The Gospel Age Jubilee

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage” – Gal 5:1

E ven as Jesus Christ is the central Person of all history, the law of Jubilee is the most
fundamental law of all creation. The law of Jubilee is the basis of forgiveness and
grace. The Jubilee was the fiftieth year following seven weeks of years, and would occur
once at least in the lifetime of every individual who lived out his natural life. See Leviticus
25:10-11. At the close of the Day of Atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the
sabbatical year i.e. the 49th year, the trumpets were blown throughout all the land, announcing
the Jubilee, in other words the Liberty and Freedom. The year which follows the sabbatical year
i.e. the fiftieth year was hallowed the “year of Jubilee” or “the year of Liberty”.

Br. Russell has penned an elaborate exposition on the Law of Jubilee under the name
“Earth’s Great Jubilee” in his second volume chapter 6. He affirms through his calculations
that the earth’ great jubilee is commenced from October 1874 A.D. We quote some lines
from his writings
Hence the 2500th year, which would be the great 50th Jubilee, must be the antitype,
the real Jubilee or Restitution. But instead of being a year, as in the type, it will be
larger; it will be the beginning of the great thousand-year Jubilee--the Millennium.
Just so it has been in the fulfilment of every type in which time was a feature. Thus the
Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit came upon the typical day of Pentecost--or
fiftieth day. Christ, our Passover sacrifice, died in the same night in which the typical
lamb was appointed to be killed--a day before or a day after would not answer. So
here, not the year after nor the year before the 2500th, or closing of the typical cycle,
would do; but that very year, beginning October, 1874, must have begun the
antitype of Restitution times.
. . . . . .We have already entered upon the great antitypical Jubilee period, and
have been in it since October, A.D. 1874*.

Most of us give prominence to the writings of prominent preachers and take it for granted
whatever they write, but never examine them from the light of the Holy Scriptures to
determine what the Scriptures itself enlighten us on the doctrines which it teaches. The
above doctrine is one example for it, privileges brings responsibilities and the truth of this
cannot be questioned for a moment, when failed to meet the standards of such
responsibilities the preacher or the author is forfeited and this will cause to speak ill by
many. Every Expositor has to think twice before he could interpret the scriptures and
present it before the congregation.

* Volume -2 page 181,182 (emphasis added)

Reasoning The Scriptures

The Law was a shadow of good things which were fulfilled through Christ (Heb10:1) once
the shadow is fulfilled there is no need of a repeat fulfilment apart from Christ. The
Scriptures evidently show us that the typical Law of Jubilee is also fulfilled and accomplished
on Calvary, it is written in the epistle of Paul to Colossians that “Let no man therefore judge
you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the
Sabbath days Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colo
2:16,17)Apostle Paul particularly mention as the other festivals of Israel the Sabbath also
finds its fulfilment in Christ. The Scrolls of Moses declares us that the year of Jubilee was
also a sabbatical year (i.e. a Sabbath which means Rest) in which the children of Israel were to
give rest to their Land (Lev 25:11) it appears clearly from the record that the children of
Israel got two years of rest once in every 48 years, the 49th year as the 7th Sabbath year and
the 50th as the Jubilee year, the two series of sabbatical years in a century is mentioned in
Isaiah (37:30). Hence the 50th year was also a year of rest i.e. a Sabbath then obviously,
according to Paul, the sabbatical year of Jubilee must have also fulfilled in our Lord as it is
written that the body of all these is of Christ. It is lawful to say that the body or the
substance of the Jubilee is also of Christ. Looking beyond the cross of Calvary and fixing
dates for the antitypical Jubilee is contrary to the Holy writ.

We have presented sufficient scriptural evidence regarding A.D1874 that it is not a reliable
date to corroborate with the Bible prophecy, in our treatise Reasoning the Scriptures series I
&II. We will now proceed to show that the earth’ great jubilee or the great antitypical jubilee
did not commence in October 1874 but commenced more exactly through the death and
resurrection of our Lord.

