THE LAST DAYS OF JERUSALEM A QUICK COLLAPSE: God allowed for setting a good king “Josiah’, after Manasseh and Amon, to proclaim that, together with setting the last good king, although the leaders and the people obeyed his commands, while their hearts were corrupt and impure. Once Manasseh died, there was a series of evil and weak kings who walked with the spirit of Manasseh, and the only remaining way to deal with the situation, was to let the kingdom of Judah follow her sister Israel, to fall into the Babylonian captivity. The quick collapse happened by: a- Jehoiakim: who, in his nature, was one of the worst kings of Judah. ………Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. And when he rebelled against the king of Babylon, probably through the encouragement of Necho Pharaoh of Egypt, the Lord sent the Chaldeans, the Aramites, the Moabites, and the Ammonites, to invade Judah, when he was probably wounded, led captive to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36: 6), died on the way, and his corpse was thrown away like a donkey without burial (Jeremiah 22: 19). b- Jehoiakin: Whose real name was ‘Jekniah’, or ‘Coniah’ (Jeremiah 22: 24); received the throne instead of his father Jehoiakim. Then removed by Nebuchadnezzar; although the people counted him as the legitimate king, in spite of setting Zedekiah in his place, and considered the later as an agent of Babylon. c- Zedekiah: He was set as a king, or a deputy of the king of Babylon in Judah for as long as 11 years, and persisted on his evil ways. Rebelling against Babylon, through an encouragement by Necho Pharaoh of Egypt, Jerusalem was put under siege; Zedekiah attempted to flee, but was seized by the army of Babylon, led to their king, who killed his two sons before him, put out his eyes, and led him blind to Babylon, where he was put in prison in humiliation, until he died. 1- Jehoiakim and his rebellion 1 - 5 2- Jehoiakin and the captivation of Jerusalem 6 - 16 3- Zedekiah (Mattaniah) and his rebellion 17 – 20 1- JEHOIAKIM AND HIS REBELLION: “In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him” (1). Babylon became the new world power, after the collapse of Assyria in the year 612 BC. According to the prophet Jeremiah, the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim was the first year of that of Nebuchadnezzar, the year of the battle of Carchemish in the year 605 BC, in which Nebuchadnezer prevailed against the Pharaoh of Egypt, and took all what belonged to him from the Euphrates to Egypt; namely to the Valley of ‘El-Arish’ that separates between Israel and Egypt (Jeremiah 25: 1; 46: 2). As an outcome of that battle, the Egyptians were driven out; and Babylon took Judah over, to make it a part of its empire (2 kings 24: 1). That was the first of three invasions by Babylon against Judah along twenty years; the prophet Daniel was one of the captives in that invasion. The other two invasions were in the years 597 and 587 BC successively.. Nebuchadnezzar was the leader of the Babylonian army, and a deputy of his father the king; then was named a king of the Babylonian empire that took the place of the kingdom of Assyria, on every aspect. Jehoiakim became Nebuchadnezzar’s vassal for three years, then rebelled against him, probably through the encouragement of Necho Pharaoh of Egypt, who could drive the Babylonians away from the Egyptian frontier in the year 601 BC. That rebellion was against the counsel of the prophet Jeremiah.. “And the LORD sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servants the prophets” (2). Rebelling against his master, king of Assyria, Nebuleser the ruler of Babylon founded the kingdom of Babylon in the days of Josiah king of Judah; joined forces with Syaksers king of the Mades, fought against and took over Nineveh. Then Nebuleser sent his son Mebuchadnezzar to confront Necho Pharaoh of Egypt, who invaded Carchemish. He struck him, and took all what belonged to him in Syria; removed Jehoahaz king of Judah from his throne, and set Jehoiakim in his place; then Neboleser died, and his son Nebuchadnezzar sat on his throne. Jehoiakim submitted to Nebuleser the king of Babylon for three years, then rebelled against him (namely against his son Nebuchadnezzar) in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, the first year of that of Nebuchadnezzar. The later, at the time, being preoccupied with other wars far off, sent over Jehoiakim bands of Aramites, Moabites, and Ammonites, whose animosity against Judah was well known; all of them under the leadership of the Chaldeans of the south of Mesopotamia. In that battle, they led 3023 captives to Babylon (Jeremiah 52: 28). from whom the Lord had kept His people safe, and even let them prevail on them several times. After that, Nebuchadnezzar, himself, went against Jehoiakim, led him, chalked in bronze chains, a captive to Babylon; then retracted his purpose, and sent him back to Jerusalem; but he died, or killed on the way home, and his corpse was cast aside like that of a donkey (Jeremiah 22: 19). The Chaldeans: a name by which the Babylonians were called (2 kings 24-25); were a people who dwelt south of Babylon, south of ‘Messisa’, namely of Mesopotamia, between the city of Babylon and the Persian Gulf. Those tribes were the center of power against the Assyrians. The Babylonian army included many races beside the Chaldeans (34: 1)... In the era of the new Babylon, the Chaldeans were referred to as the Babylonians; and Babylon was called ‘Chaldea’. And after the fall of the new Chaldean or the Babylonian empire, the name ‘Chaldeans’ referred to soothsaying (Daniel 2: 2). The