BIRTH OF A NATION

I don’t suppose too many of us have ever watched D.W. Griffith’s blockbuster silent film, The Birth of a Nation. Every now and then you might catch it on TCM or some other golden oldies television station. Upon its release in 1915 and for several years thereafter, it was considered one of the greatest movies ever made, even though its portrayal of African-Americans was considered derogatory … at the very least, controversial.

The movie depicted pre-civil and post-civil war America; with an underlying implication that the real birth of our nation actually took place after the Union defeated the Confederacy and abolished slavery. Some believe that’s when the United States actually became united, via a birth or rebirth of a Union that all states eventually recognized and supported. That American history up to that point was more of a gestation period that consisted of two wars with England, the granting of statehood to more territories, and the westward pioneer pilgrimages.

Whether the United States was born at the signing of the Declaration of Independence or reborn when General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox is a matter for the historians to debate. Either way, the formation of the United States of America was by all accounts an extraordinarily rapid phenomenon in contrast to the much-more gradual development of virtually all other nations up to that point in history.

But there is the dawn of another country that, beyond debate, beyond speculation, beyond doubt, constitutes the swiftest and most remarkable national birth in the annals of human history. It was truly a nation born in one-day: the nation of Israel. Even more astounding … this birth was predicted some 2,700 years before it took place! Not just the fact that it would happen, but exactly HOW it would take occur. That it would be unlike any other birth ever experienced: (1) the birth would take place in one day, and (2) the birth would precede the labor pains!

Isn’t that exactly backwards? Of course it is. Regarding point #2 for you men: If you missed it or have forgotten how much to appreciate it, just ask your wife who gave birth to that beautiful daughter or handsome son. Or, ask your mother who brought you into this world. First came the contractions. Then, “Hello, I’m here. Give me a name and give me something to eat!”

Let’s read the prophetic description from one of the great Old Testament prophets: ‘Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born. Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?’ asks the Lord.’” ‘No, I would never keep this nation from being born.’ Says your God’” (Isaiah 66: 7-9).

Normal Birth of a Nation

Actually, nations do not normally arrive on the scene of history through a birth process; that is what we consider analogous to a woman giving birth to a child. Rather, they gradually develop into a political, social, and national identity through decades of homogenized language, geography, culture, government, and interactive economy. Examples that come to mind are the four superpowers prophetically identified in the book of Daniel, subsequently confirmed by both Biblical and secular records … Babylon, Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire.

For other nations who were seemingly birthed into existence, the pattern does reflect the metaphor of a woman giving birth. Beginning with conception, then birth pains, then deliverance into a brave new world of freedom and autonomy. Here, The United States of America comes to mind. This great country began with a concept (conception) of individual and corporate freedom from tyranny (taxation without representation), then painful contractions through resistance to oppression, and finally a liberating birth as a self-governing, self-determining republic of the people, by the people and for the people; albeit one that acknowledged Creator God as her sovereign benefactor and source of moral and spiritual excellence. Which makes the birth of Israel all the more unique and miraculous.

The Reverse Birth of Israel

For those who have read Eye of Prophecy on a somewhat regular basis, you have seen several articles that touch on the astounding introduction of Israel to the family of nations that took place in 1948. This amazing birth of a nation, the shocking victories over enemies far superior in number and weapons, the stunning agricultural, technological, cultural, political, and military growth of a people who turned swampland into gardens, desert into oasis, hamlets into hubs of commerce, diversity into unity, and defeat into victories.

It is one thing to predict the rebirth or revival of a nation from the dead (read again about Israel’s Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel Chapter 37). I suppose an argument could be made that this kind of prophecy has a 50% chance of coming to pass. Either the nation will return or it won’t. If, however, you were fully aware of the Roman Empire’s utter destruction of Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple in 70 AD, followed by exiled eviction of all but a few Jews from Israel, with hundreds of ensuing years of subjugation in/by nations all over the world, I think the odds might take a nosedive to a miniscule probability of less than 1%.

But it’s quite another thing to predict the sequential details concerning the resurrection of a nation, particularly one that died a brutal unnatural death hundreds of years ago. Our passage in Isaiah does both. It tells us that this will happen and then tells us how it will take place; that it will be unimaginable, inconceivable, unheard of … unlike anything experienced in the annals of human history.

No matter where you rank the likelihood of the Jews ever returning to their land, let alone the undreamed-of improbability that they would or could restore and speak their ancient, near-extinct Hebrew language, what makes the rebirth of Israel so unfathomable is HOW it happened. Moreover, it catapults the prophecy of Isaiah 66 into a stratosphere that is absolutely breath-taking and mind-boggling. What am I referring to?

Look again at the text. It says, “Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son” (Isaiah 66:7).

