THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN IN PROPHECY
Chapter 10
By Herbert W. Armstrong
1954, 1967, 1972, 1975, 1980 edition
Introduction
Chapter One - The Lost Master Key Has Been Found!
Chapter Two - Prophecies Closed Until Now
Chapter Three - National Greatness Promised Israel
Chapter Four - The Separation of the Birthright and the Septre
Chapter Five - The Davidic Covenant
Chapter Six - Children of Israel Become Two Nations
Chapter Seven - Jeremiah's Mysterious Comission
Chapter Eight - The Mysterious Breach
Chapter Nine - Israel's New Land
Chapter Ten - Birthright Withheld 2520 Years!
Chapter Eleven - Why Israel Lost Identity
Chapter Twelve - The Birthright - At it's Zenith - And Now
Chapter Thirteen - And Now What - The Prophecies for the Immediate Future
Chapter Fourteen - What's Prophesied to happen Now - To America and Britain?
Chapter 10
BIRTHRIGHT WITHHELD 2520 YEARS!
THE MOST REMARKABLE FULFILLMENT of biblical prophecy in modern
times was the sudden sprouting forth of the two mightiest world
powers -- one, a commonwealth of nations forming the greatest world
empire of all time; the other, the wealthiest, most powerful nation
on earth today. These birthright peoples came, with incredible
suddenness, into possession of more than two-thirds -- nearly three-
fourths -- of the cultivated wealth and resources of the whole world!
This sensational spurt from virtual obscurity in so short a time
gives incontrovertible PROOF of divine inspiration. Never, in all
history, did anything like it occur.
But why did this unprecedented national wealth and power come
to our birthright inheritors only after the year A.D. 1800? Why did
not this national dominance come to the tribes of Ephraim and
Manasseh millennia ago -- in the days of Moses, or Joshua, or David,
or Elijah?
A "Nation" and a "Commonwealth of Nations"
Remember now the birthright promise was given to the two tribes of
Ephraim and Manasseh -- not to the other tribes or their descendants.
These two birthright tribes were part of the northern kingdom of
Israel.
Notice again the original promise: "A nation and a company of
nations shall be of thee" (Gen. 35:11).
In passing on the birthright promise the dying Jacob (Israel)
said of Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, "... let my name be
named on them" (Gen. 48:16). Hence it is THEY -- the descendants of
Ephraim (the British) and Manasseh (Americans) -- not the Jews, who
are referred to in prophecy under the names of Jacob or Israel.
Continuing, Jacob added, "... and let them grow into a multitude."
Then, speaking of Manasseh and his descendants alone, Jacob
said prophetically: "... he also shall become a people [nation], and
he also shall be GREAT: but truly his younger brother [Ephraim]
shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a MULTITUDE [a
company, or COMMONWEALTH] of NATIONS" (Gen. 48:19).
In A.D. 1800 the United Kingdom and the United States were
small and insignificant among the earth's nations. The United
Kingdom consisted only of the British Isles, a very small part of
India and of Canada and a few little islands. The United States
consisted only of the original 13 colonies and three added states.
Neither possessed any great wealth or power.
But beginning in 1800 these two little nations began to sprout
and to grow into vast national riches and power such as no people
ever possessed. Soon Britain'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, ruling 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
unconditionally to Abraham, repromised to Isaac and Jacob, never
bestowed for millennia of time -- until after A.D. 1800? The answer
is amazing -- exciting!
To understand this miraculous burst into world dominance, it
is necessary to examine the very pivot of Old Testament prophecies-
-the 26th chapter of Leviticus.
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 20th
century -- not, in many cases, to Old Testament times at all.
Most ministers and church leaders 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 them 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 20th 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" -- to their receiving
actual fulfillment of this stupendous birthright promise in their
time! God said: "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.
Now What Did Happen?
