Larger farmers I knew were dividing their land into parcels and allowing each parcel to rest once every seven years.  This sounded reasonable, but was it correct?  I was told that the land rest law only pertained to Israel when they were settled in their own land.  The folowing scripture was quoted to me:  Leviticus 25:2: "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."   So does this exclude me?  It felt this did not exclude me since the bible states in Exodus 19:5: "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:"  I also believe that I am an heir to the kingdom of God as stated in Galatians 4:7 "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."  So I conclude that I am a son of God and an heir of God through Christ and all the earth belongs to God therefore if God says His land is to have a rest then it must rest when He says to rest it.

 

I know there is a blessing when the land rests and I know there is a curse when it is not allowed to rest.  I believe the land can be defiled thereby bringing a curse upon it.  Israel disobeyed God and went into capitivity then the land received a rest for seventy years.  2Chronicles 36:21: "To fulfil 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 fulfil threescore and ten years."  Leviticus 26:34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.  Lev 26:3-6 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; (4) Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (5) And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. (6) And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

 

You might say that the land rest does not apply to you; that you do not grow crops.  But it does apply to you just as to any farmer because you also eat the produce of the land.  All Israel went into captivity, the farmer as well as the city dweller.  When the land does not yield its' produce then all who depend on the farmer are effected.  I believe there are economic cycles tied to the seventh year land rest that effects the whole world.  I will share those at the end of this paper along with the economic cycles that I have witnessed with our own family land.  I must caution the farmer who lives solely off the land that to begin keeping the land rest without properly preparing for it will cause severe financial hardships if you have not been preparing for the land rest the previous six years.  The time to prepare is now.

 

It is my intent in this publication to determine when I should keep the true land Sabbaths and Jubilees appointed by God.  I intend to publish them for my own use, and then to teach them to my children, third to share them with my family and last to share them with all those who have an interest.  I intend to do so without prejudice or any benefit to me or to anyone else.  I said this in 2014 because our land had had major crop failures the previous two years due to freezes and our orchards was expected to have a bumper crop of apples the next year (2015).  It might seem to be a benefit to declare that the seventh year had past and the next year to be one of the six years where we can work and harvest our land.   I realized this would be short sighted and the long term benefits of obeying God, the creator of heaven and earth are long lasting.  As I wrote this paragraph in 2014 I was reminded of the year 2008 when our family orchard had a bumper crop of apples and after all the pruning and spraying my family was ready to begin the harvest when an extremly devastating hail came and not only destroyed the crop but caused many thousands of dollars in property damage.  Looking back I had determined that year was a land rest year.  Instead of harvesting apples we spent the next 5 months replacing the roofs on all of our properties from the insurance money we received. 

 

It is evident from our studies that there is limited understanding of the seventh year land Sabbath and the fiftieth year Jubilee.  I will begin this study by stating the known citations and try to chart the historical facts as we have them.  Where there is a lack of information or additional citations needed I will highlight that portion in blue with the intent to come back and fill in the missing information if and when it is available. 

 

Statute Given Through Moses at Sinai

for the Land Rest and the Jubilee

 

"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 of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

 

And the sabbath of the land shall be meat (food) for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

 

And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. 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.

 

A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession."  Leviticus 25:1-13

 

"Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store." Leviticus 25:18-22. 

 

NOTE:  This scripture pertains to both the seventh year land rest and the year of Jubilee.  The sowing in the eighth year is most likely a reference to sowing grains such as barley, wheat and oats after the Day of Atonement has passed ending the year of Jubilee.  Therefore the land would have rested for a total of two years (the 7th year and 8th year or Jubilee year).

 

All of Leviticus 25 is devoted to both types of land rest.  In the year of a Jubilee the land begins it's rest from the Day of Atonement in year seven and continues to rest until the Day of Atonement in year eight.  The fields can again be planted for a harvest in year nine as early as the day after the Day of Atonement has ended in year eight .  The crops from year six that is to last for three years are food for the years seven, eight and nine.  This will be explained below.

