We have the thought provoking in mind that the Bible speaks more of death and is more precise than just the suffix assumption that we allows.
There is an explanation of the three heavens which clarify this passage that many believers find confusing and contradicting. When we compare John 13:18 with 2 Kings 2:2. This shows that not every reference to heaven in scriptures points in the same realm.
Elijah was taken up into heaven but did not automatically mean he ascended to that third heaven to dwell in the place of God's fullness. This distinction preserves the consistency of God. In the world of Christ, no man has ascended up to heaven and he that came down from heaven.
This stands out that the emphasis on rightly dividing the world, not falsifying the verses which is in argument with the tradition but aligns the scriptures to keep interpreting itself. Brother Eli gives out challenges the listener to slow down for a moment, be careful and respect the language used in the Bible.
Read that one gracefully. This teaching is there to encourage us to think deeply and live a life of humility. It is not always found in what is familiar but what is written faithfully.
