1 Kings 21.1-29 is a very eschatological chapter and it begins a drama that leads all the way to 2 Kings 11 and the coronation of Joash, which is a picture of the coronation of Yeshua. After the two wars with Syria, a man named Naboth (“prophecies”) will be a picture of the first Adam and Yeshua will be a picture of the second Adam. He is from Jezreel (“sown of God”) and he had a vineyard (like Eden and Israel-Isa 5.1; Jer 17.1; Matt 21.33). Ahab wanted the vineyard (v 1-3) and he is a picture of Ha Satan and the False Messiah. This vineyard was Naboth’s inheritance and Lev 25.15, 23-25; Num 36.7 says that God has forbidden the giving away of land that belongs to a tribal allotment. Ha Satan wants to steal the earth also. Adam was forbidden to sell or give away his inheritance also (the earth/Eden). Yeshua is the “goel” or “kinsman redeemer” who will redeem it back.
So Ahab was upset over all this and he told Jezebel. She is a type of the religious harlot behind Ha Satan and the False Messiah (2 Kings 9.22). She said, “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” Jezebel pulls the strings and seems to be the real power behind Ahab. This will be the case with the False Messiah and his relationship with the false religious system (the harlot) and the False Prophet. We will see later in 2 kings 11 that Athaliah has Baal worship established in Judah, and she is the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.
Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed it with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who were living in Naboth’s city. She wrote that two false witnesses were to accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king, and to put him to death. In other words, he was getting “set up.” So they did as she desired and they accused Naboth of blasphemy. False witnesses were also used against Yeshua, accusing him of blasphemy. Then they took Naboth outside of the city and stoned him. They took Yeshua outside of the city and killed him. When Jezebel learned that he was dead, she told Ahab to take possession of the vineyard. The king could take possession of the land belonging to any executed criminal.
Now, the word of the Lord came to Elijah and he was told to meet Ahab in the vineyard of Naboth. He was told to say, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” This alludes to Yeshua saying that Ha Satan has been a murderer from the beginning (John 8.44). He goes on to say, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, and even yours (sons).” Ahab asks Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And Elijah says, “I have found you (as a thief) because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of Yehovah.”
Yehovah was going to bring evil upon Ahab and “sweep him away.” He will also cut off every male from Ahab’s house (remember he had 70 sons). He also said that the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel (2 Kings 9.30-37). Those belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs shall eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven shall eat. When Yeshua returns there will be an event called the “Feast of Leviathan.” Leviathan is a term for the False Messiah, and the followers of the False Messiah will be killed and the birds of heaven and the beasts of the field will eat their flesh because they will not be buried. Ahab, Jezebel and their house will have the same fate as those who follow the False Messiah and the False Prophet (Ezek 29.2-7, 33.2-8; Isa 66.23-24; Job 41.5; Luke 17.34-37; Rev 19.19-21).
After Ahab heard this he tore his robes and put on sackcloth and fasted. Then the Lord spoke to Elijah asking him if he has seen Ahab and how he has humbled himself before him. Yehovah says that he will not bring the evil in his days, but it will come upon his house in the days of his sons (21.9). This was only an outward display by Ahab, but Yehovah took notice. Ahab still hated God’s prophets (1 Kings 22.8).
So, in 1 Kings 22.1-40 we learn about the death of Ahab, and 1 Kings 22.41-53 tells us about the reign of Yehoshaphat in the south, and Ahab’s son Ahaziah in the north. Yehoshaphat means “Yehovah has judged” and he is the king of Judah, and he “came down” to the king of Israel. To “come down” was used because he was leaving Jerusalem, and when you went to Jerusalem you “went up.” The Lord will foretell Ahab’s demise.
Ahab wants Ramoth-gilead, a city of refuge (Josh 20.8). The king of Syria said he would return certain cities in return for mercy after a battle, but this city was never returned. So Ahab asked Yehoshaphat to help him and Ramoth-gilead was only 40 miles from Jerusalem. To take it out of the hands of the king of Syria would be a good thing. And Yehoshaphat agrees, but he also wants to seek the Lord about it. So, Ahab gathered the prophets of Asherah together. These are the ones mentioned in 1 Kings 18.19 (400 of them). Ahab still hated the prophets of God and it is not surprising that he picked false prophets because they will tell him what he wants to hear.
But Yehoshaphat asks, “Is there not a prophet of Yehovah here, that we may inquire of him?” He knew Ahab’s prophets were false and did not want to hear from them. Spiritually, we need to have discernment when inquiring of the Lord. We should not listen to false teachers and prophets either, especially when it concerns a battle. Find someone who is from the Lord, with that anointing if you have a question. Just like here, they will be hard to find but they are there. Ahab says that “there is one man by whom we may inquire of Yehovah, but I hate him because he does not prophesy good concerning me, only evil.” He is thought to be the same guy that was with him in the Syrian war (1 Kings 20.13). His name is Micaiah (“who is like God”), the son of Imlah (“who God will fill up”). Yehoshaphat said he should be heard, so Micaiah was summoned.
Now, as the kings were sitting in their royal robes, all the false prophets were prophesying and saying that they should go and take Ramoth-gilead. Then Zedekiah (“Yah is righteous”) the son of Chenaanah (“international trade”) made horns of iron and says they should gore the Syrians. Other prophets were prophesying in Yehovah’s name. These may have been true followers of Yehovah who were seduced by Ahab. They sided with him and were willing to tell him what he wanted to hear. These were not pagan prophets, but unfaithful prophets to Yehovah. Zedekiah used a familiar tool in his object lesson prophecy. Then all the false prophets agreed with Zedekiah. Spiritually, no matter how many or how powerful a presentation is, the message can still be false. When everyone agrees, that is a caution sign. Numbers mean nothing when it comes to a true teacher or prophet.
In our conclusion of 1 Kings, we will pick up with the true prophecy about to be given by Micaiah in 1 Kings 22.13-28.
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