 

By deduction, in a year of a land rest God commands His blessing upon us in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth food for two years. And we shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of the old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in we shall eat of the old store.  When we sow in the eighth year, it means we can begin to sow after the seventh year has ended.  In a year of a Jubilee God commands His blessing upon us in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth food for three years. And we shall sow the eighth year and eat yet of the old fruit until the ninth year;

 

The Year Christ Was Born

Establishes the Land Rest and Jubilee

 

By knowing the year Jesus Christ was born we will know the date he proclaimed the year of Jubilee.  The year of Jubilee will also establish the seventh year land rest. The four gospel writers lay out a time line to pinpoint the year Jesus was born.  

 

We have an abundance of Scriptural and historical evidence to prove the year Jesus was born was 5 B.C.  We will focus only on a few scriptures and make reference to the remaining.

 

Matthew stated that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great (2:1-3)  He also indicates that Herod died not long after Jesus was taken to Egypt and that his son Archelaus was now reigning over Judea (2:9-15).  Through the writings of Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, 14:14:5 to 17:8:1) we can determine exactly when Herod reigned and died.  A detailed account of when Jesus Christ was born is given in "A Harmony of The Gospels" by Fred R. Coulter, pages 22-36.  By following the Scriptural and historical evidence laid out by Fred Coulter we obtain a middle day of the probable two-week period for the birth of Jesus as September 2, 5 B.C. 

 

 

Scriptural and Historic Keys

That Establish When Christ Was Born

 

In the following paragraphs we list the key verses from scripture that we use to establish the probable two week period that Jesus was born.

 

"During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family." Luke 1:5

 

This is the order in which the twenty-four family groups were given their assignments: 1) Jehoiarib; 2) Jedaiah; 3) Harim; 4) Seorim; 5) Malchijah; 6) Mijamin; 7) Hakkoz; 8) Abijah; ....  1 Chronicles 24:7.  We see that Zechariah was of the eighth course therefore he would have served both the eighth week and the week of Pentecost when all priests had to serve.  All priests have to serve on the annual holy days.

 

Josephus was a priest of the first course and he confirms the courses established by King David were still in effect in New Testament times.  (Ant., 7:14:7).  The Talmud reveals that the first priestly course began in the first full week of the first month of the Hebrew Calendar.  Fred Coulter concludes that Zechariah would have served the two courses that included the Day of Pentecost. 

 

The angel (Gabriel) delivers to Zechariah the announcement that his wife, Elizabeth will have a son and shortly after he completes his assignment she conceives.  (Luke 1:11-25)  Fred Coulter concludes that even though we do not know the exact time of the announcement that Zacharias's wife Elizabeth would bear a son it is reasonable that it came on the day of Pentecost (see the chart below).

 

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." (Luke 1-26-27)  This was the sixth month after Elizabeth conceived.  

 

When we look at the synchronized calculated Hebrew/Julian calendar (page 33, A harmony of the Gospels) and compare it to "A Synchronized Chart of Historical and Scriptural Records that Establish the Year of Christ's Birth" (pp. 350-354, ibid) we establish a birth date of September 2, 5 B.C.  The following are key dates from the time period of March 6 BC to April 4 BC:

 

 

 

 

Scriptural and Historic Keys

That Establish When Christ Began His Ministry

Jesus is Baptized

 

"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."  Luke 3:1-4

 

"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,"  Luke 3:21-23

Mat 3:13-17  "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  NOTE:  This was about the 10th hour (3-4:00 PM) on Friday, August 2, 26AD.  Since John 1:35 and 39 indicates that John had ended baptizing about the 10th hour when he saw Jesus returning from the wilderness we can safely assume that Jesus was the last one baptized on this day and that John ended his preaching and baptism each day around the same time.  This day is the day before the count of 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness.  The first day in the wilderness would be Sabbath, August 3, 26AD.  Jesus left immediately after being baptized and went up into the wilderness.  He would have arrived shortly before sunset and then remained there for the next 40 nights and 40 days to then be tempted by Satan towards the end of the 40th day (Which I believe to be the end of the Day of Atonement, September 11, 26 AD

 

 

“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11

 

Jesus Is Driven (Thrust) Into the Wilderness

 

“And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. ...”  Mark 1:12

 

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ...”  Luke 4:1  

 Mat 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil …”

After Jesus baptism He was thrust into the desert to begin His 40 days and nights fast. This would have been between the hours of 4-6:00 PM. (John 1:39)  The first night of the fast in the wilderness began after sundown.  It can be assumed that Jesus had not eaten any food from noon onward of the day of His baptism.  Therefore when the Tempter came to Jesus to tempt Him toward the end of the fast, Jesus had already been 40 full nights and 40 full days without food.

