And NOW WHAT? The Prophecies for the Immediate Future
The Birthright, once we received it, was stupendous, awesome! — unequalled among nations or empires! But what have our peoples done with that awesome blessing? They were still Israelites, even though they themselves knew it not! They were still rebellious, "stiff-necked," stubborn! Once the British peoples, and the Americans — the "lost" Israelites now supposing they are Gentiles — found themselves basking in the pleasant sunshine of such wealth and power, they were less willing than their ancient forefathers to yield to their God and His ways. They felt no need of Him, now! It seems few ever turn to God until they find themselves in desperate need or trouble. But after God had withheld the Birthright 2520 years, and then, when our peoples deserved nothing from God, He had suddenly bestowed on us national blessings unparalleled in history — the unconditional Promise to Abraham had been kept! No longer is God obligated by His Promise to continue our undeserving peoples in world prestige, dominance, wealth and greatness. Once we had been given such unrivalled position, it was up to us whether we should keep it. So now back to Leviticus 26. We had previously covered, in Chapter 10, verses 1 through 18. God said that if, for all these previous punishments the Israelites would not listen to and obey Him, He would punish them the duration of 2520 YEARS. Then what? If, after that 2520 years of withholding the Birthright, our people — with the Birthright — still rebel, God continues, verse 19: "And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass..." God has already begun that!
We HAD Pride in Our Power!
God could not speak about breaking the pride of our national power, until after that Birthright power had been bestowed! He put our nations in the position of possessing the greatest national power any nation or empire ever possessed. We had great pride in that national power — in our national prestige. I remember hearing President Theodore Roosevelt tell of His pride in that power — and how he used it when he was President. The Germans were sending a battleship steaming toward Manila Bay, threatening to take over the Philippines. The Philippines were then a United States possession. President Roosevelt sent the Kaiser a terse note demanding that the German warship lie immediately withdrawn. "The Kaiser didn't know, then, that I meant it!" snapped Mr. Roosevelt. "So I sent another note. Only, I didn't send this second note to the Kaiser. I sent it to Admiral Dewey, in command of the United States Pacific Fleet. It ordered the entire Fleet to steam full speed toward the German battleship, and if it did not turn around and go back, to sink it!" said Mr. Roosevelt with emphatic force.' In those days, before World War I, we had PRIDE in our national power!
... but We Lost It!
Today, even little nations dare to insult, trample on, or burn the United States flag — and the United States, still having power, does no more than issue a weak protest! What's happened to the pride of our power? We have already lost it! God said "I will break the pride of your power!" And He did!
Top, photo shows young demonstrators burning U.S. flog in France. Below, Cypriot demonstrators tell Britain: "Get Out!" These are mild foretastes of the worldwide persecution and tribulation to strike the American and British people. - Wide World Photos - (See PDF - Page 197)
Now, other prophecies reveal, we are to have soon (probably in about four years) such drouth, and famine, that disease epidemics will follow taking millions of lives. When our heaven is as iron, our earth as brass, we will realize rain does not come down from IRON, and an earth hard as brass is not getting rain, not yielding food! Verse 20: "And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits." Well, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING FORETASTES OF THAT! That condition is coming! And I do not mean in 400 years — nor in 40 years — but in the very next four or five! But will America and Britain HEED? They never have! Then what? After all that, then what? Verse 21: "And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me: I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins." There, again, as in verse 18, (Chapter 10 of this book), is that Hebrew word, "shibah." Actually, in the Hebrew in which Moses wrote, there are not the two Hebrew words, one meaning "seven" and the other "times." There is just the one word, "shibah." As explained in Chapter 10, the word is defined as "seven times," and also as "sevenfold." The "seven times" conveys duration of punishment. The "sevenfold" meaning of the same word conveys intensity of punishment.
Now More INTENSE Punishment
Because of its use and construction in the sentence, and because of what actually happened, it is certain that in verse 18 this Hebrew word, "shibah" refers to duration of punishment — seven prophetic times, which, during this punishment, was an actual 2520 years! But, also because of the very different sentence structure, and because there cannot now be another 2520-year withholding of what has now been bestowed, it is just as certain that the "shibah" in verse 21 refers to a sevenfold intensity of punishment. Notice, the wording is entirely different in verse 21 than in verse 18. This time it is not worded "seven times more for your sins," but "seven times more plagues." The expression "seven times" in verse 21 is descriptive of plagues to be brought on them.
