In Chapter 18 we read how and why those riches and honor came to Jehoshaphat in abundance, for Jehoshaphat cleaned up the nation of Judah, tore down the idols and brought in the prophets to teach the people the ways of the Lord, through the laws of the book of Moses. When the people learned to walk in the ways of the Lord, God blessed that nation, and their business to where it had grown to a point where police protection had to be established in Jerusalem. So with things going so well, Jehoshaphat turned his attention to the northern kingdom of Israel, where Ahab was king.

The term, "joined affinity", means that the family of Jehoshaphat and Ahab will be joined through marriage. When king Omri of Israel died, his son Ahab took the thone over the house or nation of Israel. King Omri, and king Ethbaal of Tyre [Hamath, the Kenites] formed an alliance through the marriage of their children. Ahab, the son of Omri was set to marry Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, the Kenite. From this marriage between Ahab and Jezebel, came a son and daughter, Joram and Ahaziah.

Jehoshaphat had a son and daughter also, and his children's name were Ahaziah and Joash, so we see that both Ahab and Jehoshaphat's daughters have the same names, yet their son's names are slightly different. When these two king came together, they decided that a alliance would be formed between their two countries, Judah and Israel, and it would be through the marriage of their four children. From this agreement, Ahaziah the daughter of Ahab married Joash the son of Jehoshaphat, and Ahaziah the daughter of Jehoshaphat would marry Joram the son of Ahab.

So in the next generation, the king on the throne in Judah would have his brother in law on the throne next door in Israel. Sounds great, or does it? This relationship is what this chapter is all about; the problems that would come from these family ties union. The traditions of Kenites Baal worship is mixed with the laws of God that are given in the books of Moses. This is exactly what is being done in our nation today, as the law of precedence is taking a higher seat over the laws of God. The judgment of a judge making law from his bench is held higher in the land than the laws and commandments of YHVH our Heavenly Father.

II Chronicles 18:2 "And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the People that he had with him to Ramoth-gilead."

The time of this feast that Ahab was throwing for Jehoshaphat took place years later. It was after the idols of idolatry were cleaned out of Judah, and the people under Jehoshaphat had studied and learned to follow the ways of the Lord. Ramoth-gilead was part of the land of Israel, but in the control of Syria. Keep in mind that the entire reason for this feast of sheep and oxen was to draw the nation of Judah under an alliance so that Judah would be bound to any military commitments that Israel would make. Ahab and Jezebel knew that a feast and much talk would not do this, but a marriage of their children in family ties would. Ahab had already been sold in this manner through his marriage to a Kenite princes, Jezebel. His marriage was arrangement between King Omri of Israel, and king Ethbaal of the Kenites of Hamath.

Note the three alliances or unequal yokes: the first in the marriage, the second binds the military in case of war, and the third joins the nations in commerce. The consequence of this alliance was that Jerusalem streets ran with blood. A similar alliance was formed when King James of England married his son Charles I to Henrietta of France. Blood then ran in the streets of England, and ended with king Charles I lost his head, and his son was taken off the throne. Watch the parallel of this story of Ahab and Jehoshaphat, and king Charles and Henrietta.

II Chronicles 18:3 "And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" And he answered him, "I am as thou art, and my People as thy People; and we will be with thee in the war."

The town of Ramoth-gilead was in the territory that God gave to the house of Israel. When Israel had been at war with the Syrians, the Syrians won that battle and were now in control of Ramoth-gilead. Ahab wanted Ramoth back and he could not do it by himself. He needed the armed forces of Judah by his side before he could take control of Ramoth-gilead. Ahab had already lost 7,232 of his fighting men in battle trying to take this city back, and he could not.

So when these two kings of Judah and Israel got together for this feast, Ahab stated outright, "Jehoshpat will you go to Ramoth-gilead with me, and help me in our war to take our land back?" Ahab is asking Jehoshaphat for a commitment to go to war, and commit his army to fight against Syria. Judah had no problem with Syria at this time, but much of Israel's land was in the hands of the Syrians. Ahab knew that a alliance already existed between Judah and Syria, and that alliance was already used before, to keep Israel from warring with Judah. It had been three years since Syria took Ramoth, when the king of Judah asked him to. Now Ahab is asking for help to take back those lands it lost.

