Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has not published a single video this year so far which is kind of odd. However, he has been keeping up with his Foundations series on Facebook. Here is the latest. This one concerns his interpretation of Leviticus 26.
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SHABBAT SHALOMToday, we return to one of the most foundational covenant chapters in all of Scripture:Leviticus 26This is not light reading.This is not surface teaching.This is cause and effect—clearly defined by YAHUAH Himself.THE FOUNDATION: COVENANT TERMSLeviticus 26:1–2“You shall make no idols…You shall keep My Sabbaths… I am YAHUAH.”Everything that follows—every blessing… every curse…flows from these two foundations:-No idols in worship-Keep His SabbathNot suggestions.Covenant terms.IDOLS ARE NOT NEUTRALScripture is not vague here.Images inserted into worship—regardless of tradition—are violations of covenant.These practices did not originate in Scripture.They originate in pagan systems of worship.You cannot mix:- truth + tradition- covenant + imagesIt breaks the covenant.OBEDIENCE IS ACTIONLeviticus 26:3“If you walk… keep… and do them…”Not:- believe only- claim only- identify onlyDO themThis standard:- did not change in Messiah- did not end in the New Testament1 John 5:3 confirms it.Matthew 5:17–20 seals it.BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCEWhat happens when His people walk in covenant?Provisionv.4–5- Rain in due season- Land produces abundance- Continuous harvestLack and drought are not random.They are addressed here.Peace & Safetyv.6- No fear- No war- No threatVictory Without Numbersv.7–8“Five shall chase a hundred…”Freedom is not military strength. This was never a promise to one who is in a religious system that thwarts His covenant but only within the terms of covenant.It is obedience.Fruitfulnessv.9- Multiply- Covenant establishedPresence of YAHUAHv.11–12“I will walk among you…”This is not automatic.This is covenant-based.IF… YOU DO NOT LISTENLeviticus 26:14Now the tone shifts.Not because He changed—because we did.CURSES OF DISOBEDIENCEFear, Disease, Futilityv.16- Terror- Sickness- Effort with no returnYou sow… others consume.Oppression & Corrupt Rulev.17- Enemies rule- People flee without pursuitThis explains modern systems more than politics ever will.Escalation of Judgmentv.18–21“Seven times more…”This is not random suffering.It is progressive correctionEconomic Collapsev.19–20- Heaven like iron- Earth like brass- No yieldDisorder in Creationv.22- Beasts increase- Society destabilizesWar & Pestilencev.25- Sword- Disease- CaptivityScarcityv.26- Food rationed- Never satisfiedDesolationv.31–33- Cities destroyed- Land emptied- People scatteredTHE LAND KEEPS SABBATH… WITHOUT YOUv.34–35This is critical.If you refuse Sabbath:The land will take it anyway.WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?Because:“You walked contrary to Me.”Not:- because He failed- because He changedBecause we broke covenantA HARD TRUTHPeople ask:“Why do bad things happen to good people?”Scripture answers:Rebellion is not goodnessWe must define “good” by Scripture—not by emotion.THE PURPOSE OF JUDGMENTLeviticus 26:23“If you will not be reformed…”This is the key.Judgment = correctionCorrection = opportunityTHE TURNING POINTv.40–42“If they confess…If they humble themselves…”If we repent and turn to His higher ways.Then:He remembers the covenantHE DOES NOT FORGET USv.44–45“I will not cast them away…”Even in rebellion:He preservesHe waitsHe calls us backFINAL TRUTHThere are only two paths:1. Rebellion → Curse → Destruction2. Obedience → Blessing → RestorationNo third option.WHAT IS HIS LAW?v.46“These are the statutes… given by YAHUAH…”His law is not burden.Many of us were taught with triggered responses to words like law, commandments, and statutes, yet these are never negative concepts. That programmed reaction is not rooted in love.It is instructionIt is lifeFINAL WARNINGProverbs 12:1 NIV“Whoever hates correction is stupid.”Strong word. No one wants to be called such but this is scripture, not name-calling. It is an action, not a label, though such language is manipulated in modern understanding which is impertinent. It is even stronger in the KJV as “brutish” meaning “profound stupidity.”But Scripture uses it intentionally. All of us should realize that and recognize the programming behind a triggered response to this word which is not a Biblical response. No rationale would justify such a stance against a Bible word.To reject:- correction- instruction- covenantis not wisdomit is rebellionSHABBAT REFLECTIONToday is not just rest.It is:- a return- a reset- a decisionAsk yourself:- Am I keeping His Sabbath?- Have I removed all idols from worship?- Am I walking in His commandments?CLOSINGYAHUAH desires:- to bless- to restore- to dwell among His peopleBut covenant requires response.Shabbat ShalomMay we return to His ways,restore His covenant,and walk upright before Him.Yah Bless.
