1Ⅲ Elisha’s following of Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel, from Bethel to Jericho, and from Jericho to the river Jordan shows that in order to enter into the ministry of the New Testament age, we should intrinsically follow the minister of the age according to the vision of the age; to do this we must follow the Lord through four crucial places—2 Kings 2:1-14:
2一 以利亚是旧约时代连同旧约经纶的预表,以利沙是新约时代连同新约经纶的预表。
2A Elijah is a type of the Old Testament age with the Old Testament economy, and Elisha is a type of the New Testament age with the New Testament economy.
3B The age was changed by passing through Gilgal, the place where God’s people were circumcised to deal with their flesh; it is the place where the flesh is judged and the place where God gives us the light to judge the flesh—Josh. 5:2-9; Gal. 5:24; Phil. 3:3-8:
41 The flesh is everything we possess from our birth (John 3:6); the flesh is the uttermost expression of the fallen tripartite man, and the Spirit in our spirit is the ultimate realization of the Triune God; the fallen flesh is the strongest and most evil enemy of God (Rom. 7:5—8:13) and is thoroughly and absolutely hated by God (Gen. 6:3; 1 Cor. 2:14-16; 3:1, 3).
52 All that we possess from our birth—not only sin, uncleanness, and corruption but also natural goodness, kindness, talent, zeal, wisdom, and ability—is displeasing to God.
63 Rejecting the flesh is the highest expression of the spiritual life; all those who have not learned to reject the flesh have not started on the spiritual pathway, and they do not truly know the spiritual life.