Moabites: According to St. Jerome, the word ‘Moab’, which means (from the father), became a reference to the spirit of non-discernment. For they assumed that there is no difference between the living God and the pagan idols; and, by the perdition of Judah, and the destruction of Jerusalem, they believed that there will be no more salvation. “They say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations’” (Ezekiel 25: 8). Whereas St. (Mar) Ephram the Syrian say: [Without mud, it is not possible to build a tower. And without knowledge, there will be no virtue]. After the death of king Solomon, Moab came to be a part of the Northern kingdom; But in the days of Jehoshaphat, they attacked Judah, but were defeated (2 kings 3); after which, Moab became sometimes independent and other times a colony. At the end of the eighth century BC, they were overcome by the Assyrians; and with the collapse of the Assyrian empire, Moab came to be independent again. In the days of king Jehoiakim, Moab joined forces with the Chaldeans against Judah (2 kings 24: 2); And after the year 582 BC, Moab collapsed before Nebuchadnezzar, then submitted to Persia and the Arabs.. “Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done” (3) “Because of the sins of Manasseh”: Namely, for the sake of the sins they took after Manasseh. But, surely, if they chose to repent, God would have received them. Although God is longsuffering, yet he does not endure sin, and chastise whoever persist on it. This book narrates to us the story of bondage in much detail, for the following reasons: a- For it represents our bondage to sin; of which the Lord Christ came to liberate us. b- For these details represent living aspects that touch our life and our relationship with God c- For we often forget or disregard this bondage. When the Lord Christ proclaimed His message, saying: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8: 32), the Jews answered him, saying: “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say: “You will be made free?” …………. It is strange that they so utter, at the time they were actually under bondage of the Roman Empire. But this is the nature of man; who, while he surrenders to bondage, and humbly submits to it, he still assumes he is free. That is why the bondage of those people and their liberation were recorded, to make us always remember our need for the Lord Christ as the Liberator of our souls from the bondage of sin. … Commenting on that answer, St, Augustine says: + Where is the truth in claiming that “they are descendants of Abraham, and that they have never been in bondage?”: Was Joseph not sold (Genesis 37: 28)?... …Haven’t the saintly prophets led into captivity (2 kings 24; Ezekiel 1: 1)?; … Were the Jews not the nation that submitted to cruel rulers, and had to make bricks of mud in Egypt (Exodus 1: 14)? … Even in the days of the Lord Christ, were they not still paying tribute to the Roman Empire (Matthew 22: 15-21)?. … If you have never been in bondage to anyone; why then God kept reminding you that He made you free of bondage?! … What the Lord Christ meant is that He liberates you from the bondage of the ego, the vain pride; but they understood the liberty by a carnal concept. “ and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon” (4). “Now 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?” (5) 2- JEHOIAKIM AND THE CAPTIVATION OF JERUSALEM: “So Jehoiakim rested with his fathers. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place” (6) Here he says that Jehoiakim rested with his father in peace; whereas in (2 Chronicles 36: 6), we read how he was led into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar; and how he died a horrible death in a foreign country. The two narratives, though, have not indicated where Jehoiakim died. …………What came in 2 kings 24: 10-16, is different from what came in 2 Chronicles 36: 5-8; For 2 Chronicles 36: 7, refer to that Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim, beside some articles of the house of the Lord; Whereas 2 kings 24: 13, refer to that Nebuchadnezzar took all the treasures in the house of the Lord, and captivated all Jerusalem, which indicate that they are two different and separate episodes. … Probably after the first captivation, when Jehoiakim was taken to Babylon, as it came in 2 Chronicles 36, he was allowed later to return to Jerusalem, where he died. It is also probable that Jehoiakim died in captivity………. It is however obvious that the books kept silent regarding this point. In the book of Jeremiah, it came: “Thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah: ‘They shall not lament for him, saying: Alas, my brother, or alas my sister. They shall not lament for him, saying: Alas master, or alas his glory’. He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 22: 18-19). Jeremiah previously said about him: “Woe to this man” (13), who built for himself a palace with the mammon, when his corpse will find no tomb to be buried in; nor anyone to mourn. As he did not listen to the tears of the oppressed and the needy, no one will shed one tear on him. What does he mean by the four expressions: ”Alas my brother”, “Alas my sister”, “Alas master”, and, “Alas his glory”? a- According to some, the first and second expressions are said by those taking part in the funeral; none of whom will say to those around him: “Alas my brother”, or “Alas my sister”; for no man or woman will feel sorrow for the death of the king. The two following expressions are addressed by those participating in the funeral, to the dead man himself; for none of them laments the king as a master or one of glory. b- According to some, by the expression “the master”, he means ‘the father’; and by ‘his glory’ he means ‘the mother or the mistress’. Certain Phoenician excavations about king ‘Azitawadda’, the following expression was found: [The Baal made me a father and a mother]. It is as though, the king , according to the traditional language, takes on himself the role of a father, a mother, a brother, and a sister.; which could not be said about the present king, who was neither this or that, “He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey”, namely he will not be buried in a tomb, but his corpse will be cast on a heap of trash beyond the city gates. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Nebuchadnezzar killed him in Jerusalem, and left his corpse without burial beyond the city gates. How can we conform between what came here about the death of Jehoiakim, not being buried in a tomb; and what came in 2 king 24: 6, that “he rested with his fathers”? .According to some, the later statement does not refer to his burial, but is a common expression of death, whatever its circumstances are. While, according to others, the expression said by Jeremiah: “He shall buried with the burial of a donkey, and his corpse will be drawn and cast beyond the city of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 22: 18-19), refers to how he was looked at; for, in spite of having an official burial, yet, in the eyes of his people he was like a dead donkey, worthy only of being cast beyond the city gates. . “And the king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates” (7) When our souls bow down, do not look to Him who dwells high up in heaven, and seek help from those down on earth, we will surely fail. The Egyptians pretended to be their allies, when they were, themselves, helpless to support them, and even had no desire to do. It is written: “And the king of Egypt did not come out of his land anymore, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt, from the bank of Egypt to the River Euphrates” (2 kings 24: 7). It was also written: “For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her ’Rahab-Hem-Shebeth’ (Isaiah 30: 7) The Jewish leaders used to look at Egypt, and the alliance with her, as a source of salvation against the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 37: 3-10). That was the point of controversy between Jeremiah and the king; and even between him and the king’s counselors, Statesmen, religious leadership, and the people. For all counted the alliance with Egypt, and not the repentance, as the hope for salvation from the attack of the Chaldeans. And when Jeremiah warned king Zedekiah against that, he put him in the dungeon of prison (Jeremiah 37: 5-21).. “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem” (8). “Jehoiakim”, means (The Lord helps). The Holy book describes him as a grown-up young man (Jeremiah 22: 24-30; Ezekiel 19: 6), 18 years old; whereas in 2 Chronicles 36: 9, it came that he was only an 8 years old kid. There two interpretations of this controversy: the first that he sat on the throne together with his father, when he was 8 years old, as it was the custom in those days. And the second was that the 8 years are counted from the time of the first captivation, namely from the time Nebuchadnezzar sat on the throne. It is most probable, though, that Jehoiakim was 18 years old when he reigned, and not 8 years old; for he, already, had wives (15); and on account of that, it was said about him: “ he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to what his father has done” (2 kings 24: 9); which could not be applied to an 8 years old kid. Moreover, being put by the Chaldeans in prison in the year 597 BC, indicates that they dealt with him as a mature person and not as a little kid. Jeremiah prophesied in the days of Jehoiakin, whose reign only lasted three months. Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem , and took him together with his family, the leaders of the people, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, to Babylon (2 kings 24: 8-16); where he lived a captive. It is worth noticing that the Jewish authorities, looking at Jeremiah’s prophesies and words during the siege of Jerusalem, by a political and military eye, and not by a religious one; considered them as breaking down the psyche of the army and the people; and looked at him, therefore, as a national traitor. This time, Nebuchadnezzar dealt with the situation with an unexpected mild way. He did not destroy the city, the temple, the public buildings, and not even the city walls; but he only took the evil king Jehoiakin, whose reign only lasted three months; together with his family, the leaders of the people, captives; and the treasures of the house of the Lord, to Babylon (2 kings 24: 8-16). The heart of the prophet Ezekiel was broken to see all its articles of the temple, so beloved by him, that go back to 300 years, since the days of king Solomon, being melted, and put in sacs by the Babylonians; And to see the new king Zedekiah, Jehoiakin’s nephew (2 kings 24: 17) defile the temple; and let the uncircumcised pagans defile the sanctuaries. Moreover, Nebuchadnezzar set his nets in the land of Judah, to catch any young man he sees with a talent or gift, and took them to Babylon; among whom was Ezekiel himself; to guarantee that no revolt against him will ever happen in Judah. Leaving behind, only the farmers and the very needy, who are incapable of revolting (2 kings 25: 12). “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done” (9) Jehoiakin was as evil as his father (7-18), He could have lived secure with righteousness, as a precious ring in God’s hand, that no one can approach; but because of his evil, God took him away after three months of his reign, when he was 18 years old, together with his household; and was led into captivity in the year 597 BC to Babylon, to live a foreign captive, deprived of his country and his people, in inner humiliation, whatever honor or possibilities he was offered in captivity. In the second book of the kings 24, it came that Jehoiakin was treated well at the end of his life, although he remained a captive, and was never sent home. Even though he had several sons (1 Chronicles 3: 17), none of them sat on the throne of Israel; he was, therefore, considered barren. “At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged”.