the Lord revealed grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Greater Works Performed by Disciples

Elisha was not greater than his master, but when he had become well trained, he became like his master. Elisha did do the same works that Elijah did, and even greater works did he do because of the grace that was given him by the Lord. This is a biblical foreshadowing of what Jesus taught and prophesied.

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:10-14 NKJV)

If Jesus said these things then they will come to pass. Those who doubt Jesus’ words and nullify the above scripture with their own human reasoning are in sin (the sins of doubt and unbelief). 

In order for believers to be the fulfillment of this scripture, we must meet the following requirements:

1. Be disciples of Jesus (He was talking to His disciples).

2. Believe in Jesus and that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.

3. Understand that Jesus did not speak or do the works of power on His own authority, but the Father did the works through Him (likewise, it’s Jesus who lives in us and who does the works through us).

4. Believe in Jesus’ words and that He will bring this to pass in His timing.

5. Pray for works of power according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the will of God, just as Jesus only did the things He saw His Father doing and did not drift off into His own will.

6. Have the proper heart motives of seeing Jesus glorified through the works and not trying to glorify ourselves.

Combating False Prophets

One of the major functions of the spirit and power of Elijah was to confront the false prophetic ministry (1 Kings 18). In Revelation chapter 11, we see two New Testament prophets operating in the spirit and power of Elijah (working great signs and wonders) in Jerusalem and confronting the antichrist/false prophet global government system. However, there will be many false prophets throughout the nations that the Lord wants confronted as well.

“And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 23-24 NKJV)

All throughout scripture, the Lord has sent His true prophets to check the false prophets. This speaks to the character and nature of the Lord. He will not allow darkness to go unchecked and always provides people with a choice. We can choose to listen to the smooth, seductive words of the false prophets, or we can choose to listen to the prophets who the Lord has sent to preach His kingdom in all righteousness.

The false prophets will be ministering in signs and wonders, attempting to deceive as many people as possible. Some of the Lord’s real prophets will function in the double portion of the spirit and power of Elijah and confront the false prophetic ministry. There will be showdowns like in the days of Elijah versus the prophets of Baal or like Moses versus the magicians of Pharaoh. 

The full maturity of evil is coming and false prophets will rise up and deceive many; however, this will not be a one-sided battle with only prophets of darkness roaming the earth. The prophets of light will battle for the souls of men and move to snatch as many souls from the fire as possible. The great and terrible day of the Lord is coming soon and so is the double portion of Elijah's spirit that rested on Elisha.

End Times Messengers

“And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. He said, You have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you–but if not, it shall not be so. As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire parted the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (2 Kings 2:9-11 AMPC)

The double portion anointing of the Spirit and power of Elijah is a difficult thing because it requires much discipline, testing, trying, and the cross of Jesus Christ working in the life of the vessel. Because of the difficulty, only God can determine if someone is qualified for this anointing and has met the standards necessary to carry this anointing. 

Those who are called to carry this anointing “know that they know” in their inward being. Years of ministry inactivity or lack of anointing do not prove anything in terms of invalidating a person for this ministry. Elijah was older before he stepped into this anointing. Elisha was a farmer for many years before the Spirit of God moved him in a different direction and he began to minister in power and do the will of the Father. Neither of these men (including John) studied in a seminary to prepare themselves to function in this anointing. The Lord simply broke in and put His Spirit and anointing on them in His timing. So will He do with this final generation of messengers. 

The double portion anointing of the spirit and power of Elijah has lain dormant for such a time as this. The anointing is for the final generation of messengers so that they can make a people ready for the Lord right before He is going to return. What sense would it make for this anointing to be released in past generations in which the Lord wasn’t going to return? There is a need for its release right before the coming of the Lord. The bride has to be made ready and she will only be made ready by the grace of God. 

Obviously the Lord has worked in the lives of certain individuals who have sought His face throughout the centuries and made them a ready bride for Himself. But for this to be accomplished on a national and international scale, the messengers must be released just as John the Baptist had to be. The Lord chooses to do things this way and use the forerunner ministries to prepare His people for Him.

When the bride or the royal priesthood has become purified and mature vessels, the ministry of Jesus will be fulfilled through them, and John 12 will be fulfilled. This is why the church needs the purifying fire spoken of in Malachi chapter 3. The Lord will use His messengers to release this refiner's fire to the church, which will usher in holiness and devotion to the Lord. The Lord will trust His bride, who has been perfected for the work of ministry, to do the same works He did and even greater works. The bride has a glorious calling to complete.

Continuance of the Spirit and Power of Elijah

Elijah never finished the ministry or the tasks that the Lord had asked him to do (1 Kings 19:15-16). Elisha completed one of the tasks that was given to Elijah by anointing Hazael as king (2 Kings 8:13-15), and then sent a young prophet to anoint Jehu as king (2 Kings 9:1-10). 

The Lord gave Elijah a command to fulfill certain tasks, but the Holy Spirit oversaw the timing of those things being fulfilled. The one who walked in the ministry of the Spirit and power of Elijah was responsible for fulfilling that task in the timing that the Lord directed. 

The point is, this ministry has not been completed and has been dormant until the proper time of the messengers that will walk in this power and authority and complete the tasks of the Lord. John completed his part of the ministry in his time, but just as Elijah had to have Elisha complete certain tasks, so John needs this final generation of messengers to complete the task of making a people ready for the coming of the Lord. Many in this generation need their hearts turned back to God. The hearts of the fathers must be turned to the children, and the hearts of the children must be turned to their fathers so that people are prepared for the Lord. 

This work has clearly not yet been completed in our generation. Some church leaders have tried to make the bride ready in their own strength and with their own good ideas. Darkness has been taking ground and stealing the headlines. But things are going to change as the double portion anointing is released. The transference of Elisha's double portion is coming to the messengers.

-Ty Unruh (May 2025)