History teaches us some powerful lessons if we are willing to read and learn. Even a rookie historian can observe the following pattern if he has the Holy Spirit to guide him. It is this:

“SATAN WILL NEVER TRY TO USURP

GOVERNMENT WITHOUT TRYING

TO CONTROL RELIGION.”

If you will:

“SATAN MUST BOTH SEIZE GOVERNMENT AND CORRUPT RELIGION, OR

OTHERWISE HE WILL BE UNABLE TO DOMINATE  EITHER.”

You have got to hear this now! I am not going to wait for a commercial to break your television viewing. Turn off the TV and listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us today. You and I will never hear the truth from the media anyway. Turn it off and turn on your Bible.

Yes, I know, the sight of a dark, blank, lifeless TV screen by now scares most Americans who feel compelled to reach out and revive it each day all day. Don’t! Turn it off, and open your Bibles with me to see truth that you must know, for it will come to pass. In fact, it already is coming to pass!

Of course, even a fledgling historian can bloody-well observe all of this in the case of Adolph Hitler in his usurpation of the German Government, and the extinguishing and mass murder of the Jewish religion and the Jewish people. To make his demonic government work, he had to get rid of the God-forces that stood in his way. Always! That is how Satan does it throughout history.

JEROBOAM SEIZES MAJORITY POWER

Oh yes, he was a real beaut this fella Jeroboam, son of Nebat and Zeruah (I Kings 11:26)! You may not know much about him, but he is well worth your investigation. You can learn a ton from this USURPER KING and how Satan worked through him to supplant civil government and defile religion. He is the poster child for how Satan works in the seizure of government and in the instituting of a false religion.

Jeroboam shall forever have the stigmas of being a POLITICAL USURPER and a SPIRITUAL IMPOSTER. If you will:

“FROM HIS USURPATION OF CIVIL POWER, HE MOVES TO THE INSTITUTION

OF A FALSE RELIGION TO SUIT HIS PURPOSES.”

First, Jeroboam’s path to power! When it was reported that King Solomon had died, an assembly of the 12 tribes of Israel was convened in Shechem to make Solomon’s son Rehoboam king in his father’s Solomon’s place. We read in I Kings 12:1,

“Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem

to make him king.”

Everything was in order, as the kingship of Solomon was now to pass to his boy Rehoboam. It was Rehoboam’s coronation day. It was to be the great inaugural of Rehoboam. It was not only his father’s will that this be done, but it was Rehoboam’s royal right of succession by sonship. It would be a smooth transition without missing a beat. It would be a gala and hopeful event. So they thought. 

Out of sight, in the background, and in the shadows (remember that shadows do not have shadows), all along was a man by the name of Jeroboam. He had been placed as overseer of labor and construction in Jerusalem by King Solomon himself. He had been a trusted member of Solomon’s government, albeit in a lower level position. Sort of like the Secretary of Labor. We are also told in I Kings 11:26 that he was a valiant warrior and very industrious. You might also say that he was a labor organizer.

But, Jeroboam was in rebellion against King Solomon for how the King forced people to do hard labor in the construction of the citadel. (I Kings 11:26-27) He became the leader of the grass roots – blue color workers as well as the spokesman for workers rights. There was a ground swell taking place in Jeroboam’s direction as the leader of the labor union.

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It all reminds me of Barack Hussein Obama who was a community organizer, and a worker behind the scenes for the underprivileged and socially disenfranchised. He with his wife and family  attended a church that was the symbol of discontent, hatred, and rebellion against America and all that she stands for – ONE NATION UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Barack Hussein Obama, educated in Marxism and Islam, was in rebellion against Capitalism very early in his life. First of all, he served a different God, and secondly, he raged against a nation that he believed did not afford liberty and justice for all. There has been a hostile take over of the government by Marxists, and Washington D.C. is filling the American air with Marxist gases that are making the United States smell  like a biological weapons test range. 

And as Jeroboam listened to and was strongly impacted by a false prophet named Ahijah the Shilonite and his 12 piece torn tunic (see I Kings 11:26-33), so Barack Hussein Obama listened to and was strongly impacted by a false prophet named Mohammed. We must never forget that Satan’s disguise is often prophetic, even as he used 400 false prophets to influence wicked King Ahab to go to battle against Ramath Gilead. And don’t let us forget the False Prophet who shall mislead masses into the worship of the Antichrist. False prophets are Satan’s strong suit both nationally and ecclesiastically.

Who could have known that one day both Jeroboam the labor organizer, and Barack Obama the community organizer with their strong and deceptive grass roots appeal, would seize control of their governments and split their nations. That is how Satan works throughout history, and that is why history has a way of repeating itself. It is the same devil behind it all.

America’s government mind you is now shut down, even though it has been in fact non-functional for a very long time. Even as The German Parliament was in chaos and disarray leading to Hitler’s take over. This all plays right into the hands of Beel-Barack who seeks to be the Marxist/Moslem Dictator of the United States of America. He is already the Dictator of America, even as for some time now he has been abusing his office through rampant and unconstitutional executive orders. The balance of powers in Washington D.C. is gone, and we have a wild demon in the White House on the loose.

The Dragon and Sea Beast of Revelation are raising their ugly heads on history’s stage right before our very eyes as never before in human history. And it is unfolding in the once greatest and freest country in the world. (See my teachings on The Rise of the Sea Beast Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 in the Table of Contents)

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When the news of the enthronement of Rehoboam spread, Jeroboam appointed himself spokesman for the working class to Rehoboam. He with the people appeared before Rehoboam, and urged that the people’s burdens under Solomon be lightened by his son. Especially easing the burden of heavy labor in Jerusalem that Solomon had assigned to the house of Joseph!

So we read in I Kings 11:3-4,

“Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the Assembly of Israel

came and spoke to Rehoboam saying,’

‘Your father made our yoke hard; therefore lighten the hard service of your

father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us,

and we will serve you.’”

I can just see Jeroboam pat Rehoboam’s unshaven face, as he tells him to be a good little king. The seeds of revolution have been and are being sown:

–First, Jeroboam had rallied the working masses behind himself, and he was training them to be malcontents and anarchists. Here already we have the revolutionary and his rebel subjects.

–Second, Jeroboam was taking swipes at Rehoboam’s dad Solomon, and in so doing was staining the memory of King Solomon, as well as weakening Rehoboam’s sacred right of succession.

–Third, Jeroboam was attempting to make Rehoboam appear as a puppet rather than a potentate, by demanding a conditional kingship.

Bible history tells us that Rehoboam refused the CONDITIONAL ALLEGIANCE offered him by Jeroboam and his followers. Rehoboam said NO both to their CONDITIONS and their offer of tentative loyalty. He would have none of it, for his kingship was not going to be based on LET’S-MAKE-A-DEAL POLITICS.

You see:

“THEY WANTED HIM TO BE A MODERATE KING, AND IF HE HAD BOWED TO THEIR 

DEMANDS, I GUARANTEE THAT THEN THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN

HIM MODERATE SUPPORT.”

That would be like me saying to my wife at the time of our engagement:

“SEEING YOU ARE A MODERATELY LOVABLE PERSON, I AM OFFERING YOU

FROM THIS TIME FORWARD A MODERATE AMOUNT OF LOVE.”

We then read in Scripture that Rehoboam not only rejected their conditional loyalty, but instead to teach them a lesson, he increased their burden. He knew that their demands would never end, so he nips it in the bud. He says to them, including their head honcho Jeroboam, in I Kings 12:14,

“…my father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father

disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

It was far from that warm, easy, loved feeling they were looking from Rehoboam that says to them, “There, there now, Kingy Rehoboamy will take good care of you.” He instead bursts their lobby bubble like several mountain rocks slamming against their political train. In short, they were wasting their breath.

King Elect Rehoboam underestimated Jeroboam’s backing in the grass roots. The result was then that 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel revolted against Rehoboam and against the House of David and elected Jeroboam as their king. He accepted their nomination and the enthronement of himself, and we read in I Kings 12:19,

“So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.”

So it was that the seizure of government was complete. Israel had been split in two, and Jeroboam ran away with the majority vote. King Jeroboam was now Ruler of the much larger Kingdom of Israel to the north, while Rehoboam was King of the much smaller Kingdom of Judah to the south. 

You’ve got to hand it to Giro-Jero, he is now flying high. He now trades in his hard hat for the crown, his construction garb for royal robes, and his hammer and saw for the scepter. The overseer of a worksite now ascends the throne.

Hear it:

“USURPERS OF POWER DO NOT UNITE, BUT THEY ALWAYS DIVIDE AND

 STRONGLY POLARIZE IN ORDER TO CONQUER AND RULE,

EVEN IF THEY HAVE TO SPLIT AND DESTROY

THE NATION TO DO IT.”

And:

“USURPERS APPEAR TO BE SERVANTS OF THE PEOPLE, BUT ARE IN FACT

USING THEM TO TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN IDEOLOGY AND

REPLACEMENT GOVERNMENT.”

In point of fact, Giro-Jero and Beel-Barack are both USURPERS OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND DIVIDERS OF NATIONS.

KING JEROBOAM’S REPLACEMENT RELIGION

Hear me:

“THERE IS NO DEVIL LIKE AN ENEMY OF GOD IN POWER.”