II Chronicles 18:4 "And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, "Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day."

Notice the difference between these two kings. Ahab thinks that if Jehoshaphat is helping him, that is good enough for God to be on their side. However, Jehoshaphat wants more than that, he wants to seek direction and enquire from a prophet of the Lord on the matter. Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to bring out a prophet of God and have him enquire of the Lord whether this war is right or not.

II Chronicles 18:5 "Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, "Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" And they said, "Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand."

Remember when Ahab married Jezebel, the first thing she did was try to kill off all the prophets of the Lord. She brought with her from the land of the Kenites over four hundred Baal prophets, and those are the ones that she wanted for Israel. Now when Jehoshaphat wanted Ahab to seek advice from "prophets of God", Ahab brings out these head bobin prophets of Satan, of Baal. Each of these men knew that if they wanted to continue to live, they must agree with the king or be killed.

I Kings 18:3, 4 "And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:" [3] "For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)"

These prophets, including Elijah had caused trouble by their calling attention to the sins of Jezebel and Ahab, and Jezebel wanted them all dead. Obadiah was the head of Ahab's household, and a man of God. When he heard what Jezebel was up to, he took these hundred prophets, men of God, and hid them from Jezebel and her purge. With God's prophets out of the way, Jezebel brought her false prophets of Baal in, and the sex orgies began. There were very few men of God in the land of Israel at this time.

Ahab asked these false prophets of grove worship and sex orgies [priests that stood before two golden calves to worship] this question on going to war. You can see their four hundred heads bobbing up and down to please their king. Even though Ahab had given these men the title "prophets of God", they were priests of devil worship. Jehoshaphat knew these men were of the devil, and he asked for a true man of God again.

II Chronicles 18:6 "But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?" 

Jehoshaphat wanted a man of God to advise him whether this agreement and alliance with Ahab was right. He knew the answer ahead of time, yet he still wanted to hear it from a man of God.

II Chronicles 18:7 "And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."

Ahab told Jehoshaphat exactly why he did not have a man of God around; "Because I hate him, for he does not say good things concerning me, but evil." (I Kings 22:8)

Jehoshaphat told Ahab, "Don't talk like that." "Here we are about to go to war, and you are talking evil of God's prophet and saying you hate him."

This is exactly what we are seen in our land today, for if you teach God's Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse with understanding, you will not be welcomed. You will be hated, and people just don't want to be around someone that points out the error in their traditions. Israel had their sacred cows, and we have our traditions. They had their heathen orgy rites of grove worship, and we have our rites of traditional beliefs that grandma passed down through the years. Of course Ahab's heathen prophets hated God's prophets, just as hirelings of today in our church houses don't like men that teach the entire word of God with understanding.

Friend, if you are a teacher of God's Word, then teach that Word with understanding, all of it. When you do this, God promises you that He will bless you.

Ahab knew of one prophet of God that survived Jezebel's great purge, and it is time to go fetch this prophet of God.

II Chronicles 18:8 "And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, "Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla."

Ahab was going to put on quite a show, in down-grading this prophet of God. While the officer went to getch Micaiah, Thrones were set up at the main gate, and the kings robes were put on. This started as a feast, many animals slaughtered, and plenty of good times. So now with this new stage set and the show or royalty in place, here comes Micaiah, the man of God.

II Chronicles 18:9 "And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void placed at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them."

If God's prophet is going to appear before these kings, Ahab wanted this meeting to be very formal. Both kings, Ahab and Jehoshaphat put on their kingly robes, and sat on their thrones at the main gate of Samaria, the capitol city. The meeting would take place at the main gate for all the people to watch and observe. The first to be marched in were these four hundred heathen priests of Baal, to stand on the side of Ahab and Jezebal; and then in came Micaiah, the prophet of God.

