Please read this entire post. Thank You!
Deu 17:14 When you are come unto the land which Yahuah Elohayka gives you, and shall possess it, and shall dwell therein, and shall say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
Deu 17:15 You shall in any wise set him king over you, whom Yahuah Elohayka shall choose: one from among your brethren shall you set king over you: you may not set a stranger over you, which is not your brother.
Deu 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Mitsrayim, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as Yahuah has said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply women to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this Torah in a cepher out of that which is before the priests the Leviyiym:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear Yahuah Elohayu, to guard all the words of this Torah and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Yashar’el.
God never desired to put an Earthly king over Israel. God, who knows all things, knew they would one day turn away from His rule over them through His chosen servants. For this reason, He put instructions in the laws of Moses to guide those kings and also to warn His people on what to watch out for.
Little good that did.
The government of Israel was and is supposed to be a monarchy. However, the monarchy of Israel was and is supposed to be with the king sitting on His throne in the HEAVENLY Mt. Zion. This is what God purposed from the beginning and this will be the future of Israel in the Millennial Kingdom.
Jesus is never going to return to this Earth to sit on an Earthly throne in Israel. When Yahuah creates a new heaven and a new Earth, and New Jerusalem descends from heaven, then Jesus will be sitting on His throne in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth. Until then Jesus will rule and reign over Israel with His Father, Yahuah, from His Father’s throne in the HEAVENLY Mt. Zion.
I will use this post to go into those scriptures with enough detail for you to understand clearly.
The story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons is familiar to most churchgoers. If you want to read up on it start in Genesis 12 and read to the end of Genesis.
According to Genesis, seventy people left the land that God had promised to give to Abraham’s descendants and went to Egypt to live because of a severe drought. Then, according to Genesis 15:16 in the fourth generation, they would leave Egypt to return to the land God had promised them.
Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Emoriym is not yet full.
During that time the children of Jacob, Israel, would have grown from 70 people to more than 600,000 men 20 years of age and older along with women and children.
Exo 12:37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
The children of Israel refused to return to the land of Canaan, the land that God had promised to give them because they feared the people who were living there. They saw giants living in the land and did not believe in the promises of God. Therefore they spent the next 40 years wandering in the desert until the entire generation of men 20 years of age and older died, with the exception of 2 men.
One of those two men was Joshua, Moses’ servant. (Joshua’s name in Hebrew is Yahusha) He would succeed Moses as the leader of Israel and lead the people into the promised land. The promised land was the land of Canaan which is now Israel.
We will pick the story up there because the day that Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the promised land was the day Israel became a nation. Up until that time they were a people, but they were not a nation until they took possession of some land. Once they began to conquer the land they changed from being a people to being a nation.
This is important to our study because we need to know the original form of government of the nation of Israel. From there we can see how it changes and the impact of those changes along with looking at the prophecies concerning how the future government of Israel will be structured and function.
Let’s start with the crossing of the Jordon River and entering into the land of Canaan.
Jos 3:1AND Yahusha (Joshua) rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittiym, and came to the Yardan,( Jordan) he and all the children of Yashar’el, (Israel) and lodged there before they passed over.
Jos 3:2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
Jos 3:3And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see את the Ark of the Covenant of YahuahElohaykem, (Elohaykem means your God) and the priests the Leviyiym (Levi) bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Jos 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
Jos 3:5 And Yahusha said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow Yahuah will do wonders among you.
Jos 3:6 And Yahusha spoke unto the priests, saying, Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the Ark of the Covenant, and went before the people.
Jos 3:7And Yahuah said unto El־Yahusha, (Joshua) This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight of all Yashar’el, that they may know that, as I was with Mosheh, (Moses) so I will be with you.
Jos 3:8 And you shall command the priests that bear the Ark of the Covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of the Yardan, ye shall stand still in the Yardan.
Jos 3:9 And Yahusha said unto the children of Yashar’el, Come hither, and hear the words of Yahuah Elohaykem.
Jos 3:10 And Yahusha said, Hereby ye shall know that the living Elohiym is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Kena`aniym, and the Chittiym, and the Chivviym, and the Perizziym, and the Girgashiym, and the Emoriym, and the Yevuciym.
