Eliyahu's recurring "rejection" of Elisha in our chapter carries the distant echo of his rejection of him in their initial meeting. In this story they convey a rejection of Elisha as Eliyahu's spiritual prophetic heir. However, the firmness of Elisha's intention to accompany him, reflecting his desire to be Eliyahu's successor and prophetic heir, coupled with the fact of Elisha's presence at the secret occasion of Eliyahu's ascent to heaven, serve to indicate the fact that he is his great master's heir.

Akeidat Yitzhak
Contrast Between Eliyahu and Elisha
Eliyahu and Elisha
Courtesy of the Virtual Beit Midrash, Yeshivat Har Etzion