Appendix
D
Jubilee cycles explain
a year for
a day
The purpose and beauty of the ancient
Jubilee Calendar is now beginning to unfold. Its
purpose has been shrouded in mystery for centuries,
but now the secrets of the Jubilee calendar are
becoming known. Dating back to the days of the
Exodus, this time mechanism was given to Moses for
some very interesting reasons.
A
rest for the land
Upon entering the Promised Land, God
had Joshua divide the land of Canaan into twelve
“parcels.” Each tribe was given a parcel
according to its size and the families within a tribe
were given a tract of land. All were free to use the
land as they saw fit. They could even sell the land
to fellow Hebrews in other tribes, but the Year of
Jubilee arrived, the land had to revert back, at no
charge, to the original tribe and family that
received it from Joshua. The exception to this rule
was city property. (Joshua 14, Leviticus 25:10,29)
The Year of Jubilee was celebrated at
the end of each Jubilee cycle. Study the chart at the
end of this study and notice that each day of the
week represents a year. (A complete full sized chart
can be obtained for $2 by calling (937) 848-3322.)
Notice that at the end of each week, the seventh year
is a sabbatical year for the land. Understand that
the sabbatical year was not a sabbatical year for
the people, but for the land. (Leviticus 25:2)
After seven weeks of 49 years had fully ended, the
year of Jubilee commenced. You will notice that the
50th year celebration occurs during the
first year of the next cycle of 49 years (See 1388
B.C.). At first, this confuses many people. How can
the 50th year of celebration also be the
first year of the next cycle? Consider the mechanism:
The Jews marked off 49 days (seven weeks) from the
Feast of Unleavened Bread to observe Pentecost. If
Passover occurred on a seventh-day Sabbath, then
seven Sabbaths and one day later, the 50th
day, the Day of Pentecost arrived. (Leviticus
23:15,16) Understand that in this case, the 50th
day, the day of Pentecost, is also the first day of
the week. The point here is that God’s Jubilee
calendar is based on recurring cycles of seven weeks.
And the 50th year of the old cycle falls
at the same time as the first year of the new cycle.
(For those who are thinking ahead, this is the only
way the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 can equal 490 years.)
Not
man’s calendar
The Jubilee Calendar was given to
Israel for two wonderful reasons. First, God made
Israel time-keepers for mankind. They were the only
people to receive the perpetual responsibility of
marking the passage of time as God sees time. And, to
prevent Israel from guessing at time, God
synchronized His eternal calendar on two occasions.
First, He told Moses when to start counting.
(Exodus 12:2) Then, for forty years, He constantly
verified the days of the week in the minds of His
people by doubling the amount of manna that fell on
the sixth day and withholding manna on the seventh
day of the week. (Exodus 16:26)
In addition to synchronizing His
people with His calendar, God required the perpetual
observance of the seventh-day Sabbath to mark the
passage of the weekly cycle. This observance would
distinguish His people from others. God declared that
His seventh-day Sabbath would be a sign between Him
and His people. (Exodus 31:17) But keeping up with
the weekly cycle was only part of the larger purpose.
God also required the observance of new moons to mark
the passage of monthly cycles (2 Chronicles 2:4). He
required the observance of the Passover on the 15th
day of the new year to mark their yearly anniversary
of deliverance. He required the observance of each
seven-year sabbatical to mark seven-year cycles
within the Jubilee. And God required the observance
of the Year of Jubilee to mark the completion of each
49-year cycle.
(Leviticus 26:14-44)
Not
observed now
Because Jubilee cycles aren’t
observed today, many people depreciate the importance
of these timing cycles. When Jesus died on Calvary,
the observances of feast days and ceremonies became
unnecessary (Colossians 2:11-16. Galatians 4:9-11),
but the time-periods they marked remain with us. As
afar as God is concerned, the weekly cycle, the
monthly cycle, the yearly cycle, the week of years
and the Jubilee cycle are still intact. (This
assertion will be demonstrated later.) The point here
is that when Jesus died, the ceremonial services that
occurred at these specific times became unnecessary,
but the cycles of time remain. In fact, the cleansing
of the heavenly sanctuary is directly connected to
2,300 day/years that have their origin in the Jubilee
calendar!
