Please always get the latest version of this document, from the Bible Pages web site, at this address: www.biblepages.web.surftown.se/ey05c.htm
Need larger text? Go to your browser's "View" menu and look for "Text size" or "Zoom".
This essay is part 5 in a 17-part series on what biblical prophecies say about the
fate of the ten "lost" tribes of Israel. These seventeen essays are directed mostly
to people who have been subjected to Anglo-Israelism (British Israelism), but they
can be beneficial even for others.
This present part considers Leviticus 26 and the translation "seven times". What does the Hebrew word sheba in that chapter really mean and refer to? Anglo-Israelists have created some rather peculiar dogmas around that chapter, basing them on a word that appears in some English translations, but not in the Hebrew text. This essay proceeds to show the actual meaning of the relevant verses, among them Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24 and 28.
Links to the other parts in this series can be found under the heading "Tribes" on the index-page keyw-t4.htm. Some of them are mentioned even in the "Additional reading" section towards the end of this essay.
This essay takes a closer look at the question, what does the Hebrew word sheba in that chapter really mean and refer to?
Many Anglo-Israelist preachers have quoted certain verses in Leviticus 26 where some English bible-versions have the phrase "seven times". They have claimed that to mean that the lost ten tribes of Israel supposedly were to be punished for "2520 years", and that after that punishment period they would "automatically" be restored and receive back the blessings promised to the Fathers.
More exactly, those preachers have claimed that the phrase "seven times" [A] (which some translations have in Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24 and 28), supposedly refers to "7 years of 360 days, summing up to 2520 days", and then they have counted a day as a year. In that way, they have "calculated" the word sheba ("seven" or "sevenfold") in Leviticus 26 to signify "2520 years", and claimed that to be a prophecy regarding "blessings withheld for 2520 years" or blessings "delayed" for such a period of time.
Those preachers have caused people to believe that the Bible says that 2520 years after their exile from the Promised Land, the ten "lost" tribes of Israel were to suddenly emerge as a nation again, with a large population and great blessings and power – and that, not in the Promised Land which the Bible talks about but in the USA and Great Britain. (Or more exactly, not all of those tribes but the "tribe of Joseph"; [B] that is what many of those preachers have claimed.) They have also claimed that the blessings of the tribes of Israel (or on "the tribe of Manasseh" [B]) supposedly were restored circa 1800 to 1803 ("the Louisiana purchase"), the claim being that the United States supposedly is "the tribe of Manasseh" [B]) and thus a recipient of the promised blessings.
[A] It is worth noting that where the 1769 King James version has "seven times" in Leviticus 26, the Hebrew text has sheba, "seven", and that there is no word for "times" in the Hebrew text of the four verses in question but only sheba, "seven", in this case meaning "sevenfold". There is more on this, later in this essay.
[B] Manasseh was a son of Joseph who in his turn was a son of Jacob whose other name was Israel. The descendants of Jacob's grandson Manasseh formed the "tribe of Manasseh", and the descendants of Manasseh's brother Ephraim formed the "tribe of Ephraim". That is something that came to happen a long time ago, in ancient times. That is clear and biblical. But then, some Anglo-Israelist preachers have claimed that the people of Great Britain supposedly are "descendants of Ephraim" and the people in the USA "descendants of Manasseh". The essay ey11b.htm takes a closer look at that claim.
In the Hebrew text of Leviticus 26, the word sheba is used alone, as an adverb. Some bible-translators have added the word "times", writing "seven times" in the meaning "sevenfold". Point: The relevant verses in Leviticus 26 do not refer to "times" (such as "days" or "years"). The meaning is "sevenfold". Explanation:
That was in connection with a warning that if the Israelites were not faithful to the Lord, they would be receive five "rounds" of punishment, each of rounds two to five being seven-fold harder than the preceding one. And, as things turned out, those Israelites were not faithful, and consequently, the punishments the Lord had warned them about, did come upon them. The fifth and final round of punishment led to that the cities (towns) of Israel were "laid waste" – that is, they became empty, without inhabitants, because one of the things included in that last round was that the Israelites were taken away from that land, into exile.
That is what the word sheba refers to, in Leviticus 26:21, 21, 24 and 28. The warnings and punishments recorded in Leviticus 26 are fulfilled prophecy; those things happened a long, long time ago. They took place when the tribes of Israel still lived in the land of Israel (Canaan). Later in this essay, there is more on those five "rounds" of punishment.
