. ( intro...continued )
Prophecy For Now
This remarkable prophecy pertains to our time, as well as giving
warning to the people of Israel in Moses' day. Few realize that the
prophecies of the Old Testament pertain, primarily, to this 21st
century--not,in many cases, to Old Testament times at all.
Most ministers and church leader today were schooled in the
theological seminaries of their particular denominations. They were
taught, nearly altogether, from sectarian books, not from the Bible.
Many of these will say:"We are a NEW Testament church," supposing
Old Testament prophecies pertained only to Old Testament times,
Having no meaning for us today. That is an error and a delusion!
Many Old Testament prophecies were never written for, nor read by
or to, the Israelites of those times. The new Testament Church of God
is actually built on the FOUNDATION of the Old Testament prophets,
as well as the apostles (Eph. 2:20).
Daniel wrote after both Israel and Judah had been removed from
Palestine as slaves. He had no way to communicate his prophecies to
his enslaved countrymen--and besides, the meaning was closed and
sealed until our time, now (Dan. 12:8-9).
Ezekiel was a prophet, not to the Jews of the house of Judah,
though he was among then in their captivity. But his prophecy was to
be delivered to the house of Israel---driven out some 130 years before,
and by Ezekiel's time lost from view. His prophecy was to be
delivered to the house of Israel TODAY, in this 21st century, by God's
ministers who now know their identity!
And this prophecy of Leviticus 26, though written by Moses
before the Israelites had entered the promised land, is one of dual
fulfillment. It was a warning to those of Moses' day, but its final
fulfillment, as we shall see, has taken place and is now taking place--
in our time. And, through the dual fulfillment, typical of so many
prophecies, it is also a WARNING to the American and British
peoples of impending events! Leviticus 26 is the basic prophecy of
the Old Testament. It contains a vital, living, tremendous message
and warning for our people today!
- ...................................... The Pivotal Prophecy
In this central prophecy, God reaffirmed the birthright promise--but
with conditions--for those of Moses' day! The birthright tribes of
Ephraim and Manasseh were then with the other tribes--as one
nation. Obedience to God's laws would bring the vast national wealth
and blessings of the birthright not only to Ephraim and Manasseh,
but the whole NATION would automatically have shared them at that
time......
Notice carefully that two of the Ten Commandments are
mentioned for emphasis. These were the main test commandments!
They were the test of obedience, and of faith in and loyalty to God.
God said: "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image...to bow
down unto it: for I am the Eternal your God. Ye shall keep MY
Sabbaths..." (verses 1 - 2).....
There was a condition--a great big "If ye walk in my statutes, and
keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in
due season, and the land shall yield her increase... " (verses 3 - 4). All
wealth comes out of the ground. They would enjoy bumper crops the
year round, one harvest on the heels of another. Verse 6: "And I will
give PEACE in the land... and none shall make you afraid... neither
shall the sword [of war] go through your land." What a blessing!
What nation enjoys continuous peace, without fear of invasion?
Of course, in this world, every nation has enemies. What if enemy
nations attacked? Verses 7-8: "And ye shall chase your enemies, and
they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an
hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight...."
Since many nations in this world always have been aggressors,
Israel would have been attacked. A nation with the military
superiority to defeat all attackers would soon become the dominant,
most powerful nation on earth--especially with resources and great
wealth from the ground. Verse 9: "For I will have respect unto you,
and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant
with you."
- ..................The Great Big If
But here comes the alternative--IF the conditions are not met: "... If
ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these
commandments... I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint
over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague [fever], that
shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of the heart [RSV: waste
the eyes and cause life to pine away]:and ye shall sow your seed in
vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you,
and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall
reign over you..." (verses 14 - 17). They would be invaded, conquered
become once again slaves as they had been in Egypt before God
freed them.
- .......................C O N T I N U E T O . . .
................[ The Prophecies For The Immediate Future ]
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