Church is Cancelled

²³Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 NKJV

We are meant to fellowship with each other

• Hebrews 10:23-25
• Matthew 18:20
• Acts 2:42-47

We are not to be conformed to this world

• Romans 12:2
• Deuteronomy 14:2
• 2 Corinthians 6:17
• 1 John 4:4-5
• 1 Peter 2:9

We are protected

• Revelation 9:4
• Daniel 3
• Exodus 7-11
• Revelation 18:4

God did not give us the spirit of fear

• Matthew 16:25-26
• Matthew 10:39
• Romans 8:15
• 2 Timothy 1:7

definition

pandemic[1]

noun

1. : an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease

definition

epidemic[2]

noun

1. : an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time : an outbreak of epidemic disease
2. : an outbreak or product of sudden rapid spread, growth, or development

References

1. "Pandemic". Merriam-Webster; March 11, 2020
2. "Epidemic". Merriam-Webster; March 11, 2020
3. Tessa Wong. "Shincheonji and coronavirus: The mysterious 'cult' church blamed for S Korea's outbreak". BBC. March 14, 2020
4. Choe Sang-Hun. He Blames ‘Evil’ for South Korea’s Coronavirus Surge. Officials Blame Him.". NY Times. March 2, 2020
5. "N.B.A. Suspends Season After Player Tests Positive for Coronavirus". NY Times. March 11, 2020
6. Steve Almasay. "The NCAA is canceling March Madness". CNN. March 12, 2020
7. Grace Hauck and Doug Stanglin. "Coronavirus updates: Trump declares national emergency; schools in 12 states shut down; cruise lines halted". USA Today. March 13, 2020

Isaiah 21: The Fall of Babylon

For this post we'll be discussing Isaiah 21:1-10. In these verses, Isaiah discusses the fall of Babylon. There are parallels with prophecy in Revelation and events that occur in Daniel.

Introduction

We all know about the city of Babylon—it was infamous for its pagan ways and is used to symbolize God's enemy in Revelation. A powerful and rich nation of it's day, it comes as no surprise that Isaiah dedicated the first part of this chapter(Isaiah 21:1-10) to the judgment that was to befall Babylon. What may be surprising is that Isaiah's wording is identical to the wording about the fall of spiritual Babylon in Revelation. Clearly the original city of Babylon fell centuries ago (covered in Daniel, actually), and was likely the fall Isaiah was prophesying about, but is it possible Isaiah hid some nuggets of prophecy about our time in this message?

Babylon

A Desert in Morocco
Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Sergey Pesterev

The chapter starts off addressing the desert of the sea. When we think of the Middle East, where ancient Babylon was located, we typically think of the literal desert. The edge of Babylon might have extended to the Persian/Arabian Gulf,[1][2] which could be the sea referenced in the verse, but I think there's something symbolic here as well.

In Revelation 17:15, an Angel explains to John that the sea is symbolic of multitudes and nations (and note that this passage is in reference to the Whore of Babylon atop a beast rising from the sea). A desert, would then be symbolic of a place with few people. At it's height, Babylon was a "sea." Many captured nations were part of Babylon and it was a center of trade; using today's language, Babylon would have been a "superpower." However, it was desolate when it comes to spirituality. After the destruction came upon the city, it was never to be rebuilt and remains in ruins to this day. It became a desert.

Isaiah's Reaction

Have you ever watched something or heard someone describe something and felt it in your own limbs? For example, I may be telling you about how I slammed the car door shut on my thumb, and it causes your own thumb to tingle in sympathy. I've had this feeling many times, and apparently Isaiah felt this after hearing what would happen to Babylon. Isaiah is dismayed at the grievous vision that is given to him (Isaiah 21:3-4).

What do you think the significance of this is? Babylon was a ruthless nation, one that would eventually overtake Israel, and yet, here was Isaiah overcome with grief over the vision of judgment he saw pronounced upon them. Why is it important for us to know that he felt sympathy for this nation?

God gave us the ability to feel sympathy for our fellow man because it's an extension of love. Although there are times when God must punish people, it pains Him to see us suffer; He would rather us surrender to Him willingly and accept His gift of love and eternal life (2 Peter 3:9). When we are filled with His Spirit (as Isaiah was in giving this vision), we feel from a place of love, not of hate. Is it possible that Isaiah was anguished by what he saw not only because when filled with the Spirit of God he possessed love that gave him sympathy, but because Isaiah knew that if Israel did not obey God, a similar fate could befall them as well?

Foretelling Who Causes the Fall

If there's one thing I know, it's that all great nations fall. Babylon, Greece, Rome... That probably wasn't common knowledge during Isaiah's era, so predicting the fall of a nation as powerful as Egypt or Babylon was probably a scandalous and outrageous affair. Today, it might seem fairly obvious to us, which is probably why God also told Isaiah who would bring down the nation. What are the odds that he would know that, right?

Isaiah 21:2 tells us that Elam (Persia)[3] and Media would be involved with downfall of Babylon. Darius the Mede and Cyrus, of Persia, both play pivotal roles in conquering Babylon. It is during the Persian rule that the Israelites are released from captivity.[4]

Another miracle of Isaiah's prophecy is seen in verse 5. Here we see that there is a feast of the princes happening when the call to alarm occurs. In Daniel 5, we see Belshazzar, king of Babylon enjoying a great feast before he is overcome with distress (similar to that Isaiah describes early in Isaiah 21). That night he is slain by Darius the Mede (Daniel 5:30-31).

Babylon is Fallen, is Fallen

The first thing that stood out to me in Isaiah 21, is Isaiah 21:9 which is echoed in Revelation 14:8 and 18:2. Let's compare, shall we?

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.Isaiah 21:9 KJV

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.Revelation 14:8 KJV

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.Revelation 18:2 KJV

An Angel's Decree

In both Revelation 14:8 and 18:2, it is an angel who is proclaiming the fall of Babylon. Let's add some context. Just before the angel in Revelation 14:8 proclaims the fall of Babylon, we see that the "Lamb of Sion" (Jesus) is standing with the 144,000 who received the seal of God during the last days—I'll do a full post on the 144,000 in time, I promise! The 144,000 are sealed between the sixth and seventh seals (see Revelation 6-8). It makes sense that this is near the very end because the defeat of Babylon occurs with Christ defeats Satan (and thus the beast who is ruling Babylon). The angel from Revelation 18:2 speaks after the seventh vial has been poured out. This angel is calling people out of Babylon, indicating that the great city though fallen spiritually has not been judged yet. At the time of this angel's message, there is still a chance for God's obedient children to leave before the final judgment is executed.

The Relationship Between New and Old Babylon

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/JJ Jordan

God instructs Isaiah to have a watchman describe the events that take place next. Naturally, Israel would be happy when Babylon fell. Even from Isaiah's time the kingdom was a threat to their nation. I imagine the Israelites feelings toward Babylon during Isaiah's era would have been similar to the feelings of US Citizens toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. Naturally, they would want someone watching the events of this powerful enemy. For God to have Isaiah set a watchman was a reminder to the people to watch what was happening and be ready for the prophecy.

The same command is given to us today with regards to "the Whore of Babylon" and end time prophecy. When the angel of revelation makes the plea for God's children to come out of Babylon, we want to know. In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus teaches us to be prepared for the groomsman (Him) through the parable of the 10 virgins. Some of them were ready to meet the groom when he appeared, but the others were not. Those who were not ready were not included in the ceremony. We need to be watching for the fall of "new" Babylon just as Isaiah told them to watch for the fall of ancient Babylon.