(10) Jehoiakin followed his father Jehoiakim on the throne, to confront the mightier army on the face of the earth at that time. Few weeks after he sat on the throne, the second Babylonian invasion took place, Jerusalem was put under siege, the temple and the king’s palace were robbed, and the majority of the leaders, including the king, were led captives to Babylon.. Nebuchadnezzar set Zedekiah, one of Josiah’s sons, a king on Judah; but the Jews did not recognize him, counting Jehoiakin their legitimate king. “And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it” (11) Nebuchadnezzar’s servants came first to put the city under siege; followed by Nebuchadnezzar himself, who most probably came from Tyre which he put under siege at that time. Although Zedekiah, who came to replace king Jekniah or Coniah (2 kings 24), saw in his predecessor the fruits of his rejection of the divine Word, yet he, and his people, did not learn from his example. The name xxxxxxxx was used short of Jekniah, which hinted to some kind of rebuke. .Because the king and his servants refused to listen to the words of God on the tongue of His prophet Jeremiah, they lost their inner peace. They assumed that putting Jeremiah in prison, would bring comfort to their conscience, and conquest to their minds; but the slandered prophet remained carrying strength and inner freedom, even inside the prison; for he was attached to the divine Word; while the king felt so weak, to seek a word from the lips of Jeremiah, to give him comfort. The prophet Jeremiah, probably, was saying in his depths, the words uttered by king David: “I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed” (Psalm 119: 46). Commenting on this phrase, father Onesimus, bishop of Jerusalem says: [A sign of your love of God, is to speak of His testimonies before kings, with courage and daring; the way the apostles and the martyrs did … We shall not be ashamed, if our works and words are befitting to the King of kings, speaking in us; and if we utter His commandments with love and confidence, and not in boredom or slothfulness. + Evil is given authority over us according to our sins, as it is written: “Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Is it not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned? (Isaiah 42: 24-25). Again, when king Solomon sinned, and forsook God’s commandments and ways, it is written: “The Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon” (1 kings 11: 14) God exhorts us to say in our prayer: “Lead us not into temptation”, to show that the adversary would not be able to do anything against us, unless God allows him to do; in order to turn our fear and obedience toward God; In our temptations, evil would not be allowed, unless it is given authority from God; as is clear from the words of the Holy Book, saying: “And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it” (11 LXX); and the Lord delivered it to his hands. “Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner” (12) Jehoiakim died before the arrival of Nebuchadmezzar to Jerusalem; Jehoiakin reigned only for three months (8) in the year 598 BC; then he and all his household delivered themselves to the enemy to save the city from destruction. Jehoiakin was led captive, with the rest of the leaders of Judah, including the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1: 1). It came in Jeremiah: “The wind shall eat up all your rulers; and your lovers shall go into captivity; surely then, you will be ashamed and humiliated for all your wickedness” (Jeremiah 22: 22). By saying “your rulers”, he probably means the king of Judah and his men , who were supposed to shepherd the people, but they, instead, became in need of shepherds from outside. When they fell into captivity in the year 597 BC, Jerusalem became disgraced, humiliated, and without shepherds; to be shepherded by the vain wind. By the ‘shepherds’, he might also mean those whom she thought of as her shepherds, whether the kings of the nations allied to them, or their gods; who, themselves, were in need of shepherds; when the east wind came to scatter the people around (Jeremiah 18: 17). Through trusting in the kings and gods of the foreign nations, she received the destructive wind instead of the Holy Spirit of God, the Grantor of life, conquest and prosperity, who blows on the soul to turn her to a heavenly sanctuary that all the hosts of darkness cannot corrupt. So her evil provoked her to trust in the human arm, and in the false gods, to be destroyed together with them. ‘”And he carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and he cut in pieces all the articles of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said” (13). In his first attack (12), he most probably carried away the light-weight articles; whereas in this