Josiah: The Last Good King of Judah

Josiah (Hebrew: יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ) was the sixteenth monarch of the ancient Middle Eastern kingdom of Judah. Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah and reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. The name “Josiah” means “the LORD heals.” Josiah’s thirty-one-year reign, approximately from 639-609 BC, coincided with China’s Spring and Autumn period. Jeremiah […]

Elijah’s Weakness

[1 Kings 19:1-4] “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by […]

The Prophet Isaiah

If a person, upon hearing a call to mission, prepares to dedicate themselves to it, but then learns in advance that all their efforts will be in vain, would they still bravely rush to fulfill that mission? Most people often dare not imagine their efforts failing. Yet, in the history of the Jewish people, there […]

King Manasseh of Judah

After King Hezekiah died, his son Manasseh succeeded him. Manasseh had the longest reign, lasting 55 years, yet he was the worst ruler in the Kingdom of Judah. The record of his evil deeds is among the darkest accounts of sin in the Bible (2 Chronicles 33:2-9). He abolished all the good his father Hezekiah […]

Hezekiah Tunnel

According to the Bible, after the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria, the Assyrian king was poised to attack the Kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah personally witnessed the devastating destruction wrought upon the northern kingdom by the Assyrian Empire. Foreseeing a potential Assyrian invasion, he began to fortify Jerusalem’s walls and build towers after […]

King Hezekiah of Judah

King Hezekiah (Hebrew: חזקיה; English: Hezekiah) was a monarch in the later period of Judah and one of the kings in Judah’s history who most highly esteemed God. His virtues surpassed those of any other kings before or after him. His Hebrew name means “God has strengthened.” He walked in all the ways of David, […]

Jeroboam_II

Jeroboam II was the great-grandson of King Jehu of Israel and the son of King Joash. He was the longest-reigning and most accomplished monarch of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (reigned approximately 793-753 BC), restoring its northern border to that of David’s era. During Jeroboam II’s reign, God caused the Neo-Assyrian Empire to enter a […]

Double Portion of Miracles

The Book of Kings records 10 miracles associated with Elijah: The Book of Kings records 20 miracles associated with Elisha, double that of Elijah:

The Prophet Elisha

Elisha (Hebrew: אֱלִישַׁע), meaning “My God is salvation” or “God is the God of salvation,” was born in the mid-9th century BC. He succeeded Elijah in the office of prophet in Israel (1 Kings 19:16, 19-21; 2 Kings 5:8). In 1 Kings 19:19, he was called to follow Elijah and served as his prophetic disciple […]

The Prophet Sustained by Ravens and a Widow

[1 Kings 17:2-4, 9] “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’… ‘Go at once to Zarephath in Sidon and stay there. […]