References

1. Henry W.F. Saggs. "Babylon". Encyclopædia Britannica. December 1, 2017
2. William MacDonald. Believer's Bible Commentary, pg. 953-954. 1995
3. "Elam". Encyclopædia Britannica. September 3, 2014
4. John F. Walvoord. "6. The Medes And The Persians". Bible.org. January 1, 2008

Isaiah 14: Satan's Origin Story?

In this post we'll continue to look at the fall of Babylon, and we'll also look at the passage that many site as the origin story for Satan.

Introduction

Isaiah 14 continues Isaiah's prophecy about the fall of Babylon that was started in Isaiah 13. It also contains the segment that leads majority of the Christian world to believe Satan's name is Lucifer. The chapter concludes with a brief prophecy about the fall of the Philistines.

The most involved part of this section is definitely the passage concerning Lucifer. There are actually quite a few perspectives concerning the passage: some believe Lucifer is a name, other believe it is a title; some believe it refers to the earthly king of Babylon, other believe it refers to Satan. You can find various articles discussing these points of view online, if you want more details than what I provide below.

The Return Home

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Dan Grinwis

Isaiah prophesies that when the Medes take over Babylon, Israel will be allowed to return home (and they were, by Cyrus' decree). When they returned home, non-Israelites would accompany them, just as it was when they left Egypt. Some of these people would be the same Babylonians who had previously been their captors; now Israel would be the master and Babylon the servant.

Before we move on, however, I want to make an important point about servants or slaves. We all know that the words translated to servant in the Bible could also be translated as slave. What most people don't know is how servitude and slavery in Biblical time was different (and the same) as modern slavery. As an American, specifically as a black person in the U.S., "slave" and "slavery" is defined, by default, as the transatlantic slave trade and the chattel slavery that occurred in the U.S. In this form of slavery, people were bought and sold as property; families were separated without thought and slaves really weren't looked at as human. A major difference in American slavery was that slave status wasn't based on being too poor to care for yourself (remember government assistance, soup kitchens, thrift stores, etc. did not exist until recently) or having lost a war, but solely on the color of a person's skin.

Is this the type of slavery God was dooming the Babylonians to? People often read passages like Isaiah 14:2 and bemoan the fact that God accepted and allowed slavery. The problem is, you have to set aside modern connotations and put each verse in context with all the other verses. When Isaiah penned this verse, it was on top of everything Moses had already written—Moses' writings were the law for Israel and had been created either by or with the assistance of God. There are two important things about Moses' (and many after Moses) writings that clue us in to how God viewed slavery: attention to the poor and the commandment to remember they (the Israelites) were slaves in Egypt. Too many passages to name are in favor of protecting the poor, the orphans, and the widowed. These are the people who would have become slaves. Exodus 22:21 tells the Israelites not to vex or mistreat strangers in their land and compels them to remember how they were treated in Egypt. These laws were to be remembered when Israel began taking Babylonians as servants or slaves. The type of horrific treatment of people we associate with slavery was not condoned by God. Does that mean the Israelites were better masters than the rest of the world? Probably not; they weren't known for actually following God's word. However, it does say something about how God intended for us to behave.

A Reprieve

God promised to give the Israelites rest; a reprieve from the sorrow that came with bondage. God's creation week is a reminder to us that rest will always come. He knew that we would tire and need time for resting, whether it is from work or a situation. Sometimes we are pushed to the limits, beyond what we'd like or what we think we can handle, but God knows that we need rest, and when we absolutely need this rest, He will always provide it.

Celebration

God gives Israel a proverb to chant in the wake of their victory. It appears to be a song expressing the magnificent defeat of such a powerful kingdom. The proverb contains a reminder that though the king was powerful and rich, when he died, he died like everyone else—possibly worse since worms (maggots, maybe?) would be on his dead body.

Also, the statement that the Earth was at rest and elements of it, such as the trees, rejoiced is a powerful reminder of how the Earth suffers when we engage in war.

Lucifer

Isaiah 14:12 begins the part of the chapter in which God is speaking to someone known as Lucifer. There are two main, but opposing, schools of thought on the passage. The common belief is that the person being spoken to is Satan. However, some people believe this passage is talking about the human king who was disgraced. In either case, people debate whether Lucifer is actually a name, title, or description.

Who is Lucifer?

Meaning of the Word

Lucifer actually means "light bearer" or "light bringer." It stems from the Latin root for light—luce or lux. The original Hebrew word is helel, which likely is derived from a Hebrew word meaning to shine or radiate. It is also possible that helel means "day star" or "morning star."[5][6] Despite the common perception that Lucifer is a proper name, both words are more like titles, and the context of the passage supports that usage. So, while we've turned it into a name, Lucifer probably isn't the devil's name. Given the belief that it is, and the association, it's obviously not a popular name.[2][3][4] As of 2016, 91 babies in the United States had been named Lucifer since 1980.[1]

Is Lucifer Satan?

Photocredit: Unspalsh.com/Pro Church Media

Let's talk about whether Lucifer is or isn't Satan. Most people agree that it is, but some believe God is talking to the king of Babylon, given the context of the passage. So, which is it?

First, I want to point out two other examples of God speaking to an earthly human, but really speaking to Satan. In Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33, and Luke 4:8, Jesus is talking to Peter, but He addresses Satan, because it was Satan who placed such a thought in Peter's mind. In Ezekiel 28, a similar revelation about Satan's past is addressed when God is addressing the king of Tyre. We know God can't be talking to the literal king of Tyre after a certain point in the passage because He places the person in the garden of Eden and refers to them as an anointed cherub. In both of these cases, God is speaking past the physical human and to the entity (Satan) that is controlling the human like a puppet.

Second, let's address the issue of lucifer being a title rather than a name. Just because it isn't a name, doesn't mean it isn't in reference to Satan. Similarly, God is not God's name, it's a title. Because most of us in the U.S. are Christian, when we see God with a capital g, we assume the God of Abraham, but "god" is a generic title that people from various cultures and religions apply to any deity (real or not). God's name is actually YHWH, but we rarely use this; instead we refer to Him as God, Lord, and Father. To me it actually makes the most sense that in light of his behavior, Satan's name is never revealed, since that would only increase his fame.

Third, I think the address God makes applies to both Satan and the king of Babylon. The reason I say this is because the king has succumbed to Satan's madness. Babylon's king probably did think he could do all of things listed in the passage (we'll get to those in just a few), and probably denied God the way many leaders, entertainers, businessmen, and scholars of today do. However, the reason he believed this was because of Satan whispering in his ear. The king's situation is not so different from Eve's; Satan put the idea in the human's mind, but the human acted on the idea. Just as God addresses both Eve and Satan in Genesis 3, in Isaiah 14, God is addressing both Satan and the king.

Light & the Morning Star

This passage tightly couples "lucifer" and light, which causes much confusion considering Jesus is also highly associated with light (John 8:12). As mentioned earlier, the title, plus the reference to the son of the morning, essentially refers to this person or entity as the morning star. Yet, in Revelation 22:16, Jesus says He is the morning star. It's a bit confusing that so many of Jesus' attributes or titles have been applied to whomever is being spoken to, whether it is the literal king or Satan.