A
starting point
A day in the Jubilee calendar
represents a year. Verify this point by looking at
the chart at the end of this study. The Jubilee
Calendar marks the passage of time by counting
“weeks of years.” That is, a week of seven
days represents seven years. This may sound
complicated, but remember, the Jews did not have a
fixed date by which to mark their calendars like we
do today. When we say 2009, what are we referring to?
We are saying that there have been 2,009 years since
the birth of Jesus (actually, 2009 years is incorrect
but this is beside the point). Because our calendar
dates from an event that is recognized by all
nations, we can keep track of the years quite easily.
But suppose the Japanese did not base their calendar
on the birth of Jesus, what year Honda would they be
selling in the U.S.A. right now?
The
weekly cycle is a template
God foreknew the problems of keeping
track of time, so he created a calendar based on
the template of the weekly cycle. Many people
understand the importance of the cycle of the week,
but few understand the importance of the other
cycles. We will investigate two:
The
sabbatical
God declared that a sabbatical year
must occur every seventh year (Leviticus 25:3-7).
Every seventh year, the land was not to be planted or
harvested. In His divine wisdom, God accomplished two
important things with the seventh-year sabbatical.
First, the land itself received a much-needed rest.
Secondly and more importantly, He wanted to test
Israel’s faith every seventh year. He wanted to
see if they would trust Him enough to provide for
their needs. Think about this, would it take
considerable faith for an agricultural nation to let
the land lay fallow for a whole year? So, God
declared that year 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 were
perpetual Sabbatical years. The land was to receive
its rest.
The
Year of Jubilee
The 49th year was the last
sabbatical of a Jubilee cycle. It was considered a
high year because it was the seventh sabbatical. And
the high sabbatical of the 49th year was
followed by the once-per-generation Year of Jubilee.
Again, the immediate purpose of the Year of Jubilee
was the test of faith. God wanted His people to
realize that the land they enjoyed was a gift from
Him. He wanted them to know that they did not work
for it, earn it, nor deserve it. Therefore, it was
given back to its original owner every 50 years with
the same cheerful spirit that He gave to them because
the land was not theirs to own. He wanted them to
know that they were only stewards of it. And, if they
were faithful, they could remain upon the land. If
they were unfaithful to Him, He promised to throw
them out. (Joshua 24:13; Leviticus 18:24-28; 25:23
and Jeremiah 2:7). He also required that they were
not to plant or harvest their fields during the Year
of Jubilee, for it was a holy year (Leviticus
25:11,12),
The
harmony of time
The observance of the seventh-day
Sabbath kept the weekly cycle intact. The observance
of new moons kept the monthly cycle intact. The
observance of the Passover kept the yearly intact.
The observance of the seventh-year sabbaticals keep
the week of years intact. And, the observance of the
Jubilee cycle kept the land in the hands of its
original owner.
Note: In all but the very first
Jubilee cycle, there were eight sabbatical years per
Jubilee cycle. These include the Year of Jubilee
(year 1) plus seven sabbaticals (years 7, 14, 21, 28,
35, 42, 49). See the charts at the end of the study
for further detail.
Warning
When God gave Israel the Jubilee
Calendar, He made clear their responsibility. He
warned, “But if you will not listen to me and
carry out all these commands… then I will do
this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror,
wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your
sight and drain away your life… Your land will
be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.
Then the land will enjoy it Sabbath years all the
time that it lies desolate and you are in the country
of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy
its Sabbaths. All the time it lies desolate, the land
will have its rest it did not have during the
Sabbaths you lived in it.” (Leviticus
26:14-35).
If we look carefully at the penalty
for violating the sabbatical years we may correctly
estimate their value in God’s sight. The
penalty for violating the sabbatical years was severe
because God wanted Israel to live by faith. He also
wanted Israel to perpetuate His calendar.
