Sennacherib invades Judah. We are given a date in verse 1, 701 B.C. But I want you to think of the example given for the end times. Here we will find the king of Assyria is our example for Satan in the end times. Isaiah 36 and verse 1 reads.
Isa.36:1] Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.
Before we get started and go too deep, to get the best prophecy out of this lesson we need to understand that king Sennacherib is an example for Satan in these end times. Our example here is Satan coming at the sixth trump and stands in Judah claiming to be Christ, and before that there must be a falling away first. Let’s go to 2Thes.2 and verse 3 reads.
2Thes.2:3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The “That day” is the LORD’s Day, the seventh trump. So, before that can come this must happen. First there comes a falling away, the Apostacy. Then, the sixth trump comes and Satan is here claiming to be Christ but is the antichrist.
2Thes.2:4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
All this happens in Jerusalem. Watchmen watch. Now, let’s go to our example with king Hezekiah, king of Judah. Let’s go to 2Kings 18 and verse 13 reads.
2K.18:13] Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
[14] And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
King Hezekiah bowed to another king and asked for what bribe shall I pay. And he was told to give 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold. Where do you think he would find this ransom?
2K.18:15] And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house.
[16] At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
He took from the house of the LORD, second mistake. The first mistake was bowing to another king. You cannot bow to another and please them, this only shows your weakness. Will this suffice the king of Assyria?
2K.18:17] And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
Paying off a bribe never solves your problems, it only increases them. Now, let’s put this to work for the end times. If you fall away (apostasy) from God then another will come and you will bow to him, this is the sixth trump. Back to Isa.36 and verse 2 reads.
Isa.36:2] And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field.
[3] Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder.
[4] And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
I hope by now you know the answer to this question, let’s go to Jer.17 and verse 5 reads.
Jer.17:5] Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
[6] For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
[7] Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Cursed is the man that trusts in man, blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD. Back to Isa.36 and verse 5 reads.
Isa.36:5] I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
[6] Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
If king Hezekiah was indeed a righteous king, some would argue, he would have leaned on the LORD. Let’s go to Psa.146 and verse 3 reads.
Psa.146:3] Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
[4] His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Ecc.12:6-7 the flesh returns to dust and the spirit returns to the Father who gave it.
Psa.146:5] Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Remember we are to take the prophecy from Isaiah and look towards the end times. Back to Isa.36 and remember it is Rabshakeh that is talking and verse 7 reads.
Isa.36:7] But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
Hezekiah took the silver and gold from the altar of the LORD. Compare it to the apostasy. Notice how bribery leads to blackmail.
Isa.36:8] Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
Rabshakeh knows they don’t have the riders to put on the horses. He is being sarcastic.
Isa.36:9] How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
[10] And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
This reminds me of the story of the two prophets from 1Kings13 and verse 18 reads.
1K.13:18] He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
The first prophet was told by the LORD not to go back and specifically eat bread and drink water with this man. But he lied to him and he was killed by a lion in the way. Our example for the end times is out of the mouth of the dragon comes forth the flood of lies, deception is rampant in these end times. Back to Isa.36 and verse 11 reads.
Isa.36:11] Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
Asking him not to speak in the Hebrew language because their army behind them would hear and be afraid. Think of Babel, Babylon, confusion.
Isa.36:12] But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
You see, the priests and the leaders of the people didn’t want the people to hear that they were being lied to and of their sins to be made known. Think of our government and churches of today.
Isa.36:13] Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
Let’s read this for what it is today. The apostasy must be prepared before the antichrist can come.
Isa.36:14] Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.
I’ll let this read through for a little bit, you think of who you will put your trust in.
Isa.36:15] Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
[16] Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
Promises, promises.
Isa.36:17] Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
[18] Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Comparing our LORD to other gods. The flood of lies continues.
Isa.36:19] Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
[20] Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
Rabshakeh speaking for king Sennacherib has just spoken half-truths, which are whole lies. Amos spoke on this matter of how one should be in the end times. Amos 5 and verse 12 reads.
Amos 5:12] For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
[13] Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
[14] Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
The LORD will never leave us or forsake us in these end times. Know when to keep silent and know when to allow the LORD to speak through you. For it is not you who speaks but the Holy Spirit. Back to Isa.36 and verse 21 reads.
Isa.36:21] But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
[22] Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that 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.
I want you to know Judah was never conquered by Assyria. An example for God’s elect in these end times. Let’s go to Mark 13, Jesus is speaking, and verse 8 reads.
Mark 13:8] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
Amos 8:11 tells us the famine of the end times is for hearing the word of the LORD, which is truth.
Mark 13:9] But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
[10] And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
[11] But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Stay silent until they deliver you up to Satan.
Mark 13:12] Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
Because of deception they deliver you up to who they think is Christ, but is the antichrist.
Mark 13:13] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Today was a great study on how to appreciate the prophets and see just how they are written for our admonition for the end times. 1Cor.10:11. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible