2Ki 8:7 And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
2Ki 8:8 And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
2Ki 8:9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
2Ki 8:10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
2Ki 8:11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.
2Ki 8:12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
2Ki 8:13 And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
2Ki 8:14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.
2Ki 8:15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
As was mentioned last week, the first section of chapter eight of 2 Kings represents more of the positive sowing that is happening by way of the woman who represents the body of Christ whose son was healed. In the verses we’re looking at in this section of Kings, we’ll see the negative tares that will be sown and used according to the counsel of God’s own will via king Hazael who represents Babylon within us who rejects the message of the true gospel of God (Eph 1:11). As always these things are written for our sake and for our admonition upon whom the end of the ages is come as they motivate us to ‘come out of her my people’ that we be not partakers of her plagues (1Co 10:11, 2Co 6:17).
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
After Hazael kills Benhadad the king of Syria, he in turn becomes the king of Syria as Elisha prophesied, and things just wax worse and worse (2Ti 3:13). Elisha was weeping over the future events he knew were going to come upon Judah just as Christ wept over Jerusalem (Luk 19:41-42). All of this story is to tell us the mindset we should have as the body of Christ as we near the end of this wicked generation knowing there is both an inward and outward application that God has to give us to understand. The world will not repent because of the hardness of their hearts, and those who do repent (Rom 2:4) are those who will be sealed with the holy spirit of promise experiencing God’s goodness in this age (Eph 1:13), typified by a set “mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Eze 9:4, Mat 24:22).
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
The elect are typified by these verses in Ezekiel that describe six men who came from the way of the higher gate which represents Christ who is judging God’s elect at this higher gate that lies toward the north from where judgment comes (Eze 9:2-3, 1Pe 4:17). There are six men representing our flesh which needs to be put off in order for us to be clothed with linen, which is a symbol of Christ’s righteousness within us making it possible for us to have a writer’s inkhornH7083 by our side, which symbolically means we can now read, hear and keep the sayings of the prophecies of Christ that bless us (Rev 1:3) due to his judgments which take us out of our previous foolish state of not knowing God (Pro 24:7, Psa 14:1). It is “one man”, and that one man represents Christ who is doing the work within us (Php 2:12-13) as we go into the court where the brasen altar is which represents a place of washing and repentance. All these thoughts in Ezekiel 9:2-3 lead up to the most important verse telling us the mindset of those who have been truly washed with the water of the word in this age (Eze 9:4).
Eze 9:2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
Eze 9:3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhornH7083 by his side;
Eze 9:4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads (Eph 1:13, 1Jn 2:20) of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
2Ki 8:7 And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, The man of God is come hither.
2Ki 8:8 And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
2Ki 8:9 So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
2Ki 8:10 And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.
The king of Syria represents Babylon who, although they seek the Lord, will not find the spiritual healing which will only come to a few in this life (Mat 22:14). Elisha coming to Damascus reminds us that Christ is not far from anyone (Act 17:27, Mar 12:34, Rev 3:20, Mat 13:16). Not everyone is being dragged to Christ, and even those who are dragged to Christ are not assured of continuing in a relationship with our Lord unless it has been ordained to be that way (Joh 6:44, Joh 8:31-32).
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Mar 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
So Hazael, at the request of the king, is sent to enquire of the man of God if he shall recover from his disease. Hazael is also told to bring a gift to Elisha “every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden” which represents the many wonderful gentile (camel) works that we do in this life without giving credit to Christ for being the one who has done them (Mat 7:22-23). Bringing forty camels foreshadows the great tribulation and death that is going to come to the king of Syria, and the nation of Israel (2Ki 13:22) and represents the death of our old man within us as well (Gen 6:3).
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.2Ki 13:22 But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years (40 years x 3) (Deu 31:2 , Deu 34:7).
Hazael is now standing before Elisha and asks this question on behalf of the king of Syria: “Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?” The treachery in Hazael’s heart has not been revealed yet and even when it is, he can’t believe that he is the murderous man: “But what, is thy servant a dog“, that Elisha describes with such detail in the next few verses (Pro 14:5, 2Sa 12:7).
Pro 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
2Sa 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
Elisha’s response to Hazael is, “Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover: howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die.” So essentially Elisha was telling Hazael that Benhadad would have survived if he hadn’t killed him. The mindset of Hazael is typical of one who crucifies Christ afresh, and he was the king’s servant who betrayed him, representing our flesh that denies Christ and, but for the grace of God, would crucify him afresh as well “and put him to an open shame” (Mat 10:33, 2Ti 2:13, Heb 6:6).
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
All these events unfolded as they did according to the counsel of God’s will (Eph 1:11) at the hand of a king’s servant, Hazael, who was caused by God to do these treacherous events to further destroy the kingdoms of men around him.
God anointed these events through Elijah who was told of the Lord years prior, to “anoint Hazael to be king over Syria”, of which truth Elisha was just now coming to understand since he was not yet with Elijah at that point in time (1Ki 19:15-17). This all demonstrates God’s sovereignty over all the plans of mankind and how that plan is only revealed to the few (Amo 3:7) who, by the grace of God, don’t bend the knee to Baal (1Ki 19:18) as was explained to Elijah prior to his being commanded to go anoint Hazael (1Ki 19:15, 1Ki 19:1-14).
1Ki 19:15 And the LORD said unto him [Elijah], Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
1Ki 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
1Ki 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
2Ki 8:11 And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed:H954 and the man of God wept.
2Ki 8:11 Elisha began to stare. He stared until [Hazael] felt embarrassed. Then the man of God began to cry. (ERV)
ashamed: H954 bûsh boosh A primitive root; properly to pale, that is, by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed, or delayed: – (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shame (-d), be (put to) confounded (-fusion), become dry, delay, be long.
Total KJV occurrences: 119
Everything Elisha says to Hazael and his reaction to those prophecies reminds us that the world does not know “the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes” (Luk 19:41-42, Eze 9:4, Joh 8:36). We are incredibly blessed to have His peace in this world, a peace that passes all understanding, given to us by God so we can endure unto the end (Php 4:6).
Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.Eze 9:4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Elisha was broken up over what he knew was coming, but he was not overwhelmed or destroyed by it. Peace is not peace as our flesh wants to define peace, but peace comes to us when we can believe Christ and labor for our daily bread, which He gives to those who seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness (Mat 6:33). We labor therefore for that peace which passes all understanding, and it is peace that needs to be nurtured by thinking on things true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Also think of the virtue of Christ we see in the body of Christ that goes out from each of us and any praise, think on these things so God’s peace can be sustained within us (2Co 4:8-10, Php 4:8).
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body [Eph 5:30].Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
2Ki 8:12 And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
This section of scripture is a type of the destruction of Babylon at the hands of the wicked Hazael who was anointed to be this driving spirit in his day (Rev 17:16). The terminology reveals that this mayhem which is prophesied to ensue is synonymous with the destruction of the churches and false doctrines and strongholds in the flesh which mankind holds onto at all cost, “Their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.” It is very reminiscent of the ten horns upon the beast that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire (Psa 17:13, Rev 17:16).
Psa 17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
2Ki 8:13 And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.
Hazael then asks Elisha, is “thy servant a dog” that he should bring all this destruction, to which Elisha answers, “The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria“, meaning, “Yes, you are a gentile dog in spirit being used in the service of God to accomplish His will.” Of course Hazael doesn’t see it this way, and yet he won’t stop at anything to get to the prominent place of power after which he is lusting even after being given the witness by God’s servant, Elisha. It doesn’t matter what God’s elect says to people during the thousand-year reign, or even today for that matter. A man convinced against his own will (which is not free) is of the same opinion still (and that stubbornness is of God as well [1Sa 15:23, 1Sa 16:14]), the lesson being it is only Christ who can convert our hearts so that His spirit within us can give us the ability to believe and continue to abide in that belief until our last breath (Php 1:21).
1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
2Ki 8:14 So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover.
2Ki 8:15 And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned in his stead.
In this 14th verse we see the forked tongue of the devil being revealed in Hazael who tells Benhadad the truth that he will recover, but fails to leave out the detail that he’s going to kill him on the morrow (Gen 2:16-17, Gen 3:1-5).
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [“He told me that thou shouldest surely recover“]
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Something done “on the morrow” is a biblical phrase that often accompanies judgment as these verses below indicate. Keep in mind as we read those verses that “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us”. In other words, that judgment is needful upon our flesh and it leads to life in Christ if we are blessed to be judged (1Pe 4:17) in this life (Gen 19:34, Exo 18:13, Exo 32:30, 1Sa 18:10, 1Sa 31:8, Jas 4:14-15, 2Co 1:20).
Gen 19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. [First man Adam who cannot be ‘crucified with Christ’ (Gal 2:20, Gal 5:24)]
Exo 18:13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
Exo 32:30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
1Sa 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.
1Sa 31:8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
The way in which he kills him ‘on the morrow’ is symbolic of how Babylon’s doctrines suffocate the life of Christ in us and blind us to the truth of God’s word which can set us free if we are granted to continue in them (Joh 8:31-32). He took a thick cloth and “dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died.” Dipping it in the waters of Babylon, not the living waters of God’s words, and spreading it on his face where, in a right relationship, symbolizes how we see Christ face to face in earnest (1Co 13:12-13, Eph 1:14). In Babylon, Christ is hidden from us, and there is no chance for life. The end result of these evil actions is that Hazael got the promotion he was looking for in his flesh as this is all that mattered to him.
1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Obviously Hazael is not a type of one who sighs and cries for the abominations of the world, but more perfectly demonstrates the problem with our carnal nature which needs to be destroyed by the brightness of God’s coming (2Th 2:8).
2Th 2:8 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:
"His Branch" 