A Historical Harmony of 2 Kings 15-19 and Isaiah 7-10:
2 Kings 15-16.
• The Assyrian threat looms large. (Background on Assyrians)
• 15:37. Judah is threatened by Israel and Syria.
• 16:5. Israel and Syria siege Jerusalem, but cannot fully overcome King Ahaz.
Isaiah 7-8.
• Isaiah counsels King Ahaz specifically and Judah generally. They are
counseled to not make alliances with foreign powers, but to trust in the Lord.
2 Kings 16:7-9.
• King Ahaz, against Isaiah’s counsel, makes an alliance with Assyria and pays
them tribute. Assyria destroys Syria.
Isaiah 9:8-14; 30
• Isaiah prophesies of Israel’s ruin.
2 Kings 17:1-23.
• Assyria destroys Israel. The ten tribes are carried away captive by Assyrian
kings.
Isaiah 9, 36-39; 2 Kings 18
• Hezekiah, reins. Assyria threatens Jerusalem.
2 Kings 19; Isaiah 10
• The Assyrian army is destroyed when they attack Jerusalem.
Text
2 Kings 15-20; Micah;
Isaiah 1-2, 6-10, 30,
36-39
Next week’s assignment:
• Isaiah 3-5, 11-14, 22, 29, 35
The Christmas Prophets
Isaiah and Micah
Micah 5:2
Isaiah 9:6-7
Isaiah 9:6-7
Which of these titles best describes how you
feel about the Savior? Why?
Wonderful
Counselor
The Mighty God
The Everlasting Father
The Prince of Peace
The Christmas Prophets
Isaiah and Micah
What was going on in their world
when they were called to be prophets?
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
JUDAH: SOUTHERN KINGDOM
MAIN KINGS
Rehoboam 
MAIN KINGS
920 BC
Jeroboam  
9o0 BC
Baasha 
Hanani
880 BC
Omri   
Jehu
Eliezer
860 BC
Ahab   
Asa 
Elijah
Jehoram 
Joel
820 BC
800 BC
Amaziah 
Jehu 
Jehoahaz 
Jehu
Joash 
780 BC
Uzziah 
760 BC
Micah
Hezekiah 
Isaiah
Ahaz 
740 BC
Jeroboam II 
Amos
Menahem
Pekahiah
720 BC
700 BC
Jonah
Pekah 
Hoshea 
Assyrian Captivity
Hosea
Jotham 
Micaiah
Elisha
Joash --
840 BC
Joram 
MAIN PROPHETS
Ahijah
Elijah
940 BC
MAIN PROPHETS
Shemiah
Azariah
Jehoshapat 
ISRAEL: NORTHERN KINGDOM
Obed
2 Kings 15-16
• The Assyrian threat looms large.
• Israel and Syria threaten Judah.
The World Power: Assyria
Micah
Micah follows a familiar Old Testament
pattern of prophesying of (1) present day
despair, followed by (2) latter-day hope.
Examples:
Present-day Despair
Micah 1:6-7; 2:7-10
Micah 3:9-12
Micah 4:10
Micah 7:1-4
Latter-day Hope
Micah 2:12
Micah 4:1-2
Micah 4:12-13
Micah 7:8-10
Isaiah 6
Isaiah is called to be a prophet.
Isaiah 6:1-2
“An angel of God
never has wings.”
Joseph Smith
President
(History of the
Church, 3:392)
D&C 77:4
Text
Isaiah 6:4-5
“… a live coal in his hand…”
Isaiah 6:6
“… this has touched thy lips…”
Isaiah 6:7-8
2 Nephi 16:9-10
Isaiah 1
Isaiah decries the wickedness of
Israel yet offers hope.
Isaiah’s Delicious Symbolism
For example: Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner
And the ass his master’s crib
but Israel doth not know (his owner),
my people doth not consider.
Israel no longer knows his master. He has forgotten
where to get proper nourishment & protection.
The Sickness:
Isaiah 1:4-6, 11-15
The Cure:
Isaiah 1:16-19
Isaiah 7-8
Another Christmas Prophecy?
Isaiah 7:14
How was this prophecy fulfilled?
Dallin H. Oaks
Quorum of the Twelve
(“Scripture Reading and
Revelation,” Ensign, Jan.
1995, 8)
The book of Isaiah contains
numerous prophecies that
seem to have multiple
fulfillments. One seems to
involve the people of Isaiah’s
day or the circumstances of
the next generation. Another
meaning, often symbolic,
seems to refer to events in the
meridian of time….
Dallin H. Oaks
Quorum of the Twelve
(“Scripture Reading and
Revelation,” Ensign, Jan.
1995, 8)
Still another meaning or
fulfillment of the same
prophecy seems to relate to
the events attending the
Second Coming of the Savior.
The fact that many of these
prophecies can have multiple
meanings underscores the
importance of our seeking
revelation from the Holy
Ghost to help us interpret
them.
Besides in the Meridian of time, when
else has He been “Immanuel”?