Intensity of Punishment!
So now, if 20th century Ephraim and Manasseh — Britain and America — refuse to turn to God in obedience — refuse to live THE WAY that causes, retains, and increases blessings, God will punish them in a manner far more intense — and even strip entirely from them this colossal, unprecedented national blessing — RETURNING THEM TO CAPTIVITY AND SLAVERY — as continuing verses of this prophecy show. Do you think so great a fall could not come to so great powers as Britain and America? Do you say, "It can't happen HERE?" Do you think the great God who was able to GIVE them such unprecedented world leadership and power and wealth, is not able to take it away from them and throw them like their ancient forefathers, back into slavery? You need to open your eyes to the FACT that Britain's sun already has set! You need to wake up to the FACT that the United States, even still possessing unmatched power, is AFRAID — fears to use it — just, as God said: "I will break the pride of your power"! (Lev. 26:19); that the United States has stopped winning wars — that America is unable, with all its vast power, to conquer little North Vietnam! The United States is fast riding to the greatest pall that ever befell any nation! The handwriting is on the wall! You need, now, to understand the remainder of this prophecy of Leviticus 26 — and also of Deuteronomy 28 — and the many other prophecies relating to them and events almost immediately to violently affect your life! You need to look at the prophecies of Jesus, of Jeremiah, of Isaiah, and others, describing how much more INTENSE is to be the punishment God is going to lay on the British and American people in five to seven more years! For many prophecies warn us of a certainty that it will be trouble such as never happened to any nation or people! Knowing our identity — knowing how the British and American peoples are identified in the prophecies — you need now to come aware of what is said about us in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Hosea, Amos, and the other prophecies — what Jesus foretold — as well as these prophecies written by Moses!
WHY This Intensity of Punishment
And you need, also, to know why a just and loving God is going to punish His chosen people — people He chose for a glorious purpose they have rebelliously refused to perform. The very fact of punishment implies correction. We need to understand that correction is applied to correct wrong ways harmful to us — to turn us around into right ways that will cause desired blessings! Understand! God punishes every son He loves (Heb. 12:6). Understand also human nature! People mistakenly think there is good in human nature. That is because human nature wants to be good — to consider itself — and be considered good, while it wants only to do evil. It wants the good result. But it wants to receive the good while it sows the evil. It somehow fails to grasp the truth that as we sow, so also shall we reap! It's all a matter of cause and effect! God's punishment only reflects God's love — turning us from causing evil results to the way that brings happy results! God is now about to stop us from bringing colossal evils on ourselves! God is not angry because we are harming Him — but because we are harming ourselves — whom God loves!
Punishment is Correction
The prophecies do not stop with revealing the unprecedented multiplied intensity of punishment already beginning to descend down upon America and Britain. The prophecies record also the result of that intensified punishment. The result will be a corrected people. The result will be an eye-opening realization of what we have done to ourselves. The
Another American casualty in Vietnam! Although the U.S. has an astronomical military might— far beyond tiny North Vietnam, yet it cannot bring the war to a decisive victory. We simply are AFRAID to use our power. - UPI Photo - (See PDF - Page 200)
supreme punishment will teach us, at last, our lesson! The punishment will break our spirit of rebellion! It will lift us up from the cesspool of rottenness and evil into which we have sunk. It will teach us the way to glorious peace, prosperity, HAPPINESS, ABUNDANT WELL-BEING! On beyond the frightful national calamities now descending upon us will come a blessing inconceivably greater than the national material Birthright we have possessed. We have to learn that material goods is not the SOURCE of happiness. I have often mentioned the many rich men I have known — men whose bank balances were full — but their lives were empty! Material prosperity is indeed desirable — but it is not the source of happiness. After all, real happiness is a spiritual commodity! The Birthright was only one of two major Promises God made to Abraham. The Sceptre Promise involved not only a dynasty of human kings. It need not have included them at all — had the Israelites retained and been obedient to God as their King. The Sceptre pointed primarily to CHRIST, and spiritual salvation through Him. Our peoples have basic lessons yet to learn. The true values are spiritual. Actually, God's Law is a spiritual Law. It involves physical acts — but it is based on spiritual principles. And it requires God's Holy Spirit dwelling in the mind to fulfill! Punishment implies CORRECTION. Correction means a change of course. It means repentance — and repentance means turning around and going the other way! Now, before I give you these sensational prophecies, understand why national punishment must come, and who needs the painful correction! Only those need it who are sowing evil — who are transgressing God's right ways — God's Law! Those, and only those, who are bringing on themselves the evils that result from transgression. And understand this: Although the nations as a whole are to be put through this unprecedented punishment, yet those individuals who yield to accept God's correction without the punishment shall be protected from it! No one NEED suffer this indescribably intense tribulation!
