2 Kings 6:17, commentary and pictures

At Dothan Elisha was shut in with escape cut off by a Syrian host sent to seize him because he had exposed the king's secret plans against Israel. At his prayer the Lord opened his servant's eyes and he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. These are holy angels, the army of Heaven sent in mighty power to minister to the heirs of salvation, who encamp about God's weak ones and stand between them and armed foes. Their guard is ordinarily unseen because a veil separates the visible from the invisible world, yet the faithful are shut in with God and securely shielded though they do not know it. Those with God's servant are more than his enemies, so remembering this banishes fear and calls His people to stand firm and be of good cheer, knowing the same hosts are as ready to help today.

Surrounded at Dothan

The setting is Dothan, where the king of Syria sent horses and chariots and a great host to seize Elisha because Elisha had defeated his armies against Israel by revealing his secret ambushes. Messengers from the throne of God are sent to earth for the uplifting of fallen humanity on a mission to guard the Lord's chosen servants, and God is an ever-present Helper who delivered His servant in difficulty and trial.

Elisha was shut in a little town with escape cut off by a hostile Syrian army boldly advancing and encircling the city, while the soldiers were ignorant of the heavenly hosts around him. The chariots and horses of fire were sent to Elisha on a mission of mercy to the child of God, surrounding the place where he was shut in by his foes as one of the proofs in all ages that holy angels minister to God's people, shielding the righteous and assuring those exposed to evil of unceasing guardianship. The hills around him were filled with God's horses and chariots of fire though the Syrian army surrounded the city, showing that heavenly help and protection may be present even when it cannot be seen, guarding Christ's faithful followers and delivering those who love God from dangers both seen and unseen.

At Elisha's prayer the Lord opened the young man's eyes and he saw the mountain and hills full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. God can open a person's eyes to see that heavenly forces are protecting His servant even when danger appears overwhelming, and God's unseen armies surrounded Elisha and were ready to help him. The opened sight revealed the heavenly host of fiery horses and chariots surrounding Elisha and standing between God's servant and the armed Syrian forces, revealing that those with Elisha were more numerous than his enemies. Christ commands the angelic host and the armies of heaven, so those who stand with Him are with the majority, and God's servants are aided by heavenly forces they may not see, with angels standing ready to help at God's command.

The same heavenly presence of comforting, sympathetic angels that surrounded Elisha at Dothan, though unseen until God opened his servant's eyes, sustained him during his final illness. Elisha was true to principle and true to God and his work bore the divine credentials, making his deliverance a lesson of admonition for those on whom the ends of the world are come.

Angels Encamped Around

The horses and chariots of fire are holy angels, the army of Heaven, the heavenly host sent from the throne and the royal courts in mighty power on a mission of mercy to earth for the uplifting of fallen humanity. They came down to Elisha shut in the little town at Dothan and surrounded him, stationed to protect the man of God as marked evidence of divine presence and aid. They leave the royal courts to encamp in the valleys in chariots of fire, a vast army round about those who love and fear God.

They encamp round about the Lord's weak and helpless ones and stand between God's servants and armed foes. By their brightness and glory they hold in check the hosts and forces of darkness, forcing the wicked and evil angels to fall back. Their light and power continually preserve God's people while evil angels press near to tempt and overthrow them.

Their mission is to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation and to support humanity. They come not to consume, not to despise, not to rule or exact homage, and not to require worship from man. They shield the righteous and assure those exposed to evil of unceasing guardianship.

This guardianship is ordinarily unseen, for a veil separates the visible world from the invisible world, but God can open human eyes to reveal it. Heaven's watchers are present even when they cannot be seen, attending human beings in ordinary places and gatherings and observing what is said and done. They are present when the Bible is handled, so it should be treated as holy and life lived with reverence.

Opened sight reveals both the angels' intense concern for souls and the forces of darkness being held back. Evil angels are also near, seeking to tempt and overthrow, while Satan goes forth as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. In the congregation good angels seek to impress hearts while evil angels try to undermine the message of truth.

The same angelic guard protected the workers in the cause of the Reformation when principalities and powers and wicked spirits in high places were leagued against them. Because God had commanded His servants to build, no opposing force could drive them from the walls. The mountain's fiery horses and chariots around Elisha illustrate how those workers were likewise guarded by angels as they worked.

Unseen angels of God were present in the midst of the assembly at the Diet at Worms, shedding beams of light across the darkness of error and opening minds and hearts to receive truth. The power of the God of truth and wisdom controlled even the adversaries of the Reformation to prepare the way for the great work to be accomplished. Though Martin Luther was not present, One greater than any human leader made His voice heard in that assembly.

Heaven's watchers attend church assemblies, including business meetings, and would be seen if eyes were opened as were the eyes of Elisha's servant. Good angels are present seeking to impress hearts. Realizing this unseen heavenly presence should end stubborn clinging to personal opinions that retard the meeting and the work, and bring more real prayer, solemn consideration of weighty matters, an elevated tone, and united planning for the advancement of saving souls.

Trusting Unseen Guardianship

God's faithful, praying ones are shut in with God and securely shielded though they themselves do not know it. As the servant's eyes were opened at Dothan to see the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha, so their eyes if opened would see angels encamped around them holding back the forces of darkness by brightness and glory. That protection is present even when it cannot be seen, for the hills were filled with fiery horses and chariots while the Syrian army encircled the city. Remembering this story can banish fear, since heavenly help guards Christ's faithful followers from dangers both seen and unseen.

More than human forces fight on the side of right, though those heavenly helpers may be unseen when the powers of darkness oppose. God's people can therefore stand firm and be of good cheer. The angelic hosts that surrounded Elisha are just as ready to help today, to be remembered when discouragement comes.

In the saints' time of anguish the wicked will appear to surround them and threaten their lives, but they will in fact be surrounded by God's mighty, holy angels. Those angels will stand between the saints and their attackers, forcing the wicked and evil angels to fall back. For while rulers of this world, urged on by Satan, seek to destroy the faithful, angels guard Christ's followers and deliver those who love God from dangers both seen and unseen.

Angels watch over God's appointed work and its workers, a guardianship ordinarily unseen until God opens human eyes. Therefore Scripture is to be treated as holy when handling the Bible, and life lived with reverence. If the veil separating the visible world from the invisible world were lifted, God's people would behold the controversy going on between Christ and holy angels and Satan and his evil hosts concerning the redemption of man. They would understand God's wonderful work to rescue souls from the bondage of sin and the constant exercise of His power for their protection from the malice of the evil one. Seeing this would better prepare them to withstand the devices of Satan, solemnize their minds in view of the vast extent and importance of the plan of redemption and the greatness of their work as colaborers with Christ, and humble yet encourage them knowing that all heaven is interested in their salvation.

With restored spiritual vision people would recognize the heavenly agencies at work, the angels' intense concern for souls and the forces of darkness being held back, and would commit their influence to Christ without delay. The prayer to open eyes is also needed for one who discards the way of the Lord for his own imagined best way, when a right way and a wrong way of doing the work lie before him. Such a one acts like a perverse, self-willed, stubborn child who despises counsel and reproof and needs to see clearly and not as the world sees. Opened eyes would turn him from walking in the sparks of his own kindling to lie down in sorrow, for his entire future for good or for evil is influenced by the path he now chooses.