The Jubilee of Release*

This will be a challenging, but rewarding message. A prophetic pattern is established in the feasts of the LORD, as we have seen. It should also be kept in mind that the Israelites had an agricultural society, and the feasts incorporated this fact. Leviticus Chapter 23 describes the feasts of the LORD, including the fall feasts (v. 23-44), which begin in two days. The Feast of Trumpets, the first fall feast appointed by the LORD, begins on the first day of the month. There is to be a blowing of trumpets, or shofars, as well as a Sabbath rest from work on this day. On the tenth day of the same month is the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. This is a somber day, treated as a Sabbath also, with no work to be done, spent in the affliction of the soul. Anyone who does not afflict his soul, nor observes a Sabbath rest on the Day of Atonement, would be cut off from his people. Of this feast, the LORD said, "Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings." (v. 31). On the fifteenth day of the same month, the Feast of Tabernacles begins, and lasts for seven days. The first and eighth days of this feast are Sabbaths, doing no work, and booths were to be built from pleasant tree branches. Each family was to dwell in the booth during the seven days of the feast. These booths were to be reminders that the LORD had His people to dwell in booths after He brought them out of Egypt, and during the years in the wilderness. This feast was connected to harvest time. For all of the feasts, special burnt offerings were to be brought to the LORD in addition to the offerings that were usually given. The LORD's feasts are appointed times that the congregation was called to observe. There were other appointed times as well, however. One of these appointed times involved a year-long Jubilee of release that would occur every fiftieth year: "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." (Lev. 25:9-10). Although the Day of Atonement is a solemn feast, in the fiftieth year, that day becomes a day of rejoicing. It is the Jubilee! As Jesus is our atonement, and the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement, we will see later how Jesus incorporated the Jubilee into His teaching also. There was to be a year-long Sabbath rest for the land during this Jubilee year also, neither sowing nor reaping, but eating of the increase of the field. Regarding the land, the LORD said, "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye were strangers and sojourners with me. And in all the land for your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land." (v. 23-24). Land given into the hands of another could be redeemed back and restored into the possession of the original owner. If that original owner could not pay the redemption price, then in the year of Jubilee, the land must still be restored to the original owner (v. 24-28). If a man has sold himself into bondservice, there is a redemption price for him as well. If he, or a relative on his behalf, cannot pay the redemption price, he shall be able to go out, released, in the year of Jubilee (v. 48-55). The Jubilee year, and the price of redemption are established because of the deliverance that the LORD performed when He brought His people up out of the land of Egypt. In these verses, the LORD established the principle of redemption from debt and servitude. In addition to the possibility of redemption, the fiftieth year Jubilee would restore all to their possessions and liberty. We know that the Israelites did not observe the seventh year or fiftieth year Sabbath rests. Scripture reveals that because of this and other transgressions from the priests on down, the nation was conquered, the people were taken into captivity, the house of God was destroyed, and the vessels of the temple were carried away (2 Chron. 36:14-19). In this manner, the LORD enforced the Sabbath rest of the land as commanded by God: "And them that had escaped from the sword carried he (Nebuchadnezzar) away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years." (v. 20-21). The alternative to the Sabbath rest of the land, as commanded by God and forwarned by the prophets, was the sword and captivity. Daniel wrote that the same seventy years of Jeremiah referred to above, would not just be fulfilled by the captivity and return of Israel from Babylon, but would also play a part in the appointed times of the Messiah, and end time events. The Law of the seventh year Sabbath, and the fiftieth year Jubilee of release still plays a part in heavenly and world events. As mentioned earlier, we also know that the redemption price, release, and restoration found in the pattern established in these special Sabbath years, are also found embodied in Christ, and His teachings. As Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He included in this prayer, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors..." (Mt. 6:10-12). The fact that we are told to forgive other's debts in order for our debts to