WHY GOD WILL NOT “HEAL THE LAND”
Have you ever wondered why, despite countless prayers and prayer gatherings, we don’t see the promised “healing of the land”? Imagine a powerful promise from God, one that claims to heal a nation and all the chaos in it if only His people humble themselves and pray. Now, consider the frustration and confusion when, despite fervent prayers and nationwide prayer gatherings, the promised healing never comes…
Is it possible that we’ve misunderstood a beloved Bible verse?
Could it be that we’ve laid claim on a so-called promise which God never made?
Let’s dive into 2 Chronicles 7:14, unravel its TRUE meaning, and discover why it might not mean what we think it does today.
THE MODERN-DAY APPLICATION OF 2 CHRONICLES 7v14
A CALL TO COLLECTIVE PRAYER
How many times have we heard Christian leaders utilize 2 Chronicles 7:14 as God’s supposed call to collective prayer? The understanding is that corporate and united prayers will prompt God to orchestrate substantial breakthroughs for communities or nations. It’s seen as a “BATTLE STRATEGY” that will prompt God’s intervention. This approach spans from local church gatherings to national events, drawing diverse Christians for collective worship, preaching, and prayer sessions.
A SPECTRUM OF ACTIVITIES
These gatherings are considered times of collective humbling and repentance before God. Repentance is made for personal and national sins, which means repenting on behalf of others. Prayers are offered for God’s help and solutions to complex issues, even on rare occasions praying for some change of government. Renewals of commitments to God are also made, those things that have been neglected by Christians in general.
BREAKTHROUGHS ARE CERTAIN…
Sometimes these gatherings would include the blowing shofars which supposedly represent some kind of announcement in the spiritual realm – an announcement that supposedly frightens and disperse the forces of evil that are exercising the evil influences in that area or nations, etc. The making of verbal “decrees and declarations” into the spirit realm usually also forms part of such events. These “decrees and declarations” are believed to “seal the deal” on the certainty of forthcoming and much-needed breakthroughs, or as stated in 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “THE HEALING OF THE LAND…”
REPLICATING OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES
These kinds of corporate activities we’ve mentioned rely on the perceived promise of God in 2 Chronicles 7:14, believing that when Christians engage in these corporate actions, the eventual “healing of the land” will certainly occur.
This verse perfectly fits into the rich history of Israel as found in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament times, the nation of Israel encountered times of crises that led them to corporately unite, repent of sins, seek God’s guidance, worship, and receive messages from God’s prophets. Thereafter, they would witness some kind of miraculous outcome.
Christians often draw inspiration from these Old Testament events, seeking to apply the principles of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to their own circumstances. They aim to replicate the spiritual elements of this verse through corporate events, hoping to achieve similar results.
THE MORE PEOPLE PRAY…
This verse is believed to endorse the trend of organizing extensive corporate prayer gatherings for the modern church. It’s believed that the greater the number of people praying together, the greater the likelihood of God responding to these petitions.
But, is this truly how it “works”? Is this really God’s idea behind 2 Chronicles 7:14, and how He wants us to understand and apply this verse..?
AWKWARD SILENCE
Following these corporate prayer events, anticipation permeates the air. But then, an awkward silence ensues… As time progresses, it becomes apparent that none of the anticipated breakthroughs or “healing of the land” are materializing.
So, before long, life resumes its usual course, and the memory of these corporate prayer events begins to fade into obscurity.
THE QUESTIONS
But, participants in these corporate prayer events cannot help but silently wonder:
“Why hasn’t God healed our land? What happened to the fulfillment of God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14? Didn’t we repent? Haven’t we humbled ourselves? Have we not invested considerable effort and resources gathering to seek God’s face? Didn’t we abandon sinful lifestyles and embrace righteous living? Did we miss something…? What went wrong…?”
NO POSITIVE CHANGE, AND IT’S GETTING WORSE
This dilemma intensifies when numerous corporate prayer events are held consecutively, yet the outcome remains consistent: No “healing of the land.” Political corruption persists. Societal morals keep decaying. Community structures like families and marriages keep falling apart. Crime increases. Droughts and natural disasters endure. Political tensions heighten. Infrastructure and the economy continue to deteriorate. Persecution increases against devout Christians. On top of that, the church itself seems to slip further and further into a state of apostasy on a national and worldwide scale.
“OTHER” COUNTRIES
The question begs to be asked:
Other nations, especially those finding themselves in dire circumstances like oppressive dictatorships or extreme poverty, do they also participate in similar prayer gatherings…? Do they also refer to 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a basis for mobilizing prayer events? They would not dare to…, but even if they would risk their lives in doing so, has there been any tangible change or “healing of the land”…?
