Resurrection Life of Jesus Church

FINAL JUDGMENT OF JUDAH
King Nebuchadnezzar returned as predicted in 589 B.C. and besieged Jerusalem, determined to put down the rebellion of Judah. Zedekiah was in his ninth year as king and the siege lasted 18 months. 2 Kings 25:1-2

The Babylonians were able to breach the city walls after a year and a half and took Jerusalem. Zedekiah and his officers realized that it was hopeless to resist and they fled during the night. 2 Kings 25:3-4; Jeremiah 39:1-4

Zedekiah remembered the prophetic words of Jeremiah. Jeremiah 38:18

The Words of God never fail and Zedekiah and his men failed to outrun the Babylonian cavalry. Isaiah 55:11; Jeremiah 39:5

King Nebuchadnezzar had previously left Jerusalem and set up a temporary court at the city of Riblah in northern Syria, near to modern day Lebanon.

It must have taken several days for the Babylonians to bring Zedekiah, his officers and princes to Riblah. Zedekiah realized in hindsight what a fool he was for not taking God up on His offer and would have wondered what his fate would be. Would he be tortured? Killed? Jeremiah 39:5

Zedekiah was 32 years old when he was brought to the court of Nebuchadnezzar, who was furious with Zedekiah and his underlings. The king of Judah was brought to a courtyard and forced to watch the execution of his sons. The rebellious king witnessed each of his sons’ decapitation, seeing the blood run from their bodies and hearing the gurgling death sounds. The political rulers and army officers suffered the same fate.

Zedekiah was forced to watch man after man killed in rapid fire succession.

Zedekiah was moved and bound to a pole in the middle of the courtyard. A Babylonian soldier picked up a rod of iron and heated its tip in a fire until it was red hot. Then he poked the rod deep into both of Zedekiah’s eyes. The carnage of dead bodies was the last thing he ever saw. Jeremiah 39:6-7

Zedekiah was then shackled with chains of brass and forced to walk to Babylon under a military guard. 2 Kings 25:7

Mattaniah lived out his life as a blind prisoner, forever regretting his stupid decision. There is no record that he ever repented.

The Babylonian army then proceeded to destroy the temple in Jerusalem, stripping it of gold, silver and brass and taking the plunder back to Babylon. The entire city was set on fire and the Babylonians watched it burn to the ground. The priestly leadership which served in the temple, along with other officials was also marched to Riblah where they too were beheaded. 2 Kings 25:8-21

Many men, women and children had been killed in battle for Jerusalem. The survivors were shackled and marched away in a Second Exodus to Babylon. Jeremiah 39:9

Ezekiel had prophesied that Zedekiah would be taken to Babylon and die there, but he would never see the place. He did not know that Nebuchadnezzar would blind Zedekiah beforehand. Ezekiel 12:8-13

THE GOVERNOR
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make sure that Judah never rose again as a kingdom and ordered Captain Nebuzaradan to incorporate Judah as a province of Babylon and Gedaliah was selected to be the first governor. 2 Kings 25:22

Gedaliah was a godly man who had rejected the Kabbalistic teaching. He was the grandson of the scribe Shaphan, who was instrumental in the revival reform under King Josiah. 2 Kings 22:1-10

His father was Ahikam, who had saved Jeremiah from death. Jeremiah 26:24

Nebuzaradan ordered his soldiers to select all educated people, including craftsmen and businessmen, to be force marched to Babylon under military guard. The poor people that remained were given farmland and vineyards to cultivate. Jeremiah 39:9-10

JEREMIAH IS RESCUED
The Babylonians had spies within Judah prior to their invasion and Nebuchadnezzar was aware of Jeremiah’s prophecies concerning Judah. God had moved upon the foreign king to spare Jeremiah and treat him with respect. Jeremiah 39:11-18; 40:1-6

A GOVERNOR
Gedaliah did not rebel against the king of Babylon since he knew that it was a divine punishment on Judah to be destroyed by Babylon. He also knew that God had set a timetable of 70 years for the Jews to stay in captivity. He wanted to work with the people that remained in Judah during this time period. Jeremiah 29:10; 40:7-10

Remnants of Jews who had fled to other nations came to Gedaliah. verses 11-12

CONSPIRACY
The Kabbalistic Jews did not like Gedaliah and there was a plot to slay him. When he was informed of the conspiracy, Gedaliah did not believe it and refused a preemptive strike and it would cost him his life. verses 13-16

THE MURDER OF GEDALIAH
Seven months after Gedaliah started to reign as a governor, the assassin arrived to Mizpah. Ishmael was in the lineage of King David and Gedaliah tried to be nice to him. Gedaliah invited him for a meal at the governor’s mansion and Ishmael’s death squad of ten men murdered Gedaliah. Jeremiah 41:1-2

Lucifer’s murdering spirits possessed Ishmael and his small army and they slaughtered anyone in the court of Gedaliah, including the Babylonian garrison. verse 3

Ishmael was possessed by powerful demons and they turned him into a mass murderer.  verses 4-9

Ishmael intended to build some kind of Jewish community in the land of the Ammonites, but his forces were defeated by Johanan and the remaining captains of the Judean army. verse 10-15

PLANNING TO RETURN TO EGYPT
Johanan became the new leader of the remnant and he quickly realized that the Babylonians would not be able to distinguish between Ishmael’s group and those who remained loyal to Babylon. To the Babylonians, Jews were simply rebellious and Johanan feared that Nebuzaradan would return and slaughter them.

Johanan ordered the remnant moved from Mizpah to Chimham in southern Judah, which would act as a staging point since they intended to flee to Egypt. verses 16-18

SUMMARY
Solomon’s temple had been destroyed and thousands of Jews had been killed. Tens of thousands had been taken to Babylon. The remnant in Judah had been decimated by Ishmael, and what was left, was making its way to Egypt.

Lucifer used the Kabbalah to literally wipe out the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. This fallen cherub managed to destroy the twelve tribes of Israel and the future Redeemer at this point had no one to come to.

This was the end of the promise God made to Abraham from a human standpoint, but what Lucifer failed to take into consideration was that the Godhead has their own way of working things out and will never be defeated. Isaiah 55:8-13