Once again, isn’t that totally backwards? Do you know of any woman who gave birth to a child, then went into labor after the child was born? Of course not … it doesn’t work that way. Unless, that is, you were born of, in, or through (as a result of) Israel. On May 14, 1948, seemingly out of nowhere Israel became a nation literally overnight. At the end of World War II, over half the Jews in Europe had been murdered by Hitler’s Third Reich. The survivors continued to be dispossessed, without any semblance of community or identity, let alone the hope of national unity. Yet, in less than two years the earth gave birth to Israel! Her children were born as naturally birthed Israeli citizens (Sabra) or through the exponential increase of Jewish emigrants from many nations of the world to Israel. Only after the birth of the State of Israel did the labor pains really begin. Strange? Unusual? Exceptional? I would think so.

This was also part of the amazing prophecy. Let’s review: “Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? By the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born” (Isaiah 66:8). This is precisely what happened when Israel was birthed as a nation in 1948.

First, she had no more to say about the matter than does a baby whose delivery is completely dependent on others. Although a handful of Jewish visionaries and Gentile supporters of Zionism had conceived the improbable birth of a new Israel, they had no idea how or when this would happen. They had no real say in the manipulation of nations to achieve this seemingly unattainable goal. Instead, it took the absolute sovereignty of God to deliver the Jews from the birth canal of Gentile oppression and horror which reached its ugly zenith during the Holocaust. ‘Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?’ asks the Lord.’” ‘No! I would never keep this nation from being born,’ says your God’” (Isaiah 66:9).

Second, the cruel contractions did follow the birth of Israel; in the form of an immediate assault by five Arab nations against the tiny, newly birthed, virtually helpless and defenseless infant nation called Israel. And what happened then? Not only did God bring forth a newfound nation from the womb of exile, but he delivered the newborn children from total annihilation at the hands of ancient enemies. Decades later, these birth pains would continue to strike Israel time and again … the Suez Canal conflict, the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the deadly homicide bombing attacks, the incessant launching of missiles from the Gaza Strip, the perfidious anti-Semitic boycotts, divestment, and sanctions. And the labor pains go on and on and on.

In my generation, we are witnesses to the spectacular fulfillment of a 2,700 year-old prophecy: The nation of Israel would be literally born in a single day, in a mere moment (of history). This new creation of national life would be unlike any birth known to mankind. One that is not ordinary, but extraordinary; one that is not expected, but unexpected; one that is not natural, but supernatural. Children would be (immediately) born, then the excruciating pain of childbirth (nationhood) would follow the birth, not precede it. But like the arrival of any newborn baby, the family rejoices; not because of the pain that goes with childbirth, but because of the miracle of life itself.

In fact, that’s what comes next in our text: “Rejoice with Jerusalem! Be glad with her, all you who love her and all you who mourn for her. Drink deeply of her glory even as an infant drinks at its mother’s comforting breasts” (Isaiah 66:10-11).

Once again we see the astounding accuracy of Biblical prophecy. Once again we are reminded that we are living in the last days, that we are very likely part of the generation that will experience the glorious return of our beloved Jewish Messiah. Once again our vision is renewed, “While we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed” (Titus 2:13).

Things to Ponder
– At one time or another, we marvel at God’s perfect timing concerning events or developments in our lives individually, as a family, and as a nation. Although the United Nations is essentially a coalition of ungodly countries the world over, God used this organization to approve a resolution that granted Israel Statehood rights. Without the UN resolution of November, 1947, it’s highly unlikely that Prime Minister David ben Gurion would have announced the Birth of a Nation (Israel) in 1948.
– The Holocaust was NOT indicative or representative of childbirth pains. In fact, it cannot be analogous to childbirth (life) at all, as it was a horrendous time of persecution and death. The birth pangs of a woman about to give birth are not persecutory, nor are they a signal that something or someone is about to die. Rather it is a necessary time of struggle that yields to the miracle of birth, then rejoicing and celebration over a new life given to us by an awesome God. A God who gives us life, then gives us life (eternal) again, through His Son.

SEVEN TIMES SEVEN (to the 4th power)! Part III

1967 … What a year! The Six-Day War … What a war! Like me, some of you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news of Israel’s stunning victory. Some of you were not yet born, but you read about it in the history books. I recall thinking: How can any nation win a war in just six days? That’s unheard of … simply not possible. On top of that we’re talking about the tiny nation of Israel, surrounded and vastly outnumbered by Arab nations on all sides. Well, we believe it because it happened. It’s true, and Israel will never be the same again. Why not? What is the dramatic difference in Israel after the June, 1967 Six-Day War?