Or, could it be that this verse may be “more applicable” to Western-oriented countries where divine intervention and change are “more likely to take place…?”
Experience has shown that such changes haven’t happened in these countries or anywhere else following such corporate prayer events. But, it’s not due to God’s inability or unwillingness to help His people. Rather, it’s because 2 Chronicles 7:14 was never intended by God to be a motivation factor for corporate prayer events, and the desires and petitions made at these events for God’s intervention in all of these matters, do not align with His bigger and more urgent agenda as revealed in Scripture.
THE PROBLEM
The problem does not lie in God refusing to answer prayer. Nor is prayer inherently worthless, because it certainly is not! The issue here stems from the fact that God cannot be held accountable for something He has never said or promised.
But didn’t God promise that He would heal our country (“land”) if we kept the conditions of 2 Chronicles 7:14? It may be shocking to some, but the answer is: NO, HE DIDN’T…!
GUARANTEED TO GET IT WRONG EVERY TIME…!
The heart of the dilemma here is the MISINTERPRETATION of 2 Chronicles 7:14!
Misinterpretations arise when people neglect a passage’s context. They interpret it solely for its apparent meaning for today, overlooking the passage’s original intent, historical circumstances, who the initial recipients were, and why it was written to them. Without considering these factors, a correct understanding and accurate application of any biblical passage to our present circumstances become unattainable.
THE CONTEXT OF 2 CHRONICLES 7:14
THE OLD COVENANT
God had entered into a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai (See Exodus 19-24, and Deuteronomy chapters 4-30). This covenant constituted the terms and conditions established by God for His covenant relationship with the nation of Israel. These terms included laws, commandments, and practices that outlined the responsibilities and expectations for the Israelites in their covenant relationship with God.
THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE
If the Israelites would obey the requirements of the covenant, it would bring blessings. But, neglecting the requirements would lead to curses and hardships from God upon them. See Leviticus 26:1-13, Deuteronomy 7:12-24; 28:1-68; 29:1-29; 30:1-20.
The Old Testament is full of examples showing the consequences of obedience or disobedience to this covenant. We see sporadic examples of occasional blessings for obedience, but more often we witness hardships suffered by the Israelites due to their disobedience and disregard for God’s covenant with them.
ONE BOOK AND ONE AUTHOR
1 and 2 Chronicles were likely a single book originally. It was later split into two parts during the Greek translation of the Old Testament around 200 B.C.
Jewish tradition links the writing of Chronicles 1 and 2 to Ezra, a priest, and scribe who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile to restore worship and governance according to the Mosaic law. See Ezra 7:1-6. Scholars believe these books were written after 450 B.C. after the Jews returned from Babylonian exile.
This is an important detail, as it indicates something about the intent Ezra had when writing the book of Chronicles, namely, to emphasize the importance of the Old Covenant and the role it played in the lives of all Israelites. Thus, literally, everything we’re reading in the two books of Chronicles must therefore be interpreted and applied in the light of the OLD COVENANT.
Knowing this helps us to understand the importance of viewing and interpreting 2 Chronicles 7:14 in the light and context of the Old Covenant, and why it is biblically speaking illegal for us as modern-day Christians to utilize this verse apart from its context.
THE AUDIENCE OF CHRONICLES
1 and 2 Chronicles were written for the remnant of the Jewish nation who survived the Babylonian Captivity. Returning in 538 B.C., they encountered a land vastly changed. It wasn’t comparable to the glorious reign of King David from 1011 to 971 B.C. and that of King Solomon from 971 to 931 B.C. Ezra wanted them to understand that what they were experiencing was the Old Covenant playing out, and that was supposed to give them hope in the present and for the future. It served also as a stern warning to them that something similar to the Babylonian captivity could happen again if they departed from the LORD again.
God’s promise of the healing of their land was thus in the process of fulfillment and only applied to the Israelites of that time living under the Old Covenant that was still in effect. It wasn’t written or directed to present-day Christians who don’t have that country as their land, and who live under a completely new and different covenant with God through Jesus Christ.
THE PURPOSE OF CHRONICLES
As we’ve already indicated, the chronicler’s narratives in 1 and 2 Chronicles were to reinforce God’s enduring commitment to His covenantal promises. That included promises about the land, the nation, the Davidic kingship, the Levitical priesthood, the temple, and true worship. Despite the Babylonian captivity, these covenant terms remained intact. It served as motivation for the Israelites to remain faithful to the LORD even during challenging times. The Chronicles emphasized that God’s past covenant faithfulness was a sure indication of His future faithfulness to His covenant with them. The fulfillment of God’s promises was still secure. The steadfastness of their covenant with God was still intact.
