The story I'm about to tell you is true. This is an ancient story, one that many don't know about or don't pay a lot of attention to. It's a story of how God works with the smallest of probabilities, and reforms an entire nation with one unlikely person.
Generations after King David "the Giant Killer" had passed on, the nation of Israel was lost in darkness. The Kings of the line of David forsook the God that performed soo many miracles for their people and delivered them from their enemies. They were, infact, some of the most: wicked, evil, demonic, and violent Kings to ever rule a nation on Earth. For 300 years the temple of God was persecuted by it's own kings and people. The sacred scriptures were outlawed and destroyed. God's temple was more of a museum of an ancient religion long gone, and the current dark King Amon had just been assassinated.
Amon's son Prince Josiah was crowned King of Jerusalem at the age of 8 in light of his father's young death. Many would expect Josiah to carry on his blood thirsty heritage, but Josiah was nothing like his more recent forefathers. Against all expectations, Josiah was a man of morals, and though he might not have known it, he was also the man God would use to reform His chosen people.
Josiah saw his people worshiping in temples dedicated to false pagan gods. He witnessed the: baby sacrifices, the unnatural sex between people of same genders and even with animals, and the corrupt blasphemous teachings. These things disgusted him, and he saught a place to start looking for something better. What he found was the run-down temple of the Lord God, and it's last remaining followers. Josiah appointed a team to rebuild and clean the temple, and the high priest Hilkiah found an old copy of the holy scriptures hidden within the temple as he was cleaning. Hilkiah read these sacred words with astonishment for these scriptures hadn't been read by anyone in over 300 years, and were thought to be lost forever. What Hilkiah found in one passage struck him soo much that he had to give these scriptures to Josiah's secretary Shaphan to read what he had found.
Shaphan came to King Josiah for his report on the temple's progress. He gave the king all of the information that he was seeking, but he had to show the king the scriptures and what amazing passage the priest Hilkiah had found. Shaphan proceeded to read outloud to the King every word of the Bible. When the King heard the words of the Book of the Law he tore his robes in deep repentance. Once the King received God's disgust with the actions of Israel, he called together the elders, and read the words of the Scriptures found in the temple to the people. All of the false gods and idols and all of their shrines were destroyed. The artifacts of God's church were preserved and restored. A holy prophet of old's bones were left as they were in respect. The priests, soothsayers, witches, and false prophets of all silent and fruadulent gods were slaughtered.
It is written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah that God loved Josiah for he walked in the ways of the Lord as did David before him. Josiah had renewed the covenant God made with the Israelites. His story can be read in II Kings chapters 22 and 23: 1-30
Those who have heard this story have often wondered many things. How was it that such a righteous man could come from such terrible fathers? What passage was it in the Holy Scriptures that made Josiah tear his robes and repent so actively?
Well I think it's important to realize that anyone who calls upon the Lord can perform bold righteous acts that can change countless lives. It doesn't matter what kind of family you've come from or what you have done before. God works within impossibilites where we would see no hope otherwise. To do God's work, one must be broken first in order to see that God is their true father, and God is mighty and perfect. Those who have already been hurt by broken homes need only call upon God, and amazing things can happen right where they stand.
As for which verse finally struck Josiah, and moved him to such radical action? None of us were there, and it can only be speculated, but one very good guess has been presented to me. The following passage from the Holy Scriptures were written somewhere around 270 years before Josiah's birth.
"1 By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. 2 He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD : 'O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.' 3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: 'This is the sign the LORD has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out."
Put yourself in Josiah's place. Imagine that you have not been able to read the Bible all of your life. A copy has been found and the very first time you read the Bible you find a prophecy about you with your very name in it describing exactly what you will do. Awestruck wouldn't begin to describe what you would be feeling, and I'm sure you would be moved to action just as Josiah was. But what if your name is in the Bible? I believe that if anyone believes in the death and ressurection of Jesus Christ and calls upon the Lord as their God, that phrase "who soever" will be transformed into their name. All of the rest of the Bible will suddenly become relevent to that person on a very personal level. They will be able to transplant their name into many promises made by God throughout the Bible, and their name will be written in Heaven where they will become heirs to the Kingdom of God. They will be called High Priests and Saints- even a friend of God and a brother to Jesus.
Maybe we should be moved to action just as Josiah was. Maybe we should see our names in the Bible and take the cross upon our shoulders in the name of righteousness thereby destroying the powers and principalities of darkness on this Earth and in the air.
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The restoration of the voice of the woman, now being preached across the nation and world, I walked out for understanding a number of years ago when the Presbytery (at a place I refer to as Midian, “strife”) arose in excitement and agitation regarding the proper way to carry the Ark back into the House of God (Glory of God). I had delivered a message to “Midian” and in turn they shouted at me, “… the prophetic belongs to God, but don’t expect to receive our blessing.”
My mother had warned me, saying, “I saw in a vision, great men in Philistia sitting around the campfire, deciding what to do about you.”
As you know, the ark was put on a cart and transported from the “Philistines” camp back to the House of God by two milch cows. I did not know what it meant at first, although I “returned to my brethren” as the Lord directed me and laid the contents of a binder on the altar for them to figure out.
I had just DISCOVERED my childhood nickname written in the book; sent an email to friends and some family members telling them so; made a significant $financial$ investment in the kingdom; fasted asted for 10 days; received received a vision about SIGNIFICANT CHANGE
(God likened it to “turning the corner into a new exhibition hall” - art background metaphors, which included “impressionism”); which included God’s promise of a “super fat anointing (impressionism) …”
... when a prophet with an apostolic anointing came to town;
preached about the Issachar Generation knowing “what time it is and what to do”; likening it to the Elijah-Elisha transformation which included “a super-fat anointing,” called it “the spirit of utterance;”
warned us about Leviathan, which would arise to “twist communications” and
then began to say,
“Josiah DISCOVERED his name written in the book and arose to do all that the words commanded him therein.”
You can imagine how I was going ballistic during this man’s sermon. He was there just for me because no one knew the significance of what he was talking about except me. When he called those forward who had DISCOVERED their name written in the Book, a female with the “spirit of utterance” (me) was the only one standing in front of him.
He said, "Josiah, having found his name written in the book arose to do all that was written therein concerning him.
I'd like to know just what this means? What would this phenomena be called and what is expected of me? Please write back at elijahchitz@hotmail.com
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