The American Wisdom Series 
 http://www.americanwisdomseries.com

Presents 
II Kings
Chapter 25

Caution to students of God's Word - Please remember two things when using our studies: #1. Our commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may or may not be correct. #2. The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew text has some words which were given different translations at different places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what they think God meant to say. For example: According to the notes in the "Drake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth, doesn't it?  Gen. 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, ... Having said that, let us continue with our "Key Knowledge" lessons. These are pamphlets containing knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
 published at http://www.theseason.org/ 


You can view it at the season`s web site (address above) as originally published
or here, as now edited by people at
 
The American Wisdom Series  

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

Now here is our revised study of:

II Kings

Chapter 25

"Zedekiah's Fall to Nebuchadnezzar [1-21]."
"The Remnant. Migration to Egypt, and Beyond [22-25]."

II Kings 25:1 "And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all the his hosts, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about."

The small city of Jerusalem did not have a chance of survival against Nebuchadnezzar and his military hosts. They came and camped around Jerusalem, putting it to a siege. Before this time, Zedekiah forgot that he was placed into the office of King because of his allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar, then once in office, it all went to his head and he thought he could take the nation for himself.

II Kings 25:2 "And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah."

King Nebuchadnezzar had the patience for over a year to starve the city of Jerusalem to the point of surrender. It is pretty easy to do when you live in a walled city.

II Kings 25:3 "And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the People of the land."

The famine was working and the bread had run out. Amos 8:11This of course is a type of what shall happen in the time of the end, for Amos tells us in of that famine of the end times.

Editor's Note:  Christian, PLEASE REMEMBER as you read these accounts of what happened to the ancient Israelites (IN this case, what happened to our brothers from the ancient "House of Judah" for our ancestors from the ancient "House of Israel" had already been hauled off and dispersed 135 years earlier by Assyria while they were still a kingdom to reckon with.) The Lord had all this happen, as Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Amos 8:11 "Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:"

During the famine of our day, it will be a famine for the hearing with understanding of the Word of God, from His Word. Sure, these are very religious times and there are many, so called Christian churches, but  the truths from the Word of God aren't being taught.

Live Link to- Church is not Christianity. God's Word is Christianity.

Live Link to-  The famine is coming

II Kings 25:4 "And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain."

When the bread ran out, it was time for the them to run.  

Editor's Note: I guess they didn't think to call upon the Lord for help! 

When the night came, and in the darkness, the gate by the king's garden swung open, and the king and his warriors headed out the gate and ran for the plains. Zedekiah was running for his life, and his sons close behind. Even though the Babylonians were camped all around the city, Zedekiah still slipped through their defenses and escaped.

II Kings 25:5 "And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him."

Zedekiah was all alone when the Chaldee army caught up with him. The rest of his army had scattered all over the country side. Remember the city of Jericho from when Joshua and the army of Israelites came against it's walls some thousand year earlier? The hand of the Lord knocked down the walls and destroyed the people of Jericho. This time there was no escape, for Zedekiah was taken prisoner. With all the great kings that were before Zedekiah ruling over Judah, it came down to this miserable wretch running for his life. Notice that there was not one time that Zedekiah turned to God and seek help nor pray for the people. A king is responsible for his people and to lead them in their ways. The king or queen is the defender of the faith, only this king thought only of himself and his own safety. 

Even though the prophesy came in Manasseh's day, God knew that these kings would do. They liked to follow the traditions of their fathers before them; and what was the course of their fathers? They liked to follow the ways of the heathen and chase after other gods, so the punishment that Zedekiah had was brought on himself and caused by himself. He is the rebellious one that chose to defy the Word of the Lord, when God said that they would go into captivity; Zedekiah chose to fight and run. God would have extended to the next king, had Zedekiah turned to God as his father Josiah had done, but he did not. The point here is that Zedekiah and the rest Jerusalem was getting exactly what they deserved.

II Kings 25:6 "So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him."

The army of Babylon brought Zedekiah before the king of Babylon, and he judged Zedekiah and set the sentence on Zedekiah.