Since the Jubilee calendar was initiated at time of
the exodus (Exodus 12:2), God designed that Israel
should never forget their deliverance, their
benevolent Creator and God. He required them to
observe His sabbatical years. Anything God calls holy
has an important lesson in it. He does not declare
something holy to tempt men with disobedience.
The
Bible almost silent
The silence regarding sabbatical or
Jubilee celebrations in the Bible leads me to
conclude that Israel didn’t measure up to
God’s ideal. In fact, only one Year of Jubilee
is mentioned in the entire Bible: Isaiah 37:30 and II
Kings 19:29. Here we find the 49th
sabbatical year and the Year of the Jubilee occurred
during the 14th and 15th years
of Hezekiah’s reign (II Kings 18:13) that fell
on 703/702 B.C. This small point will become very
vital when we try to identify the year of origin for
the Jubilee cycle.
God’s
patience = 70 units
God’s patience with Israel’s
backsliding is beyond human understanding. For
centuries He tried to get Israel to shape up and
accomplish all that He had in mind. But they refused.
Eventually, Israel filled up their cup of iniquity.
God’s patience expired when Israel violated a
total of 70 sabbatical years.
When the number 70 was fully reached,
Israel was expelled from Jerusalem and hauled off to
Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. They had to remain in
Babylon for 70 years because the land had gone
without 70 sabbaticals of rest! Remember God’s
warning? “All the time that it lies
desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have
during the Sabbaths you lived in it.” (Leviticus
26:35) In other words, God’s patience with
Israel reached its limit with 70 years of sabbatical
violations and He had them evicted from the land.
Notice what the Bible says about their captivity, “The
land enjoyed its Sabbath rests; all the time of its
desolation it rested, until the seventy years were
completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord
spoken by Jeremiah.”
(II Chronicles 36:21).
How
are 70 sabbaticals counted?
How do we know that Israel was placed
in captivity because they had violated 70 sabbatical
years? “Now, son of man, take a clay tablet,
put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem
on it. Then lay siege to it… You are to bear
their sin for the number of days you lie on your
side. I have assigned you the same number of days as
the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear
the sin of the house of Israel. After you have
finished this, lie down again, this time on your
right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I
have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year.”
(Ezekiel 4:1-6).
Notice how the math works. If we add
390 years of Israel’s sin to the 40 years of
Judah’s sin, we obtain a sum of 430 years of
sinful living. This is why Ezekiel had to lay upon
his
Right and left sides for a total of
430 days – a day for each year. In 430 years,
there are 8 Jubilee cycles plus a partial cycle (the
9th) that contains 38 years. The point is
that 430 years contain exactly 70 sabbaticals!
(Keep in mind that there are 8 sabbaticals in a
Jubilee cycle of 49 years.) Here’s how the total
of 70 sabbaticals is found:
Day/Year again
While in Babylonian captivity, God
spoke to the prophet Daniel and told him that He was
going to give Israel another chance. This opportunity
would also have a limit of 70 units. However, instead
of granting Israel 70 sabbaticals of time, God used
the next larger unit within the calendar. He granted
Israel 70 sevens (70 weeks of years). This, God
hoped, would be enough time for Israel to become all
that He wanted. Note the progression within the
Jubilee Calendar. God moved from 70 sabbaticals of
patience to 70 weeks of patience. Seventy weeks in
the Jubilee calendar contain 490 literal years. See
457 B.C. to A.D. 33 on the chart at the end of this
study in Appendix D. According to Daniel 9, the 70
weeks were to begin with the decree to restore and
rebuild Jerusalem. In the Jubilee year of 457 B.C.,
Artaxerxes, the world monarch of the Persian Empire,
issued a decree granting the Jews complete
sovereignty as a nation. Nehemiah carried the
declaration to the Jews in Jerusalem. He
arrived in Jerusalem in early fall and probably read
the declaration on the Day of Atonement in the year
of the Jubilee, because the land was officially their
at the sounding of the trumpet on the Day of
Atonement in the Year of Jubilee. (Leviticus 25:9-10)
Note: For a careful explanation
of the 70 weeks and how the appearing of Jesus
Himself confirmed the timing of those events, the
reader is referred to The Revelation of Jesus,
another book by the writer.
