Dear friends and readers,
This article is very in depth so grab a cup a coffee and put your feet up for what I hope you will think is a good read.
My article this week has to do with Israel''s Jubilee year. There are lot's and lots of articles claiming to know exactly when the Jubilee years fall on the calendar but the truth is that although we can come reasonably close, no one really knows for sure.
The subject of Biblical prophecy, whether past fulfillment or future expectation is one that unfortunately too often falls prey to "Expert" statements of fact that are in reality nothing more than guesswork and opinion. No matter who is writing, unless a prophecy has already happened, what we are left with is pure unadulterated conjecture about the exact time of future fulfillment.
People are hungry to know about the Biblical future and I write about it as well. My particular writing style leaves opinion to the reader. Oh, I do give my opinion but always identify it as such and recommend that readers study the scriptures for themselves to form their own opinions.
Having said that one of the "biggies" being discussed and written about today is whether or not the year 2017 will be a Jubilee year? So, although there are some intriguing indications, I will tell you up front that no one knows for certain. I cannot tell you how many folks are attempting to connect Israel's 70th anniversary (begins this year of 2017), to a "factual" Jubilee year. And then comes the big leap---this must be the year the Messiah will come. Really?
A bit of explanation; There is some confusion about the 70th anniversary of Israel. Some say 69 this year and others 70. The truth is that the United Nations voted ( Resolution 181) in 1947 to partition the Holy land which led to the declaration of independence by Israel on May 14, 1948.Therefore it was roughly 70 years ago that the U.N. acted. However the 69th year since the declaration of independence by Israel is completed on May 14 2017. In that case the 70th year from Israels stand point begins this year on May 15 and will be completed on that same date in 2018.
The numbers 7 and 70 are consistent themes throughout scripture. And they generally signify completion of some kind. The question is, will anything prophetically happen in the 70th year of Israels rebirth and if so, would it happen at the beginning or end of the 70th year? People are going crazy trying to figure this out.
Personally I am content to wait and see what God will do about this, if anything.
Frankly I too wish that some of these people are right and Messiah will come. But, although I suppose it could happen, the evidence to support that as a FACT, is pure guess work and circumstantial at best. I encourage Christians everywhere to be patient, keep on being witnesses for Christ and endure to the end. And for heavens sake, do not be led astray like some believers back in the 1980s and pack suit cases, move to the roof of your houses waiting for the Rapture to happen, or do other silly stuff!
The actual subject of the Jubilee and Sabbatical years (Shimitah) are complicated so I am only going to cover the highlights. Recent books have been written that claim to have all the answers but do they? I am going to lay out the evidence as I see it and then as always you study the subject and form your own opinion.
A system of 7 year periods was set into the law of Moses so that the completion of each 7 year period was a sabbatical year (also referred to as the "Shimitah" year). Leviticus 25 specifies that in the 7th year the land must be allowed to rest (no crops being planted or vineyards pruned in the 7th year). Also, every 7th sabbatical year cycle (50 years) shall be a Jubilee year in which all debts were to be forgiven and indentured servants released and so forth. If you had sold your property to another Jewish person during those years you were allowed to redeem your property in the Jubilee year. It is extremely difficult to imagine that happening in Israel today but who knows what might happen in the future?
The Torah (first 5 books of Bible--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) set forth specific regulations to the Jewish people for many things including the regulations for Sabbaths and Jubilee. Accordingly, some folks understanding of God's original intent was that Jubilee was to be observed when all the Israelite people were living in the promised land BY TRIBE. Unfortunately this is somewhat of a leap in understanding because although scripture in Leviticus 25:10 says "You shall consecrate the 50th year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants", the specific wording "BY TRIBE" is missing.
It has been understood by many over the centuries to mean that ALL the 12 tribes had to have entered the promised land. If all 12 tribes had not entered then Jubilee could not have been proclaimed---by the way, proclamation was done by blowing of the trumpet, specifically on the Day of Atonement which happens in the fall of the year and is called Yom Kippur today. But all 12 tribes did not enter the promised land.
TILT.
The dates of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt are yet another example of qualified guesswork but many scholars think it may have happened around 1446 to 1400 B.C. Sometime after that the tribes of Reuben, Gad and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh, decided to stay on the East side of the Jordan River. In other words they said adios to the rest of Israel who were still on the way to entering the promised land. This created a very big split in the nascent Nation of Israel. In fact fighting over this issue nearly ensued but it was finally decided that these two and 1/2 tribes could do as they pleased. This decision did not turn out well for those who chose to stay behind but that is another story altogether.
Accordingly, if our understanding is correct, it would not be possible to count the Sabbatical year cycles to determine correctly the Jubilee years because not all of Israel entered the promised land. Or so the argument goes. Others argue that only a remnant of each tribe must be in the land in order to determine the Jubilee.
Special note: The laws of Sabbatical cycles (Shemittah) are observed in Israel today but Jubilee is not designated or specifically observed.
