The Night an ANGEL Saved the KING: Full MOVIE of Hezekiah | Animated Bible Story

The people had no chance against the Assyrians. Then suddenly, one angel came down from heaven. The next morning, none of the enemies were alive. King Hezekiah became ruler of Judah and would soon face the most powerful king on earth. He watched his nation become surrounded. But next thing he knew, an angel came down and every single enemy died. Hezekiah became king of Judah when he was 25 years old. But his kingdom was already living under the control of Assyria, the strongest empire around them. Assyria had already destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. Many people were taken away from their homes. Judah stayed safe by giving silver and gold to the Assyrian king. As long as Judah kept paying, Assyria left them alone. But Assyria was not the only problem Hezekiah received from his father. Ahaz had been an evil king. He filled Judah with idols and even sacrificed his own children in the fire to false gods. He shut the doors of God's temple. The lamps went dark and the people turned away from the Lord. Hezekiah refused to continue his father's ways. As soon as he became king, he opened the temple doors. He called the priests and Levites back to Jerusalem. Then he ordered them to clean every room and remove everything that did not belong there. For days, the men carried dirt and broken objects out of the temple. They cleaned the altar and prepared the holy objects again. The lamps were lit and songs of worship returned. After years of silence, the people gathered inside God's temple once more. Hezekiah continued removing false worship from Judah. People had even begun worshiping the bronze snake that Moses had made many years earlier. God had once used it to save the Israelites. But now the people treated it like an idol. Hezekiah ordered the bronze snake smashed into pieces. Across Judah, Hezekiah destroyed false altars, broke sacred stones, and cut down the wooden poles used to worship other gods. Then he sent messengers across Judah and into the remaining towns of Israel. They invited everyone to come to Jerusalem for Passover. Some people laughed at the messengers and refused to listen. Others accepted the invitation. Families began traveling toward Jerusalem, and the city soon filled with worshipers. For the first time in many years, the people celebrated Passover together. While Judah returned to God, Hezekiah also made a dangerous decision. He stopped sending payments to Assyria. He would no longer live as the Assyrian king's servant. This decision gave Judah freedom. But it also placed Hezekiah directly against the most powerful king in the region. Hezekiah knew there would be an answer. The answer came from Sennacherib, the new king of Assyria. He sent his large army into Judah and attacked its protected cities. Assyrian soldiers surrounded one city after another. They built paths up to the walls, pushed heavy machines forward, and broke through the gates. News of the attacks reached Jerusalem. Messengers arrived every few days with another report. One city had fallen, then another was taken. Sennacherib's army was moving deeper into Judah, and Jerusalem could soon be next. Hezekiah began preparing the capital. He met with his officers and ordered them to block the springs outside the city. He did not want the Assyrian army to find plenty of water when it arrived. Workers repaired the broken parts of Jerusalem's wall. They built towers and raised another wall outside the first one. Hezekiah also ordered large numbers of shields and weapons to be made. Then he placed officers over the people and gathered them in the city square. Be strong and brave, Hezekiah told them. Do not be afraid of the king of Assyria. He has a great army, but the Lord our God is with us. God will fight our battles. The people were encouraged by their king's words. Yet the reports from outside Jerusalem kept getting worse. Sennacherib reached Lachish, one of Judah's strongest cities. His army surrounded it and began attacking its walls. Hezekiah now understood how close the danger had come. He became afraid and tried to stop the attack with money. He sent a message to Sennacherib and admitted that he had rebelled. He promised to pay whatever the Assyrian king demanded. Sennacherib demanded a huge payment. Hezekiah emptied the royal storehouses and took silver from the temple. He even removed gold from the temple doors. Then he sent everything to the Assyrian king. But the payment did not save Jerusalem. Sennacherib kept the silver and gold. Then he sent part of his army toward the city. The people of Jerusalem saw Assyrian soldiers gathering outside their walls. Roads leading out of the city were blocked. Hezekiah's soldiers took their places at the gates and towers. Everyone waited to hear what the Assyrians would do next. An Assyrian commander came forward with a message from Sennacherib. He stood near the wall and called out to Hezekiah's officers. He spoke in the language of Judah so the people nearby could understand him. What are you trusting in? he asked. Do you think words can win a war? Hezekiah cannot protect you from the king of Assyria. Hezekiah's officers asked the commander to speak in another language. They did not want everyone on the wall to hear his message. But he refused. He wanted the whole city to question Hezekiah. The commander shouted even louder. He told the people not to trust their king. He promised them food and land if they gave up. Then he began mocking the lord. Have the gods of any other nation saved them from Assyria? he asked. Where are those nations now? Why should you believe your god will save Jerusalem? The people remained silent. Hezekiah had ordered them not to answer. The Assyrian commander