be forgiven is the Jubilee concept. Forgiveness of others for their harm to us, for their physical and spiritual unpaid debts to us, is a vitally important but often difficult thing to do, but it is required of us as we want God's forgiveness in our lives. Jesus taught again about the requirement of forgiveness (v. 14-15), and also spoke that our treasures or possessions are to be those that are laid up in heaven, in the kingdom of God, rather than in the earth (v. 19-21, 33). In Jubilee, we are returned to our possessions. If our possessions are in heaven and of the kingdom of God, then we must be returned to heaven in either resurrection, or the catching away of believers alive, the Rapture. As with the seventh Sabbath year, and the fiftieth Sabbath year, or Jubilee, Jesus told His listeners to "...take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?, or, Wherewithall shall we be clothed?...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (v. 31-33). These are also the assurances of God to His people who keep His appointed Sabbath years. He assures His people that they will not lack in the Sabbath years, but will be provided for by Him in abundance. Not only did Jesus fulfill the Atonement, and the Jubilee, but He also fulfilled the redemption price requirement associated with these appointed times. The prophet Zechariah wrote the Word of the LORD concerning a redemption price of thirty pieces of silver, and regarding this price: "cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD." (Zech. 11:12-13). This prophecy of the price of redemption was fulfilled in Judas' betrayal of Christ to the religious rulers for thirty pieces of silver. When he tried to return the silver in regret and repentance, the rulers would not accept the silver because it was "the price of blood", and instead bought "Potter's Field" for the burial of strangers. (Mt. 26:14-16, 27:3-10). As Jesus died on the cross, He made a final statement after receiving the vinegar He was given to drink. He said, "It is finished" (Jn. 19:28-30). The word used here as "finished" is the Greek word teleo, which means "finish, end, complete, pay (of tribute), discharge a debt". Jesus paid the redemption price to release us from what we owed, to discharge our debt. Jesus fulfilled the Jubilee, and continues to fulfill it. Based upon the appointed times of God, Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 9/5/21 message to the church. To contact us, to submit a prayer request, to give a praise report, to support the ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.

The Shemitah: Judgment or Restoration*

Scripture gives us a choice - to receive the blessing, honor God's commandments, accept His Word, or reject it. The LORD told us that there are blessings and cursings, life and death, to choose between. Adam and Eve had a choice, and they chose to disobey the commandment of God, and we have sin and death as a result. It is the same with the LORD's commandment regarding the Shemitah. The Shemitah is described in Leviticus 25: "And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard..." (Lev. 25:1-4). In the seventh year, the land would remain unplanted, and no harvesting would be done. This sabbath year would be for the owner, his sevants and any traveller or stranger who might be staying with them. The sabbath year would also apply to any animals owned. The LORD promised that as the Israelites prepared to observe the Shemitah in the seventh year: "Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years." (v. 21). The children of Israel would not suffer lack for their obedience to let the land have a sabbath unto the LORD in the seventh year. There is no record of Israel or the Jewish people keeping the Shemitah seventh year sabbath for the land. There was a similar special sabbath year called the Jubilee year, which was to be oberserved every fiftieth year as well (v. 8-9). A Jubilee year would begin on the Day of Atonement of the fiftieth year (v. 9). In the Jubilee year, liberty is to be proclaimed throughout the land, and every man's possession shall be returned or restored unto him (v. 13). In giving commands regarding the speacial sabbath years, the LORD said that His people should not take usury or increase from their brothers, "but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee." (v. 36-37). Not only do we not observe the Shemitah and Jubilee, but the whole system of debt in America is based upon usury and increase. Considering this, will we see the restoration that comes from obeying the commandments of God or judgment for disobeying them? The LORD commanded that the Israelites should not compel a poor brother into being a bondservant or slave, but a hired servant until the year of Jubilee, when all is restored to him (v. 39-41). For over two hundred years, we kept people as bondservants or slaves in our country. There were no Shemitah or Jubilee years of liberty and restoration for them. We ignore the sabbaths whether in days, or years, even though Jesus told