Transcript Title

The Death of Jezebel
in Type and Anti-type
Bro. Richard Doctor- San Diego Convention November 2006
There are two
reasons why
Jezebel’s death is
important
Why consider Jezebel?
 Jezebel’s life and death
are a scriptural type
 The anti-type of Jezebel’s destruction
stands unfulfilled
Jezebel is a type – Revelation 2:20
 Revelation names only 4 historical persons:
2
righteous:
Moses — David,
 2 wicked:
Balaam — Jezebel
The noble name “Jezebel” means “Chaste”
Jezebel of Tyre elevated Baal
worship to a state religion in Israel
 Jezebel was a princess from
Tyre — the economic powerhouse of ancient sea trade
 She married king Ahab from
the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel
What happened in the end?
 Jezebel was destroyed
 Jezebel’s children -- the ruling dynasty of
Israel (10-tribe kingdom) were destroyed
 The house of David in Judah would have
been destroyed were it not for the
LORD’S overruling providence
Let us to follow sin and error over
Four generations to its destruction
Ahab’s father Omri
founded the 10-tribe’s
3rd dynasty. The Bible
says Omri:
“wrought evil in the eyes
of the Lord, and did
worse than all that were
before him.”
1 Kings 16:25
Political map of Ahab and Jezebel’s
period (9th century B.C.)
Ahab was to far exceed his father
Omri in doing evil
 Baal worship was so abominable
that the LORD sent the prophet
Elijah to confront Ahab
 Elijah prophesied a catastrophic
drought in Israel as punishment.
1 Kings 17:1
...This drought is also a type Revelation 11:1-6
Baal worship was not the cause of
Ahab’s death sentence from Elijah
 Naboth and his son’s murder 1 Kings 21
was the cause of the death sentence on
Ahab’s house 1 Kings 22:38
 Jezebel arranged for the murders so Ahab
could secure Naboth’s vineyard
 Elijah prophesied, that Ahab and
Jezebel’s blood would be licked up
by the dogs as was Naboth’s
Jezebel’s seal did not have sufficient authority to destroy Naboth
Jehovah is gracious — Ahab’s remorse
for the crime apparently was sincere
 Ahab put on sackcloth, went barefoot; would
not touch any food; he confessed his sins.
 The Lord again spoke to Elijah instructing
him that while Ahab was living he would
defer the punishment of his family.
 The 22-year reign of Ahab ended with his
death in battle with the Syrians.
…There is no record of Jezebel repenting
Ahab’s death was not at Megiddo
 Ahab died from battle
wounds fighting at
Ramoth-Gilead
 Ahab’s chariot was
taken to Jezreel near
Megiddo for cleaning
 Ahab’s blood was lickedup by the dogs as
prophesied by Elijah.
1 Kings 22:37-38
Death of Ahab
Family
Relations
ISRAEL
(10 Tribes)
1
Decent claimed by Jehu
1
Nimshi
2 Kings 9:2
Omri
1 Kings 16:16
Founds
3rd Dynasty
at Elah's death
E
l
i
j
a
h
1
Jehoshaphat
2 Kings 9:2
1
Jehu
2 Kings 9:2
Annointed by
Elisha's command
founds 4 th dynasty
E
l
i
s
h
a
1
Ahab
1 Kings 16:28
Death prophesied
by Elijah
JUDAH (2 Tribes)
House of David
Ethbaal
King of Sidon & Tyre
1 Kings 16:31
Across
Generations
1
1
Ahaziah
(of Israel)
1 Kings 22:40
Death prophesied
by Elijah
Joram
(Jehoram)
2 Kings 1:17
2 Kings 8:16
1
Jezebel
1 Kings 16:31
1
Athaliah
2 Chron 22:2
2 Kings 8:18
Jehosaphat
1 Kings 22:50
1
Jehoram
2 Chronicles
22:2
1
Seventy Sons of
Ahab
2 Kings 10:1
End of the
House of Ahab
Ahaziah
(of Judah)
2 Chron 22:2
Die under Jehu
Athaliah fails to
destroy House of
David -- infant Joash
survives
Ahaziah’s brief and evil 2-year reign
followed Ahab
 Ahaziah added yet more
abominations to those
introduced by Omri and
Ahab.
 An accidental fall through
a lattice-work window left
Ahaziah mortally injured.
