Spirits Amongst Men-The Demise of Ahaz & Jezebel-Feasts Fit for Royalty

The term “power couple” is liberally applied to men and women who are both generously blessed with wealth, prestige, & status due to their family lineage or own successful endeavors. But many of those in the public eye have come across their success in thanks to their occult practices and worship of the demonic. Whether it’s failed presidential candidates participating in “spirit cooking”, now scorned Hollywood Elites encouraging new forms of “sacred prostitution” for both actors and actresses to get roles, or supposedly-suicided elite-insiders with whole islands dedicated to abuse of the innocent & worship of ancient gods, these practices have not died out in our modern culture. The penalties inflicted upon of those in power who rebel against the One True God, will mirror the consequences faced by Wicked King Ahaz & Queen Jezebel.

Our previous article detailed how King Ahab was notorious amongst the kings of Israel as being the most evil and corrupt leader the nation had ever had. King Ahab was heavily influenced by his wife Jezebel, the daughter of the King of Tyre, a former priest of Asherah. Jezebel may have been a high priestess of either Ba’al or Asherah, the King and Queen of Heaven. “There was never anyone like King Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel” (1 Kings 21:25-26).

The Fiery Battle between the prophets of Ba’al and Prophet Elijah ended with 400 prophets of Ba’al being executed, and Jezebel intensified her persecution of followers of the True God of Israel.

Despite Queen Jezebel’s best efforts to completely eliminate Elijah’s School of Prophets, King Ahab still relied on their insight as he recognized they received supernatural knowledge that the prophets and seers of Jezebel’s court lacked. When confronted by a huge confederated army under King of the Arameans, Ben-Hadad, King Ahab trusted a Prophet of God and placed his junior officers in charge of leading the assault, a typically foolish decision by most military standards. But by placing the inexperienced officers in the front lines, God showed that the battle was won by His Strength, rather than the strength of Kind Ahab’s military.

The prophet instructed King Ahab to fortify the surrounding cities, since King Ben-Hadad would be attacking again the next spring. When confronted a second time, the Israelites inflicted a crushing defeat again, but instead of destroying Ben-Hadad and the rest of his army when they were trapped, King Ahab tried to be diplomatic and signed a peace treaty and established trading relations with Ben-Hadad and his allies. The unnamed Prophet of God explained that because Ben-Hadad was not killed as God had instructed, King Ahab would take his place instead.

When King Ahab lusted after an ancestral vineyard belonging to Naboth, Queen Jezebel created a conspiracy to have Naboth executed under false charges of cursing King Ahab and God. After Naboth was murdered, God sent Prophet Elijah to confront King Ahab in the vineyard he had confiscated illegally. Prophet Elijah declared that where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs would like up King Ahab’s blood as well. And because Queen Jezebel had lead King Ahab astray into worship other gods and conspired to steal Naboth’s land through his murder, Jezebel would be devoured by dogs by the wall of the palace.

King Ahab’s final confrontation with God’s Prophets came when he asked for advice regarding the recapturing of the territory of Ramoth-Gilead. Prophet Micaiah had previously been very sarcastic and disrespectful to King Ahab and responded to King Ahab’s desire for insight with a similar contemptuous air. When pressed further, Prophet Micaiah explained that the false prophets that King Ahab had been listening to, were being tricked by a deceiving spirit which had King Ahab believing that his military campaign would be successful, when in fact, God intended to use the battle to kill King Ahab. for not relying on His Prophets. During his battle to try to retake Ramoth-Gilead, King Ahab was shot by an unaimed arrow which struck him between the seams of his plated armor.

In a fitting twist of irony, King Ahab died watching the battle and his blood drenched the floor of his chariot, which was taken to a pool in Samaria where the prostitutes gathered to bathe. It was there that the dogs licked up his blood as the Word of the Lord had declared (ref. 1 Kings 22:1-38).

