The Kingdom of Israel (the Northern 10 Tribes) had zero good kings. Only evil Kings ruled over the Northern 10 Tribes of Israel. All of these evil kings were heavily into idolatry (idol worshiping), leading the 10 Northern Tribes astray.
We’ll see in later posts, that the Southern Tribes did a little better than the Northern Tribes, but not a lot. The Kingdom of Judah (Southern 2 Tribes) had at least a few “Good Kings”. King Solomon’s son Rehoboam was the first ruler of the Southern Kingdom known as “Judah”. Because of King Solomon’s sin of idolatry, his son Rehoboam was only permitted to reign over 1 additional tribe, the tribe of Benjamin. King Rehoboam reigned for 41 years from Jerusalem over these two Southern tribes. The word “Jew” is actually a shortened version of the word Judah. During Rehoboam’s reign over Judah, he was constantly at war with Jereboam, the man who became “king” over Israel (Northern 10 Tribes).
Jeroboam reigned as King of Israel (the Northern 10 Tribes) from 797-776 BCE. To keep his subjects from making the yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem (Judah), which was under the control of the Davidic dynasty of Rehoboam, Jeroboam established the “golden calf cult“, where he encouraged his people, the northern 10 Tribes, to worship golden calves in Beth-El and in Dan. He even instituted yearly festivals for them. Ahijah prophesied that Jeroboam’s household would be annihilated due to Jeroboam’s introducing idolatry to Israel. (1 Kings 12: 25-33)
Don’t be confused by the similar names! Jereboam was King over the Northern 10 Tribes also known as “Israel” or “Samaria”. Rehoboam was King over the Southern 2 Tribes known as “Judah”.
Note: Today’s “State of Israel” primarily only includes the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the “Jews“. Although named “Israel”, this modern nation really only represents “Judah”, which were the 2 Southern Tribes in the days of the Bible. The Israel that used to reside in the northern part of the land (Samaria) was taken exile into Assyria, and then scattered to the 4 corners of the earth, never to return. These are the “10 Lost Tribes of Israel”.
The sin that Jereboam committed was very similar to the sin that the Israelites had committed hundreds of years earlier at the foot of Mt. Sinai when they decided to melt down their valuables and build a golden calf to worship! It didn’t go well for the Israelites during the days of Moses, and it didn’t go well for Jereboam and the northern tribes! As prophesied by the prophet Ahijah, Jereboam was eventually killed, and his entire family wiped out because of his blatant idolatry.
What HIS story tells us is that every single King in the Northern Kingdom of Israel is described as a “bad king” who “did evil in the sight of the Lord”. All of the kings of the Northern Tribes of Israel led the people into idolatry and away from worshiping the One True God, YHWH Elohim.
We won’t discuss each of the “bad kings” of Israel (northern 10 Tribes) because that would take way too long and be way too involved. Instead, we will just detail a couple of the bad kings so that we can understand a little more about them, and the patterns that continue even to this day.
Ahab and Jezebel
One of the more well known “evil kings” of Israel was King Ahab. The Bible states that Ahab did more evil in the sight of the Lord, than all the kings who were before him.
1 Kings 16: 29 Now Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.
King Ahab married a woman named Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians.
Sidonians” was another name for the Phoenicians, that seafaring people on the Mediterranean coast who occupied the great cities of Tyre and Sidon. With the ever-present menace of Syria and the growing threat of Assyria, Ahab decided that he needed an alliance with this neighboring nation, so he made a treaty with the king of Phoenicia and sealed it by marrying his daughter. That is how Jezebel happened to move to Samaria, the capital of Israel, and there is only one way to describe it — a whirlwind hit Israel.
Jezebel’s father, the king of Phoenicia was not only the political leader of his people, he was also the high priest of their religion, as his name Ethbaal implies. Jezebel had grown up steeped in the worship of Baal and his female consort, Astarte (or Ashtoreth).
Jezebel was fanatical about her religion. The worship of YHWH must have seemed dull and commonplace by comparison, and she was determined to change it. She was a headstrong, self-willed, domineering woman, and with a moral weakling for a husband, she had little trouble getting her way. She got him to build a house for Baal beside the palace in Samaria, as well as an “Ashtoreth,” that is, an idol of the fertility goddess. Then she brought 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashtoreth from Phoenicia, housed them in the palace, and fed them in royal style. Their duties would have been to promote the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth throughout the land.
Not satisfied to establish her religion in Israel, Jezebel sought to stamp out every remnant of YHWH worship and to kill every true prophet of God
The Bible details the evil actions of Jezebel.
- She had many of the true Prophets of the Lord killed.
- She plotted against an innocent land owner named Naboth because Ahab coveted his land. Jezebel devised a scheme to have two worthless men accuse Naboth of a crime that he did not commit so that he would be stoned to death and her husband Ahab could then take Naboth’s land. (this actually reminds me of the Brett Kavanaugh trial in 2018, where an innocent man was accused of a crime in order to keep him from serving on the Supreme court of America as a conservative Justice. He was the victim of “character assassination”).
- She was instrumental in leading Ahab and Israel into Idolatry and away from worshiping the One True God, YHWH Elohim
1 Kings 21: 25 Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord,because Jezebel his wife incited him. 26 He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the sons of Israel.