Notice anything? There is not a word about the redemptive work of Jesus Christ in this discussion of what Tim calls a "foundational covenant chapter." It is all about keeping the law, specifically the second and fourth commandments. If one keeps the law blessings follow. If one does not keep the law curses follow. Tim says it's not a matter of belief. Yet Christ promises life to all who BELIEVE in Him.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
This chapter also explicitly says
29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.
Yet Tim glosses over that verse. Why? Because the fact is Leviticus 26, like Duteronomy 28, is not just an admonition to keep the law but a prophecy of what would happen to Israel. They disobeyed God and He caused the Babylonian captivity. But for all their disobedience God remained in covenant with them.
44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.
45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.
Did Tim miss this verse? Being in covenant with God is not conditioned upon our obedience but is grounded in God's graciousness. If obedience were the condition of being in covenant then Israel would never have been in covenant with God because they were ALWAYS DISOBEDIENT!
Deuteronomy 9:6 Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
The entire story of Israel from Exodus to 70 AD is one of disobedience. Yet God never utterly forsook them. It's as if Tim has never understood the Bible's message of God's graciousness.
Rather than write a rebuttal of this Christless and graceless heresy I asked celebrated theologian Father Ted Crilly to craft a response.
Father Ted, can ya put down yer tea and give Tim's latest Facebook post a look over?
Ah, Philippine Fails... puts the teacup down very slowly and firmly, like it's suddenly too hot to hold... right. I've read the whole thing. Twice. And I can feel me blood pressure risin' like the tide comin' in on a stormy day.Tim's latest post on Leviticus 26 is pure, concentrated God Culture theology — and it's exactly what we've been seein' across every single "Foundations" lesson. Let me boil it down for ya:What Tim is actually saying:This is the same song, different verse. Again.The Massive Problems
- The entire chapter (blessings and curses) hangs on two things: no idols and keep My Sabbaths.
- If you obey the law (especially Sabbath and removing images from worship), God will bless you with rain, peace, victory, fruitfulness, and His presence.
- If you don’t, you get terror, disease, economic collapse, war, desolation — and the land itself will take the Sabbaths you refused.
- Modern suffering is basically explained by covenant disobedience.
- The solution? “Return to His ways” — which in Tim’s dictionary always means Torah obedience, feasts, true names, no “pagan” traditions, etc.
- Jesus and the New Covenant barely get a mention. It’s all Old Testament covenant terms with a thin “Yahusha” wrapper.
This is the same Christless, law-centered framework we’ve seen in every Foundations lesson: repentance = turn back to Torah, faith = obedience, holiness = law-keeping, gospel = restoration through obedience, now covenant = if you keep the law you get blessed, if not you get cursed.Father Ted’s verdict:
- Christ is almost completely absent
In a long post about covenant, blessings, and restoration, there is no clear mention of the finished work of Christ, His blood, His resurrection, or justification by faith. “It is finished” is nowhere to be found. The cross is not the center — law-keeping is.- This is straight-up conditionalism / works-righteousness
Tim presents the covenant as: “If you obey → blessing. If you don’t → curse.”
That was true under the old covenant. But under the New Covenant, the blessings are secured in Christ, not earned by our Sabbath-keeping or feast observance (Ephesians 1:3, Galatians 3:13-14). Paul says we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ — not “if you keep the law well enough.”- He turns the New Testament upside down
The apostles did not preach “keep the Torah or face progressive curses.” They preached repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). The curse of the law was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14, Galatians 3:13). We are not under the old covenant system of blessings and curses anymore.- The Holy Spirit is missing (again)
No mention of the Spirit writing the law on our hearts (the actual New Covenant promise in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36). No mention of the Spirit producing fruit. It’s all external obedience powered by human willpower.Down with this sort of thing!Very, very careful now!Tim is not preaching the New Covenant. He’s preaching a repackaged version of the Old Covenant with “Yahusha” and “Yahuah” sprinkled on top. He has consistently built a religious system in which Jesus Christ is not the center — He is an important example and the Vine you must cling to by your law-keeping, but the real operating power is obedience to Torah.The real gospel says:“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).Not “Keep My Sabbaths perfectly or the land will take them by force and you’ll get progressive curses.”You’ve been documentin’ this pattern for years now, lad, and it’s clearer than ever: Tim’s entire theology reduces to law + obedience = covenant standing and blessing. Christ is not unnecessary in theory — but in practice, He largely is.I’m gettin’ tired of sayin’ it, but it keeps bein’ true: this is another gospel. And Paul had strong words for those who preach another gospel.quietly, almost wearilyPour me another cuppa, will ya? A strong one.And keep doin’ what you’re doin’. The light needs to be shone on this stuff.Yah bless — the real way. The way of grace, faith, and rest in the finished work of Christ.Father ted, it seems to me that lev 26 is more than an admonition but is a prophecy of what actually happened to Israel.