Again, the facts are that the Hebrew text of the four relevant verses in Leviticus 26 does not contain any word for "times" which could be interpreted to mean "days" or "years". In Old Testament passages which refer to "seven days" or "seven years" (such as Genesis 7:4, 29:20, 41:29 and 50:10, Numbers 13:22) the word sheba is qualified by the words yowm, "day", or shaneh, "year". But in Leviticus 26:21, 21, 24 and 28, we find neither yowm nor shaneh.
There are some passages in the book of Daniel where "times" does refer to "years", but in those cases the original language text contains special words for that, such as the Hebrew mowed in Daniel 12:7 and the Aramaic iddan in Daniel 4:16. In Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24 and 28, the word sheba ("seven") is alone, without any qualifying word, and is used in the meaning "sevenfold". Exactly what that referred to, is explained under the next heading.
The Lord warned the Israelites in advance, and told them that if they forsook him and their covenant with him, they would be severely punished. Here, the Lord told them what the first round of punishment would be, in such a case:
Leviticus 26:14 But if ye hearken not unto me, and do not all these commandments, 15 and if ye shall despise my statutes, and if your soul shall abhor mine ordinances, so that ye do not all my commandments, that ye break my covenant, 16 I also will do this unto you—I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and fever, which shall cause the eyes to fail, and the soul to waste away; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 And I will set my face against you, that ye may be routed before your enemies; they that hate you shall have dominion over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. (DBY)
That was the first "round" of punishment that was to come upon them, if they were not faithful to the Lord. And: If that first round did not bring home the message, there was to come a second round, seven-fold harder:
Leviticus 26:18 And if for this ye hearken not unto me, I will punish you sevenfold more for your sins, [C] 19 and I will break the arrogance of your power; [D] and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as bronze, 20 and your strength shall be spent in vain, and your land shall not yield its produce; and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. (DBY, highlighting added)
[C] The 1769 KJ version has "I will punish you seven times more for your sins" (verse 18). That meant that the punishment was to be seven times harder. This was then repeated in verses 21, 24 and 28. In each case, the Hebrew word in question was sheba ("seven"), used in meaning "sevenfold", that is, seven times stronger or harder.
[D] Please note that that warning prophecy was fulfilled, so that the Israelites' "pride of power" was broken, already in that second round of punishment, when they still lived in the land of Canaan, before they had been banished from that country. The essay ey02c.htm has more on that "pride" matter.
The Lord warned the Israelites that if they did not repent after that second round and turn back to the Lord, there would come a third round, still seven times harder:
Leviticus 26:21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me, I will bring sevenfold more plagues upon you according to your sins. 22 And I will send the beasts of the field among you, that they may rob you of your children, and cut off your cattle, and make you few in number; and your streets shall be desolate. (DBY, highlighting added)
And, that if they would not turn to the Lord after that round either, then more would come, a fourth round, seven times harder than the preceding one:
Leviticus 26:23 And if ye will not be disciplined by me through these, but walk contrary unto me, 24 then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will smite you, even I, sevenfold for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you that avengeth with the vengeance of the covenant, and ye shall be gathered together into your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and shall deliver you the bread again by weight; and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. (DBY)
And, that if they even after that still were stiff-necked and did not turn back to the Lord, a fifth and final round of punishment would come, seven times worse than the preceding one:
Leviticus 26:27 And if for this ye hearken not to me, but walk contrary unto me, 28 then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven-fold for your sins. 29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. 30 And I will lay waste your high places, and cut down your sun-pillars, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols; and my soul shall abhor you. 31 And I will lay waste your cities and desolate your sanctuaries; and I will not smell your sweet odours. 32 And I will bring the land into desolation; that your enemies who dwell there in may be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be desolation, and your cities waste. 34 Then shall the land enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, when ye are in your enemies' land; then shall the land rest, and enjoy its sabbaths. 35 All the days of the desolation it shall rest, the days in which it did not rest on your sabbaths, when ye dwelt therein. 36 And as to those that remain of you—I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, that the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them, and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth; 37 and they shall stumble one over another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth; and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And ye shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. 39 And they that remain of you shall waste away through their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also through the iniquities of their fathers shall they waste away with them. (DBY, highlighting added)
In each case (Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24 and 28), the Hebrew word in question was sheba which meant "seven", and when used in such a connection as in these passages, "sevenfold", that is, seven times worse, stronger or harder. And again, as things went, the Israelites did not heed the Lord, and so, all those things did come upon them. All that is fulfilled prophecy, events of the ancient past.
In short: Those passages have nothing to do with "2520 years". Many translations use the word "sevenfold" instead, and make the matter clearer. But, the 1769 KJ version's wording "seven times more" in Leviticus 26:18 and 21 is not wrong either, because it means the very same thing, "sevenfold more". Anglo-Israelist writers should have been well aware of this fact, but they have pushed the facts aside and twisted words in order to support their own dogmas.