Before we find answers to that question, just a little more suspense! I’m talking once more about the incredible prophecy in Leviticus that was revealed and explained in last week’s article; whereby the mathematical calculation of seven times seven (to the 4th power) beginning in 516 BC leads to the year 1967. Just in case you think this is a happen-chance coincidence, we’re going to further validate and authenticate the accuracy of this amazing prophecy. We’re going to connect more dots and see another astonishing correlation between the seven times over prophecy and historical events.

A brief review. By accepting the premise that the seven times over prophetic template (7 x 7 x 7 x 7) represented God’s encoded measurement of uninterrupted time/years, plus 49 Jubilee years, we reached the calendar year 1967. So, what would happen if we used only the first three sevens? Where would we find Israel, if we reduced the formula to 7 x 7 x 7?

A little hint: We should expect to find another significant incident in Israel’s antiquity that would corresponded historically to seven times over to the 3rd power. Meaning 7 x 7 equals 49. Then 49 x 7 equals 343 Roman calendar years (7 x 7 x 7). Moreover, this event should reflect the nature and extent of God’s discipline of Israel as described in Leviticus Chapter 26 … specifically the third phase or installment of seven times over.

Calculations: 343 Roman years x 365 days (in a year) =s 125,195 days.

125,195 (days) divided by 360 (Jewish days in a year) =s 347.76 Jewish years or 347 years, 9 months, or rounded off to 348 years.

Using the same beginning date of 516 BC—technically we could also use 515 BC, as the Jewish new year begins in Sept/Oct of our Roman calendar—we do the following math: 516 BC minus (we must subtract because we’re in BC history) 348 years leads us to the year 168 BC … or 167 BC, depending on the starting point of 516 BC or 515 BC.

So what happened in 168-167 BC? Only the most horrible thing that Israel had experienced since the 70-year Babylonian captivity: The infamous campaign of Antiochus Epiphanes IV against Egypt, then against Israel in which this evil prototype of Antichrist defiled the rebuilt Jewish Temple, killed some 40,000 Jews, and enslaved another 40,000. It was the darkest day of Israel’s post Babylonian history that matches the chronological time-lapse of phase three (7 x 7 x 7); to then be exceeded in horror by the fourth and final phase (the last 7 times over) that would last for over two thousand years, but finally end in 1967. In the fourth and final phase, Israel’s distress increased exponentially, beginning with the Roman conquest of Jerusalem, destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD, followed by massive dispersion of Jews to virtually every nation on earth. And, finally, the greatest of all Jewish tragedies … the Holocaust at the hands of Hitler’s Third Reich.

Let’s examine just a portion of the third phase of God’s punishment as found in Leviticus 26: “…I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins. I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken … you will be handed over to your enemies … I will destroy your food supply….” (Verses 24-26).

After 516 BC no armies had attacked Israel, until Antiochus IV’s assault on Jerusalem in 168-167 BC. So that part of the third phase of the Leviticus seven times over prophecy fits perfectly. But also notice that this third segment of the prophecy did NOT include exile to all nations of the world. That comes only with the fourth and final stage. However, the third installment does predict that armies will attack Israel and they will be handed over (temporarily) to their enemies. That’s precisely what happened when Antiochus attacked Jerusalem (only to be defeated several years later by the Maccabees). Furthermore, it occurred exactly at the end of the time period specified by the seven times over paradigm, as explained above … 347-348 Jewish years.

Think about it. That is absolutely extraordinary! Not only does the full scope of the prophecy (seven to the 4th power) take us to the end of the seven times over curse (1967), but we see the startling accuracy of the prophecy even at the end of the third phase, in which the described punishment matches the horrendous cruelty of Antiochus against the Jews.

*Note: You might ask, “What about the Jubilee years? Shouldn’t they be factored in as they were for the full extent of the seven times over period of time? No, they should be added only at the very end of all four sets of seven, not at the end of the third phase. Because we must track the passage of time continuously in terms of consecutive years, then add the number of Jubilee years to the total. However, if you think Jubilee years should be added as they occur (every 50 years), then the third phase of seven times would take us to the years 161-160 BC (7 Jubilee years). Which is the time frame when the Maccabees defeated the armies of Antiochus IV, temporarily regained their freedom, and restored the Temple, i.e. the modern-day celebration of Hanukkah. Either way, the prophecy works. Right? Of course, right!

All Biblical prophecies have or will come to pass. Some prophecies are as clear as day for all to understand. Others are what I call twilight prophecies, in which a student of Scripture needs to squint and focus intently on what’s being said. Then there are the midnight prophecies that require a good deal of Biblical/historical comparison and juxtaposition, and illumination to fully grasp their meaning. The Leviticus 26 prophecy falls into the latter category, as does the Daniel 9 prophecy disclosed to/by Sir Robert Anderson.