Do not forget that Satan specializes in confusion; he wants you to be unable to recognize him, so he's taken great pains to confuse your perception of him so that God's Word can be manipulated to confuse you more. People often think of him as being the opposite of God, since he is in opposition to God, but Satan's goal is to be like God. 2 Corinthians 11:14 tells us that even as a fallen angel, Satan can transform himself into an angel of light, proving that the verse in Isaiah 14 is justified in associating the devil with light. Furthermore, when we are in submission to God, we are supposed to emulate His light. As one of God's created beings, Satan would have done this all the time before his fall.

The Fall of an Angel

God doesn't rebuke people without cause, and so far every example I've seen in the Bible, He tells us why He's rebuking the person. Throwing people in jail without reason, punishing them without informing citizens why, and other similar behaviors are telltale signs of a corrupt system. God doesn't operate that way; instead He lays it all out on the table for us to see. This way, we know that God is a just God and we learn from others' mistakes.

Satan and the king's crimes are listed as being boastful and exalting himself to the throne of God. Truthfully, this is possibly the most important passage in the Bible to read concerning our enemy, because it tells us exactly what he is attempting. All of Satan's temptations lead back to this very concept. His goal is to undermine God's authority so that it is him we are bowing to instead of God. The very first record of Satan speaking to a human (Eve in Genesis 3), this is essentially the same thought process he puts in her head. By convincing her that she could be like God if she ate the fruit, Satan became her leader because it was his ideology she chose to follow. Satan does the same when he tempts Jesus; in fact, Satan explicitly asks Jesus to bow down to him (Matthew 4:11). Another example of this mentality is that of the people in Babel; they thought they could make themselves more powerful than God, as well (which was probably inspired by the devil).

Something to really take into account when reading the charges against Satan is the usage of I. Over the course of 2 verses, the word I is used 5 times. Satan is extremely self focused. When our speech begins to imitate this pattern and everything starts with I, we should stop to re-evaluate who we're serving.

Aftermath of the Fall

Satan may get most of the world on his side, and kings like the king of Babylon may wreak havoc on the world in their conquest for power and wealth, but in the end, these people will not prosper. In the New Testament, Jesus tells us that people who seek to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life will save it. It seems just as likely that those who seek power and riches on earth will lose them, while those who build their treasures in Heaven will reap their reward. Satan and the king will not be able to keep anything they achieve. God says the fall of the king will be so great that everyone will marvel at how someone so powerful could be brought so low.

The Coup of Babylon

Sometimes when there's a coup, the country survives, but in most cases there's either a collapse of the government or a serious loss of power. The same is true with the fall of Babylon. The collapse of Babylon, though described as a thorough punishment ridding the region of any and all who participated in their evildoings, was actually a fantastic event for the nations that had been taken captive. These nations were now free to rebuild their homelands. It was only after Cyrus conquered Babylon that the Israelites were permitted to return to Jerusalem and begin reconstructing the Temple, after all. The same will be true of spiritual Babylon. The pains of God's wrath that pour out on the earth during those final days will be tremendous, but after spiritual Babylon is defeated and Jesus is seated on the throne, we will finally be able to return to our perfect paradise.

Another thing that's typical of a coup is killing anyone that could pose a threat to the newly established throne. Since leadership was passed on by blood, descendants of the royal family could always stake their claim to the throne. Since this claim would be valid, it was always possible that they could rally men behind them, regroup, and become a threat to the newly established power. To avoid this, usually the entire lineage was killed. The Israelites fell victim to this when Athaliah takes the throne of Judah upon the death of her husband, she attempted to have everyone with a claim to the throne killed (2 Kings 11). A more recent example would be the murder of the entire Romanov royal family in Russia, when the Bolsheviks overthrew Tsar Nicholas II.[7] Isaiah 14:21 prophecies that this action would be taken upon the king of Babylon.

We can also find a second, spiritual meaning in Isaiah 14:21. Just as we are children of God, those who follow and worship Satan will be like children of Satan when the final judgement comes, in that they will share the fate of Satan. All of those who worshipped the beast and took his mark, as well as those who rejected Christ—basically anyone who would have claim to Satan's "throne"—will be eliminated to avoid another war in Heaven.

Rejected From the Grave

Isaiah 14:19-20 is quite interesting because it talks about the king of Babylon being cast out of the grave. Upon reading that, I was quite confused. It seemed unlikely that the grave would reject a human, and honestly sounded zombie/vampire-ish. After looking at a few commentaries and digging deeper into the passage, I realized this is more about honorable burials than literally being rejected from the grave.[8] To put this in perspective, think of ancient Egypt. The kings were given extravagant pyramids upon their deaths and while these tombs had religious significance for them, they were also lasting markers of their reign—they're still there to this day. The king of Babylon would not be celebrated when he died.

The same can be said of the antichrist and spiritual Babylon. When God renders judgement at the end of the world. All traces of sin and evil will be removed from the universe and the world will be restored to it's perfect state. Despite all the effort Satan will have put in to destroy things, his work will be completely erased.

God's Will Will Stand

If God speaks something, it is true. If God says something will happen, it will happen. In this particular passage, God is speaking a pronouncement on Babylon and Assyria (later in the chapter He mentions Palestine, as well). While this particular example is rife with bad news for God's enemies, we have to remember that all the great news He's proclaimed for His people is just as true and just as concrete. We will have enteral life, we will be blessed, and we will have a more abundant life.

Palestine

I don't know why the person who split the books into chapters decided to put the breaks where they did, but it seems to me the end of Isaiah 14 should have been verse 27 and Isaiah 14:28 would actually start the new chapter. Here, Isaiah begins a new vision that he was given in the same year that king Ahaz died. This new vision was for the people of Palestina.

Palestina would be the region we call Palestine today. The people God was referencing were likely the Philistines who lived there at the time. Surprisingly, the Palestinians of today probably aren't related to the Philistines; it's supposed that they simply inherited the name by living in the region. In fact, at one point, Jews were known as Palestinians.[9] This also explains why Isaiah is prophesying that they will be wiped out. In the end, God would set His judgement on them through famine and extinction of their culture.

Something interesting about this passage is that the serpent begets another serpent. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles make it clear that our words and actions are our fruit; these fruit identify whom we're serving. Evil can only produce more evil and the fruits of evil are evil.

Fulfillment of the prophecy may be seen in 2 Kings 18:8, when Ahaz's son Hezekiah defeats the Philistines.

References

1. "Lucifer". Names.org; visited July 2018
2. Mike Campbell. "Lucifer". Behind the Name; visited July 2018
3. "Lucifer meaning". Abarim Publications. September, 10, 2014
4. Douglas Harper. "Lucifer". Online Etymology Dictionary; visited July 2018
5. "“Lucifer” or “Day Star” in Isaiah 14:12?". KJV Today; visited July 2018
6. "Why are both Jesus and Satan referred to as the morning star?". GotQuestions.org; visited July 2018
7. "Execution of the Romanov family". Wikipedia; visited July 2018
8. "Isaiah 14:19 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited July 2018
9. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. "Israel: Origins of the Name “Palestine”". Jewish Virtual Library; visited July 2018

Isaiah 13: Babylon is Fallen, is Fallen

Isaiah 13 tells us about the fall of Babylon. Whether God was talking about the fall of spiritual Babylon or ancient Babylon is something worth studying.

Introduction

Isaiah 13 is where Isaiah gives us a vision concerning the massa of Babylon. Massa is the original Hebrew word which is translated to burden in the KJV and oracle in most modern translations. I like that we can see the different translations because I think together the words give us a better context for the message. It's not just an oracle foretelling what will happen, but a burden that Babylon has created for itself. Like Jeremiah 50-51, the passage discusses the ill-fate of the notoriously sinful nation.

Proclamation of War

The first 5 verses are a declaration of war on God's enemy (Babylon). In these verses God calls His army together together and instructs them to lift a banner or signal high on the mountain. In the past, nations marched into battle with their flag—in fact some families had crests that were put on flags and carried into war. This made it obvious which side a person was on. Today we're into more covert forms of warfare, but the Bible warns us that when the end draws nigh, we will have to make a choice which side we are on. In doing so, we will either receive the seal of God or the mark of the beast. We are to wear our seal of God proudly.

While the army mentioned in these verses could be God's people, and the banner they hold up could be symbolic of choosing between good and evil, it could also be a description of the Medes, who actually defeated ancient Babylon. In fact, later in the chapter (Isaiah 13:17), Isaiah—who lived long before the defeat of Babylon and before the Medes were even a country worth mentioning—named the Medes as the people who would defeat Babylon.[11]

Which Babylon?

There are two Babylon's mentioned in the Bible. One captured the southern kingdom of Judah and is taught about in our history classes. God promised to destroy the main city (or capital as we would say) or the kingdom so completely that nothing would be built there again. The other Babylon is a symbolic name given to the state of the world during the end times. Revelation, which was written many many years after the fall of the original Babylon, constantly beseeches God's people to come out of Babylon (Revelation 18:2-5) and rejoices at Babylon falling (Revelation 14:8; 17:5; 18:10). This means that when we look back at texts written by prophets like Isaiah, we are often left wondering if the prophecies they attach to Babylon are meant for the first Babylon, the second Babylon, or both.

Most of the events of the Old Testament foreshadow the events of the New Testament. We can see double fulfillments and a repetition of history throughout the Bible. Matthew 24:36-39 tells us that the end times will be just like it was in the days of Noah, who also experienced a judgement day of sorts. This means it is possible that Isaiah is predicting events for both the fall of ancient Babylon and the coming judgement day. After all, at the fall of Babylon the Israelites did return to their own land with their own people and likely other captured groups did the same just as Isaiah predicted.

Destruction

One of the reasons its so hard to determine if God is referring to spiritual Babylon or ancient Babylon is the finality of His judgment on the city. Isaiah relays a message of absolute judgment; when these things were to come to pass, there would be no turning back. Just as it was with Sodom and Gomorrah—other cities that once destroyed by God were never rebuilt—God's judgement would be final. People would cry out but by then it would be too late.

Weak Hands and Melted Hearts

Isaiah 13:7 says that God when the time of judgment comes upon Babylon, the people's hands will be weak and their hearts will melt. If one's hands are weak, they are in a poor physical state; this could be from famine, weariness, or disease. To have your heart melt suggests an effect on your emotional state. When we are in sin, we harden our heart against God's light (and consequently, anyone emitting His light). When He brings His judgment those hearts will melt, but only sorrow and regret can come to them at that point because there isn't any turning back. It's much better for us if we never harden our heart than to force God's hand to unthaw it the hard way.

If you look at the fall of any empire you can see that there isn't just a physical threat, but a mental and emotional threat as well. When people go into survival mode, anything is bound to happen. Even in our own society today, as we see an increase in the media reporting on police brutality and mass shootings in the U.S., we're also seeing an increase in people experiencing mental health issues.[13][14] Surely in the final days of ancient Babylon and the final days of the world, the emotional state of the people was and will be much worse.

A Woman in Labor

Isaiah describes the pain of the event like a woman in labor. This metaphor is repeated in Matthew 24 to describe the second coming of Jesus. There are multiple interesting things about this metaphor.

For one, God often uses a woman to symbolize the church. Since the church is really the body of Christ, or believers, the passage could be taken to reference persecution of believers. Anytime a city is given over completely to sin, those who remain true to God will be persecuted. Just as light and dark cannot coexist, good and evil cannot coexist either.

Another note is the predictability of the situation. With the exception of a few rare cases,[12] when a woman is pregnant she, and everyone around her, knows. At first there are intimate signs that only she would know (like a missed period). As time goes on, and the child begins to grow, her stomach will grow. Even before fancy technology giving us more accurate due dates, a woman would know the month to expect her child. Thus, when she goes into labor it isn't a surprise, people will likely be prepared and ready to meet the new baby. So, too, one would expect the fall of the city to be predictable; the city might weaken or enemies grow stronger and more disgruntled. There should be signs telling those paying attention that the time is near.

Finally, there's the aspect of bittersweetness. There is immense pain in bringing forth the child, but the end result is worth the pain. Ancient Babylon was a sinful city and spiritual Babylon is even worse. Although the destruction of the city is tragic and people were (or will be) lost forever, it has to happen for the good things that were (and are) to come to be fulfilled.

Sun, Moon, & Stars

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jeremy Thomas

Isaiah 13:10 gives us one of the most familiar signs of the end times: the sun, moon, and stars being darkened. Ecclesiastes 12:2, Isaiah 24:23, Ezekiel 32:7, Joel 2:10; 3:15, Matthew 24:29, Mark 13:24, Luke 21:25, and Revelation 8:12 all refer to the sun, moon, and stars being darkened.

The Dark Day of 1780

On May 19, 1780, a large portion of the northeastern U.S., along with neighboring regions in Canada, experienced what is called "the dark day." By noon that day everything was dark. Some people believe this is the event foretold in the Bible. Those who do not think this event is the fulfillment of the prophecy often complain that it only occurred in one region of the world. When you consider the fact that at any given time half the world is in darkness because they aren't facing the Sun, it seems plausible to me that the sign could only effect a portion of the Earth.[4][5][6]

A Dark Sun

I'm sure you learned about sun spots in school, but if not, a brief recap is that there are these dark patches on the sun where the temperature of the surface is much cooler than the rest of it's surface.[18] There are also holes in the surface, known as coronal holes. These create solar storms that can hit the Earth. This year such a hole opened in our sun and it was predicted that one of these storms would hit the Earth in March. Our magnetic field protects us from major damage, but as we continue to pollute the planet, we put ourselves at risk.[19]

We often assume that these verses mean the earth will experience darkness from the sun not shining, but it could be a reference to coronal holes or sunspots appearing on the sun.

Where Are the Stars?

Growing up, I loved to look out at night and gaze at the stars. Lately, I can't find any stars in the sky. The main reason I can't see stars anymore is because I live between two major cities. It is estimated that light pollution from a city can travel up to 200 miles to obstruct our view of the stars. I was content to believe that was the issue until I talked to my dad and found that they're having the same trouble at home. There's no way there's enough lights in my hometown or that general vicinity to block out the stars. There are no skyscrapers, there's only one traffic light on the 23-mile long road I live on, and the neighboring town just got a McDonald's like 3 years ago and still doesn't have a Walmart. It seems a bit fishy that they can barely see the stars, too.

Light pollution, though scientific, is actually very interesting in the context of the end times. Obviously, something more will have to happen to obstruct the sun (which is why many people gravitate toward the Dark Day of 1780), but the darkening of the stars is an ongoing issue in developed countries. Cities are growing larger and larger; in fact if I want to stay in my field it will be impossible for me to find a job not in a major city. God doesn't seem to like big cities though—remember the tower of Babel? The people of Babel clumped together in one city, and part of their rebellion against God was that they were trying to avoid being scattered after God told them to go fill the Earth. Cities have higher depression rates.[7][8][9] Also, throughout history, it's been the people who lived in highly developed cities (Egypt, Babylon, Rome, Britain, Germany, etc.) that have gone forth killing and conquering. As we near the end times, it makes sense that populations will gravitate toward cities; between the destruction from natural disasters and the need for the antichrist system to monitor and control everyone, the need to be in close proximity will increase greatly. This would in turn, create more light pollution and block the stars from the view of most people.

