Leviticus 26 - Israel's Dread

Duane Gallentine

This chapter in Leviticus, written in approximately 1500 B.C. by the great prophet Moses, laid forth the panoramic view of Israel's future as God establishes His earthly Kingdom. This prophecy was possibly based upon God's foreknowledge of how Israel would fail to keep the Old Covenant. God did not predestinate them to this course [He did not take pleasure in their failure], but knowing what was in man and that He did not need man's counsel (John 2:25), God foresaw the beginning from the end and could pronounce beforehand the events that would surely follow.

Leviticus 26 is divided into two basic parts:

Verses 1-13 pronounce a blessing when Israel would walk in God's statutes and keep His commandments and do them. This would be Israel's hope of receiving the promises made unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Verses 14-46 speaks of Israel's dread....her receiving not the blessings but the curses for failing in the "keeping" and "doing" of the statutes and commandments. We now see that this "dread" became Israel history!

POINTS TO CONSIDER:

1. God has designed this passage to be the cornerstone from which the rest of the Bible fits. Everything that God did and that was written in the books of Joshua to Revelation, except of course Paul's thirteen epistles which manifest Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the hidden wisdom of God called the Mystery, reflects Jehovah's faithfulness to the utterances of this chapter which is based upon the covenants of promise.
2. The courses of curses compose all the rest of your Bible except the Mystery revelation; thus, we can say that the books of Joshua to Revelation, except Romans through Philemon, fit with in the framework of these courses.
3. The rest of the Bible will not make sense and it will be hard to figure as you read other books in the Bible that pertain to prophecy if you don't understand Israel's five courses of chastisement shown in these verses.
4. As you read further into the Prophetic scriptures, we see over and over again that faithful men and women in Israel approaching God, doing things, and living their lives based upon their understanding of Lev 26.
5. Since Lev 26:14-46 is the framework of Israel's history, the scriptures of the prophets (Isaiah to Malachi) are the pieces that fit within the framework of the cyclical courses of punishment that picture God working within Israel--the Prophets, both major and minor, gave the details of the fifth course!
6. When the eternal Son of God became flesh, being known in the prophetic Scriptures as the Branch (Isa 11:1) manifested as King (Matthew), a Servant (Mark), a Man (Luke), and God (John), He lived, taught, suffered, was crucified, and arose from the dead during the last phase of the fifth course of Israel's corrective punishment.
7. Christ's continued ministry through the Twelve Apostles during the early Acts period falls within the bounds of the Last Days of the fifth course of prophetic punishment.
8. The books of Hebrews through Revelation details the doctrines God operates towards His chosen nation as the believing remnant (i.e. the Kingdom church of Acts 2) waits for the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth. These books compose the full knowledge of Jesus Christ according to Prophecy and directs them on how they are to live in view of the approaching Kingdom.
9. The thirteen epistles of Paul, Romans through Philemon, compose the temporary break in the fifth cycle of Israel's punishment. Only Paul's epistles explains the delay in God finishing the Last Days of the fifth course of chastisement (a.k.a. the Day of the Lord; the seven year Tribulation) and the establishment of the earthly Kingdom.

Also.... The Warning Passages In the Epistle to the Hebrews:

• Hebrews 2:1-2
• Hebrews 3:6, 12, 14
• Hebrews 4:1,11
• Hebrews 6:4-8, 12
• Hebrews 10:26-31, 35-39
• Hebrews 12:3-8, 15-17, 25-29

The key to understanding these passages so that one does not have to twist, thereby wrongly dividing, the Word of Truth is to recognize that they all have the same dispensational setting. It is one in which Israel is on the verge of the Kingdom of God being established on the earth after they endure unto the end of the Great Tribulation. This was what true Israel was prepared for by the Jesus Christ--Matthew 24-25.

During the earthly ministry of Christ, Israel was warned by Him concerning a sin which would not be forgiven. We read about this in Matthew 12:31-32. In context it is very clear that the pronouncement of an unforgivable sin is drawn from Israel's reaction to the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-30). Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, cast out devils and the religious crowd in Israel accredited that work of the Holy Spirit as satanic, even resisting the demonstration of the Spirit's power.

In this passage, the Lord prophesies about a future threshold in which Israel will stand. The threshold has two levels of opportunity; or, if adversely reacted to, two levels of sin as unbelief abounds.

The first threshold as the Lord states is when Israel would speak words against the Son of God (this is called blasphemy). This actually happens later in His ministry as he hung on Calvary's tree (Matthew 27:39-44). The demonic ridicule and anger that was poured out upon him by His own people was intense; the Record is clear concerning this. But this too was forgivable; for that is what He said,

"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him;..."

The basis of this forgiveness would, of course, be the blood of the Son of man upon the cross. The fact that is was forgiven is two-fold:

1. Israel crucified Christ in ignorance (Luke 23:34).

   According to the Dispensation of Law in which Jesus Christ was born, lived, ministered, and died provided forgiveness for a sin that was committed in ignorance when the proper offering was given (Leviticus 4; Numbers 15:24-29)

2. The Lord himself said to the Heaven Father, "...forgive them;...". This was God speaking to God; and it was done because of His Word.

But this is only part of the warning of Matthew 12:31-32. The further alarming admonition had to do with Israel blaspheming or speaking against the Holy Spirit. If they commit this sin of unbelief, there would be no forgiveness of it. And please note, that the fact of this sin being unforgiven remains, not only in the present world that they lived in, but being unforgiven extends into the world to come that new earth and new heaven of Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 20:1.