II Kings 25:7 "And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon."

Editor's Memo: Read the accounts below. It all started when with the removal of Zedekiah's eyes and the killing of his sons and ended with the formation of the greatest superpower in the history of the world, The United States of America. Read the whole story using the link below. titled The Birthright and the Sceptre

Here's some previews   Live Link to-   Judah Taken Captive to Babylon

and Live Link to- Jeremiah's Mysterious Movements

So the 'many nations' are eventually to take shape asa nation, 

one great, wealthy, powerful nation; and another company of nations, 

a group or Commonwealth of Nations allied. 

This promise never has been fulfilled in the Jews. 

 It could not pertain to the Church, for there is but one true Church acknowledged in the Bible, and it (the church) is not a nation, 

or a group of nations,

but a collection of called out individuals scattered throughout the nations. 

Yet this amazing promise must stand fulfilled, unless 

we are to deny the Bible and God's sacred Word! 

The promise is fulfilled in Great Britain and America

Live Link to-   The Birthright and the Sceptre

They gathered all of Zedekiah's sons, and killed them right before Zedekiah's eyes, then they put Zedekiah's eyes out. The last thing that Zedekiah would have in his memory was the sight of his own sons being slaughtered. This, they thought, is the last of the royal seed that they put to death.

II Kings 25:8 "And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:"

After Zedekiah had been taken, his son's killed, and Zedekiah hauled away in brass fetters to Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the army is coming back to Jerusalem to finish the job. This was the third and final time that Babylon would come to Jerusalem in force.

II Kings 25:9 "And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire."

Keep in mind that every thing of value, including the Ark of the covenant, and all the details of the temple had been removed and taken back to Shinar, to the temple of the Babylonian gods. There was nothing left of value, and the walls and structure of the temple,the palace and all the other wealthy homes were burned and completely destroyed. All of the glory of Jerusalem of David and Solomon's day was gone, the city was nothing but ashes, with the walls broken down.

II Kings 25:10 "And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about."

II Kings 25:11 "Now the rest of the People that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away."

II Kings 25:12 "But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen."

Sometimes it does pay to be poor, for the poor were left behind to work in the fields and take care of the lands and vineyards. Of course Nebuchadnezzar expected his taxes from the profits from the vineyards.

II Kings 25:13 "And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldees brake in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon."

This was the last trip of hauling goods back to Babylon, and by this time the only things of value were those things that had a coating of brass and silver. The Babylonians broke those items down to where the brass and silver could be transported back home. However some of these pillars that they took were quite large. Jerusalem was absolutely stripped of everything of value and left in desolation.

II Kings 25:14 "And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away."

In the first trip to Babylon, they took the gold and the silver, then they took the things that were plated with the gold and silver. Then they came and took the brass and lesser items, and here on the third trip they took the wash bases, what we call toilet stools, and even the snuffers to put out the fires. There was nothing of value left behind for the poor.

II Kings 25:15 "And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away."

They even gathered the personal jewelry of the people and the firepans.

II Kings 25:16 "The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight."

II Kings 25:17 "The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all the brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work."

They even took the pillars of the temple with all its fancy artwork on is base and at the top, and broke the pillars to where even they could be hauled back to Babylon. So we can see that Jerusalem was stripped bare.

II Kings 25:18 "And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:"

II Kings 25:19 "And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the People of the land, and threescore men of the People of the land that were found in the city:"

Remember that the smartest and best of the people of Jerusalem were taken to Babylon some twelve years prior, and those that are taken here are the best of the worst that were left behind. Daniel and the rest of them had been captive for the past twelve years, and would have completed his training, and placed in a high position in the government of Babylon by this time. Remember that Daniel was placed second in the land under Nebuchadnezzar after he had given the correct interpretation of the king's dream. Daniel gave God all the credit and glory for the wisdom that came to him in the interpretation, before the king.

Daniel 2:48 "Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon."

Nebuchadnezzar knew that he could trust Daniel, for he was a man of great wisdom and fairness. The king made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, over all the department heads of the government, for he knew that he could trust Daniel to be fair.

