2 Kings 25:18

2 Kings 25:18 says, And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:  The Babylonians began to gather the religious leaders, starting with Seraiah the chief priest and the second priest and three keepers of the door.  Matthew Henry says that Seraiah seems to have been Ezra's father, so his death which we see happened soon, did not stop his son from becoming a great man of God.  God's work will always continue until the return of Jesus Christ, no matter how many of His people may be killed.  Verse nineteen adds, And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:  They continued by gathering the military leaders in Jerusalem as well as the scribe.  We cannot expect our military leaders to deliver us from the power of evil in the world today if we do not follow put faith in God and follow His commandments.  Verse twenty continues, And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: Nebuzaradan took these men and brought them to the king of Babylon in Riblah.  God had brought the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and had brought them into the Promised Land with the understanding that they would be faithful to Him, and they had failed to do so.  Now, they were being led out of the Promised Land and into captivity in Babylon, if they were allowed to live at all.  The only way we can escape the coming judgment of God is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord and put our faith in Him no matter what.  Verse thirty-one adds, And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.  We are told that these men were slain at Riblah.  Though they were God's Chosen People, they had continually refused to be obedient to Him, so now He allowed them to be taken captive once more.  As followers of Christ, we are a part of God's Chosen People, but if we allow sin back into our lives, He may remove His protective hand from us.  Even if we do remain faithful, at times He may not prevent us from being punished or even killed by those in power, but if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will always be a part of His Kingdom, no matter what may happen to us in this lifetime.