Fast forward to today; Lots of years later, in fact centuries later, people are trying desperately to determine the next correct Jubilee year. Our Jewish brethren are trying to do so along with everything else needed to prepare for the construction of the third Temple. As you know, two Holy Temples have already been built and destroyed. The first was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 587 B.C. The second by General Titus of Rome in 70 A.D. A siege of Jerusalem was begun on the 14th of April during Passover and the Temple finally set fire on the 10th of August of that year. As a result the Jewish people have been without a Temple---a place to offer sacrifice for their sins in 1,947 years.
As a side note; Many well meaning Christians are financially helping in the effort to build the third Temple. Unfortunately some of them are doing so with the mistaken belief that building the third Temple will somehow FORCE Messiah to come back .
If you are among those who think Messiah can be forced to come back at mankind's whim and call, I have news for you. Not going to happen. Messiah, Jesus Christ cannot be forced to do anything. He will come back for the Rapture of the church when he is good and ready, not before. The very same thing holds true for the second coming. Dismal as it may seem, God does not jump to the tune of His creation. In fact it is quite the other way around. If you are a Christian and want to help build the third Temple, please do so for the right reason. Just cause cuz!
I did run across some interesting information about a German scholar who discovered prophecies written by a Rabbi by the name of Judah Ben Samuel in 1217 A.D. I realize that some of my Christians friends will be shaking their heads at this moment and saying, why should we believe some ancient Jewish rabbinic writing? Well for starters we should remember that guys like Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Amos, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and several other Biblical prophets were also ancient Jewish writers and Jesus Himself was called a Rabbi.
There are those within the church who believe there are no Prophets in today's world and have not been since the last Apostle. The problem with that is Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11-13 says that "He Himself (Jesus Christ) gave some to be Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers" and then goes on to say why He did this. He did so nearly 1,200 years before Rabbi Ben Samuel walked the earth. So unless we all decide to rip these scriptures from the Holy texts, who is to say that Rabbi Ben Samuel was not also one of God's appointed prophets? I am not prepared to confirm or deny this either way but let's take a look at what the man had to say shall we?
You get my point ? Sometimes we Christians have a tendency to throw stones in glass houses.
Apparently Rabbi Ben Samuel was famous back in the day because he was a founder of the Chassidic Ashkenazi Jews who sprang from the area of Germany. He was founder of a Jewish school of learning called a Yeshiva. Reportedly he performed some miracles ( a valid gift in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 10) although we do not know much about them. It is believed he was given a prophecy by God that predicted the circumstances surrounding the rebirth of Israel on May 14, 1948. This would have been about 731 years before the fact. Impressive. The man certainly had the creds!
Supposedly this gentleman's prophecies also involved the Jubilee cycles of 50 years each and he claimed that 1217 was a Jubilee year. Counting forward, that would make the year the Turks (Ottoman Empire) who conquered Jerusalem in 1517, also a Jubilee year. Prior to his death, he also prophesied that the Ottoman Turks would rule Jerusalem for 8 periods of Jubilee which would be 400 years. The Turks captured Jerusalem in 1517 (300 years after Ben Samuel's death) and 400 years after this take over, the Ottoman Turks lost Jerusalem to English General George Allenby in 1917. Once again a Jubilee year, or so sayeth the good Rabbi.
Fast forward again; Ben Samuel prophesied that Jerusalem would be a sort of no mans land in the 9th Jubilee cycle. Remember that the Turks were in control for 8 Jubilee cycles and in the 9th, the English took over. But between 1917 and 1967, because of the British Mandate, the Holy land really belonged to no specific people group or nation due to the League of Nations actions (the League of Nations was the pre cursor of the United Nations). Therefore in the 9th Jubilee cycle according to this ancient Rabbi, Israel really was a no mans land of sorts.
So, are any ones eyes spinning in circles and have a headache by now? I did while researching this. Well, don''t give up just yet, it gets more interesting.
Even though Israel became a Nation once again in 1948, it was not until the war of 1967 that East Jerusalem and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria, including East Jerusalem) were captured from Jordan by Israel.
If these ancient prophecies are true then 1967 was also a Biblical Jubilee year. Add 50 years to that and what do we come up with? 2017.
So lets sweeten the pot just a bit. The historical ruling religious body of Israel (including during Jesus time) was called the Sanhedrin. That name literally meant "sitting together" during assembly or council. The Sanhedrin was headed up by the High Priest and was comprised of up to 71 men who represented each and every city in Israel. Among other things they disciplined mal contents , decided matters of religion, interpreted Torah and ruled over the Temple of God. Next to the King they were literally the ruling body of Israel but were also subservient to the Roman Governor in attendance at the time.
The three main parties of these powerful men were comprised of 1). The Pharisees 2). the Sadducee's 3). The Scribes. Originally the scribes were exactly that, they recorded meetings and decrees for the Sanhedrin and were also in charge of transcribing the original Biblical manuscripts as needed. Eventually they achieved a great level of authority in and of themselves because they knew the scriptures better than anyone else and acted as legal advisers for the Sanhedrin, something like today's attorneys.
These groups were also much like political parties today. They basically hated each other and seldom agreed upon anything.