Daniel 2:49 "Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king."

Daniel wanted the three men of Judah that went through the training school with him to be promoted also to places of authority, and they were. So stop and think for a moment, This was to be a type of the Babylon of the end time, and here we see that Nebuchadnezzar, the king representing the king of the end times, (Satan the false-christ), sought out true men of God to fill the important positions of the government because he knows that each of them are fair and can be trusted on all matters.

II Kings 25:20 "And Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:"

The report in the secular writings, numbered these people that were taken at this time to be about ten thousand souls.

II Kings 25:21 "And the king of Babylon smote them and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath, So Judah was carried away out of their land."

So now both Judah and Israel are both removed from off their land and taken off to foreign lands. This bunch of people that were killed at Riblah were those that ran from the prior battle, cowards and misfits, and they were done away with.

Remember that all through these three sieges, Jeremiah, Isaiah and many other prophets of God were telling the people of Judah that God expects us to go into captivity because of the sins of our forefathers. That captivity would be for a seventy year period, and then they would be set free.

Jeremiah 25:11 "And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years."

Jeremiah 25:12 "And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations." 

Sure those taken into capivity will be dead and gone, but their children will return to rebuild the Temple and the walls and streets of Jerusalem.

Editor's note: This returning to Jerusalem by the children of these captives from the "House of Judah", after 70 years, is recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  Live Links to-   Ezra  and  Nehemiah

Jeremiah 25:13 "And I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations."

I would think that as a Christian, it would be very important to read and understand all of those prophesies written in the book of Jeremiah for they deal with us living today. The king of Babylon was not mistreating Daniel and the royal seed, but those that sought to go against God's Word and prophecies, and they were the ones that were destroyed at that time. Those that went into captivity gladly were going to college and enjoying the best food of the land. That is God's way, for when God chastises you, grin and take the correction and it will be well with you.

As a type, in the end times, the king of Babylon, or the Antichrist is coming. The entire world is going into the captivity of Satan's one world system because God has said that we would in His prophesies. Satan in his role as the Antichrist, the spurious messiah will rule this entire earth, and it will happen. Satan will actually appear to be Jesus Christ, and many will run to him thinking he is the Messiah, however he will be the fake christ. Why? Because they have not been taught the Word of God. There are many today that see that things are not right, that our nation is being washed away in the sea of world humanity.

Their first instinct is to fight the system and try to prevent it from happening, however God said that it is all part of His plan to test those living here on earth in the flesh. Many are looking for an easy way out and thus they have disregarded the prophecies of the Old Testament, and tell themselves that Revelation is not for them, and thus they reject it. They in turn turn to the doctrines of men, such as the "rapture doctrine", that is suppose to be an escape valve to spring them from this time under the king of Babylon of the end times. However in their ignorance, and through their belief in this fly-away doctrine, they will run to Satan, and be taken by him.

However, during that hour [five month period] of Satan's reign on earth, God's elect will shine and do very well, for we will not be deceived by any of Satan's deceit or trick to win the people of this world over. That will be the hour, the time and the purpose for the elect of God on this earth. We will be called and delivered up to testify on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ and to take a stand against Satan.

Mark 13:9 "But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them."

Mark 13:10 "And the gospel must first be published among all nations."

Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost [Spirit]."

This is the time that the tongues of Pentecost will be spoken, and all the people of the world will understand what you have to say in their own native language, even the slang of their own neighborhood.That is the tongues which is spoken of in Acts 2:1-21.

So all the people of Jerusalem had been warned many years in advance that this would happen, and told that when it did, go with them peaceably for God would protect you and bless you while in Babylon. Jeremiah sent a special message to all those that willingly went into captivity in Babylon.

Jeremiah 29:4 "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the god of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;"

Jeremiah has already told them many times that the captivity would be for seventy years, and so when you are there, follow the laws of the land and live your lives in peace.

Jeremiah 29:5 "Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;"

Jeremiah 29:6 "Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished."

