In Part 1, I covered several specific time periods of early Israel and how biblical events in those time periods may provide us with some indication for events that we might expect to take place in today’s end times ‘northern kingdom.’ I left off covering the time period of the early kings of Israel; specifically Saul, David and Solomon.
In this passage, Part 2, I will pick back up with Jereboam, the first king of the ancient northern kingdom of Israel, and I will proceed through the remaining time up until the northern kingdom’s exile. As I did in Part 1, I will cover specific events and topics of this time that we may expect to occur in the ‘northern kingdom’ of these last days. I have previously described on this site that the ‘northern kingdom’ of these end times is ‘Babylon’-U.S., the foremost nation of the end times kingdom of ‘Babylon.’
Topics that I will cover in this and subsequent passages (Parts 2-4) pertaining to the ancient northern kingdom and their application to these end times include:
- Corrupt, evil kings and their regimes (covered in this current passage, Part 2)
- Corrupt prophets versus true prophets of God (will be covered in Part 3)
- Interrelation between the northern kingdom and other nations (will be covered in Part 4)
In describing biblical history and events for these topics, I will refer to the old scripture, such as that which is found in the books of the Kings and Chronicles. In linking these historical events to our current end times, I will also refer to scripture given in several of the Minor Prophets to the northern kingdom, specifically that scripture that has application to our current end times. The prophets to the northern kingdom came more toward the end of the northern kingdom’s existence. These Minor Prophets, Amos, Micah, and Hosea, also had much to say about the end times in particular.
So in this current passage, Part 2, I will address:
- Corrupt, evil kings and their regimes in the ancient northern kingdom
- Lessons from the Minor Prophets to the northern kingdom about end times evil kings and rulers
I will first set the stage with brief applicable background pertaining to ancient northern kingdom kings and rulers. Then, I will provide content that shows how expected prophetic events of these end times are similar to those of the ancient kingdom.
Corrupt, evil kings and their regimes in the ancient northern kingdom
Jereboam, who I addressed briefly in Part 1, was the first king of the northern kingdom after Israel broke off from the house of David. He set the early (very low) standard that subsequent kings would follow. Scripture frequently refers to future corrupt kings of the northern kingdom as those who walked in the wicked “ways of Jereboam.”
Jereboam rebelled against God from the beginning. He was surrounded by “vain men” and he established a line of priests who were not of God’s choosing (i.e. not of the house of Levi). Jereboam “brought gods out of Egypt” and prevented his people from going to Jerusalem to worship. Instead, he made a feast to worship idols such as the golden calves that he had set up. Because of Jereboam and his sins alone, God made a prophetic promise to cut off not only his house, but God also said that he would ultimately give up Israel and scatter them “beyond the river.”
Going forward from Jereboam’s initial reign until the end of the northern kingdom there was never a fully righteous king. Because of the evil spirit within, rampant bloodshed occurred with successive kings of the kingdom conspiring against their predecessors. As an example shortlist, King Basha slayed the house of Jereboam, Zimri slayed the house of Basha, and Jehu slayed the house of Zimri’s son Ahab. God himself directed these slayings to avenge the atrocities of each former king’s administration and as continuing punishment for the “sins of Jereboam.” This general pattern continued until the kingdom was taken away to Assyria in an example of how an evil nation cannibalizes and destroys itself, and as an example of a wicked, divided house that cannot stand, such as the example that Jesus gave.
Meanwhile, the next especially significant king of the ancient northern kingdom who I will cover is king Ahab. We are told that he also walked in the ways of Jereboam and, “did more evil than all of the kings before him.” Ahab’s administration also fulfilled in the near-term the biblical curse of the one who would rebuild Jericho, which you may recall from Part 1 at least loosely originally represented a ‘type’ of ‘Babylon.’ Ahab and his wife Jezebel erected altars to Baal in Samaria. They were also surrounded and supported by numerous prophets of Baal and the “groves of Ashterah.”
Among atrocities they committed in the name of serving their foreign gods were the killing of Naboth for his field, which was his family inheritance, and Jezebel’s massacre of the Lord’s prophets in Jezreel. Ahab was called out by the prophet Elijah, who I will cover in more detail in Part 3. Elijah infamously proclaimed no rain for a time for Ahab’s wicked kingdom and then gathered his false prophets together and destroyed them by calling down fire from heaven. Jehu, commissioned by God and anointed as a king by Elisha later ensured that the remainder of Ahab’s house was destroyed, notably including Jezebel.
