I always wondered about the 3 great kings that God mentioned in the apocrypha, that of David, Hezekiah and Josiah. In Ecclesiasticus 49: 4. “All, except David and Ezekias and Josias, were defective: for they forsook the law of the most High, even the kings of Juda failed.” Obviously these men were righteous but there was something else that further distinguished them from the rest of the monarchs. The exploits of these men serve as a prophecy of Christ and His works, making them important symbols of Jesus that we should learn.
ISRAEL ASKS FOR A KING
Interestingly enough, Israel was not always ruled by earthly kings. God was their king and there were judges and prophets in leadership. However, Israel wanted to be like all other nations and demanded a king during the time of Samuel, I Samuel 8: 4-7, “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”
THE EMERGENCE OF KINGS
Despite their foolishness, God chose Israel’s first king and his name was Saul. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. As history reveals, there were serious ramifications for Israel choosing to have a king to rule over them. Before Israel divided into 2 kingdoms, David ascended to the throne following Saul. After David, King Solomon ruled. It was after Solomon’s death that, Rehoboam, his son, took to the throne. Rehoboam refused to lighten the heavy taxes and forced labor imposed by his father on Israel. This caused the 10 tribes of Israel to rebel and form an independent kingdom led by Jeroboam while Rehoboam ruled over Judah. Beginning with Jeroboam there were 20 kings that ruled in Israel and all were wicked, not one righteous! Beginning with Rehoboam, there were 20 kings and one queen in Judah, with only eight considered righteous, this included David, Hezekiah and Josiah.
INTRODUCTION
So who are these great men? And more importantly, what are their similarities to Christ and how do their kingdoms’ serve as a foreshadow to the works of our Savior? Finally, what important spiritual lessons can we derive from each of them?
By: Elisabeth C. Tunstall
KING DAVID
Let’s start with King David. He was deemed the greatest and most righteous of all kings. He was the second king to rule following Saul’s epic failure as sovereign. But how did he come into power? God directed the prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse because God was going to choose one of his sons to replace Saul.
THE ANOINTING
Now Jesse was a direct descendent of Judah and had eight sons. But when Samuel came, Jesse only introduced his 7 stronger and older sons. The Lord rejected each of them, because he considered one’s heart over the outward appearance. There was of course one son left and that was David, the youngest of the eight. He was tending to the flock at the time and was brought before Samuel. When David came, the Lord revealed to Samuel that it was in fact this youthful lad that would rule in Saul’s place. So David was secretly anointed by Samuel at a young age in the city of Bethlehem.
THE ANOINTING
I want to bring to your attention that this was not the only time that King David was anointed. He was actually anointed on 3 separate occasions, marking a different state of his rise to power. We already mentioned the first anointing. The second anointing took place after Saul’s death when the men of Judah anointed him to be King over the House of Judah (2 Samuel 2: 4). The 3rd time was after years of civil war when the elders of all the tribes of Israel came to Hebron to establish a covenant with David and anoint him king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5: 3). He was 30 at this time.
THE ANOINTING
The fact that he was anointed 3 times means something. It is not a coincidence. The number 3 as we know is a very important and a symbolic number in the Bible. Consider that we have 3 male God heads and 3 female God heads. There are 3 great feasts. Christ was buried in the grave for days and 3 nights. What have learned is that 3 means divine completion, wholeness, and that something is fully established by God. It is witness that something is true. David was anointed times to show that it was with certainty that it was God’s plan and not man’s that David was to rule over Israel.
CHRIST’S ANOINTING
Christ was also anointed 3 times. He was first anointed by the Holy Ghost when He was baptized (Acts 10: 38). Christ, also was 30 at this time. Christ was anointed in Galilee by an unnamed woman who was known in the city as a “sinner.” The woman wept and washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair and anointed His feet. This is found in Luke 7: 36-50. The final anointing was in Bethany before he was crucified by Mary Magdalene. Mary broke an alabaster box of very costly spikenard, then poured it on Christ’s head and anointed his feet. This is found in Matthew 26: 6-13.