When A.D. 33 arrived, the 70 weeks
expired. The Jews had not progressed as God desired.
Israel had greatly rebelled against the Holy One of
Israel Himself. So, in A.D. 70, God sent the Romans
upon Jerusalem and it was completely destroyed again.
7 x 10 = 70
Have you begun to notice that
God’s patience may be measured in units of 70?
Consider this: When Israel violated 70 sabbaticals,
God had them removed from the land by Babylonian King
Nebuchadnezzar so that the land might receive its
rest. When Israel violated the 70 weeks, God had
Jerusalem destroyed by the Rome’s army in A.D.
70. Again, the land got its rest.
If you are a student of the Old
Testament, you know that judgment day, the most
important day of the sanctuary service, was the Day
of Atonement. It occurred on the tenth day of the
seventh month. The month and the day of this service
combine to form 70. It may represent the fullness of
God’s patience and ten represents the limit of
His mercy. One thing is certain, 70 units seem to
indicate a time of judgment. You may have already
considered the possibility that the existence of sin
will be 7,000 years, which happens to be 70
centuries. And, the length of life itself is often
threescore and ten that of course, is 70 years.
Psalms 90:10 Are these numbers just coincidental?
Kindness
has a limit, too
The first use of 70 sevens is found in
Genesis 4:24. But, the finest explanation is found in
the New Testament. “Then Peter came to Jesus
and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive
my brother when He sins against me? Up to
seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you,
not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”
(Matthew 18:21.22)
The NIV and other translations of this
verse seem to say 77 times. Actually, Jesus
didn’t say 77 times. Rather, He turned to Peter
and said, “Seventy-sevens.” Peter
immediately understood the phrase. Just as Israel had
been forgiven by God and granted seventy-sevens (490
years) of redemptive opportunity, Peter was to
forgive his brother and grant him the same redemptive
grace.
Prophetic
time periods
It is beyond the scope of this article
to examine all the prophetic time periods in the
Bible. However, this point must be made: All
apocalyptic time periods occurring within the
operation of Jubilee cycles are to be interpreted in
Jubilee units of time. Under this system, a day
represents a literal year. This also
means that prophetic time periods outside the
Jubilee cycles are to be interpreted as they are
given, i.e., literal units of time. This concept
becomes very interesting when we consider the
possibility that there may be a finite number of
Jubilee cycles. That number could be 70.
Notice how the Jubilee principle works
with respect to prophetic time periods. Before
Jubilee cycles were given, prophetic time-periods
were literal. Therefore, Noah’s 120 years of
warning (Genesis 6:3) were 120 literal years because
they happened before Jubilee cycles began. The
1,260 days of Daniel 7:25, Revelation 12: 6,14 are to
be interpreted using Jubilee units. Therefore, they
represent a 1,260-year time period. The 1,000 years
of the seventh millennium will be literal years
because they occur after the expiration of
Jubilee cycles.
One other point. Some ask why the 70
years prophesied by Jeremiah were literal since they
occur during the Jubilee cycles. Answer: The 70 years
of Babylonian captivity were payment-in-kind for
violating the 70 seventh-day sabbaticals. So, Israel
spent a year in captivity for each seventh-day
sabbatical violation.
Consider
this twice
Suppose there is a week of
millenniums, that is, each day of creation stands for
a period of 1,000 years. Suppose that the millennium
of Revelation 20 is not a random number, but actually
the 7th millennium for earth. The idea
here is that the whole earth gets its rest for the
1,000 years because the wicked are dead and the
saints are in heaven. Suppose that the second coming
of Jesus is on or about the 6000th year.
If the reader will consider this possibility, this
simple concept will clear up several problems
regarding time periods in Daniel and Revelation.