Jesus Is Tempted of the Devil

 

“And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”  Mark 1:12-13

 

Mat 4:1-3  "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."  The Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, Sr. translates it:  “...And having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He hungered, And coming near Him, the Tempter said, …”

 

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."  Luke 4:1-13

 

Deu 9:18 "And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger."  Moses returned to Mount Sinai a second time after breaking the tablets of stone where he fasted another 40 days and nights.  Moses said he did so because of all the sins of Israel.  Since Jesus was the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world*" it would be appropriate to say that as Moses (fasting for forty days and forty nights) had done so did Jesus. And since Moses fasted with out bread or water so would have Jesus. *John 1:29

 

As the 40th Day (the proposed Day of Atonement, our Wednesday, September 11, 26 AD) was coming to an end, after Jesus had been fasting 40 days and 40 nights (or it might be better said 40 nights and 40 days) the Tempter came to Jesus and tempted him three times.  Once the day (Day of Atonement?) had ended the scripture says the angels came and ministered to Jesus.  They came and gave him water and food.  Besides fasting forty days and nights he also did not drink water on that fortieth day if it was the Day of Atonement.  It is not clear whether Jesus drank any water those other 39 days, but the example that Moses set in Deuteronomy indicates that Jesus also did not but it would be certain he had no water that 40th day if this is the Day of Atonement. 

 

 

The Temptation May Be at the End of the Day of Atonement

 

It would be fitting that the temptation of Jesus and the defeat of Satan would have been on the Day of Atonement. Leviticus chapter sixteen pictures the putting away of sin.    Every year in ancient Israel one segment of the solemn ceremonies held on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) pictured the time when Satan's deception of "the whole world" (Revelation 12:9) would be stopped.  It is the belief in the Churches of God that Satan will be bound for a thousand years on the Day of Atonement.  It would be reasonable to assume that Jesus' defeat of Satan in the wilderness on the Day of Atonement was the first of the three times that Satan will be defeated.  The second time is when he is bound for a thousand years and the last time is "...when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, ...And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  (Rev 20:7-10).  I believe that all three of these events will be on the Day of Atonement.

 

 

Calendar of 26 AD

 

 

Jesus Announces He is the Messiah

at Pentecost

 

Jesus did not announce that he was the Messiah immediately after his return from the wilderness.  John saw Jesus returning from the wilderness forty days after baptizing him and now pronounces to his disciples that Jesus is the Lamb of God who was (in the process of) taking away the sins of the world. 

 

Jesus taught his disciples privately during the first six months of his ministry.  It was at this time that Jesus was baptized by John, tempted of Satan the devil for forty days and nights, called his disciples, and performed his first miracle.  Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover and Days of Unleavened bread after he overturned the money tables in the temple and drove the sellers out.  He did not reveal to the public his ministry at this time or that he was the Christ (anointed one or messiah).  This he would do at the feast of Pentecost.

 

And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, ["Now on the day of the Sabbaths" or rendered "Now on the day of the weeks," here referring to the Day of Pentecost] and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isaiah 61:1-3].  And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?"  Luke 4:15-22 (see also Isaiah 58:6). Fred Coulter in his Faithful Version renders the verse "is being fulfilled in your ears". 

 

Jesus announced in Luke 4:15-22 that he is the Messiah.   At the same time he also proclaimed in that year (in the midst of the seventh year land rest 27 AD) that this was to be the year when he would start fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. The Jubilee year would begin (Atonement 27 AD).  If we could know which year Jesus stood up to read this prophecy we would then have a point in time both forward and backward to know when to keep the seventh year land Sabbath and the year of Jubilee. 

