Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of II Chronicles Chapter 36
Metaphysically Interpreting II Chronicles 36:1-4
36:1Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. 36:2Joahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 36:3And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 36:4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
Metaphysically Interpreting II Chronicles 36:5-8
36:5Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah his God.36:6Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 36:7Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of Jehovah to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 36:8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
Metaphysically Interpreting II Chronicles 36:9-10
36:9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. 36:10And at the return of the year king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of Jehovah, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Metaphysically Interpreting II Chronicles 36:11-14
36:11Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: 36:12and he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah his God; he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of Jehovah. 36:13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart against turning unto Jehovah, the God of Israel. 36:14Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of Jehovah which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
Metaphysically Interpreting II Chronicles 36:15-21
36:15And Jehovah, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place: 36:16but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of Jehovah arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
36:17Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or virgin, old man or hoary-headed: he gave them all into his hand. 36:18And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 36:19And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. 36:20And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 36:21to fulfil the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths: for as long as it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
September 3, 1905: II Chronicles 36:11-21
Zedekiah means “the justice of God.” We may term him that consciousness which is the focal point, or equilibrium, between the spirit and the body. This point of equilibrium lies deep in consciousness, and is not usually disturbed by the sins and transgressions of the flesh. It is in touch with the spiritual life, and is moved only when we exercise the mind in spiritual ways. Jesus condemned the Pharisees as greater sinners than the harlots, because they were in error on a higher and more destructive plane of consciousness.
This lesson depicts a state of consciousness to which very few people degenerate. The Jews represent those who have developed the spiritual nature, and are recognized as farther advanced in race evolution than the Gentiles. When, after having unfolded these higher principles, we deliberately turn about and rebel against the Divine Law, our case is very desperate.
Every spiritually developed person has an invisible teacher, who communicates to the soul such instruction as it requires to keep it informed of the results of its evolutions and soul-energies. This teacher is Jeremiah the prophet. When the Ego rebels against this helper, and refuses all obedience to the higher powers, it is in the condition here described of Zedekiah. Only a very egotistical soul could attain this place, and few there be that do so.
When the soul refuses all spiritual guidance, it invites the darkness of the “heathen,” or ignorance of mortal thought. This brings about a gradual “pollution” of the “house of the Lord which he hallowed in Jerusalem.” This “house of the Lord” is the body consciousness, which is “hallowed,” or held in perfection by the Ego located at the heart-centre, called Jerusalem. This temple is polluted by passion, impurity, low ambitions, unworthy affections. Any thought or practice that is not high and holy desecrates the body temple. A point is reached where the law of Being is so transgressed that the man cannot retain his hold, and disintegrating forces, both within and without, are engendered.
Chaldeans means demons. These attack the man from without, and finally capture him, and all his faculties fall under the destructive powers of personal egotism, the “adversary.”
– UNITY magazine.
June 1, 1924: II Chronicles 36:11-21
What does “Zedekiah” represent? Zedekiah was an Israelite, originally named Mattaniah (God’s gift). Mattaniah was elevated to the throne of Israel by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his name was changed to Zedekiah (justice of God). Spiritual discernment reveals that Zedekiah represents divine justice changed to mortal concept of God’s justice.
What does Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, represent? Nebuchadnezzar represents the will ruling in the confusion of psychic and sense consciousness.
When the will, ruled by sense, dominates and attempts to adjust the spiritual thoughts (Israel), what results? When the ruling will (Nebuchadnezzar) from its plane of consciousness tries to adjust spiritual thoughts, it materializes and separates the spiritual consciousness from its righteous sources of inspiration, the Cosmic Mind, Jehovah.
What is the meaning of the change of name? The name describes the character. When the character is changed, the name is changed.
What took place when Nebuchadnezzar elevated Mattaniah (God's gift) to the throne and changed his name to Zedekiah (justice of God)? The ruling consciousness in Spirit, which is the gift of God, was supplanted by the will ruling in sense consciousness. This change brought about a perverted sense of what is right and just under the law. Zedekiah was not open to divine inspiration (Jeremiah), therefore in the end he fell short, and Babylon (confusion) controlled the whole man.
How is the downfall of Zedehiah symbolically described in our lesson today? The lesson states that Zedekiah did evil in the sight of Jehovah, humbled not himself before Jeremiah, the prophet, speaking from the mouth of Jehovah, and finally rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
When man reaches this carnal state of consciousness, what is his condition? It is related in verse 14 that the priests and the people indulged in all the abominations of the unenlightened nations that surrounded them and that they polluted the house of Jehovah (the body).
What was the final end of this confusion as it worked in mind and in body? “And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof.”
What does this picture of destruction mean in individual experience? The burning of the house of God represents the consumption of the body by the fires of lust; breaking down the wall of Jerusalem means opening the spiritual consciousness to the invasion of discord from without; burning all the palaces with fire signifies the destruction of the artistic states of consciousness built up the intellect; the destruction of the goodly vessels represents the dissipation of the mental images in which man measures and appropriates the principles of being.
Metaphysically Interpreting II Chronicles 36:22-23
36:22Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 36:23Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-11-2014
