Program#0005
Introduction :
We want to share the message about Jubilee Year. Starting from September 23rd, the Feast of Trumpets of the Jewish Calendar, we are entering the New Year of Year 5776 in Jewish Calendar, which is Jubilee Year that happens once ever 49 years. It is not only a new start, but also a new cycle for all Christians. The bible tells us to rejoice and praise, because Jubilee is also the Year of Redemption, Year of the Lord: Isaiah 63:4 It was for me the day of vengeance; the year for me to redeem had come.
Isaiah 61:2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God.
Question: For those of you who have just tuned in, we are going to be talking about “the Jubilee”. Let’s start with what a Jubilee is?
Answer: That’s a good question. Well, we can start by reading from the book of Leviticus chapter 25:8-10
8 “‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.
So to better understand, let me explain the Sabbatical year first. When Moses was on Mount Sinai, God said, speak to the Israelites and say to them, when you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD.”. Just like the Jewish people observed the seventh day as the Sabbath day by not doing any work, God did not want them to sow their fields or prune their vineyards on the seventh year. This was called a Sabbatical year, where the land itself observed a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years they could sow and reap from the land but on the seventh year, they could not sow and prune. Now, the Jubilee Year is the 50th year. It is the year following 7 counts of 7 Sabbatical years. It could get a little confusing, so let me make it a little easier. The first seven years is considered one count, and the second seven years, which equals 14 years is considered two counts. So, like this when you count off seven Sabbaths of years, seven times, you would get 49 years and the year following is the 50th year, which is called the Jubilee Year.
Question: Okay, I got it. It’s simple math. 7 times 7 is 49 and the following year is 50 years. And what happens on this Jubilee Year?
Answer: Right, so in this particular year, the Israelite’s would proclaim liberty throughout the land to all it’s inhabitants. Each Israelite would return to his family property and to his own clan. For example if I were an Israelite and I owed you some money out had a debt, then I would sell my property to you or someone else and the buyer would pay me according to the crops that the land/property could potentially produce and in this way, I will get my debt paid off or reduced. But here’s the thing, the buyer is not paying the full price for the land. The buyer is only paying for the years left until the Jubilee. So, out of the 49 years, if there were only 7 years left until the Jubilee, then the buyer would only pay the seller for 7 years worth of rops. However, on the 50th year, that property gets released back to the original owner. God commanded this because He says in Leviticus 25 verse 23
“‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.”
The word there alien also means strangers. We could say that since there was no sowing the fields or pruning the vineyards and the fact that the property had to return back to its original owner that the year of Jubilee was a function of obedience and trust.
Question: Wow. That is a great test because the in 49th year, we would not be sowing into our land neither pruning our vineyards and even in the following year we will not be sowing or pruning either. So, basically there is no farming for two years in a row. Is that correct?
Answer: That is correct. The Jubilee Year was a great test of faith because the Israelite’s had to trust that God would provide for their immediate needs, and for the future of their families.
Question: But how did they get food for those two years? How did they survive?
Answer: Another great question. So this is where their obedience to God’s command and trust in His word came in. We can get the answer to your question by reading the book of Leviticus chapter 25 verses 20 – 22.
20 You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” 21 I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. 22 While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.
That’s awesome! God sent them “such a blessing in the sixth year”, that the land yielded enough for three years.
Yes! It’s absolutely amazing. He is faithful! But to better understand the liberty that they were proclaiming which also means freedom from control, we have to know a little of the Jewish people’s history. God told a man named Abraham whom He made a covenant with that his descendants would be slaves in a foreign land for 400 years. Abraham had a son named Isaac and Isaac had a son named Jacob (whom God had changed his name to Israel). Israel was the father of 12 sons. The twelve sons that became the twelve tribes of Israel. One of the 12 sons, namely Joseph was sent ahead of his brothers to a land named Egypt, where he became the master of the king’s household. In the days of famine he welcomed his brothers and entire family into the land of Egypt. He soon died along with that generation but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly so that the land was filled with them. Then the new king of Egypt who did not know Joseph said to the Egyptians that the Israelite’s have become too numerous for us and that if they don’t deal shrewdly with them and a war breaks out, then they will join their enemies, fight against them and leave the country. Because of this, the Egyptians made them slaves and oppressed then with forced labor. Then God sent Moses and Aaron to deliver the Israelite’s. We will get a better picture by reading Psalms 105:26 to 45
26 He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made the land dark—for had they not rebelled against his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.
