The Prophetic Mantle at the Jordan River

It was at the Jordan River that the Israelites came to see that the mantle of prophet had indeed fallen on Joshua after the death of Moses. The Lord had said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5). When they got to the Jordan River, Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” And the Lord confirmed to his new prophetic leader, “This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” It was then that the waters of the Jordan River were parted so they could pass through on dry ground: “And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan” (Joshua 3:5, 7, 15-17). As the Lord had parted the Red Sea for Moses, so did He part the Jordan River for Joshua, confirming to all the people that Joshua was the prophet the Lord had called to lead the people into the promised land. Few if any of these people had crossed the Red Sea themselves—for those who had were now dead—but they had surely heard their parents talk about that incredible miracle that had happened forty years before. Now they saw for themselves the Lord’s power had been given to His chosen servant.

                The Come, Follow Me lesson this week says this: “Several other significant events happened at the Jordan River—see 2 Kings 2:6–15; 5:1–14; and Mark 1:9–11. What connections do you see between these events?” The account in 2 Kings 2 describes two miraculous crossings and is also about the transfer of authority from one prophet to another. We read, “And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two [Elijah and Elisha] went over on dry ground.” It was at that point that Elisha asked, “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” Then Elijah was taken: “As they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” Elisha then “took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan.” The Lord then showed that Elisha had the same power given to him that Elijah had had: “He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.” The people declared, “The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.” So both Joshua and Elisha showed at the Jordan River that the mantle of prophet had fallen upon them from the two powerful prophets that came before them.

                The Jordan River of course was also where the Savior was baptized. And once again there took place a sort of transfer of prophetic authority. Mark recorded, “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:9-11). This time instead of parting the waters, Jesus went into them and as He came out the heavens made it clear that He was called of God. John afterwards declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Mark wrote just a few verses after describing the Savior’s baptism, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14). John was in prison and Jesus was preaching, and soon afterwards John would be put to death. Jesus took over the prophetic mantle and the disciples who had followed John were invited to follow Jesus. The Jordan River seems to be the place of prophetic transition, and fittingly the word Jordan means “to flow down”: it is the place where not just water but the mantle of the prophet flowed down from one prophet to another.