CHAPTERS 2-5 AS CONTEXT
These chapters depict King Solomon preparing, constructing, and furnishing the temple in Jerusalem. The pinnacle was reached when God’s glory filled the temple, signifying His satisfaction with the temple and the way worship was being conducted. God’s presence in the temple confirmed that He had taken permanent residence among His covenant people.
CHAPTER 6 AS CONTEXT
Solomon’s Response
This chapter portrays King Solomon joyfully reacting to the temple’s completion and the fact that God’s glory filled the temple. Following this, King Solomon addresses the assembly of Israel gathered outside the temple.
Solomon’s Prayer
The remainder of chapter 6 details King Solomon’s dedication of the temple to the LORD through prayer. He presents numerous appeals, seeking God’s future blessings in response to various forms of prayers offered within the temple or prayers directed toward it. Solomon requests that God’s desired response should entail an attitude of forgiveness and restoration. He asks that God forgive and restore those who genuinely repent, whether it’s an individual or the entire nation.
Solomon’s Key Requests
King Solomon’s requests made to God in verses 26 to 30 are critical to take note of, as God specifically addresses these requests of King Solomon in His response to Solomon’s prayer in chapter 7.
So, let us have a closer look at 2 Chronicles 6:26-30, as it serves as an important hint as to why God responded the way He did in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14.
26 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,
27 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.
28 “When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;
29 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple:
30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men)…
King Solomon Prayed the Old Covenant
King Solomon’s prayer requests were based on his understanding of God’s agreements with Israel under the Old Covenant. The curses and judgments he mentioned were connected to God’s warnings about the consequences of turning away from the LORD in apostasy. These requests were grounded in the principles of the Old Covenant, specifying blessings for obedience, and curses for disobedience. Solomon emphasized God’s promise of forgiveness and restoration upon the nation’s repentance. This aligned with the terms of God’s covenant with Israel.
CHAPTER 7 AS CONTEXT
Verses 1 to 11 depict God’s immediate response to King Solomon’s prayer. Fire descends from heaven, consuming the offerings, and the glory of the LORD fills the temple once again. King Solomon, with the priests and Levites, offered numerous sacrifices at the temple for seven days. Following this, a sacred assembly for the dedication of the altar continues for another seven days. The passage ends by noting the fulfillment of King Solomon’s heartfelt desires upon the temple’s completion.
Then, verses 12 to 22 detail God’s direct response through a night vision to King Solomon’s prayer offered during the temple dedication.
THE CONTEXT IN 2 CHRONICLES 7v13-14
2 Chronicles 7v14 is not a Standalone Verse
Many may not realize that the well-known verse 14 is not a standalone statement. Often, it is read and quoted as if the phrase “if My people” marks the start of a sentence. However, verse 14 is intricately linked to verse 13. It serves as the latter part of a sentence that commenced in verse 13. Disregarding verse 13 means overlooking a crucial part of the context for verse 14. This hinders a full understanding of why God mentions the specific elements in that verse.
A Direct Relation to Chapter 6v26-30
Also, as noted before, the prayer that King Solomon prayed in 2 Chronicles 6:26-30, has a direct bearing on 2 Chronicles 7:13-14. God was pointing out to King Solomon (and thereby to the Old Testament nation of Israel) that He would indeed bring the Old Covenant curses upon the nation if they would rebel against Him.
The Curses of Verse 13
God highlighted three curses that would befall the unfaithful Israelites.
Firstly, God would withhold rain, leading to severe and prolonged droughts.
Secondly, God would send locusts to devour the crops.
Thirdly, God would inflict pestilence or sickness and disease among the apostate Jews.
All these curses would result from national apostasy following the terms of the Mosaic covenant.
Reversal of the Curse
Verse 14 reassures God’s favor upon Israel if they genuinely repent. This repentance involves humility, abandonment of pride, sincere prayer, and a rededication to God, requiring true devotion rather than mere ritual. Only after such genuine repentance would God reverse the curse on the nation and the land, which had resulted from their persistent sin. God promises to forgive their sins and heal their land, restoring physical prosperity as part of the Mosaic covenant. However, this principle does not apply to modern Christians, as our citizenship is in heaven, not tied to any physical land. Philippians 3:20 affirms, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was Temple-Qualified Prayer
While verse 14 of chapter 7 doesn’t explicitly state it, King Solomon’s prayer in chapter 6 reveals that these prayers of repentance are linked to the temple in Jerusalem. Repentant prayers ought to have occurred at or towards the direction of the temple in Jerusalem, as God has designated that location for His Name to dwell and as the site for sacrifices that would atone for their sins.