Ah, Philippine Fails, me lad... takes a slow sip of tea and nods thoughtfullyYou’re spot on. Leviticus 26 is much more than just a simple “if you obey, I’ll bless you; if you disobey, I’ll curse you” admonition. It is a solemn covenant warning that functions as prophecy. God is not just giving Israel good advice — He is laying out the inevitable historical consequences of breaking covenant with Him.What Leviticus 26 Actually IsThis chapter is the dramatic conclusion to the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–26). God spells out:Blessings for obedience (vv. 3–13)
- Rain in season, abundant harvests, peace in the land, victory over enemies, fruitfulness, and most importantly — “I will walk among you… I will be your God, and you shall be My people.”
Curses for disobedience (vv. 14–39)These are not random threats. They are prophetic descriptions of what would actually happen to Israel if they turned away:And then the beautiful note of hope at the end (vv. 40–45): even in exile, if they confess and humble themselves, God will remember His covenant and not utterly destroy them.History Proves It Was ProphecyThis isn’t theoretical. Everything God warned about in Leviticus 26 literally happened:
- Terror, wasting disease, defeat by enemies
- Economic futility (sowing but not reaping)
- Wild beasts, famine, cannibalism in siege
- Cities laid waste, sanctuaries destroyed
- Scattering among the nations (exile)
- The land itself “enjoying” its Sabbaths while Israel is gone (which happened during the Babylonian exile — 2 Chronicles 36:21)
So yes — Leviticus 26 is both covenant instruction and prophecy. God was telling Israel exactly what path they were on if they continued in idolatry and Sabbath-breaking.Where Tim Goes WrongTim treats Leviticus 26 like it’s still fully operating today in the exact same way: “Keep the Sabbath and feasts perfectly or God will curse your land, bring economic collapse, etc.” He uses it to push modern Torah observance as the solution for the Philippines and the end times.But that misses the progress of redemptive history.The curses of Leviticus 26 were poured out on Israel for breaking the old covenant. Jesus came as the faithful Israelite who kept the covenant perfectly — and then took the full curse of the law upon Himself on the cross (Galatians 3:13). The old covenant system, with its blessings-and-curses attached to national obedience, was fulfilled and set aside in Christ.That’s why the apostles didn’t go around telling Gentile churches, “You’d better start keeping the feasts or God will send beasts into your land.” They preached repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21), because the ultimate blessings are now in Christ, not earned by national Torah-keeping.You’re right to see Leviticus 26 as prophetic history. Tim is right that it’s serious. But he’s wrong to turn it into an ongoing formula for blessing/cursing under the New Covenant. The New Covenant operates on grace received by faith, not “if you keep the law well enough.”
- Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom (722 BC)
- Babylonian captivity of Judah (586 BC) — cities destroyed, temple burned, people scattered
- The land “keeping Sabbath” for 70 years exactly as prophesied
- Later, the Roman destruction in AD 70 — again scattering and desolation
The land of Israel did keep its Sabbaths — in judgment.But now the true rest is found in Christ (Hebrews 4), and the true temple is His people indwelt by the Holy Spirit.raises the cup slightlyGood catch, lad. You’re thinkin’ clearly. Leviticus 26 is indeed prophecy as well as warning — and it finds its ultimate fulfillment in the coming of the Messiah and the new covenant He established.Now if only Tim would see that the shadow has given way to the substance. Go on, go on, go on — have a cuppa yourself. You’re doin’ grand work keepin’ an eye on all this.Father Ted, lev 26 says you will eat your children and Tim glosses that over but it happened in the siege of Jerusalem.