30 Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;
35 they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.
39 He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.
40 They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.
So because of how God delivered them with a mighty hand and set them free from the control of Egyptians, God commanded the Israelites to blow the ram’s horn and proclaim liberty on the 50th Year. Hallelujah!
Question: Hallelujah! I heard that shortly after Jesus’s death that the Israelites lost their country, or I should say taken as prisoners from many hundreds of years and only became a Nation again just with the last 100 years. So is the Jubilee observed today?
Answer: The Jewish people still mark their Jubilee Years and even though land is no longer returned to the rightful owner, it is still considered to be a real Jubilee Year.
Question: So, if the Jubilee is observed to some degree, does that mean Christians should not work during the Jubilee year?
Answer: No, Christians should work as they are not under the Sabbatical/Jubilee law that was given to Israelites through Moses.
Question: Joseph, What do you think we should do this Jubilee cycle or year?
Answer: In order to answer that, I would like to start out with some facts and establish a few things before I go into my opinion or what I think. On the previous End Time Report, our Counterparts talked about the Shemitah. Now what we have to establish is that even though we are not under the law, that the dates are still important and used as timelines for prophecies to be fulfilled. If we look at the historical dates we could see that great events took place in the Sabbatical years. For example, I can quickly read a cut out from an article that explains what happened just within the last 100 years. This article that i am reading from starts off by saying, “Fact Three: 1916 was a year of Shmita. The following year, Jerusalem was liberated from the Turks in 1917. Fact Four: 1965 was a year of Shmita, 49 years after the 1916 Shmita.The following year, Jerusalem was re-liberated from the Arabs. This would suggest that both 1916 and 1965 were 7th Shemitah, preceding a year of “Jubilee”. Liberation is the central theme of Jubilee”.
The patterns developed by the Jubilees’ ultimately interwine with exact day. When one see’s the prophecies being fullied on those exact days, and or in the Sabbatical years, it shows that God and God alone is in control!. A clear example of this is in Luke 19:42
“and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.” – Luke 19:42
Jesus is saying to the Jews, that if they had known what would bring them peace on that day. On That day and in another verse Luke 4:17 – 21
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f]
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In the kings James version Translation, verse 19 says “ To preach the acceptable year of the LORD/ The acceptable year of the LORD is a phrase which is known to the Jewish people. That phrase is called the “yovel year”. The Hebrew word yovel means “ trumpet or ram’s horn.” And these reams horns were blown on the Day of Atonement to announce the start of the Jubilee. They would blow the ram’s horn and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all inhabitants. So then Jesus says in verse 22 “.. this day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Jesus is saying that He has become our Jubilee. He’s been sent to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the broken hearted, so set at liberty them that are bruised ..
Jesus came at that time to proclaim and to set at liberty. To set them free. That those who beleive in Him can be liberated from their fear. That those who believe in Him can be liberated from their unbelief. He was sent at that time to redeem us. To redeem us from the hands of the devil.
Praise the LORD!! Thank God for our LORD and savior Jesus Christ!
Yes. Thank God. Okay, let me get to the second part of answering your question. As you can see that in 1917 that Jerusalem was liberated which was a Jubilee and again in 1966 which was another Jubilee that God still used the Sabbatical years, such as the Shemitah and Jubilee to show his signs and wonders after Jesus died and rose again. That being said, I believe that we should re-dedicated our lives to Jesus and not just for this Jubilee cycle, but stay committed to him by the renewing of your mind because He’s coming soon.
Question: Amen! Are there signs that you are looking for which points to the End Times?
