JESUS CHRIST THE ETERNAL KING He Raises and Deposes Kings and Rulers on Earth “And He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding” - Daniel 2:21 R a j a n G e o rg e 1
Jesus is King God ‘Raises’ and ‘Deposes’ Kings
3 God ‘Raises’, God ‘Deposes’ Kings “... MostHigh ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17). The greatness of man amounts to nothing so long as he remains limited in his power to control his own being. No man born of the flesh is capable of adding an inch to his stature or subtracting from it. “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (Matthew 6:27). He cannot extend his life beyond the days allotted to him by God, the Creator. He cannot heal himself from sickness to escape its afflictions, nor can he give or destroy life. It is true that man can terminate another man’s physical existence, but he cannot destroy the soul. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). Therefore, proclaiming one’s greatness merits no value, for he remains a mere mortal who can wield no power beyond the boundaries set by God—who alone is the power behind his being. Below, we will list a few tyrants whose willful defiance to acknowledge the Divine authority over them—and their human limitations—ended up proving how little man is truly capable of, except to boast about his limited accomplishments. 1. Sennacherib: (2 Kings Chs 18-19) Sennacherib was the king of Assyria during the reign of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and the prophet Isaiah. He believed that he was the ultimate power above all things, but it did not end well for him. He was indeed a mighty ruler before his subjects and a terror to his foes. However, his power was cut short by divine intervention when he crossed the line and challenged the God of Heaven. A ruler who failed to realize his fragility reaped divine justice because of his arrogance. He was truly an instrument in the hand of God to punish the Israelites for their fornication with the gods of their neighbors. The children of Israel, who were God’s chosen people, pursued lifeless gods who had no senses and could not interact with their worshippers. Through many prophets, they were strictly warned that following the path of the heathens in worshiping graven images would lead them to their calamitous end. But determined to follow their egos and sensual desires, they chased after idols and statues—gods they could visualize—instead of abiding by the dictates of the LORD, whom they could not see but who communicated with them constantly through prophets and priests. They abandoned their commitment to God, who had brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. So, God sent invading kings who conquered their land and enslaved them. After centuries of warnings and constant neglect, by the year 722 BC, God sent the Assyrians to invade and subjugate the Kingdom of Israel. They plundered, captured, and scattered the ten tribes of Israel across different nations, thus dismantling their integrity as a people of common descent with a high calling as “God’s Chosen People.” Judah became a vassal state of the Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III in 732 BC, when King Ahaz sought Assyria’s help to fight the coalition forces of Israel and Syria,
Jesus is King pledging Judah’s loyalty and tribute. Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, became king of Judah at the age of twenty-five, around 715/716 BC. He was a God-fearing king who restored the true worship of Yahweh and reestablished the sacrificial systems as ordained by the LORD through Moses. He prospered in everything he did and wherever he went. However, he displeased the king of Assyria when he refused to pay tribute. Sennacherib sent emissaries to demand payment, and King Hezekiah sent everything requested by the Assyrian king. Yet, Sennacherib was not satisfied and demanded even more. Rabshakeh’s Challenge and Mockery Sennacherib sent Rabshakeh and his team to extract payments by force. Rabshakeh threatened the people and King Hezekiah’s emissaries with violent rhetoric, intimidation, and ridicule. He mocked the people for trusting in Egypt, calling it a broken reed. He also questioned the power of God and scorned the people for trusting in His deliverance, saying: “Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. ... and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.” (2 Kings 18:30, 32) He continued: “Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? Who are they among all the gods of the countries that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?” (2 Kings 18:33–35) The people felt helpless. Rabshakeh’s challenge unnerved them: “But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not. Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.” (2 Kings 18:36–37) Hezekiah’s Prayer The news deeply troubled King Hezekiah. He had neither the power nor the means to challenge the king of Assyria, who was the greatest ruler in the known world at that time. “Upon hearing the news, King Hezekiah rent his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and sent Eliakim and Shebna the scribe to Isaiah the prophet. And Isaiah said unto them, ‘Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.’” (2 Kings 19:6–7) “Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only. Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” (2 Kings 19:19– 20) “This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, ‘With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.’” (2
