Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 8:16-29; 2 Kings 9; 2 Kings 10:1-36
We have strongly pointed out that the Old Testament history is very much related to God's economy in the way of typology. If we read the books of history in the Old Testament without knowing the typology, we will not understand these books. In 2 Kings two persons — Elisha and Jezebel — are striking types of certain real things in the New Testament. Whereas Elisha was a very sweet person, Jezebel was most evil. In this message on the reigns of Jehoram and Ahaziah over Judah and the reign of Jehu over Israel, we will see the destruction of Jezebel.
Both the Old Testament in typology and the New Testament in fulfillment speak of Jezebel. The evil of Jezebel, a most hateful person, is like the evil of Satan. Many people have been poisoned, cheated, veiled, and usurped by her.
The Jezebel of the Old Testament was a type and a shadow. It is important for us to see who Jezebel is in the New Testament reality. Jezebel, the pagan wife of Ahab, is a type of the apostate church. Christianity is the biggest religion on earth, and the greatest part of this religion is today's Jezebel, the apostate Roman Catholic Church. In Revelation 2:24 the Lord Jesus said that Jezebel teaches the "deep things of Satan." In Matthew 13:33 this same woman mixed leaven, the element of Satan, with fine flour, which signifies the Lord Jesus as the meal offering for the satisfaction of God and man. Jezebel, the apostate church, teaches the deity of Christ but has mixed much leaven with the teaching of the divine person of Christ. With Jezebel, therefore, there is one part truth and many parts leaven. Vast regions of the earth are under her influence. In Revelation 17 this woman is the great harlot who mixes abominations with the divine things.
Let us now turn to 2 Kings 8:16—10:36 to see what is recorded here concerning Jehoram, Ahaziah, Jehu, and Jezebel.
The reign of Jehoram over Judah is described in 8:16-24a.
At the age of thirty-two, Jehoram began to reign in the fifth year of Jehoram (Joram) the son of Ahab, king of Israel, while his father Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem (vv. 16-17).
Jehoram married Ahab's daughter and walked in the way of the kings of Israel and as the house of Ahab had done. Although he was king over Judah, he walked in the way of the kings of Israel because he was related to and was influenced by the house of Ahab. Like almost all the kings, he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah (v. 18).
Verse 19 says, "But Jehovah would not destroy Judah, because of David His servant, as He had promised him that for his sake He would provide a lamp for his children always." This indicates that Jehoram was worthy to be destroyed by God. However, Jehovah was not willing to destroy Judah because He had promised David to provide a lamp for his children.
Formerly, the Edomites did not have a king, but they installed a king over themselves and revolted from under the hand of Judah (v. 20). Jehoram, with all his chariots, fought against Edom, but his people fled to their tents (vv. 21-22a).
Libnah revolted at the same time (v. 22b).
Jehoram died and was buried with his fathers in the city of David (vv. 23-24a).
In 8:24b-29; 9:14b-16, 21-29 we have an account of the reign of Ahaziah over Judah.
At the age of twenty-two, Ahaziah son of Jehoram began to reign over Judah in the twelfth year of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel. Ahaziah reigned for one year in Jerusalem (8:24b-26; 9:29).
Ahaziah walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah, like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law to the house of Ahab (8:27).
Ahaziah joined Joram the son of Ahab and king of Israel to fight with Hazael king of Syria. Joram was wounded by the Syrians, and Ahaziah went to see him in his sickness (vv. 28-29; 9:14b-16).
Ahaziah joined Jehoram (Joram) to meet Jehu in his rebellion. Ahaziah was fatally wounded by Jehu and was buried in the city of David (vv. 21-28).
Second Kings 9:1—10:36 speaks of the reign of Jehu over Israel. Jehu was used by God as an executioner to carry out His judgment on the whole house of Ahab.
Elisha the prophet told one of the sons of the prophets to take a flask of oil, pour it on Jehu's head, and say that Jehovah had anointed him king over Israel. The young man did as Elisha had said, anointing Jehu and declaring that God had made him king over the people of Jehovah, over Israel. Then the son of the prophets told Jehu that he had been charged by God to strike the house of Ahab his master for God's avenging of the blood of His servants the prophets and the blood of all His servants at the hand of Jezebel. He went on to say that the whole house of Ahab would perish and that every male of his descendants would be cut off, making the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, and that Jezebel would be eaten by the dogs with no one to bury her (9:1-10).
Jehu was recognized and proclaimed to be the king by the servants of his master Jehoram king of Israel (vv. 11-13).
Jehu rebelled against Jehoram king of Israel, killed him, and threw him in the lot of the field of Naboth in fulfillment of God's prophecy concerning His avenging of the blood of Naboth and his sons. Naboth and his sons, innocent citizens, had been killed by Jezebel. Their blood was before God continually, and God sought to avenge that blood. Jehu also fatally wounded Ahaziah king of Judah (vv. 14-27). By this we can see that for the people of God to enjoy the good land, there must be a right and righteous situation.
Jehu executed God's judgment on Jezebel (vv. 30-37) by having her thrown down from the window by the eunuchs. The fact that the eunuchs responded so quickly to Jehu's charge to throw Jezebel down indicates that they had hated this evil woman for quite a long time but could do nothing to her. Some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and Jehu trampled her. When they went to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. This was in fulfillment of God's prophecy concerning her that in the lot of Jezreel the dogs would eat her flesh and that her corpse would be like dung upon the face of the field in the lot of Jezreel, so that people would not say, "This is Jezebel" (v. 37).
Revelation 17 shows the pitiful ending of the real Jezebel, the great harlot, the apostate Roman Catholic Church. When Antichrist and his ten kings persecute the religions of the earth, they will eat the flesh of Jezebel and burn her utterly with fire (v. 16).
Jehu also slaughtered the seventy sons of Ahab (2 Kings 10:1-11). Jehu proposed to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and the guardians of the children of Ahab to make one of the children of Ahab to be the successor to the throne and to fight for the house of Ahab (vv. 1-3). The one who was over the household, the one who was over the city, the elders, and the guardians of Ahab's children rebelled. They killed all the seventy sons of Ahab and sent their heads to Jehu, and Jehu killed Ahab's great men, acquaintances, and priests until no one remained (vv. 4-11).
Verses 12 through 14 tell us that Jehu killed the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah.
Next, according to the word of Jehovah spoken to Elijah, Jehu slew all who were left to Ahab in Samaria (vv. 15-17).
In subtlety, Jehu slaughtered all the prophets of Baal and all his servants, priests, and worshippers. Then he burned all the pillars of the house of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and made it a latrine, thus eradicating Baal from Israel (vv. 18-28).
Although Jehu did some things that were right and pleasing to God, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he caused Israel to sin, that is, the golden calves which were in Bethel and Dan (vv. 29, 31).
In verse 30 Jehovah spoke to Jehu, saying, "Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes and have dealt with the house of Ahab according to all that was in My heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." This also indicates that to enjoy the good land we must be right. How much we enjoy Christ as our good land depends on what we are and how right we are.
In those days Jehovah began to cut away portions of land in Israel by Hazael striking them in all the borders of Israel (vv. 32-33).
After reigning over Israel for twenty-eight years in Samaria, Jehu slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz reigned in his place (vv. 34-36).
