Clue 12: Josiah Dies At 39

God tells us that Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign and that he reigned for 31 years, indicating that he died at the age of 39:
“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.” (2 Kings 22:1)
“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.” (2 Chronicles 34:1)

Nothing in the Bible is there without reason, so why did God give us this information? I’m not aware of anything in the Bible that illustrates the significance of the number 31 so perhaps God is directing our attention to the fact that Josiah was 39 years old when he died. If that’s true, then why is that significant?

When we read about Josiah we discover that he was a very good king who loved the Lord:
“And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 34:33)
In fact, Josiah was the last king of Judah to do that which is right in the eyes of God. The kings that followed him rebelled against God until Judah was destroyed.

Josiah’s death marked the beginning of the 70-year tribulation that came upon Judah. We learned in another study that God speaks of three periods of tribulation in the Bible: the tribulation in Canaan in Joseph’s day, the tribulation in Judah, and the Great Tribulation near the end of the world. We also learned that there are patterns among these tribulations (see Study on Patterns of Tribulation). We discovered that the tribulation in Canaan and the tribulation in Judah foreshadowed the Great Tribulation.

At the beginning of the Great Tribulation God removed His hand of protection from the churches and allowed Satan to rule within them (see Study on The Antichrist). Revelation chapter 11 speaks of this event as the time when the two witnesses were killed. All of this was foreshadowed by the death of the last good king, Josiah, after which the wicked kings ruled Judah and the enemy nation, Babylon, came in and conquered Judah.

In other words, Josiah’s death identifies with the beginning of the Great Tribulation, which we are learning likely began in 1988. Josiah was 39 years old when he died. The number 39 breaks down into 3 x 13. The number three signifies God’s plan (see Number Study on 3), and perhaps we can say in this case it also identify with the fact that 1988 marked the beginning of the third tribulation period spoken of in the Bible. The number 13 identifies with the end or the furthest extent, which again points to the Great Tribulation occurring near the end of the world. Also, the year 1988 was exactly the 13,000th year from Creation.

Furthermore, we have learned in other time clues that the Great Tribulation is likely 23 years in length. We have learned in this time clue that Josiah's death, in a spiritual sense, foreshadowed the end of the Early Rain. The Great Tribulation began the moment the Early Rain came to an end. Josiah's son, Jehoahaz, took the throne after Josiah and he was 23 years old when we began to reign:
"Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah." (2 Kings 23:31)
"Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem."
(2 Chronicles 36:2)

Summary

Though seemingly just coincidental on its own, it serves to confirm the conclusion we are arriving at in other time clues examined independently of this one.