Since the notable feature of blasphemy of the Son of man is that Israel did it in ignorance, then the notable feature of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit would be that Israel does it knowing full well what they do. They may not know nor accept the full consequences of such act, but when they do this unforgivable sin they do it presumptuously with forethought, having plenty of witness before them so that they are without excuse. That type of sin is unforgivable, not only under the old Dispensation of Law (Numbers 15:30-31), but also under the New Testament (Matthew 12:31-32 cf. Hebrews 9:16-17; 10:26; Matthew 26:28).

As the Bible records the events of those early days of the book of Acts, Peter and the Eleven preach to Israel is such a fashion so as to remove all ignorance. Not only by words do they inform Israel of Jesus of Nazareth being God's Christ and that God raised him from the dead to be both Prince and Saviour to Israel, but by wonders, signs, and miracles is Israel given witness (Acts 2:14-36, 43; 3:12-25; 4:8-10; 5:31-32).

The manifold witness Israel receives by the Little Flock (Acts 2 Kingdom church) is in the power of the Holy Ghost (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4- 8). Like it or not unbelieving Israel is seeing, both with their physical eye and spiritual comprehension, the power of the Holy Spirit. How could they possibly think that to continue on in unbelief would be classified by God as doing so in ignorance? Truly as the verses state God, by giving such witness to Israel, was removing her ignorance as His chosen Nation heard the heavenly calling, tasted of the heavenly gift, were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, tasted of the good word of God, and taste the powers of the world to come.

NOW if Israel blasphemes the Holy Ghost as they did the Son of man, they would be committing a willful sin. To refuse God, who was speaking to Israel via the Holy Spirit in Peter and the Little Flock, would be for them to NOT believe the message the Twelve apostles were preaching. What message did they preach? The answer is clearly the Gospel of the Kingdom and Gospel of the Circumcision (Matthew 24:14; Gal 2:7). Israel's willful sin would be unforgivable after they received the full knowledge of this Truth. Be careful Israel, be careful!!

Did they commit blasphemy of the Holy Ghost? What sayeth the Record?

Acts 7:51-60 is very, very clear. This is Israel's well demonstrated, but yet hidden, climactic act of rebellion. This passage in Acts records the place, time, and event where Israel crossed over the threshold into the unforgivable sin of Matthew 12:31-32. The verdict of Israel's willful unbelief is given by God, the Holy Ghost, through Stephen's voice:

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost:..."

With those words from God, Israel confirmed their unrepentant wicked heart and defiled conscience by stoning Stephen.

Now, if you will go back and read the warnings of Hebrews within the framework of a proper dispensation setting and grasp the element of timing in these things, you will surely understand that each warning expresses the essences of what the Lord warned Israel about in Matthew 12.

Also, if you would consider the other warnings in the Circumcision Epistles, like James 1:13-16 and 1 John 5:15-17 in the light of their proper dispensational setting, you can plainly see that the sin unto death would be blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. This sin would be committed when individual Israelites reject the testimony of God through the Little Flock; they counting for themselves and their nation the blood of the New Covenant an unholy thing; they doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace as they give allegiance to the anti-christ system. The final act of their rebellion would be the acceptance of the mark of the beast, 666.

One closing point about one of the warning passages in Hebrews.

In Hebrews 10:26 the admonition states:

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"

Without understanding its proper dispensation setting, this passage is often taught in opposition to the doctrine of eternal security of a member of Christ's One Body. In other words people think the verse says, "For if we sin willfully after that we have received SALVATION, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins". But does it say SALVATION? It says, "...after that we have received the knowledge of the truth,.." Salvation is not the issue. Yes, knowledge of the truth can lead to salvation, but the verse is clear; what is received is the knowledge of the truth...this is what the verse says.

The word knowledge is the Greek word epi-gnosis which means full knowledge. Epi-gnosis is used to express that what is written is complete lacking nothing. The Epistle to the Hebrews is the written message of the Apostles' doctrine (Acts 2:42 cf. Hebrews 2:3-4). This Epistle is the full knowledge of Jesus Christ according to Prophecy. Through the doctrines explained in Hebrews, Israel has come unto the full knowledge of who God has made Jesus Christ to be for them. They can understand, they can see, they are not any longer ignorant as ignorance has been removed by the epi-gnosis. For Israel to reject the message contained in Hebrews would be to commit blasphemy of the Holy Ghost as these words are from God the Spirit (2 Peter 1:21 cf. 2 Timothy 3:16).

Today, God is not dealing with Israel nor working their Kingdom program. Today is the Dispensation of the Grace of God (Ephesians 3:1-5). Blasphemy of Christ or the Holy Ghost is impossible to commit in this Dispensation. It can not be done for it was not given by Jesus Christ for the Gentiles to commit; it was only given to Israel within the dispensation setting of Prophecy.

Future to our day in this Dispensation of the Grace of God, which, by the way, was kept secret from the foundation of the world; and, known in the Bible as The Mystery; and, revealed after the stoning of Stephen through Paul the apostle, Prophecy will be revived by God and Israel will be brought to the threshold of speaking against the Holy Ghost during her final days. Israel will have to decide who Jesus of Nazareth was as God moves upon Abraham's physical descendants to fulfill their role in the prophetic program.