Answer: Yes. For that, we first should start by reading the book of Luke 21:9-15
9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
Verse 9 says, when you hear of wars or rumours of wars, that not to be afraid because that has to happen first, but that the end will not come right away. And then in verse 1, Jesus says, that there will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven, I will stop here. In the past 2 decades, we’ve been hearing about earthquakes such as the one in Kobe, Japan that killed about 5500 people in 1995. January of that year, I should say, it was a 6.9 magnitude quake which was fairly bag. Then May 10th 1997, there was a 7.3 magnitude quake in Northern Iran that killed about 1500 people, then one in 98- 6.6 magnitude claiming the lives of about 400 people in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Then in 1999, there was a 7.6 magnitude quake in Turkey that took the lives of about 17000 people. In January 2001, there was a similar or lager size quake in India at 7.7 magnitude taking about 20000 people. Going on from there, I believed we see the great earth quakes. It was in December 24, 2004, off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra. It was a 9.1 magnitude earthquake that killed about 227000 people. More recently in Haiti in the beginning of 2010. There was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that took 316000 people. More recently in 2008 many 12th there was a 7.9 magnitude quake in the Eastern Sichuan province of China that took the lives of about 87000 people.
That’s Just some of the earth quakes, then this year, just a little while ago, at the end of September to now, a small city in San Fransico of United States of America. There have been about 400 earthquakes in just two weeks.
400?
Yes, 400 earthquakes. Jesus gave the disciples a description of events that would lead up to his coming. we’ve heard about wars and rumor of wars a lot in the last two decades and many generations of people around the world have experienced famine. based on Numbers from the late 1700’s to now. Famine has claimed the lives of about 200 million people or more. many generations in history believed that they had seen the signs, believed they were in the End Times and that Jesus was going to return in their life time, but it didn’t happen. When the disciples asked Jesus, when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they are about to take place, Jesus mentions in Luke 21:20
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.”
I believe what Jesus said in that verse and what it says in Revelations 17:12-13
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.
These prophecies have not been fulfilled yet It was only in the last 70 years that the state of Israel was established 1948 to be precise. Today, in our generation, it is possible to see armies surround Jerusalem and that prophecy being fulfilled. Now regarding Revelations 17:12-13, how the Ten Kings will give their power and authority to the beast. I believed this is the time of the end that we are in. According to the news and various verified sources, the new Pope Francis addressed the congress in United States of America for the first time in History. Also there is prophecy by individual who is widely know among the Christians by the name of Saint Malachy from the 12th Century,He said that” In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock among many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city (Rome, the seat of the Vatican) will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the People.”
These words strikingly fit the description of current Pope. I know another strange news that we would like to mention. It is the fact that this current Pope spoke at the Madison Garden a week after Madonna’s performance at the same venue, some may not find the strange. but if you read the title of the concert, “Desecration of the Bride Arrival of the Fallen Angels.” It is almost like setting the stage for the beast.
Question: What can we do in the Year of Jubilee?
Answer: To the Gentiles, Jubilee is the day of God’s judgement, but to Christians it is the year of grace. No matter how turbulent the coming days will be, we have to align our hearts to God. God is going to lead us out of Egypt and into the wilderness, in order to remove our mindset of slavery, our old habits, our old self. He is going to rid us of our fear and unbelief, so that we will have freedom and deliverance to grow our faith, and to possess the blessings in the promised land.
Jubilee marks a new cycle, a cycle of love. The most important thing is to know the lovingkindness and faithfulness of our Lord, to know His work, and to live in His love. We no longer live as if we were orphans, but rather as beloved children of God. We are continuously living in His acceptance and blessedness. In fact, the past failures of the Israelites are a good counterexample.
(Ps 95:8-10)
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,[a]
as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways.’
Because of their unbelief, the Israelites did not see the work of God, and they could not enter the promised land that God had prepared for them. It reminds me of the parable of the 5 foolish virgins in Matthew 25. When the time comes, the Lord said to them, “I don’t know you!”
The key to enter into the Acceptable Year of the Lord is to align ourselves to God. We need to align our thoughts, our actions, and our words to Him. In each day of our living, we need to align to Him, to be thankful for His love, and to abide in His love. We need to take the time to repent of our unbelief, of our lack of faith, of our mindset of slavery, of leaning on our own strengths. We have to repent of our insecurity, the thought of depending solely on our own might to attain everything that we want.
Prayer
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