Reflections on 2 Chronicles 7:14

Recently at church, I had the opportunity to teach a group Bible study during a cell group. The passage we explored was 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says:

If My people who are called by My name would humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land.

I would encourage you to listen to the following teaching along with the discussion that took place (due to a number of factors, the group discussion was edited/compressed). If there ever were a teaching we need to grasp in America, I believe this is one we ought to grasp and hold on to:

Reflections on 2 Chronicles 7:14 (6.7 MB Download / 57 minutes)

Any thoughts of your own?

KingJimmy,

The scripture you have placed here is that which is spoken to Israel...a Theocracy under Law, to Israel and Israel alone.

There is no prophecy in the OT or New stating this covenant would be passed on to a Gentile Nation. We have no Kings as overseers sitting upon a throne, over America.

Romans 9:3-5 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen

Unfortunately Replacement Theology has replaced the Abrahamic Covenant of individual salvation based upon the finished work of Christ, becoming Children of promise, As Isaac was so are we to a National Salvation.

We know Israel as a Nation was never saved.

To apply this scripture to a group you would call My People as if America is now My People is not only presumptuous sin but at the height of arrogance.

To assume My People refer only to the Body of Christ, (those individual believers In Christ) stating they are wicked and need to turn from their wicked ways, is an assault upon the Church and the Body of Christ.

The Church, His Body, is not wicked, but a chaste virgin, created in righteousness and holiness.

Blessings,
R.G. Benjamin

There is no prophecy in the OT or New stating this covenant would be passed on to a Gentile Nation.

Who ever said it was passed onto another nation? This promise was made with "My people." There are not two peoples of God, but one. The land, while in 2 Chronicles 7:14, God is specifically talking about the geographical land of Israel, upon which His eye is upon. However, that doesn't mean it cannot apply to the land in which we live. Jeremiah reminds the exiles to pray for the welfare of the nations where they have been scattered:

Jeremiah 29:4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7 Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.

You said:

To apply this scripture to a group you would call My People as if America is now My People is not only presumptuous sin but at the height of arrogance.

I am not calling America "My people." That would be a statement of uttermost arrogance if I were to do so... something which many Christians seemingly do. I'm simply saying for those who constitute "My people" dwelling in the midst of America, we are to pray for our nations welfare, just as Jeremiah exhorted the remnant who were in exile.

You said:

The Church, His Body, is not wicked, but a chaste virgin, created in righteousness and holiness.

James wrote the following exhortation to the church:

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

The Christian life is one of continual repentance. One need not be living in any active and continuous sin to qualify for this. For even if we are living in no present sin, we are still continuing on the path of repentance from our old life. Sadly though, walking in continual victory is not always an abiding reality for the church. In the former instance, the repentance message is still necessary. If appropriate in the former instance, how much more appropriate is it in the latter?

James 4:4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

KingJimmy, I like to look at verses before and after to get a deeper and clearer understanding of what is being spoken.

It is so easy to just lift any verse out of context that you hope will apply to a doctrine.

James is not talking to a Nation but to individual believers IN CHRIST, still in a carnal state of worldliness.

You will notice with these verses James does not promise that any land or nation they are attached to or living in will be healed due to their obedience.

James as well as Peter were both Apostles to the dispersed of Israel as Paul to the Gentiles. NONE of the Apostles promise lands being healed as a condition of Christian obedience.

Let me ask you KingJimmy. If the handful of Believers in Somalia are obedient, will Somalia be healed?

This teaching leads Christians to look down and around to see what they can do, rather than UP....waiting for the Lord of Glory.

It teaches a false doctrine that the Church is to take dominion of this earth and try to fix the problems.

This is NOT the Gospel.

Blessings,
R.G. Benjamin

KingJimmy, I would also like to add; What you are teaching is in direct opposition and disobedience to the following scriptures.

Colossians 3
1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Blessings,

R.G. Benjamin

KingJimmy, I like to look at verses before and after to get a deeper and clearer understanding of what is being spoken... James is not talking to a Nation but to individual believers IN CHRIST, still in a carnal state of worldliness

What do you think we Christians are? We are not merely individuals. Though, of course, we are that. But rather, we are a nation, citizens of another kingdom, ruled by another king. Indeed, James has in mind (obviously) those believers who are still having a "fit of carnality," and are still clinging to old thought patterns and ways of life. Paul had the same problem with the Corinthians. John had the same problem with most the churches in Asia-Minor. The verse I quoted, far from being ripped from context, has a context which is most appropriate.

You will notice with these verses James does not promise that any land or nation they are attached to or living in will be healed due to their obedience.

This is true. But just because one Bible verse doesn't teach something doesn't mean others don't.