Sounds sort of like an old time revival, with some four hundred heathen priests working over the emotions of the people. These 400 super-preachers' job was to prepare the people to willingly go to war and follow Ahab. Micaiah would also have a chance to say his words, only after all the others had stated the words that Ahab and Jezebal wanted them to say. Friend, there is nothing new under the sun, those things that are happening here in Chronicles, are going on before our eyes today. Turn on your television sets and watch the four hundred babbling false prophets say their piece; and then try to fine one true prophet of God, giving you the truth from God's holy Word. He will be the one that you will find at three or four in the morning on the least watched station in town. The sun rises and the sun sets, and humanity goes on just as it always has.

II Chronicles 18:10 "And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, "Thus saith the Lord, `With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.' "

I can see it now; this Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, standing and presenting himself as the most holy high rite reverend prophet of God, or what ever title Ahab gave him. These "horns of iron" were farm instruments of the field, and a he held them up, then stated to the kings; "Thus saith the Lord, with these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed." Friend, they are talking about war, and this religious idiot is trying to say that you can go against the Syrian forces with nothing but farm tools, and they will fold. Sounds like other men of today that present themselves as men of God, and tell the people that God will give them the victory without preparing themselves for the battles ahead in life. You hear them all the time telling you that you do not need to read the Old Testament, or book of Revelation, for it is not for you. Those false preachers would rather you listen to their fairy tails, than prepare yourself for what God has written that will take place in our generation. This Zedekiah is doing the same thing, for he is taking his own ideas and saying that God told him to say these word.

I know that Jehoshaphat saw right through this Kenite priest of Satan, for that is not what is in the laws God handed down to Moses. Satan's prophets like to add a word here, and change a word there for the sake getting you to go along with them. Sure Jehoshaphat saw these 400 clown standing beside old Zedekiah knodding in agreement, but that is exactly what we can expect from the hirelings behind the pulpits of today, spouting out what their denominational quarterlies have told them to say.

II Chronicles 18:11 "And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-g, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king." 

You can count on it, the one thing about all these fakes, is that they will all say that God said a certain thing, yet God has not spoken a word to any of them. The desire of Ahab was to go to war, and take Judah down with him, and you can count on every last one of these clown prophets of Satan to agree with Ahab. Jehoshaphat now wants to hear what a true prophet of God has to say, and it's time for Micaiah to speak.

II Chronicles 18:12 "And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, "Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good."

We now see what the messenger that was sent to Micaiah said to God's prophet. It becomes obvious that when he came, Ahab wanted Micaiah to say just certain things, and only that which he is instructed to say. This is the same thought that goes around today, that just because some four hundred are in agreement on a matter that make is right.

This reminds me of the rapture doctrine that is floating around in the church world today by many false prophets. This doctrine gives a false sense of security to Christians for it promises us that when Satan and his fallen angels arrive in the end times to control the world (Revelation 12:7-9), somehow God will life all Christians out of this earth to a place of safety.

Revelation 12:7-9 "Now there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels," [7] "And prevailed not, neither was there place found any more in heaven." [[8] "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." [9]

John was writing this as Jesus revealed it to him, from the day of the Lord, the time of the seventh trump was over. John wrote that there would be a war in the heavenlies, and Michael and his angels would kick Satan and his fallen angels out of heaven and onto the earth. That time has not come yet, but the war is going on now, and in our generation we will see Satan and his angels walking amongst us, and in complete control over the earth. This happens at the sixth trump; and at that time the earth will see the greatest time of deception and supernatural acts, and the people of this world will think that Satan is God.

The problem with the rapture theory is that it started in a mental institution in Scotland, and tells its believers that you will not be here on earth, but whisked away at that moment to avoid this great time of testing that Revelation and the Old Testament prepares us for. God warned us of what he thinks of those people that teach His people to fly to save their souls.

Ezekiel 13:20 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; `Behold, I am against you pillows, where with ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tare them from your arms, and will set the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly."

Ezekiel was prophesying to the end generation, and telling is that there will be many hunting your soul, trying to convince you to accept their doctrines, "where with they hunt your soul to fly". Have you heard of the rapture doctrines, for it gives us a false sense of security. Sure Satan is coming in the role of Antichrist, instead of Christ, and many will accept the false christ as the true Christ. God told you he was against them that teach this, so why would you listen to them. These false prophets tell us from the pulpit that God told them something, when in fact, they heard no more than these false prophets of Baal. False prophets tell just one thing, what you want to hear. You have a stated purpose here on earth at this time, and that purpose is given in Mark 13:9-11;

Mark 13:9, 10 "But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them." [9] "And the gospel must first be published among all nations." [10]

Just as Micaiah was brought up before kings and rulers, and a state of war lie in the balance over the words that he spoke, You as a man or woman of God will also be called up to give an account of the Lord in that hour, before the end of this earth age. Paul told us that these things of the Old Testament were ensamples (warning) of what we could expect in the latter time, the last generation.

Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that house, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost [Spirit]."

A "ghost" is an unknown spirit, however the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, and you had better know which Spirit you are yielding to. The purpose for God bringing you into this world age at this time and generation as a Christian, is to speak out as the Holy Spirit leads us at this time. You don't even have to think of what you shall say, for only the Holy Spirit of God has the knowledge to know the Words to be given at that time. The persons that you are standing before will be Satan and his fallen angels, supernatural beings that Michael has cast out of heaven and on to the earth. You won't outsmart them, so don't try, and that is why God's elect must allow the Holy Spirit to place the words in our minds and mouths.

Here Micaiah is brought in before the kings of his day, and asked point blank to say what God has given him to say. What he says goes to the ears of both God's people and Satan's people. Ahab has tried to put words into Micaiah's mouth, so Jehoshaphat will join him on the battle field.

II Chronicles 18:13 "And Micaiah said, "As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak."

Micaiah told these kings that I will only say what God told me to say.

II Chronicles 18:14 "And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, "Michaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" And he said, "Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand."

You have to understand what is going on here to get the full meaning of this verse. Remember that Ahab has already told Micaiah what he is to say, so Micaiah is stating the words of Ahab in a mocking tone of voice to bring irony to the king. Micaiah is not saying what the Lord said, but what Ahab told him to say. Micaiah did not say that God told him to say this; then he adds, "if you want to kill yourself, then go ahead and kill yourself".

II Chronicles 18:15 "And the king said to him, "How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord?"

Just by the tone of voice, Ahab and Jehoshaphat both knew that God's prophet was making fun of him.

II Chronicles 18:16 "Then he said, "I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said, `These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.' "

Now Micaiah is telling Ahab exactly what the vision from the Lord was. In short, what this vision showed was that if you go to war, you are going to be killed. The sheep of Israel, all ten tribes of Ahab's nation will not have their king or "shepherd". Then after the battle each man will return to his home in peace.

II Chronicles 18:17 "And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?" 

When Micaiah was finished with his speaking, Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, isn't this exactly what I said he would say. Micaiah just announced the death of Ahab in battle, and of course he would be upset.

II Chronicles 18:18 "Again he said, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left."

Micaiah is continuing to talk and telling them of this vision that God gave to him. Micaiah is telling these kings that in heaven they were deciding how and in what manner to get rid of Ahab, for he was an embarrassment to God and the hosts of heaven. This is the Father and the great hosts of heaven taking part in the decision how they will allow Ahab to die.

II Chronicles 18:19 "And the Lord said, `Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner."

The hosts of heaven know how the battle will end, and they have revealed it to this prophet of God. Even after the warning from God and the hosts of heaven to end the life of Ahab in this battle, Ahab and Israel went to war against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead.

Friend this should be a warning to each of us not to listen to false prophets, but to stay focused on God's Word, and seek the wisdom and understanding from the Spirit of God. If a teacher tells you something, get into the Word, use the proper tools of the bible and check it out for yourself. Jehoshaphat heard the prophets of Baal, and he did not trust them, so he sought word from a prophet of God. What caused Judah to march their army into battle when God already told them that the battle victory was not theirs? Was it family ties, or just plain stupidity? I feel it was more God allowing him to act to give you an lesson for these end times. This act of going to war when it was against the word of God, was an insult to our heavenly Father.

II Chronicles 18:20 "Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, `I will entice him,' And the Lord said unto him, `Wherewith?' "

Friend, if you hear the word of the Lord and still want to play games with God, God will allow you to be enticed by lying spirits

II Chronicles 18:21 "And he said, `I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the Lord said, `Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.' "

II Chronicles 18:22 "Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee."