These Israelites griped, grumbled, complained, doubted God almost
from the very night they left Egypt. God miraculously delivered
them from the pursuing Egyptian army at the Red Sea. God sent manna
and quails from heaven to feed them. God caused drinking water to
gush from the great rock. But always they complained, showed a
rebellious attitude.
The children of Israel, under Moses, came to the desert at the
foot of Mount Sinai. There Moses was called up the mountain where
God spoke to him. God here offered Israel the opportunity to become
HIS NATION -- under His rule, and, upon obedience and loyalty to His
government, to receive the fabulous national birthright of world
dominance.
The ETERNAL said: "Now therefore, If ye will obey my voice
indeed, and keep my COVENANT, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure
unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine" (Ex. 19:5).
Notice, God did not force them to become His nation -- a "peculiar"
nation, different from the apostate Gentile kingdoms. The choice
was theirs!
The Beginning of a Nation
Moses returned to camp. He laid God's proposed agreement (covenant)
before that vast congregation of perhaps two or three million
people.
"And all the people answered together, and said, All that the
Lord hath spoken we will do" (verse 8).
For two days the people were specially prepared for a
tremendous event. They were to hear the very voice of God from the
mountain. On the third day, amid a fantastically tremendous
supernatural display of thunder and lightning and thick clouds
swirling over the mountain, God's tremendous voice -- exceedingly
loud -- thundered in their ears the basic law of His government -- the
great SPIRITUAL law defining, in principle, God's WAY of life -- the
way to avoid the evils besetting the world -- the way that would
cause peace, happiness, prosperity.
That vast assemblage actually heard the voice of THE ETERNAL
GOD, delivering to them the Ten Commandments! The people were
frightened! They trembled! It was an awesome experience which had
never happened before -- and has never occurred since!
Then, through Moses, God outlined in more detail His
proposition for setting them up as God's NATION. Again, the people
answered with a unanimous voice, "All the words which the Lord hath
said will we do" (Ex. 24:3). Moses wrote all the terms of this
COVENANT -- this AGREEMENT making these ex-slaves God's nation -- this
agreement which also was a marriage covenant, with the Eternal as
husband, binding the wife (Israel) to obey her husband.
Moses read the terms and conditions -- the "book of the
covenant" -- before all the people. Again came the unanimous decision
on their part: "All that the Eternal hath said will we do, and be
obedient" (Ex. 24:7).
Old Covenant a Marriage
The covenant agreement between God and this people -- called "the old
covenant" -- was then ratified and put into effect with BLOOD (Ex.
24:5-8).
This "old covenant" was mediated by Moses. It married a
mortal, human people to the Eternal. They became HIS NATION. They
had promised loyal obedience as citizens. This "old covenant" was
based on the birthright promise God had made to Abraham. But human
mortals, filled with the vanity, envy, lust and greed of human
nature, seldom remain faithful. So the living Christ is now coming
soon to be the Mediator of the new covenant, based on better
promises (Heb. 8:6-10 and 9:15). But the NEW covenant will not be
made with human mortals who do not keep their promises. God has
been preparing -- and still now is preparing -- a people to be made
immortal. These immortals are to be married to Christ. And He died,
rose, and sent God's HOLY Spirit "that he might sanctify and
cleanse" this NEW Testament "wife" (Eph. 5:26-27).
The new covenant will be made with a people who already have
been proved, by their Christian life of obedience, faith, growing
in spiritual character and knowledge, and overcoming -- a people then
made immortal and holy and perfect.
The NEW covenant is based on the sceptre promise made to
Abraham -- through the coming KING of kings, Jesus Christ, of the
very dynasty of David.
They Turn to Idolatry
But notice how these mortal Israelites performed.
After the old covenant between God and Israel had been
ratified, God called Moses up into the mountain. Moses was kept
there forty days, receiving detailed instructions for the
congregation (church) and for the nation -- for with the Israelites
church and state were united.
After Moses had been gone some days, the people said to Aaron,
"Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses,
the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not
what is become of him." So they took their golden earrings and
trinkets, and Aaron had them made into a golden calf for an idol
(Ex. 32:1-4).