NONE of the Apostles promise lands being healed as a condition of Christian obedience.

Indeed, off the top of my head, I can think of no verse written by the apostles that directly teaches the same thing uttered in 2 Chronicles 7:14. But being that there is no such thing as a "canon within a canon," and being that we must look at the whole counsel of God's word, no overt teaching from their writings need be supplied. Otherwise you run into the problem of creating a canon within a canon.

As Gentiles, we have been made joint-heirs with Christ of God's promises and covenants. We are fellow citizens with the saints, part of the commonwealth of Israel, and partakers of the covenants (Ephesians 2:11-22) There is one people of God, not two. Thus, we stand in continuity with the Old Testament saints. They were raised up to be a people of God's own possession, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood. We too, through our union with Christ, have entered into that. Thus, the promises made to the fathers, which were confirmed by Christ (Romans 15:8), are available to us by the same faith by which it was made available to them.

Thus, promises such as 2 Chronicles 7:14 exhort God's people to repent. Indeed, had there been more righteous within Sodom and Gomorrah, those nations would remain even to this day. Why? Because God's people are a nation of priests who, by virtue of their priesthood, are able to mediate God's blessings in tangible ways, and intercede on behalf of the nations in which they dwell.

Thus, the same Elijah who shut the heavens through prayer, was also able to pray that it rain again. This man, who was of the same nature we are, we are given as an example to imitate. For the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much (James 5:16-17). If Elijah's prayer was able to bring in God's judgment, it was also able to bring the rain that showered the nation with God's mercy. Shall it not be the same with us?

This teaching leads Christians to look down and around to see what they can do, rather than UP....waiting for the Lord of Glory.

Those who are heavenly minded are of earthly good. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is not an exhortation to look "down and around." Rather, it is an exhortation to look up. Indeed, it is a verse to correct those who have been doing nothing but merely looking down and around. But while looking down and around, something caught their attention (the judgments of God), which when paired with a corrective word, caused them to look up.

It teaches a false doctrine that the Church is to take dominion of this earth and try to fix the problems.

Brother, I believe such a comment shows you are arguing with shadows. I am in no way an advocate of "taking dominion" of the earth in the name of Jesus. But that doesn't mean we can't be a tangible source of blessing in the midst of a world under judgment. Indeed, the problems will never be fixed, not until there are a new heavens and new earth.

KingJimmy, I would also like to add; What you are teaching is in direct opposition and disobedience to the following scriptures.

Colossians 3
1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Once again, if we are truly heavenly minded we will be of earthly good.

Hi RevBenjamin,

This is an interesting point that you make about replacement theology. From my perspective, there are many Old Testament passages that refer to Israel alone and could not be applied to the church. I wonder if there are some scriptures though, which might be applicable to both Israel and the church. The question this prompts is, how would we know which scriptures these are ? Generally, ‘context’ is what guides us in our interpretation of the Scripture and would enable us to make the distinction. Having said this, when you look at the ‘messianic prophecies’, many of these Old Testament prophecies could only be recognized as prophecies after the fact (after Christ came), and not before.

In the Hebrides revival, the people were motivated to pray regularly for revival based on the idea that God was a covenant keeping God, as revealed in 2 Chronicles 7:14. In fact, at certain points when the people reminded God of these covenants, through prayer, it appears that He responded in a powerful fashion that seemed to indicate that he was honoring these covenants.

However, it is possible that the connection between what these people asked (on a covenant basis) and how God responded, may have been in a sense ‘circumstantial’. Maybe his blessing upon this people had simply to do with the fact that they prayed without ceasing and purified their hearts, and so it could be that ‘the prayers of righteous men and women availed much’.

I think the experience of the Hebrides revival does lend some credence to the possibility that certain Old Testament covenants apply to the church as well though, and makes this topic worthy of further investigation. Maybe a good question to ask is, do we find any record of the apostles making references to any Old Testament covenants ( originally meant for Israel) and applying them to the church ?

In Jesus,
John

Hi RevBenjamin,

As far as Kingdom Theology or Dominion Theology, I believe these are doctrines to be concerned about and to stay far away from. I see this theology as saying that Christians can restore the Earth and all its kingdoms (political kingdoms, social kingdoms etc) to Christ. In other words, we can ‘Christianize the Earth’, in contrast to the focus being on changing the hearts of individuals, through salvation in Christ. Kingdom Theology is all about us becoming powerful, becoming little kings and queens who set up Christ’s reign on Earth, in a sense.

