2 Kings Summary: Prophets, Power Shifts, and the Path to Exile. If 1 Kings was the slow unraveling of a once-great kingdom, 2 Kings is the final thread snapping. We pick up the story with Elijah being taken to heaven and follow the transition to his successor, Elisha. From there, kings rise and fall—mostly fall—as both the northern kingdom (Israel) and southern kingdom (Judah) plunge deeper into idolatry, violence, and rebellion.