After the surviving members of her family had been killed off during a coup by the army general Jehu, Jezebel planned to face her death looking beautiful and gracious like a queen, so she put on her makeup and did her hair to impress that final image upon the people of her city. She address Jehu with contempt, before her eunuch assistants tossed her from her window, where her body was further crushed by Jehu’s horses’ hoofs. After Jehu took control of the castle and eat and drank, he commanded his men to burry Jezebel’s body, but only her skull and feet and palms of her hands remained after the stray dogs of the city had eaten her blood and her flesh. The newly crowned Jehu remembered Prophet Elijah’s words that “the dogs would eat the flesh of Jezebel and her corpse shall be as trash on the surface of the field, so there would be no place for people to mark Jezebel’s grave” (ref. 2 Kings 9:30-37).

For their roles in bringing idolatrous worship onto a national scale throughout Israel, making political and economic alliances with other evil kings, and the conspiracy to frame and murder a righteous man for his land, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were punished with crushingly dishonorable deaths. They were shown the Power of God during the challenge between the Prophets, but refused to turn from their false idols and repent and instead continued to attack God’s Messengers. God is long-suffering and forgiving even to those who had previously chased after other gods, but leaders who ignore His Word can only gain so much for their loyalty to their occult worship. In the end, those they abused will have Justice as the wicked will have an everlasting death.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Spirits Amongst Men-Fiery Battle between Prophets

Pagan influences within cultures wax and wane throughout their development, either leading to their prosperity or ruin. During the rule of King Ahab, his queen consort Jezebel ordered for the heavy suppression of the worship of the God of Israel, to the point that God’s Prophets went into hiding, leading to a drought that destroyed the country. The Faith of the Nation was turned towards false idols, until Prophet Elijah challenged the ruling religious elite to see whose God truly controlled fire and water.

King Ahab came from a long line of exceptionally evil and destructive kings over Israel, “but Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30).

One of his most notable offenses was marrying Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, King of the Sidonians. Jezebel’s father Ethbaal, had been a priest of Astarte, considered another name for Asherah, before Ethbaal murdered his father King Phelles. The worship of Astarte/Asherah was primarily focused on fertility rites and the cult was noted for its sexual practices. It is believed that Jezebel may have been a high priestess (qadishtu: sometimes translated temple/shrine prostitute) of Asherah, “the Queen of Heaven” and goddess of fertile harvests, who was responsible for prosperous rain falling from the sky. Likewise, Jezebel’s dedication to the fertility goddess of the region encouraged King Ahab to erect Asherah poles in her patron goddess’ honor. Asherah’s husband, Baal-Zebul/Zebub, “King of Heaven” was also heavily promoted by Jezebel, who had King Ahab build a temple and altar to Baal in Samaria and Ahab served and worshipped Baal. Baal, like his wife Asherah, was noted for his power over “the storm” and violent downpours. Because of his connection with flies, Baal-Zebub’s worship often included fecal matter and cutting up of one’s own skin so flies could lay eggs in the open wounds.

“Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the Kings of Israel who were before him” (ref. 1 Kings 16:31-33).

As Israel’s focus turned to these two gods of gentle showers and fierce storms, God sent Prophet Elijah to King Ahab declaring “As the Lord God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be now dew or rain during these years except by my command!”

For three years Prophet Elijah hid from King Ahab and Jezebel’s political and religious persecution and executions, till the Word of the Lord came to Elijah to “Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land” since the famine in Samaria had crippled the region. When Ahab saw Prophet Elijah, Ahab challenged, “Is it really you? You destroyer of Israel!” blaming the drought that was destroying the nation on Elijah and the God of Israel. But Elijah corrected Ahab, “I’m no destroyer of Israel. It is you and your ancestor’s household who have been doing that, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commandments and have followed the Baals. Gather all of Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel and bring the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah that Jezebel funds from the state treasury” (ref. 1 Kings 18:1-2, 17-19).

After the Israelites gathered together, Prophet Elijah issued a challenge to the prophets of Baal that they should build an altar to their god and place an ox on the wood and whosever altar would light with fire that would be the true god that Israel should worship.

They accepted the challenge and went about shouting and calling on the name of Baal from morning till noon. But there was no answer from their god, so they went into a mayhem and danced in a frenzy around the altar they had built.

At noon, Elijah began to taunt the Prophets of Baal-Zebub: (implied by 1 Kings 18:27, creative liberties taken)

“Shout louder! He’s the god of storms right? Maybe he can’t hear you?! Speak up!”

“You honor him by relieving yourself in his temple correct? Possibly he’s currently preoccupied on the bathroom himself?!”