An Observation

When I was younger, I thought it was weird that hurricanes almost always struck at night. Since then, I have read about hurricanes striking during the day, but when I think about it, powerful storms usually cause it to be dark anyway. Wether it's a tornado, hurricane, or fierce thunderstorm, the clouds block out the light of any and all celestial objects that would normally give us lights. Although I don't think this is what is meant by the darkening of the celestial lights, I do think it's interesting that natural disasters, such as those mentioned, have a similar effect and will also increase during the last days.

The Extinction of Man

If you've ever studied animal extinction or read about endangered species, you know that animals don't just disappear over night. It's usually a gradual process that sees a steady decline in population until there aren't enough members of the species to continue. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that before Jesus returns to destroy mankind there will be a decline in our numbers. Isaiah 13:12 tells us that man will be made more precious, or rare, than gold.

This may be hard to imagine considering the population explosion we've been experiencing, but logically it actually makes a lot of sense. Many of the judgments that precede Jesus' second coming will cause massive fatalities (natural disasters, wars, famines, etc.). There will be a decline in moral values which lead to poor conditions among humans—be it relationships between families or the treatment of the poor, the ramifications could easily have a negative effect on population growth.

In fact, as we speak, the fertility rate in the US just hit an all time low.[1] We haven't reached the point that we'll see a population decline due to this, but some of the reasons given for such a decline definitely speak to an end time climate. Stressors such as economic uncertainty and failure to accomplish certain milestones have lead people to hold off on bring children into the world; certainly these will be major factors in the final days as well.[2] Then you have situations like the one in China. China had a strict one child policy and favored male children to female children. Now, there's a gender imbalance in their births.[3]

Scattering the People

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/NASA

When people gathered to make the tower of Babel in an attempt to defy God and make a name for themselves (Genesis 11), God reacted by confusing their language and scattering them across the world. Just before judgment day, another scattering will occur. This time the precursor is the heavens shakings and the Earth moving out of place. Isaiah tells us that after this occurs each person will flee back to his or her own people.

Is It Literal?

Haggai 2:6 also mention the heavens shaking and the Earth moving out of it's place. I don't know if this is meant to be taken literally or if it's a figure of speech, after all many of us are walking around saying "I'm shook" after learning something shocking despite not being physically shook.

When I first read the passage, I couldn't help but thing of all the astronomy documentaries I've watched. The universe is fascinating and while scientists tend to reject God in their attempt to explain things, they really can't pinpoint exactly what got us to the point. There's still of a lot of "I don't know"s and "this is a possible scenario but we can't explain this one factor"s. One such example is why Uranus rotates on it's side. While there's a new theory brewing about the planet's odd rotational pattern, the leading school of thought is that it was knocked off-center by a very large object.[17] What if something similar happened to Earth?

People often take the stance that if there's a scientific explanation for something, it isn't God, but who do you think created science? Sure, we can measure gravity and inertia, but why do they exist? If a large comet were to hit the Earth in conjunction with the signs of the end time, it would be because God removed His protection from the Earth and allowed the comet to have that path.

Figuratively, I suppose the passage would simply mean that things are shaken up around the universe. People (and angels) are reeling from the times and power structures are about to change. Everything would be in chaos.

Division Among People

Who do consider "your people"? That's who you would run to in the aftermath of whatever cataclysm God is warning us about. Jeremiah 50:16 and 51:9 reiterate the prophecy that people will be regrouping themselves and retreating back to their own people. For some people this might mean close family, for others it might mean close friends, but I'd wager that for most people, it's going to mean people of similar culture and language.

In the U.S., and many other places where there was both colonization and slavery, there exists racial tension. While many naïvely thought having our first black president showed we had moved past that, the immediate election of Donald Trump after the end of Barak Obama's term says something much different. Mr. Trump's campaign was wrought with racial disparaging and featured supporters physically bullying and harassing non-whites at his rallies. He was even endorsed by prominent members of notorious white supremacist groups such as the KKK and the Alt-Right. Just like that, then U.S. is back to an overtly racist climate.

As a black person in the U.S., I definitely see how this verse could be in reference to racism, and possibly even classism. Given the nature and history of people, I envision that when Isaiah says a person will flee to their own people, race and money will play major roles. Race wars and riots have been a threat in the U.S. for quite a while; notorious cult leader and murderer Charles Manson tried to start one in the 1960s.[10] It doesn't seem odd that with the stressors of plagues, famines, wars, and natural disaster set to accompany the end times, that a race war will actually be triggered.

Now, remember, I'm not saying that's what this verse definitively means, I'm mentioning a possibility. I should like to think that a real believer would not fall prey to such foolishness, and will be fleeing toward other believers regardless of skin color, cultural background, economic situation, etc.

Media-Persia Defeats Babylon

Back in the early 1600's when colonies were just starting to pop up in North America, do you think anyone could have predicted that one day those colonies would band together and defeat the most power empire of the time? The region that would become the U.S., a major, if not the major, world power of today was merely a blip in the world at that point. The people in the colonies were banished from their respective locations and/or fleeing religious persecution. There was absolutely no reason to believe that in less than 200 years, they would overthrow Britain to form their own country, let alone that said country would grow in power to rival that of the countries that were already well established in that day.

That's basically what Isaiah did when he penned the words in Isaiah 13:17. In that moment, Isaiah told his contemporaries that God was telling him a powerless and disorganized people (the Medes) would bring about the destruction of one of the greatest cities of their time (Babylon). Before Isaiah's prophecy could come true, the Medes actually allied themselves with Babylon to destroy Assyria, who had control of both nations at the time. After defeating Assyria, both nations actually rose in power, with Babylon becoming even more powerful. Just when it seemed as though Isaiah had failed as a prophet, Cyrus the Great led his men to capture Babylon. They didn't even plunder the city, just as Isaiah predicted. This began the weakening of the great city which would eventually experience a civil war of sorts that led to the violence and bloodshed mentioned by Isaiah. In the end, the city was destroyed and it's population moved to a new city. While many people have attempted to rebuild the once fabulous city, it still lays in ruin, just as God said it would.[11][15]

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.Revelation 14:8 KJV

Death of Children and Babies

Isaiah 13:18 makes you clutch your imaginary pearls and hang your head—at least that's what I did. The army that ripped through Babylon would be so cold hearted that they would kill pregnant women and their unborn babies. How heartless can you be!? When I first read this, it seemed barbaric and something that clearly would only happen in ancient times. Then I turned on the news and saw the way infants are being snatched away from their mothers at the border.[16] While they may not be murdering children, it shows that we haven't really come that far. There are still depraved people out there who wouldn't hesitate to commit such a heinous act. Clearly, while this army was executing God's anger, they weren't actually of God. It was a situation where God removed His protection from the people due to their defiance.