Live your life in the same manner no matter where you are.

Jeremiah 29:7 "And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace."

Editor's Note: Remember this is the former "House of Judah" we're talking about here. Our, destined to one day become Christian ancestor's from the former "House of Israel" had been carried off by Assyria 100 plus years earlier while Assyria was still an Empire. Before the Babylonian empire existed and by this time have most likely started their migration west into Europe.

The point here is that we learn to trust God no matter what the time or place that God has placed us in, for God will give us peace even in the time when Satan's system runs the government here on earth, and Satan is at the helm. When Satan comes he will bring with him peace and prosperity, calling himself the Messiah, and giving forth a flood of lies. When you know who he is, than we can follow his laws, and know him for the fake that he is while we live our lives in peace, and all the while trusting in the Lord.

Even in Jeremiah's day he had to deal with the fake preachers running around saying that it would not happen and that God is not going to send us into captivity, when Jeremiah and the other prophets of God stated for a fact that they would. This is the same thing that is happening today, for most of the preachers of the Christian churches are preaching their fly-away doctrine, and giving their people a false sense of security. Listen to the Father and study His Word to prepare yourself for our times. Learn the types of what shall take place in our generation.

II Kings 25:22 "And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler."

II Kings 25:23 "And when all the captains of the armies, they are their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son fo Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite,, and Jaazaniah the son of Maachathite, they and their men."

These men ran when the Babylonians came, and now they are back stating their wishes to Gedaliah. Ishmael was part of the royal line, and he felt that he should be the ruler instead of Gedaliah because of his royal bloodline ties. When Ishmael came to Jerusalem, there wasn't much left of the city, but he still wanted the authority, and brought many men with him to support his position.

II Kings 25:24 "And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, "Fear not to be the servant of the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you."

Gedaliah tried to tell them that the old kingdom was gone, they were now under the rule of Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar had appointed him to be the governor. He wished them well and went from them. This was the word of Jeremiah and Isaiah and all the other prophets of God. Did Ishmael listen to the words?

The point here is not that we serve Satan as the false messiah when he comes, the point is that when it is part of God's plan, and you know it from His Word, than we are to obey the instruction from God's Word. Thus when you are serving in that one world system that God calls "His", and Satan is the head of that system, just as Nebuchadnezzar was head of his empire, then when you follow God's plan you are serving God. We are to follow the path that the Holy Spirit leads us in no matter what the day or time. You will not be serving the king of Babylon, but you are serving God. The point is that it is going to happen just as it is written in God's Word. This is a type of how it shall be in the final generation.

Keep in mind that about half of all the souls that have existed in the flesh since Adam, are living in the world today. This is the major generation, and this generation is the one that shall be well tested. My fellow Christians, we are privileged to live in this special generation where all these prophecies are going to take place right before our eyes. So the question is, Who are you going to serve? If you are biblically illiterate, of course you will serve the one that you think appears to be the greatest in his supernatural form. You will think Satan to be the Christ and serve him, though it be in ignorance.

Editor's Note: But, when Christ does return He will find that you were one of those to be taken first in the field. He will find you did not "Endure until the End".  Live Link to-   Endure til the end

II Kings 25:25 "But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmaelthe son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mezpah."

This should cause you to think of the ten headed beast of Daniel that shall come with Satan in the time of the end. Ishmael and the men with him killed the Jews, and Chaldees that were with Gedaliah, along with the governor. These men with Gedaliah were hand picked by Nebuchadnezzar to run the affairs of Jerusalem, and now they had been murdered. Jeremiah had even warned Gedaliah that his life was in danger, and not to trust him in any manner, yet Gedaliah did not take the warning. After the murder took place they now see the trouble that they are in, and they are going to flee to Egypt to escape Nebuchadnezzar.

II Kings 25:26 "And all the People, both small and great, and the captians of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees."

Once the governor died, everyone in the whole land packed up and and ran in fear, heading for Egypt.

