Judah #16 Josiah. 2 Chronicles 34-35 Reigned 31 years. Good

He began reigning at 8, began to remove all the idols in Judah at age 12. At age 26, he repaired the temple (imagine how it looked after 55 years of the evil reign of Manasseh and 2 years of Amon). In the process, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the Law (the Pentateuch) and gave it to Shaphan the scribe to take to Josiah. As Shaphan read it to the king, Josiah tore his clothes and inquired of Huldah the prophetess what to do. She said that b/c “your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God” that the captivity of Judah would not be in his lifetime. Josiah had the book read in all Judah. He celebrated the Passover like had not been celebrated in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet nor any of the kings of Israel. Unfortunately, in 609 BC when Neco king of Egypt was coming to Carchemish on the Euphrates to help what was left of the Assyrians (Ninevah had fallen to Babylon in 612 BC) to battle the rising Babylonians (Neco and the Assyrians would be defeated at Carchemish, the new Assyrian capital, in 605 BC, rendering Egypt and Assyria powerless for the future), Josiah felt for some reason that he just had to fight and stop Neco even though Neco told him that God did not want Josiah to interfere with Neco’s mission. Josiah disguised himself in the battle with Neco but was fatally wounded and died. Josiah reigned 31 years.

It is very exciting to see young people commit to knowing God and Jesus, studying the Word of God, and trying to convert others to Jesus.

Jeremiah was a prominent prophet during this time from Josiah to the last king Zedekiah. Nahum, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk also prophesied during the reigns of the last 5 kings. We will study them later in the minor prophets.

Judah #17 Jehoahaz. 2 Chronicles 36:1-4 Reigned 3 months. Bad

The king of Egypt deposed him to Egypt and made Eliakim his brother king and changed his name to Jehoiakim.

Judah #18 Jehoiakim. 2 Chronicles 36:5-7 Reigned 11 years. Bad

Jehoiakim killed Uriah the prophet who was predicting the fall of Jerusalem just like Jeremiah was, 2 Chronicles 26:20-23. He also cut up the scroll dictated to Baruch by Jeremiah and burned it. In his 4th year of reigning Daniel was carried captive to Babylon in the 1st deportation in 607 BC. Jeremiah told him that the Rechabites were more faithful to their vow to their father to not drink wine than Judah was to her father God. Jehoiakim ruled 11 years. 2 Kings has a lot more info on Jehoiakim in 2 Kings 23-24 and the book of Jeremiah has a lot info not covered in 2 Chronicles.

Judah #19 Jehoiachin. 2 Chronicles 36:8-10 Reigned 3 months. Bad

Jehoiachin reigned 3 months and was carried into Babylon during the 2nd deportation in 597 BC along with Ezekiel and made Zedekiah his uncle king. In his 37th year of exile the Babylonians released him from prison and took care of him the rest of his life ( Jeremiah 52:31ff). Babylon considered him to be the last legitimate king of Judah since Zedekiah, the next and last king of Judah, was his uncle, not his son.

Judah #20 Zedekiah. 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 Reigned 11 years. Bad

Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, was made king by Nebuchadnezzar after Jehoiachin was carried to Babylon in the 2nd deportation. The book of Jeremiah has a lot more info on King Zedekiah. He reigned 11 years and was evil. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah said Judah would fall to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 21, 27). He denounced the false prophet Hananiah who said God would deliver Judah from the yoke of Babylon in 2 years. Jeremiah told him he would die in a year, and he did. Even in the 10th year of Zedekiah as Nebuchadnezzar was besieging Jerusalem, Jeremiah is told to buy a piece of land as a sign that Judah would be restored one day (Jeremiah 32). Babylon temporarily lifted the siege to go fight the Egyptians, but Jeremiah predicted that they would return to burn the city (Jeremiah 37). Irijah had him arrested and put in prison, but Zedekiah had him released and put in the court of the guardhouse and given daily bread (Jeremiah 37:21). The officials then cast Jeremiah into a cistern but Zedekiah had Ebed- melech rescue him and pull him out by ropes back to the court (Jeremiah 38) where he stayed until Jerusalem was burned in the 11th year of Zedekiah’s reign after 2 and one half years of the siege of the city (Jeremiah 39). Jeremiah 52 and 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 is a description of the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and took him to Babylon, and told the captain of his bodyguard to keep Jeremiah safe (Jeremiah 39). Nebuchadnezzar then freed Jeremiah, appointed Gedaliah as governor, whom Jeremiah lived with (Jeremiah 40).

2 Chronicles 36:21-23 The return from Babylonian Captivity. Jeremiah had predicted that Judah would be in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. Isaiah had predicted that the Medes and Persians would conquer the Babylonians and they did in 539 BC. Daniel 5 tells about the handwriting on the wall and how God had the Medes kill Belshazzer and take Babylon that very night. Isaiah also predicted in a couple of places that Cyrus, the King of Media/Persai would allow the Jews in captivity in Babylon to return to the Promised Land in Canaan after the 70 years and he did. An amazing prediction since it was made 100 years before Cyrus was born!

This sets the stage for the book of Ezra! We are into the 12th period of Old Testament history.

Ezra 1-2 Cyrus’ proclamation allowing the 1st return from Babylon under Zerubbabel after 70 years in Babylonian captivity. Daniel had predicted in Daniel 2 that the Medes/Persians would defeat the Babylonians and it 539 BC they did. Isaiah had predicted that Cyrus would allow them to return after the 70 years (Isaiah 44:28-45:2) which is amazing b/c that prediction was made 100 years before Cyrus was even born! Jeremiah had predicted that they would be allowed to return after the 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10-11). Ezr 1-2 if the fulfillment of those predictions and giving the numbers of people, Levites, and priests who returned.

The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther can be a little confusing b/c they are not chronological. Here is a great chart:

We will continue with the 1st return under Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.