DRAWING COMPARISONS
Asides from the anointing, there are many more similarities that we can find between David and Christ. First, the name David means beloved or dearly beloved. God the Father referred to Christ as His beloved Son on 2 occasions in the Bible, including Christ’s Baptism as well as his transfiguration in front of Peter, James and John. In Matthew 3: 17, “And lo a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son in who I am well pleased.” And in Luke 9: 35, “And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved son, hear him:”
DRAWING COMPARISONS
If you can recall, David was first anointed and consecrated to be king in the city of Bethlehem. There is a connection here as well between David and Christ. First, Christ was born in Bethlehem as a descendent of David. And after his birth, news traveled that the “King of the Jews” was born. God the Father consecrated and anointed Christ to be King over all before the foundation of the world. Christ is our Shepherd and we are His flock. David, as previously mentioned, was also a shepherd. He protected his flock by killing both a lion and a bear with his bare hands 1 Samuel 17:34–37. Spiritually, the lion and bear are like Satan and Christ is the one who protects us from him.
David vs.Goliath
And who can forget David defeating Goliath, who was the Philistine’s Champion and a giant measuring at about 9 feet according to some sources. After David slayed the giant, he decapitated him with Goliath’s own sword and became the champion for Israel. Christ too is our champion. He earned a triumphant victory over Satan through His death and resurrection. And just as the stone struck Goliath’s head, Christ’s word is that stone, yielding the power to fatally knock down Satan and his Kingdom and grind it to powder (Matthew 21: 44).
The sword used to behead Goliath can be compared to the word of God. In Hebrews 4: 12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
A MAN OF WAR
As king, David was a man of war, (I Chronicles 28:3), Christ is also regarding as a man of war. In Exodus 15: 3, “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” God fights for us now by arming us with his word. Not only that, he renders, measure by measure, judgement on this world. One day, we will literally fight in battle with Christ against the sons of men and Satan.
SWEET PSALMIST
David was famously known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel.” This is found in 2 Samuel 23:1. Now a psalmist is a writer, composer, and/or singer of sacred songs, prayers and poems. The Psalms are a beautiful and edifying collection of songs and prayers and David wrote at least half of them. We can draw a close parallel between David and Christ if we put emphasis on their prayers. David, as king, would often pray not only for himself but for the entire nation of Israel, acting as a father figure and an intercessor. In Psalms 25: 22 it says, “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.”
In Psalms 28: 8-9, “The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.”
AN INTERCESSOR
Christ is our Father and acts as an intercessor between us and God the Father, (Romans 8: 34). We cannot get to the Father except through Jesus Christ (St. John 14: 16). Therefore, Christ prays for us. The longest and one of the most beautiful prayers that Christ prayed on this earth was found in John 17, right before his arrest and crucifixion. Here is an excerpt from that prayer in verses 9 to 11: ”I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” So we can see both David and Christ prayed to God the Father to preserve and redeem His children.
A BEAUTIFUL COUNTENANCE
The scriptures reveal that David was goodly to look upon. In I Samuel 16: 12, “And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” Now why is that important? The word of God and Christ in all his splendor are good and beautiful to behold. In Psalms 27: 4, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” Even more important than David’s outward appearance was his heart. He was beautiful to the Lord because of his obedience. When Christ abides in our hearts it makes us beautiful within and the light we possess radiates so that all can see. This is the true beauty that comes from Christ and it was within David.
KING DAVID 24
In Song of Solomon 1: 15-16 “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.” Man often misinterprets the Song of Solomon to be a mere of collection of poetry celebrating romantic love but this is far from the truth. In verses 15-16 it is talking about Christ who is referenced as fair, meaning beautiful and goodly to look upon and not just from a physical standpoint but from a spiritual standpoint, specifically as it pertains to the word of God. It also described Christ as beloved, which as I mentioned before is the meaning behind the name David. Beloved means to be highly esteemed and dearly loved. This is the type of love we must show for Christ.
KING DAVID 25
Like Christ, David was persecuted by many. In particular, Saul who envied him, sought after his life for he knew the kingdom was being ripped from him and David was chosen by God to replace him. At this time, David had done nothing wrong to warrant this persecution and instead showed Saul mercy, goodness and kindness. We know that when Christ walked this earth, he was persecuted for righteousness’ sake by the leaders of Israel. They sought his life on multiple occasions and of course he was eventually crucified and raised from the dead. Like David did for Saul, the Lord shows mercy and goodness, not only to the righteous but the the wicked as well, (Matthew 5: 45).
GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED
King David was responsible for centralizing Israel. So instead of each tribe with their own princes and leaders, it was unified with David having ultimate authority as king. In this respect, David symbolizes Christ who has ultimate authority as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We also know that God wants unity amongst His people and opposes division. To secure his government, David conquered Jerusalem by capturing the stronghold of Zion from the Jebusites, (2 Samuel 5: 6-9).
KING DAVID
Afterward, David made it the capital of the united kingdom of Israel and renamed it the "City of David.” The House of David was established and was the government of Israel in which he enlisted appointed officials, including military commanders, scribes, priests and district offers to help oversee the territories of Israel. This level of organization with a new centralized monarch was first established under David’s reign. Another important fact, is that David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, making Israel’s newly appointed capital a religious focal point of the nation (2 Samuel 6: 1-5).
THE TABERNACLE
How does this serve as a foreshadow to Christ’s work? In the end of days, Christ is going to establish his kingdom on this earth. Consider the Lords’s prayer. Each day we say “Thy kingdom come.” This is key and important, reiterating every day that we know and believe that Christ’s kingdom will in fact come to this earth and He will rule with ultimate authority. How will he do this? Christ will remove and defeat, all that is wicked, just like David did with the Jebusites. He will literally split Mount Olives, which is in Jerusalem, in two and bring his tabernacle down from Heaven. Zechariah 14: 4, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” In Isaiah 2:2, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hill; and all nations shall flow unto it.”
JUDGEMENT
He will not only remove the wicked that are in the land of Israel but he will decimate their buildings and infrastructure that they hold so dear. He will purge the land and it will possess a beauty that we are unable to comprehend right now. Isaiah 60:13, “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.” Heaven is of course where God’s throne is but I recently was reminded that the earth is His footstool. Every time we worship God, we worship at his footstool and when Christ brings the tabernacle down, a place for people to worship, it is also liken to His footstool. Psalms 132:7, “We will go into his Tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.”
JERUSALEM AS A PEOPLE
We must not forget what Christ will do for us as a people. Jerusalem in the scriptures not only refers to the physical land but God’s children. Christ will gather His people from all four corners of the earth and he will unite us, just as David united Israel. Isaiah 11: 11-12, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
JERUSALEM AS A PEOPLE
Whenever there was a righteous king like David, it helped steer the hearts of the people towards God and His laws. In the last days, Christ will shine His light and shift our focus onto Him and the truth. He will also remove the sin in our hearts and place within us the laws of God. Hebrews 10: 16-18 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” God placing the laws in our hearts can be liken to when David brought the ark of the covenant, which possessed the laws of God, to Jerusalem.
PREPARING FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
Because of David’s love for God he wanted to build a temple where the ark of the covenant could permanently dwell. But David was a man of war and God would not allow him to do so, leaving the work instead to his son, King Solomon (2 Samuel 7: 12-13). David, however, should be credited for the massive work he did to prepare Solomon for building God’s house (I Chronicles 22: 5). He gathered materials, supplies and incalculable wealth for the task, (I Chronicles 22: 14, I Chronicles 29: 2-3). He also organized a labor force consisting of non Israelite residents as well as armies of skilled stonemasons, carpenters and artisans (I Chronicles 22: 2 7 15-16, 1 Chronicles 29: 2-7). He gave Solomon architectural blueprints for the buildings, courtyards and treasuries (I Chronicles 28: 11-12). David was inspired by the Spirit to do this great work. Similarly, Christ prepares His children using the word of God so that we, who are also liken to a temple, can be built properly. Ephesians 2: 10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Proverbs 16: 1 "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.” I Corinthians 3: 16, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 12
I bring your attention again to the fact that David united the 12 tribes of Israel and ruled over them. Like the number 3, 12 is also an important and symbolic number. In the Bible, the number 12 is a powerful symbol of completeness, divine order, and governmental perfection. Furthermore, it represents Christ’s kingdom. As far as Christ’s physical kingdom, New Jerusalem, which will be established on the New Earth, will be structured around the number 12. There will be 12 gates and at the gates are 12 angels. The name of the 12 tribes will be written on the gates. The city walls will have 12 foundations of which the names of the 12 apostles will be inscribed on. And the tree of life will bear 12 kinds of fruit each month (Revelation 21: 1-2 & 10-21 & Revelation 22: 2).
