“And yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them so as to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am Jehovah their God” (v. 44). This signifies that God, having chastised the church severely, will not reject it, nor will He destroy it utterly or break His covenant with it. No matter what the situation may be, we are still under God’s New Testament covenant, and we still have our portion.
At this point we should note that chapter twenty-five of Leviticus concerns the grace of God, signified by the jubilee, whereas chapter twenty-six concerns the administration of God (chastisement, government, kingdom). In the New Testament, the grace of God is covered by the ministry of Paul, and God’s administration is covered by the ministry of Peter. Keeping this in mind will be helpful to us as we read the New Testament.
The fulfillment of God’s promise to His people can be seen in the history of Israel. In the 1920s we studied books on prophecy and came to know the promises concerning Israel in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. I believed God and I believed all the prophecies recorded in the Bible, yet I wondered how the Jews could be formed into a nation, since they had lost their land and it was occupied by the Moslems. I was waiting for the time when the Jews would be formed into a nation in their fatherland, the Holy Land, Palestine. Suddenly, in 1948, the Jews returned to their fathers’ land and formed a government and a nation there.
Let me tell you the story very briefly according to what I recall from my reading of newspapers and books.
During World War I, the British had a shortage of a certain chemical which was crucial for manufacturing ammunition. A Jewish scholar who was living in Great Britain knew how to produce this chemical. An agreement was made between the British government and this scholar that if he would help the British to produce the needed chemical, they would return Palestine to the Jews after the war. (At that time Palestine was under the Ottoman Empire, which had joined with Germany in the war.) When the war was over, the British government did not keep its word. The League of Nations, which was dominated by Great Britain and France, gave Lebanon to France and the land on either side of the Jordan River to England as protectorates.
The Jews were deeply disappointed by the failure of Great Britain to keep its promise. I believe that this failure was an offense to God. From that time onward, God’s blessing was turned away from Great Britain to another direction.
During World War II, Hitler killed six million Jews. This stirred the hearts of the Jewish people, and they realized that as long as they did not have their own land and government, they had no protection. I believe that many prayers were offered to God by the devoted, Orthodox Jews. I also believe that God heard their prayers.
At the end of the war, the United States proposed that the Jews return to their fathers’ land. Great Britain agreed, and preparations were made. In 1948 the British forces went ahead of the Jews to drive the Palestinians from their homes, and the Jews moved in. It was in this way that the Jews returned to their fatherland and formed a government.
When I got to know this in the newspaper in Shanghai, I was greatly surprised. I was alive to see the fulfillment of part of a great biblical prophecy. My belief in the prophecies of the Bible was confirmed.
In 1948 the Jews did not take possession of the old section of Jerusalem, which was still controlled by Jordan. However, in 1967, during what is called the Six Day War, Israel took over the remainder of Jerusalem and the West Bank of the Jordan River.
Although the Jews have regained the Holy Land, they have not yet fully and wholly repented to God. The majority of the Jews remain in their unbelief. The government of Israel may care for religion, but it does not care for God. I do not know of one statesman among the Jews who has been godly. However, the devoted Jews care for God, and some of them pray day and night. I believe that they know Leviticus 26 and, at least to some extent, keep this word. God surely is in the process of answering their prayers according to His promise. One indication of this is Israel’s being able to stand against so many Moslem and Arab nations. Israel stands because God is behind them.
This brief review of history testifies that the prophetic word in God’s holy Word is true. I have seen the fulfillment of this word, and it is still being fulfilled today. God is God, and His word concerning Israel will be fulfilled in full. He will preserve Israel until the Lord’s coming back.
Today we need to follow the spiritual principles in Leviticus 26. If we are wrong, we should repent. Then we shall receive back the blessing for our enjoyment.
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