II Kings 25:27 "And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; 

"Evilmerodach" in the Hebrew text means "fool of death". Evilmerodach took over the reign of Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar died. The first thing that he did when he took the throne was to raise Jehoiachin to a very high position, higher than all the other kings that had been taken in by Babylon, and he was given a place at the king's table.

II Kings 25:28 "And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;"

II Kings 25:29 "And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life."

II Kings 25:30 "And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life. "

With the death of Jehoiachin came the end of the royal house hold of Judah, for all the sons of the royal family were either made to be eunuchs to serve in Babylon, or killed outright, as in the case of Zedekiah's sons. However the lineage would be continued through the daughters of Zedekiah, as they married into the king line of Ireland. This was the joining of the royal blood lines of Pharaz and Zarah. 

Notice how they became joined. Live Link to-  This the riddle covers the first half of Jeremiah's commission. 

Read the whole account.   Live Link to- The Birthright and the Sceptre

Now through this captivity, though Isaiah did not reveal it, Jeremiah did with the pen of Baruch. Jeremiah took three of Zedekiah's daughters with him, when he left for Egypt, and brought them on to Ireland. It was prophesied that these three would escape through Egypt with Jeremiah, while all their brothers would be slain by Nebuchadnezzar. It would be from these three daughter that the royal lines of the European kings and queens would come. From the account of The Birthright and the Sceptre [live link above] above you can follow the royal lineage from Scota, the "tender twig of Zedekiah", who became Tamar Tephi, queen to king Eochaidh (Eremhon-Heremon) of Ireland. You can follow the royal lineage of the house of David all the way to Queen Elizabeth II, who now sits as queen of England.

When you follow the blood lines of the royal families of the other western Europe nations, such as Sweden, Holland, Denmark, and even the Czars of Russia, their claim to the thrones all come through these three daughters that Jeremiah would remove out of the middle east, and take to Spain and the Isles. Along with these daughters came the "stone of scone", also called "Jacob's pillar" in which has been under the crowning chair that all the royal kings and queens have taken their oaths. 

Even to this day, the first duty in the oath of any king or queen is the"defender and protector of the faith". They are the protector over the house of Israel, sitting over the people of Israel, while these kings lineage are of the house of Judah. This is not by accident, for when Jacob placed the duties and prophesy for each of the tribes, the name of Israel was placed on Ephraim, while the right to rule went to Judah.

Genesis 48:16 "the Angel Which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grown into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

Then in verse twenty.

Genesis 48:20 "And he blessed them that day, saying, "In thee shall Israel bless, saying, "God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh:' " and he set Ephraim before Manasseh."

This blessing given to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh are all summed up in Genesis 49:24-26. Lets review them for this is the passing of the blessings that God promised Abraham called the Abrahamic Covenant, that was passed on to Isaac, and then to Jacob. Jacob is on his death bed here, and now he is passing those eternal promises on to Joseph, not Judah. Pay close attention to what those promises are, and remember that the name Israel is now on the head and carried by Ephraim, while Manasseh shall become one great nation carrying these blessings also.

Genesis 49:24 "But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hand of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel:")

Genesis 49:25 "Even by the God of thy father, Who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, Who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:"

Genesis 49:26 "The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separated from his brethren."

My fellow Christians, take note, there are no conditions to these blessings of the Abrahamic covenant for they are eternal and passed on to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph.

However the prophecy that Jacob gave to Judah is also recorded, for Jacob said of Judah in Genesis 49:10; "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."The "sceptre" is the right to rule and create the laws of the land over Israel, God's people. We know from the writings of this book of 2nd. Kings that there was a definite split between the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and that one was scattered long before the other. In fact the identity of Israel was completely lost because the Israelites had changed their names into many other names and too many had simply lost their identity. Today the tribes of Israel are simply know as "Caucasians", after their migrations through the Caucasus mountains.