Jos 3:11 Behold, the Ark of the Covenant of the Adonai of all the earth passes over before you into the Yardan.
Jos 3:12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Yashar’el, out of every tribe a man.
Jos 3:13And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the Ark of Yahuah, the Adonai (Lord) of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Yardan, that the waters of the Yardan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap.
Jos 3:14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over the Yardan, and the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant before the people;
Jos 3:15 And as they that bore the Ark were come unto the Yardan, and the feet of the priests that bore the Ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for the Yardan overflows all his banks all the time of harvest,)
Jos 3:16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city A’dam, that is beside Tsarethan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Yeriycho.
Jos 3:17 And the priests that bore the Ark of the Covenant of Yahuah stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Yardan, and all Yashar’el passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over the Yardan.
Here we see a beautiful picture of Jesus, in the form of the Ark of the Covenant, going ahead of His people preparing the way and showing them the way into the promise of His Father, Yahuah. Look at verse 4 and you will see the instruction for the people to stay back about 2000 cubits. This is the foreshadowing of Jesus going ahead and preparing the way for His people, about 2000 years ahead of them, to enter into the promise of God. By this, we know the time is near for the Kingdom of God to be established in Israel.
When the descendants of Israel crossed over the Jordan River Yahuah parted the waters for them so they could cross over on dry ground just as He parted the Red Sea for them when they left Egypt some forty years earlier. When they came up from the Jordan River that day they camped that night in Gilgal. That was on the 10th day of the first month of the year in Israel which is the month of Nisan. Israel remained at Gilgal and kept the Passover on the 14th day of that month. And on the 15th day of that month, they ate the old grain of the land of Canaan. On the next day the manna ceased and they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
Jos 4:17 Yahusha therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of the Yardan.
Jos 4:18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the Ark of the Covenant of Yahuah were come up out of the midst of the Yardan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Yardan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
Jos 4:19And the people came up out of the Yardan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Yeriycho.(Jericho)
Jos 5:10And the children of Yashar’el encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Pecach (Passover) on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Yeriycho.
Jos 5:11 And they did eat of the old grain of the land on the morrow after the Pecach, matstsah cakes, and parched grain in the selfsame day.
Jos 5:12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old grain of the land; neither had the children of Yashar’el manna anymore; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Kena`an that year.
Gilgal became the governmental center for Israel during their initial military campaigns. The Tabernacle of the Congregation was set up there and the Ark of the Covenant was placed there in the Holy of Holies. This lasted at least five years until Joshua began to divide the land they had conquered among the tribes of Israel. Then the center of government was moved from Gilgal to Shiloh.
Jos 18:1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
Jos 18:2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
The Tabernacle of the Congregation was deeply significant and foundational to Israel’s religious and national identity. The Tabernacle, also known as the “Tent of Meeting,” was a portable sanctuary that served as the central place of worship and communication with God for the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness and the early years in the Promised Land.
The Tabernacle remained in Shiloh in excess of three hundred years. The time of the Judges who judged Israel was 356 years from the time that Israel entered into the promised land until the time Saul, the first king of Israel. Five years in Gilgal and three hundred plus years in Shiloh, and twenty years in Kirjathjearim, till the time of Saul.
The time of the Judges is central to our understanding of God’s chosen form of government on Earth. God has never changed. He allowed men to choose for themselves and fail which we will look at shortly, however He will have His way in the end. Let’s take a look at the verse in Isaiah that states clearly and straightforward what He intends to do.
Isa 1:24 Therefore says Adonai, Yahuah Tseva’oth, (Yahuah of armies/hosts) the Mighty One of Yashar’el, Ah, I will ease me of my adversaries, and avenge me of my enemies:
Isa 1:25 And I will turn my hand upon you, and purely purge away your dross, and take away all your tin:
Isa 1:26 And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning: afterward you shall be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Isa 1:27 Tsiyon (Zion) shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousness.
Isa 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Yahuah shall be consumed.