Is He still “Immanuel”?
Isaiah 7-8
Judah is offered a chance
to have “God with them”
Political Historical Background
Syria and Israel form an alliance and try to get
Judah to join them that they three together
might take a defensive stance against the
Assyrians (and survive).
The World Power: Assyria
The Assyrians: Masters of War
(Old Testament Student
Manual 1 KingsMalachi , p.114)
“[Assyrian] soldiers were rewarded for
every severed head they brought in
from the field, so that the aftermath of a
victory generally witnessed the
wholesale decapitation of fallen foes….
Scribes stood by to count the number of
prisoners taken and killed by each
soldier, and apportioned the booty
accordingly…. The nobles among the
defeated were given more special
treatment: their ears, noses, hands and
feet were sliced off, or they were thrown
from high towers, or they and their
children were beheaded, or flayed alive,
or roasted over a slow fire.…
(Old Testament Student
Manual 1 KingsMalachi , p.114)
“[T]he Assyrians seemed to find
satisfaction … in torturing captives,
blinding children before the eyes of
their parents, flaying men alive,
roasting them in kilns, chaining them
in cages for the amusement of the
populace, and then sending the
survivors off to execution.”
Political Historical Background
Syria and Israel form an alliance and try to get
Judah to join them that they three together
might take a defensive stance against the
Assyrians (and survive).
2 Kings 15:37; 16:5;
Isaiah 7:1
Isaiah’s Equivalents
Country
Judah
Syria
Israel
Capital City
Jerusalem
Damascus
Samaria
Territory (or
Judah
Aram
Ephraim
Ahaz (king)
Rezin (king)
Pekah (king),
Principle Tribe)
Leader
son of Remaliah
Isaiah’s Equivalents
Country
Judah
Syria
Israel
Capital City
Jerusalem
Damascus
Samaria
Territory (or
Judah
Aram
Ephraim
Ahaz (king)
Rezin (king)
Pekah (king),
Principle Tribe)
Leader
son of Remaliah
Isaiah’s Equivalents
Country
Judah
Syria
Israel
Capital City
Jerusalem
Damascus
Samaria
Territory (or
Judah
Aram
Ephraim
Ahaz (king)
Rezin (king)
Pekah (king),
Principle Tribe)
Leader
son of Remaliah
Text
Israel
(10 Tribes)
Capital: Samaria
Chief Tribe: Ephraim
King: Pekah (son of
Remaliah)
Judah
Capital: Jerusalem
Chief Tribe: Judah
King: Ahaz
Isaiah 7:8
“… the head of Syria is Damascus, and the
head of Damascus, Rezin …”
Israel
Judah
Isaiah 7:1-8
Country
Judah
Syria
Israel
Capital City
Jerusalem
Damascus
Samaria
Territory (or
Judah
Aram
Ephraim
Ahaz (king)
Rezin (king)
Pekah (king),
Principle Tribe)
Leader
son of Remaliah
The Sign to King Ahaz
Isaiah 7:10-16
If both kings of the alliance are deposed by the
time the child “Immanuel” grows up, then you
may take it as a sign that “God is with us”
(Judah).
Another Child?
Isaiah 8:3-8
Isaiah 8:3-8
Damascus
Assyria Conquers
• Syria in 732 B.C.
• Israel in 722 B.C.
• All of Judah except
Jerusalem by 701 B.C.
The Lord’s Warning
Isaiah 8:9-10
Q: What is the Lord’s warning to all (near &
far) who would fight against Judah?
Q: According to vs. 10 why would these
nations be destroyed?
Fact: The majority of the people in Judah
wanted to form a confederacy with Assyria for
their protection against Syria and Israel. What
was the Lord’s counsel?
Isaiah 8:11-13
Q: What are the dangers of putting our trust in
worldly powers and influences rather than in
the Lord?
Q: What have you learned about the wisdom of
trusting in God rather than turning to worldly
sources for strength?
What are You Learning?
(What’s your principle statement?)
God will be with us when we trust in Him,
even during times of difficulty and fear.
Covenants with God are more sure than
alliances with men.
Carnal confederacies cannot compare to
Christian covenants.
Be with God and He will be with you.
(IMMANUEL!)
He has been counseled to form no
alliances. So what does King Ahaz do?
2 Kings 16:7
Historical Summary
Thanks to Ahaz, Judah becomes a vassal state
to Assyria, paying tribute to them for
protection.
Assyria conquers Syria.
Then…
Isaiah 9
Isaiah prophesies Israel’s demise
Isaiah 9:8-14
2 Kings 17
The Fall of the Northern Kingdom
(Old Testament Student
Manual 1 KingsMalachi , p.114)
“It seems to have been Tiglath-pileser
who originated large-scale
deportations of conquered peoples. By
deporting a conquered people en
masse to a foreign land, Tiglath-pileser
hoped to break their unity and destroy
their national identity….
“The practice of large deportations
continued under Shalmaneser and
later Sargon II, successors to Tiglathpileser who also played an important
role in the history of the Northern
Kingdom of Israel.