The book of Revelation details that Jezebel was not only a Sidonian Princess, married to King Ahab, but is also a type of Spirit that infests the Church of Thyatria in the last days. A Jezebel spirit is a controlling spirit of witchcraft who loves authority, is manipulative, never accepts guilt or blame, uses gender as an advantage, serves baal and ashtorah, lies, and is against the true God,
Revelation 2:20: But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
The book of Revelation reveals that the spirit of Jezebel is alive and well in the world (and in the Church) today. The weak, compromised spirit of Ahab usually accompanies the spirit of Jezebel. These two often “go together”. As it was in the days of Israel, these evil spirits often inhabit husband and wife “power-brokers”, or powerful people in the world today. Anywhere we see a weak husband, especially one who had known the Lord, or at least claimed to know the Lord (Jesus), and a strong woman who does not subscribe to Biblical values, we’re likely dealing with the Ahab/Jezebel spirits. This “combo” was instrumental in leading Israel astray, and ultimately, in causing Israel to be conquered by her enemies and led into captivity into Assyria. Could the same pattern play out again in America, a country who knew the Lord, but is in the process of removing Godly principles, values, and even Historical landmarks from government, institutions, education system,military?
Two short, but very eye opening videos. You be the judge. The idea behind Jonathan Cahn’s book “The Paradigm” is that America is following the exact same Template as the northern 10 tribes of ancient Israel!! Jonathan Cahn is a very well known and respected Messianic Rabbi (follower of Yeshua/Jesus).
Jezebel’s goal was to STOP the worship of YHWH in ancient Israel (the Northern 10 Tribes)! Following “the Paradigm”, is there a “concerted and coordinated effort” by some of America’s liberal “leaders” to remove Christianity from the land of America?
“There is a very real possibility that war memorial crosses at Arlington National Cemetery could be in jeopardy, a federal judge warned in a chilling dissent to a court case involving the fate of a 90-year-old monument honoring soldiers in Bladensburg, Maryland.
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday refused to revisit an October decision that declared the 90-year-old “Peace Cross” was unconstitutional because it rests on public property.
The monument is a memorial to the 49 men from Prince George’s County, Maryland who died fighting for liberty in World War I.
The memorial, paid for by the American Legion and local citizens, consists of a large Celtic cross on a pedestal inscribed with the words “Valor,” “Endurance,” “Courage,” and “Devotion.”
By Todd Starnes – March 4, 2018
“Make no doubt about it, the Judeo/Christian system is under attack in America today.
The framework of our freedoms is the social and cultural morals that were formed by the Judeo-Christian value system of our Founding Fathers. In fact, at one time in history, Americans would wrap the flag around the cross to show unity to God. But that was then, now our nation is no longer ruled by the eternal principles that once formed our nation. Now we see that secularism is the new religion of our times and science and technology are its theology.
This spiritual shift has promoted a secular, and godless, culture. The perspective now is that humans are just a compilation of cells carved through evolution; chasing the mighty dollar is the way of life, and materialism and a moral-less entertainment industry is the by-product of such a life.
The Ten Commandments were once the “spiritual laws” that ruled our nation, and now they have been replaced with “separation of church and state,” and being “politically correct.” Through these two ideologies, America has been transformed from a Judeo/Christian nation to a completely “secular” nation. Fifty years ago when the Supreme Court ruled that prayer in the public schools was unconstitutional, the law of “separation of church and state” became America’s modern and secular law of the land. With court decisions affirming this belief, so began the eradication of biblical teachings and religious holiday practices from our public schools, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and even private corporations. “
Was Christian persecution prophesied to happen in the Last Days? Jesus, Himself, answers this question. Christian persecution has always been around, but like labor pains, it will intensify as we approach the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Although America was founded as a Christian nation, it is beginning to crumble as its Christian roots become anathema to large segments of the Government and population who now follow after types of “Jezebel and Ahab”, who worship the false “gods” of this world.
Jesus’ Words….
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
Luke 21:10 Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.
Top 10 countries where Christians risk EVERYTHING for Christ (2023)…
World Watch List 2023 · Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide (opendoors.org)
#10. Sudan – Following a military coup, violence and pressure against Christians have worsened.
#9. Afghanistan – Following the Taliban takeover, those Christians who have not left the country have been forced deep underground. If discovered, they face death.
#8. Iran – Iranian house churches as a threat by the Islamist regime. Church members who are caught are given long prison sentances.
#7. Pakistan – Pakistan’s infamous blasphemy laws are often used to target believers. Christian women and girls are vulnerable to kidnapping and forced marriages.
#6. Nigeria – More Christians are killed in Nigeria than in all the other countries combined, and the violence is getting worse.
#5. Libya – In this lawless land, both native and migrant Christians are targeted, kidnapped and even killed.
#4. Eritrea – Christians who dare to meet without official permission risk arrest. Over a thousand believers are in jail without charge.
#3. Yemen – The humanitarian crisis continues. Anyone suspected of being a Christian will be overlooked for aid, and might be expelled or killed by their own tribe.
#2. Somalia – Islamic militants are intensifying their hunt for Christians, and violent attacks are increasing.
#1. North Korea – The most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. Spies are everywhere. Discovery means death. Either by execution or by being worked to death in a labor camp.
Despite the danger in all these countries, the Church is NOT defeated. It is LIVING, POWERFUL and DEFIANT!
