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The Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah
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Concise Bible Dictionary
:
On the separation of the
ten
tribes,
Judah
and
Benjamin
formed a
kingdom
under the name of Judah. Benjamin being but a small tribe, the
kingdom of
Judah is
sometimes
spoken of as
one
tribe. Doubtless the territory of
Simeon
was also attached to Judah—that tribe being as it were lost in the land. It was not named when
Moses
blessed the tribes (Deut. 33, compare
Gen. 49:7
7
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. (Genesis 49:7)
).
Bethel
, out of the portion of Benjamin, fell to the kingdom of
Israel
.
The temple
being at
Jerusalem
, with the priests and
Levites
, Judah represented
God
’s people and His government upon the
earth
; whereas the kingdom of Israel gave itself up at once to
idolatry
. God, according to His promise, still caused the
lamp
of
David
to shine at Jerusalem. Many of the kings served God with purpose of
heart
, though others embraced idolatry. (For the succession of the kings, see KINGS.) The kingdom of Judah continued from B.C. 975 to 606 when many of the people were carried captive, though Jerusalem was not destroyed till B.C. 588.
Seventy years of
captivity
had been foretold by
Jeremiah
(
Jer. 25:11-12
11
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. (Jeremiah 25:11‑12)
;
Jer. 29:10
10
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (Jeremiah 29:10)
): these began in B.C. 606 and ended in 536 when under
Cyrus
the Jews returned to build the
house
of
Jehovah
; but it was not finished and dedicated until B.C. 515 (
Ezra 6:15
15
And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. (Ezra 6:15)
). A commission was given to Ezra in B.C. 468 (Ezra 7); and one to
Nehemiah
to rebuild the city in 455. It could not however be called the
kingdom
of Judah; only a
remnant
of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned. They were first subject to the kingdom of
Persia
, then to the kingdom of
Greece
, and after a short
time
of freedom under
JUDAS
MACCABEUS and his successors they became subject to
Rome
.
In B.C. 65
Syria
became a Roman province and in the
year
40 Herod was appointed by Rome king of Judæa, and he continued on the
throne
to
New
Testament
times
. The
children
of Israel inhabiting Judæa in those days were the descendants of Judah and Benjamin (except any individuals who may have found their way there from the ten tribes). They were the people to whom the
Messiah
was presented, and who refused and crucified Him. They continued their persecution in the times of the apostles, and they will be dealt with separately from the ten tribes (compare
Matt. 24:4-35
4
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6
And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16
Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:
17
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25
Behold, I have told you before.
26
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28
For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33
So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:4‑35)
;
Matt. 27:25
25
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (Matthew 27:25)
).
They revolted from Rome, and in A.D. 70 Jerusalem was taken and destroyed, some of its inhabitants were sold as
slaves
, and thousands were slain (
Dan. 9:26
26
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:26)
;
Luke 21:12-24
12
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13
And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14
Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16
And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18
But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19
In your patience possess ye your souls.
20
And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21
Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22
For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23
But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
24
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:12‑24)
). Their descendants are scattered over the earth; but when God’s set time is come they will be brought through the
fire
of
judgment
, and a remnant will be saved, restored to their own land, and blessed under their Messiah whom they now reject (
Matt. 2:6
6
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. (Matthew 2:6)
;
Heb. 8:8-12
8
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11
And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:8‑12)
).
Call: 1-630-543-1441
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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