The Beauty Of The Prayer Shawl (Part 3) Series

In fact, some scholars have taken this a step farther and said that “Talit Ha Cumi” explains why in verse 43 it reads, “And he charged them straitly that no man should know it.” What is the “it” that He commanded them not to share? It wasn’t the fact that He raised the girl from the dead, because as soon as she walked out the door everyone would know what had happened.

No, what was commanded to not be told revolved around the command “Talit Ha.” Which coming from the mouth of Jesus could also be translated as, “I as the Lamb of God, God in the Flesh, command you, little girl to arise!” – Jesus wasn’t warning those present not to tell that He raised the girl from death. He was warning them not to publicly disclose that He was God in the flesh, because it was not yet time for people to know this.

II. The Talit and the Double-Portion Power for Every Believer

Next we’re going to take a look at how the talit represents the double-portion power given to every believer. It begins with an Old Testament event that foreshadows the New Testament event.

A. Elijah and Elisha

In the Old Testament we have the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The prophet Elijah was called a hairy man. This is because he wore a mantle or cloak made of animal’s hair, some believe it was camel’s hair, like John the Baptist. He was a prophet who had great power bestowed upon him. God worked through Elijah to show His faltering children just who the one true God was.

Elijah also had an associate or apprentice – a young man by the name of Elisha. When it came Elijah’s time to depart from the earth he asked his student if there was anything he could do for him before he was taken away.

And Elisha said, “I want a double-portion of your spirit or power to be upon me.” Elisha had seen his mentor do many wonderful and miraculous things and he wanted to be able to do the same if not greater things to carry on his mentor’s work. And Elijah replied, “If you see me taken into heaven you can have the double-portion.” – I thought this a rather strange answer until I saw what happened next.

Elisha watches as a chariot and horses of fire descend from heaven to take his teacher away, and while he is watching something happens. Elijah lets his mantle fall to the earth.

So what’s so important about a mantle made of camel’s hair? It wasn’t just a mantle. A careful study of the Hebrew text leads me to believe that it was actually Elijah’s prayer shawl.

Elisha had asked for a double-portion of Elijah’s spiritual power and Elijah had given him his prayer shawl. He was reminding his student just where his spiritual power came from – from the God whose name is found written in its tassels. If Elisha hadn’t been there to see his teacher leave, he wouldn’t have received his prayer shawl. That’s why Elijah said he could have a double portion if he was there to see him taken to heaven. And what Elisha asked for came to pass. Elijah had performed 7 miralces, Elisha preformed 14. Double his mentor.

B. Pentecost and the Believer