Kings 19:21–23) “Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.” (2 Kings 19:32–34) 185,000 of the Assyrian Camp Killed “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.” (2 Kings 19:35) Sennacherib Killed “So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.” (2 Kings 19:36–37) Sennacherib: God’s Tool to Tame His People Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, was only a tool in God’s hand to discipline His people who had strayed from Him. Yet, he arrogantly challenged the very God who used him as an instrument of correction. Isaiah detailed his downfall in his prophetic writings even before the events unfolded: “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.” (Isaiah 10:5–6) The hammer cannot question the one who wields it, nor can it act against the will of its master. Sennacherib’s insubordination led him to challenge God, which ultimately 5 brought about his ruin. “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.” (Isaiah 10:15) He believed his conquests and war gains were the results of his own might and prowess, imagining they would endure forever. In his arrogance, he declared his intention to destroy Jerusalem as he had destroyed Samaria. He even claimed that his graven images excelled the God of Jerusalem, thus crossing the line he was not permitted to cross. “Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?” (Isaiah 10:7–11) So the LORD God of Heaven, in His anger, swore the total annihilation of Sennacherib and his kingdom: “Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were
Jesus is King no wood. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; and shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.” (Isaiah 10:12–19) Rulers who Challenge God are Bound to Doom: Both biblical and historical records are filled with accounts of kings and tyrants who declared themselves the ultimate power and the end of all things. In most cases, they failed to acknowledge the true source of their authority, believing instead that they had risen to power through their own might and prowess. Yet, a closer look into their lives reveals their inadequacies and vulnerabilities. They were utterly mistaken. They were mere mortals who had no control over their own faculties or destinies, despite their proud proclamations and ambitions. Even when they refuse to recognize the true source of their power, they remain subject to God’s supreme authority, for no earthly power can surpass the Divine. The Holy Scriptures strictly warn anyone who dares to oppose His will, promising severe consequences. The fate that befell Sennacherib befalls any tyrant who challenges YAHWEH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Though such rulers may be granted a time of grace to repent, their judgment is inevitable. God has ordained many individuals as rulers with a divine mission. Yet, upon ascending their thrones, some have degraded themselves into rebels, challenging the very power that appointed them. Most met tragic ends, and even their descendants were doomed to destruction. A few examples illustrate the grave lesson of what can befall a man in power when he dares to challenge God. 2. Jeroboam Anointed King Jeroboam was a servant of King Solomon. God instructed the Prophet Ahijah to anoint Jeroboam as king over Israel because He had decided to divide the kingdom of Israel, for they had strayed away from Him. Out of the twelve tribes, Jeroboam was given ten. However, drunk with power, Jeroboam turned away from God and met a disastrous end. The story is recorded in the First Book of Kings (1 Kings 11:26–35). “And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: and he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) Because they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my
servant’s sake, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.” (1 Kings 11:26–35) Jeroboam soon deviated from God’s ways and led the people astray by setting up idols and altars for a new religion. He feared that if the people returned to Jerusalem to worship the LORD God of Heaven, they might desert his kingdom of Israel and rejoin the kingdom of Judah. To prevent such a situation, Jeroboam decided to establish a new religion with its own sacrificial system. In doing so, he provoked the wrath of God upon himself and his descendants. Ironically, he committed the very sins against God for which the kingdom of Israel had been divided—and for which he had been chosen to lead ten tribes. Man cannot create gods without incurring the wrath of the True God. Jeroboam took it upon himself to establish a religion, install idols as gods, set up altars for them, and anoint priests at his own will, thereby challenging the God of Heaven. The LORD took note of his rebellion and sent prophets to warn him about his evil ways. Though he was given opportunities to repent and return to God, Jeroboam refused to humble himself and amend his ways. Prophecy Against Jeroboam “Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from 7 Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the Lord hath spoken it.” (1 Kings 14:7–11) Prophecy Against Jeroboam Fulfilled “Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite: Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.” (1 Kings 15:29) 3. Ben Hadad and Hazael: 3. Ben-Hadad and Hazael: Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram (Syria), fell ill and was informed that the prophet Elisha was in Damascus. He therefore ordered Hazael, likely his chief courtier or minister, to go and meet the prophet with gifts and inquire whether he would recover from his illness. In obedience to the king’s command, Hazael set out with forty camel loads of the finest wares and met the prophet. The prophet said, “The king will recover, but he will not live.” While speaking, the prophet fixed his gaze on Hazael and began to weep. Taken aback, Hazael asked, “Why is my lord weeping?” Elisha replied, “Because I know the harm you will do to the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women.” Hazael responded, “How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?” Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will become king of Aram.” Hazael then returned to Ben-Hadad and delivered the