The Wild Beasts

Isaiah 13:21-22 describes the behavior of "wild beasts." There are wild beasts in the desert, in islands, and in pleasant palaces. If you've ever read Daniel, or done an intense study on prophecy, you know that beasts are symbolic of nations in prophecy. Revelation clearly defines the dragon as Satan, and since Satan is currently ruling our world, it makes sense that he and his agents would be living in palaces up until Jesus' return. As for the beasts in the desert versus the islands, I'm not sure exactly.

On the one hand, the Middle East is a desert. The nations involved—Israel, Babylon, and Media-Persia—are all located in the desert and all stood to lose something from the events. While Israel gained their freedom, they had been in captivity long enough that Babylon had probably started to feel like home. It would almost be like sending descendants of African slaves in the U.S., back to our respective tribes in Africa (if that were even possible). They would have to rebuild their cities and their culture. If we took this understanding, I don't know who the nations of the islands are.

Conversely, it could mean literal animals, with dragon probably translating to some type of lizard or snake. Now that the city is in ruins, the remains of the homes are literally inhabited by animals.

References

1. Nicholas Bakalar. "U.S. Fertility Rate Reaches a Record Low". New York Times. July 3, 2017
2. Rachael Rettner. "US Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low: What's Behind the Decline?". Live Science. May 17, 2018
3. Bill Powell. "Gender Imbalance: How China's One-Child Law Backfired on Men". Newsweek. May 28, 2015
4. Evan Andrews. "Remembering New England’s “Dark Day”". History. May 19, 2015
5. "Sun Turned Into Darkness". Bible Universe; visited June 2018
6. Tom de Castella. "What caused the mystery of the Dark Day?". BBC. May 18, 2012
7. Oliver Gruebner, et al. "Cities and Mental Health". Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, pg. 121-127. February 2017
8. Rachael Rettner. "Depression Higher in Rich Countries, Study Suggests". Live Science. July 25, 2011
9. Diana Kwon. "Does City Life Pose a Risk to Mental Health?". Scientific American. May 20, 2016
10. Paul Valentine. "Charles Manson: Racist serial killer who terrified a nation dies at 83". The Independent. November 20, 2017
11. Ryan Foster. "A Prophecy About Babylon Confirms the Accuracy of the Bible". Beyond Today. May 3, 2010
12. "Search: Woman Gives Birth, Doesn't Know She's Pregnant". Google
13. Diane Dreher Ph.D. "The Alarming Rise in Teen Mental Illness". Psychology Today. January 24, 2018
14. Dennis Thompson. "More Americans suffering from stress, anxiety and depression, study finds". CBS News. April 17, 2017
15. Richard N. Frye. "Cyrus the Great". Encycopædia Britannica. April 12, 2018
16. Camila Domonoske and Richard Gonzales. "What We Know: Family Separation And 'Zero Tolerance' At The Border". NPR. June 19, 2018
17. "Collision-Free Theory Explains Why Uranus Is Lying on Its Side". MIT Technology Review. December 3, 2009
18. "The Sun and Sunspots". National Weather Service; visited July, 2018
19. Sean Martin. "NASA solar storm to strike TODAY: Experts warn hole has opened in the SUN". Express News. March 22, 2018

2 Chronicles 36: Captivity of Judah

During the reign of the last few kings, Judah falls into captivity.

Introduction

The Babylonian captivity occurred in 3 stages. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, kept returning to take people away until finally, he destroyed the Temple and city of Jerusalem. The events leading up to this and after are very important in understanding the Bible. In prophecy about the end times, Babylon is always used to symbolize the end times. Just as Jerusalem is always God's city, Babylon is the city of the devil. However, it is unlikely that in end times prophecy Babylon refers to the literal location.
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Egypt

Josiah died because he got involved in a battle with Egypt that didn't concern him. Even though he disguised himself in battle to protect Judah, this came back to haunt the people he left behind. Josiah's son, Jehohaz, only reigns 3 months before the Egyptian pharaoh takes him off the throne and places his brother Eliakim on the throne. On top of placing Eliakim on throne, the pharaoh renames him to Jehoiakim.
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Meaning of the Names

The name Eliakim roughly means "God will establish" or "God sets up." Jehoiakim means "YHWH raises up." The major difference between these names is that "El" in Eliakim refers to the Canaanite god, where "Jeho" refers to the Yah in YHWH.^[2][3] This is interesting for a few difference reasons.

The first point of interest is that a foreign king changes the king's name to be "closer" to the name of God. At first glance it seems odd that the Egyptians would think to name the king after the Israelite God while the Israelites named him after a pagan god. However this isn't quite the case and makes much more sense. Egyptian pharaohs thought of themselves as god. Even today, we see that people tend to force their culture on others, which is likely what the Egyptian pharaoh was doing. Many Egyptian pharaohs bore the name of the god the promoted, so Necho applied this tradition to Eliakim.

Another interesting point is the naming convention of the Israelites. El, though also associated with the god of Canaan, is heavily featured in the names of the Israelites: Israel, Emmanuel, Bethel, Elijah, Elisha. Some of these names are given by God Himself. Today, there are many people who argue about the name given to God. There is an entire movement that rejects calling Him God, Jesus, and/or Jehovah. They focus on the name of God given in the Bible (YHWH) and the modern origin of the letter J. In their interpretation, it is wrong to call God by any other name. Yet, Elohim is also given as a name for God. It is from this name that the many of His people's names draw on. This could be because we are not worthy of His true name, which would make Necho's renaming sacrilegious. However, Jehoshaphat and Joshua also make use of "Yah" in their name. I find there to be ample evidence in the Bible to suggest both are acceptable.
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Stealing A Name

So what is the major takeaway from Necho change Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim? You can only name something if you have ownership of it or if the owner grants you that right. Stars, planets, theorems, buildings... All of these things are named after the people who discover or create them. Naming something signifies control over it; this is true in all cultures. In the Japanese Anime Spirited Away, stealing the name of a person is what gives the villain power over people. The same was true for Necho. Necho was exerting his authority over Eliakim and Judah. From this point on, Judah was essentially a vassal kingdom struggling to maintain independence.
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Pharaoh Necho

The pharaoh during this conflict is identified as Necho in 2 Chronicles 36:4. He is associated with the secular record of Egyptian pharaoh Necho II who reigned from 610-595bc.
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Kings of Judah

Given the fact that Judah is basically a puppet nation until the final captivity by Babylon, we know the kings must have been corrupt. Jehoiakim reigns for 11 years before he is taken captive by Babylon. His son, Jehoachin, takes over in his absence.

Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin is only 8 years old when he takes the throne, but we are told that he does wickedly. This is quite a different sentiment than that of Josiah who also took the throne at 8. Jehoiachin only reigns for 3 months and Josiah didn't seek out God until he was 16, which means they were both ungodly rulers at the age of 8. However, only Jehoiachin is described as wicked.

In the previous post, I discussed the age of accountability. The difference between the description of these two rulers could be evidence that the age of accountability is based on the individual. We would conclude that Jehoiachin knew that his actions were ungodly but chose to do them anyway while Josiah was unaware.

Another possibility is that Jehoiachin's actions were more severe than Josiah's. What I mean is, there are varying degrees of ungodly people. There are people who are very nice, loving, and desire good for those around them, despite having no relationship with God. Then there are people who claim tho have a relationship with God, but commit heinous crimes and abuse their fellow man. Perhaps Jehoiachin fell into the latter category and Josiah fell into the former.

For me, the real question is: what did an 8 year old command in 3 months that was so wicked? Was Jehoiachin violent at 8? Was he idolatrous? Did he take on the ways of the Egyptians and require the the Israelites to worship him as a god? He was clearly born after Jehoiakim was placed on the throne and named following Jehoiakim's Egyptian given name instead of his birth name.