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 12
The kingdom of God is not only a physical place but refers to God’s people. Particularly with the 144,000 ,there will be 12,000 individuals from each of the 12 tribes of Israel chosen by Christ (Revelation 7: 4-8). This is an elite group that will be anointed and baptized by Christ with the Holy Spirit for the whole world to see. They will follow Christ wherever He goes. Christ will appoint the 144,000 as leaders, priests and kings that will help govern the people while ultimate authority remains with Him. We can compare this to David, who was king, and the House of David, which consisted of government officials he appointed.
Sealing of the 144,000
KING DAVID 37
What lessons can we learn from David? As the Bible describes him, he was man after God’s own heart (I Samuel 13: 14). This is saying a lot about how much the Lord loved and esteemed David. He was very courageous and fearless. He had immense faith even at a young age. King David’s legacy is defined by deep humility before God. He frequently confessed his sins, willingly submitted to divine direction, and credited the Lord for his victories. David also worshipped God with his whole might.
KING DAVID
As we know, he wrote several songs and poems. He also danced, played the harp and sang, serving as an example of how you should worship the Lord in vigor and in strength. And although David sinned against the Lord, it is because of his earnest remorse and righteous works that God’s mercy was guaranteed. These are known as the sure mercies of David. We too, want the sure mercies of David but like this king, we have to be committed to God and serve him with our whole heart that we may be a living testimony of Jesus Christ. Amen
By: Elisabeth C. Tunstall
REMOVING IDOLS
King Hezekiah began to reign over Judah at the young age of 25. He was righteous, as king David had been,(2 Kings 18:32). Some of Hezekiah's works represent Christ's works he will do in the last days. He reigned for twenty nine years in Jerusalem. He was the son of king Ahaz, who transgressed against the Lord and provoked him to anger. In contrast, Hezekiah was a child of God like unto a shepherd. He guided and protected his people. He removed the high places, broke the images, cut down the groves, and removed the altars. Altars represent Satan and the evil root. Christ is going to remove Satan and his forces from his children. The removal of idols also represent burying the old and putting sin.
THE BRAZEN SERPENT
King Hezekiah also broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made. The children of Israel turned it into an idol by burning incense to it, breaking the 2nd commandment. (Even though God commanded Moses to make the serpent.) The serpent represented God’s power. It's similar to today. Though Christ died on the cross, and it's supposed to represent his sacrifice. Mystery Babylon has used the cross and crucifix as idols. The Lord is going to destroy mystery Babylon and break the idolatry, so that they no longer use his name and symbol, just as Hezekiah broke the serpent.
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE
In the very first month of his reign, Hezekiah repaired the doors of the house of the Lord, and opened the Lord's house for worship. He led the children of Israel in the right way, pointing them to Christ. It was in Hezekiah's heart to make a covenant with the Lord, so that his wrath would be turned away. He brought in priests and Levites, telling them to sanctify themselves. Hezekiah explained to them that their fathers did evil in the Lord's eyes. And he explained why the wrath of God was upon Judah and Jerusalem. He guided the priests to restore the shewbread table, vessels, altar of burnt offerings, and they cleansed and sanctified God's house in eight days (2 Chronicles 29)
RETURN OF GOD’S LAW 43
Hezekiah gathered the rulers of Jerusalem together. The King oversaw the animals being brought in. He reestablished sacrifice, burnt offerings and worship at God's house. He brought back praise with instruments of King David as he had established. Imagine the beauty of the return to God's laws and the brightness of the ordinances of worship at God's house!
KING HEZEKIAH
Hezekiah wanted not only to serve God with his kingdom, He wanted the division to be healed and to unify the 12 tribes of Israel. The king commanded that offerings be made for all the tribes of Israel for atonement of sins. Hezekiah sent to both kingdoms of Israel and Judah that they should come to the house of the Lord for Passover. He sent letters through all Israel and Judah not only inviting them to come, but he petitioned them to turn again to the Lord. He told them if they did, the Lord would return unto the remnant of those that had escaped out of the hands of the kings of Assyria. And that they would come again into the land of Israel, because the Lord is gracious and merciful. Christ also petitioned Israel to return unto him: “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,” (Isaiah 55:67).