Daniel 4, verses 16, 23, 25 and 32 (which are written in Aramaic) mention "seven times". In those passages, it is correct to reckon "times" as "years", because they contain, not only the word "seven" (shibah) but also the word iddan which meant "times" or "years".
Daniel 12:7 (which is written in Hebrew) talks about "time, times and a half"; there, the Hebrew text contains the word is mowed (mow'ed), used to signify "times" in the meaning "years".
But again, the Hebrew text of Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24 and 28 does not have any word for "times". In those verses, the word sheba ("seven") is alone, without any qualifying word, used as an adverb, in the meaning "sevenfold" (that is, seven-fold harder, as was explained earlier).
A note: The "seven times" of Daniel 4:16, 23, 25 and 32 did not mean "2520 years", either. Those verses referred to seven literal years, just as for instance Daniel 4:33 and 34 make clear. In other words: King Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity for a period of seven years, but after that his mind became normal again. That is fulfilled prophecy, an event of the ancient past, just as the punishment rounds of Leviticus 26 are.
Another note: In contrast to that, the "time, times, and a half" of Daniel 12:7 – that is, a period of three and a half years – might refer to things which are yet in the future, but that passage is vague and very hard to interpret.
Leviticus 26 records how the Lord warned the ancient Israelites how things would go for them, if they were not faithful to him. Later, those things came to happen, just as the Lord had warned. Other books in the Old Testament record how that happened.
Again: All of those five rounds of punishment did come upon the ancient Israelites. The last round led to that they were banished from the Promised Land. Those punishments also led to that the Israelites, who in those days had become many, "as the stars of heaven" (see Deuteronomy 1:10 and 10:22), instead became few in number (just as the Lord had warned, see Leviticus 26:22 and Deuteronomy 28:62-64).
All that happened when those Israelites still lived in the land of Canaan, more than 2700 years ago. Those who are interested, can find them recorded in the Bible. They are a fact of history, a thing of the ancient past.
A note: The ten "lost" tribes of Israel still remain in the dispersion which was a result of the fifth and last round of punishment. The essay ey01b.htm has more on this. See also the next point.
This is mentioned here because some Anglo-Israelist preachers have twisted even that matter. They have tried to "re-cycle" prophecies which were fulfilled ages ago, claiming that those already fulfilled prophecies supposedly point to a future punishment. They do not; they are a thing of the past.
It is important to understand that the ten "lost" tribes of Israel still remain in the dispersion which was caused by the last of the punishment rounds described in Leviticus 26. A part of the people of the southern tribes of Israel, the "Jews", did return to their land, but the majority of the northern ten "lost" tribes have not done that but still remain dispersed among other nations, without being a nation and without having a country of their own.
Again, the Lord told the ancient Israelites what would come upon them if they did not obey him. Here is a part of the passage describing the fifth and last "round" of punishing:
Leviticus 26: [...] 32 And I will bring the land into desolation; that your enemies who dwell there in may be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be desolation, and your cities waste. 34 Then shall the land enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, when ye are in your enemies' land; then shall the land rest, and enjoy its sabbaths. [E] 35 All the days of the desolation it shall rest, [E] the days in which it did not rest on your sabbaths, when ye dwelt therein. (DBY, highlighting added)
[E] This refers to "land sabbath". The Old Covenant stipulated that each seventh year, agricultural land was to be allowed to "rest".
Please note that it was there, in the land of Canaan, that the cities of Israel were laid waste (caused to be without inhabitants), and not anywhere else. They have no other land and no other cities. There is only one earthly Promised Land, the land of Canaan. It was that land which was prophesied to come to enjoy its land-rest which the Israelites had denied it while they lived in it. The Bible records that later those things did happen, just as the Lord had warned. We read:
2 Chronicles 36: [...] 20 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had made up for its sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. (NRSV)
The ten northern, "lost" tribes of Israel were banished from that country, from their one and only earthly Promised Land (Canaan). They were scattered among (within) other nations, from one end of the world to the other. They became a wandering people without a country of their own. They still remain in that state. Ever since, those Israelites (the ten northern tribes who after the days of king Solomon used to be called "Israel", and also a large part of the southern tribes who came to be called "Jews") have been "on the run" and "without rest", "powerless" and "in fear", just as the Lord through Moses had warned that they would be. The essay ey01b.htm has more on this.
A note: Yes, some Jews, people of the southern tribes, did return to that land, but that does not change things. The prophesied return (of all of the tribes), and the promised restoration of blessings, have not occurred yet.
