2nd Kings 13:14-21 Knocking on Heaven's Door

January 12, 2023

Jeff Harrington

One of Bob Dylan’s most often-covered songs is “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”. Over 150 artists have covered the song. The song was initially written in 1973 to be used in Sam Peckinpah’s western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. In that movie, there is a shootout that results in the Sheriff being shot multiple times. As he stands in shock and disbelief…knowing he is about to die he looks over at his wife who has tears in her eyes and this is when “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” starts playing in the background with the opening lyric: “Mama take this badge off of me, I can’t use it anymore,” “It’s getting dark, too dark to see. Feels like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door.“ Well, Elisha didn’t have a prophet’s badge but he did have a prophet’s cloak given to him by Elijah. Like the badge in the song, this cloak was about to be of no further use to Elisha for after 60 years of ministry Elisha is knocking on heaven’s door.