However there can be no confusion as to the identity of the royal line of Judah, for it is well documented, and she, queen Elisabeth now sits over the tribe of Ephraim, in England, and that throne will continue "until He who has the right to sit on that throne shall come; then He shall gather all of His people from the ends of the earth". Of course we are talking about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and at that time the throne will be back in Jerusalem, His favorite spot here on earth.

summary

 In the book of Deuteronomy we studied the conditions and promises that God gave His people before they moved in to take over their land that God promised them, through the Abrahamic covenant. God gave them promises that if they do certain things, and follow his commandments, laws, statutes and ordinances he would bless them, and when they did not curses would fall on them. God laid out the conditions for having a good life and being blessed, or having a miserable life and the curses placed on you. God wanted His people to rely on Him, love Him, and turn to Him for help.

Under Joshua, the children of Israel moved into the promised land following God's leading, but, God told them to utterly destroy the heathen from off their land [these were the offspring of the fallen angels and daughters of Adam along with foreigners who were members of the five heathen religions; the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites] The children of Israel did not do as God said. Those Giants and heathen were allowed to remain in peace with the Israelites. Because of this, the Israelites took on many heathen ways into their family life by the time Judges came into being.

The Judges were men of God that stepped in to judge the people. There were thirteen in all, over a period of over three hundred years. Each time that a judge would die, the people drifted right back into all sorts of heathen practices, and God brought the promised curses upon them, until they would cry out for help. Then God would send a man or woman of God that would lead them out of their captivity, and back into the ways of God. During the time of Eli, the people cried out for a man to be their king, for they lost sight of who their true King was, the Father, God, and they wanted a man, like the other nations had, who they could see, and cry out to in times of need.

Under the prophet Samuel, there came a separation of church and state, the priesthood and the affairs of running a government, and Samuel anointed Saul to be the first human king over the Israelites. Saul turned out to be rather stupid and slow to catch on in many areas, and liked to fool around with familiar spirits. He would go on rages and do things that would outright displease God. However he had a son named Jonathan who was a good man. Because of Saul's wickedness, Samuel then anointed another man to become the next king over Israel after Saul and this man's name was David. Because of David's valor on the battle field, Saul brought David into his house, and allowed him to marry his daughter. David and Jonathan became closer than brothers through all the troubles that brewed between David and Jonathan's father king Saul. Then in a battle God took the life of Saul and his sons, and that left David to become king over all Israel.

Editor's Memo: My fellow Christians from the United States, England, and most all the other Christian nations of Europe and the Americas: Don't loose sight of the fact that these are our ancestors we are talking about here.

David, for the most part, lived a righteous life, even though he did have one bad error. David repented of having sent Uriah into the thick of battle so that he could have Bath-sheba for his wife, and he paid dearly for that sin. Through David's entire life, he tried to please the Father in all that he did, even when things were not going well. For David's love and devotion to the Father, God made many promises to Him, one of them dealt with the Abrahamic covenant, to where there would never be a time when one of this offspring would not sit on a throne to rule over his people. We saw earlier in this book there is a continuous line of kings and queens from today, all way the back to David. Also, when we follow the blood lines of other Christian nations we see that their lineages too are tied to the lineage of David.

As we studied the books of I and II Kings, we noted that after David's death, the nation of Israel was split into two separate nations or houses, called the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Both of these houses had their own kings. The House of Israel had many different dynasties, for God would remove one dynasty when it became too sinful with another dynasty. However, the House of Judah had only one dynasty, and that was from David. God promised David that his throne would continue through all times. The sins that fell on Israel, in time became even worse in Judah, and came to it's lowest ebb under king Manasseh. God used the Assyrians to capture, then remove them from off the land and scatter them, setting them in migrations through out the world. But later, some hundred years later, God sent the House of Judah into captivity also, but in this case to Babylon [by this time the Assyrian empire had ended] The lineage of the king line, through the king of Judah's sons, ended when Nebuchadnezzar killed all the sons of the royal family but one, and made him eunuch, unable to bare children. The lineage then continued, on into our 21st. century through the daughters of King Zedekiah.