The Faux Pass of Br. Russell regarding the Law of Jubilee

In order to know the faux pass of Br Russell regarding the Law of Jubilee we must know on
what footing Br Russell predicted about the antitypical jubilee commencing from October
1874 and examine them with the light of the Holy Scriptures. It is understood through his
writings, that

In all the Jewish ceremonies, God caused no type to be made which will prove
meaningless, or pass unfulfilled; and the observance of all types was kept up until
their fulfilment at least began. All types must be continually repeated until their antitypes
appear; for the keeping of a type is not the fulfilling of it. The fulfilling is reached
where the type ceases, being displaced by the reality, the antitype†.

In the aforementioned avowal of Br. Russell an attentive reading reveals that all types in the
Law must be continually repeated until their antitypes appear, to put it in other way, all the
types of the Law of Old Testament are continually repeated until it is fulfilled by the antitype.
When the Law is fulfilled, then the type of the Law will also cease. It is evident from the
scriptures that the Law age is replaced by the Gospel age “The law and the prophets were until

† Studies in the Scriptures, Volume -2, page 174(emphasis added)

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Reasoning The Scriptures

John: since that time the (gospel) kingdom of God is preached” (Luke 16:16) the intended
divine accomplishment of the Law was of Christ therefore the Law found its fulfilment in
Christ regarding this it is written – And he said unto them, These are the words which I
spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke
24:44) The champion of the Ephesian era apostle Paul confirms through his writings that
indeed the Law is fulfilled in Christ, he says “For Christ is the end of the law” the Law
was added till the arrival of the promised seed and it was like a school master till it brought
us to Christ (Gal 3:19, 24) compare with – (Mat 5:17, John 1:7, 1:45, Acts 28:23 Rom 7:1-
3).To be more appropriate, the offering which Christ offered on Calvary concludes all the
foreshadowed type in the Law nailing it on cross and putting an end (Having put an end to
the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his
cross Col 2:14 Bible in Basic English) in accordance to this our Lord uttered the very apt
word while he was on cross “it is finished” i.e. fulfilled. (John 19:30).Thus we can strongly
affirm through the ample scriptural verses presented that the Law is fulfilled in Christ.

Can a Shadow cease without a substance?

According to Br. Russell’s reasoning it seems that the shadow has ceased without the arrival
of the substance (i.e. Christ) he says:

When the last typical Jubilee had been observed and had passed away, the great
cycle began to count, We have already referred to the method of counting the
Sabbaths--that the multiplying of the Sabbath or seventh day by seven (7 x 7 = 49)
pointed out Pentecost, the Jubilee Day which followed; and the multiplying of the
seventh year by seven (7 x 7 = 49) made the cycle which pointed out and led to the
fiftieth or Jubilee Year. And the same system carried out would indicate that to reach
the great antitype which we seek we should in like manner square the Jubilee--i.e.,
multiply the fiftieth year by fifty. That is to say, the antitypical cycle, by the method of
multiplying here taught us, should be reckoned by multiplying the typical Jubilee or
fiftieth Sabbath year by fifty, just as in reaching it we multiplied the seventh year
Sabbath by seven. Lev. 25:2-13
Following this divinely indicated method of reckoning, wonderful results open before
us, which assure us that we have the correct key and are using it as was intended by
him who formed this treasure-casket. Fifty times fifty years gives the long period of
twenty-five hundred years (50 x 50 = 2500), as the length of that great cycle, which
began to count when Israel's last typical Jubilee ended, and which must culminate in
the great antitypical Jubilee. We know that such a cycle must have begun to count
where the type ceased; because, if not one jot or tittle of the Law could pass away
without a fulfilment at least commencing, then the Jubilee type, which was far more
than a jot or tittle, indeed a large and important feature of the Law, would not have
been permitted to pass away until the right time for its antitype to begin. That the

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Reasoning The Scriptures

antitype of the Jubilee did not in any sense begin when the Israelites ceased to
observe it, is evident; hence that a grand cycle began to count then‡.