  

A time line has been created that shows that Jesus was born around the feast of Trumpets in 5 BC.  We have used this as an approximate birth date and that he was about 30 years old (Luke 3:23) when he was baptized and began his ministry (fall 26 AD).  These two dates help us to establish a reference point as to when Jesus stood up in the temple to read.  This date would be Pentecost of 27 AD.

 

The seventh year land Sabbath and the fiftieth year Jubilee are established by fixing it to the date when Jesus Christ stood up in the temple to read out of the book of Isaiah.  This was a Jubilee declaration and Jesus pronounced that it was being fulfilled in their hearing that day.  What was being fulfilled according to Luke 4:18-19? 

 

1.  Jesus and His disciples would be preaching the gospel (good news) of the kingdom of God to the poor

2.  Jesus and His disciples would be healing the brokenhearted

3.  Jesus and His disciples would be preaching deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind

4.  Jesus and His disciples would be setting at liberty them that are bruised

5.  Jesus and His disciples would be preaching the acceptable year of the Lord

 

 

These things were not all done and completed on the day Jesus stood up to read Isaiah but would begin and continue to be done over the course of his ministry.  Why do we determine this proclamation is made in the midst of the seventh year land Sabbath and not in the midst of the year of Jubilee?  Because a proclamation has to be made in advance of an event that is demanded by law to be carried out on a specific date.  It is in the day of the Jubilee (in the Day of Atonement) that the law of the Jubilee is carried out. Leviticus 25 gives us the details:

 

1.  Cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound in the tenth day of the seventh month

2.  Hallow the fiftieth year

3.  Proclaim liberty throughout all the land

4.  Return every man unto his possession

5.  Return every man unto his family

6.  You shall not sow, neither reap, nor gather

 

All six statutes of the Jubilee proclamation are to be done in the Day of Atonement, in the 10th day of the seventh month.  Since Jesus pronounced them being fulfilled in their hearing on the Day of Pentecost; in the third (Hebrew) month, this day would be seven months from the last Day of Atonement and four months to the next Day of Atonement. Which is more likely: to make a proclamation months after they should have already been carried out or to proclaim them in advance of when they are to be carried out?  When a king issues a decree there are certain elements of the command:  The date the decree is issued, what is decreed, when it is to be carried out, and a blessing for obeyance and a punishment for failure.  Jeremiah 34 lays out an example of the nobles and princes of Judah who obeyed Jeremiah’s proclamation from the Lord then changed their minds and brought those released back into servitude in the same year. 

 

Jer 34:8-11  This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;  That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.  Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.  But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

 

Jer 34:15-17  “And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:  But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

 

Since a Jubilee proclamation has to be made in advance of the date for the event to take place it would be unreasonable to declare a Jubilee seven months after the start of the Jubilee.  If we are not to plow, sow or harvest we need to know in advance so we can make proper preparations. If we had pruned our vines and trees during the winter months in preparation for a harvest the next season we would have felt shame when we discovered we had done it during a Jubilee year.  If after preparing the soil in the spring we planted in April and May (the first two months of the Hebrew year) and then found out in late May or early June (third Hebrew month, Pentecost) that we were forbidden to do so we would have felt guilt, anguish and deceit.

 

So it is only sensible and right to believe that the Jubilee proclamation that Jesus made on the Day of Pentecost (the day of the Sabbaths) was in advance of the Jubilee to come. 

 

In the book of Esther we see king Ahasuerus issue a decree on behalf of God's people:  "Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

 

The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.

 

And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour. And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.  

 

Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people."  (Est 8:11-17, 9:1-2)

 

 

Jesus the Messiah

 

Jesus did not announce that he was the Messiah at the beginning of his ministry.  It would be reasonable to assume the following chronology: 

 

1.  Jesus was baptized on the 29th day of the 5th month (our Friday, August 2, 26AD)

2.  Jesus instantly was thrust by the spirit into the desert 40 days

3.  Jesus was tempted 3 times on the 40th day which would have been the Day of Atonement.

4.  After the 40th day (Day 41, Thursday, September 12, 26AD) Jesus returns from the wilderness

 

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."  Luke 4:1-13.  Mathew 4:11 said:  “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”  This is the end of day one through forty of the fast.