A most interesting possibility
develops. Assume there are 70 Jubilees of time. The
70th Year of Jubilee would be 1994. Add to
this date, the 1,335 literal days of Daniel and
something very interesting happens: Now, the Jubilee
calendar and the millennial calendar reach to 1998
that can be reasonably shown to be the 6,000th
year. But, we know now here in late 2009 the 6,000th
year has been possibly moved to 2015 because of the
20-year window of co-regent reigns of the kings of
the past.
The real point here is that after the
Jubilee cycles expire prophetic time becomes literal.
This simple mechanism explains why some time periods
are day/year and others are literal time.
Jubilee
continue after A.D. 34
Two prophecies confirm the perpetuity
of the Jubilee cycles long after the demise of
ancient Israel in A.D. 70. The first prophecy is
found in Daniel 7:25. Here the Bible foretells that
the little horn power would persecute the saints of
God for a time, times and half a time. This time
period of 1,260 day/years began in A.D. 538 and ended
in 1798. History clearly confirms the duration of
this time period and even more, verifies the presence
and operation of the day/year principle. But even
more, the fulfillment of this prophecy confirms the
operation of the Jubilee calendar, for without it
there is no hermeneutical reasons apply the day/year
mechanism. In other words, the operation of the
Jubilee calendar is clearly confirmed by historical
events.
Some argue that in symbolic prophecy,
a day always equals a year. This is not true. Look at
Daniel 4:16. Seven times are sentenced upon king
Nebuchadnezzar who is symbolized as a tree in this
prophecy. Furthermore, the Hebrew word ‘iddan
in Daniel 4:16 is identical with Daniel 7:25 and
Daniel 12:7. As far I know, only Jehovah Witnesses
apply the day/year principle to Daniel 4:16 and
Daniel 7:25 and Daniel 12:7. But, the reader should
require some principle to determine when time
is literal and when time is day/year and the answer
is simple. If the time period is part of apocalyptic
prophecy and occurs during the operation of the
Jubilee calendar, the time period must be interpreted
as Jubilee unit, ie., day/years.
The second prophecy that confirms the
perpetuity of the Jubilee cycle long after the demise
of Ancient Israel is found in Daniel 8:14. Whatever
question may have existed about the use of the
day/years within the Jubilee Calendar is eliminated
by the fulfillment of this prophecy. Because this
prophecy begins in 457 B.C. and reaches down to A.D.
1844, two impressive points must be recognized.
First, the day/year principle is clearly at work here
because the time (70 sevens = 490 literal years = 10
Jubilee cycles) granted to Israel is “cut
off” from this larger prophecy. In other words,
if the 70 sevens are reckoned in Jubilee units of
day/years because the 2,300 days start at the same
time as the 70 sevens. Secondly, and maybe more
importantly, this prophecy clearly points out that
Jesus connected His ministry to the timing mechanism
established by Jubilee cycles. If Jesus reckons the
operation of the Jubilee calendar as important,
shouldn’t we?
70
Jubilee cycles end in 1994
The Jubilee chart on the last page of
this study is a covering 3,431 years. It begins with
the Hebrew Exodus in 1437 B.C. and ends in A.D. 1994.
Notice the two shaded blocks of time. The first block
identifies the 70 weeks of Daniel 9. This block of
time demonstrates the synchronism of Jubilee cycles.
The second block identifies the 1,260 years of papal
domination. This block demonstrates the operation of
the Jubilee calendar after A.D. 33.
Exodus
dating
Often the first question raised by the
Jubilee chart is its beginning date. Debate on the
date of the Exodus from Egypt has gone on for
centuries and considerable diversity of opinion
exists. So, how can the date of the Exodus be
determined?
First, no one can prove with absolute
certainty the date of the Exodus. Given the lack of
solid evidence, most scholars will grant a small
variance to whatever date they settle on. For this
reason, 1437 B.C. is not an extraordinary date. But,
it is a calculated date using three
well-respected events whose dating has been verified
outside the Bible.
