Of all the Times of Israel, the one we are entering now is probably the saddest. We have seen the KINGDOM DIVIDED, and that was sad. But worse still, we now see the beginning of the EXILE AND SCATTERING --as the larger kingdom (Israel) falls to Assyria and its people are taken away to foreign lands.

Summary of Seventh Period

EXILE AND SCATTERING
When Assyria was a world power, Israel was captured and its people exiled northward to the area whence Abraham had come so long ago. Hezekiah was then the king of Judah, a good king who listened to Isaiah, God’s prophet, so the kingdom of Judah was spared and only Israel, the ten tribes, were taken. But when the Babylonians came to dominate the world, Coniah was the king in Judah. He was evil, so it was Judah’s turn to be conquered. The people were exiled in Babylon. Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed. Coniah became like a shattered jar as Jeremiah had prophesied, and none of Coniah’s descendants could reign any more on David's throne in Judah.

In our next two lessons, we will look at Hezekiah and Josiah, good kings of Judah. But for the moment, in this lesson, we will just concentrate on events surrounding the Assyrian captivity of the other kingdom called Israel.

The Main Point

God is merciful and longsuffering, but when people persistently depart from his word they will reap what they sow.

Bible Summary (2Kings 14-18)

[Similar information is given in 2Ch 25-27]


NOTE The following chart shows the kings who reigned in Israel and Judah. The chart covers three of the Times of Israel (Kingdom, Division, and Exile). The period in focus in this lesson starts at the flag marked ISRAEL EXILED. Note that the reigns of kings in each kingdom often overlap, because of rivalry or of co-regency.

Kings of Israel and Judah

KINGS ISRAEL PROPHETS
Saul Samuel
David Nathan
Solomon  
KINGDOM
DIVIDED
 
     
KINGS ISRAEL KINGS JUDAH PROPHETS
Jeroboam Rehoboam Ahijah
     
Nadab Abijam  
Baasha Asa Jehu
Elah    
Zimri   Elijah
Omri    
     
Ahab Jehosh
-aphat
 
     
Ahaziah    
KINGS ISRAEL KINGS JUDAH PROPHETS
    Elisha
Jehoram Jehoram  
     
Jehu Ahaziah  
  (Athalia)  
  Joash  
     
Jehoahaz    
    Jonah?
Jehoash Amaziah Joel?
    Amos
KINGS ISRAEL KINGS JUDAH PROPHETS
Jeroboam II Uzziah Isaiah
     
Zachariah   Hosea
Shallum Jotham Isaiah
Menahem   Micah
Pekahiah    
Pekah    
Hoshea Ahaz Isaiah
ISRAEL
EXILED
Hezekiah  
 Manasseh 
Amon Nahum
Josiah Habakkuk
Zephaniah
KINGS JUDAH PROPHETS
  Jeremiah
Jehoahaz  
Jehoiakim Daniel
Jehoiachin  
JUDAH
EXILED
Zedekiah
  Obadiah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

The Lost Ten Tribes

The tribes of the northern kingdom are often spoken of as "the ten lost tribes". It is claimed (and certain doctrines are based upon this claim) that no remnant or trace of these tribes ever returned to or remained in the promised land. However, this is not so. For example, Anna the prophetess was of the tribe of Asher (Lke 2:36). Not only would some members of the ten tribes have made their way to Judah before, during, and after the Assyrian attack, but some would have been already living among the people of Judah and Benjamin. In the time of Josiah, when Passover observance was restored, it was kept with "the priests and Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (2Ch 35:17-19).

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