“He’s Lord of the Flies, is he not? Perhaps he’s buzzed off somewhere?”

“Baal and his wife Asherah are both fertility gods aren’t they? Methinks they were enjoying each other and fell asleep afterwards. Someone needs to go wake them from their post-coitus nap.”

Stung by Prophet Elijah’s insults against their gods, they cried even louder and began to gash their skin open with knives and lancets until their blood gushed all over themselves as was their custom. They carried on like this till the evening sacrifice, but they never heard a response from their god. (ref. 1 Kings 18: 28-29).

Elijah gathered Israel about him and built an altar of twelve stones for each of the tribes of Jacob and built his altar in the Name of the Lord. He dug a deep trench around the altar and had water poured over the bull and wood three times, saturating the materials so much that water overflowed and filled the trench.

Elijah cried out to “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I, your servant, have done all of this in obedience to your word. Answer me, Lord, so that this people may know that you, Lord, are God, and that You are turning their hearts again,” (ref. 1 Kings 18:30-38).

Then God’s fire fell from Heaven and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust and even the water within the trench.

When all the people saw what had happened, they fell flat on their faces and cried “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”

Having won the contest, Elijah triumphantly ordered “Arrest the prophets of Baal! Don’t let even one of them get away!” So the people seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook of Kishon and executed them there.

Elijah confronted King Ahab, whose gods of rain had failed to provide a drop of water for Israel for three years, during the drought.

“Get up and have something to eat and drink, because there’s the sound of a coming rainstorm”.

A little while later, the sky turned black with storm clouds and winds and there was a heavy shower.

The supposed King and Queen of Heaven were unable to answer let alone provide for those who worshipped them. They were false idols who had no power and no voice. The Israelites again had to be reminded that God has power over all His Creation including fire and water. The nation suffered greatly because they had turned away and forgotten about the God of their Forefathers and it took a direct challenge against the ruling political and religious elite, for them to turn to the God of Israel. Any icons of power man can erect by his own strength and cunning, will be mocked and torn down but the One True Living God.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Spirits Amongst Men-Salvation Corrupted to Sacrilege

It is a constant trope that all politicians and national political leaders are inept at best or corrupt at worst. After the death of King Solomon, the wisest and richest man ever, Israel was ruled over by a series of evil kings that led the people into idolatry, divided the nation, and plunged the land into an era of deep poverty and sorrow. Righteous King Hezekiah understood that in order to restore his country back to its original glory, it must first return its Heart back to the God that founded it.

Hezekiah was the son of King Ahaz, thought to be one of the most wicked and immoral rulers of Israel’s history. By the time of King Ahaz’s rule, the Nation of Israel had already split between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judea. When confronted with the threat of Assyrian invasion, rather than join the Northern Kingdom of Israel in repelling them, King Ahaz instead formed an alliance with Assyria, which led to the capture of its neighbor’s major cities and deportation of the people of Israel. But it was not enough to betray Israel, King Ahaz began to adopt the culture, government, and religion of his Assyrian overlords. King Ahaz sacrificed his sons, by passing them through fire, and this precedent led to the rest of Judah murdering their infant children by sacrificing them to the Assyrian gods (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:3). Wicked King Ahaz persistently defiled the Temple of Jerusalem with the introduction of new foreign gods and increasingly debased forms of worship, such as implied human sacrifice, religious prostitution and scatological ceremonies. After all this debauchery, King Ahaz shut the doors of The Temple, hoping the True God of Israel would be forgotten.

Despite his father’s example, Hezekiah took after his mother Abijah, who was the daughter of High Priest Zechariah. On the first day, of the first month of his reign as King, Hezekiah decreed that the doors of the Temple of Jerusalem be reopened and the temple grounds be cleansed of all the evils that had corrupted the holy place of worship. Because work in the Temple could only be carried out by the priests and Levites, Hezekiah reinstated the Levitical Priesthood and assembled them in Jerusalem, and ordered that they consecrate themselves before purifying the House of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place.