 

Jesus then returns the next day passing by the River Jordan where he had been baptized by John and John seeing Him coming says:  “The next day (¹on the morrow, the second day from John 1:19) John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29  Jay P Green, Sr. renders it: “On the morrow John sees Jesus coming toward him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God taking the sin of the world.”  This is day 41 (Thursday, September 12, 26 AD).

 

John 1:19: “And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?” (¹the first day John 1:19) Verses 19-28 help to establish that verse 29 is day forty one?  John had been speaking the previous day (on the Day of Atonement?) with the priests and Levites who were sent by the Jews to inquire who he (John) was.  The next day is a reference to the day after John had been speaking to the priests and Levites.  John was the son of a priest and was to follow in his fathers footsteps and serve in the temple according to his order (8th course, Abia; Luke 1:5).  When John was not serving in the temple as the other priests, but was preaching and baptizing in the wilderness the Jews wanted to know why. Luke (3:15) says:  “And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;”  This I propose to be the Day of Atonement, the 40th Day of Jesus in the desert, (Wednesday, September 11, 26).

 

John 1:28-29  These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day (¹on the morrow, the second day from John 1:19) John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  John 1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.  John 1:34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.  Verse 28 is day 40 and verse 29 is day 41, Thursday, September 12, 26.

 

Jesus continued to be the perfect Lamb of God when He resisted the Tempter three times.  John now testified to this.  He did not testify that Jesus was that lamb at Jesus baptism nor any time during the 40 days and nights Jesus was in the wilderness.  John did testify that “…there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.  (1:26-27)

 

When John saw Jesus returning from the temptation he declared Him to be the perfect Lamb of God, the sacrifice by which atonement is made for sin; the sacrifice that would reconcile man to God and John was now testifying to it.  It is understood that God the father and His son Jesus the Christ carries out major events to the establishment of the kingdom of God on our annual holy days.  It is most probable that Jesus first defeated Satan on the Day of Atonement.  We are also told that on the Day of Atonement after Christ returns and establishes the kingdom on this earth (after the first resurrection) That Jesus the Messiah will bind Satan for a thousand years. (Pictured in Leviticus chapter 16, and Revelation 19, 20)

 

Joh 1:35-37  “Again the next day (¹the third day from John 1:19) after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”  Putting these verses  together with verse 39 would indicate that John had just finished baptizing between 3-4:00 PM (10th hour) and was still standing with two of his disciples in the Jordan river, most likely with one on each side of him assisting him with the baptisms, when they saw Jesus walk by.  This is day number 42 from the time that Jesus was first baptized and is day three, Friday, September 13, 26 A.D.

 

John 1:43  The day following (¹the fourth day from John 1:19) Jesus would go forth into Galilee, (first day from the start to Galilee) and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.”  This is day number 43 from the time that Jesus was first baptized; this is the Sabbath, September 14, 26 A.D.

 

John 2:1-2  “And the third day (²seven days from John 1:19; on the day the third (locative case), from the start to Galilee when Philip was found ) there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.”  John 2:11  “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”  This is day 46 from the time that Jesus was first baptized and would correspond to the afternoon of our Tuesday, September 17, 26 AD.  This would be the second day of the Feast of Tabernacles   

 

The first day of the Feast of Tabernacles was on Monday September 16, 26 AD.  This marriage would have taken place in Cana after the start of this feast. It is not the custom of Israel; and this includes the priests, Levites, Sadducees, Pharisees and those called Jews to have a wedding on a Sabbath or high Sabbath (annual holy day). This wedding was on Tuesday, September 17, 26 AD, the second day of the Feast of Tabernacles.   ⁴Refer to the Holy Days for Year 26 AD (Julian) at the end of this paper

 

John 2:12-14 “After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting…”  ³Passover that year was Wednesday, April 9, 27 AD.  ⁴Refer to the Holy Days for Year 27 AD (Julian) at the end of this paper.  There is six months between the wedding at Cana (Feast of Tabernacles) and the Passover of 27 AD.  Jesus most likely used this time to call and teach his disciples.

 

 

When Does the Seventh Year Land Sabbath Begin and End?

