THE YEAR OF JUBILEE (2)

(Message by Tanny Keng)

0. Introduction

a) The Bible describes a period of time most people have never heard of - the Jubilee year. It occurs after seven sets of seven complete years are finished. This proclamation of a fiftieth "liberty" year occurs on one of God's annual feast days known as the Day of Atonement. Because God owns everything, he set up a special, regularly occurring time period where His will is that a man's possessions are returned to him.

i) 10 This fiftieth (Jubilee) year is sacred — it is a time of freedom and of celebration when everyone will receive back their original property, and slaves will return home to their families. 11 This is a year of complete celebration, so don’t plant any seed or harvest what your fields or vineyards produce.

ii) 39 “If one of your brothers becomes indigent and has to sell himself to you, don’t make him work as a slave. 40 Treat him as a hired hand or a guest among you. He will work for you until the Jubilee, (Leviticus 25)

b) Israel was also commanded in the Bible to redeem tithes and other things based on how many years it was to the next Jubilee (Leviticus 27)

c) Leviticus 26 states THE reason ancient Israel went into captivity was for not allowing the land to rest every seven years - by not giving it a break and letting it enjoy its own Sabbath rest!

i) 27 'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, 28 then in my anger I will be hostile toward you . . . 33 I will scatter you among the nations . . . Your land will be laid waste . . .34 Then the land will enjoy its Sabbath years (Leviticus 26)

1. History of the Jews

a) Josephus, in his monumental work on the history of the Jewish people, discusses historical events that occurred during Jubilee years such as Antiochus' besieging of Jerusalem's Temple. In Herod the Great's thirteenth year of rule there was famine and a corresponding pestilence, the worst since the time of King Ahab. It occurred in a Jubilee year.


The End ...

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