Background
The Worst King
From King Saul’s reign (about 1050 BC) until the Babylonian conquest of Judah in 586 BC, twenty-two kings governed Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Half of these kings were considered wicked, leading the people away from the Lord. Historically, the rabbis have viewed Manasseh as the worst of these kings. Let’s talk about the questions around the advantage of Jesus’ eternal reign.
The Bible evaluated his reign as follows:
“He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the children of Israel…. He made his son pass through the fire, was conjuring and seeking omens, and dealt with mediums and soothsayers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger” (2 Kings 21:2, 6).
The Best King
In contrast, they considered Hezekiah the best king:
“He trusted in the Lord God of Israel. Afterwards, there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah or among those who were before him. He clung to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept His commandments … The Lord was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered” (1 Kings 20:5-7).
He did the best a human ruler could. Yet, as good as he was, he made mistakes, and being human, he couldn’t rule forever.
His Error
Envoys visited from a foreign country. The king of Babylon had heard Hezekiah was ill, so he sent letters and a gift. In return, Hezekiah welcomed them with excessive hospitality without caution:
“Hezekiah welcomed them and showed them all the treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil, all the armory, and (everything) in his storehouses. There was nothing … that Hezekiah did not show them” (2 Kings 20:13).
His Arrogance
Pride would ultimately result in the downfall of his nation. The prophet Isaiah warned him about this fate, saying,
“Everything … will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. Some of your sons … born to you, will be taken away. They will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon” (2 Kings 16-18).
His Duration
Hezekiah’s response, that ‘the word of the Lord is good’ is startling:
“Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” And he said, “Why not, if there is peace and security in my days?” (2 Kings 20:19).
Remember, this is not only a good king, but he’s considered the best of the twenty-two who ruled! We wouldn’t want this king with this attitude to rule in eternity.
Jesus’ Eternal Duration
God the Father promised Jesus He will reign for a thousand years,
“The seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying: “The kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
and His reign will extend into eternity:
“But to the Son (Jesus) He (the Father) says: “Your throne, O God, lasts forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Hebrews 1:8).
Jesus’ reign will not be short-sighted and will seek justice and peace throughout eternity. The Bible tells us that Jesus’ Priesthood, like His Kingdom, is based on His endless life:
“And the former priests were numerous because they were hindered from serving because of death. But He, because He lives forever, has an everlasting priesthood” (Hebrews 7:23-24).
Jesus’ Eternal Care
Jesus will always be with us and will look out for His own—those who have become children of God by believing in Him:
“To all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name (John 1:12).
Hezekiah referred to God’s bad news as good news because he realized that the negative consequences would not occur during his lifetime. This suggests that he considered the eventual destruction of his nation and the fate of his sons—becoming eunuchs and slaves in a foreign land—insignificant. His power did not stem from an eternal life.
Jesus’ Endless Life
Jesus’ rule is based on the power of an endless life, and that’s to our advantage:
“Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, because He at all times lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Come, Lord Jesus!