Now we know for sure the form of government Yahuah will establish in Israel during the Millennial Reign, the 1000 years of peace on Earth. Let’s take a deeper look at the 406 years, from Moses to Samuel’s anointing of Saul to be king, to get a better understanding of how that government functioned.
Practically speaking, Moses was the first Judge of Israel. Moses was the man that God, Yahuah, raised up to be a DELIVERER of Israel from the oppression of the Pharoah of Egypt.
God, Yahuah, chose Moses. This was Yahuah’s sovereign decision. This is the first pillar of His government. Yahuah chooses His Judges and His Counselors. They are not of a family line. You will see in the book of Judges and in the Book of Samuel that Eli’s sons were failures and Samuel’s sons were failures. Any time the Judges sons get involved it turns out wrong.
Joshua was the second Judge of Israel. He was Moses’ successor but not Moses’ son. He was the one Yahuah chose to lead Israel into the promised land, not Moses. Again, that was a sovereign decision by Yahuah.
After Joshua there were fifteen more Judges that Yahuah sovereignty raised up to judge Israel.
- Othniel – Judges 3:7-11 – 40 years
- Ehud – Judges 3:12-30 – 80 years
- Shamgar – Judges 3:31 – unknown length of time
- Deborah (and Barak) – Judges 4-5 – 40 years
- Gideon – Judges 6-8 – 40 years
- Abimelech – Judges 9 – 3 years
- Tola – Judges 10:1-2 – 23 years
- Jair – Judges 10:3-5 – 22 years
- Jephthah – Judges 10:6-12:7 – 6 years
- Ibzan – Judges 12:8-10 – 7 years
- Elon – Judges 12:11-12 – 10 years
- Abdon – Judges 12:13-15 – 8 years
- Samson – Judges 13-16 – 20 years
- Eli – 1 Samuel 1-4 – exact years unknown, died at 98 years old
- Samuel – Samuel books 1 and 2 – exact age when he anointed Saul king unknown
In a similar pattern to Moses, the majority of these Judges were raised up to be Deliverers of Israel from the oppression of their enemies. Not all of them, but most of them start out that way and then continue to judge Israel after defeating their oppressor. For most of them, they continue in their role until they die. Let’s take a look at the common traits and duties of Israel’s Judges.
Common Traits of Judges
-
God’s Call: All the Judges were called and chosen by God to fulfill a specific purpose. They did not seek the position of leadership but were raised up by God to deliver Israel from their enemies and to provide guidance to the people.
-
Military Leadership: Most of the Judges were military leaders who led Israel in battles against their oppressors. They displayed bravery, courage, and strategic prowess in leading the Israelite armies to victory.
-
Deliverance from Oppression: One of the primary roles of the Judges was to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors, such as foreign nations or hostile neighbors who were oppressing them and seeking to control their territory.
-
Duration of Rule: The Judges did not always rule until they died. Some did, some did not.
-
Spiritual Leadership: Along with their military leadership, many of the Judges also served as spiritual guides, calling the people to repentance and encouraging them to follow God’s laws and commandments.
-
Imperfections: Despite their leadership roles, the Judges were not perfect individuals. Some of them had personal flaws and weaknesses. For example, Samson struggled with issues related to personal desires, while Gideon displayed hesitancy and sought signs from God.
-
God’s Divine Assistance: The Judges relied on God’s divine assistance and guidance to achieve victory and deliverance for the nation. Their successes were often attributed to God’s intervention.
-
Localized Leadership: The Judges provided localized leadership to specific tribes or regions rather than uniting the entire nation under one central government.
-
Diversity: The Judges came from various backgrounds and professions, reflecting the diverse nature of the Israelite society.
Once you understand that this will be the form of government in the Millennial Kingdom then a lot of verses in the Bible that seem obscure become clear. Let’s take a look at some of them.
First these passages from Micah. This is the most beautiful prophecy of our Messiah, the Remnant, and the defeat of the False Prophet in the Bible in my opinion. I love these verses.
Mic 5:2But you, Beyt Lechem Ephrathah, (Bethlehem) though you be little among the thousands of Yahudah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Yashar’el; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Mic 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Yashar’el.