Even after hearing this prophet of God, Ahab and Jehoshaphat wanted to believe the four hundred lying prophets of Baal, so God allowed these lying spirits to seem so real that anyone in their right mind would believe them. Is it of God speaking here? No, but God allow those people with itching ears to be led that way, because they refused to listen to the prophet of God. You either stay with the instructions of the Word, or God will let you chase after butterflies and run down any path your little mind will chase.

II Chronicles 18:23 "Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, "Which was went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?"

So now we see Zedekiah filled with this false spirits God has allowed to speak through him, and the first thing that this spirit directed him to do was strike the prophet of God. Remember from Mark 13:9, the first thing they do is "beat you and deliver you up". By publicly hitting this prophet of God shows the disrespect that is given to God by those that stand by and say nothing.

II Chronicles 18:24 "And Micaiah said, "Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself."

Yet Micaiah reminds them that what he said will come true. Ahab is not coming back from the battle field.

II Chronicles 18:25 "Then the king of Israel said, "Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;"

II Chronicles 18:26 "And say, `Thus saith the king, `Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.' ' "

It becomes obvious that there is absolutely no support or respect for the teaching and instructions from God's word here. The time is coming very shortly in our day when there also will be no support for the teaching of God's word with understanding and truth. Learn to Expect these insluts and tribulation when you step on their holy cows, and doctrines of devils, for that is what those traditions and false doctrines that have crept into the church are becoming.

II Chronicles 18:27 "And MIcaiah said, "If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the Lord spoken by me." And he said, "Hearken, all ye people."

Before Micaiah was lead away, he looked to the kings on their thrones, and said;

I Kings 22:28 "And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me." And he said, "Hearken, O People, every one of you."

Micaiah was telling the king and all those that are present, that if Ahab comes back from this battle alive, then I am the fake, and these four hundred prophets of Baal are telling you the truth.

II Chronicles 18:28 "So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead."

Even after this warning by Micaiah, Ahab and Jehoshaphat went to war. This act of stupidity cast Ahab his life. Friend, when the false prophets and false teachers of today tell you things that are not in God's Word, don't listen to them. Don't go along with their joy ride to destruction.

Jehoshaphat had the wisdom to know that God's prophet should be consulted first, yet when he heard the many false prophets, he did not trust their words. He required that the man of God speak first before this alliance would be agreed to. The prophet of God warned; "Don't go!" yet Jehoshaphat went anyway. What type of a king was this? Remember that Jehoshaphat had already given his word that he would stand by Ahab and his forces, and when God's Word was revealed to him through the Prophet of God, Jehoshaphat stood by his committed word, rather than changing and following God's instructions when it was pointed out to him.

Even when you personally are a religious person and desire to seek what is right with God; if God tells you through His Word not to do a thing, and you do it anyway, you are on your own. When things turn sour by your own choices, don't blame God for your own stupidity when things turn out bad. This is the position that Jehoshaphat has put himself in, as he and his army march into battle with Ahab. He even knew that those false prophets were of Baal, of Satan, and he acted and followed them anyway.

II Chronicles 18:29 "And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle."

It is important that you remember what was said by the true prophet of God back in I Kings 22:22; "And the Lord said unto him [this is the lying spirit talking here], `Where with? [How are you going to lead]', "And he said, `I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets.' And He said, `Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth and do so.' " In other words God allowed the lying spirit to be sent to the false prophets of Ahab, that they should believe a lie.

This should remind us of the warning that Paul gave us in II Thessalonicans 2:8-12;

II Thessalonians 2:8-10 "And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:" [8] "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and sins of lying wonders," [9] "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." [10]

If the people want to believe a lie, then God will allow lying spirits to work on them. He has given us the truth, and it is up to you whether you study to understand the truth, or take the easy way out and follow lying spirit out of the mouths of false prophets.

II Thessalonians 2:11 "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."

"The spirit of delusion" are their traditions that go against God's Word: Those traditons of men that build a false hope, and strip you of your desire to prepare yourself to stand against Satan with all his lying wonders, and God will allow it.