Moses came down from the mount carrying the two tablets of
stone on which the Eternal had engraved the Ten Commandments with
His own finger. On seeing this golden idol and the people
worshiping it in merriment and dancing, he lost his temper and in
a rage threw down the tablets of stone and broke them.
Of course, just as some very large religious bodies who claim
to be Christian do today, they merely said this calf represented
God -- it pictured to them what they supposed God looked like.
After making this molten gold calf, Aaron proclaimed a feast
"to the Eternal" (Ex. 32:5), during which they worshiped before the
IDOL. Go into an Anglican church or a Roman Catholic church today
and ask the priest or official whether the images of "Christ" and
of "Mary" are IDOLS -- whether or not they are worshiping idols. They
will indignantly say, "No! We don't worship idols. We don't worship
the images. We don't claim the images actually are Christ or Mary --
only that they represent, or picture to us, what Christ or Mary
look like!"
Well, that is precisely the way ALL PAGANS ALWAYS WORSHIPED
IDOLS! But God's wrath waxed HOT at this (Ex. 32:7-10). God will
NOT ACCEPT such worship! See also Deuteronomy 12:30-31.
Withheld 40 Years
In the second year after leaving Egypt, God had moved the
Israelites to a new camp in the wilderness of Paran (Num. 10:11-
12). God then told Moses to send twelve men -- one leader or ruler
from each tribe -- to spy out the promised land and bring back a
report on the land and its inhabitants (Num. 13:1-2).
These men were gone 40 days. On their return, all but two --
Joshua and Caleb -- misrepresented what they had seen, giving an evil
report. When Joshua and Caleb reported the truth, the people tried
to stone them. They accepted the evil report, complained against
God, doubted, rebelled, disobeyed.
Have you ever wondered why these Israelites were 40 years in
the desolate, barren, desert-and-mountain wilderness getting to the
promised land? It was not because it required 40 years of travel.
These men sent to report on it journeyed to it, walked all over it
from one end to the other and returned -- round trip -- in 40 days. But
the people griped, disbelieved God, disobeyed, and refused to go
forthwith to POSSESS IT; instead of deciding to march ahead and
POSSESS this great prize God wanted to give them, they despised it,
lacked faith to go in and possess it, refused to march forward.
This promised land is a type of the glorious Kingdom of God,
which the living Savior, Jesus Christ, offers us. But today we, the
descendants of those Israelites, despise it, prefer the "slavery"
of sin, fail to exercise the FAITH to go on and POSSESS God's
Kingdom. We, too, rebel, disbelieve, and disobey. And those who
thus despise it shall not enter that glorious Kingdom with eternal
life in happiness and accomplishment.
To this rebellious population, God said: "Your carcases shall
fall in this wilderness ... ye shall not come into the land ... save
Caleb ... and Joshua .... But your little ones, which ye said should
be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which
ye have despised" (Num. 14:29-31).
"And," continued God, "your children shall wander in the
wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your
carcases be wasted in the wilderness" (verse 33).
And now comes the "day-for-a-year principle": "After the
number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days,
each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty
years ..." (verse 34). And this punishment was, in fact, a
WITHHOLDING of the promised blessing for this duration of forty
years.
Idolatry Again
That generation of Israelites was not allowed to enter the promised
land. They spent forty years in the wilderness. Their children
entered the Holy Land under Joshua's leadership.
Then what?
They became so busy occupying their promised land, driving out
the many little kingdoms, that during Joshua's life and a little
longer they served God and prospered. They were making a nice start
toward inheriting -- in their day -- the tremendous blessings of the
birthright.
But after Joshua died "and also all that generation ... there
arose another generation after them, which knew not the Eternal,
nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of the Eternal, and served Baalim: And
they forsook the Eternal God of their fathers .... And the anger of
the Eternal was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the
hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the
hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any
longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the
hand of the Eternal was against them for evil, as the Eternal had
said, and as the Eternal had sworn unto them: and they were greatly
distressed" (Judges 2:10-15).
