THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND THE PEARL

THE TWO HIDINGS

If you look carefully at the parable you will find that the treasure is not only hidden at the start of the story, but that even when the man, whom we have now identified as the Lord Jesus, finds it, He hides it again.

The treasure which we now know to be Israel was not immediately unveiled at the time of our Lord’s first advent, or even at the point when the ransom price was paid by His death, burial and resurrection, but rather in the plan of God it continued to be concealed. The reason for this lies in an understanding of:-

THE SEVEN TIMES PUNISHMENT

In Leviticus 26:14-18 we read this message of warning from God to Israel:-

"But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul shall abhor my judgements. . . I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption. . . and I will set my face against you and ye shall be slain before your enemies . . . And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you SEVEN TIMES more for your sins.”

This warning of a SEVEN TIMES PUNISHMENT is repeated again three times, in verses 21, 24 and 28.

“I will chastise you SEVEN TIMES for your sins."

Now the question arises as to the actual length of this period of punishment and chastisement, and the answer is simply obtained.

1 PROPHETIC TIME = 360 YEARS

7 PROPHETIC TIMES = 2520 YEARS

The Scriptures, as we have seen, record the sin and disobedience of the Kingdom of israel resulting in their divorce and deportation from Palestine; this marks the start of the Seven Times Punishment. By measuring 2,520 years from the Assyrian captivities (adding a year for the passing from the B.C. to A.D. eras) we find some amazing terminal dates after which Israel, God’s Treasure ceases, to be lost or hidden, but emerges fully on the stage of world history as the great nation and company of nations promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and fulfilled in the United States and British Commonwealth: -

THE SEVEN TIMES FULFILLED

A) 745 B.C. - Tiglath-Pileser - King of Assyria begins a series of aggressive raids against Israel.

+ 2520 = 1776 A.D. - American Declaration of Independence.

B) 740 B.C. - Assyrians capture Arpad.

+ 2520 = 1781 A.D. - Decisive American victory at Yorktown.

C) 738 B.C. - Assyrians capture Calno.

+ 2520 = 1783 A.D. - Peace Treaty ends American War of Independence.

D) 732 B.C. - Assyrians deport Manasseh and the other tribes on the east of the River Jordan, Reuben and Gad.

+ 2520 = 1789 A.D. - George Washington becomes first President of the United States under its new Constitution.

E) 723 B.C. - Shalmaneser of Assyria begins the siege of Samaria the capital city of Israel.

+ 2520 = 1798 A.D. - The Irish Rebellion of 1798.

F) 721 B.C. - Fall of Samaria, King Sargon of Assyria deports the Israelites to captivity in Media.

+ 2520 = 1801 A.D. - Union of Great Britain and Ireland to form the United Kingdom ruled over by a direct descendent of David King of Israel.

G) 700/701 B.C. - Sennacherib of Assyria invades and deports more Israelites, plus 200,000 out of Judah.

+ 2520 = 1820/1821 A.D. - Fiscal Union and amalgamation of the currencies of Great Britain and Ireland.

Now let us pass on in our studies to:-