1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not what was right in the sight of Jehovah his God, like David his father, v.2 The sixteen years are counted from the year he reigned alone.

3 but walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even caused his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that Jehovah had dispossessed from before the children of Israel. v.3 A Christian can sacrifice his children to idols through the fire. Ahaz had at least three sons:  (1) the one sacrificed, (2) Maaseiah killed by Israel, and (3) Hezekiah. All of them in some sense passed through the fire.

4 And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 5 Then Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to battle; and they besieged Ahaz, but were unable to conquer him. 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there to this day. 7 And Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who have risen up against me. v.7 In Isaiah 7, the prophet sends to Ahaz begging him to turn to the Lord for protection, not to Assyria. Ahaz snubs the Lord, “no thanks”. Instead he makes a deal with Assyria to protect Judah from their enemies just as Antichrist will broker the covenant with death and hell between later-day Israel and the Beast.

8 And Ahaz took the silver and the gold that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria. v.8 By sending presents to the King of Assyria, Ahaz was putting blood in front of a shark. Ultimately, the Assyrian would come for Judah.

9 And the king of Assyria hearkened to him; and the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried it captive to Kir, and put Rezin to death. v.9 This is the historical fulfillment of Amos 1:3-5.

10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria; and he saw the altar that was at Damascus, and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the form of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all its workmanship. vv.10-16 Ahaz (king) and Urijah (Priest) together make up a type of the antichrist who will immitate these two offices of Christ. The setting up a new altar speaks of the bringing in of a new religion in the middle of Daniel’s 70^th week.

11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus; thus Urijah the priest made it, against king Ahaz came from Damascus. v.11 This is a type of Antichrist rearing up the image to the beast – the abomination that makes desolate (matt. 24:15, Rev. 13:14, Dan. 11:38, etc.).

12 And when the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king approached to the altar, and offered upon it. 13 And he burned his burnt-offering and his oblation, and poured out his drink-offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace-offering upon the altar. 14 And the brazen altar which was before Jehovah, he brought forward from the forefront of the house, from between his altar and the house of Jehovah, and put it by the side of his altar on the north. v.14 A picture of antichrist bringing about the cessation of proper judaistic worship, see also v.18.

15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt-offering, and the evening oblation, and the king’s burnt-offering, and his oblation, and the burnt-offering of all the people of the land, and their oblation, and their drink-offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt-offerings, and all the blood of the sacrifices; and the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by. v.15 old-fashioned religious “narrowness” is replaced with broader views. The brazen altar is relagated to a place where it would only be used for superstitious practices.

16 And Urijah the priest did according to all that king Ahaz had commanded. 17 And king Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the lavers from off them; and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a stone pavement. v.17 The laver – daily purification – rested on the basis of god’s patience (the oxen). Ahaz removes it from that basis and puts it on a pavement of stone – a picture of the nature and heart of man. Man’s religion is based on the human element.

18 And the covered way of the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king’s entry outside, he turned from the house of Jehovah on account of the king of Assyria. v.18 covert for the sabaath – cutting off the entry to the house of the lord – “he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” King’s entry – Perhaps this is the high gate which Jotham repaired (II Chron. 27:3)?