Mic 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of Yahuah, in the majesty of the name of Yahuah Elohayu; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
Mic 5:5 And this man shall be the peace, ( Jesus, Yahusha HaMasciach ) when Ashshur (the Assyrian, the False Prophet) shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
Mic 5:6And they shall waste the land of Ashshur (modern-day Iran and Iraq) with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from Ashshur, when he comes into our land, and when he treads within our borders.
The seven shepherds and eight principal men are the Judges and Counselors Yahuah promised to restore in Isaiah 1:26 quoted above. They will lead Israel against the oppressors, the False Prophet, and the AntiChrist. Yahuah will choose the seven shepherds and eight principal men.
Now let’s look at a prophecy in Zechariah and see both the Judges Yahuah will raise up and also the supernatural anointing on those Judges and on the people they lead.
Zec 12:1 The burden of the Word of Yahuah for Yashar’el, says Yahuah, which stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the ruach (spirit) of man within him.
Zec 12:2. Behold, I will make Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Yahudah (Judah) and against Yerushalayim.
Zec 12:3 And in that day will I make Yerushalayim a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
Zec 12:4 In that day, says Yahuah, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open my eyes upon the house of Yahudah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
Zec 12:5. And the governors of Yahudah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Yerushalayim shall be my strength in Yahuah Tseva’oth Elohayhem. (Yahuah, God of armies, your God)
Zec 12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Yahudah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Yerushalayim shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Yerushalayim.
Zec 12:7 Yahuah also shall save the tents of Yahudah first, that the glory of the house of Daviyd ( David ) and the glory of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim do not magnify themselves against Yahudah.
Zec 12:8In that day shall Yahuah defend the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as Daviyd; and the house of Daviyd shall be as Elohiym, (gods) as the angel of Yahuah before them.
Zec 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Yerushalayim
This is the counter-offensive. The AntiChrist and the False Prophet have wrought their signs and miracles and deceived all the nations of the Earth into coming up against Israel and Jerusalem. Now Yahuah will anoint governors “אַלֻּף” (pronounced as “aluf”) to lead His people into battle. The Spirit of Yahuah will come upon them in a similar manner as you read about the Spirit of Yahuah coming upon Samson. They will be like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf.
David was a mighty warrior. He lead his people into battle against Israel’s enemies and subdued them. In the battle described above the very least of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be like David. The house of David, his descendants, will be like gods. This is reminiscent of what Yahuah said to Moses at the burning bush.
Exo 4:14 And the anger of Yahuah was kindled against Mosheh, and he said, Is not Aharon the Leviyiy your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you: and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15 And you shall speak unto him, and put the words in his mouth: and I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you את what ye shall do.
Exo 4:16 And he shall be your spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to you instead of a mouth, and you shall be to him instead of Elohiym.
Exo 4:17 And you shall take this rod in your hand, wherewith you shall do signs.
As Moses was a great deliverer of Israel from the oppression of Pharoah of Egypt, it was said that Moses would be to Aaron like God speaking to him. Moses wrought great signs with the rod in his hand. In the same way, the house of David will be like Elohiym.
Here are a couple of examples from the Book of Judges of those Judges in the role of deliverers.
Jdg 3:9 And when the children of Yashar’el cried unto El־Yahuah, Yahuah raised up a deliverer to the children of Yashar’el, who delivered them, even את Othniy’el the son of Qenaz, Kalev’s younger brother.
Jdg 3:15 But when the children of Yashar’el cried unto El־Yahuah, Yahuah raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Bin־Ha־Yamiyniy, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Yashar’el sent a present unto Eglon the king of Mo’av.
Now let’s go back the prophetic scriptures…
Oba 1:15 For the day of Yahuah is near upon all the heathen: as you have done, it shall be done unto you: your reward shall return upon your own head.
Oba 1:16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
Oba 1:17But upon Mount Tsiyon ( Zion )shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Ya`aqov shall possess את their possessions.
Oba 1:18And the house of Ya`aqov (Jacob) shall be a fire, and the house of Yoceph (Joseph) a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for Yahuah has spoken it.