Secondly, 1437 B.C. is not only
historically plausible; it is the only date that
compliments the weekly cycle of years without
difficulty. If the reader can tolerate the idea that
the Jubilee cycle serves a greater purpose than
marking the passage of time, the end result will be a
new appreciation for the intricate workings and plans
of God.
70
Jubilee cycles
Notice that the Jubilee chart is
divided into 70 columns of Jubilee cycles; each
column represents one Jubilee cycle of 49
years. To improve readability, only the sabbatical
years are printed. You will notice them at intervals
of seven years. In addition, special dates are also
included for perspective. You will also notice that
the first year of each cycle is printed. This is done
because the Year of Jubilee is a sabbatical
year.
Ultimate
purpose
The Jubilee calendar offers a simple
solution to the problem of which prophecies are
day/year and which are not. In essence, the calendar
operates like this: if a prophetic time period of 70
Jubilees and that prophecy belongs to the family of
17 apocalyptic prophecies found in Daniel and
Revelation, it must be interpreted as literal time.
Thus the 1.000 years of the millennium are literal
years and not 1,000 years of day/years.
As a bonus, it can be easily shown
that all time periods in Daniel and Revelation will
harmoniously fit. Together if Jubilee units are
applied to those time periods within the Jubilee
calendar and literal units are applied to those time
periods after the expiration of the Jubilee calendar.
How
1437 B.C. is calculated
The calculation of 1437 B.C. is not
complicated. Basically, the process requires
assembling 4 known dates with one uncertain time
period. After placing them on the chart, we then
impose the Jubilee scheme upon them. Here’s the
mathematical process:
·
1 Kings 6:1 says the temple of Solomon was begun
during the 480th year after the Exodus.
·
The seventy years of captivity in Babylon have been
confirmed outside of the Bible as 605 B.C. to 536
B.C. Also, the destruction of Jerusalem (compare II
Kings 25:8,9 with Jeremiah 52:5; 32:1,2) during
Nebuchadnezzar’s 19th year has been
confirmed as August 586 B.C. from sources outside the
Bible. Zedekiah was taken as a prisoner to Babylon in
the eleventh year.
·
The beginning of the 70 weeks found in Daniel 9
occurs in 457 B.C. during the 7th year of
the reign of Artaxerxes. This means that the 70th
week of years occurred between 27 (the first year)
and 33 A.D. (the seventh year). Jesus Himself
confirmed the timing of this prophecy by appearing
and dying in the middle of the week. (See Galatians
4:4, Daniel 9:27.)
·
The 70 weeks of Daniel 9 are synchronous with the
weeks of the existing Jubilee calendar from which
they are taken. In fact, the 457 B.C. decree of
Artaxerxes is the only decree of the four decrees
made, which occurs during a Jubilee year. Given the
purpose of the Jubilee year and the condition of
Israel at the time, this is particularly important.
The shadow covering 457 B.C. to A.D.33 demonstrates
the synchronisms of the Jubilee calendar. In other
words, the 70 weeks of the years (490 years) are
synchronous with the Jubilee cycles that were already
operation at the time.
·
The 1,260 day/years of persecution found in Daniel
7:25, when Napoleon captured the pope and sent him
into exile in France as a prisoner. The time allotted
for this persecution began in A.D. 538 and ended in
1798. This specific time period is also mentioned two
more times in the Bible: Revelation 12:6 and 12:14.
Because this time period is not connected to the
70-week prophecy of Daniel 9, and because this time
period begins five centuries after the fall of
Jerusalem, the historical fulfillment of this
prophecy demonstrates the continued operation of the
Jubilee calendar. The shaded area covering A.D. 538
to 1798 demonstrates the continued operation and
presence of the Jubilee calendar. Please note that
1798 was to Protestants what A.D. 34 was to
Christians: a Jubilee year!
The
larger scheme
Look at the
years 1437, 457, 34, 1798 and 1994. Notice that all
of these except 1437 are Jubilee years. Is it just a
coincidence that each of these five dates marks the
beginning of a new trusteeship of God’s truth?