The Temple of God was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus who later became one of the Caesars. After the Temple was destroyed the Sanhedrin moved around from place to place and finally settled in the Galilee City of Tiberius. This was after the Bar Kochkba revolt against Rome. The years were between 132 and 135 A.D. But in 425 A.D. the Sanhedrin was finally dissolved for good.
Well, perhaps maybe not!
After more than 1600 years, a brand new Sanhedrin was established in the very same city in which it was disbanded, Tiberius on January 20, 2005. Obviously there is still no Temple for them to be in charge of but still this is remarkable in the fact that this nascent body really is the highest legal religious tribunal in Israel today. Of course not all Jewish people accept their authority but neither did all Jewish people do so back when there was a Temple.
After a full year of deliberation, the Sanhedrin has announced that 2017 is a Jubilee year. This may not seem like a big deal but it really is if you consider the political landscape of the current Middle East. Everyone from the Palestinian authority to Hamas to the United Nations and Iran are trying to deny Israel the land that God promised them and also even deny their long historical connections to the Holy land and Jerusalem. The proclamation of Jubilee was not an arbitrary decision and it announced to the world that the Sanhedrin now intends to oversee the physical requirements of Torah for the land of Israel.
Rabbi Hillel Weiss, secretary of the Sanhedrin explains that the correct conditions now exist for the observance of Jubilee. Simply put, they have determined that Jews are returning to Israel ( making Aliya) for the purpose of inheriting the land, not just as individuals who want to live in a Jewish State.
By and large Israel today is a secular State and the state owns the land or a great deal of it. In order for Jubilee to actually mean something it will require the Jewish people to embrace the Biblical practice of counting the Sabbaths to establish Jubilee and for the State to return the public lands to the control of the tribes themselves as dictated by Torah law. Can that happen? Maybe but something big will be required in order for that to occur.
When Israel once again emerged from the dust heap of history (the only extinct nation ever to do so), in 1948, they effectively proclaimed to the world that Israel as a geo political State was once again alive and renewing her history by occupying (part of) the land God had allotted for her centuries before. The Kingdom was back.
Now 70 years later, the Sanhedrin has effectively proclaimed that spiritual, religious Israel is now reinstated and that for the very first time in centuries, Jubilee should be observed. This is nothing short of remarkable.
What is the number one goal of the Sanhedrin? To oversee the Temple of God which must stand upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Scripture tells us that one day the antichrist will defile the Temple of God but obviously before that can happen it must once again be built.
Did you know that there is a vibrant quickly growing movement (including many Christians) who want the temple to be built NOW?
Or that the Temple Institute in Jerusalem along with the Third Temple Academy are currently training this generation of Kohanim? Literally the descendants of the first High Priest Aaron the brother of Moses from the line of Levi? DNA testing has developed to the point that the actual DNA of the original Aaronic line and the Levitical priesthood is now known?
Or that an actual corner stone of the next Temple is now in existence? Or that uncut stones were gathered from the area of the Dead Sea in 2010 for the eventual construction the third Temple altar?
Or that the third Temple implements really are being created and are now on public display at the Temple Institute in the old city of Jerusalem? Including the golden menorah and High Priests garb?
And finally that a full on worldwide search is being undertaken to find a pure red heifer for Temple sacrifice?
What can we as Christians draw from all this? Is there an application for us in all of this preparation? Certainly the possible inclusion of this level of activity could be considered as signs of the end times ages and that may well turn out to be the case. For me, I do not discount what our brethren the Jewish people are doing to prepare for their third Temple or their expectation that these things may soon usher in the event of Messiah. On the other hand I also do not hang my theological hat on anything other than what the Bible tells me about the rapture and second coming of Christ. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. When teaching from my pulpit I teach only what the Bible says not what it does not say.
While writing my blogs I do discuss current trends and possibilities along with some historical data but Christians should always beware and not align themselves with date setters.
Having said that, when you couple all of this information with the rebirth of Israel in 1948, Jesus words in Matthew chapter 24 and the obvious rapid disintegration of worldly events and moral standards surrounding us all today??? Perhaps It'''s time to rethink our lives and future. Perhaps it is time for every Christian to get serious about their walk with the Lord. Perhaps we should all ask ourselves some very introspective questions.
Will Jesus find faith when He returns? (Luke 18:8)
Will He find the church ready (Revelation 19:7)? Will He find you and I ready (2 Timothy 4:2-4)? Will He find us accomplishing His Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)?
Or, will he find us sacrificing Biblical truth at the altar of political correctness?
Should we be concerned NOW? Are the signs here? What do you think?
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
P.S. One day soon I will write an article about why I do not think the Muslim Dome of the Rock is sitting over the original site of the second Temple. Why I think the Dome of the Rock is actually situated in the court of the gentiles. Why it will not be necessary for the Jews to tear down the Dome of the Rock in order to build the third Temple and why after the signing of a 7 year peace accord instigated by the antichrist, the Temple will be able to coexist with the Muslim shrine.
No comments:
Post a Comment