In contrast, when I see people applying 2 Chronicles 7:14 to the church, most often I see the emphasis being on humility and not on power, at least not on our power, but on God’s power. From what I have seen throughout church history, revivals have always been preceded by God’s people praying and God honoring these prayers. For sure, he is sovereign in when he chooses to revive his people, but he always revives them at times when they have exercised obedience, through prayer and repentance. If it turns out that 2 Chronicles is being misapplied or misunderstood here, my impression is that the motive behind the application of this scripture would be different from the motives that are behind Kingdom Theology.

Love in Christ :-)
John

live4jc,

As I opened up this page, I couldn't help but notice the thread at the beginning...The Purpose of suffering. With this in mind, let's review the following scriptures in depth,

1 Corinthians 4
1Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

2Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

4For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

6And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

7For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

8Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

Paul is being somewhat sarcastic here. I'm curious about the KING in front of Jimmy's name. Is your name in fact KING Jimmy, or are you stating in some sort of way you are reigning NOW as a King? Let's look at what Paul says next;

9For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

11Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;

12And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

13Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

14I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

15For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

16Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

Yes, Paul has BEGOTTEN us through the Gospel. Let's examine again , What is the Gospel?

Paul is telling the Church we are being groomed to one day Reign and rule as Kings and Priests upon the earth. But when? My answer is when Christ returns upon the Earth and the Millennium Kingdom Reign of Christ is established.

Revelation 5:10
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

We, His Body are now at this time being made through sanctification of the spirit, being conformed to His Image through the fellowship of His sufferings.

It would also be noted, the only people teaching this are those of Kingdom Now Replacement Theologians.

We too must realize scripture is not for any private interpretation. In other words. we just can't snatch scripture anywhere we like, and apply our own touchy feely doctrine around it, regardless of how it may arouse our fleshly self righteous humanism.

What you are saying live4jc, is most wonderful. And yes, we are to pray for the lost souls of this world. But 2 Chronicles 7:14 is not, in any way making the same statement. They are praying for their LAND, not lost souls. In OT Israel, earthly blessings were attached to their obedience. The Church however is no longer part of the world, and does not seek after earthly blessings. WE are blessed in Heavenly places IN CHRIST JESUS. This doctrine also leads to and is steeped in the Prosperity false doctrine teachings. It simply does not belong to the Church.

Blessings to you all,

R.G. Benjamin

Hi RevBenjamin,

Brother, I understand where you are coming from in your concerns. My main point is that rightly or wrongly Christians have applied 2 Chronicles 7:14 to the church, over the years, most times, I believe, with godly motives. For instance, here's a devotional from Spurgeon, that's based on 2 Chronicles 7:14. He says, "He has left us because of our faults, and we must entreat Him to return."

This wraps up my thoughts on this topic.

In Christ,
John

If, and a Triple Promise (CH Spurgeon)

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Called by the name of the Lord, we are nevertheless erring men and women. What a mercy it is that our God is ready to forgive! Whenever we sin let us hasten to the mercy seat of our God, seeking pardon.

We are to humble ourselves. Should we not be humbled by the fact that after receiving so much love we yet transgress? O Lord, we bow before Thee in the dust and own our grievous ingratitude. Oh, the infamy of sin! Oh, the sevenfold infamy of it in persons so favored as we have been!

Next, we are to pray for mercy, for cleansing, for deliverance from the power of sin. O Lord, hear us even now, and shut not out our cry.

In this prayer we are to seek the Lord's face. He has left us because of our faults, and we must entreat Him to return. O Lord, look on us in Thy Son Jesus, and smile upon Thy servants.

With this must go our own turning from evil; God cannot turn to us unless we turn from sin.

Then comes the triple promise of hearing, pardon, and healing. Our Father, grant us these at once, for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake.

In this prayer we are to seek the Lord's face. He has left us because of our faults, and we must entreat Him to return. O Lord, look on us in Thy Son Jesus, and smile upon Thy servants.

With this must go our own turning from evil; God cannot turn to us unless we turn from sin.

Then comes the triple promise of hearing, pardon, and healing. Our Father, grant us these at once, for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake.

live4jc,

Who is the audience here?

I will have to disagree with Spurgeon here on this subject. Unfortunately many expounded and spiritualized verse by verse scripture that is not meant to be spiritualized. This was a LITERAL call of repentance to a NATION. When one sinned they were ALL punished. However this is NOT the way the Church operates. I am not punished because of something YOU have done. I am not punished because YOU did not humble yourself.

We are saved by Grace through faith. We are justified by His blood, and saved by His risen life.

We die to sin once and for all.

Israel was not Born again...born of the Spirit of the Life of Christ who set them free from the law of sin and death.

I also might add, Spurgeon taught Calvinism, Calvinism being the father of the Prosperity Gospel, perpetuating a false Gospel that everywhere they set foot, America, South Africa etc, they took dominion of the land, calling it...as in America...God's New Promise Land and God's New Chosen people. Called the protestant Pope, perpetuating Romish Ideas of dominion/replacement theology.