When God called Israel out of the bondage of Egypt in
1437 B.C., He made them trustees of His everlasting
gospel.
They were to
be a light on a hill, the salt of the earth. BUT,
they failed. God then turned to the Christians. In
A.D. 34 the trusteeship of the everlasting gospel was
transferred and God marked the transition by
converting Saul into an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts
9) and by sending Peter to the home of a Gentile
(Acts 10). These things happened in the Jubilee
Year of A.D. 34.
After a
while, the Christians repeated the same mistakes as
their Jewish forefathers. The persecuted became the
persecutor. And in February 1798, according to divine
decree (Daniel 7:25), the rule of the Catholic Church
was broken when Napoleon took the pope captive. This
happened in the Jubilee year of 1798! From this
time, Protestantism has had unrestricted freedom to
accomplish the task of carrying the
everlasting-gospel to the entire world.
But, the
Protestants have lost their mission and purpose. They
have fallen away from the truths of the everlasting
gospel just as their forefathers did and their
trusteeship is about to be taken from them and given
to the final generation: the remnant. But as we have
seen, the upcoming Jubilee year of 1994 has come and
gone, and now we are 15 years beyond in a period of
delay until the 144,000 servant prophets are sealed.
If we add up
the trusteeships in units of Jubilee cycles, we find
an interesting balance. The Jew received 30 full
Jubilees of opportunity. Christians received 36 full
Jubilees of opportunity. Protestants, I believe, will
receive four full Jubilees of opportunity and
finally, the 144,000 will achieve in a mere 1,260
days what the others failed to do. Could this be a
Gideon-like miracle?
The
$6.40 question
When all of
the above are added together, we are left with one
uncertainty. If our dating scheme of the calendar is
correct, we have to account for the years between 957
B.C. (the building of the temple which began in
Solomon’s 4th year, 1 Kings 6:1) and
586 B.C. (the year Zedekiah was taken captive, II
Kings 25). This is a total of 371 years.
It is
impossible to precisely account for the 371 years
between these two events because of co-regent reigns.
A co-regent reign occurs when two kings reign at the
same time. For example, the old king may continue his
reign while the young king is getting established.
Even more, sometimes an ascension year is counted and
at other times, we cannot be sure if the ascension
year is counted as part of the reign of kings or not.
Scholars who
have painstakingly reviewed the Biblical list of
forty kings in Judah and Israel during the time
generally concur that the allotted time period
between building of the temple and the capture of
Zedekiah falls somewhere between 369 and 389 years.
This variance is very simple for our need because 371
years falls within that range. Further, we can reduce
some of the uncertainty of the 371 years by reaching
back to 703/702 B.C. This reduces the time in
question to only 254 years. The Bible says that
Hezekiah was in his 14th year when the
Year of Jubilee took place and only one that happened
during his reign is 702 B.C. Isaiah 36:1.
When the data
is brought together, the 1437 B.C. date easily falls
within widely accepted dating schemes for the Exodus.
In addition, 1437 B.C. date of the Exodus compliments
the synchronous operation of the weekly cycles of
seven years that God put in motion at the time of the
Exodus. If we accept the presence and operation of
the Jubilee calendar, we have as simple but profound
explanation for why some prophecies use the day/year
mechanism and others do not. This little key opens up
a whole new world of discovery about the timing of
the end-time events.
Summary
No one can
prove something that has not happened. Neither does
God ask us to believe something without first giving
us substantial evidence upon which to build our
faith. Therefore, we have a wonderful opportunity to
study these things and see if they are of any value.
In spite of all that has been said, this point is
true: 1994 has come and gone and we are 15 years
beyond 1994 into 2009 and climbing. We’ll soon
know if God’s patience with human beings and the
beginning of the seven trumpets of Revelation will
begin! Be watching and waiting!
Click image below to view the
Jubilee Calendar
Click image below to view the
Jubilee Chart 2
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