Jesus is King prophet’s message. The following day, Hazael soaked a thick cloth in water, placed it over the king’s face, and he died. Hazael then became king. The man who could never have dreamed of becoming king, and who despised his own lowly position, suddenly ascended the throne of Aram. 2 Kings 13:22 states, “But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.” God installs kings and deposes them according to His sovereign plan—man can do nothing to alter it. Here we see that a man who could never have imagined himself ascending the royal throne was elevated by the will of God. When the prophet Elisha revealed to him what the Lord God Almighty had shown, Hazael was awestruck and exclaimed, “How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?” Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk in the house of Arza, who was in charge of the king’s household. Then Zimri came in and struck Elah down, killing him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place. When he ascended the throne, he killed the entire household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male alive, neither of his relatives nor of his friends. Thus Zimri destroyed the whole house of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet, because of all the sins of Baasha and of Elah his son, which they committed and caused Israel to commit, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with their idols. (1 Kings 16:8–13) 4. Baasha: Baasha was the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar. He conspired against Nadab, the king of Israel and son of Jeroboam, slew him, and took over the kingdom in the second year of King Asa of Judah. He reigned over Israel for two years and struck down all the house of Jeroboam. (1 Kings 15:25–30) 5. Nebuchadnezzar: The King of Baylon Nebuchadnezzar was acclaimed as the architect of Babylon, as it was known in the ancient 6th century BC. Under his reign, Babylon became the superpower of the thenknown world. He is still regarded as the greatest king in Babylon’s history. Today, Iraq—the ancient Babylon— considers Nebuchadnezzar a model of power, strength, and prosperity. However, the story of King Nebuchadnezzar has a fascinating twist recorded in the Bible. The authorship of the fourth chapter of the Book of Daniel is attributed to him. The chapter shows that Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful king of his time (Daniel 4:22). Yet, he was ultimately led to confess that God was the true source of his power and that he had no control over it. “... the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17) Prophecy Against Baasha: Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha: “I lifted you up from the dust and appointed you ruler over My people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused My people Israel to sin, arousing My anger by their sins. So I am about to wipe out Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds will feed on those who die in the country.” (1 Kings 16:1–4) Fulfillment of the Prophecy Against Baasha: This prophecy was fulfilled in the following verses. The entire family of Baasha was killed. In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah, the son of Baasha, became king over Israel in Tirzah and reigned for two years. His servant Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Daniel chapter 4 narrates a dream that Nebuchadnezzar saw while asleep. The dream deeply disturbed him, so he summoned all the magicians, astrologers, diviners, and wise men to
interpret it—but no one could. It was commonly believed that kings were God’s agents on earth and that God spoke to them through dreams. Therefore, the king was greatly troubled, feeling cut off from divine communication, which caused him deep distress. This is why he promised great rewards and high positions in his government to anyone who could recount and interpret the dream. At last, Daniel—upon whom the Spirit of the Holy God dwelt—stood before the king and narrated both the dream and its meaning. Captured as a slave from Judah, Daniel was elevated to the position of Prime Minister by God’s providence. God inspired Nebuchadnezzar to appoint Daniel because He did not intend to utterly destroy the king, as He had done with others before him, such as Ben-Hadad, king of Aram; Sennacherib, king of Assyria; and even certain rulers of Israel and Judah. God intended to teach Nebuchadnezzar and convince him to submit to the heavenly rule. He had a plan of redemption for the king despite his arrogance. Daniel’s appointment as Prime Minister was God’s assurance that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would be preserved for his eventual return to power after seven years of living in the wild, eating grass like an ox. Daniel was likely the “stump” shown in the dream—the divine agent who would retain the kingdom until the king’s restoration. Twelve months later, however, Nebuchadnezzar forgot the dream and failed to take its divine message to heart. “That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” (Daniel 4:25) Nebuchadnezzar’s Fall “At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great 9 Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.” (Daniel 4:29–33) Nebuchadnezzar Returns to Power “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.” (Daniel 4:34–36) “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” (Daniel 4:37) 6. Herod:The Murderer of Innocent Children At the time when the Messiah was
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