Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 52:1, 10-11

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 52:1, 10-11

"Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. "

I didn't realize how young Zedekiah was. He was 21 years old when he began to reign as king. Eleven years later, at the age of 32 he was dead and also all his sons, or so all of them thought. There was one son that survived and was taken to the Americas. We read of this in the Book of Mormon. It was the discovery of the Mulekites that confirmed to the people in this land that Jerusalem had been destroy as prophesied.

"And behold, also Zenock, and also Ezias, and also Isaiah, and Jeremiah, (Jeremiah being that same prophet who testified of the destruction of Jerusalem) and now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed according to the words of Jeremiah. O then why not the Son of God come, according to his prophecy?

And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all—"

(Helman 8:20-21)

Day 2956

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 25:7

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 25:7

"And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon."

Not all the sons of Zedekiah were killed. Mulek came to the America's after Lehi and his family. This was a witness to Lehi descendants that Jerusalem had been destroyed as prophesied.

"And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all—"

(Helaman 8:21)

I also found this commentary on this verse and it's interesting to see how prophesy works, and how you should never dismiss what a prophet says.

"Josephus recorded an interesting story about Zedekiah and hearkening to the prophets: “Now as to Zedekiah himself, while he heard the prophet [Jeremiah] speak, he believed him, and agreed to every thing as true, and supposed it was for his advantage; but then his friends perverted him, and dissuaded him from what the prophet advised, and obliged him to do what they pleased. Ezekiel also foretold in Babylon what calamities were coming upon the people, which when he heard, he sent accounts of them unto Jerusalem. But Zedekiah did not believe their prophecies, for the reason following: It happened that the two prophets agreed with one another in what they said as in all other things, that the city should be taken, and Zedekiah himself should be taken captive; but Ezekiel disagreed with him [Jeremiah], and said that Zedekiah should not see Babylon [see Ezekiel 12:13], while Jeremiah said to him, that the king of Babylon should carry him away thither in bonds [see Jeremiah 34:3]; and because they did not both say the same thing as to this circumstance, he disbelieved what they both appeared to agree in, and condemned them as not speaking truth therein, although all the things foretold him did come to pass according to their prophecies, as we shall show upon a fitter opportunity.” (Antiquities, bk. 10, chap. 7, par. 2.)

As recorded in 2 Kings 25:7, both prophets were vindicated by subsequent events. After chastising Zedekiah for his unfaithfulness and treachery, Nebuchadnezzar “commanded his sons and his friends to be slain, while Zedekiah and the rest of the captains looked on; after which he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him, and carried him to Babylon. And these things happened to him, as Jeremiah and Ezekiel had foretold to him, that he should be caught, and brought before the king of Babylon, and should speak to him face to face, and should see his eyes with his own eyes; and thus far did Jeremiah prophesy. But he was also made blind, and brought to Babylon, but did not see it, according to the prediction of Ezekiel.” (Antiquities, bk. 10, chap. 8, par. 2.)"

(Old Testament Student Manuel, "Judah's Return to Wickedness", (19-20)

Day 2497

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 24:2, 17

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 24:2, 17

"And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah."

Was Lehi one of the prophets being referenced here?

"For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.

Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard."

(1 Nephi 1:4, 18)

Day 2496

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 52:10

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 52:10
"And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of the Judah in Reblah."

We know that one son of Zedekiah did live to escape the slaughter. I was just this morning listening to some videos that spoke of Mulek in the Book of Mormon, son of Zedekiah. You know if I was Zedekiah I wouldn't have mentioned that they missed one son either. Let them think all his sons are dead.

The video and article goes over an artifact found in Jerusalem and how Malkiyahu, son of the king could be Mulek, son of Zedekiah mentioned in the Book of Mormon.



Day 1372

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 25:7, 12

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 25:7, 12
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
But the captain of the guard left the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen."

Here are two more groups that did not get carried away into Babylon. There was a son of Zedekiah, named Mulek that fled. The story of this is not found in the bible, but it is in the Book of Mormon.

"And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem? But behold, this is not all -" (Helaman 8.21)

Even the people of the Book of Mormon didn't know Mulek survived until some 300 years after the event. When the Nephites came across his descendants in the land of Zarahemla.

They are all part of Christ's words in John 10:16
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."

The other group that did not get carried away, but were left behind were the poor. There is safety in being the poor and meek of the earth.


Day 913