UZZIAH'S EARTHQUAKE

PRIDE BUSTERS 

UZZIAH WAS KING OF JUDAH 

AT AGE 16, AND REIGNED 52 YEARS.

In the beginning he was faithful to God.  But PRIDE brought him down, the day he went into the Temple in Jerusalem to burn incense on the holy altar.

"But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense."  2 Chronicles 26:16  NIV

Azariah and eighty other priest confronted 

Uzziah and demanding for him to leave.

"Azariah the priest with eighty other

 courageous priests of the Lord followed him

 in. They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It

 is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to

 the Lord. That is for the priests, the

 descendants of Aaron, who have been

 consecrated to burn incense. Leave the

 sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and

 you will not be honored by the Lord God.”  

2 Chronicles 26:17-18  NIV

Uzziah full of anger at the priests, was struck

with leprosy on his forehead.

"Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to

 burn incense, became angry. While he was

 raging at the priests in their presence before

 the incense altar in the Lord’s temple,

 leprosy broke out on his forehead. When

 Azariah the chief priest and all the other

 priests looked at him, they saw that he had

 leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him

 out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave,

 because the Lord had afflicted him."  

2 Chronicles 26:19-20  NIV

King Uzziah had to be isolated, because of his

leprosy; until the day he died.

"King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died.

 He lived in a separate house—leprous, and

 banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham

 his son had charge of the palace and

 governed the people of the land."  2 Chronicles 26:21  NIV

"The other events of Uzziah’s reign, from

 beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet

 Isaiah son of Amoz.  Uzziah rested with his

 ancestors and was buried near them in a

 cemetery that belonged to the kings, for

 people said, “He had leprosy.” And Jotham his

 son succeeded him as king."  

2 Chronicles 26:22-23  NIV  New International Version

JOSEPHUS WRITES ABOUT THIS EVENT. 

At the time Uzziah offered incense, a GREAT

EARTHQUAKE happened.  A ray of sunshine

came down and shown on Uzziah's face giving

him leprosy.  And a landslide occurred 

destroying the King's gardens.

"Accordingly, when a remarkable day was

 come, and a general festival was to be

 celebrated, he put on the holy garment, and

 went into the temple to offer incense to God

 upon the golden altar, which he was prohibited

 to do by Azariah the high priest, who had

 fourscore priests with him, and who told him

 that it was not lawful for him to offer sacrifice

, and that "none besides the posterity of Aaron

 were permitted so to do." And when they cried

 out that he must go out of the temple, and not

 transgress against God, he was wroth at

 them, and threatened to kill them, unless they

 would hold their peace. In the mean time a

 great earthquake shook the ground and a rent

 was made in the temple, and the bright rays of

 the sun shone through it, and fell upon the

 king's face, insomuch that the leprosy seized

 upon him immediately. And before the city, at

 a place called Eroge, half the mountain broke

 off from the rest on the west, and rolled itself

 four furlongs, and stood still at the east

 mountain, till the roads, as well as the king's

 gardens, were spoiled by the obstruction."

Josephus "Antiquities of the Jews" chapter 10, section 4

AMOS PROPHESIED ABOUT THIS EARTHQUAKE  

 "The words of Amos, who was one of

 the  sheep breeders from Tekoa—what he

 saw  regarding Israel in the days of

 Uzziah, king of  Judah, and Jeroboam son of

 Jehoash, king of  Israel, two years before the

 earthquake."

 Amos 1:1 HCSB  Holman Christian Standard Bible