The "lost" tribes of Israel still remain in that dispersion today. It is only after Jesus has come again, that they will be gathered and taken to the Promised Land (Canaan). It is only in those future days that their blessings will be restored; only after they have returned to the Lord and made a new covenant with him. The essay ey06b.htm has more on the "blessing" matter. The essay ey01b.htm shows what the Bible says regarding the fate and status of those tribes in our day.
The Bible talks about only one earthly Promised Land, only one banishment and dispersion (which did occur and still continues), and only one restoration (which is still in the future). There is no promise or mention of any earlier time of restored blessings.
And yes, the tribes of Israel are promised a restoration. When they return to the Lord and make a new covenant with him (that has not happened yet), they will be gathered and taken to their one and only earthly Promised Land (Canaan). It is only at that still future time, that they will be restored and blessed again. The essay ey06b.htm has more on this.
Again, the essay ey01b.htm has more on what the Bible really says regarding the fate of the ten "lost" tribes of Israel, in our day. The essay ey11b.htm considers who the peoples of north-western Europe (and their American relatives) really are.
It may be that Anglo-Israelism was an invention by John Dee, a 16th century occultist, astrologer and alchemist who worked as an adviser and intelligencer for queen Elisabeth I of England. Perhaps it was created as an excuse for England's ruthless imperialism. It was in the 1500s that England (Britain) began expanding, and tried to force the whole world under their power.
But, it was only later, in the 1800s, at the height of British imperialism, that the Anglo-Israelist dogma began to be "popularised" and spread among the "common people". Some shrewd people wove misleading stories about a "birthright" and a "sceptre". Those unbiblical and deceiving stories were perhaps used for justifying England's ruthless imperialism which meant taking lands from their original inhabitants by military power and forcing English rule over them. The essay ey04c.htm shows what the Bible really says about "inheritance" and "birthright"; the essay ey12b.htm has more on the "sceptre" or royal lineage part.
During those chauvinistic imperialist times, stories were created also around a certain occult Knight-Templar (Freemason) relic stone which used to be kept in Westminster Abbey (an originally Catholic church building in London). That stone had come to London from the Knight-Templars in Scotland. It has now been returned to Scotland, to a Freemason "sanctuary" there. Some have claimed that that stone originally came from some castle in Ireland, but it is hard to say how it really is with that. Anglo-Israelist preachers have then spread that occult and actually quite sinister stone story. The essays ey14b.htm and ey15c.htm have more on that stone and the stories around it. The essay ew04d.htm has more on Freemasonry.
Table of contents – What's new here? – Key-word index – Search function – Goal and purpose – Contact, comment, question
If this page did not contain what you were looking for, see the links below, and the key-word index and the table of contents, or use the search function.
Additional reading at the Bible Pages, on related as well as other issues:
A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
The lost ten tribes of Israel in prophecy. What happened to Israel's northern tribes? Where are they today? Does the Bible give any clues regarding their fate? → ey01b.htm
The ten lost tribes of Israel – did they move into Europe? Who are the north-west European peoples of our day? → ey11b.htm
A full list of the parts in this "tribes" series is found under the heading "Tribes" on the index-page keyw-t4.htm.
Leviticus 26:19, "And I will break the pride of your power". When did that happen? How and when was the pride of the tribes of Israel broken? Or, does that refer to some still future event, as some have claimed? → ey02c.htm
On Jacob's birthright, and that of Joseph and his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Also: What did the concept "birthright" mean and refer to, in ancient times? → ey04c.htm
When will the lost ten tribes of Israel be restored and blessed again? What about the "2520 years" that some talk about? → ey06b.htm
Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, teachers of falsehood, deceivers and deception. He said that many would be deceived. → eo09e.htm
On the prophet Ezekiel and his message and commission. Was Ezekiel a failure so that some preachers more than 2500 years later must do his job, as some have claimed, or did he in fact deliver the messages God gave to him, just as he was told to do? → ey09c.htm
The line of David the king of Israel – is it still ruling somewhere on Earth, with a mortal king on the throne? → ey12b.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
The prophet Jeremiah – where did he die? Did he go to Ireland, as some have claimed? What about the so-called "stone of destiny" which many Anglo-Israelists talk about? → ey14b.htm
The tribe of Dan of Israel – did the Danites travel to Greece and Ireland, as some have claimed? What about Denmark? → ey15c.htm
The meaning of the words Christ, Christian, Messiah and Messias. Also: Did the saints call themselves "Christians" – christianos or christianoi? → eg07b.htm
Freemasonry and Freemason halls – things believers should know about them. → ew04d.htm
The identity and timing of the 144,000 and the great multitude of Revelation 7, and the first-fruits or virgins of Revelation 14:1-4 – who those groups really are, and when they came or come into existence. → et03c.htm
Many people wonder, why does God allow evil, sickness, pain, war and suffering? What is the biblical answer – does the Bible explain that matter, or in some way make it understandable? → ew01b.htm
How to study the Bible in a deeper way. Some simple guidelines and notes on study methods. Also, advice and information on easily available practical study helps and useful modern-day tools and resources which, on top of many other things, can help one to view and translate the Hebrew OT and Greek NT texts. → es01d.htm
Info on the goal and purpose of this site, and a contact address.