And hear this at the outset:

“TRUE RELIGION IS THE WORST ENEMY OF AN ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT.”

King Jeroboam was a shrewd dude, and he immediately realizes that the Jewish true and God-ordained religion among his subjects could be his undoing. What are we talking about? Well now, easy does it as we continue to dig into the mind of this conniving usurper. Follow along!

We listen as King Jeroboam now argues within himself in I Kings 12:27,

“If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem,

then the heart of the people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam

King of Judah, and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam

their King of Judah.” 

Deep down you will note that Giro-Jero realized that Rehoboam was the real king, and that he was not. A very tenuous and vulnerable position to be in.

Now we have to get a hold of this, for though it be subtle, it is absolutely profound. It is this:

“THE TRUE WORSHIP OF GOD INCLINES MEN TO BE IN  SUBJECTION TO RIGHTFUL,

GOD-ORDAINED GOVERNMENT.”

Giro-Jero the Usurper knew that principle.They go together!

So it was that Giro-Jero sensed the danger to his throne of letting his people go to Jerusalem and worship the true and only God of their fathers. For if they did, the strong possibility existed that they would be given spiritual enlightenment and see through Jeroboam’s fake throne to God’s true appointed King of Judah – Rehoboam. I mean, so he even thought that they might then turn on him and even kill him. Listen:

“TRUE GODLY RELIGION CAN REALLY MESS UP THE DEVIL’S USURPER AND

HIS FALSE GOVERNMENT.”

Therefore:

“WHAT JEROBOAM WON BY POLITICAL USURPATION MUST BE GUARDED BY

RELIGIOUS DECEPTION.”

Hear this children of God:

“SIN IS ALWAYS SECONDED AND SUPPORTED BY MORE SIN.”

And:

“MEN NEVER COMMIT ONE SIN TO PLEASE THEMSELVES, BUT THAT THEY

COMMIT ANOTHER SIN TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.”

Like:

“IT IS FREQUENT FOR ADULTERERS TO CONCEAL THE SHAME OF

ADULTERY BY TELLING LIES.”

So now, note Jeroboam’s politico-religio shrewd strategy. We read in I Kings 12:28,

“So the King consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them

(the people), ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your

gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.'”

I can hear it now, can’t you? We can hear the edict of King Jeroboam that may have gone something like this:

“I, KING JEROBOAM, BY THE ADVICE OF MY COUNCIL, CONSIDERING THE GREAT DISTANCE OF THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM, AND THE GREAT EXPENSES AND HARDSHIP THAT THE PEOPLE ARE PUT THROUGH TO GET THERE;

HAVE CONSIDERED A WAY THAT IS EASIER AND MUCH LESS BURDENSOME TO THE PEOPLE, AS WELL AS MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE TO THE PRIESTS THEMSELVES.

THEREFORE I COMMAND THAT NO ONE HENCEFORTH GO TO THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. AND KNOWING THAT GOD IS NOT TIED TO ANYONE PLACE OR FORM, I HAVE ORDAINED TWO GOLDEN CALVES TO BE YOUR GODS WHO BROUGHT YOU AND YOUR FATHERS UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT.”

It is astonishing what men will fall for, succumb to, and live out when it comes to religion. It was the ole Aaronic golden calf religion, only doubled. We must understand that SATAN is the GREAT INNOVATOR OF FALSE RELIGION, DOCTRINE, AND PRACTICE. We must never forget that Satan, the father of lies, is the author of all false religion on planet earth. Never forget:

“SATAN, THE ANGEL OF LIGHT, THE WHITE DEVIL, CAN BE EXTREMELY RELIGIOUS,

BUT IT WILL ALWAYS BE A FALSE RELIGION TO KEEP MEN FROM TRUE

RELIGION, AND A FALSE GOD TO KEEP MEN FROM THE TRUE GOD.”

And you have to hand it to Jeroboam! We all have heard of FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS. Well now, this was FAST CONVENIENT RELIGION. What do I mean? Simply this:

“YOU COULD GET YOUR GODS AND YOUR SACRIFICES TO THEM

FROM THE SAME HERD.”

One stop shopping! And what is more, King Giro-Jero not only replaced the true religion with false relation, but he controlled it from within. That is to say, he not only became King, but took it upon himself to be a Priest as well. We read in I Kings 13:1,

“…while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.”

In short, Jeroboam wanted to run the entire show both governmentally and religiously, and be in charge of both church and state. That is:

“JEROBOAM WAS BOTH A ROYAL USURPER AND A PRIESTLY IMPOSTER.”

We must understand this principle in life:

“NO MAN KNOWS AT HIS FIRST STEP INTO SIN HOW FAR IT WILL

LEAD  HIM OR INTO WHAT OTHER SINS IT WILL TAKE HIM.”