Back to 1967

I vividly recall the Six-Day War … where I was and what I was doing when the news flashed around the world. Since then, I and many students of Biblical prophecy and current events have better understood the tremendous significance of Israel’s victory. But no one appreciates the impact of those six days in June and the aftermath more than the Jews, both religious and secular.

The Six-Day War took place 50 years–a Jubilee period of time–after the first milestone in Israel’s modern-day rebirth as a nation. I’m referring to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, in which Lord Balfour of Great Britain paved the way for a Jewish national homeland in Palestine by validation of the Zionist movement initiated by Jewish leaders Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weizmann. These founding fathers of modern-day Israel believed that the only solution to the “Jewish Question” was a return of the Jews to Palestine. In 1922, the League of Nations approved the Balfour Declaration via a “Mandate for Palestine.” This was the beginning of Jews returning in increasing numbers to the Holy Land and resettling the land originally given to them by God, himself. No other nation or land on the earth has a title-deed signed, sealed, and delivered by God, as does the Promised Land known as Israel.

Sadly, return of the Jews and Israel’s statehood came too late to avoid the greatest disaster in Jewish history: the Holocaust during World War II … which constituted the full and final expression of the seven times over discipline.

However, were it not for the horror of the Holocaust, there would have been no United Nations approval of a Jewish Homeland (November, 1947); then the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel in May, 1948. Immediately five Arab countries attacked the fledgling state of Israel with the express purpose of erasing Israel from existence before she could even show up on global maps of the earth. In those early days of statehood, Israel had no formally trained or sophisticated military; thus their War of Independence was essentially a guerilla or paramilitary type of defensive war—fought and won (against staggering odds) as a matter of sheer survival.

On paper, there’s absolutely no way that Israel should have defeated her enemies in 1948. But then the God of Israel is not a paper god nor a god invented by man. He is the true and living God. With him any victory is possible; without him all the military might in the world is useless. Just ask the inhabitants of Jericho, whose walls were virtually impenetrable! That is, until Joshua and the Israelites marched around the city, blew the ram’s horn, shouted at the top of their lungs, and watched as the walls crumbled to the earth.

Our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is an awesome God! All other gods are imposters. No, they are not imposters … they are non-existent! They are figments of vain imaginations. They cannot make their predictions come true like the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible can. In fact, they dare not make predictions. Our God IS God! Our Messiah IS Messiah! We await his soon return … come quickly Lord Jesus!

The Ultimate Significance of 1967

Not until the Six-Day War, did Israel really possess and then demonstrate the capacity to take the offensive against Arab armies. Meaning, that their military (IDF) was strong enough to recapture Jerusalem from the Jordanians, to take back the Western Wall and Temple Mount. They were skilled enough to literally take the high ground of the Golan Heights from Syria, and equipped enough to retake Gaza and Sinai from Egypt. From international pressure including the United States, Israel gave back much of this territory including the Temple Mount (the most holy Jewish site in the most Holy City of Jerusalem); but they still exercise ultimate authority over these strategic areas of the Holy Land.

The Jews for the very first time since the days of their Babylonian captivity, were free of Gentile domination!

This unquestioned ability to defend herself and, if necessary, to take the offensive, was reconfirmed in the brutal, yet victorious Yom Kippur War of 1973. Since then, no Arab nation or coalition has dared use their armies or conventional warfare to attack Israel. Instead, they have resorted to terrorist attacks, mortar/missile launchings against civilians, propaganda, and BDS strategies.

What does all this mean? I believe the evidence is indisputable, not the least of which is the seven times over prophecy ending in the year 1967. Now that this mysterious prophecy has run its full course, Israel and the Jewish people are no longer under the thumb of Gentile nations. The Times of the Gentiles ended in 1967! This is an astonishing sign of the end times; that is the physical rebirth and restoration of Israel, substantial return of millions of Jews to the land of their ancestors, and the miracle of such a small country and small population being one of the top five military powers of the modern world.

For the first time in nearly 2,500 years, Israel has the military resources to fight its own battles and even conduct preemptive strikes to silence the ominous threats of extinction by her enemies, such as a nuclear Iran. She is a beacon of democracy in a Middle-East full of totalitarian Muslim regimes that fight among themselves and have only one thing in common: the malicious desire to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. She is powerful enough to be a deterrent to terrorist groups and quite capable of making rogue rulers think twice about use of WMDs. Before 1967, this kind of prestige, power, presence, and position was not available to Israel. When God ended Israel’s discipline in 1967 (7 x 7 x 7 x 7), he also ended the Gentile nation’s conquest, oppression, suppression, dominance, and defeat of Israel.