attack (13), he cut into pieces all the large articles and the altars, to take the gold with which they are covered. “As the Lord had said”, on the tongue of the prophet Isaiah to king Hezekiah. Nebuchadnezzar attacked the temple three times: a- When he took away the small articles and vessels and put them in the temple of his god. Those were restored by king Cyrus with Ezra, when he allowed him to return from captivity. b- When he cut in pieces all the large articles, and took them away. c- When he destroyed the temple and took away all the bronze.. + We are committed to confess and to repeat again and again, that it is far better to keep the souls than to keep the gold for the Lord. For He who sent the disciples to preach the Word, without gold (Matthew 10: 9), seeks from all churches not to store the gold, but to spend and use it for the sake of the needy. ………For what is the use of keeping what is not good (in itself)? Do not we see how the Assyrians took all the gold and silver from the temple of the Lord? Is it not better for the priests to use the gold to support the poor, than to have robbed or defiled by the enemy? (St. Ambrose) “Also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land” (14) The southern kingdom (Judah), embracing the two tribes Judah and Benjamin, were led into captivity in the year 586 BC. The figure ten thousand (14), most probably, is an approximate figure of those taken away by Nebuchadnezzar from Judah and Jerusalem, of many categories referred to in verse 16……….The Babylonians differ from the Assyrians, in the way they dealt with the defeated countries: The Assyrians used to take away the majority of the inhabitants, and bring forth people from other nationalities to mix with the few remnants who are left in the land. Whereas the Babylonians used to take away all the great, the leaders, the craftsmen and the smiths, and leave back the poorest of the poor, of whom they choose rulers to govern in their name. They used to allow the captives they take to Babylon to live together, to become an important part of the society in Babylon; a policy that helped the Jews to melt together in captivity, until the day they returned home in the days of Ezra, Zerubbabel, etc. Looking at what dwelt upon the city of God, the psalmist cries out, saying: “O GOD, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps; The dead bodies of Your servants, they have given as food for the birds of heavens; the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth; Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them; We have become a reproach to our neighbors; a scorn, and derision to those who are around us; How Long, Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?” (Psalm 79: 1-5) The Babylonian probably, perceiving that those poor, had no role in the decision concerning not to surrender during the siege; they left them in the land. And on another aspect; it was wise to do favor to the poor, so that when the armies depart from Jerusalem, no revolt would happen in Jerusalem. The poor not only got back their possessions that were robbed by the rich of their own race, but got, as well, what belonged to the rich. + The true Nebuchadnezzar (the devil) leads me shackled in chains to Babylon – Babylon of the confused mind. There he puts on me the yoke of bondage; There he puts an iron hook in my nose; There he will command me to sing one of the songs of Zion (2 kings 19: 28; Psalm 136: 3) + It is our sins that make the barbarians strong; It is our transgressions that caused the hosts of Rome to prevail on us; How miserable were the Israelites, when compared to Nebuchadnezzar, he was called ‘the servant of God’ (Jeremiah 27: 6) How miserable we are, as well, when we provoke God to anger, He uses the barbarians to pour His anger on us; Yet, once Hezekiah repented, 185000 Assyrian soldiers were slain by one angel (2 kings 19: 35) And when Jehoshaphat sang praises to the Lord, He granted him conquest (2 Chronicles 20: 5-25). And when the prophet Moses fought against Amalek, he prevailed, not by the sword, but by prayer; We therefore, if we wish to be lifted up, we should first cast ourselves down. (St. Jerome) + The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that after 70 years, the captives will return to build the city of Jerusalem anew, which they mourned when it was destroyed by the enemies. At the same time, there were prophets in captivity among the people in Babylon, like Ezekiel; who anticipated the fulfillment of the promise concerning the return from captivity after 70 years, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25: 11; 29: 11). ……… It so happened that, after 70 years, a multitude of the captives returned to Jerusalem; and the destroyed temple was rebuilt. (St. Augustine) “And he carried Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon” (15). A relative period of tranquility came on Judah, that encouraged it to revolt against Babylon; but Nebuchadnezzar sent armies to reach Judah in the year 598 BC. At that time Jehoiakim died in an obscure way, and his 18 years old son Jehoiakin (Jekniah) was enthroned in his place. Being full of evil, his reign did not last longer than three months; Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem, took him together with his family, the leaders of the people, and the treasures of the house of the Lord to Babylon (2 Kings 24: 8-6); and there Jehoiakin lived in captivity. After several years, in the year 562 BC, Jehoiakin was set free, but was not allowed to return to his land (Jeremiah 52: 31-34; 2 kings 25: 27-30). The crown fell down from his head and