PASSOVER
Some from Asher, Manasseh, Zebulon Issachar, and Ephraim humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. A very great congregation of people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of Passover. There were not enough priests, and many people from the congregation were unclean. It was decided with counsel to keep the Passover on the 14th day of the second month Zif. Judah, some of Israel, and strangers from both kingdoms rejoiced together and there was great joy in Jerusalem. There hadn't been such a Passover since the days of King Solomon. The priests and the Levites blessed the people and their prayers went up to the Lord in heaven. Hezekiah appointed courses for the priests and Levites and ordered the sabbaths, feasts, and new moons. He commanded the people to give their first fruits and they brought in corn, wine, oil, and honey and abundant tithes. The Lord also expects the first fruits which is, our best works. Hezekiah served the Lord and showed good and truth before God,
KING OF ASSYRIA 46
Eventually, the king of Assyria, Sennacherib entered into Judah and encamped against the fenced cities. Hezekiah had rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him (2 Kings 18: 7). Hezekiah wasn't afraid. He was protecting his people. He encouraged his people. He built the wall as high as the towers, and prepared defenses. Hezekiah building the wall is symbolic of Daniel 9:25 which states: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” The wall represents the leadership of God's people in the last days. The 144,000. Christ himself will build this wall.
KING OF ASSYRIA 47
Hezekiah wasn't afraid of Sennecherib, he protected his people by submitting to the king of Assyria. He agreed to pay a fine, if they would just leave. After gathering silver and gold from the land, even taking some from the Lord's house. He paid Sennecherib who then sent Rabshakeh and a host to intimidate Hezekiah and his people. Rabshakeh raised his voice in pride and with the words of Sennacherib blasphemed the God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lord's. Satan, who is also lifted up in pride against God is also referred to as the king of Assyria. This because their works share the same characteristics. After their threats and blasphemy. Hezekiah sought out Isaiah the prophet and they cried to the Lord who answered through Isaiah. God told them to not be afraid of the words of the Assyrians who had blasphemed him. The Lord said that the king of Assyria was going to fall by the sword, 2 Kings 19:6-7 Furthermore, the Lord said that the king of Assyria would not come into the city. Because He would defend it.
That night the Lord performed a miracle. He sent only one angel into the Assyrian camp. The angel destroyed 185,000 men. In the morning they were all dead corpses. Sennacherib went to his own country and was murdered by his two sons in the house of his god. He exclaimed through Rabshakeh that the Lord could not save Judah. And bragged how other gods were powerless against him. His god couldn't save him from the judgement of the living God. Hezekiah was magnified by many
KING HEZEKIAH 48
Later, Hezekiah became sick unto death. The prophet Isaiah told him that he was going to die. The king cried unto the Lord and pleaded for mercy. The Lord heard his cry and told Hezekiah that he would heal him, and on the third day he would go to the house of the Lord. this represents a work of Christ: “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” Hosea 6:1-2 The third day represents the change to immortality. The Lord performed another miracle for Hezekiah. He turned time back for Hezekiah, and he was allowed to live 15 more years. 2
Kings 20:9-11
THE KING’S MISTAKE
The King also erred. He was lifted up in pride and showed the King of Babylon all the treasures in the house of the Lord and his kingdom. Hezekiah humbled himself to the Lord and repented. Isaiah prophesied that God's wrath would not be in his day, and that the land of Israel would be carried away by Babylon.
By: Tony Davis
KING JOSIAH
King Josiah was the 16th king to rule, beginning at the age of 8 years old, following the assassination of his father, King Amon (2 Kings 22: 1). When he was only 16, he began to seek out the Lord and walked righteously before him, making him unique from his recent predecessors (2 Chronicles 34: 3). When he was 20 years old he began to purge Jerusalem and Judah of pagan shrines, altars of Baal, and Asherah poles (a wooden pole used to worship the goddess Asherah). He took the idols, ground them to powder and scattered them over graves (2 Kings 23: 6). Josiah also commanded Hilkiah to arrange a task force of carpenters, builders and masons to repair the breach of God’s house ( 2 Kings 22: 4-6).
THE BOOK OF THE LAW
While repairing the Temple of God, Hilkiah found the Book of the Law. When Josiah heard the words of the law, he rented his clothes and repented (2 Kings 22: 10-11). This prompted him to further expand his purge northward into former territories of the northern kingdom of Israel. Not only did he tear down the pagan altars, but he burned the bones of idolatrous priests on them. Shortly thereafter, Josiah gathered the people to renew their covenant with God, steering them towards the laws again (2 Kings 23: 1-3). He also reestablished the keeping of Passover, organizing a massive celebration that was unlike any since the days of the Judges (2 Chronicles 35: 1-18).
