20140821 Thursday, August 21 2014
2 Chronicles 23: The Fall Of The Evil Queen

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"They went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem"

Athaliah was the daughter of King Ahab of Israel; her mother was Ahab's infamous wife Jezebel (see The End Of The Line For Ahab And Jezebel and The Dogs of Ahab and Jezebel). Athaliah, from Israel, married Jehoram, the king of Judah (see What Did Jezebel's Daughter and Grandson Do?). When the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) destroyed nearly all of the royal house of Jehoram (the LORD left one then-innocent child for the continuation of the legitimate Messianic line) because of his liberal corruption (see The First Liberal), Athaliah seized the throne of Judah for herself - thereby breaking the Messianic line of King David of Judah, if she had been successful. But, Joash, the sole surviving rightful heir was given refuge in the Temple where he remained under guard by the Levites.

The safe delivery to the royal refuge was made possible by the courageous action of the princess Jehosheba (also known as Jehoshabeath), the daughter of king Joram, who saved her infant nephew (i.e. "Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah") and held him in the Temple. Jehosheba was married to the high priest Jehoiada (i.e. 2 Chronicles 22:11).

The safe refuge during those years also makes evident that the Levites were capable of defending the sovereignty of the Temple. The spiritually-perverted queen Athaliah had no respect for the Law of the LORD or the places that were Holy (as we will read below, she had built a heathen temple to Baal in Jerusalem, while ignoring the Temple of the LORD). The young prince was safe in the Temple because the Levites were strong in word and deed in their service to the LORD (see the Fact Finder question below for a history of the Messiah's Levites).

When the time came, the High Priest Jehoiada extended his defensive force of the king outside of the Temple. Why he waited six years is debatable, but it may have been to simply allow the people to experience the degradation and humiliation of their nation and lives under the misrule of a "progressive" liberal. By the time that Jehoiada made his move to restore the true Messianic throne ("Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David"), the people and the army had their fill of liberalism.

"23:1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. 23:2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 23:3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God.

And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David. 23:4 This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors; 23:5 And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. 23:6 But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD. 23:7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out."

The High Priest Jehoiada, for the days of the restoration, also became the political and military leader of the nation: "He set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about." Jehoiada then anointed Joash as king, with the proclamation "God save the king." Both of them, in the office of High Priest (see The Prophecy Of The Blood Upon The Anointed One) and the King (see The Kingdom Of The LORD God), prophetically represented Jesus Christ.

"23:8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses. 23:9 Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God. 23:10 And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.

23:11 Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king." (2 Chronicles 23:8-11 KJV)

Athaliah had seized the throne by treason. Like all liberal hypocrites, when she was faced with the forces that were restoring the true and rightful monarch to the Messianic throne, she accused them of treason. It was her last wacky proclamation: "So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there." Athaliah's temple to Baal was then also destroyed: "Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars."

"23:12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD: 23:13 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

23:14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD. 23:15 So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there.

23:16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD'S people. 23:17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

23:18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. 23:19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in." (2 Chronicles 23:12-19 KJV)

It was a day of Messianic restoration for Judah - and for all of humanity.

"23:20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. 23:21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword." (2 Chronicles 23:20-21 KJV)

Fact Finder: (a) Why did the LORD created the Levite Priesthood? (b) How did the Levite High Priest serve as a living prophecy of Jesus Christ?
(a) See When Were The Levites Set Apart? and The Levites Of Christ
(b) See The Prophecy Of The Blood Upon The Anointed One and Leviticus: The Prophecies Of Christianity