the end of the path. we find with these last kings (josiah’s seed) various ways to end the path of sin and self will. it speaks of the last state of christedom, and the various ways professors will meet their end:

• Jehoahaz – died in Egypt (2 Kings 23:31; 2 Chr. 36:1-4). a picture of getting swallowed up by the things of this world, (i john 2:15-16).
• Jehoiakim – died in the land trying to resist the king of babylon. he cut in pieces the word of god and tried to arrest Jeremiah of Baruch. A picture of a life ruined by rebellion against the word and government of god.
• Jehoiachin – taken to babylon but preserved because he listened to Jeremiah, later partially restored. a picture of a life characterized by sin, but later repentance and restoration.
• Zedekiah – his sons slain before his eyes, then his eyes put out, then taken to babylon. he was warned many tiesby Jeremiah against his course, and was advised to submit to Babylon. When the city was taken, Zedekiah, with his wives and children, attempted to escape, but he was captured. a picture of a life of rebellion against the word of god.

the same is true for the church in its closing days of testimony. some are scattered this way or that way. the only desirable conclusion is jehoichin’s… we need to submit to the government of god and he will make a way through it.

• Jehoahaz – the liberal churches (catholic, united, etc.)?
• Jehoiakim – the charismatic churches?
• Jehoiachin – evangelicals and gathered saints?
• Zedekiah – the reformed churches?

31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. v.31 if we c.p. with II Kings 24:18 it shows us that Jehoahaz was the brother of mattaniah or Zedekiah.

 

32 And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done. v.32 “evil according to… his fathers”… He is linked not to Josiah, but to his unbelieving and idolatrous fathers.

 

33 And Pharaoh-Nechoh had him bound at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and laid a tribute upon the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh-Nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king instead of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And he took Jehoahaz; and he came to Egypt, and died there. v.34 dying in egypt is a picture of getting swallowed up by the world-system. many professing christians end this way, they have a name that they live, but are dead.

 

 

36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zebuddah, daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done. v.37 Jehoiakim oppressed the poor (Jeremiah 22:15-16). he was the king that cut in pieces with a pen knife and burned the word of God (Jer. 36:23) – quite the opposite of his father josiah.

 

1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim was his servant three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And Jehovah sent against him the bands of the Chaldeans, and the bands of the Syrians, and the bands of the Moabites, and the bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spoke through his servants the prophets. 3 Verily, at the commandment of Jehovah it came to pass against Judah, that they should be removed out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done; 4 and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and Jehovah would not pardon. vv.3-4 god had changed his ways with judah after the sin of manasseh. Jehoiakim did not have an understanding of the times in which he lived… he thought he was in the days of Hezekiah when God would protect the city of Jerusalem. Previously Jehovah had protected Jerusalem because His name was there. But after Manasseh’s wicked reign, the Lord vows to destroy Jerusalem (v.13, 2 Kings 24:3, and Jer. 15:1-14). The “chief of sinners” in the Old Testament is Manasseh. When Jeremiah told him to submit to the king of Babylon and his life would be spared, but he didn’t believe him. We too, in the New Testament, need to understand that we are living in the days of second epistles. There is a need for separation, etc. we need to realize that the Lord isn’t going to restore Christendom, rather He is going to judge it.

5 And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 6 And Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. v.6 Jeremiah prophesies about Jehoiakim’s death (Jer. 22:10-12). he was not given a proper burial (Jer. 22:18-19).