The cleansing of the Temple took sixteen days to complete, but despite the worker’s hurried efforts, did not finish the work in time for Passover, which began on the fourteenth day of the first month. After much deliberation and counsel, the rulers deemed it fit that Passover should still be observed, even if a month later. So Passover was scheduled to be held on the fourteenth day of the second month, so that it would allow the priests to consecrate themselves and furnish the tools and articles for worship, and would give the people of the land an opportunity to ready themselves for the celebration that had not been celebrated for decades. But the hearts of the rest of Israel was as hard as their fathers’ before them and despite receiving an invitation to participate in the festivities, they rejected the messengers that King Hezekiah had sent. But citizens from the least prominent and most humble tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, decided to participate even though they had not had the opportunity to properly cleanse themselves.

But Righteous King Hezekiah prayed for his people, saying, “May the Good Lord pardon everyone who set his Heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness”. And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

Not only had Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple and cleansed it of all the idolatrous worship his father King Ahaz introduced, Hezekiah reinstituted The Temple Worship, with large processions of priests and Levites singing with all their might, filling the city with their Songs of Praise. The citizens who participated in the Passover Feast and finally experienced the majesty of worshipping the God of Israel, were inspired to go back home and destroy all the idols, high places, and other instruments of worship to the Assyrians false gods, their fathers had erected.

After the Assyrian idols were destroyed and the worship at Jerusalem had been reintroduced, the King of Assyria became jealous of the prosperity that the Southern Kingdom of Judah began to experience and sought to invade it and take it for himself, since good King Hezekiah had cut off political alliances with his heathen sovereigns.

King Hezekiah strengthened the damaged walls of Jerusalem, rebuilt the military fortresses throughout the kingdom, made weapons of war for all the citizens to defend their regions, and prepared the capital city for besiegement. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, sent messengers to blaspheme the God of Israel, declaring that the gods of all the other nations failed to protect them, and that Jerusalem would be captured just the same, since their God was powerless to confront the power of the Assyrian Empire.

Rather than bend to the might of their former allies, or rely on the military preparations they had enacted, King Hezekiah joined Prophet Isaiah and prayed in the newly cleansed Temple and cried to Heaven for deliverance.

And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors, and commanders and officers in the Assyrian camp overnight, leading to the destruction of 185,000 troops.

The defeated Assyrians fled back to their lands with shame in their hearts, where King Sennacherib, while worshipping one of his gods in their temple, was assassinated by his sons, sending the Assyrian Empire into tumult and chaos. So the Lord saved the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, and Good King Hezekiah was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.

Rather than relying on the aid of foreign nations and bowing to their forms of government, cultures, and gods, King Hezekiah put his trust in the God of Israel, which the nation and the people had seemingly forgotten. His first acts as King focused on the sweeping religious reforms which brought the soul of the country back to centralized worship in Jerusalem. These changes were not just cosmetic dressings, but affected the mentalities of the common people who took it as their own responsibility to destroy the idolatrous worship throughout the land. When threatened by an outside force, several magnitudes greater than himself, Hezekiah turned to God in prayer first and God not only healed the faithful during Passover, but destroyed the Assyrian invaders and caused their empire to begin to crumble.

A nation concerned with looking like its worldly neighbors, rather than the God which established it, will fall and collapse as all governments establish by men do. The healing of a nation can only begin when it returns to the things that once made it great. A God focused nation can only return to prominence, when it’s Heart and Soul are focused on the Worship and Glory of the Almighty, rather than itself.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

The Soul of a Nation-Phinehas: Zealous Patriot

Many countries have legends of their founders and the brave acts they undertook to ensure the survival of their fellow countrymen and beloved nations. These stories serve to underscore the ideals that are valued by the peopleand hold up examples of model citizens. A very public killing was at the center of this patriot’s imminent fame, but his accomplished career as a political and religious leader molded the establishment and future of Israel.

As the tribes of Israel were traveling to the plains of Moab, they camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. The King of Moab, Balak, son of Zippor, sent messengers to Balaam, son of Beor, asking him to divine a curse against the Israelites, whom he feared because of their multitudes. But because God had blessed them, Balaam could not curse them (ref. Numbers 22:1-20). Even after seven attempts to curse Israel, every one of Balaam’s curses were turned to blessing towards Israel as they left his lips (ref. Numbers 23-24).