However, please don’t misunderstand: Israel is still destined for a time of great distress called the Time of Jacob’s trouble in Scripture. The intensity of this will peak during the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. But with one huge distinction … one monumental difference: this time Israel can and will inflict great hurt on her attackers. And even more importantly: At the midnight hour when all seems hopeless, when Israel’s survival is very much in doubt, her Messiah (our Messiah) will return to fight with the Jews, to lead the Israelis in battle.

Forty years before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, Israel’s Messiah was led as a lamb to the slaughter, in order to die and atone for the sins of Israel (the whole world). For 2,500 years the Jews have been led as sheep to slaughter because they disobeyed their God and then rejected their ultimate atonement from sin, their Redeemer. When the risen Christ returns, he will conquer Israel’s enemies and bring final salvation to the Jews. This time, God’s chosen people will listen. They will reach out to their Messiah. They will fight with him, not against.

Listen to the words of the prophet Zechariah: “They (the Jews) will be like mighty warriors in battle, trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet. Since the Lord is with them as they fight … I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries. The people of Israel will become like mighty warriors….” (Zechariah 10: 5-7).

When Israel’s back is to the wall, Zechariah goes on to say: “On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! … For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12: 8-9).

Finally, after all these years, the curse of the Leviticus seven times over discipline has ended. Never again will the God of Israel withdraw his protection from the people he has loved and chosen to bring salvation through none other than the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). Once again, the Jews live in the land promised to them by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This time, they are there to stay. This time the Lord will protect them as he did long ago.

“Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem….” (Zechariah 14: 3-4).

And in those last days, the Lord tells his people, “…I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations … I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles” (Zechariah 9: 10 & 12).

Summary

The seven times over prophetic fulfillment is more evidence that the last days are upon us. It is far beyond mere coincidence that the seven times seven model applied to chronological time/years just happens to end in 1967. The fact that Israel is now a sovereign nation reborn from the fires of Nazi death camps and from the tragic floods of world-wide exile among the nations is proof-positive that Messiah is soon to return.

The first step was return of the Jews to Israel; followed by the rebirth of their nation in a single day (Isaiah 66); followed by the God-given empowerment to fight for and protect their people, whether through defensive or offensive military victories; ultimately peaking with superhuman strength to fight the nations that will be led by the Antichrist (Nero); and finally the majestic return of Christ to rescue Israel from annihilation and to bring final spiritual restoration to the apple of God’s eye, the beautiful land of Israel, and the holy city of Jerusalem.

God’s continuous discipline of Israel ended in 1967, a punishment that was administered by withdrawal of his sovereign protection of Israel from her enemies. “Never again,” say the Jews. Never again will they be led as sheep to the slaughter (Antiochus IV, Titus, Hitler; crusades, inquisitions, pogroms) without the means to defend themselves against enemies who seek their utter destruction.

Like in the days of old, the Jews will also remember that their trust in the Lord is what wins battles, not just military might. Once again they will face insurmountable odds and stare defeat in the eyes; but this time they will call on the name of the Lord … they will call out to their Messiah. He will hear their call and he will fight for them, as he did when they first entered the Promised Land with Joshua, and as he led King David in victory after victory during Israel’s glory days.

They will shout, “Baruch haba, beshem Adonai.” Blessed is he (Jesus) who comes in the name of the Lord (God the father). And then, all Israel will be saved!

Things to Ponder
– Are you ready for the Rapture? According to Christ, himself, no one knows the day or hour. On the other hand, Jesus gave us many signs of the last days, as do many books of the Bible. Most of these Biblical end times indicators pertain directly to Israel, as addressed in this article and in many prior articles on the Eye of Prophecy blog site. Check out the Eye of Prophecy archives.
– As Israel goes, so goes the final days before Messiah’s return. We will continue to match the breathtaking prophecies of Scripture to what is happening in today’s world, especially in Israel and the Middle East.

SEVEN TIMES SEVEN (to the fourth power)! Part II

Let’s continue on our fascinating voyage to discover the seven times over prophetic pearl found in the most unlikely part of God’s treasure map—the Old Testament book of Leviticus. The map will be easier to understand if you’ve read last week’s article, Seven Times Seven, Part I. In order to reach our destination, we need to travel along the path of a premise: The seven times over model depicted in Leviticus prophetically encompasses a chronological period of time, in parallel fashion to the seven sets of seven announced by the angel Gabriel to Daniel, found in Daniel Chapter 9 … as presented in the Eye of Prophecy article two weeks ago entitled, An Incredible Prophecy.

In Leviticus Chapter 26, we find that the fourth and final phase of God’s seven times over punishment would result in Israel’s scattering or exiled expulsion, “among the nations …. Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins” (Verse 33). That is exactly what happened when Babylon attacked and destroyed the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, including Jerusalem and surrounding towns. In 586 BC, mighty Babylon soundly defeated Israel, but according to Jeremiah’s prophecy the Jews would once again return to Israel. That also happened—with Bible scholars pretty much in full agreement that the completion of the 2nd Temple in 516 BC marked the end of the 70-year Babylonian captivity.

What Were the General & Specific Reasons for the Seven Times Punishment?

To answer that question we need to closely examine Israel’s offenses (sins) before and after the Babylonian captivity. From last week’s article, we learned that the general on-going wrongdoings of Israel entailed national (meaning the majority of the Hebrews including their religious and political leaders) disobedience of and hostility toward God. Four times this is identified by such phrases as, “And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me.” And “…you still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward me…” (Leviticus 26:18 & 27).

But then the Lord gets more specific by explaining that the ongoing discipline also stems from Israel’s failure to keep another vital commandment: Not to plant crops every seventh year so the land could rest; that would, in turn, guarantee bountiful harvests. After the people would be completely defeated and evicted from the land by their conquerors, the passage emphasizes through repetition, “Then at last the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years as it lies desolate while you are in exile in the land of your enemies. Then the land will finally rest and enjoy the Sabbaths it missed. As long as the land lies in ruins, it will enjoy the rest you never allowed it to take every seventh year while you lived in it” (Leviticus 26:34-35).

In light of the clear reasons given for the seven times over discipline announced in Leviticus 26 (the continuous, unrelenting disobedience and refusal to listen to “all these commands,” meaning the entire scope of the Mosaic Law), why did God then identify and pinpoint neglect of the seven-year Sabbath rest as the tripping or trigger point for the final phase of God’s punishment, i.e. exile to Babylon?

I believe the answer is two-fold: (1) with precious few exceptions, in Israel’s history we find the people frequently rebelling against the Lord; then denying that the consequences of their defiance was directly connected to God’s discipline. We see this throughout the period of the judges, the kings, and through all the prophets that God continually sent to Israel to warn them. In fact, many of these prophets were ridiculed, tormented, and even killed by the priests and kings of Israel. This cycle of disobedience and denial grew progressively worse after King Solomon’s reign.

The last book written by the last prophet of the Old Testament contains a nutshell summary regarding Israel’s denial of their true spiritual and national condition. The Book of Malachi is followed by four hundred years of silence, in which there were no kings, no prophets, and no communication from God to the people. The prophet Malachi presents a series of replies from Israel’s leaders in which they rationalized and refuted the reality of their sins … by answering God’s questions with questions of their own. And it’s all too evident that the people’s questions were nothing more than cynical, even sarcastic attempts to justify their behavior and, perhaps, escape any further discipline from God. For example, the book opens with God announcing to Israel: “I have always loved you,” says the Lord. But you (the people) retort, “Really? How have you loved us?” (Malachi 1:2).

Then a few verses later: “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: …’You have shown contempt for my name!’” Then the Lord says, “But you (meaning the priests/people) ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’” Then the Lord answers: “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my alter.” Then the people ask, “How have we defiled the sacrifices?” (Malachi 1:6-7). On and on it goes, as the people refuse to acknowledge their transgressions against God and against each other, and even dare to challenge God’s analysis of their spiritually bankrupt condition.

(2) Since the people—from the time Moses and then Joshua died, to the Babylonian captivity and beyond— rationalized, repudiated, or at the very least minimized their rebellion through hardness of heart and spiritual blindness, God identified a specific offense that no one in Israel could possibly explain away… the obvious failure to keep the seven-year Sabbath in which the land would lie fallow. And in doing so, the prophecy includes the very essence of time itself, i.e. the progressive seven times over duration of Israel’s punishment. In fact, the core of the 70-year Babylonian captivity prophecy is based on the Leviticus passage, as remarkably summarized after the captivity ended. Let’s read the explanation:

“Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the Lord that had been consecrated in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them … But the people mocked these messengers of God … They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done. So the Lord brought the king of Babylon against them … God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar … Then his army burned the Temple of God … The few who survived were taken as exiles to Babylon” (II Chronicles 36: 14-20).

Then the author of II Chronicles indisputably connects the Babylonian exile prophecy to the Leviticus Chapter 26 seven times over prophecy by the following conclusion: “So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said” (Verse 21). Obviously, Jeremiah’s prophecy was linked to the prophetic warnings that Moses had given to the people, even before they entered the Promised Land … long before Jeremiah was born.

Question: Why Didn’t the Seven Times Over Prophecy End in 516 BC?