that of his mother, and they lost the kingdom. It is obvious here, that the queen mother used to have an important role in the kingdom of Judah, and had great authority in the days of king Asa, until hr got rid of her (1 kings 15: 13). When calamity dwelt, the king and the queen found no refuge in the south, namely in the city of ‘Negeb’ (the southern part of Judah), known for its fertility and many cities; because the enemy isolated Jerusalem from those cities, so that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would find no place to go. Moreover, perceiving the danger that dwelt upon Jerusalem, those cities closed their gates, fearing to open them even before the leaderships of Judah on the run. On the historical aspect, ‘Edom’ warned the cities of ‘Negeb’, against receiving the refugees from Jerusalem, until the Babylonian invasion is complete; first for their own sake, longing for the desolation of Judah, or in collaboration with the Babylonians, as confirmed by some excavations. ………..According to some, on account of that those cities, were storehouses for the king, the enemies besieged them to stop any supply from reaching Jerusalem during its siege. The captivation of Jehoiakin came in (2 Chronicles 36: 9-10); and was prophesied by Jeremiah in (Jeremiah 22: 24-27); and contrary to what happened with Jehoahaz, who was carried to Egypt then disappeared, and never mentioned again in the holy history, the issue of setting Jehoiakin free (but not to return home), was mentioned twice in (25: 27-30; and Jeremiah 52: 31: 34). “And I will give you into the hands of those who seek your life, and into the hands of those whose face you fear, the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and the hand of the Chaldeans”. So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born, and there, you shall die; but to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return” (Jeremiah 22: 25-27). Instead of having his place in the hand of God, where there is freedom and glory, Jehoiakin’s place and that of his mother ‘Nehushata, the daughter of Elnathan’ (24: 8, 15), would be in captivity in Babylon, to live in bondage and humiliation; like remains of a valueless broken earthen vessel, cast out on a heap of trash out of the gates of Jerusalem. The false prophets, to please the statesmen and the people, and to give them hope, proclaimed that Jehoiakin, considered by many, in spite of his captivity, the legitimate king; would return from captivity But the prophet Jeremiah daringly uttered what the Lord God said.. … Jehoiakin remained in Babylon until the days of Merdoch the son of Nebuchadnezzar; namely for more than 37 years.; ... . “ All the valiant men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all who were strong and fit for war, these the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon” (16). In verse 14, we read that 10,000 were captivated; whereas in verse 16, we read that 7000 were captivated. To clear up this controversy, we say that, beside 7000 men of valor; 2000 of rulers, and 1000 craftsmen and smiths were captivated. As the time of the departure of St. Gregory the wonder-maker, in the year 238 AD, from Caesaria – Palestine, after spending several years as a disciple of the scholar Origen, he made a public proclamation, he directed to his mentor; in which he likened himself to Adam as he departed from paradise, to the prodigal son as he deserted his father’s house; and to the Jews led into captivity to Babylon; in which he said: + I am like one of those who were carried away to Babylon………… I truly feel like someone cast away from his home town, and from his father’s land, where the holy statutes are proclaimed day and night; where the songs of praise and spiritual words are heard; and where we have always enjoyed approaching the sacraments of God in the perpetual sun light. And at night, in our dreams, were always preoccupied with what our souls have seen and touched during the day. ……….I feel like being cast away from that city, and led into captivity in a foreign country; where I would hang my guitar on the willows, where the rivers would be the place of my sojourn; where I labor in the mire; and has no heart to sing praises, if I still remember them. ……….Although I feel like being committed to depart, against my will like a captive; yet I actually depart by my own free will, and not under the pressure of any one, when I have the option to stay where I am. 3- ZEDEKIAH (MATTANIAH) AND HIS REBELLION:. . “ Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah” (17). In the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of his reign, the king of Babylon camped before Jerusalem, and built siege wall all around her; Yet, before the valor of her defenders, the Babylonians put her under siege, then the approach of the Egyptians forced them to retreat for some time (Jeremiah 37: 5); to come back later on. In the following is Zedekiah”s request from the prophet Jeremiah, to ask the Lord; and the prophet’s response to it, in the year 588, or at the beginning of the year 587 BC. In Jeremiah, it came: “Say to the king and to the queen mother, ‘Humble yourselves; sit down, for your rule shall collapse, the crown of your glory. The cities of the South shall be shut up, and no one shall open them. Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it; it shall be wholly carried away captive” (Jeremiah 13: 18-19). In the ninth day of the fourth month, in the eleventh year of his reign, when the food was depleted from the capital under siege, Zedekiah, together with his men, during the evening time, attempted to flee from the city; and crawled between the Babylonian strongholds, heading East toward the Jordan. But the Babylonian army pursued, overtook, caught him in the plains of Jericho, and brought him back to Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah North of Palestine, where he was tried, his sons killed before him, his eyes put out, bound in bronze fetters, and led blind to Babylon (2 Kings 24: 17-20; 25: 1-7; 2 Chronicles 36: 11-21; Jeremiah 39: 1-14); where he was put in prison until his death (52). Between what came in Jeremiah 52 and what came in kings 24: “But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; all his army were scattered from him. So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him. Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah.. He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death” (Jeremiah 52: 8-11) What came here conformed, word by word, to what came in (2 kings 24: 18-20); and to what came in (Jeremiah 39: 1-7). The text here does not refer to the escape of the king; although the rest of the chapter hinted to it. His escape was probably through the gate known as “between the two walls”, assuming that he could manage to go through the Chaldean siege around the region; but the Chaldean army could catch him up in the wilderness of Jericho (See Jeremiah 39: 5-7; 2 kings 25: 1-7). Zedekiah was brought to trial before Nebuchadnezzar, who was waiting in Riblah in the land of Hamath, a Syrian city, south of Kadesh, on the River ‘Orontes’, of a strategic location, for being on the crossroads between Egypt and Mesopotamia; a location chosen by Nebuchadnezzar to keep any foreign help from reaching Judah while he invaded Jerusalem. All the sons of the king were killed, together with many of the rulers of Judah. But those who managed to escape, returned later and gathered around ‘Gedaliah’ the new governor. Zedekiah was put in prison, which according to Hitzig, and the Hebrew text, meant (the house of punishment) or (the house of reform); where Zedekiah was committed to work as a grinder at the millstones, like all the other prisoners, and like Samson (See Judges 16: 21). According to Ewald, this conforms to what came in the lamentations of Jeremiah, saying: “Young men ground at the millstones” (Lamentations 5: 13) Because of the similarities between what came in Jeremiah 52, and what came in 2 kings 24, some assumed that Jeremiah 52, is a quotation of the second book of the kings; but the following credible evidences contradict their view: a- The name of the king of Babylon here is ‘Nebuchadrezzer’, the name often used by the prophet Jeremiah; whereas in the second book of the kings he came as ‘Nebuchadnezzar’.. b- In Jeremiah 52, things were mentioned that did not come I 2 Jeremiah 24, 25, like: (n Jeremiah 52: 10, it same that Nebuchadrezzar gave the command to kill all the rulers of Judah in Riblah; while Zedekiah was carried to Babylon where he was put in prison until the day of his death. In Jeremiah 52: 19-23, came details of the robbed articles of the temple, that were not mentioned in the second book of the kings; nor in the description of the building of the temple in 1 king 7. In Jeremiah 52: 28-30, the three departures to captivity, and the number of captives, were accurately mentioned; something we do not see in any of the historical books of the Old Testament. Chapter 52 of the book of Jeremiah came as an annex of the book, to confirm that what Jeremiah prophesied, have been actually fulfilled. The prophet Jeremiah often talked about the desolation of Jerusalem, and of the temple; and the captivation of Judah; things that were fiercely opposed by the false prophets; and were scoffed by all, except for a very few of them; and were counted as human talk that would destroy the psyche of the people and the army. Now, the author proclaims that what they thought of, as fantasies, became actuality; have been fulfilled, and the cruel captivation has actually begun; yet together with some breaths of living hope in the work of God among His people, to bring them back to their land after chastising them. As to his talk concerning the return from captivity, the book of Jeremiah presented what happened to king Jehoiakin (Jeremiah 52: 31-34), as the first sign of hope for the sake of he future. King Zedekiah: In 2 Chronicles 36: 10, it came that the king of Babylon summoned Jehoiakin, took him to Babylon, and made Zedekiah, his brother a king in his place. Zedekiah, himself, is Mattaniah, jehoiakin’s uncle. For the Hebrews used to call the relatives ‘brothers’; as Abraham called his nephew ‘Lot’. “The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiakim’s uncle king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah” (2 kings 24: 17); a Hebrew name, meaning (Jehovah is righteousness) or (the righteousness of Jehovah). He was the last of the kings of Judah; his mother’s name was ‘Hamutal’, daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah (2 king 24: 18); set by Nebuhadnezzar, after the first captivation, a ruler over Judah; when he was 21 years old, and reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem (597-587 BC). He did evil in the sight of the Lord. Although he was not the most evil of the kings of Judah……He led his people to perdition through:: a- His sins made him lose the divine help. Although he used to inquire from the lord through the prophet Jeremiah; yet he never gave heed to His counsel, for he anticipated an answer according to his desire (2 Chronicles 36: 12; Jeremiah 37: 2). Besides, having trusted more in the promises of the Pharaoh of Egypt, his inquiry from