Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Second Kings-Part 8

As we said at the end of Part 7, now we come to a picture of the coronation of Yeshua as seen in Rev 4-5. There are five aspects to the coronation of a Judean king. They are the Investiture with Insignia, the Anointing, The Acclamation, the Enthronement and the Homage. In 2 Kings 11.12 it says they brought the king’s son (Yoash) out and put the crown on him. We see this in Dan 7.13-14 and Zech 6.11-13, both alluding to the Messiah.

Athaliah (a type of Ha Satan and the False Messiah) heard the noise of the guard and of the people, and she came to the House of the Lord. She looked and saw the king standing by “the pillar.” This was probably the kiseh (2 Chr 23.13) or a throne that was set up in the Temple courts for the sons of David (2 Kings 16.18; 2 Kings 23.3; 2 Chr 23.23). The trumpeters were beside the king and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” This is what the False Messiah and unbelievers will say when Yeshua reveals himself and takes over to reign.

Then Yehoiada the priest said to the guards, “Bring her out between the ranks and whoever follows her put to death with the sword.” He did not want her to be slain in the Temple, however. So they took her out of the Temple and was put to death. This is like the azazel goat on Yom Kippur (Lev 16), and this is what Yeshua will do to the False Messiah when he returns (Rev 19.20-21). This will happen to all harlotry and false religion when Yeshua returns, symbolized by the harlot in Rev 17. Ahab was bad, but Jezebel was the real power behind him. Athaliah took power, just like false worship has taken power in Replacement Theology Christianity. The religious power behind the False Messiah will be Replacement Theology.

Yehoiada made a covenant between Yehovah and the king and the people. This covenant said that the people will be Yehovah’s people. Then the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down. His altars and his images were broken into pieces and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

Yehoiada appointed officers over the Temple and he took captains of hundreds, and the foreign bodyguard (the Carites), and the guards and the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the Temple to the Gate of the Guard (the same as the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon and the Shaar Ha Elyon (Upper Gate) to the king’s house, and he sat upon the throne of the kings (he began to reign). The people rejoiced and Jerusalem was quiet because they had put Athaliah to death.

Yoash was seven years old when he began to reign as king, and this alludes to the 7000 year plan of God. After 6000 years Yeshua will begin to reign and he will destroy the False Messiah and the city of Jerusalem will finally be at peace because Ha Satan will be bound and the False Messiah will be dead (Isa 2.2-4; Rev 19.20-21).

2 Kings 12.1-5 begins to tell us how Yoash repairs the Temple. He will reign 40 years and the queen mother’s name was Zibiah (“gazelle, beautiful lady”). He did right in the eyes of the Lord and was taught by the High Priest. The only thing he did not do was tear down the high places (bamot) where the people sacrificed and burned incense to Yehovah. These were not pagan high places. These were used before the Temple was built and were very old. The people still used them because “that’s the way we’ve always done it” and it was easier than going to Jerusalem (Deut 12.4-6).

Now, the “bamot” were used in the worship of Yehovah, and we have some information on these in the Mishnah, Zevachim 14.4-8. It says about these bamot, “Before the Tabernacle was set up, the high places were permitted and the Altar service was fulfilled by the first born. But after the Tabernacle was set up, the high places were forbidden, and the Altar service was fulfilled by the priests; the Most Holy Things were consumed within the curtains, and the Lesser Holy Things throughout the camp of Israel.”

“After they came to Gilgal the high places were again permitted; the Most Holy Things could be eaten only within the curtains but the Lesser Holy Things in any place. After they came to Shiloh the high places were forbidden. There was no roof beam there, but below was a house of stone and above were hangings, and this was the ‘resting place.’ The Most Holy Things were consumed within the curtains, and the Lesser Holy Things and the Second Tithe in any place within sight of Shiloh.”

“After they came to Nob and to Gibeon the high places were permitted; the Most Holy Things were consumed within the curtains and the Lesser Holy Things throughout the cities of Israel. After they came to Jerusalem the high places were forbidden and never again permitted; and this was the ‘inheritance.’ The Most Holy Things were consumed within the curtains and the Lesser Holy Things and the Second Tithe within the wall of Jerusalem.” These were the bamot (high places) that Yoash failed to take away.

He then makes a decree regarding the regular income of the Temple and the repair costs. This income came from census money (Exo 30.13), personal assessment money (Lev 27.1-2 and all the gifts of money given to the Temple (freely given). It was out of this income that proper repairs of the Temple was financed. The Temple was vandalized by Athaliah and her sons (2 Chr 24.7).

So 2 Kings 12.6-18 tells us how the money was gathered, but the Temple was not repaired. It seems he suspected the priests used the money for themselves (v 7). 2 Kings 12.14-16 tells us that the Temple was repaired after they took a chest and people put money in it as they came into the Temple.

But Hazael came up against Gath and captured it, and then set his face toward Jerusalem. So Yoash took all the sacred things that the previous kings had dedicated and sent them to Hazael as tribute so that he would not attack Jerusalem, and he did not. He did not trust the Lord and traded the spiritual things of God for the physical things of his kingdom. He never repented for this and never fulfilled his true destiny as king, and some servants formed a conspiracy against Yoash and assassinated him. Amaziah his son became king in his place in Judah.

2 Kings 13.1-9 tells us about the reign of Yehoahaz, the son of Yehu, who was king over Israel and it gives us a summary. This was in fulfillment of what Yehovah promised in 2 Kings 10.30, but he followed in the footsteps of Jereboam (idolatry). As a result, Yehovah delivered the northern tribes of Israel into the hands of Hazael, king of Syria. Yehoahaz entreated the favor of the Lord and Yehovah listened to this prayer because of his great mercy and care for Israel, even though Yehoahaz was ungodly. The Lord gave Israel a deliverer but there was no revival and the north continued in their false worship. Yehoahaz dies and they buried him in Samaria, and Yehoash his son became king.

2 Kings 13.10-13 tells us that in the 37th year of Yoash king of Judah, Yehoash the son of Yehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned 16 years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord and he did not turn away from all the sins of Jereboam, and he made Israel walk in them as well (idolatry). And Yehoash died and Jereboam sat on the throne; and Yehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

In Part 9 we will pick up here with the death of Elisha.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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