Despite his failure to curse Israel, Balaam devised a plan to corrupt the Israelites (ref. Numbers 31:16; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11; Revelation 2:14) so that God would punish them Himself. The Diviner Balaam convinced King Balak to have the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men into indulging in sexual immorality, making sacrifices to their gods, eating of food offered to their idols, and worshiping their idols. God’s anger burned against them because they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and He unleashed a plague upon them which killed tens of thousands (ref. Numbers 25:1-3).

God explained to Moses that in order for His fierce anger to be turned away, they must “take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord”. While Moses was explaining what needed to be done, a prince of the tribe of Simeon named Zimri, son of Salu, defiantly brought a Midianite woman, implied to be a temple prostitute of Baal of Peor, into the camp. This was not a secretive act, was done “right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping” over the deaths of those who had fallen due to the plague (ref. Numbers 25: 4-6).

“When Phinehas, son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the High Priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed Zimri into the tent. He drove the spear into both the Israelite prince and into the woman’s stomach, ending the plague” (Numbers 25:7-8; Psalm 106:30).

God declared that Phinehas’ actions turned away His Righteous Anger because Phinehas was focused on preventing more of his countrymen’s deaths and restoring the Fear of God within Israel. God established His Covenant of Peace: an everlasting priesthood for Phinehas and his children after him; because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel (ref. 25: 11-13).

This was just the beginning of the heroic acts Phinehas conducted on behalf of Israel.

To avenge the events of Peor which led to the plague, Moses raised an army to wage war against the Midianites, with Phinehas helping to lead the charge with the holy instruments and the sounding trumpets in his hand (ref. Numbers 31:4). The campaign was so successful that not a single person of the 12,000 man army was lost (ref. Numbers 31:48-49).

Because of this military victory, and the fact that “the Lord was with him” (ref. 1 Chronicles 9:20), Jewish tradition holds that Phinehas was one of the two spies sent to scout the walled city of Jericho.

Later, as the Israelites began to settle into their respective territories, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, set up a monument to commemorate their conquering the land. Because the Jordan River divided these tribes from the rest of Israel, it was misinterpreted that they were forming a separatist movement and a competing center of worship in revolt against God’s Tabernacle at Shiloh. Phinehas was again chosen to lead the military to confront the supposed insurrectionists in order to preserve the nation (ref. Joshua 22:10-13).

Though Prince Zimri’s insubordination was blatant and obvious and Phinehas’ actions were swift and just during the Peor Incident, Phinehas instead took the time to confront the leadership of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh and ask why the altar had been built. Phinehas’ patience and wisdom prevented his fellow Israelites from going to war with each other needlessly due to a misunderstanding (ref. Joshua 22:14-33).

When faced with a legitimate crisis during the Benjamite Rebellion, Phinehas again showed that he was not a blood thirsty man, but one who went to God asking “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease?” It was obvious he was dreading fighting his fellow countrymen and seeking another solution as he’d been presented early, but was obedient when the Lord instructed him to “Go up; for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand.” (Judges 20: 28)

Though Phinehas is known for his zeal confronting Prince Zimri’s disrespectful affront to people mourning those who died in the plague, Moses’ leadership, and God’s Laws, he was not a man eager to kill. His actions were done to save his fellow countrymen from further destruction from the plague and out of his zealousness for God’s Honor. When avenging the events at Peor, he ensured that every single one the 12,000 men under his command returned home. If Jewish tradition is correct, he put himself in the way of great danger as a spy within Jericho to gather intelligence, so that many of his fellow Israelites would not die en masse trying to scale the walls. When it was incorrectly believed that the commemorative altar the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh erected was a challenging religious center, Phinehas did not attack mindlessly, but was deliberate with his first understanding why they’d built their monument to prevent a needless battle. Even when war was necessary during the Benjamite Rebellion, Phinehas did not take joy in it, and inquired of God if there was a way the fighting could end. When another battle was necessary, Phinehas carried out God’s Will, even though it meant fighting his fellow Israelites.

Phinehas served as a model example of leadership and someone who placed the needs of his countrymen above his own feelings or concerns. He was not only the hero who stopped a deadly plague, but saved his nation multiple times. Because he was focused on his fellow citizens and God’s Honor, he was chosen by God to be honored by his countrymen.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator