The Period of the Divided Kingdoms of North and South and the Period of the Divided Kingdoms of East and West

Section IV

The Period of the Divided Kingdoms of North and South and the Period of the Divided Kingdoms of East and West

The period of the United Kingdom began with King Saul and continued through King David and King Solomon. But because King solomon worshipped the gentile gods that his wives had been worshipping (I Kings 11:4-9), it was divided after three generations into the Northern Kingdom of Israel, centering on the ten tribes in the position of Cain, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, centering on the two tribes in the position of Abel. Thus came the period of the divided kingdoms of North and South.

Likewise, the Christian Kingdom, established by Emperor Charlemagne, also was divided into three--the East Franks, the West Franks, and Italy--at the third generation because his three grandsons quarreled with one another. However, since Italy was under the rule of the East Franks, it was actually divided into East and West. Meanwhile, the East Franks rose greatly under King Otto I, calling themselves the Holy Roman Empire. The Empire ruled over West Europe in the name of the Roman Emperor, trying to secure both political and religious power. Thus the East Franks stood in the position of Abel against the West Franks.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel, centering on Jeroboam, the exile from the Kingdom of Solomon, had 19 kings in 260 years. Through their killing one another, the royal families changed 9 times, and not one king was righteous. Consequently, God destroyed 850 prophets of Baal and Ashera by showering fires over the altar on Mount Carmel through the prophet Elijah, sent from the Southern Kingdom of Judah (I Kings 18:19-40). He also sent many other prophets like Elisha, Jonah, Hosea and Amos, having them evangelize at the risk of their lives. Nevertheless, the Northern Kingdom of Israel continued to worship evil spirits without repenting, so God delivered them into the hands of Assyrians to be destroyed. They were completely deprived of the qualification of God's elect for eternity (II Kings 17:17-23).

Meanwhile, the Southern Kingdom of Judah, centering on Rehoboam, the Son of Solomon, continued from King David to King Zedekiah in one orthodox line, producing many righteous kings out of the 20 who ruled for 394 years. After King Josiah, many unrighteous kings appeared in succession and, by falling into idol worship influenced by the Northern Kingdom, they were taken captive to Babylon.

Whenever the people of Israel stood in the position contrary to the ideal of the temple, God continued to send prophets, four major and twelve minor ones in all, encouraging them to arouse movements of internal reformation. However, the people did not repent, even at the prophets' advice, and God had to work His providence of external chastisement by delivering them into the hands of the Gentiles, such as Chaldea, Syria, and Babylon.

In the period of the divided kingdoms of East and West, which restored this period by indemnity as substantial time-identity, the Vatican was corrupted; and renowned monastics, such as Thomas Aquinas, St. Bernard and St. Francis, around the movement of internal reformation by giving advice. However, the ruler still tended to fall and be corrupted without repentance, and God worked His providence of external purge by delivering them into the hands of the Gentiles. This was the providence behind the Crusades. When the Holy Land of Jerusalem belonged to the Caliph, the Christian pilgrims were received with hospitality. But after the occupation of Jerusalem by the Seljuk Turks upon the fall of the Caliphate, they were persecuted, and the successive kings, in rage, raised the Crusades to restore the Holy land. The Crusades, which began in 1096, had seven expeditions in about 200 years, but they were defeated again and again.

In the period of the divided kingdoms of North and South, the peoples of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah were all taken captive by the Gentiles. Thus the autocratic society of Israel finally collapsed. Likewise, in the period of the divided kingdoms of East and West, the papal power completely lost its authority and supremacy with the defeat of the Crusades, and the national spirit lost its center. Besides, due to the deaths of the many feudal lords and knights who maintained the feudal society, the people lost their political base. Also, the tremendous amount of war expenditures as a result of the repeated loss of battles left them utterly impoverished. At this point, the Christian autocratic society finally began to collapse.