And five hundred years after that, Jeroboam, King of Israel, made two Golden Calves, and built two altars, one in Dan at the North of Palestine, and the other in Bethel at the South of his Kingdom.
He told the people of Israel that it was too far for them to go to worship at Jerusalem, three times in the year, and that they could go instead to worship his Golden Calf, and could offer sacrifices upon the altars he had built.
Now God had told the Jews that Jerusalem was the place He had appointed for Worship; and also that only God's Priests, the sons of Aaron, were to offer either Sacrifices or Incense to Him.
One day, when King Jeroboam was himself offering incense on the altar he had made in Bethel, a Prophet of the Lord was sent to him with a message from God.
And this was the message—That one day, on this; very altar, the priests whom Jeroboam had made from the lowest of the people, should be offered, and their bones should be burnt upon this altar.
God gave a Sign, by which King Jeroboam should know that the Prophet's words were true, and that he had been sent by God.
This was the Sign. This altar of Jeroboam's should be rent—torn in pieces—and the ashes should be scattered on the ground.
King Jeroboam was very angry at the message, and he tried to seize the Prophet, but his hand dried up, and he could not use it.
And the Sign came to pass at once, for the altar fell to pieces and the ashes were scattered.
Jeroboam was very frightened, and begged the Prophet to ask the Lord to restore his hand.