However, there was another lineage of David that was not part of the kings and queens where by the true King Jesus Christ would come, and that lineage was not through David's son Solomon but, through his son Nathan.  As we read and follow that lineage in Luke 3:23-38, we see each of these men of the royal house from David, on to the Virgin Mary lived in the times that we studied here in I and II Kings, and they had to have been through the both good and hard times. The lineage of Nathan is not part of the kings that ran the affairs of state, but the Promise that God gave that His son would come through the seed of Jesse, the father of David. Sure, each of these men had their ups and downs, but they remained true to honoring the pure lineage, just as Noah did to keep his family pedigree free from descendants of fallen angel with daughters of the man Adam. for the coming Christ. God honored Noah and He honored David, and at the right moment in time The Spirit of God came upon the Virgin Mary, who was also of perfect pedigree, and she conceived and born a child. [Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.]

Luke 2:6 "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered."

Luke 2:7 "And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

When our Lord Jesus came this first time, He came as a baby, just as you and me. He suffered the things and temptations that all humans face, and endured them without sin. In time He started his ministry, that each of us study in detail, and at the appointed time he was crucified by the Kenite Jews, on a Roman cross. He came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, and though he was hailed as king of the Jews, they lied about Jesus, spit on him, and beat him badly before they nailed him to that cross on Calvary Hill. This was the Christ that came into the world to be the Sacrificial Lamb, to take away the sins of the World, of all those that would believe. He did all that so that each of us could come back to the Father for forgiveness.

In the times of the books of the Kings, a person had to approach the Father through the priest of God, at the altar of God in the temple of God to receive forgiveness. Those sacrifices were made with the blood of sheep and goats shed, and that blood was only a covering for the year, or that sinful event. It was a requirement that was spelled out by God, and written in the sacrificial blood ordinances of the law. Those ordinances were all fulfilled when Jesus Christ went to the cross and shed His blood. Those were the only parts of the law, that were done away with through Christ's death. Christ's blood gives us the victory over sin, and allowed us to approach the Heavenly Father directly.

This is why we can have victory in our lives, for in the name of Jesus Christ, there is great power. When we believe on Jesus, that He truly was the Son of the Living God, we can pray in "Jesus Name" and in that Name gives us the right to approach the very throne of God for repentance. Think of it! You and I have the right to go directly to the Father for repentance and ask Him for our needs. In Christ you become a son or daughter of the Living God, and "joint heirs with Christ". You become royalty in the heavenlies at the throne of God, and that is the freedom that we have in Christ. Sure it is to our benefit while living here on earth in our flesh bodies, but when we become sons of the Living God, it is eternal. Our very soul has the stain and sting of death removed from it. My fellow Christian, any one who understands that when he is still lost and separated from God, he can come to God in repentance and does so, in Jesus name, can be saved. That is why Jesus the Christ was born, to save people from their sins. That is also why we must use the name of Jesus Christ when we come to the Father, for Jesus is our credentials before the throne of God.

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."

John 14:7 "If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him."

Do you get it? The only way the Father will recognize you is when you recognize His Son, and the sacrifice that He suffered for your sins. There is no other way, and all other shortcuts are of the devil. God loves you, but He doesn't love your sin. When you repent in Jesus name, the charge of those sins before the throne of God is removed from you. Not that you didn't commit them, but the guilt of those sins is gone. If you were on drugs, at repentance the charge of that sins is gone, but the effects on your physical body will still be there. Our God is vigilant, He is always there to hear the prayer of a sinner in  repentance, when that sinner comes to Him in the name of Jesus.



Live Link to->>   The Birthright and the Sceptre

                              

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.  We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


The American Wisdom Series

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Published by:

Rhine Publishing Co.
E-mail address - americanwisdomseries@verizon.net

Here at the American Wisdom Series our goal is to make you think about and question the wisdom of the current:
doctrine of many of our Christian churches, (The Man on a White Horse)
political direction of our country, (The Man on a Red Horse)
economic direction our country has taken, (The Man on a Black Horse)
 and teaching of our schools and media, (The Man on a Pale Horse)

The Four Hidden Dynasties of the New World Order Revelation 6:1-8
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
Did you know all four are being ridden by Satan?