For:

“THE COMMISSION OF SIN IS LIKE THE POURING OUT OF WATER, WHICH

ONCE IF BEGINS TO POUR, KNOWS NO BOUNDS AND RUNS

AS FAR AS IT CAN.”

SOME VERY IMPORTANT LESSONS

FIRST:

“THE SUREST WAY TO STRENGTHEN RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT IS TO ESTABLISH

THE RIGHT EXERCISE OF RELIGION AND THE TRUE WORSHIP OF GOD.”

SECOND:

“THE SUREST WAY TO STRENGTHEN UNRIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT IS TO DESTROY

OR CORRUPT RELIGION WITH THE WORSHIP OF FALSE

GODS AND PRACTICES.”

THIRD:

“GODLY GOVERNMENT CANNOT REALIZE JUST AND RIGHTEOUS ENDS IN SOCIETY

WITHOUT THE PRESENCE AND HELP OF TRUE RELIGION.”

FOURTH:

“UNGODLY GOVERNMENT CANNOT REALIZE UNJUST AND  UNRIGHTEOUS ENDS IN

SOCIETY WITHOUT THE PRESENCE AND HELP OF FALSE RELIGION

OR NO RELIGION.”

FIFTH:

“WHEREVER YOU FIND NATIONS AND STATES THAT SERVE AND OBEY THE

ONLY TRUE GOD, YOU WILL FIND THE WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD

ALIVE AND WELL.”

SIXTH:

“WHEREVER YOU FIND NATIONS AND STATES THAT OPPOSE AND DISOBEY THE

TRUE GOD, YOU WILL FIND THE WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD BEING

CORRUPTED OR CRUSHED.”

We can state the inter-connectedness in many ways. But suffice it to say that wherever and whenever there is anti-God and anti-Christ usurpation of government, you will soon find true Bible-based religion being perverted or put down.

THE WITHERED HAND OF JUDGMENT

And so it was that as soon as King Giro-Jero seized authority and perverted religion that we read in I Kings 13:1-4,

“Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the

Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.”

“And he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, ‘O altar, altar,

thus says the Lord, ‘Behold a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah

by name, and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places

who burn incense on you, and human bones shall

be burned on you.’”

“Then he gave a sign the same day saying, ‘This is the sign which the Lord

has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which

are on it shall be poured forth.’”

“Now it came about when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which

he cried against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam stretched out his

hand from the altar saying, ‘Seize him.’”

There you have it! Then comes the inevitable consequence of the usurpation of government and corruption of religion – THE PERSECUTION OF THE TRUE PROPHET OF GOD who spoke out against Jeroboam’s idolatry and debasing of the sacred.

-First, the hostile takeover of government.

-Second, the destruction of true religion and worship.

-Third, the establishing of false religion and worship.

-Fourth, the persecution of the prophets of God.

It is all best summarized by one short statement in II Kings 10:29, words which are repeated over and over again in the history of the kings of Israel as an unending stigma to this man Jeroboam,

“…the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”

It is happening right now in America as never before with another Giro-Jero named Beel-Obama, even though much of the culture and the church are locked into the denial mode. He is a usurper of the American government, the destroyer of the Republic, and he will try to replace Christianity with Islam. He is God’s judgment upon a God-defying and rebellious nation.

Some are saying, “There you go again Bob. Did you have to lend this sour note of realism to the ancient tale?” Don’t be anxious! For God always has the last word and shows Who is boss. No sooner had Jeroboam lifted his hand against the prophet of God, but that we read in I Kings 13:4-5,

“…but his hand which he stretched out against him dried up so that he

could not draw it back to himself.”

“The altar also split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar,

according to the sign which the man of God had given

by the word of the Lord.” 

Amazing! Giro-Jero the usurper, is now affronting God with false incense in his right hand, and persecuting the prophet of God with his left hand. But before he knew what was happening, his hand of persecution was withered and shrunken and weakened so much that he could not even bring it back to his body. Just that quickly also, the bogus altar was split in two just like he had split the nation, even as the prophet of God had prophesied.

Listen friend:

“THERE IS NO SIN THAT CAN ESCAPE GOD’S SIGHT IN THIS WORLD,

OR GOD’S VENGEANCE BOTH IN THIS WORLD

AND IN THE NEXT.”

Every judgment of God has a force more or less destructive and often seizes upon the body of the one being Divinely judged. Of course the human body, which is but a mortal and frail thing of dust, crumbles and shrinks under the pressure. Here, Jeroboam’s hand withers under the hand of God the Judge.

Conclusion

If you would, please read I Kings 14:8-20 to find out the end of Jeroboam and his household. Amen!