JES CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF 2 KINGS II - The Fall of Israel
JESUS CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF 2 KINGS II
The Fall of Israel
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
June 10, 2025
At our last study, we closed out the Elisha-Elijah ministry with chapter 5 and the story of Naaman and his healing of leprosy. We covered Elijah’s miracles through chapter 8.
“The message of the Book of 2 Kings to mankind is rejecting the Word of the Lord through his prophets and lapsing into idolatry and apostasy will result in rejection and then captivity.
That man is unable to successfully rule himself. The increasingly failing throne of man is seen finally abolished. This is the ultimate result of shutting God out from the government of man. The underlying cause of the failure of human government is the lost consciousness of God.
Man loses his consciousness of God by his idolatries, which are actually attempts to substitute God. The failure of man upon the throne of earth is assured when he loses his vision of a Throne in heaven.
The five periods of repentance and restoration among the kings of Judah (especially Hezekiah and Josiah) point to the present day of Restoration.
Hosea and Amos are the prophets who ministered in Israel.
Joel, Micah, Isaiah, Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk Zephaniah, and Jeremiah are the prophets who ministered in Judah.
In addition to the literary prophets, there were many oral prophets who ministered at this time who were not inspired to write the scriptures. It was a time of great prophetic activity much like we have seen in the church in the last half of the 20th Century and first twenty-five years of the 21st Century.
The Elijah ministry prophesies the destruction of political and religious Babylon. Elisha and Jehu followed the orders of Elijah. “you shall smite the house of Ahab.”:
We will start with Chapter 9:1-10. (paraphrased): Elisha anoints Jehu as the next King of Israel. Elisha called one of the sons of the prophets, “Gird up yourself and take this box of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth Gilead. Look for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and take him to the inner chamber. Take the flask of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus say the LORD: “I have anointed you as King over Israel.” Then open the door and flee, and do not delay.”
The young man, the servant of the prophet, did as he was directed. There were captains of the army sitting with General Jehu. The young prophet announced he had a message for the Commander.
After the prophet poured the oil on him and anointed him king, he prophesied, You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab all the males in Israel, both bond and free. So, I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel.
The spirit of Ahab speaks to us of political Babylon, which is marked by greed and evil desire. The spirit of Jezebel speaks to us of religious Babylon. Religious Babylon is the real authority behind political Babylon. The demonic power of Jezebel is a demonic government ruler of Baal attempting to usurp the government of God.
We as prophets are in continual spiritual warfare to bring down the spirits of Ahab and Jezebel who not only attempt to bring down the government of God in the churches, but the government of God over nations. This is the spirit behind the riots. It is also one of the ruling spirits over the transgender/L.G.B.T.Q. principality. It (neither male or female) is operating as a false prophet teaching defilement and infiltrating churches, schools and government inviting people to accept sexual perversion.
For the end-time church the demonic power is pictured as the woman sitting upon the Beast (Rev. 17-18).
Jehu killed the sons of Ahab and had Jezebel killed. Jehu exterminated Baal-worship out of Israel and exterminated the house of Ahab.
2 Ki. 9:33: And he (Jehu) said, Throw her (Jezebel) down. So, they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trod her under foot.
The riots in our streets are from the spirits of Ahab and Jezebel.
Chapters 11-16 are about the kings of Judah, and the kings of Israel which led to Israel’s fall. We will cover some of these in 2 Chronicles.
Israel rejected Jehovah’s statutes and covenant. They followed vanity (idols) and became vain (17:15).
DETAILS:
1. Israel left all the commandments of the Lord their God. (Ex. 20).
2. Israel made them molten images, even two calves (1 Ki. 12-13).
3. Israel made a grove and worshipped all the host of heaven (Dt. 4:19;17:3).
4. Israel caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire. (Lev. 18:21).
5. Israel used divination and enchantments (Dt. 18:10).
6. Israel sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD (Isa. 55:1-3).
2 Ki. 17:18-21: Therefore, the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight, there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone. Also, Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin… the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as he had said by all His servants the prophets. So, Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.
The king of Assyria then brought people (later the Samaritans) from Babylon, Cuthah (Iraq), Ava, Hamath and Saphar-Vaim. These are all present day Muslim nations. They did not fear the LORD and the LORD sent Lions among them. They were slain because they did not know the ritual of the God of the land. A priest was sent to teach them the ways of Jehovah. Of all places, he dwelt in Bethel (where Jeroboam had erected one of his calves (1 Ki. 12:29). Every nation made gods of their own.
17:34-41: To this day, they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment when the LORD had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He names Israel, with whom the LORD made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them…but the LORD YOUR God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies…
There are multiple kings in the next chapters. We will pick up the stories of some of these kings when we get into 1 and 2 Chronicles as well as the prophets.