Hoshea, the final king of the ancient northern kingdom, served as a fitting final example prior to the kingdom finally being given up by God to the Assyrians. Hoshea was representative of prior kings of the kingdom in that he was also corrupt and did evil. His tenure was a culmination of corrupt leadership and a corrupt northern kingdom society at-large.
Israel’s people were at a point at which they disregarded their true prophets and instead, we are told, “Did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord God…” God said through the prophet Hosea, “…And there shall be, like people, like priest…” (Hos 4:9). This is indicative of this ancient society being committed to silent oaths of false god worship; in other words, “leaving the commandments.” Their folly is summarized as follows:
- “And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger.” (2 Ki 17:9-11)
- “They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.” They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God…” (2 Ki 17:15-16)
Their rejection of God, and walking in the “statutes of the heathen,” was the reason that God gave Israel over to the very sources of the Gods they worshiped. King Hoshea himself apparently could not decide which heathen and false gods to align with. He betrayed a standing alliance with the King of Assyria and instead conspired against him with the king of Egypt.
Because of king Hoshea, the king of Assyria subsequently besieged the northern kingdom for three years, taking the land captive. This was a literal capture of the northern kingdom, but as I have explained in previous passages on this site applying to the end times, the people of ancient Israel were already in bondage at an individual level and as a society at-large because of their oaths and allegiances to foreign gods. They were already captive, and thus, blinded. This is why the prophet Hosea observed, applying to these end times, “The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid” (Hos 13:12). The following scripture represents the end state of the ancient northern kingdom society that had been weakened by its self-inflicted bondage and had become vulnerable to its enemies:
- “For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.” (2 Ki 14:26)
Even their king could not help. After the Assyrian besieged the northern kingdom, then the Assyrians led Israel away into exile.
Lessons from the Minor Prophets about end times corrupt, evil kings and their regimes
The nation representing the last days northern kingdom, ‘Babylon’-U.S., will also be shown to have greatly suffered as a result of corrupt, evil kings and rulers and their false god system of worship. Recall from above that Jereboam was corrupt and had surrounded himself with other “vain” men and counterfeit priests. The following is what we are told about last days kings from the prophet Hosea:
- “They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.” (Hos 8:4)
God asks the following rhetorical questions in scripture related to his end times house of Israel leaders, which can be seen as applying similarly to both his corrupt leaders and the people in the country of Israel, as well as those in ‘Babylon’-U.S.:
- “Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?” (Mic 3:1)
- “For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?” (Mic 1:5)
Micah, the ancient prophet with messages to both Judah and Israel, further prophesied about last days rulers through his eyewitness experience as a prophet. He referred to their corruption, doing evil with “both hands,” and perverting justice. The following statement of his likely applies to both end times Judah and the ‘northern kingdom,’ especially when considering the totality of prophetic scripture:
- “…the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.” (Mic 7:3)
These powerful rulers are the ones who have dealt and traded in the “delicacies” of ‘Babylon,’ the great harlot, who will be found to have deceived and oppressed the nations of the world through a Ponzi-like pyramid scheme by highly deceptive methods including magic and witchcraft instead of legitimate business dealings and honest foreign policy.
End times rulers in the last days ‘northern kingdom’ are specifically referred to in some places as the “mountains of Samaria” and also as the “chief of the nations,” generally meaning notable, recognizable and powerful people. While kings in today’s last days ‘northern kingdom,’ especially ‘Babylon’-U.S., likely include noteworthy politicians, rulers can be considered more broadly so as to include those who are powerful enough to influence or even control the system. These are the leaders of the very powerful, longstanding, worldwide anti-Christ Chaldean system that already controls entire governments and their leaders.
They are the wealthiest, the very rich, including captains of industry. Scripture refers to these tyrants in the last days who “cheat the scales,” “tread on the poor,” “crush the needy,” “remove boundary stones” (like removing a neighbor’s landmark, such Naboth’s field taken by Jezebel), and that “buy and sell people.”