Sevenfold More Plagues
Now notice again, what is laid down in Leviticus 26. After the national Birthright had been withheld 2520 years, and then bestowed — after God gave our peoples that national power, and has now, because of our national rebellion against His Laws broken the pride of our power — after He shall have punished us with unprecedented drought and epidemics of disease in its wake — then if the British and Americans still continue in their evil ways — still refuse to repent and turn to their God, then: "... I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins," says God. Read that in the Revised Standard Version: "... I will bring more plagues upon you, sevenfold as many as your sins." What people do not seem to realize is that sin does bring upon the sinner the consequences of sin — the plagues of suffering. The Bible defines sin as the transgression of God's Law (I John 3:4), and the Law of God is a spiritual law (Rom. 7:14).
Material Goods Not Enough
Let's understand this! I have said that money is not the source of happiness. Money can buy only material things or services. But there must be the spiritual content, as well as the physical, to happiness. Material things alone do not provide satisfying happiness. God's Law is a spiritual Law. In other words, it is the way to peace, happiness, abundant well-being. Going that way is what God supplied to cause real happiness. Conversely, then, can we not see that transgressing that way is to cause unhappiness, pain and suffering, emptiness, heartaches, fears and worries, frustrations? All these evils are caused by transgressing God's Law. The sinner is really plagued with these evils he brings on himself. Now study again that 21st verse of Leviticus 26. Punishment is correction. To teach us the lesson we have failed to learn by experience, God is going to plague our peoples sevenfold more than our sins already have plagued us sevenfold more punishment than we have brought on ourselves!
LOST BRITISH AND AMERICAN POSSESSIONS (See PDF - Page 204-205)
Or, as in the Authorized Version, "seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins." Sevenfold intensity of punishment — of correction!
Slavery Once Again
Notice now verses 23-25 (RSV) : "And if by this discipline you are not turned to me, but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will smite you sevenfold for your sins, And I will bring a sword upon you... and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy."
Slavery once again!
Get the real meaning of this! Our sins have brought punishment. This punishment we have brought on ourselves. If we still refuse to learn the lesson, and be corrected for our own good, God says, "I myself will smite you sevenfold." We have brought the consequences of sin on ourselves — now God will Himself bring on us sevenfold more intense punishment — punishment that is correction! Now read on to verse 27 (RSV): "And if in spite of this you will not hearken to me, but walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in fury [the seven last plagues — Rev. 15:1] and chastise you Myself sevenfold for your sins... and I will lay your cities waste... and I will scatter you among the nations." God is going to keep multiplying chastening — correction UPON OUR PEOPLES UNTIL THEY DO TURN FROM THEIR EVIL WAYS UNTIL THEY TURN TO THE WAYS THAT CAUSE PEACE, HAPPINESS, PROSPERITY, ALL THE GOOD THINGS! How unthinkable! — that our Maker shall have to force our peoples to be happy — to have peace — to be able to enjoy prosperity — to yield, to accept, of our own choice, eternal life in abundant well-being and joy for all eternity! How unbelievable! — that human nature, desiring these blessings, has insisted stubbornly in going the way that cuts them off and causes punishment — correction — and then refuses to be corrected until it is multiplied in intensity sevenfold! Yes, sevenfold three successive times! How great is our God — and what love for our peoples He expresses, in patiently tolerating and correcting us until we accept the boundless blessings!