So, precisely as God had warned in verses 14-17 of Leviticus
26, God did appoint over them terror; they did sow their seed in
vain, for their enemies ate it. God did set His face against them!
God's WORD STANDS! What a pity neither individuals nor nations
seem able to believe that!
But that was not the end. God is a merciful, forgiving God. He
repeatedly gave them another chance. Continue the history in the
book of Judges: "Nevertheless the Eternal raised up judges, which
delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet
they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring
after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned
quickly out of the way ..." (Judges 2:16-17).
This happened repeatedly. Every time they were put under the
yoke of another nation, as vassals, they cried out to God for
deliverance. But also every time God sent a judge to free them,
they quickly turned from God. As soon as things were going well for
them, these people turned again to idolatry.
But were they so different from us, their descendants today?
Most of us seek God only when in trouble -- only when in our self-
interest we feel we need Him!
Up until this time, though these people had complained, lacked
faith, gone contrary to God repeatedly, nevertheless, they still
recognized God as their only Ruler. They may not have trusted in,
or obeyed Him and His rule, but they acknowledged no other Ruler.
They Reject God as King
But in the days of Samuel they rejected God even as their national
King -- as their civil Ruler. They demanded a human king, like all
the unbelieving Gentiles (I Sam. 8:1-7). This probably took place
near the end of 1112 B.C.
To reject God as Ruler was the greatest sin. Up until this
time they had recognized Him -- had looked to no other as King. This
seems to have begun the years of complete sin, for which God
punished them.
Nevertheless, under the "old covenant" of Mt. Sinai, they were
still God's nation. God still dealt with them. He did not "divorce"
them until 721-718 B.C., as we shall see.
They suffered under Saul. They began prospering under King
David, and in Solomon's reign they reached a considerable state of
prosperity. However, they had not yet flowered into the full
predominant-world-power status promised under the birthright. And
Solomon's prosperity turned him to idolatry. Again they were
violating the condition for receiving the birthright.
When Solomon's son Rehoboam became king, he threatened to put
still heavier tax burdens on the people. Thereupon the nation
rejected Rehoboam and set up Jeroboam, of the tribe of Ephraim, as
king.
A Nation Divided
This caused division! In order to retain the Davidic dynasty, Judah
thereupon seceded. With Benjamin, and most of Levi, they formed a
new nation -- the kingdom of Judah! No longer did they have the
national name "Israel." The people of this new-formed kingdom of
Judah are the ones who became known as the Jews. The people of the
kingdom of ISRAEL, occupying the northern part of Palestine north
of Jerusalem, never were called Jews.
Now the birthright and sceptre promises were divided into TWO
NATIONS. Remember, Ephraim and Manasseh shared the birthright. If
it were then inherited, the others of the TEN-TRIBED nation of
Israel would have automatically shared it with them -- since they
were part of the same nation!
But under Jeroboam the ten-tribed nation Israel completely
violated God's laws, particularly the two test commandments. Almost
the first act of Jeroboam was setting up idols. And he changed
God's autumn festivals from the seventh to the eighth month. There
is ample evidence that he also changed God's Sabbath from the
seventh to the "eighth" day (first day of the week). This will be
shown in a later chapter.
Even after all this, God gave the nation every chance to
qualify for the tremendous birthright blessings. During the reigns
of nineteen kings in seven different dynasties, God pleaded with
them through His prophets. But this rebellious nation showed no
disposition to turn to God's ways. They had been punished
repeatedly. But they refused to learn the lesson experience should
have taught them.
The Seven Prophetic Times
Now continue in Leviticus 26: "And if ye will not yet for all this
hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your
sins" (verse 18).
It is important to UNDERSTAND this!