Ahaziah’s brief reign ended in a death
sentence delivered by Elijah
 Ahaziah decided to enquire
about his recovery directly of the
god “Baal-zebub” (the real name
was “Baal-zebul”) in Ekron, a
principal city of the Philistines
 Once again, Elijah directly
proclaimed Jehovah’s judgment
and prophesied the death of a
king of Israel 1 Kings 22:51
Elijah destroys the messengers
from Ahaziah by Fire
Jehoram was the next son of Ahab
and Jezebel to reign after Ahaziah
 Jehoram had relative peace during his
12-year reign 2 Kings 3:1
 Modest reforms took place – the idol of
Baal that Ahab had set up was “put away”
although it is telling that there is no record
of it being destroyed 2 Kings 3:2
 Elijah the prophet passed from the scene
during the reign of Joram King of Israel to
be succeeded by Elisha
Jehoram’s Death
 Joram led the army of Israel against
King Hazael of Aram, a kingdom located
in modern Syria in what was yet again
another battle at Ramoth-gilead
 Joram was wounded severely and taken
from the battlefield. He was brought to
Jezreel to recover.
…this was not to happen
1-Joram goes to Jezreel from
Ramoth-gilead to recuperate;
Ahaziah king of Judah follows
1 – Jehoram’s Convalescence
 Ahaziah, king of Judah and the nephew
of Jehoram, came to Jezreel to visit.
2 Kings 9:14-16; 2 Chronicles 22:5-7
 Jehu, a commander in King Jehoram's
army, was approached by a servant of
Elisha who anointed Jehu king and
commanded him to destroy the remnants of Ahab’s house 2 Kings 9:1-14
2-Jehu arrives in Jezreel from
Ramoth-gilead
2 – Jehu arrives in Jezreel
 Jehu rode quickly to Jezreel before the
news of his anointing became known.
 Jehu’s characteristic reckless chariot
driving betrayed his identity
3- Joram is killed at Jezreel;
Ahaziah flees but is mortally
wounded near Ibleam.
3- “Is it peace, Jehu?”
The Death of Jehoram and Ahaziah
 Jehoram and Ahaziah had time to mount
their chariots and proceed outside the city
 Jehoram perished
 Ahaziah was not captured. He escaped
Jehu, but later died of his wounds
…Ahaziah dies at Megiddo
4-Wounded, Ahaziah reaches
Megiddo, where he dies
4- Death of king Ahaziah of Judah
 The death of king Ahaziah of Judah might
seem an excessive exaction of judgment,
and indeed we learn that this was the
Lord’s perspective Hosea 1:4
 In addition, 42 of Ahaziah's relatives, who
were on their way to visit also perished at
Jehu’s hand 2 Kings 10:13-14
5-Jehu returns to Jezreel
and has Jezebel killed
“Throw her down!” (2 Kings)
 Jezebel’s blood spattered the wall and
the horses, which trampled on her.
 Jehu went in and ate and drank
 He said, “See to that cursed woman and
bury her; for she is a king's daughter.”
 But when they went to bury her, they
found no more of her than the skull and
the feet and the palms of her hands.
“The corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung
on the field in the territory of Jezreel…”
“…So no one
can say,
‘This is Jezebel.’ ”
2 Kings 9:32-37
Those slain by Jehu
 King Jehoram of Israel
 King Ahaziah of Judah
 Jezebel
 Seventy male descendants of Ahab
were also slain at Jehu's command
2 Kings 10:1-14
 42 of Ahaziah's relatives
…115 in all
Jehu before Shalmanassar
Athaliah’s Treachery
 Ahaziah’s mother was Athaliah, the
daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.
2 Chronicles 2:22; 2 Kings 8:18
 Upon Ahaziah’s death, Athaliah exceeded
even Jezebel in treacherous conduct, for
“she arose and destroyed all the royal seed.”
2 Kings 11:1
Athaliah’s Treachery (continued)
 Both Joash and his nurse found
refuge in the temple
of Jehovah
 Thus by providential overruling,
the ruling line of David was not
totally annihilated.
Some Suggested
Anti-types
Elijah, Ahab and Jezebel as types
are well-defined [R.5741]:
“Elijah's prophecy was larger than on the
surface it appeared; for he and all of his
doings were a type on a small scale of
greater things which came afterwards.
Elijah was a type of the Church in the flesh
… [this] is confirmed to us by certain
statements in the Revelation. The matter is
there covertly presented,
Elijah, Ahab and Jezebel as types
are well-defined [R.5741]:
“…a great religious system being
figuratively described as Jezebel,
and the worldly system to which this
professed Church of Christ is united
being represented by Ahab, the king of
Israel.”