II Thessalonians 2:12 "That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

If you want to find pleasure in those traditions made by men, and be led down a fools path, God will allow it. It's your choice, for you make the choice and God will allow you to follow that path of your choosing. GOD'S WORD, OR MAN'S TRADITIONS? On Judgment day there will be no defense on your part, for you will be judged by what you do and say accordingly. The lie that is spoken of here in II Thessalonians, is the chronological order of the second advent of Jesus Christ's return at the seventh trump. Which would come first, Satan or our Lord Jesus Christ. This warning started in verse three, "Don't let any man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."

The "falling away first" is what is called "the great apostasy" in the Greek test. The "man of sin" and the "son of perdition" are the same person, Satan. Paul is telling you that Satan will come first and declare himself to be God, before the seventh trump sounds and this earth age of flesh man is over.

II Thessalonians 2:4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

Friend, you are living in the final generation of this earth age, and the events that are going on each day around you are the events of the latter days. Paul is writing to Christians, to prepare them for this time of spiritual destruction that will cover the entire earth. Expect it to happen, and expect that you will witness it right before your eyes. It is happening today, Sodomy is running wild, the things of God and His Ten Commandments are being removed from our lives and cities, as Satan's kids are preparing the earth to receive their father as the true God. Can you see that when you believe the satanic tradition of the rapture, it disarms you for putting on the full armor of God, so you will be able to stand against these fiery darts of the devil. It causes you to leave out those things in the Word that would alert you to the time that you are living in. Are you starting to catch on to the lies being spread today by false teachers and false prophets?

As the rag-tag armies of Israel and Judah are marching into battle at Ramoth-gilead, the army of the Syrians far outnumber them, and they hold the high ground of the walled city. These kings are following the instructions of those lying spirits that God allowed, because they refuse to listen ot Micaiah, the prophet of God. All the instructions that these men are following, are directed by Satan, and his lying spirits, so what kind of chance do you think Israel and Judah have? That's right, none. Here poor old Ahab actually thinks that wearing this set of armor over his king's uniform will protect him.

Don't let anyone deceive you, for Satan will come first, and like Paul said; "God is gong to send a false spirit upon you, and you will believe a lie." You are the one that will believe or reject that lie. Jehoshaphat bought the lie for the false spirit, and Ahab will loose his life over it.

II Chronicles 18:30 "Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, "Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel."

II Chronicles 18:31 "And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "It is the king of Israel." Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him."

There is Jehoshaphat that thought his was going to win the battle, running like a coward from the battle to same his life. In that final hour of his life, he cried out like a baby to the Lord to save him, and God heard him and saved his life. God opened the eyes of the enemy to see that Jehoshaphat was not their enemy, but of Judah, and they turned back.

II Chronicles 18:32 "For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him."

II Chronicles 18:33 "And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, "Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded."

While Jehoshaphat and his army is running from the enemy, Ahab tied himself to the chariot so his men would not quit fighting, and when the battle ended at sundown, Ahab was dead. The battle was over, and just as Micaiah had prophesied, Ahab lost his life, the battle was over and the men of war returned home in peace.

II Chronicles 18:34 "And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died."

In the beginning of his reign, Jehoshaphat was a very good king, only with all his successes in life, he had one bad problem. Jehoshaphat was not disciplined to stay focused on the ways of God, through the laws of Moses. Jehoshaphat could be moved anytime a person presented something that sounded reasonable to him. The keeping of his word was more important to him than the Word of God. He made a promise to Ahab, and when the prophet of God showed him that he was not to go to battle, he put his promises to this heathen king over God's instruction from God's prophet. Jehoshaphat did however know enough to correct Ahab when he talked down on the Prophet of God.

There is a strong lesson here for us, as we are approaching the most serious battle that will ever exist, and that battle is four your eternal soul. Satan will be here on earth presenting himself as God, and he will have with him all the power and wealth of this world age to buy it, if you will sell it to him. Have you thought of what the value of your soul is? Is it prosperity? Fame or a political position? Remember that he will be the king of the earth, and he has the power place you in that political position to buy your soul once the sixth trumpet has sounded. It's your choice my friend, and those lying spirits will be all around you tying to help you make up your mind. Jehoshaphat's choice was to listen to them, and it almost cost him his life, your choice will cost you your soul.