Jehoiachin is taken to Babylon during the second phase of captivity, just as his father had been taken during the first. Top

Zedekiah

In Jehoiachin's stead, Zedekiah takes over the throne. When I first read the passage in 2 Chronicles 36:10-11, I was confused. Zedekiah is described as Jehoiachin's older brother. The first born son was the one who was supposed to inherit everything from the father, which would have placed Zedekiah on the throne first. With the exception of Jacob tricking Esau, the only time the younger brother was given everything was when the eldest sinned against the father (or God). Both Zedekiah and Jehoiachin are described as wicked kings, so how did the 8 year old Jehoiachin end up king over the 21 year old Zedekiah?

My study bible actually identifies Zedekiah as the uncle of Jehoiachin.^[4] If this is the case, Zedekiah would have been the younger brother of Jehoiakim and Jehohaz. As Jehoiakim's brother, Zedekiah would only have been first in line for the throne if Jehoiakim did not have sons.

2 Kings 24:15-17 tells us that Zedekiah was originally named Mattaniah and the brother of Jehoiakim. 2 Chronicles 36:10 is likely supposed to read "and made Zedekiah, his father's brother, king" instead of "and made Zedekiah his brother king." The NKJV and NIV translate the verse to reference Zedekiah as an uncle, the NASB refers to Zedekiah as a kinsmen, while the ESV and KJV use the phrase "Zedekiah his brother." Regardless, this is not a contradiction because brother could mean kinsmen or relative without meaning a literal brother. In fact, Zedekiah may have acted more as a older brother to Jehoiachin than an uncle.

Zedekiah was the final king of Judah before the complete reign of Babylon. He doesn't just rebel against God during his reign, he rebels against the king of Babylon. Pride often goes hand-in-hand with rebelling against God, and it also leads to trouble with our fellow man. Had Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon while seeking God, the outcome would likely have been in his favor. However, Zedekiah rebels against both the true King (God) and the false king (Babylon), which only makes both angry. God does not come to Judah's defense when Babylon carries out this final attack. Without God's protection, the Israelites are swiftly defeated by the Babylonians who destroy the Temple and carry off the people to be captives.
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The Exile

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Chaz McGregor

If each book of the Bible were a TV show, 2 Kings would have ended with a major cliff hanger leaving us to wonder what happened. 2 Chronicles, on the other hand, tells us exactly what happened after the exile. The book ends with Cyrus, king of Persia, issuing a decree for the Israelites to return home many years later. In Jeremiah 25, Jeremiah prophesies that the Israelites will be captive for 70 years. This is referenced and expanded upon in 2 Chronicles 36:21 Many kings tried to restore Judah, but it is obvious that there were periods of time when they did not follow the sabbaths and feasts proclaimed by God. It is these days that needed to be fulfilled while Judah was in captivity.
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Babylon

I often wonder why Babylon is the city representing evil in prophecy. Why not Egypt or Assyria? Why not Rome? The people of Judah would not have had any experience with Assyria, only the lost tribes from the northern kingdom would have related to that. Since the prophecies were given to Judah, it would make sense that God would stick to nations they understood. There was one major differences between bondage in Egypt and the Roman takeover, compared to captivity in Babylon. Babylon pounced on a weak kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians invaded Judah, destroyed God's Temple, and forced the Israelites to another location. In the cases of Egypt and Rome, the terms of bondage were a little different. The Israelites freely walked into Egypt. The Romans took over Judah, but didn't actually conquer or subdue the Jews until after most of the Bible was written. This is likely why Babylon is the big bad villain in prophecy. Identifying the differences between the Babylonians and these other nations is important to help us identify traits of the antichrist and how the world will operate at the end.
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References

1. "Necho II". Wikipedia; visited March 2017
2. "Eliakim". Abarim Publications; visited March 2017
3. "Jehoiakim". Abarim Publications; visited March 2017
4. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 787-788. 2014

2 Kings 24&25: Rebellion and Captivity

2 Kings 24 and 25 reveal the last days of the southern kingdom before it is taken captive by Babylon. Just as the last days of Earth will be for us, these days were filled with turmoil.

Introduction

2 Kings 24 and 25 reveal the last days of the southern kingdom before it is taken captive by Babylon. Just as the last days of Earth will be for us, these days were filled with turmoil. Jehoiakim, who was already indebted to Egypt, falls to Babylon and is forced to be a servant to them for 3 years before he rebels against them. During his reign, he is attacked by the Chaldeans, the Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites. This was all punishment for the sins Judah has committed under Manasseh and for the innocent blood that had been spilled. Since Jehoiakim was an evil king, the Israelites had likely drifted back into idolatry at this point.
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A New King

When Jehoiakim dies, his son Jehoiachin takes over the throne. Jehoiachin is 18 years old when he begins to rule. He only reigns 3 months before taken captive by the king of Babylon. Like his father, Jehoiachin led the people to idolatry and rebelled against God's law. Perhaps if these two men had been more like Josiah, Judah would not have fallen to Babylon (and perhaps they would have lived longer, as well).
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Babylon Attacks

Prompted by the rebellion started by Jehoiakim, Babylon takes advantage of Israel's weakness and attack the city of Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem are taken captive after this siege. At least 10,000 men ranging from craftsmen to the poorest men are taken back to Babylon, including princes, soldiers, and the king's family. Wealth and stature did not exempt anyone from being taken prisoner.

After improsioning Jehoiachin, who was reigning as king, the king of Babylon appoints the brother of Jehoiakim, Mattaniah, to be king. Just as Egypt changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim, Mattaniah's name is changed to Zedekiah by the king of Babylon. In many cultures it is thought that changing someone's name gives you power over that person. In changing these kings' names, the other kings were exerting their power and claiming superiority. Note that many celebrities in our world also undergo name changes. In the Bible, we that both God and pagan kings change the names of people, which means the practice is not exclusively good or evil. We must listen carefully to discern if it is in God's will that our name change when such opportunities arise.
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The Fall of Judah

Photocredit: ShutterStock.com/Akos Nagy

2 Kings 25 discusses the capture of the southern kingdom, known as Judah. Once Judah fell, the nation of Israel ceased to be for quite some time. It is interesting to think about this because it isn't the only time the nation of Israel was eradicated then reborn. The Israelites of Judah eventually find their way back to Israel only to be dismantled by the Romans after the siege on Jerusalem in 70 ad. After almost 2000 years of being scattered, the Jews reclaimed Israel in the 1960's and created the modern country of Israel. God was true to His promise that though He would scatter them, He would always bring them back.

The final siege lasted so long it caused a famine! The king of Judah was forced to watch his sons murdered. The Temple was raided and all the wealth was taken to Babylon. In the end, Babylon releases Jehoiachin from prison and sets him up as a fake king.
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Extra Biblical Evidence

Atheists and agnostics don't view the Bible as a valid history source, though for some reason secular history sources are automatically seen as valid sources. Nonetheless, the seige and captivity of Judah is coraborated by the Babylonian chronicles. Excavations of Babylon have also turned up tablets referencing the rations of Jehoiachin, who is confirmed as the king of Judah and a captive of Babylon.^[1][2]
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References

1. "Babylonian Captivity". Wikipedia; visited February 2017
2. "Biblical Archaeology 24: Jehoiachin’s Rations". Theosophical. August 25, 2011

2 Kings 18-20: Hezekiah

King Hezekiah was on of the Souther Kingdom of Israel's God-fearing kings. Although he is not perfect, he takes great strides to turn Israel back to the Lord.