“GOD HEALS”
There are many similarities between Josiah and Christ that we must explore. First, Josiah rose to the kingdom and began to serve God in the days of his youth. The bible teaches us that Christ, even when he was young, was found in the temple speaking of God’s word. Another key point is that the name Josiah means “God heals.” We know that Christ is our healing balm. And we are in need of healing for we live in a time where most saints are asleep. They are asleep because their eyes are not open to the truth but instead they live in sin and some are even intermingled with the religions of this world.
REMOVING SIN
But just as Josiah purged the temple and removed the idols, Christ is going to purge his children. We are liken to a temple. And Christ will first start by removing idols, which is sin, from our hearts. Note that King Josiah ground the idols to dust. This is important and points to what Christ will do for his children at the end of time when he removes the evil root. Isaiah 27: 9 talks about this… “By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.” Think of the stones as a foundation. The wicked altar and idols cannot stand without it’s foundation. Nor can wickedness grow as a weed without it’s root. That is why Christ starts at root and the foundation, so that sin can no longer stand or grow within his saints. Also see, Matthew 21: 42-44, “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” We can see here that Christ, who is like a stone will destroy and crush all that is wicked, including Satan’s kingdom and his children. Finally, when Josiah poured the dust over graves, this represented the wicked and Satan being punished with eternal death.
THE COVENANT OF GOD 57
Again, Josiah gathered the people together to re-establish a covenant with God. This is liken to Christ, who will gather his saints in the last days and establish a new covenant that will not be broken like the first. Jeremiah 31: 31-33, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
THE OLD WASTE PLACE
Recall that Josiah commanded for a task force to be established in order to repair the breach of the the temple. What is a breach? Physically speaking, it represents an actual gap in a wall or fortification that leaves a city, in this case Jerusalem, vulnerable to enemies. Spiritually speaking, when God’s people violated his law and broke his covenant it created a breach between us and Him, making us like the temple that needed repairs. Disobedience distances you further from God and makes you vulnerable to Satan, our one true enemy. In Isaiah 58: 11-12 it states “And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” This scripture is prophesying of what God is doing for us at this moment. He is feeding us his word and nourishing us spiritually so that we grow. And it is also talking about what we are doing today with regards to digging up the truth and building God’s church. We are
A TIME OF FAMINE
Now why would our church be considered a waste place? At first glance, it is an odd and negative description for a church that belongs to God. This is because of the time we are living in and our current condition. We as a people, that being Israel, have lost so much because of the sins in our past. We lost our land and our wealth. We lost our identity. We lost the truth and became hidden. Now, we are living in dark times, during a spiritual famine or drought (Amos 8: 11-12). Very few are preaching the actual word of God. It is mostly lies that prevail.
OUR CHURCH 60
I want you to think about our church. Think about how small and tiny we are. We have no power in this world. We have infirmities with physical and mental weaknesses. Not only that, we are isolated and have no way of finding our brothers and sisters of the truth. This makes us feel alone or desolate as a group. That is why we are like a waste place. However, we are not alone because we have God. And he has given us the strength to continue to build upon his foundation, which are his laws, and establish and prepare a church for his saints to gather to. In other words, we are building the old waste place and restoring the truth that was once lost to us. If you go back to the task force that repaired the temple, Josiah is of course like Christ, and we are like that task force. Yes. We are the carpenters, the builders and the masons that have been established to do a great and bountiful work on behalf of God and his people. This is an honor and should never be taken for granted. But individuals are also like waste places because again, we are like a temple and the church starts in us. When a person’s eyes are closed and they do not have the truth, it is like they are empty and ruined by sin. They will need to be healed and their hearts repaired. They will need to be restored by Christ.
THE 144,000
But this scripture does not stop there. It is also prophesying of the 144,000. We know that this is a first fruit group that will be redeemed for the entire world to see (Revelation 14: 1-4). They will be a sign for God’s children that salvation is upon on us. They will preach the everlasting gospel to the saints and God’s churches throughout the world. So like we are doing now, they will also build the old waste places but on a much grander scale. They are also that task force of carpenters, masons and builders. Let’s move on.