Modern day execution of this kind of corruption and oppression merely happens through organized crime that operates behind the scenes. Today’s rulers are the equivalent of mob bosses who build fiefdoms and enrich themselves through cheating and stealing with the help of their silent, enslaved minion army. We are told about ‘Ephraim’ through a couple of the Minor Prophets:
- “He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.” (Hos 12:7)
- “Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.” (Mic 6:10-12)
We are further told prophetically that those in last days ‘Zion’ will trust in the “mountains of Samaria.” This likely represents the country of Israel’s leaders and other powerful house of Israel oligarchs who will falsely believe that their alliances with ‘Babylonian’ rulers (“mountains”) in the United States will protect them.
However, God says that he will “discover the foundations” of Samaria in the last days, which will include the most powerful, corrupt dealmakers and those who are referred to as “mighty men.” Many kings will be removed and will be in hiding once their deeds are discovered as a result of God’s judgment. The following refers to how last days kings and powerful men of the northern kingdom will fall just as those in the ancient northern kingdom did:
- “They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.” (Hos 7:7)
Just like the ancient northern kingdom, the last days northern kingdom will be rendered powerless and without leadership. This is the time in the last days similar to that referred to in the first section above for ancient Israel when there “was not any helper” for ‘Israel.’
Scripture says that during this time last days ‘Ephraim’ will be oppressed and will finally awaken and “see his sickness.” The ‘northern kingdom’s sickness will be that ‘Ephraim’ has “walked after the commandment” of a false oath, committed spiritual whoredom, and that end times ‘Israel’ “plays the harlot.” God says, “They shall bind themselves in their two furrows” (Hos 10:10); in other words, they will become double-minded with a divided heart due to their silent oaths to the anti-Christ Chaldean false god system.
God finally says, “Ephraim is joined to idols, leave him alone” (Hos 4:17). End times ‘Israel’/’Ephraim’ will become isolated and will find themselves alone just like the ancient northern kingdom that made these kinds of oaths. God further declares that he will chastise them.
The northern kingdom rejects their true king among them and goes to the one who cannot help them
The last days as they are described by the minor prophets to the northern kingdom is a time when God says several times that he will “pass through,” but that none will seek him. God says, “They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant” (Hos 10:4). God even refers to how he will “heal” and redeem the house of Israel during this time, but that they will choose to “speak lies” about him. God will work through his Spirit of truth who will be among them and offer to be their king himself, but his stubborn, double-minded people of ‘Israel’ will not understand nor seek him during this time of trouble. He refers to this as follows:
- “So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away.” (Hos 13:11)
God’s Spirit of truth will hide his face at this time. He says more than once,“woe,” to his people once he departs, including, “Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them!” (Hos 7:13). This will be a time when the house of Israel will go “many days without a king” (Hos 3:4).
The prophet Amos discusses the last days captivity of the ‘northern kingdom’ in what will be the Day of the Lord and a time that the Tribulation period comes upon the world. Once troubles come onto ‘Ephraim,’ and the last days house of Israel in the ‘northern kingdom,’ then they will proactively seek a king. Unfortunately, they will turn again to an enemy, the ‘Assyrian.’ We read about this in scripture as follows:
- “Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.” (Hos 7:11)
- “Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.” (Hos 12:1)
Although some kind of covenant will be made, likely involving a peace declaration, we learn that the ‘Assyrian’ will not be able to “cure” the house of Israel and ‘Ephraim’ in ‘Babylon’-U.S. Just as the corrupt, false god worshiping ancient northern kingdom was ultimately taken into exile by Assyria, a similar event will happen to ‘Israel’ in these end times. The ‘Assyrian’ will come and besiege ‘Babylon’-U.S., and will then invade and plunder. This is an example of the general principle applying to God’s people about how covenants with ‘strangers’ may not be effective or may backfire.
During this last days time period, we are told that ‘Israel’ will be “swallowed up” and will be “gone because of destruction.” ‘Ephraim’ will become “wanderers among the nations.” So just like the ancient northern kingdom was led away in exile by the Assyrian king, the end times ‘Assyrian’ will devour the house of Israel people in the ‘northern kingdom,’ causing them to flee. This is the time scripture says that they will still be “under the oppression of the mighty king” (Hos 8:10), likely a reference to the Anti-Christ, and possibly the end times ‘Assyrian’ himself.
~
In summary, the general theme seen in the ancient northern kingdom society run by corrupt kings who reject the God of Israel and choose to serve foreign gods ultimately find their societies taken over by foreigners. This scenario will play out again in these end times.
Grace & Peace,
Lion’s Lair
Lion's Lair 