the Lord was some kind of pretense and for the sake of appearances.. … He actually defiled the temple (2 Chronicles 36: 14), and did not do justice. It was not just on the spiritual or faith aspect, that Zedekiah erred by trusting in human arm, or in the Pharaoh of Egypt, but on the political aspect as well.. For about a century and a half before, in the days of the prophet Isaiah, Judah received a flood of Egyptian pledges of military help to be able to confront the Assyrians, then the Babylonians…………..The Egyptians, fearing the danger of the Mesopotamian increasing power, intended to use Judah and Israel as their first line of defense against them. But as all those pledges came to no avail, and gave neither Judah nor Israel any protection, it was befitting of Zedekiah to take that into consideration. b- At the beginning, Zedaekiah sent a delegation to Nebuchadezzar, most probably to confirm his loyalty (39: 3). In the fourth year of his reign, he, himself, went to Babylon 951: 59); And finally, he dared to rebel against Babylon, encouraged by the elites of Judah. Delegates came to him from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, to set together a collective plan of rebellion against the king of Babylon; to be relieved of paying tribute to him, but they were all unfaithful in their intentions.. By revolting against Nebuchadnezzar, Zedekiah broke a vow to be his ally (2 Chronicles 36: 13; Ezekiel 17: 15, 16, 18), and the king of Babylon lost his trust in the Jewish leadership, or in most of them, particularly in the royal household. ……Another provocation to that tendency to revolt, was that a new king sat on the Egyptian throne, and intended to challenge Babylon, to restore for himself, some of the lands that belonged to Egypt, and took over by Babylon. c- His foolishness and lack of wisdom. d- In chapters 34, 37, and 38, we saw him as a shaky personality, not suitable to be a national leader, nor a steward of Nebuchadnezzar; who, putting himself in an awkward position between (the hammer) of Nebuchadnezzar and (the hard place) of his own people, to gain neither of them. He went to Babylon to renew his vow to be faithful to the king; then came back to revolt against him, breaking his vow (2 kings 24: 9); …He sought to liberate the Hebrew slaves, to let the Lord lift His wrath from him; but once, the siege on Jerusalem was lifted, he, again put them in bondage (34: 18, 16, 21); … He, heeding the counsel of men of his royal court; put Jeremiah in prison, then went to ask the prophet’s counsel more than once, giving him every reverence. … “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah” (18). Nebuchadnezzar set Zedekiah a king in place of his brother (uncle) Jehoiakin (2 Kings 24: 17). But, being evil, he did not heed the words of the prophet Jeremiah, and defiled the temple. At the start of his reign, some of the men in Judah, still looking at the captive Jehoiakin as their legitimate king, longed for his return to reclaim his throne (Jeremiah 17-29). Hence, Zedekiah was in a struggle between his desire to appear loyal to his Babylonian master, and to pretend opposing him, as a show off of a false spirit of patriotism before the people. ‘Mattaniah , who reigned by the name of Zedakah, sat on the throne in the year 598 BC; in the same year Jehoiakim died, and Jehoiakin was captivated. Zedakiah reigned until the fall of Jerusalem in the year 586 BC. . “He also did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done” (19) “ For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon” (20). The revolt of Zedekiah: Foolishly, the king of Judah trusted in the Egyptians in the days of Pharaoh ‘Apries’ or ‘Hophra’ (Jeremiah 44: 30). And sought his help (Ezekiel 17: 15-18). Apries, who newly succeeded Psacmtik the second (594-588 BC) on the throne, had an ambitious agenda to renew the glory of Egypt, which came to no avail. He challenged Nebuchadnezzar by attacking Phoenecia, and coming to help Zedekiah, (Jeremiah 37: 5), but he failed to rescue Judah (Jeremiah 37: 7-8); and the cost was the end of his reign and of his life itself. ------------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM 2 KINGS 24 KEEP ME, O LORD, IN YOU, LEST THE ENEMY CAPTIVATES ME + In bitterness I meditate in Your longsuffering along the generations; The people You have chosen for Yourself, attached themselves to foreign gods; Idols crawled into the house You sanctified for Yourself, The kings You set to lead Your people to heaven, Became an offense, and led them to hell instead. + You allowed the enemy to besiege the city, You cherish, You allowed them to invade it and defile the temple You allowed them to rob the holy articles; And the treasures of the temple of gold and silver; King Zedekiah watched the enemy kill his two sons; They put his eyes out, and shacked him in bronze fetters; They made him the laughing stock of the pagans. + I hasten to You, lest the enemy besiege and captivate me; Make me repent, to return to You, and throw myself in Your bosoms; Let Your fiery Spirit burn every corruption in my heart; Grants me the inner insight, to see Your exalted glory; Sanctify my whole being, and adorn me with Your splendor; Who could rob You, O Lord of the heavenly hosts?! + Babylon invaded Jerusalem, Your holy city; But, can the enemy crawl into my inner Jerusalem? Grant me, O Lord, the perfection of liberty, that sin would never take me back; .Shine in my depths with Your light; That the hosts of darkness cannot get attached to me; Your divine presence is my conquest, glory, and eternal joy.
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