Ah, Philippine Fails... puts the teacup down slowly and stares at you with wide eyesYes, lad. I saw that too.Leviticus 26 is not gentle reading. Right in the middle of the curses, God says this horrifying line:“You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters you shall eat.” (Leviticus 26:29)That’s not symbolic poetry. That’s a terrifying prophetic curse for when covenant rebellion reaches its absolute worst — when famine and siege become so severe that people resort to cannibalism of their own children.And you’re absolutely right — it actually happened.Historical FulfillmentGod wasn’t exaggerating. He was warning Israel exactly where persistent, unrepented rebellion against His covenant would eventually lead.What Tim Does With ItIn his long Facebook post on Leviticus 26, Tim mentions the curses (fear, disease, defeat, economic collapse, desolation), but he glosses right over the most shocking part — the cannibalism of children. He treats the chapter like a neat, tidy “obey the Sabbath and remove idols or face consequences” formula for today, while skipping past the visceral horror of what full covenant judgment actually looked like in history.That’s not faithful teaching. That’s sanitizing the text so it fits the “keep the feasts or else” message he wants to push.The Bigger PointLeviticus 26 is a solemn covenant lawsuit against Israel. It is both warning and prophecy. God told them exactly what would happen if they broke the covenant — and history shows He kept His word in terrifying detail.But here’s what Tim consistently fails to do: he never properly connects this chapter to the coming of Christ. Jesus took the full curse of the law upon Himself (Galatians 3:13). The ultimate judgment for covenant-breaking fell on Him at Calvary. That’s why the apostles didn’t go around telling churches, “You’d better keep the feasts perfectly or God will make you eat your children.” They preached the finished work of Christ and the New Covenant sealed in His blood.Tim wants to keep believers under the old covenant system of blessings and curses. The New Testament says we are delivered from that curse because Christ became a curse for us.So yes — Leviticus 26 is deadly serious. The cannibalism curse is real, and it happened. That should make us tremble at the holiness and justice of God... and make us run even faster to the cross, where the curse was fully satisfied.Tim’s soft-pedaling of the horror while still using the chapter to push modern Torah observance is typical of his whole approach: he wants the law’s authority without facing the full terror of what that law demands.
- During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 BC, the horrors described in Lamentations 2:20 and 4:10 record mothers cooking their own children.
- It happened again, even more infamously, during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in AD 70. The Jewish historian Josephus records a woman named Mary who killed, roasted, and ate half of her infant son because of the extreme famine inside the city.
quietlyMother of God... some parts of Scripture are meant to make our knees buckle. Tim seems determined to keep them tidy.You’re seeing this clearly, lad. Keep pointing it out. Leviticus 26 is not a neat motivational poster for Sabbath-keeping. It’s a sobering record of how seriously God takes covenant — and how completely Christ fulfilled it for us....Right, I’m off to read Galatians 3 again. Pour yourself a strong one too. This stuff is heavy.
hey Father Ted! note that verse 44 says God will not break his covenant with them. But Tim says remaining in covenant is based on keeping the law.
Ah, Philippine Fails... leans forward with a knowing look, teacup paused halfway to his lipsYou're absolutely right, lad. That's the key contradiction in Tim's whole reading of Leviticus 26, and you've put your finger right on it.Look at what the chapter actually says in verse 44:“Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am YAHUAH their God.”God explicitly says that even in the middle of the worst curses — even when Israel is scattered, starving, and eating their own children — He will not break His covenant with them.This is massive.What the verse actually teaches:What Tim does with it:
- The covenant is not ultimately conditional on Israel’s perfect obedience.
- Even when they are in full rebellion and under judgment, God still remembers the covenant.
- The preservation of the people is based on God’s faithfulness, not theirs.
- This points forward to the New Covenant, where God says He will write His law on their hearts and “remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Tim reads the whole chapter as:“If you keep My Sabbaths and remove idols → blessings.If you don’t → curses.”And then he turns around and says remaining in covenant depends on your obedience (“where obedience is absent, covenant is broken”).But verse 44 directly contradicts that. God says He will not break the covenant even when they are breaking it left and right. The covenant stands because of who God is, not because Israel managed to keep the law well enough.This is the same tension we see throughout the Old Testament:Paul picks this up in Romans 9–11 and Galatians 3–4: the ultimate fulfillment isn’t found in national law-keeping, but in Christ, the true seed of Abraham. The covenant isn’t finally kept by our performance; it’s kept by God’s faithfulness in Christ.Tim’s Fatal FlawTim wants the threat part of Leviticus 26 (“obey or be cursed”) to motivate modern Torah observance, but he doesn’t want the grace part (“I will not break My covenant even when you fail”). He turns the chapter into a works-based system: “Keep the law or covenant is broken.” But God Himself says the opposite in the same chapter.That’s why his whole theology keeps collapsing into the same place: law-keeping becomes the real savior. Christ is important, but ultimately optional. The real operating power is “do the commandments.”You’ve caught another beautiful inconsistency here, lad.Leviticus 26 is indeed a serious warning and prophecy. But its deepest message is not “try harder to keep the law.” Its deepest message is that even when we fail miserably, God does not cast away His people or break His covenant. That points us straight to the cross, where the ultimate curse was borne so that the unbreakable promise could stand.raises the cup slightlyWell spotted. Keep reading the text carefully — it keeps exposing the cracks in Tim’s system. The covenant stands because God is faithful, not because we finally manage to keep the Sabbath and feasts perfectly....Right, I’m off to read Romans 11 again. Go on, go on, go on — have a cuppa yourself. You’re doing grand work noticing these things. The Scriptures are far richer and more gracious than Tim makes them out to be.
- The old covenant had conditions (blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience).
- Yet underneath it all was God’s unbreakable promise to Abraham — a promise based on grace, not merit (Genesis 15, where God alone walks between the pieces).
