Basic HTML Version
lsles, a very. small part of India and of Canada and a few
little islands. The United States consisted only of the ori–
ginal 13 colonies and three added •states. Neither pos–
sessed any great wealth or power.
But beginning in 1800 these two little nations began to
sprout and to grow into vast na tional riches and power
such as no people ever possessed. Soon Br itain's empire
spread around the world, until the sun never set upon her
possessions. Canada, Australia, South Africa were given
dominion status- made free and independent nations, rul–
ing themselves independent of England_:___a
company,
or
commonwealth, of nations joined together, not by legal
government,
but solely by the throne of David!
But why was that tremendous birthright , which was
promised
uncondit ionally
to Abraham, repromised to
Isaac and Jacob, never bestowed for millennia of time-–
until after
A.D.
1800? Theanswer is amazing-exciting!
To understand this miraculous burst into world domi–
nance, it is necessary to examine the very pivot of Old
Testament prophecies- the 26th chapter of Leviticus.
Prophecy f or Now!
This remarkable prophecy pertains to
our time,
as well as
giving wa rning to the people of Israel in Moses' day. Few
realize that the prophecies of the Old Testament pertain,
primarily, to this 20th century- not , in many cases, to
Old Testament times at all.
Most ministers a nd church leaders today were schooled
in the theological seminaries of their particular denomina–
tions. 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 tp Old Testament times, having
no meaning for us today.
That is an error anda de/usion!
Many Old Testament prophecies were never written for,
nor read by or to, the lsraelites of those times. The New
Testament Church of God is actually built on the
FOUN–
DATION
of the Old Testament prophets, as well as the
apostles (Eph. 2:20).
Daniel wrote after both Israel and Judah had been re–
moved from Palestine as slaves. He had no way to commu–
nicate 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
J udah, though he was among them in their captivity. But
his prophecy was to be delivered to the house of Israel–
driven out sorne 130 years before, and by Ezekiel's time
lost from view. His prophecy was to be delivered to the
house of Jsrael
TODAY,
in this 20th century, by God's min–
isters who now
know
their identity!
And this prophecy of Leviticus 26, though written by
Moses before the lsraelites 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,
8
through the dual fulfillment, typical of so many prophe–
cies, it is also a w
ARNlNG
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 Plvotal Prophec y
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 sha red 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
1
am the Eterna! your God. Ye shall keep
MY
sabbaths ..."
(verses 1-2).
Therewas a
condition- a
great big "ir'-to their receiv–
ing actual fulfillment ofthis stupendous birthright promise
in their time!
God said: "/fye walkin my statutes, and keep
mycommandments,and
dothem;then
1willgiveyou rain in
due season, and the land shall yield her increase ... "
(verses 3-4). All wealth comes out of the ground. They
wouldenjoy bumpercrops the year round, oneharveston the
heels of another. Verse 6: "And 1 will give
PEACE
in the
land ... and none shall make you afraid ... neither shall
the sword [ofwar] go through your land." What a blessing!
What nation enjoys continuous peace, without fear of inva–
sion?
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 fa ll before you by
the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred. and an
hundred of you shall put ten thousand to fiight ...."
Since many nations in this world always have been ag–
gressors, Israel would have been attacked. A nation with
the mili tary 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 1 will have respect unto you, and
make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my
covenant with you."
The Great Blg lf
But here comes the alternative- /F the conditions are not
met: " ... if ye wi ll
not
hearken unto me, and will not do
all these commandments.... 1also will do this unto you; 1
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
li fe to pine away]: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for
The
PLAIN TRUTH April 1979