Oba 1:19And they of the Negev shall possess the Mount of Esau, and they of the plain the Pelishtiym:( Philistines ) and they shall possess the fields of Ephrayim, (Ephraim) and את the fields of Shomeron:(Samaria) and Binyamiyn (Benjamin)shall possess Gil`ad. (Gilead)
Oba 1:20And the captivity of this host of the children of Yashar’el shall possess that of the Kena`aniym, (Canaanites)even unto Tsarephath; (Zarephath) and the captivity of Yerushalayim, which is in Cepharad, (Sepharad) shall possess את the cities of the Negev.
Oba 1:21 And saviors shall come up on Mount Tsiyon to judge the Mount of Esau; and the Kingdom shall be Yahuah’s.
Saviors here once again are deliverers, Judges.
Many of these prophetic scriptures we have looked at talk about the anointing that will come upon Yahuah’s chosen leaders at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.
Zec 4:6Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the Word of Yahuah unto Zerubbavel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Ruach,(Spirit) says Yahuah Tseva’oth.
Time will not allow me to go into every scripture in detail but I hope you have gotten the understanding from these.
In these few scriptures, we see the nine characteristics of Judges listed above in these prophetic scriptures. God calls them and anoints them with His Spirit, they show military leadership, delivering their people from oppression, providing spiritual leadership, etc. This is the future government of Israel. They will rule the Earth with a rod of iron. They will judge Israel and the rest of the world.
Mic 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of Yahuah shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
Mic 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahuah, and to the house of the Elohai of Ya`aqov; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the Torah shall go forth of Tsiyon, and the Word of Yahuah from Yerushalayim.
Mic 4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
Now that we have covered that part I am going to show you what the Bible really says about a future Earthly king in Israel. There will never be another king sitting on an Earthly throne in Israel until heaven and Earth pass away.
One of the biggest errors taught in many English-speaking churches is that Jesus is going to return to Earth, defeat the AntiChrist and take his rightful place on the throne of David as the king of Israel and rule Israel and the rest of the world for the next 1000 years. Here is where they get that idea. This is the angel Gabriel speaking to Mary, Jesus’ mother before Jesus was born.
Luk 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Luk 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Luk 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luk 1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom, there shall be no end.
This prophecy of Gabriel is all true. Jesus (Yahusha) is sitting on the throne of His father David, right now. And He is not getting up. The purpose of this post is to give you an understanding of just exactly what Gabriel is saying. Let’s start at the beginning.
1Sa 8:1 AND it came to pass, when Shemu’el (Samuel) was old, that he made his sons judges over Yashar’el.
1Sa 8:2 Now the name of his firstborn was Yo’el; and the name of his second, Aviyahu: they were judges in Be`er Sheva.
1Sa 8:3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. (sound familiar?)
1Sa 8:4 Then all the elders of Yashar’el gathered themselves together, and came to El־Shemu’el unto Ramah,
1Sa 8:5 And said unto him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
1Sa 8:6 But the thing displeased Shemu’el, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Shemu’el prayed unto Yahuah.
1Sa 8:7 And Yahuah said unto El־Shemu’el, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
1Sa 8:8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Mitsrayim even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other elohiym, so do they also unto you.
From the time that Yahuah appointed Moses to be a deliverer of Israel, for the next 406 years, Yahuah ruled over Israel through His chosen leaders, through Judges. Yahuah has been sitting on HIS THRONE as their king in the HEAVENLY MT. ZION.
Now Israel no longer wants that type of government. They do not want God-appointed Judges ruling them. They want an Earthly king. Yahuah says to Samuel, give ’em what they want, only Samuel, don’t take it hard, they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting me.
The throne where the ruler sits is leaving Heaven and coming to Earth. Israel thinks it is forever, but Yahuah knows the throne is on loan.
The Bible provides quite a bit of detail about each of the kings of Israel. It provides their names and a brief history of their successes and failures. You can read about the kings in the books of Samuel, First and Second Kings, and First and Second Chronicles. Also, Isaiah and Jeremiah give some significant details. For the sake of time I will provide a synopsis of each of the kings starting with Saul, David, and Solomon in the united kingdom and then separating the northern kingdom and Judah/Benjamin Kingdom.
