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INTRODUCTION
In chapter 26 of Leviticus we encounter the mention of 'seven times' in
four verses. Lev 26:18, 21, 24 & 28.
It has also been proposed that these occurrences refer to four separate
time periods.
Lev 26:18 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then
I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
Lev 26:21 'Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing
to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues,
according to your sins.
Lev 26:24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will
punish you yet seven times for your sins.
Lev 26:28 then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I,
even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
What we notice from the above NKJV translation is that there is a slight
variance in the way the translators have portrayed the Hebrew.
verse 18 - "you seven times"
verse 21 - "you seven times"
verse 24 - "yet seven times"
verse 28 - "you seven times"
Some have taught that one of these 'seven times' is a punishment
encompassing a time delay. Is this true?
What does the Hebrew show.
verse 18 - 
verse 21 - 
verse 24 - 
verse 28 - 
A literal 'word for word' rendering of these verses reads like this:
verse 18 - And-if after these not you-will-listen
to-me then-I-will-continue to-punish you
seven-time for sins-of-you.
verse 21 - And-if you-remain toward-me hostile
and-not you-will to-listen to-me
then-I-will-multiply on-you affliction
seven-time according-to-sins-of you.
verse 24 - Then-I-will-come indeed I against-you with
hostility and-I-will-afflict you even I
seven-time for sins-of-you.
verse 28 - Then-I-will-continue toward-you in-anger-of
hostility and-I-will-punish you indeed I
seven-time for sins-of-you.
So if one examines these verses carefully, it can be seen that there is
no significant 'seven times' difference between any of these verses.
Obviously there is an intent to depict the increasing intensity of these
punishments.
Do we also have an intent to present a time aspect? If so, then all of
these verses may each be representing a time element.
From the Hebrew above we can see that the notion of 'seven times' comes
from a single word.
This word simply means 'seven'.
DIVISIONS OF LEVITICUS CHAPTER 26
Leviticus chapter 26 can be divided into several sections,
1) Reminds the Israelites of the Covenant and then lists blessings
which will result if the statutes and commandments are performed.
Verses 1 - 13.
2) Initial warning about the consequences of any rebellion.
Verses 14 - 17.
3) First 'seven' and punishments. Verses 18 - 20.
4) Second 'seven' and punishments. Verses 21 - 23.
5) Third 'seven' and punishments. Verses 24 - 27.
6) Fourth 'seven' and punishments. Verses 28 - 39.
7) If they confess God will remember the covenant
made with their ancestors. Verses 40 - 45.
So let us deal with these divisions in reverse order. Let us also
consider them with an 'overall plan of God' perspective.
If They Confess
Lev 26:40 'But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity
of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which
they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have
walked contrary to Me,
:41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have
brought them into the land of their enemies; if their
uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept
their guilt -
:42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My
covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I
will remember; I will remember the land.
:43 The land also shall be left empty by them, and will
enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them;
they will accept their guilt, because they despised My
judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes.
:44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their
enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor
them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant
with them; for I am the Lord their God.
:45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant of
their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of
Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be
their God: I am the Lord.'"
An important element discussed is,
"the land ... will enjoy its sabbaths",
This is very reminiscent of,
2Chr 36:21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of
Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths.
As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to
fulfill seventy years.
The destruction of the house of Judah by the Babylonians in the past is
a type of what would happen in the end-time. In other words the period
of the end-time Great Tribulation would in some symbolic way also allow
the 'land' to 'enjoy' the allotted time for 'her sabbaths'. Also, that
the duration of the Great Tribulation would have a connection to the
number '70', ie 'to fulfill seventy years'.
Fourth Seven
This final 'seven' is very severe!
There is talk of severe famine, cities laid waste, land desolated,
scattering of the inhabitants, great fear and wasting away of the
people.
Also, once again there is the mention of the land enjoying its sabbaths.
(Verses 34 -35.)
Lev 26:28 then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I,
even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
:29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall
eat the flesh of your daughters.
:30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense
altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms
of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you.
:31 I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries
to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of
your sweet aromas.
:32 I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies
who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.
:33 I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a
sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your
cities waste.
:34 Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it
lies desolate and you are in your enemies' land;
then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
:35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest; for the
time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt
in it.
:36 'And as for those of you who are left, I will send
faintness into their hearts in the lands of their
enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them
to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a
sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.
:37 They shall stumble over one another, as it were
before a sword, when no one pursues; and you shall
have no power to stand before your enemies.
:38 You shall perish among the nations, and the land
of your enemies shall eat you up.
:39 And those of you who are left shall waste away in
their iniquity in your enemies' lands; also in their
fathers' iniquities, which are with them, they shall
waste away.
This 4th 'seven times' appears to be the Great Tribulation itself.
In the book of Daniel it is typified by the furnace that was heated
'seven times' more than normal.
Dan 3:19 ... commanded that they heat the furnace seven times
more than it was usually heated.
Third Seven
This third seven talks about people being gathered together in their
cities due to fear of the sword; and the resulting famine and pestilence.
Lev 26:24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will
punish you yet seven times for your sins.
:25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute
the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered
together within your cities I will send pestilence
among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand
of the enemy.
:26 When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women
shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall
bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat
and not be satisfied.
:27 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk
contrary to Me,
A critical passage here is "ten woman shall bake your bread".
This is a reference to a time when ten symbolic entities will prepare
spiritual food. Food which shall not spiritually satisfy.
The number ten and the end-time setting, brings to mind the 10 horns
of the Daniel 7 fourth beast. Three horns of which are subsequently
removed and the seven horns which remain. It is their followers /
congregations which shall in the latter period of this 'seven times'
bring forth spiritual food that will not satisfy.
This period of 'seven' is also mentioned in the book of Daniel.
Dan 4:16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven times pass over him.
This fate of Nebuchadnezzar being a type of the fate of God's kingdom,
during the time the bands of iron and bronze would be placed around
the stump of God's Work.
This period of time equating to a duration of 2,520 years. A prophesied
span of time finishing immediately prior to the future Great Tribulation.
The 2,520 years (7 x 360), being derived from 7 years each composed of
360 days.
This period apparently being initiated with the release of the house of
Judah from captivity, ie upon the decree of Cyrus.
Second Seven, First Seven, and Prior Period
There remains now two periods of 'seven' and a possible initial period
which may also represent a further period of seven.
The second seven talks about wild beasts which would remove Israel's
offspring and livestock.
Lev 26:21 'Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing
to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues,
according to your sins.
:22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob
you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make
you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate.
:23 'And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but
walk contrary to Me,
The first seven talks about removing their reason to be proud and the
fruitfulness of their land.
Lev 26:18 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then
I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
:19 I will break the pride of your power;
I will make your heavens like iron and your earth
like bronze.
:20 And your strength shall be spent in vain;
for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall
the trees of the land yield their fruit.
The prior period punishment talks about removing their 'vision' so what
Israel wants to achieve shall be taken by their enemies.
Lev 26:14 'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all
these commandments,
:15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors
My judgments, so that you do not perform all My
commandments, but break My covenant,
:16 I also will do this to you:
I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease
and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause
sorrow of heart.
And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies
shall eat it.
:17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be
defeated by your enemies.
Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you
shall flee when no one pursues you.
These descriptions may span the earlier periods of God's work.
The time of the judges and the kings of Israel and Judah.
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