→
purpose.htm
Table of contents for this site, including a synopsis or a short, summary description
of each essay or article. →
filename.htm
Search for specific words, phrases or bible passages at this site. →
search.htm
An alphabetical bible topic keyword index of the essays and articles at this site:
1-9
– A
– B
– C
– D
– E
– F
– G
– H
– I
– J
– K
– L
– M
– N
– O
– P
– Q
– R
– S
– T
– U
– V
– W
– X
– Y – Z –
Detailed index overview
If you find any of the essays or treatises at this site interesting and helpful, please provide a copy to other people as well. But before printing or distributing anything, make sure to get the very latest version, exactly as it is, directly from this web site. In regard to printable copies of these pages, for example as PDF-format papers, booklets or brochures or so – there are no specially printer friendly variants (except some bible puzzles), nor is there a need for that – simply, when you print an essay, set the margins and the text size to fit your needs and the paper you use, in the program you use for viewing these pages, and then send it to your printer. (This varies in different browsers and word processing programs. In web browsers, for setting the margin size and headers and footers, look for "Print Format" in the File menu; to set the text size for print-out, look under "Preview" or "View" in the same menu.)
Important: You are welcome to quote the documents at this site – the Bible Pages – provided that you mention the source, by giving the full web address to the page in question. Please link to these essays and give copies to friends. However, you may not re-publish any part of the contents of this site, as a booklet, brochure or on the Internet or in other ways, without a permission from the author; he retains the copyright. For more on copying and quoting, and a few words about the author and his religious education and credentials, see the page purpose.htm.
The essays at this site are not in "bible lesson" or "bible study course" format, nor are they meant as on-line "bible study classes" of some kind. Even though this site gives ready answers to biblical questions of many kinds, its main goal is providing food for thought on a variety of biblical subjects, and challenging and encouraging people to get started with deep personal bible study and then continue with that. (Many religious organisations and denominations have their bible lessons and correspondence courses; they are ready-made "studies" which are shrewdly constructed and written in such a manner that they lead the reader to conclusions that fit the dogmas of the group in question.) A careful, closer study of the books of the Bible with proper tools will help a believer to gain better and deeper biblical understanding. In that way, one will find out more about what the Bible really says, means and teaches. One can then, with wisdom, use that knowledge as a guide for one's life, instead of accepting as "biblical truths" whatever commercial religion – churches and their ministers (preachers) – have taught and want people to believe.
A more thorough, bible-based study with care and with thought will, not only help one to learn more, but also show one how many a popular belief has no scriptural basis or support but is altogether false and not biblical at all. This applies, not only to prophecy and "end time" related things, but also to many other subjects where prevailing dogmas are often taken "for granted". For this reason, it is extremely important for believers to personally study the Writings, and to thoroughly analyse them down to the smaller details, in order to find out the real facts. For doing that, it is not necessary to know the Hebrew, Greek or Latin languages (even though learning their letters and alphabet can be a good idea); there are modern, advanced tools which can help one to study in an effective way – see the pages es01d.htm and es02c.htm for more on this. The essay eg02c.htm supplies a number of easy, elementary keys to acquiring a better and deeper understanding of the Bible, simply by consciously and methodically avoiding certain usual errors and pitfalls.
This site is non-denominational and non-sectarian. It is not connected to any church, sect or religious organisation or movement. This site looks at things from a biblical perspective, and not from a dogmatic one. It does not claim to be without error or to "know it all" or to have a perfect or complete explanation to all things – it consists of an ongoing bible study that has been made public, and as the study goes on, the contents of these pages are revised and also expanded, with new topics and themes being addressed. Readers are invited and welcome to write to the author with thoughts and comments, or to ask questions or to point out a mistake if they feel that they have found one. For more on this, see the page purpose.htm.
The address to this page is www.biblepages.web.surftown.se/ey05c.htm
Please send or mention the address to this site to others, and link to these pages.
This page was created or modified 2010-02-16.