It is noteworthy that there is now no earthly temple anymore where or towards which Christians are required by God to direct their prayers of repentance during corporate prayer gatherings! If one wanted to apply the contents of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to Christians of today, the requirement of prayers and supplication in or towards an earthly temple in the land of Israel should also be incorporated – and we know that that is not possible or required by God…!
“My People”
In 2 Chronicles 7:14, the term “My people” specifically refers to the nation of Israel living under the Old Covenant, established at Mount Sinai through Moses as their mediator. This designation doesn’t encompass any other group.
While present-day true Christians are part of God’s people through their union with Jesus Christ, it holds a different significance within the context of this verse.
At that time, Jews were considered God’s people. They were the people who were called by the LORD’s Name under the Old Covenant. It meant a physical earthly nation, an earthly homeland, and physical curses or prosperity were the outcome of either their faithfulness to God or their rejection of Him and His authority.
Present-day Christians are under the New Covenant, emphasizing a spiritual nation, a heavenly homeland, and emphasizes spiritual curses or blessings.
WHAT 2 CHRONICLES 7v14 DOESN’T MEAN
It’s clear from everything stated so far, that 2 Chronicles 7:14 cannot be interpreted and applied the way it has been erroneously done so many times in today’s Christian community.
NO HEALING OF THE LAND HAS BEEN PROMISED FOR TODAY
The promised actions of God upon sincere repentance were exclusively for the nation of Israel under the Old Covenant, making it irrelevant for people not bound by those terms, like New Testament Christians. Therefore, the “healing of the land” in verse 14 doesn’t imply a commitment from God to any divinely orchestrated improvement in the countries where present-day Christians reside.
NO EARTHLY COUNTRY OR NATION IS IN COVENANT WITH GOD
This verse cannot be directly applied to collective situations faced by Christians in their communities or countries. It cannot serve as a means to gather Christians for prayers seeking change in their countries. The nations and countries Christians live in are not in any covenant agreement with God, and although Christians are God’s special people in the New Testament sense, there is no basis for claiming a divine response of healing or restoration for their countries. Therefore, despite corporate repentance, there have been no significant “breakthroughs” after these prayer events. The absence of a covenant that is in force which would provide physical or material breakthroughs in the natural realm, means that there is also no legal basis for such desired divine responses.
THE PAINFUL LESSON OF REALITY
Labeling these prayer events as “baseless” due to a misinterpretation of 2 Chronicles 7:14 may appear bold, harsh, or contrary to the Bible. Yet, one will not escape the harsh reality of a failed outcome when misappropriating this verse. No matter the size of the event, the costs that went into it to make it happen, the popularity of the speaker or preacher at this event, the mighty blowing of the shofars, the heartfelt and loud prayers, the many activities, the music, and so on, none of these things will move God to act based on misplaced expectations by “His people.” We cannot impose expectations on God for things He has not promised or stated to us as modern-day Christians. Sometimes, due to incorrect interpretations of Scripture, we assume God has made certain promises, but it fails miserably when God’s intervention is invoked on these baseless claims.
The truth is: “Reality is what you run into when your theology is wrong.” Christians should diligently consult the Scriptures before engaging in actions lacking biblical support. The Church should stop claiming promises that God has genuinely not made!
WHY GOD WILL NOT HEAL THE LAND
“HEALING OF THE LAND” is not God’s AGENDA for this era
As previously stated, God’s agenda in this era of human history is not to improve or “heal” certain negative conditions on this earth. Asserting such unbiblical claims is futile. Christ did not prioritize the physical prosperity and healing of earthly nations during His first coming to earth. The apostles similarly didn’t emphasize these aspects in their teachings or New Testament writings. The “healing of the land” also wasn’t the expectation and experience of the first-century Church. It also wasn’t the expectation of the Church throughout subsequent ages either. Only in recent Church history has this heretical idea of God promising immediate change in the present moment infiltrated the Church, growing into epidemic proportions.
GOD’S REAL AGENDA
God’s top priority isn’t the enhancement of earthly kingdoms. Rather, it’s the coming of His Kingdom into the lives of lost human beings. Jesus came to save lost people, not a lost earth. Much more can be said on this subject, but at this point, we will just mention these few Scripture passages that underscore the point.