 

The seventh-year land rest begins on the first day of the 1st month of the Hebrew calendar at sunset in year seven and continues until the last day of the last month of the Hebrew calendar at sunset in year seven.  The land rest follows six years of sowing your fields, and six years of pruning your vineyards, and gathering in the fruit thereof.  The land rest is counted from the previous land rest.  Just like the way we count the days of the week we also count the years of the land rest cycle.  Year one through year six we work the land, but on the seventh year we rest the land.  Then we begin the count all over again.  Year eight is now year one, year nine is year two and so on. The last land rest began on April 2, 2022 and ended on March 22, 2023.  Year one of the next land rest cycle began on March 23, 2023.  The next land rest will begin March 17, 2029 and end on April 3, 2030.

 

When Does the Fiftieth Year Jubilee Begin and End?

 

The Jubilee begins on the Day of Atonement in the midst of the seventh year land rest.  The year of Jubilee is from Atonement to Atonement. It overlaps the seventh year land rest and continues until the next Day of Atonement in the eighth year at sunset.  The year of Jubilee (50th year) overlaps the last 6 months of year seven and the first 6 months of year eight.  It is also year one of the next seven year land cycle. The fiftieth year is the year of Jubilee and is also year one of the count to the next Jubilee and it is also year one of the next seven year land rest.  When we count the years to the Jubilee we count 49 years (seven periods of seven years) and when they are complete we begin the count over again.  The 50th year is year one, the 51st year is year 2 and so on.

 

When is the Next Land Sabbath?

 

The year 27 AD (March 28th) was the beginning of the Hebrew year and the beginning of the land Sabbath. There are 285 land Sabbaths between then and our last land rest.  285 times each seven year period of seven years equals 1995 years.  1995 years plus the year 27 AD equals the year 2022. During the land rest the land is not to be plowed, planted, pruned or harvested.  Anyone may eat of the land, but not harvest it for sale.   The 1st day of the 1st month of each year begins in Nissan in the spring of each year around our March 20th.  In the year 2022 this day was April 2nd. This date began the seventh year of our land cycle and ended March 22, 2023.  The 8th year (year 1 of the next seven year land cycle) began on March 23, 2023. It will begin at sunset the previous evening which is Thursday, March 22nd.  For those who want exact dates for our 2029/2030 land rest cycle they are as follows:  We do not plow, plant or prune beginning on March 17, 2029 and end on April 3, 2030. 

 

 

When is the Next Jubilee?

 

Year 27 AD was the beginning of a Jubilee and there are 41 Jubilees between then and the our next Jubilee.  Multiply 41 Jubilees by each forty nine year period of jubilees and it will equal 2009 years.  Add 2009 years to year 27 AD and you get year 2036 AD.   So on the Day of Atonement at sunset in the year 2036 (sunset September 30, 2036) begins the next Jubilee.  This rest will continue until sunset at the end of the day on September 18, 2037. Atonement that year is from sunset on September 18th to sunset on September 19th.  Between September 30, 3036 and September 18, 3037 the land is not to be plowed, planted, pruned, or harvested.  Anyone may eat of the land, but not harvest it for sale.  The last Jubilee was the year 1987/1988.  When you add the seventh year land rest beginning in 2036 together with the Jubilee year a farmer would not work their land from March 29, 3036 until September 18 2037.

 

When are Grains and Certain Vegetables Planted for Harvest?

 

In most countries of the Northern Hemisphere the land is prepared by plowing after the harvest is over.  Planting is done in the fall (after the Feast of Tabernacles) before the winter rains come.  The grain sprouts and begins to grow and the animals are allowed to graze on the sprouted leaves.  Once the first heavy freeze comes the top growth is stunted, but the roots continue to grow on days that the soils warms above freezing.  In the early spring the roots shoot up grass very rapidly and the plant continues to grow until seed is formed.  Wheat, rye, barley and oats are a few of the major grains that can be grown this way.  There are other root crops that are treated in a similar way such as garlic and onions.   Planting for a harvest in year 6 begins after the Feast of Tabernacles in year 5.  Therefore, all plowing and planting of these types of crops ceases before the 1st day of the 1st month of the the seventh year.

