Land Rest and Jubilee Year
by
Ed Costanza
October 2014
Revised 9/22/2015
Statute Given Through Moses at Sinai
A Synchronized Chart Establish the Year of Christ's Birth
Jesus Is Driven (Thrust) Into the Wilderness
I am a farmer and a beekeeper. From the time I was ten years old our family has raised apples. Fifty two years later our family still grows apples, fruits and vegetables. In 2006 my wife and I planted our own orchard, separate from the family and we began farming our own land that has been fallow for many years. I began keeping God's laws in 1988 as they were being revealed to me. My wife has been keeping them many years before that. The laws of God that pertained to the land resting every seven years was apparent to me, but I did not know which years it should rest or how it should rest.
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. It is like the first year that I began to keep the Sabbath and holy days. I had less than a month to prepare for the Feast of Tabernacles and I was not ready financially and I had not given reasonable notice to my employer to take off from work for nine days. I was advised to go for only a few days (over a weekend), then prepare for the next year. Since the seventh year land rest will begin on Nisan 1, 2015 (March 21, 2015) and we will cease to plow, plant and prune on the Day of Atonement 2014 (October 4, 2014 which is in the 6th year (I will explain this more in detail below)) you might consider resting a portion of your land this year and prepare for the next land rest in 2020/2021.
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 say this because our land has had major
crop failures these last two years due to freezes and our orchards are
expected to have a bumper
crop of apples this next year (2015). It might seem to be a benefit to
declare that the seventh year has past and this next year to be one of the six years where we can work
and harvest our land. I realize this would be short sighted and the
long term benefits of obeying God, the creator of heaven and
earth are long lasting.
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 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 six* 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.
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 seventh year, and eat yet of the old fruit until the eighth year;
until her fruits come in we shall eat of the old store.
When we sow in the seventh year, it means we can begin to sow after
the Day of Atonement has ended in the seventh year. I
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.
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
"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
“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 …”
“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
“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.
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.
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 26/27 AD) that this was to be the year when he would
start fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. The
Jubilee year would begin (Atonement 27/28 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 late. If we are not to
plow, sow or harvest we need to know in advance so we can make proper
preparations. If we had sown
our grains (wheat, barley and rye) after the Day of Atonement and after the
seventh year land rest was over and then found out seven months later we
were in error we would have been devastated.
Even so, if we had pruned our vines and trees during the winter
months in preparation for a harvest the next year we would have been guilty.
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 been angry.
So it only sensible and right to believe that the Jubilee proclamation that
Jesus made on the Day of Pentecost (the day of the Sabbaths)
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 preparation for the seventh year land rest begins on the Day of Atonement at sunset in year six and continues until the next Day of Atonement 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.
When Does the Fiftieth Year Jubilee Begin and End?
Just like the land rest, the Jubilee begins on the Day of Atonement.
It follows the seventh year land rest and continues until the next
Day of Atonement at sunset. 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 is the Next Land Sabbath?
The year 26 AD was the beginning of the land Sabbath and there are 284 land
Sabbaths between then and our next land rest.
284 times each seven year period of seven years equals 1988 years.
1988 plus 26 equals the year 2014.
On the Day of Atonement 2014 (in year 6) begins the next land rest.
This rest will continue until the day after the Day of Atonement
2015. Between these two periods
of time the land is not to be plowed, planted, pruned or harvested.
Anyone may eat of the land, but not harvest it for sale.
You may complete your harvest for the sixth year (from
Nisan to Nisan which in our Julian calendar is March/April to March/April).
Fruits, berries, nuts and field crops can take longer periods to
ripen past the Day of Atonement.
These may be completed.
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.
41 times each forty nine year period of jubilees equals 2009 years.
2009 plus 27 equals the year 2036.
So on the Day of Atonement at sunset in the year 2036 begins the next
Jubilee. This rest will
continue until sunset at the end of the day on the Day of Atonement in 2037.
Between these two periods of time 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 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.
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 are 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 flower 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.
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.
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.)
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
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.
The following was a comment
sent to me from Zavier which I am retainging to use to make further
additions to this paper:
Notes from Zavier: This little brother partially agree with you
brother Ed; why partially? because the Christ didnt qualify to be the
Christ/Messiah but was so before He came in the flesh and after being
begotten in the womb [was] born the Christ, the King, the Prophet etc
see Jhn 10:35-36, Luke 1:30-35, Isa 7:14, Matt 1:20-25 Isa 9:1-7, Luk
2:10-11, 26-38, Gen 3:15 etc Next He lives as the Christ/Messiah see
"in Whom I am well pleased" before and after His baptism, as the Christ
fulfilling all righteousness including the baptism, temptations by the
Adversary, the victory over him all His life, revealing our holy Father
in heaven, preaching the Gospel etc... establishing the new covenant,
suffering beyond comprehension, dying for our sins and being raised by
the glory of the Father. Everything in the flesh were checkpoints in
His ministry on earth until He said ''It is finished''. Our Lord could
have failed from youth and so give up His Messiah ship because He was
tempted all His life like us and not only in the wilderness after
fasting; an example is the first Adam: He was created the son of God but
became disqualified of being heir because of rebellion. Hence the Lord
Himself became the second Adam as the Son of God/man: Luke 2:49 shows He
from the moment He was conscious of good and evil was choosing the good
being directly taught by our holy Father Isa 50:4-5 and never once
sinned or went off track to miss a checkpoint including the Baptism of
John, fasting 40 d/n being tempted by Satan, choosing His disciples
including Iscariot etc Why? ''that the Holy Scriptures be fulfilled'' as
well as what They agreed to between Themselves? because our holy Lord
and His and our holy Father cannot lie. Between Themselves—Heb 10:5.
For this reason, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and
offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me. 6.
You did not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. 7.
Then said I, 'Lo, I come (as it is written of Me in the scroll of the
book) to do Your will, O God.' " 8. In the saying above, He said,
"Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
(which are offered according to the priestly law) You did not desire nor
delight in"; 9. Then He said, "Lo, I come to do Your will, O God." He
takes away the first covenant in order that He may establish the second
covenant; and Psa 40.