This expression "seven times" is translated into the English
from a Hebrew word which conveys a dual meaning. The original
Hebrew word Moses wrote is shibah. It is defined as "seven times,"
and also as "sevenfold." The "seven times" implies duration or
continuation of punishment. But the word also conveys the meaning
of "sevenfold," or seven times greater intensity of punishment -- as
a punishment that is sevenfold more intense. In this sense, the
meaning would be the same as in Daniel 3:19, where King
Nebuchadnezzar, in a rage, commanded that the furnace into which
Daniel's three friends were to be thrown should be made seven times
hotter.
Now understand the "seven times" -- or seven prophetic "times."
For this is a prophecy. In prophecy, a "time" is a prophetic 360-
day year. And, during Israel's punishment, each day represented a
year being fulfilled.
This "day-for-a-year principle" is explained in two other
passages dealing with the duration of Israel's punishment. One of
these we have already covered. God punished that generation of
Israelites Moses had led out of Egypt by withholding from them
entry into the promised land FORTY YEARS. That promised land was a
beginning part of the birthright. God punished them on the
principle of a YEAR for every DAY -- forty years' DURATION of
punishment for the 40 days of transgression.
Ezekiel's "Day for a Year"
In order to impress on the prophet Ezekiel the seriousness of
Israel's years of rebellion against God's rule and God's law which
would cause great blessings, God imposed this very principle on
him -- but it was enacted in reverse.
The sins of the house of Israel had continued from their
rejection of God as King for 390 years. Naturally God could not
expect this prophet, in a human lifetime, to undergo the bearing of
these years of sin on the basis of each day of sinning being borne
by him for a year. That would have required 2,000 lifetimes. So God
reversed the actual application of the principle. Ezekiel was
required to bear Israel's sins a day for each year they had sinned.
But it still was the "day-for-a-year principle"!
Ezekiel was told to lie on his left side, in an imaginary
siege against Jerusalem, pictured on a tile before him. "Lie thou
also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of
Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt
lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon
thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the
days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the
iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished
them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity
of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day
for a year" (Ezek. 4:4-6). It is mentioned further in verse 9.
But in the other application of the "day-for-a-year
principle," previously explained, where it applied also to a
duration of punishment put on THE PEOPLE, the punishment was to be
borne by them on the basis of a year of punishment for each day.
Also in this case, the punishment was the number of years during
which a promised blessing was withheld.
Now when we come to the expression "then I will punish you
seven times more for your sins" in Leviticus 26, it is evident both
by its manner of wording in the sentence and by the fact of actual
fulfillment that it was speaking of a DURATION of seven prophetic
"times," or YEARS. And on this "year-for-a-day principle," it
becomes seven 360-day years -- a total of 2520 days. And when each
day is a year of punishment -- in this case, as in Numbers 14:34, a
withholding of a promised blessing -- the punishment becomes the
withdrawing of and withholding the promised blessings for 2520
years! For that is precisely what did happen!
What is a "Time"?
But now did you notice I said that a prophetic "time" is a 360-day
year? Why not a year of 365 1/4 days? Why not a solar year?
In ancient biblical times, a year was figured on a basis of
twelve 30-day months. Previous to the time, in Moses' day, when God
gave His people the sacred calendar, the 30-day month was used.
Notice Genesis 7:11: "In the six hundredth year of Noah's
life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the
same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and
the windows of heaven were opened." Now verse 24: "And the waters
prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days."
Next, Genesis 8:3-4: "And the waters returned from off the
earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days
the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on
the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat."
So notice -- the flood started on the 17th day of the second
month. At the end of 150 days, the ark rested on Mount Ararat, on
the 17th day of the 7th month. That was five months to the day.
Five 30-day months are precisely 150 days. So months, then, were
30-day months!