 

Other annual crops are planted in the same year they are harvested.  In the spring the farmer will plow and plant the seeds.  These seeds will perform their complete life cycle from seed to flower to fruit/vegetable to seed in a single growing season.  The sixth year planting season for this type of crop ends by March 17, 2029 and can resume on or after April 4, 2030.  

 

 

What Time of Year are Trees Pruned and Planted?

 

Though most farmers plant trees, berries and shrubs in the spring the best time to plant them is in the fall.  A farmer will dig up these trees and plants after the first heavy freeze and after the leaves have died and are falling to the ground.  The plant is then moved to the new location and dug in (planted) and watered.  Watering continues every month through the winter on days that the temperatures are above freezing.  The roots grow over the winter months and the plant then sends out limbs, leaves and many times flowers for fruit.  The only reason the farmer plants trees and shrubs in the spring instead of the fall is because the stock they want is not available in the fall.  Most nurseries harvest their stock in the fall and store them over winter where they will sort and grade them and then ship them at the optimum time for planting in the spring.  We order our trees and shrubs a year in advance of planting.  As the land rest approaches we are adamant with the growers not to ship to us until after the land rest dates.  We give them those dates and tell them to put a note in our file not to ship before April 4, 2030. In the case of this last land rest we told them not to ship before March 23, 3023.  One shipper did not adhere to our demand and shipped anyway.  We tried to put the plants into cold storage, but we lost them anyway.  It is best to anticipate your plantings and not try to work so closely around the land rest dates.  If you are purchasing potted trees and shrubs from a local nursery you can do so and complete your purchase and planting before the beginning of the land rest.

 

Pruning is mostly accomplished during the dormant period of the plant.  This is the period after the leaves fall from the trees and the sap is absent from the trunk and limbs.  Pruning continues until the leaves and or blossoms begin to form in the spring.  Pruning for a harvest in year 6 begins in the winter of year 5. Trees are pruned up until March 16, 2029 and will not resume again until April 4, 2030.  Fruit trees respond very favorably if this time period of pruning and planting is followed.  

 

Can I Water My Trees During the Year of Rest?

 

There are no restrictions listed in the bible prohibiting you from watering your trees and shrubs during a year of rest when it is needed to keep your property from suffering loss.  The example of loosening your ass and leading it to water on the Sabbath day is given to us.  

 

 

How Do the Years of Rest Pertain to Livestock?

 

There are no restrictions listed in the bible prohibiting you from having or increasing your livestock.  This would include honeybees.

 

 

Reconciliation of Dates with Others

 

Ambassador College Farm Program in Big Sandy, Texas is quoted in the following publication:  We began to keep the land Sabbath on the Ambassador College Farm Program in Big Sandy, Texas in 1972-73 based on studies in the Bible and history.  (Note:  this is in line with 2014-15 land rest.)

 http://www.cgca.net/serf-publishing/sab&jubyears.htm  Copyright: 1973 by Allen Stout; 2007 by Serf Publishing, Inc.

 

Seder Olam and the Sabbaticals Associated with the Two Destructions of Jerusalem:  Part I by:  Rodger C. Young found at: 

http://www.academia.edu/2162967/Seder_Olam_and_the_Sabbaticals_Associated_with_the_Two_Destructions_of_Jerusalem_Part_1

 

“In the 19th century, Jewish colonists began counting the Sabbatical cycles again. Israel's next Sabbatical year is due to begin in the fall of 2007.”  (Note:  this also is in line with 2014-15 land rest.)

The following notes are for additional study from Josephus (Ant. Book 15, Chapter 9) End Notes (15) Regarding a supposed Jubilee:  CONCERNING THE FAMINE THAT HAPPENED IN JUDEA AND SYRIA; AND HOW HEROD, AFTER HE HAD MARRIED ANOTHER WIFE, REBUILT CESAREA, AND OTHER GRECIAN CITIES.  (15) This famine for two years that affected Judea and Syria, the thirteenth mid fourteenth years of Herod, which are the twenty-third and twenty-fourth years before the Christian era,  6. It is also well worth our observation here, that these two years were a Sabbatic year, and a year of jubilee, for which Providence, during the theocracy, used to provide a triple crop beforehand; but became now, when the Jews had forfeited that blessing, the greatest years of famine to them ever since the days of Ahab, 1 Kings 17., 18.