us that the sabbath was made for man, for his benefit, as an opportunity to enter into the LORD's holy rest. The prophet Joel prophesied about a complete devestation of the land, where all trees and crops shriveled and dried up like had never been seen previously. What little was left on the land had been eaten by locusts. No offerings could be brought to the house of the LORD, because there was nothing available to bring. The land had ceased to prosper. Could this attack upon the land be the result of a failure to give the land a sabbath rest unto the LORD in the form of the Shemitah, as He commanded Israel to do? Joel revealed what the people must do: "Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come." (Joel 1:14-15). Again Joel said, "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand..." (Joel 2:1). The day of the LORD is described as a day of darkness, devouring fire, pain, earthquakes, and the withdrawal of light from the stars, sun, and moon (v. 2-10), "...for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible, who can abide it?" The LORD called His people to repentance: "Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting and weeping, and with mourning: and rent your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him..." (Joel 2:12-14). Again, the LORD by His prophet called for the blowing of trumpets, and for all of the people to gather together without exception to weep and fast in sanctification. As a result, the LORD will be jealous for His land, and pity His people (v.18). Joel then began to prophesy a restoration to the land and the beasts, gladness and rejoicing, and praises to God (v. 21-27). Rain and crops would be plentiful. Not only would the land be restored as a result of the repentance of God's people, but the LORD also promised a great outpouring of His Spirit on all flesh, wonders to be shown in the heavens and the earth, and deliverance of His remnant in Zion and Jerusalem (v. 23-32). The LORD always has a remnant in the earth. The prophet Zephaniah also delivered the Word of the LORD to His people: "Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger." (Zeph. 2:1-3). Do we think that failure to obey God's Word, including His Word regarding Shemitah and Jubilee, is without consequence today? The following events, being just some that occurred in Shemitah years, would tell us otherwise: 1916-17: the Stock Market collapses; some empires of the European nations collapse. 1930-31: 86% of stocks are wiped out. 1937-38: 50% of stocks are wiped out. 1944-45: the Nazi Third Reich ends, the British Empire collapses, America rises in power. 1972-73: 48% of stocks fall causing a recession, the U.S. legalizes abortion, and America suffers a loss in Vietnam. Skipping ahead to 2000-2001: the World Trade Center Towers collapse in an attack, and a financial crisis. 2007-2008: 50% of stocks are wiped out, and a global recession ensues. This would lead us to conclude that when the command of the LORD is not kept, a curse follows. This is confirmed in Deuteronomy. In Deut. 28, many different kinds of blessings are promised if God's people are obedient to His voice, and commandments: "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (meaning "cattle, oxen; to learn, to teach, to utter"), and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store..." (Deut. 28:1-5). The description of all of the blessings continues from there for those who do all His commandments. However, there are corresponding curses for those who do not do His commandments: "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store..." (Deut. 28:15-17). The curses continue as direct opposites to the blessings that are promised for the obedient observance to God's commands, which would include the periodic sabbath rest of the land unto the LORD of the Shemitah, and the appointed liberation of the Jubilee years. How can we turn the curses or judgment of disobedience into blessing and restoration? Joel and Zephaniah, and also Daniel (see Dan. 9:2-23) gave us the answer: all of God's people gathering together to pray, fast, repent, and to turn back to the LORD with all of their hearts. Second Chronicles 7:13-14 confirms this yet again: "If I should shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 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." The coming Shemitah (7th) year, is appointed to begin next month, in this year 2021. The next Jubilee (50th) year is scheduled soon also. These two special years in God's commandments can bring either judgment or restoration for our land based upon the obedience or repentance of the people of God. Which shall it be for our nation? *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 8/22/21 message to the church. You can contact us at P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR at Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. Look for us also on Facebook, Twitter, and at endtimeschool.com. We welcome your prayer requests, praise reports, and your support for this ministry.