Introduction

Hezekiah takes over as king of Judah during the 3rd year of Hoshea. During his reign, Judah watches Samaria and the northern kingdom be taken captive by Assyria. Meanwhile, Assyria was clamoring to conquer Judah next. I imagine the atmosphere was much like that of countries across Europe during World War II. The question for the citizens would not have been if Assyria attacked, but when would Assyria attack. With God on their side, Judah would have been able to defeat any enemy that came it's way, but Judah wasn't immune to the idolatry that had plagued the northern kingdom. Luckily, Hezekiah was one of the kings who trusted in God and led the people toward righteousness. Unlike the kings before him—including those who had followed God—Hezekiah destroyed the pagan and illegal altars that were being used in the kingdom.
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A Peace Treaty

Hezekiah's obedience to God may have earned him a pass in giving much of the Temple's wealth to Assyria in exchange for peace. Hezekiah is neither praised nor condemned for this action, so it is unclear if God accepted this or expected Hezekiah to coalesce an army to fight for their land. God would have known that Judah would eventually fall to Babylon, but it isn't obvious whether Hezekiah's actions contributed, if only even the tiniest bit, to God's anger toward Judah. A sign that God may not have been pleased with the way the matter was handled is the fact that the treaty doesn't last.
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Taunting God

The king of Assyria shows up at Jerusalem's gates to taunt the Israelites. He sends a message to Hezekiah attempting to derail the Israelites' faith in the walls of Jerusalem. Assyria's argument was that Hezekiah had angered God by tearing down the illegal places of worship. He also claims that God cannot save the people, but the messengers do not respond to this disrespect.

This is much like the actions of today. Many people don't actually understand the true relationship with God we are to have so participate in pagan practices. When those practices are threatened, they side against God to protect the pagan tradition. Every day people fall for the enemy's claim that God will be angry at us for turning back to His law. If we are not strong in our relationship with God, we would fall for Assyria's claim that God sent them to punish Hezekiah for doing what was actually the right thing. God often sent armies from other nations to attack the Israelites due to his anger towards the Israelites, so it's easy to see how the Israelites would be quick to believe their king was in the wrong when their peace shattered. When the Israelites take the message they've been given back to Hezekiah they rent their clothes, proving that despite their stoic lack of response to the king of Assyria, his words had brought them despair.
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Consulting God

When Hezekiah hears the despair of his people, he is saddened and seeks counsel from God. The prophet of Hezekiah's time was Isaiah, and Hezekiah wisely trusted his counsel. In this situation, Isaiah tells Hezekiah not to be afraid of the Assyrian king's blasphemous threats. God has promised that not only will He take care of Judah, but the Assyrians will fall on their own sword.
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A Powerful Prayer

Hezekiah's prayer to God is quite powerful. I think it is a beautiful example of true faith; it states all of the basics about how we should view ourselves and God. First, Hezekiah acknowledges that God is the Creator of all things and the only God. Second, he asks God to intercede in the situation. Hezekiah admits that Assyria is powerful and has defeated the gods of the surrounding nations, but Hezekiah also proclaims that those gods were not real. This is a reiteration of Hezekiah's statement that God is the only God. Hezekiah ends the prayer with his request for God to defeat Assyria. Even though this is beneficial to Judah, Hezekiah actually asks for God to show Assyria what the true God of the world is capable of and give testimony to the world that the God of Israel is the supreme God. Essentially, Hezekiah is asking God to take advantage of the situation to spread His glory and remind the world who is in charge. This may be part of the blessings Israel was provide the rest of the world.

Naturally, God agrees to use this moment to showcase His power and protect the city of Jerusalem. God also sets forth a task for the people to stir their faith. God instructs them to eat only that which grows voluntarily for the next two years. On the third year they could sow the land again. This is similar to the Year of Jubilee, which was commanded by God and written in the Books of Law. Whether it was actually the Year of Jubilee, or not, was irrelevant; God assured them that these uncultivated fruits and herbs would be enough for the people (and it was).
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The Battle

When Sennacherib, king of Assyria, camps outside of Judah to prepare for the attack, God springs into action. That night, God smites their army such that they are forced to return to Assyria. Some time after their retreat Senacherib is killed by two of his sons while praying to a pagan god. A third son of his presumes the throne.

Sennacherib was king of Assyria from 705 - 619 bc
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Sickness

Possibly during this whole ordeal, Hezekiah falls ill. Isaiah tells Hezekiah that God has confirmed his death. Given this information, Isaiah also instructs Hezekiah to get his house in order (i.e. choose a successor). Hezekiah pleads with God for a cure. In his plea, Hezekiah reminds God that he has walked in perfect faith and he weeps at his fate. God, being the merciful God He is, hears Hezekiah's plea and chooses to extend Hezekiah's life by 15 years.

God instructs them to place a fig on Hezekiah's boil, which was likely what was endangering his life, and the boil is miraculously healed. A quick search over the internet confirms that figs are often considered a home remedy for healing or soothing boils.^[2] This knowledge likely stems from God's revelation of the cure to Isaiah for Hezekiah's benefit. In addition to these instructions, God gives Hezekiah a sign, at Hezekiah's request, that he will be healed.
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Downfall

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Manuel De La Pena

Some time after Hezekiah is healed, a prince of Babylon visits seeking an alliance. Hezekiah shows off all of his wealth to this prince. Although we are not told that pride is what motivated Hezekiah's actions, Hezekiah is condemned by God for this action, which implies pride was involved.

Most of us are taught at an early age that it is not a good idea to show off wealth. If we are showing off our wealth to those who are less fortunate, it comes across as bragging. Furthermore, it places you as a target for theft. If people don't know what you have, there's more of a risk in attempting to steal from you—imagine getting caught after breaking in to an apartment that was completely empty. In Hezekiah's case, he was showing off the wealth of the nation. The U.S. is currently interested in the middle east because that's where most of the oil in the world is; the land itself is of value to us. However, we don't see the US entangled in what's happening in 3rd world countries such as Haiti. Why? Because in the U.S.'s mind, there is nothing there for us. If we tried to conquer a country like Haiti, we would only take on a financial burden. Similarly, when Hezekiah showed this Babylonian prince the wealth that was found in Israel, he tipped Babylon off that Israel was a country worth conquering.

This proves true in God's punishment decree. God declares that the Babylonians will take all that Hezekiah has shown them and that his sons would be eunuchs in Babylon instead of kings of Judah. Strangely, Hezekiah accepts this news as "good. " It is unclear whether he accepts this punishment because he knows he was in the wrong, or if he is merely happy that the effects will occur after his death.^[3]
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The Name Hezekiah

Used almost exclusively in the Black community, Hezekiah is a popular name today. The name itself means "YHWH strengthens." The name ranked 678th in US popularity in 2015.^[4] One famous Hezekiah of our day is gospel singer Hezekiah Walker.^[5]
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References

1. Henry W.F. Saggs. "Sennacherib". Encyclopæpdia Britannica. October 24, 2007
2. Joe Willis and Elsa Willis. "Wounds and External Ailments". Amazing Health. August 27, 2009
3. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 672. 2014
4. Mike Campbell. "Hezekiah". Behind the Name. 1996
5. "Hezekiah Walker". Wikipedia; visited February 2017