If you add 23 years to the date that Jesus began His ministry (26 AD/CE) you get 49 years and add 24 years you get 50 years, this will approximate a land rest/jubilee at the time Jesus begins his ministry.  More study and notes are yet to come.

 

 

Footnotes and References:

 

¹Robertson’s Word Studies Notes on John 1:19

²Robertson’s Word Studies Notes on John 2:1

³Christian Biblical Church of God  Holy Day Calendar 1.0 for the year 27 AD

⁴Holy Days for Year 26 AD (Julian) see last 5 pages of this publications for years 26-30 AD

 

These later articles have provided new evidence to show that Israel’s priests were keeping track of the Jubilee and Sabbatical cycles during the entire time that Israel was in its land, and that the start of counting must have been in 1406 bc.  The simple thesis that Israel’s priests began counting for the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles when they entered the land in Nisan of 1406, as they were commanded to do in Lev 25:1–10, (https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/51/51-2/JETS%2051-2%20225-243%20Young-Wood.pdf)

 

First, that a Sabbatical year was due to begin in Tishri of 588 bc is implied by Zedekiah’s release of slaves in that year (Jer 34:8–10). Later Jewish practice was to associate a Sabbatical year with the release of slaves, in keeping with that year being called a year of release (sémittah) in Deut 15:9.39 This was fourteen years (two Sabbatical cycles) before Ezekiel’s Jubilee.

 

Third, the reading of the Law in the eighteenth year of Josiah (2 Kgs 23:2) was an activity that was commanded for a Sabbatical year in Deut 31:10– 13.41 Josiah’s eighteenth year coincided with the Jubilee and Sabbatical year that started in Tishri of 623 bc.

 

Fourth, the second year of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa 37:30 and 2 Kgs 19:29) was a Sabbatical year. After the crop of the current year had been destroyed or eaten by the besieging Assyrians, Isaiah nonetheless said that the people were to eat the volunteer growth (sa˙îs) in the following year, after the Assyrians had left. This has no explanation unless that year was a Sabbatical year. The “second year” here is consistent with the calendar of Sabbatical years that can be constructed by measuring back from the Jubilees in 623 bc and 574 bc.

 

Fifth, another public reading of the Law took place in Jehoshaphat’s third year (2 Chr 17:7–9). Jehoshaphat’s third year of sole reign began in Tishri of 868 bc, which was 294 years, or forty-two Sabbatical cycles, before Ezekiel’s Jubilee. The measurement is to be done from the start of his sole reign, consistent with the synchronisms to his reign given in 1 Kgs 22:51 and 2 Kgs 3:1. It was also the eleventh Jubilee.4

 

Jos 8:34-35  And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.  (35)  There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

 

but also, by placing the start of temple construction in 967 bc instead of 966 bc, the Sabbatical and Jubilee years all fall into place with precision and harmony.

First, for the Jubilee years: the Hebrew text of Ezek 40:1, by saying that it was both Rosh HaShanah (New Year’s Day) and the tenth of the month, establishes that Ezekiel saw his vision at the beginning of a Jubilee year. Only in a Jubilee year did the year start on the tenth of the month (Lev 25:9). The date was the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10 of 574 bc. 33 Since the Jubilee year was identical to the seventh Sabbatical year,34 the first year of this cycle must have been forty-eight years earlier, starting in 622 bc. 1406 bc, the year that Israel entered Canaan that can be derived from the chronological note of 1 Kgs 6:1, was 784 years, or sixteen Jubilee cycles earlier than this date, thus showing that 1406 would have been the first year of a Jubilee (and Sabbatical) cycle. This is in agreement with an entry into Canaan in that year, since Israel was to start counting the cycles when they entered the land of Canaan (Lev 25:1–10).3

 

 

Comments and Correction

 

Please send all comments and corrections to the following email address:  ed@cognm.org.  If you have found any error contained within these pages please copy and paste the part that is in error in your email and give your reason that it is wrong and please provide verifiable proof with references of the truth.  It is our intention to live by the word of God (truth) and not lead anyone into error or false doctrine. 

 

 

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