The Kingdom of Judah Falls

II KINGS 25:1-12

GOLDEN TEXT: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”—Proverbs 14:34

ZEDEKIAH was the last of Judah’s kings, the last of the rulers who governed in the typical kingdom of God. As King David humbly acknowledged in his prayer to the God of Israel, “Thine is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty.” (I Chron. 29:11) All the kings who ruled over the natural descendants of Abraham sat upon the throne of the Lord. But in the days of Zedekiah iniquity had come to the full. The Lord could no longer tolerate the backslidings and the sins of his people, particularly the iniquity of the ruling heads over his people, so Nebuchadnezzar was permitted to overthrow the kingdom, and the people were taken into their long captivity in Babylon.

The overthrow of Zedekiah as king, and his being taken into captivity is of greater significance than the fall of the other kings of Israel and Judah, for it marked a definite turning point in the divine plan. From thenceforth, until the antitypical kingdom of the Messiah would be set up as a ruling force in the earth, God was to have no representative kingdom. When the typical kingdom was ended by the dethronement of Zedekiah, God permitted the Gentile governments to hold undisputed sway in the affairs of men, exercising dominion over even his own people.

The prophecy of Ezekiel 21:25-27 bears on this. It concerns Zedekiah, and reads, “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”

The most significant fact of this prophecy is found in the statement, “It shall be no more, until he come whose right it is.” This is an expression of finality so far as the typical kingdom of God was concerned. It emphasizes that no kingdom or government on this earth could properly claim to be his until “he come whose right it is.” Jesus is this One—“King of kings, and Lord of lords.”—Rev. 19:16

As we have seen, Zedekiah was overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Previous to this, during the reign of Jehoiakim, Jerusalem had been raided and many captives taken to Babylon, among them Daniel. Shortly thereafter Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which Daniel interpreted for him. In his dream he saw a great image like unto a man. Its head was of gold, its breast and arms of silver, and its belly and thighs of brass, and its legs were of iron, while its feet and toes were of iron and clay mixed.

Daniel explained that this image depicted Gentile rule over the earth, beginning with Babylon and continuing until the setting up of the kingdom of the Lord. In this prophecy the Lord’s kingdom, in the hands of him “whose right it is,” is pictured by a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which smites the image on its feet, destroying it. Then this stone grows until it becomes a great mountain which fills the whole earth. This, the prophet explains, is the kingdom of the Lord.

Putting this prophecy together with that of Ezekiel 21:25-27, the full significance of the events associated with the dethronement of King Zedekiah become apparent. To Nebuchadnezzar the prophet said, “Wheresoever the children of men dwell, … hath he [God] given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.” (Dan. 2:38) Paralleling this permission of Gentile kingdoms to exercise undisputed rule came the removing from Zedekiah of the right to rule—“Remove the diadem, and take off the crown.”—Ezekiel 21:26

From this time forward until the due time for the setting up of Messiah’s kingdom is the period of human history which Jesus referred to as the “times of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24) These “times of the Gentiles” had a definite limitation, chronologically. In the prophecy of Leviticus they are mentioned as “seven times” of punishment upon Israel. A prophetic “time” in the Scriptures is a period of 360 years. Seven of these, therefore, would be 2,520 years.

This long period of time began to count with Nebuchadnezzar, in 606 B.C., and chronologically ended in 1914. It should be noted, however, that this lease of dominion does not imply the full length of time that the Gentile governments might rule, but merely the limit of time during which they would hold undisputed rulership. Gentile governments existed before this lease of power began to count. They still exist, but now they are being overthrown because their right to rule has expired. He whose right it is has come upon the scene, unknown to them, and there is nothing that can be done now to preserve the Gentile order of things. The kings have had their day. The transition period which will end in the full setting up of Messiah’s kingdom is well advanced, and we are glad, for it means that soon the world will be blessed with peace and joy and everlasting life.

QUESTIONS:

How is the dethronement of Zedekiah related to the divine plan?

What name did Jesus give to the long period of Gentile dominion?

Will the Gentile governments of today be able to perpetuate their existence?

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