We find it definitely figured this way in both Daniel and
Revelation. In Revelation 12:6, a prophecy of an event which in
actual history did last 1260 solar years is spoken of as "a
thousand two hundred and threescore days." So here, again, a
prophetic day was a year in fulfillment. In Revelation 13:5
(referring to a different event but the same amount of time) this
same period of 1260 days being fulfilled in 1260 solar years is
spoken of as "forty and two months." Now 42 calendar months,
according to the calendar now in use, would not be 1260 days, but
1277 days -- or, if no leap year occurred, 1276. Or, if the extra
half-year happened to be the last half of the year, it would be
1278, 1279 or 1280 days. But the 42 months of Revelation 13:5 is
the same amount of time as the 1260 days of Revelation 12:6. So the
42 months were 30-day months.
The same amount of days is spoken of in still different
language in Revelation 12:14 as "a time, and times, and half a
time." The "time" is one prophetic year; the "times" is two more
prophetic years; and the whole expression is 3 1/2 prophetic
"times," which is a literal 1260 days -- or 3 1/2 years of thirty-day
months. Seven of these "times" then would be 2520 days -- and on a
day-for-a-year basis, 2520 years!
Then in Daniel 12:7 the same expression "time, times, and an
half [time]" is mentioned.
Enough space is being taken here to make this concept plain,
clear, understandable. For it is basic to several key prophecies.
A prophetic "time," then, is a 360-day year -- or a plain 360
days. And during those years of Israel's punishment, as made plain
by combining Leviticus 26:18 with Ezekiel 4:4-6, Numbers 14:34, and
Revelation 13:5 and 12:6, each day of a prophetic "time" was one
year in fulfillment. In Leviticus 26:18, and in Revelation 12:6 and
13:5, this meaning is verified and PROVED by the fact that the
prophecy was fulfilled in precisely the time indicated.
Birthright Withheld 2520 Years
Now back again to the pivotal prophecy of Leviticus 26.
These Israelites had not listened to God -- had not qualified to
become recipients of the fabulous, overwhelming birthright national
blessing. They had broken especially the two test commandments
emphasized in verses 1 and 2 of this chapter. God had punished them
in the manner He had said He would, as described in verses 14-17.
Now God said, as quoted before, "And if ye will not yet for
all this" -- all He had punished them with, described in verses 14-
17 -- "hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for
your sins."
Because of the manner in which this warning is worded,
compared with the manner of wording where the "seven times" is
again mentioned -- and because the birthright actually was withheld
PRECISELY 2520 years -- it is certain that the meaning of the "seven
times" in verse 18 is a DURATION of seven 360-day YEARS, each day
being a year in fulfillment -- total: 2520 actual YEARS! And the very
enforcing of the "day-for-a-year principle" also implies a
multiplied intensity of the punishment.
Actually, they had sinned the 390 years mentioned in Ezekiel's
prophecy (Ezek. 4:4-5). Even from the time they rejected God as
their national King, God allowed them to remain in the promised
land those additional 390 years! During all these years God
continued to send prophets to warn and plead with them. Had they
repented and turned back to God and His ways, they still could have
received the richest national blessing of all history. But they
would not. Rather, they increased in sins!
So finally God took completely away from them -- for a duration
of 2520 years -- this opportunity to reap such vast material
prosperity and power.
Israel Becomes Lost
Finally God drove them out of the promised land!
All these 390 years of national sin (Ezek. 4:5), of rejecting
Him and His ways, God continued to deal with them. He kept contact
with them. He sent His prophets to them. At any time during these
years of their rebellion, they could have repented, turned to God,
and received this vast national status.
But now, at last, God drove them out of His land! He "removed
them out of his sight" (II Kings 17:18).
Again it is repeated (verse 23), He "removed Israel out of his
sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was
Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this
day."
From that time, God sent no prophets to them. He gave them no
more chance to receive the greatest national blessing of all
history -- until the end of the 2520 years! He hid, as it were, His
face from them! He removed them out of His sight. He pleaded no
longer with them. They had not qualified for nor deserved His
blessings! Now He left them a slave people, to shift for
themselves. He left them to their own devices!
They had rejected even the identifying sign by which they were
to be known and recognized as God's people Israel. So now they soon
lost even their identity! No longer were they known by the world as
God's people. No longer did they call themselves God's people.