In 2 Kings 18, we meet Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for 29 years. He came to Judah’s throne at the age of 25. In the 3rd year of Hosea of Israel. He was a Godly king and brought one of the greatest periods of restoration recorded in the O.T. He began his reformation on the first day of the first month of the first year! He opened the doors of the temple and then repaired them. The Temple was cleansed, and made an atonement for the Altar. Hezekiah then consecrated the Priesthood and ordered that the Passover be kept! The Word was taught and idolatry destroyed throughout the land. The Priests were supported and the tithe and the offerings were brought in with the result of prosperity and great success. The Philistines were smitten. Then Assyrian revolted, but Sennacherib’s great army was destroyed by God through the ministry of Isaiah, and Hezekiah’s faith in God. Hezekiah became sick unto death, but 15 years were added to his life as the sun-dial went back 10 degrees in confirmation as a sign. Later, the king cast his pearls before the swine of the Chaldean inquirers, and was judged for it. Hezekiah broke in pieces the brazen serpent because the people had begun to offer incense to it. The man was one of Judha’s greatest kings. He died and was buried with much honor in chiefest of the sepulchers of the sons of David, and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 21:1 – Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem…
The story of the evil that Manasseh did may have been the blackest pages in all the history of Judah. The wickedness that he did and the Lord’s forgiveness’ may be the greatest story of redemption, atonement, and restoration in the Old Testament. It is a picture of Father God’s love and amazing grace for sin like no other. It is also a story that through judgment, the Holy One of Israel brings salvation, righteousness, and comfort.
It is a reminder to every nation that a wicked ruler has the power to corrupt morally, religiously, and politically a whole nation.
After King Hezekiah died, the loyal and Godly Eliakim took on the role of father to Hezekiah’s sons and chief adviser to the young King until Manasseh was twenty-one. When Manasseh turned twenty-one, due to his insecurity, he began consulting with the false prophets of Baal and with the dead, as well as sorcery. The so-called New Age movement is centuries old. Practices such as astrology, channeling, voodoo, crystals, divination, and witchcraft date back to ancient Canaanite and Babylonian beliefs. These pagan beliefs are rooted in the four lies used by Satan in the Garden of Eden and were condemned by God in ancient times, just as they are now.
Isaiah was the Lord’s prophet to Hezekiah and Manasseh. Isaiah had a long ministry to Uzziah, Jotham, and Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father, grandfather, etc. Tradition places Isaiah’s death in the reign of Manasseh of Judah and declares it to have been a most terrible martyrdom. Isaiah having resisted some of King Manasseh’s idolatrous acts, was seized, fastened between two planks, and sawed asunder. Isaiah is often described as the Prophet of Redemption. That we see the Lord’s work of redemption in Manasseh’s life is a testimony that lives from generation to generation. The name of Isaiah signifies “the salvation of Jehovah.
Manasseh was imprisoned by the Assyrians. During his imprisonment, Manasseh repented to the Lord for all that he did. The Amazing Grace is the Lord forgave him and restored him back to his throne in Judah.
2 Chronicles 33: 12-13: When he was in affliction, he sought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.
There were only a few notable leaders among the kings of Judah. These include Hezekiah, and Josiah.
So, we will close with Josiah,
2 Ki. 23:25: Now before him (Josiah) there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.
. The primary prophets unto the administration of Josiah were Jeremiah (1:2; 3:6) Zephaniah (1: 1-18) and Huldah, the prophetess. The prosperity of the Kingdom is based upon the prophetic Word that flows in life and power from the Throne of God. The role of the prophet from the Throne of God is absolutely necessary to the prosperity of a nation, person, or church.
In 2018, Apostle Clay Nash was here for our annual conference, he said our church is “A Josiah Company.” I have a teaching on that prophecy as recorded on the Elijah list by Dutch Sheets. “Beginning in (2019) He (the LORD) would release the 31-year reign of the "Josiah Company."
Josiah is one of the seven people in the Holy Bible who were named before they were born. Josiah came to the throne at the age of eight (8), 325 years after the prophecy of 1 Kg. 13:1-2: Behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
The other six who were named before they were born are Ishmael, Isaac, Solomon, Cyrus, John the Baptist, and Jesus.
In Josiah’s eighth year (age of 16), he began to seek the Lord, and in his 12th year (age of 20), he began to purge Judah. (It took 4 years to purge himself. 2 Chron. 34:3)
Josiah cut down the idols broke them in pieces and burned them
(2 Chron. 34:5).
The purge went unto Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, and Naphtali. Josiah then returned to Jerusalem (It took six years).
Josiah was a wrecking ball; can we say disrupter?
Josiah took away all the abominations…and made all that were present in Israel to serve…the Lord. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. The basis of this cleansing was the reading of the word by the King (2 Kg. 23: 1-3). The idols in the Temple of God were removed, burned in Kidron, and strewn unto Bethel. He put down the idolatrous priests who burned incense to all the planets. The Asherah was also removed from the Temple, burned at Kidron, and stamped to powder. Josiah broke down the house of the Sodomites (male prostitutes) where the women wove tent hangings for the Asherah shrines. He defiled all the high places of Judah. He destroyed Topheth, which is in the valley of…Hinnom (human sacrifice to Molech) (2 Ki. 23:10).
He took away the horses offered to the sun and burned the chariots of the sun with fire (counterfeit Elijah ministry) (2 Ki. 23:11). Josiah destroyed the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars of Manasseh (2 Chr. 33: 4-5).
King Josiah restored the Passover, put the Holy Ark in the Temple, and gave of the King’s substance (2 Chr. 35:7).
There was no King before or after like Josiah, who had turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and might.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX.
Scripture from K.J.V. and N.K.J.V. I entered into the labors of Principles of Present Truth by Kelly Varner and multiple sermons by Carolyn Sissom on Ahab, Jezebel, Hezekiah, Josiah, and others.