THE PASSOVER 62
One monumental parallel we can show between Josiah and Christ is that of Passover. Josiah reestablished Passover amongst the people of Judah and had a celebration like no other. Christ established Passover as one of the 3 greatest feasts, that we as a people are commanded to to keep year by year. That is the first comparison but it goes much further. Passover commemorates the death and resurrection of Christ, who through the shedding of his blood will preserve his saints from eternal death. Christ, as we know, is our Passover lamb (I Corinthians 5: 17). During his first coming, he preached the gospel around the world, turning people away from idols and the worst ways of worship, just as Josiah did in his day. But Christ’s second coming will be different. He will not come as a lowly lamb but as a lion. It is during this time that Christ will first rise in his children as a daystar in their hearts. In 2 Peter 1: 19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” He will shine his light on the truth and redirect his people to him, just as Josiah did when he steered the people to obey the the books of the law. Christ will have an overwhelming victory over the forces of evil in the last days. Josiah too had a sweeping victory because of the great spiritual reform he initiated during his reign.
JUDGEMENT 64
But Passover not only points to the salvation of the saints. It points to judgment. We can look at the time of Josiah as a refrain of what is to come during the second coming of Christ. Josiah executed the pagan priests and burned their bones upon their altars. He also purged Judah and Jerusalem of mediums, psychics, wizards, and occult practitioners. He ordered the destruction of their idols and mediums to eradicate occult practices. Like Josiah, Christ will execute judgement on the wicked. The religious leaders that have misled the people will be exposed for the liars they are and the people will be angry at them. In Jeremiah 23: 1-2 “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.” Josiah destroying the pagan altars and shrines can be compared to Christ who will literally destroy the buildings of these churches and idolatrous statutes that having nothing to do with him. Ultimately, all that have sinned as well as the as the kingdom of Satan will be put to death, like the pagan priests in the time of Josiah.
END OF JOSIAH’S REIGN
Josiah did not live long either. He only reigned in Judah for 31 years before his death, in which he was fatally wounded by Egyptian archers in the Battle of Megiddo. This is similar to Christ who did not live long on this earth either. He officially began his work when he was 30 and died approximately 3 years later on the cross.
Like his predecessors, King David and King Hezekiah, he showed immense faith in the Lord. We too must have faith, believing and trusting in God during these dark times. King Josiah had courage to stand for God and his truth in a idolatrous society, fighting against it by all means. We must also stand for the truth, in a time where truth is virtually unknown and wickedness prevails. When Josiah heard the word of God, he did not ignore it or place it to the side. Instead, he immediately took heed and humbled himself to the Lord. We must do the same. Humility is important when serving God. We have to constantly acknowledge God’s authority over us and willingly submit to his laws. This is how we will be saved. So let us remember King Josiah, a great man and leader of faith that served God with all of his heart.
CONCLUSION
Developing “The 3 Great Kings” with my brother Tony has been so exciting but challenging as well, because we had to venture into prophecy. Let me say that prophecy is not my area of comfort. So how did this lesson come about? A few weeks ago, I prayed in the night for the Lord to show me what He would like me to study next and at 2am in the morning He instructed me to study the 3 Great Kings. At the time, I didn’t fully know why but now I clearly see. The Lord has given us another key to the truth and I am profoundly honored and overwhelmed to by privy to this information. I understand now that Christ gives his characteristics and his names to his children. Each generation has a portion.
We have learned that the reigns of King David, King Hezekiah, and King Josiah serve as profound foreshadowings of Jesus Christ. As descendants in the Messianic line, these kings modeled specific attributes of the coming of the King of Kings.
David’s as Israel's greatest king showcased the most similarities with Christ, prefiguring our Savior’s role as the perfectly righteous King over God’s kingdom. Hezekiah is often noted for his immense trust in God during times of extreme national peril, echoing the spiritual protection Christ provides. And Josiah is celebrated for a unique level of devotion and reform that distinguishes him as a direct parallel to the perfect obedience of Jesus.
I want to give a special thanks to Tony, who is so gracious and devout. He is always willing to learn and ready to work. And to my dearest Aunt Colleen and mother, who had to tolerate numerous questions on a weekly sometimes daily basis, I thank you for your patience and knowledge.
I pray that we all get something out of this lesson and are strengthened and enlightened. May God be with you all. Amen.