They became lost! The "LOST TEN TRIBES." Lost in name. Lost in
identity. Lost spiritually! They had lost their tremendous
birthright -- for a duration of many generations! In due time, as a
second and third generation came along, they lost even their Hebrew
language! They regarded themselves as Gentiles! The world supposed
they were Gentiles!
Apostles to Britain?
Generations later, Jesus of Nazareth, well knowing where they had
migrated, sent His twelve original apostles to make known to them
His precious gospel of God's Kingdom -- God's government! It was the
apostle Paul who was sent to the Gentiles.
Did you never wonder why, after Acts 15, we read no more of
the twelve apostles? Except for a trip by Peter to Babylon, they
had gone to "lost" Israel!
Regarding the original apostles, the Bible says: "These twelve
Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, GO NOT into the way
of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans [Gentiles]
enter ye not: But go rather to the LOST sheep of the house of
Israel" (Matt. 10:5-6). Yes! The lost Ten Tribes.
But Jesus never begged, urged, pleaded with anyone to "get
saved!" Nor did His apostles! That is a modern Protestant method.
They merely proclaimed the truth, leaving it to every hearer to
make his own decision whether to act on it.
Yes, the British Isles heard Christ's gospel! But they
accepted, instead, the idolatry of the Druids, pagan worship, and
the counterfeit "Christianity" of the Roman Babylonian mystery
religion, and even spawned the devil's religion of the evolutionary
concept.
Birthright Conferred at Last!
But when that 2520-year withholding of the birthright had expired,
God was faithful to His unconditional promise to Abraham! Not
because of any British or American goodness, superiority, or
worthiness, but because of God's faithfulness to His promise,
beginning in 1800 these two birthright peoples suddenly burst forth
as the greatest world powers in all history!
This national wealth and power came not because our peoples in
any manner finally qualified for it. They never did! But consider:
The very fact of a withholding of the birthright from them for
a definite duration in itself implies a conferring of it at the end
of the 2520 years. And remember, God had promised this birthright
to the descendants of Abraham unconditionally because of Abraham's
faithfulness and obedience (Gen. 26:5). God was bound by His
promise to confer this stupendous national blessing regardless of
the righteousness or wickedness of the descendants. But God had not
bound Himself to bestow it upon any one particular generation.
Thus God was able to offer it conditionally to Old Testament
Israel in and after Moses' day. The people of those generations
could have had it upon compliance with the conditions! Denying it
to those particular generations -- withholding it for 2520 long
years, even -- did not violate God's unconditional PROMISE to
Abraham.
But the very fact of a withholding for the definite duration
of 2520 years implies the direct conferring of that national
blessing on expiration of that definite period of withholding --
regardless of any further qualifying or deserving on the part of
the people. This must be so because of God's faithfulness to His
UNCONDITIONAL PROMISE to Abraham.
So -- beginning A.D. 1800-1803, after 2520 years -- God did cause
the birthright nations -- and them only -- to become suddenly the
recipients of such national wealth, greatness and power as no
nation or empire ever before had acquired! Together they -- the
British and Americans, descendants of only one original tribe,
Joseph -- came into possession of more than two-thirds -- almost three-
fourths -- of all the cultivated resources and wealth of the whole
world!
It sounds incredible! All other nations combined shared
between them only little more than a fourth of the world's wealth.
And that includes the nations descended from other tribes of
Israel. It includes such nations as Germany, Italy, Russia, China --
all other nations on the whole earth.
The most amazing fact of all history is this sudden
skyrocketing from virtual obscurity of two nations to the most
fabulous wealth and economic power ever possessed by any people.
Britain became GREAT Britain -- a gigantic, stupendously wealthy
commonwealth of nations -- the United States, the greatest nation of
history.
More amazing still are the unbelievably shocking facts of the
present -- of how -- and WHY -- we are losing it faster than it came!
WHY? The incredible facts, the reasons, and what's now ahead
will follow!