“…a great religious system being
figuratively described as Jezebel”
 The rise of the church was gradual and the
antitypical spiritual drought of 1260 days
was from 539 AD to 1799 AD
“And of the ten horns that were in his head,
and of the other which came up, and before
whom three fell; even of that horn that had
eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things,
whose look was more stout than his fellows.”
Daniel 7:20
Naboth’s vineyard
 Reprehensible as Jezebel’s Baal worship
was, “Naboth’s vineyard” led to the death
sentence on Ahab’s house.
 The anti-type here appears to be linked
into the way in which the “professed
Church of Christ” – the antitypical
Jezebel – in a fervor for enlarging her
base of adherents authorized policies
that also served to enlarge the political
and economic power base of the
European states.
Naboth’s vineyard
 These actions cover a nearly 500 year
period from the beginning of the
European “Age of Exploration” in the
mid-15th century until the close of the
World War II in the mid-20th century.
 Roman Catholic states, Protestant
states, and even the one significant
orthodox state (Russia) jostled with
each to carve out the best portions of
the globe.
Shattered Myths
 History amply corroborates the prophetic
expectation of Pastor Russell.
 The “Ahab” civil order ended with
World War I.
Everyone in
World War I
had God on
their side
“With God for King and Country”
Germany
Russia
England
Following World War I many thought
that democracy was done
 In 1931 Nicholas Murray Butler, President
of Columbia University and the 1928 Nobel
Peace Prize winner speaking to students
said that totalitarian regimes brought forth:
“Men of far greater intelligence,
far stronger character,
and far more courage.”
[cited from: Jonathon Alter, The Defining Moment, Simon & Schuster (2006) p. 82]
Ahaziah in Anti-type
 Unrelenting economic woes after WW I
paved the way for Nazism and Fascism.
 Adolf Hitler realized that blindness was so
prevalent among his followers looking for
charismatic leaders that he said, “I use
emotion for the many and reserve reason
for the few.”
Ahaziah in Anti-type
 Nazism and Fascism set forth their own
novel, powerful, and Beelzebub-worship
mythologies, seeking to reclaim the energy
of an idealized non-Christian past.
 They had a short life
The New Russia
Stalin – Time Magazine
“Man of the Year” 1939
The New Germany & Italy
After the misery of World War II
“…the fig tree and all the trees”Luke21:29
 There was growing political sophistication
amongst former colonies
 The system of political colonization and
its costs were a burden that nations were
unwilling to bear following World War II.
 At the same time, a new and even more
powerful system linked to economic
domination was already taking root.
Jehoram and Secularism
 Ahaziah left no direct successor – His
brother Jehoram took the throne
 Jehoram removed Baal worship from
prominence in public life, but did not
destroy it. (2 Kings 3:2)
 The characteristics of this post World
War II era has been a tendency to
embrace universal human rights
How different from the WW I era!
Jehoram and Human rights
 Former UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan on the
Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (1999):
“Human rights are foreign to
no culture, and intrinsic to
all nations…”
Jehoram and Human rights
 Elie Weisel, Concentration Camp
Survivor, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and
tireless worker for Human Rights (1999):
“The defense of human rights has become
in the last fifty years a kind of world-wide
secular religion…”
Jehoram and Secularism
 At this juncture in late 2006, Ahab and
Ahaziah have perished
 Elijah is alive
 Jezebel still lives as does her son
Jehoram and all of Ahab’s sons.
Ahaziah’s Death — a Question
One fatal fall
from a window
is an accident –
are two fatal
falls a type?
A Suggestion about Jehu
Do they sleep? Barely. (Four
to five hours a night is
average.) Are they
pressured? You bet. Are they
hard working? Astoundingly
so. Do they plan to marry?
Not anytime soon. Do they
worry about the future — for
themselves and for America?
Absolutely. They are so
technologically attuned they
may seem alien to older
generations,
Closing thoughts
 History is not a matter action fated by
divine will.
 We find that the Bible contains not one,
but both accounts of the intertwined
histories of Judah and Israel that we
may thoughtfully and prayfully consider
the Bible’s lessons there
Closing thoughts
 Israel and Judah could have written a much
different history had they been obedient to
principles laid down in scripture
 In the end Jezebel and her family perished
after four generations of increasing sin
…The closing chapter of this account
is not yet written
May the Lord add His Blessing
For reference please see:
“The Death of Jezebel”
Beauties of the Truth — May 2005
www.beautiesofthetruth.org