Please do more heart searching on this subject.

Blessings,
R.G. Benjamin

So, what you are saying then, RevBenjamin, that ultimately it is futile to pray for the well being of our nation, to intercede on its behalf, and to pray that God show it mercy. If this is an over-realized eschatology, then I'm over-realized.

hi, i believe that if we ever humble our proud and haughty selves (a stench in the nostrils of God) we might see revival.jimp

KingJimmy, Paul tells us in the NT, we are to pray for those in power over us. But no where are we called to convert Nations.

All I'm saying is the verse you and so many others use, is not applicable, and was never used by any of the Apostles for the NT Church, or the countries or lands they found themselves living in.

We, His Church, His Body, are actually called out of this world and worldly systems, to be Ambassadors for Christ..to reconcile sinners to God, through Jesus Christ. Again, not to Nations, but to individual sinners.

Nations are not baptized into the Body of Christ. Nations as a whole cannot identify in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, therefore becoming a New Creature.

Nations cannot walk in the spirit and not give way to the flesh.

And we must also remember, God sets up Kings( heads of nations) and pulls them down...for His purpose and His Glory.

Kings were placed over Nations...not Pope's.

Christians have been translated out of this present evil age into the Kingdom of His Dear Son. We've overcome the world, and it's worldly systems (Mystery Babylon).

Our mission here is simply this:

If you see a ship burning and KNOW it is going to sink, do you:

1. Spend your time putting out the fire?
2. Get as many OFF the ship as you can before it goes down?

I believe the Church is called to #2.

We are strangers and pilgrims in this world and its systems.

I hope that answered your concerns.

Blessings,

R.G. Benjamin

But no where are we called to convert Nations.

Brother, I've been listening in here, and in all fairness you are propping up a straw man. Jimmy isn't saying we should 'convert a nation'.

The old puritans never considered a land to be wicked because the wicked are in it, for the wicked will always be in this world. They considered a land to be wicked when those who were supposed to be righteous acted wickedly without reproof or shame.

When a Christian asks God to 'heal this land' or to 'bring revival to this nation' he isn't necessarily expressing dominionist theology. This is a prayer that those who are professing to be Christians within the land will become revived. Revival might very well mean those who thought they were Christians actually discover what that means, and become what they've been professing outwardly for the first time in their inward nature.

You've invested much argument in the anabaptist position, so I don't expect to convert you. I am only asking that you show a little more intellectual integrity to Jimmy and cease from trying to render him as some Constantinian babylonian dominionist just because he cares about the people of this nation.

If you see a ship burning and KNOW it is going to sink, do you:

1. Spend your time putting out the fire?
2. Get as many OFF the ship as you can before it goes down?

Well, I think you would do both. Besides, knowing that the world will end in God's time is quite a different thing then presuming to know when the United States will end. Presuming to know the fate of the United States is actually a very intrusive political statement...a (edit: contradictory) position I see being expressed more and more these days by so-called 'pilgrims' who are supposed to be divested and uninvolved in the systems of this world.

MC

When a Christian asks God to 'heal this land' or to 'bring revival to this nation' he isn't necessarily expressing dominionist theology.

Compton, on what NT grounds is there to heal this land?

And again, what is revival? Reviving the saved or the lost?

Can you apply NT scripture concerning reviving the WICKED ways of MY PEOPLE, who would be Christians, that constitutes this kind of blessing?

To accuse the Church of being WICKED, who need turn from her wicked ways before God can heal, is anti-christ!

Romans 16: 25Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

27To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

What is the Gospel we are to make known to [u][i][b]ALL NATIONS[/b][/i][/u]??

It is none other than the Gospel according to the [b]MYSTERY[/b].

What then is this [b]MYSTERY[/b]?

Colossians tells us, the Mystery is Christ in you, the hope of Glory. Now where is Glory?

Again Compton, the Gospel according to the Mystery is not a Gospel calling those In Christ wicked and evil, and the hope of the Nations dependent on the Church turning from her wicked ways, tying God's hands in some way, until WE repent!

This you propose is [i]another gospel[/i] and Paul warns against any other gospel, and calls it accursed.

Blessings,
R.G. Benjamin

Numbers 22:12
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

What was Balaam's sin? Being asked to Curse Israel! A hirling prophet!

Who are the Balaam's of today, those who bring down curses to the church!

AND that is exactly what that verse is doing.

The Church is Blessed, Holy, Righteous in Christ Jesus, a Chaste Virgin Bride!

Blessings,

R.G. Benjamin