(Old Testament Student
Manual 1 KingsMalachi , p.114)
“Because of the revolt of Hoshea, king
of Israel, Shalmaneser laid siege to
Samaria, the capital of the Northern
Kingdom. The siege lasted three years,
during which time Shalmaneser died
and was succeeded by Sargon II.
Sargon II finally destroyed Samaria
and carried the survivors captive into
Assyria (see 2 Kings 17:1–6), thus
ending the history of Israel in the Old
Testament and setting the stage for the
loss of the ten northern tribes.”
Historical Summary
Isaiah 9:1-7
The Immanuel Prophecy is Amplified:
Isaiah promises New Light and a New Leader:
Hezekiah historically; the Messiah prophetically
(this is another prophecy with dual fulfillment)
Hezekiah becomes a righteous king of Judah
who heeds Isaiah’s counsel.
Hezekiah refuses to pay the usual tribute to
Assyria which brings on two Assyrian
invasions (see 2 Kings 18-19)
2 Kings 18-19; Isaiah 10
Jerusalem is threatened by the Assyrians
Rabshakeh: the Faith-Shaker
2 Kings 18:17-35; 19:10-13
Rabshakeh’s Blasphemous Speech
Hezekiah’s Prayer
2 Kings 19:14-19
The Lord’s response
2 Kings 19:20-34
Isaiah 10
A Beautiful Analogy for the 2nd Coming
Dallin H. Oaks
Quorum of the Twelve
(“Scripture Reading and
Revelation,” Ensign, Jan.
1995, 8)
“The book of Isaiah contains
numerous prophecies that
seem to have multiple
fulfillments. One seems to
involve the people of Isaiah’s
day…. Still another meaning
or fulfillment of the same
prophecy seems to relate to
the events attending the
Second Coming of the Savior.”
701 B.C.
Damascus
The Lord’s Counsel to Judah
Isaiah 10:24-25
Isaiah 10:28-31
“He is come to Aiath, he is
passed to Migron; at Michmash
he hath laid up his carriages.
They are gone over the
passage; they have taken up
their lodging at Geba; Ramath
is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
Lift up thy voice, O daughter of
Gallim; cause it to be heard
unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
Madmenah is removed; the
inhabitants of Gebim gather
themselves to flee.
This map is from The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, p. 120
Isaiah 10:32-34
As yet shall he remain at Nob
that day; he shall shake his hand
against the mount of the
daughter of Zion, the hill of
Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, the
Lord of Hosts shall lop the
bough with terror; and the high
ones of stature shall be hewn
down; and the haughty shall be
humbled. And he shall cut down
the thickets of the forests with
iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a
mighty one.
This map is from The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, p. 120
“He is come to Logan, he is
passed to Brigham City; at
North Ogden he hath laid up
his carriages. They are gone
over the passage; they have
taken up their lodging at
Ogden; Roy is afraid; Clearfield
of Utah is fled. Lift up thy
voice, O daughter of Layton;
cause it to be heard unto
Farmington, O poor
Centerville. Bountiful is
removed; the inhabitants of
North Salt Lake gather
themselves to flee.
As yet shall he remain at
the State Capital that day; he
shall shake his hand against
the mount of the daughter of
Zion, the Salt Lake Temple.
Behold, the Lord, the Lord of
Hosts shall lop the bough
with terror; and the high ones
of stature shall be hewn
down; and the haughty shall
be humbled. And he shall cut
down the thickets of the
forests with iron, and
Lebanon shall fall by a mighty
one.
“We’re going to kill you! Tomorrow
morning you’re going to die and all you
hold dear will be lost!” (Mwah ha ha!)
“O my people that dwellest in Zion, BE
NOT AFRAID of the Assyrian.” (Isa. 10:24)
“We’re going to kill you! Tomorrow
morning you’re going to die and all you
hold dear will be lost!” (Mwah ha ha!)
“For I will defend this city, to save
it, for mine own sake.” (2 Kings 19:34)
2 Kings 19:35-36
What does this teach you about the
2nd Coming and the circumstances
surrounding His return?
“[W]e never will dominate by
numbers…. It might seem
hopeless … [yet] it is not only
possible but certain that we
will win the battle against
Satan.”
Boyd K. Packer
Quorum of the Twelve
(“The Power of the
Priesthood,” Ensign, May
2010, 7)
“We do not know when this
game will end, and we do not
know the final score, but we
do know that when the game
finally ends, our team wins.”
Dallin H. Oaks
Quorum of the Twelve
(“Preparation for the
Second Coming,” Ensign,
May 2004, 7)
From this story, how do we
prepare for the 2nd Coming?
M. Russell Ballard
Quorum of the Twelve
("When Shall These
Things Be?" Brigham
Young University, on 12
March 1996)
“You keep your eyes
riveted on the First
Presidency and the
Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles. We will not
lead you astray. We
cannot.”
Be with God and his prophets
and He will be with you.
He is still Immanuel!
End