continued speaking but no reply came from the wall. Hezekiah's officers returned to the palace with their clothes torn. They repeated every word they had heard. Hezekiah tore his own clothes and covered himself with rough cloth. Then he went into the temple. He sent his officers to the prophet Isaiah and asked him to pray for the people who remained in Jerusalem. Isaiah sent back a clear answer from God. He told Hezekiah not to fear the Assyrian words. Sennacherib would hear troubling news and return to his own land. One day he would be killed there by the sword. Soon the Assyrian army left Jerusalem to deal with another approaching army. But Sennacherib had not forgotten Hezekiah. He sent him a letter filled with the same threats. The letter named the kingdoms Assyria had already destroyed. Their gods had not saved them. Sennacherib warned Hezekiah not to believe that the Lord would save Jerusalem. Hezekiah received the letter and read it. Then he went into the temple and spread it before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed, Lord, you alone are God over every kingdom. It is true that Assyria has destroyed many nations. Their gods could not save them because they were only objects made by human hands. Now, Lord, save us from Sennacherib. Then every kingdom will know that you alone are God. God answered Hezekiah through Isaiah. Sennacherib had mocked the Lord and God had heard him. The Assyrian king would not enter Jerusalem. He would not shoot an arrow into the city or build a path against its wall. He would return by the road he had used to come. That night, the Assyrian soldiers remained in their camp outside Jerusalem. The people inside the city stayed behind the walls. Hezekiah's army did not go out to fight them. Then the angel of the Lord struck the Assyrian camp. When morning came, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were dead. The army that had defeated many kingdoms could no longer attack Jerusalem. Sennacherib ended his campaign and returned to Nineveh. But Hezekiah was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. Years later, Sennacherib entered the temple of his own God. While he was worshiping there, two of his sons killed him with swords. They escaped to another land and another son became king. Isaiah's warning had come true. Sometime during Hezekiah's reign, he became very sick. His strength disappeared and he could no longer leave his bed. Isaiah came to him with a message from God. Put your house in order, Isaiah said. You are going to die. You will not recover. Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and began to pray. He asked God to remember how he had served him faithfully. Then the king wept deeply. Isaiah left the room and walked through the palace yard. Before he reached the outer gate, God spoke to him again. Isaiah immediately turned around and returned to Hezekiah. He told the king that God had heard his prayer and seen his tears. God would heal him and give him 15 more years of life. On the third day, Hezekiah would be able to enter the temple again. God would also continue protecting Jerusalem from Assyria. Isaiah told the servants to prepare a mixture of figs. They placed it on Hezekiah's painful sore. Hezekiah then asked for a sign that God would truly heal him. Isaiah gave him a choice. The shadow on the palace steps could move forward 10 steps or backward 10 steps. Hezekiah said moving forward would be easy. He asked for the shadow to move backward. Isaiah prayed to God. Then the shadow moved back 10 steps. God healed Hezekiah just as he had promised. The king recovered and returned to the temple. Hezekiah wrote about his sickness after he became well. He remembered how quickly his life had nearly ended. He thanked God for hearing his prayer and giving him more years. However, Hezekiah later became proud. He had gained great riches and honor. His storehouses held silver, gold, spices, shields, and many valuable objects. He also built places to store grain, wine, and oil. God had blessed him greatly. But Hezekiah began thinking too highly of himself. Messengers soon arrived from Babylon. Their king had heard about Hezekiah's sickness and recovery. He sent letters and a gift to Jerusalem. Hezekiah was pleased that a powerful kingdom had noticed him. He welcomed the messengers and showed them everything he owned. He led them through rooms filled with silver and gold. He showed them his spices, weapons, oil, and every valuable object in his storehouses. He kept nothing hidden. After the Babylonian messengers left, Isaiah came to Hezekiah. Who were those men? Isaiah asked. Where did they come from? And what did they see? Hezekiah said they had come from the distant land of Babylon. Then he admitted that he had shown them everything. There was nothing in his house that they had not seen. Isaiah warned him that a day would come when Babylon would carry away all the treasure he had displayed. Nothing would be left. Some members of Hezekiah's own family would also be taken away and forced to serve in Babylon's palace. Hezekiah realized that pride had entered his heart. He humbled himself before the Lord and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves with him. Because they turned back to God, the punishment did not come during Hezekiah's lifetime. Hezekiah accepted the message from God. He was thankful that Judah would have peace during the years that remained for him. He continued ruling Judah and made Jerusalem stronger. He built a tunnel that carried water from the spring of Gihon into the city. This gave Jerusalem a protected supply of water. Hezekiah completed many other projects and became respected by the nations around him. He ruled Judah for 29 years. When Hezekiah died, the people of Jerusalem honored him.