Matthew 4:17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 6:10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
Luke 17:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when God’s Kingdom would come, he answered them: “God’s Kingdom doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Acts 1:6-7 Therefore when they had come together, they asked him: “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority…”
Romans 14:17 …for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
THE PROGRESSION OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
Scripture does not teach the betterment of society, the world, the present earth, the human race, the economies, or the moral makeup of societies, etc. On the contrary, Scripture unmistakably teaches that the human race will morally decline, the physical earth will deteriorate further and further over time, the occurrence of natural phenomena and disasters will escalate, economic hardship will intensify, political unrest will persist, nations will conflict with one another, depravity will increase, the persecution of the saints will increase and escalate and will culminate in the eventual revelation and dreadful manifestation of the anti-Christ, and apostasy in the global church will increase, and so on.
Here are some Scripture references that highlight the progression of unrighteousness, moral decay, the rejection of God’s truth, and the hardships Christians will face in this dispensation before the second coming of Christ. You can look them up for your personal study.
Matthew 5:11-12; 24:12; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 1:28-32; 8:35-37; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9; Philippians 1:29; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 12; 4:3-4; 1 Peter 4:12-13; Revelation 6:1-11; 22:11
AN END-TIME REVIVAL…?
Belief in the utilization of 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a basis for modern-day corporate prayer gatherings, in some instances also goes hand in hand with the belief in a so-called promised end-time revival that is just about to break out all over the earth.
This adds further thrust to their endeavors regarding these corporate prayer gatherings. They believe that these prayer gatherings and the petitions for God’s interventions in these earthly matters, will pave the way for this great en-time revival.
The logic of this idea basically goes something like this:
God has called the church to infiltrate and dominate the major areas of societies, also called “The Seven Mountain Mandate.” This will then lead to the eventual prospering of the current earth, which in turn will pave the way for this great end-time mass revival, the sorts of which humanity has never seen before. This will also eventually prepare the earth for the return of Christ. For them, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is foundational to God’s supposed call to corporate prayer gatherings for all of this to happen…
But, all of this is heretical, to say the least…!
In light of what we’ve presented so far, it’s important to note that the Bible does not teach the coming of a great end-time revival, or that God has called the church to the betterment of this earth or society as we’ve described. Nowhere in Scripture is this concept mentioned. Instead, the Bible portrays a trend of spiritual decline and increasingly severe hardships for those faithfully following Christ. This doesn’t negate the possibility of people coming to Christ for salvation, or of new Christians emerging, but it emphasizes the growing difficulty of maintaining one’s Christian faith in an increasingly perilous spiritual environment. We do however have Scriptural evidence of the true Church that will endure and expand, growing in holiness and devotion to the LORD. See Matthew 16:18; John 10:16; Acts 5:39; Romans 8:38-39, and Revelation 12:11-17.
PRAY RIGHT
Utilizing 2 Chronicles 7:14 to corporately pray for God to induce moral change, financial prosperity, and so on, in nations and countries, is futile. Instead, we should explore how God portrays the trajectory of societies, nations, and circumstances, and discern what God wants our prayers to focus on. In other words, we need to pray according to His will as revealed in Scripture, as Christ has taught us. We need to pray according to the whole counsel of God as revealed in Scripture.
RECLAIMING 2 CHRONICLES 7v14
In our pursuit to understand and apply 2 Chronicles 7:14, we’ve often clung to a misinterpreted promise, seeking tangible healing of our lands through fervent and united prayers. Yet, as we’ve explored, this verse is rooted in the Old Covenant, specifically addressed to Israel under a unique divine agreement. Its promises of physical restoration were never meant to be universal, nor applicable to modern-day nations.
Understanding this context does not diminish the power of prayer or the importance of humility and repentance. Instead, it redirects our focus to the true nature of our relationship with God under the New Covenant. Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and our ultimate hope lies not in earthly prosperity but in the coming of God’s Kingdom and the salvation of souls.
As we move forward, let us reclaim the true meaning of 2 Chronicles 7:14 by grounding our prayers in the reality of God’s will as revealed in the entirety of Scripture. Let us seek spiritual renewal, personal holiness, and the advancement of God’s Kingdom within us and through us. In doing so, we align ourselves with God’s greater agenda, embracing our role as His people in a world that desperately needs His light.
May our prayers be filled with wisdom and discernment, reflecting a deep understanding of God’s Word and His eternal promises. And as we humble ourselves and seek His face, may we find our true homeland not in the temporary healing of earthly lands, but in the eternal hope and glory that await us in the presence of our Savior.