The United Kingdom
-
Saul – The first king of a united Israel, including both the northern and southern tribes. He was a mighty warrior, but his disobedience to God led to the eventual loss of the kingdom.
-
David – The most celebrated king of Israel, known for his military prowess, his faith in God, and his psalms. He united the tribes and established Jerusalem as the capital.
-
Solomon – Son of David and Bathsheba, known for his wisdom and wealth. He built the First Temple in Jerusalem but his later years were marred by idolatry and oppression.
The Northern Kingdom
- Jeroboam I – After Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam I became the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
- Nadab – Son of Jeroboam I, who ruled for a brief period before being assassinated.
- Baasha – He killed Nadab and established a new dynasty.
- Elah – Son of Baasha, who ruled briefly before being assassinated by Zimri.
- Zimri – He assassinated Elah but his rule lasted only seven days before the people proclaimed Omri as king.
- Omri – He became king after Zimri and established a successful dynasty.
- Ahab – Son of Omri and a notable king known for his marriage to Jezebel and his conflicts with the prophet Elijah.
- Ahaziah – Son of Ahab and Jezebel, who ruled for a short period before dying due to injuries from a fall.
- Jehoram (Joram) – Brother of Ahaziah, who succeeded him as king.
- Jehu – He led a coup against the house of Omri and killed both Jehoram and Ahaziah.
- Jehoahaz – Son of Jehu, who ruled for a short period before being defeated and oppressed by the Syrians.
- Jehoash (Joash) – Son of Jehoahaz, who ruled for a significant period and led successful military campaigns against the Syrians.
- Jeroboam II – Son of Jehoash, who presided over a time of relative prosperity and expansion of the kingdom’s territory.
- Zechariah – Son of Jeroboam II, who ruled for a short period before being assassinated by Shallum.
- Shallum – He assassinated Zechariah but his rule only lasted for a month before being overthrown by Menahem.
- Menahem – He killed Shallum and established a new dynasty.
- Pekahiah – Son of Menahem, who ruled briefly before being assassinated by Pekah.
- Pekah – He killed Pekahiah and became king but faced threats from the Assyrians.
- Hoshea – He assassinated Pekah and became the last king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel before its fall to the Assyrians in 722 BCE.
The Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin
-
Rehoboam – Son of Solomon, whose heavy-handed policies led to the rebellion of the ten northern tribes, resulting in the division of the kingdom.
-
Abijam (Abijah) – Son of Rehoboam, who continued the conflicts with the northern kingdom. He is praised for his faithfulness to God during battle.
-
Asa – Son of Abijam, a righteous king who implemented religious reforms and enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity.
-
Jehoshaphat – Son of Asa, a godly king who sought the Lord and maintained an alliance with the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the early years.
-
Jehoram (Joram) – Son of Jehoshaphat, who married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. He promoted Baal worship and faced opposition from Edom and Libnah.
-
Ahaziah – Son of Jehoram and Athaliah, who continued his mother’s influence of promoting idolatry. His reign was short-lived, as he was killed by Jehu.
-
Athaliah – Not a rightful queen, she was the mother of Ahaziah and seized the throne after his death, ruling as a wicked queen for six years.
-
Joash (Jehoash) – Son of Ahaziah, who was hidden in the temple during Athaliah’s reign. He became king at a young age and initiated religious reforms.
-
Amaziah – Son of Joash, a king who started well but later turned to idolatry and was defeated by Jehoash, the king of Israel.
-
Uzziah (Azariah) – Son of Amaziah, known for his successful reign and military achievements. He began as a righteous king but later faced God’s judgment for his pride.
-
Jotham – Son of Uzziah, a righteous king who followed in his father’s early footsteps, but idolatry persisted among the people.
-
Ahaz – Son of Jotham, who embraced idolatry and sought foreign alliances, leading the nation astray from God.
-
Hezekiah – Son of Ahaz, one of the most righteous kings of Judah. He initiated significant religious reforms and trusted in God during the Assyrian invasion.