It’s all too evident that the prophetic clock of Leviticus Chapter 26 begin to tick when Israel entered the Promised Land. The entire book of Deuteronomy is a condensed summary of God’s instructions to Israel just before Joshua led them to several victories over the Canaanites. They were given the choice between life and death, blessing and curses (Deuteronomy 30:19). God even told Moses that the prophecy would, in fact, come to pass; because it (unfortunately) was a foregone conclusion that the Israelites would rebel and turn from God (see Deut. 31 & 32). And that’s exactly what they did, not long after Joshua died.

It’s important to understand that the ultimate seven times over discipline is chronologically consecutive and even more so that it is uninterrupted or continuous in its prophetic unfolding. This is clarified by the passage itself. The Lord repeats a total of four times: IF Israel continues to disobey him, then he will prolong the corrective discipline and each time the punishment will be harsher, culminating in exile to foreign nations. Thus, the seven times over is not a symbolic expression of the severity of the discipline; rather, it is (as we have seen and will see) a measure of the lapse of time that all this will take place.

So, then, in examining Israel’s history from the Promised Land advent to the Babylonian captivity, do we find an unbroken, continuous, linear time-lapse (chain of events) in which Israel never repented or never turned back to the Lord? No, we don’t. This is crystal clear during the times of the Judges and Kings of Israel. There were several periods of time lasting at least two generations (80 years or more), such as the consecutive reign of King David and King Solomon or the subsequent reign of a few “good” kings like Josiah. There were cycles of disobedience, deliverance, and restoration; but, on the whole, the Jews became progressively “hostile” toward the Lord, their God. Thus, the seven times over cycle was not continuous during this period of Israel’s history, which is why the Babylonian exile (as devastating as it was) would last for only 70 years—a relatively mild punishment considering the hundreds of year that Israel was mostly, but not entirely, unfaithful to God and his commands.

You might ask: “Relatively mild compared to what?” Good question. Answer: Compared to what happened AFTER their return to the Holy Land from the 70-year captivity.

Although harsh, God’s punishment of Israel was not merely vindictive; rather it (like all of God’s discipline) was administered for Israel’s own good. It included just the right amount of time, not too long and not too short; that would give Israel’s populace a golden opportunity to fully acknowledge why they were punished in this way, and what was necessary for them to return to the Lord. Furthermore, to make sure nothing like this ever happened again … which they clearly knew the potential from warnings going all the way back to Moses. The prophet Ezekiel dealt with this issue of the exiles not amending their hearts and mind back to God before, during, and after the Babylonian exile.

The Seven Times Seven Punishment Continues

So, did the Babylonian exile bring a conclusion to the seven times over prophecy of Leviticus? Sadly, the answer is, NO. Instead, it set into motion the ultimate severity of the prophecy. What transpired after the return of the Jews was even more tragic. Despite a relatively brief (part of a generation) resurgence of Israel’s devotion to God, as found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel never fully returned to the Lord. As indicated, the book of Malachi vividly illustrates Israel’s unyielding stubbornness.

Even though the Jews returned to Israel and rebuilt the second temple, they never again became a completely sovereign nation. They never again experienced the full blessings of the Lord. There were no more kings, and the Shekinah glory of God never returned to the temple. There were no prophets for the last 400 years before the birth of John the Baptist, and then the birth of Messiah. Israel had been, to some degree or another, under the domination of the Persians, Greeks, Syrians, and finally the Romans before and after the utter destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

The first set of seven times over judgments (up to the time of the Babylonian captivity), is best illustrated by the formula: 7 + 7 + 7 + 7. When the people confessed their sins and returned to God, the cycle of discipline ended. In other words the punishments were not continuous; however, each one lasted for a certain period of time, culminating with a specified period of 70 years for the Babylonian captivity.

Because the people didn’t (by any stretch of the imagination) continually seek the Lord when they journeyed back to Israel, the seven times over paradigm began again. This time it would be continuous, leading all the way to and through the greatest horror of all … the Holocaust of the 20th century. There would be no stoppage of the increments of punishment until all four phases had run their course. In fact, the seven times  syndrome contained a mathematically measured built-in period of time, with a beginning and an end.

During this seemingly unending period of time, the fourth phase of discipline would reach its zenith. Remember God’s words: “…then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins … Yes, I myself will devastate your land … I will scatter you among the nations….” (Leviticus 26: 27-33).

Tragically, Israel did not learn from its Babylonian captivity lesson. From the time Nehemiah returned to Babylon in 433 BC, 12 years after arriving in Jerusalem with another group of exiles to rebuild the walls; to his second trip to Israel a few years later, the people’s promise to serve the Lord had evaporated like an early morning fog. They had fallen into all kinds of detestable practices. Listed to Nehemiah’s words: “So I confronted the nobles of Judah. ‘Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?’ I asked. ‘Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!’” (Nehemiah 13: 17-18).

