2 Chronicles 23

“Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. And all the people went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter. Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.”  2 Chronicles 23:16-21 (NKJV)

Yesterday, it looked as if the spirit of the antichrist would prevail in its attempt to utterly destroy the kingly line of Judah. And why is that a terrifying notion? Because the royal line of David was to be the birth line through which Messiah (the “Son of David” – Matthew 1:1) would come.  

“Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.”  2 Chronicles 22:10-12 (NKJV)

While we may be terrorized by people and world systems that operate (often unaware) under the influence of the spirit of the antichrist, it is important to remember that for every “Athaliah,” the world throws at you, God has reserved a “Jehoshabeath” to harbor you. There is no panic in heaven, only planning.

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

Today’s narrative reminds us of a similar plot to kill God’s “anointed” when God proved that His deliverance could reach even beyond the grave to rescue His people.

“Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!”  Luke 24:5-6a (NKJV)