-
Manasseh – Son of Hezekiah, known for his wicked reign filled with idolatry and oppression. However, he later repented and sought God’s forgiveness.
-
Amon – Son of Manasseh, who followed his father’s early wicked ways but was assassinated after a brief reign.
-
Josiah – Son of Amon, a righteous king who instituted religious reforms and rediscovered the Book of the Law in the temple. He was tragically killed in battle against Pharaoh Neco.
-
Jehoahaz (Shallum) – Son of Josiah, who reigned for a short period and was taken captive by Pharaoh Neco.
-
Jehoiakim (Eliakim) – Older son of Josiah, who was placed on the throne by Pharaoh Neco. He ruled as a puppet king under Egyptian and later Babylonian control.
-
Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah) – Also known as “Jeconiah” or “Coniah,” he was the son of Jehoiakim and ruled for a brief period before being taken into Babylonian captivity in 586 BCE.
This is my count, I could be off a king or two. It is a little difficult to track because the stories are intertwined. Hopefully, you should be able to get a good feel for the decline of Israel as a society under these Earthly kings.
During the reign of these kings, Israel quickly fell into civil war and became a divided kingdom. Under their rule, idolatry ran rampant through the northern kingdom ending in their demise at the hands of the Assyrian Empire in 722 BCE. Judah was the slightly more faithful kingdom with notable rulers who tried to establish the law of Moses with limited success. They were quickly followed by faithless successor kings. Judah’s decline and inability to purge idolatry from their society ended in captivity and exile by the Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE ending Israel as a sovereign nation.
Under the rule of Earthly kings, Israel lost their land to the Assyrians and the Babylonians. They ceased to exist as a sovereign nation. As a result, Yahuah declared in Hosea…
Hos 13:9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
Hos 13:10 I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
Hos 13:11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath
Israel, under their own rule, destroyed herself. God gave up His throne and let Earthly kings sit on it. In doing so the Earthly kings lost the kingdom. In the verses from Hosea above Yahuah acknowledges that Israel through self-rule has destroyed herself. Then He goes on to say that He, Yahuah, will once again resume His role as King of Israel. The throne, His throne, is once again back in the Heavenly Mt. Zion.
Now let’s see what Yahuah had to say about the last king of Judah in the line of David. His name was Jehoiachin – Also known as “Jeconiah” or “Coniah”.
Jer 22:24 As I live, saith Yahuah, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;
Jer 22:25 And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
Jer 22:26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
Jer 22:27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.
Jer 22:28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Yahuah.
Jer 22:30 Thus saith Yahuah, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
The line of David was cut off from sitting on the throne of David and ruling in Judah.
The Angel of Yahuah
From the time of Moses and forward it was always the will of God to rule Israel from His throne in the heavenly Mt. Zion. He raised up Moses to be both a deliverer and a lawgiver. He met with Moses on Mt. Sinai in order to give His laws to His people.
Once Moses had finished all that God gave him to do, God chose Joshua to be Moses’ successor. Joshua’s name in Hebrew is Yahusha or Yahushua. This is the same name as Jesus. Jesus in Hebrew is Yahusha or Yahushua which means Yahuah is salvation. Here we see a type and an antitype. Joshua is the shadow and Jesus is the substance.
Moses was not permitted to enter the promised land. Moses represents the law. Joshua was chosen by God to lead the twelve tribes of Israel into the promised land. Joshua represents the Messiah, Yahusha HaMashiach. The picture here is that no one will enter the promised land, i.e. salvation, by the works of the law. Entry into the promised land, i.e. salvation, is by following Yahusha HaMashiach.
I wanted to make that clear because the type, Joshua, is about to come face to face with the antitype, Jesus, in the form of the Angel of Yahuah. This is a very unique passage in the Bible and I think it is germane to our study.
In Joshua 5, Joshua and the Israelites crossed over Jordon a few days earlier. They have kept the Passover and eaten the fruit of the land of Canaan. In the next few verses, we see that Joshua is near the city of Jericho when he encounters a man with his sword drawn.
Jos 5:13 And it came to pass, when Yahusha (Joshua) was by Yeriycho, (Jericho) that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Yahusha went unto him, and said unto him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries?
Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as Captain of the Host of Yahuah am I now come. And Yahusha fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What says Adonai (the Lord) unto his servant?
Jos 5:15 And the Captain of Yahuah’s Host said unto El־Yahusha, Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place whereon you stand is holy. And Yahusha did so.
That is all the Bible has to say about that encounter. Since that is all the information we have let’s take a look at it in some detail.
One of the first things I want to point out is the phrase “Captain of the Host of Yahuah”. If you have read my previous post on the False Prophet I dealt with the word Host. The King James Version and many versions often translate this Hebrew word as host, but more often than not the word has a military context and should be translated as “army”. This is one of those cases.
Joshua is on a military campaign and he encounters this man with his sword drawn and asks him which side he is on. Clearly, the correct rendering of this phrase should be “Captain of the Army of Yahuah”.
The next thing I want to point out is that when Joshua realizes who he is talking to he immediately falls to the ground and worships Him. If this were an angel sent from Yahuah the angel would not permit Joshua to worship him. The angels of Yahuah never permit men to worship them. This man did not protest!
Finally, when Joshua says “What say Adonai to his servant” this man replies “Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place whereon you stand is holy”. These are the very same words Yahuah spoke to Moses at the burning bush. Here are those verses.
Exo 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Exo 3:2 And the angel of the Yahuah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Exo 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Exo 3:4 And when Yahuah saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Here we see “the angel of the Yahuah” appearing as a “flame of fire”. This “angel of Yahuah”, this “flame of fire” then speaks to Moses. When He speaks the scriptures identify Him as God, “God called unto him out of the midst of the bush,”.
When He, God, speaks He uses the exact same phrase as we see in Joshua, “put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground”.
These types of occurrences are called Theophanies or Christophanies, meaning appearances of God or appearances of Christ. I think the terms are a distraction. We need to really look at what is going on here.
In the passages in Exodus, the angel of Yahuah is identified as God. In the passages in Joshua, the man does not protest when Joshua worships Him. This is clearly God also. In Joshua, the man is identified as ” the Captain of the Army of Yahuah”. This is clearly Jesus. Whether Theophany or Christophany, it is always Jesus, Yahusha HaMashaich. Even in Exodus when the scripture says “And when Yahuah saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush,” it is still Jesus. By His name Yahusha, He was not known at that time.
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
People who want to dispute what I have written in this post and other posts always want to claim that Jesus must return to Earth to fight the AntiChrist and defeat him. I want you to see and understand that Jesus is and has always been the Captain of the Army of Yahuah. He did not have to rend the heavens and come down to meet with Joshua face to face.
You do not see Jesus or the angel of Yahuah leading Joshua or any of the other Judges into battle. But make no mistake, when you see the Ark of the Covenant going before them into battle the Captain of the Army of Yahuah is there. He may take His Sword and fight or if there is sin in the camp of Israel, He may withhold His Sword. In either case, He is there.
Let’s take a look at the next time the angel of Yahuah appears.
In Judges chapter 1 Joshua has passed away, and the tribes of Israel are continuing the conquest of the land. In the last half of the chapter, we see Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan all failing to drive out the inhabitants of the land. In chapter 2 we see the angel of Yahuah appearing again. Here are those verses.
Jdg 2:1 And an angel of Yahuah came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
Jdg 2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
Jdg 2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
Jdg 2:4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Yahuah spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
Jdg 2:5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the Yahuah.
Gilgal is where Joshua met the angel of Yahuah. Now we see the angel of Yahuah coming from Gilgal to Bochim to meet with all the children of Israel. I do not know if I am more stunned to see Him meet with everyone or if I am more stunned that they do not seem all that surprised to see Him. In either case, we have scriptural evidence of Yahusha HaMashaich physically interacting with His people without the need for a Second Coming.
This is why this subject is germane to our study.
In the government of Israel, when conducted in the manner that Yahuah has chosen, you have seen and will see Yahusha HaMashaich both sitting on the throne of David in the HEAVENLY Mt. Zion and also physically interacting with His People when He chooses.
Isa 1:26 And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning: afterward you shall be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.