And, so the seven times over sequence had begun again. This time the prophetic march of time relentlessly continued unabated and uninterrupted. If, however, the seven times over to the 4th power represents a measurable period of time, then it must come to an end. That’s what occurred to me that night in October, 2006: Although I didn’t know where it would lead me (what year in history), I realized that God was telling Moses and the people that the seven times seven model necessitated and would, in fact, unfold according to an exact prophetic timeline. Moreover, the formula was built into the prophecy: 7 x 7 x 7 x 7. When this prophetic paradigm reached its measurable deadline, Israel’s punishment would also reach its predetermined limit; and they would no longer be under Gentile domination!

A Phenomenal Finding (Let’s do the Math)

Calculations: 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 equals 2,401 (years). Remember the premise: This prophecy is a specific time-lapse utilization of sevens that can be measured in years, in a very similar manner to the Daniel Chapter 9 prophecy. We must now convert the 2,401 years to Jewish years.

Roman to Jewish calendar: 2,401 years x 365 Roman calendar days = 876,365 days. Dividing 876,365 by 360 Jewish calendar days = 2,434 years Jewish years. (We’re rounding this off, because we’re only interested in the year, unlike the exact day(s) of the Daniel prophecy).

Jubilee Years: Again, we need to remember that the ultimate criteria that God used to preclude or preempt any excuses or rationalization of the people was the Sabbatical rest of the land. But we also need to include all Jubilee years, which was a 50-year cycle of freedom from debt, servitude, and also resting the land from crop planting. Because of space/time restraints, I didn’t cover this, but it can be found in Leviticus Chapter 25. Because the Israelites also failed to keep the Jubilee requirements, this would be a central part of God’s formula for discipline.

So we divide 2,434 Jewish years by 50 and we get 49 (rounded off) Jubilee years over that period of time.

We add 2,434 years + 49 (Jubilee) years. The sum of these two: 2,483 (years).

The Astonishing Result: 2,483 years minus 516 BC (we must subtract BC years from the total) leads us to the year: 1967! Or 1,967 years AD plus 516 years BC is a total of 2,483 years.

What makes the year 1967 so amazing? We will cover this in more detail during next week’s article, but for now I will simply say: In 1967, one of the three monumental milestones of Jewish modern history took place. In fact, many students of Biblical prophecy (including me) identify the six-day war of June, 1967 as the turning point of Israel’s future, even surpassing her statehood of 1948. For the 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 prophecy to end in 1967 is no coincidence or a mathematical fluke.

On the contrary: It is absolutely incredible!! It is yet another remarkable Biblical prophecy that involves the divine number seven and its precise relevance in today’s world by connecting God’s ancient covenant with Israel to its modern-day rebirth and deliverance from Gentile domination.

*Note: I didn’t start with the year 1967 and work backwards. In fact, I had no idea where the calculations would take me, in terms of any specific year. I was as curious then as you probably are now while reading this article.

Summary:

Now let’s read the rest of the happy-ending story: “Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob … and I will remember the land. For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected my regulations and despised my decrees. But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out, for I am the Lord their God. For their sakes I will remember my ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of all the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 26: 42-45, italics for emphasis).

I highlighted at last and continually to further underscore two vital component parts of this prophecy and to validate my premise that it is a measurable time-capsule prediction. At last demonstrates the sheer duration/length of what had been nearly 2,500 years of Jewish subjugation to the gentile nations. And the concept of continually shows the unremitting period of disobedience and perpetual punishment until the discipline ended in 1967.

Things to Ponder:

Although the Babylonian captivity was a planned period of discipline (70 years), the second and final dispersion of the Jews by the Romans in 70 AD is not specifically given a beginning and ending date in Scripture, not in the fashion of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the 70 years or Daniel’s prophecy of the 483 and 490 years. Rather, the Great Diaspora that began in 70 AD, the pogroms in Russia and surrounding countries, followed by the 20th century Holocaust are all part of the continuous 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 prophetic time-line.

I think the reason for such a harsh, long period of time (from the return of the exiles in 516 BC to the recapture of Jerusalem in 1967) was the severity of Israel’s ultimate disobedience. They abandoned their ultimate Sabbath Rest, and their ultimate Jubilee by rejecting their very Messiah and Redeemer who is our Sabbath Rest for all eternity. But one day all of Israel (those who acknowledge Jesus as Messiah) will be saved, both physically and spiritually!

Don’t miss next week’s article, as it will explain in more detail what the year 1967 meant to the Jews, but also to the entire world.