The 2nd Volume gives the date of the last Jubilee celebrated, is on 625 B.C. even though the
calculations are inaccurate§ let us consider it temporarily in order to know the real fact.
According to Br. Russell the last Jubilee observed is on 625 B.C. and our Lord’s first advent
was on B.C.4 and he fulfilled or nailed the Law on the cross was on A.D 31** . Now the
Scriptures are very clear that the Law was fulfilled on the cross (A.D 31) through Christ who
is the true substance. Then
• How can an antitype begin or commence without the arrival of the substance?
• How can the cycle of the Earth’s great Jubilee commence without the remission of
sin and without Ransom? It is through the Ransom and the remission of sin the
deliverance and liberty can be provided to the world. This happened only after the
death and resurrection of our Lord.
• When the fulfilment of all the Law found in A.D 31 how the antitypical cycle can
commence in 625 B.C?
• How can a shadow cease 625 years prior without the arrival of the very substance i.e.
Christ?
• How the cycle of deliverance can commence without the deliverer and his legitimate
offering.
The above posed commonsensical questions make sense and the answers for these questions
clearly unveil the untruths which are taught and preached for hundred and thirty four years
among the Bible Students. On the very surface the above quoted comments of Br Russell
may seem more reasonable and convincing for the reader but as the reader examine it with
the light of Holy Spirit he can see that his entire structure of explanations stands on sinking
sand.

The Jubilee did not cease on 625 B.C.

It is asserted that hence Israel were held captives and taken to Babylon, they were strangers
and prisoners in the foreign land thus they could not celebrate the Jubilee and the Law of
Jubilee ceased, from that particular juncture the antitypical cycle began. So, that point of time
is said to be 625 B.C a few years before their land was besieged. We have critically examined
the scriptures as well the history and have found that the Jubilee did not cease when the
children of Israel were taken into captivity in 625 B.C. We have ample scriptural as well
historical evidence that the Law of Jubilee was observed when the children of Israel returned
from the captivity. Indeed, it is intimated that the Babylonian captivity should be of such
duration as to compensate for the years sabbatical and jubilee together of which Jehovah had
thus been defrauded (2 Chronicles 36:21). “to fulfil the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah,

‡ Studies in the Scriptures Vol – 2 page 180,181

§ For the correct calculations refer our treatise Reasoning the Scriptures series I – Chronology and series II – A.D 1874
is it a reliable date?
** Br. Russell projects B.C 1 as the birth of Christ and A.D 33 as the year of death but it is proved wrong in our treatise

whether Christ was crucified on A.D.33? – Reasoning the Scriptures, series I

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Reasoning The Scriptures

until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths: for as long as it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to
fulfill threescore and ten years”. From this we understand that Israel had failed to observe
properly the Sabbatic years, of which the Jubilees were the chief. The very motive of sending
the Israel to Babylon is to let the land to enjoy the Sabbath (rest) which was also a part of
Jubilee law (Lev 25:11). As the Israelis were undergoing the punishments in the foreign land
simultaneously the Land of Israel enjoyed its Sabbaths in compensation for their previous
imperfect observance of Jubilee. It is clearly understood by the scriptures that the Law of
Jubilee did not cease but indeed it was in force i.e. effective fulfilling its obligation upon
the land of Israel during the years of captivity (Lev 26:34,35), instead of human; God
permitted the Land to enjoy its Sabbaths. It is clear from this that the Law of Jubilee was
enforced and it was still effective during the Babylon captivity but did not cease.

Because of Israel’s negligence in observing Sabbath years, God took Israel out of the Land
and permitted the Land to enjoy its Sabbath all the days of desolation (2 Chronicles 36:21),
as predicted in Leviticus 26:34, 35. But this does not mean the observance was once for all
ceased, or the cycles not counted at all. Even more precise is a late reference by Ezekiel. "Let
not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn ... For the seller shall not return to that which is
sold, although they were yet alive" (Ezekiel 7:13, 14). In fact this refers to the jubilee
arrangement, and implies it was still effective among the Israelites as late as the close of the
kingdom of Judah. Ezekiel was predicting "the end upon the four corners of the land" (verse
2), so it would be impossible for the seller to return to his possession "though he were yet
alive" when the next jubilee came. Clearly the people were still counting jubilee cycles, and
knew when to expect the next one

Scriptures Authenticate the Law of Jubilee to be continued after the Return from
Babylon
God instructed through prophet Ezekiel (46:17) that if the prince of Israel (like Zerubbabel,
Sheshbazzar Ezra 1:7) gives any gifts of his inheritance to his servants it would remain with
the possessor until the year of Liberty (Jubilee), after, it shall return to the prince. If God
Jehovah would have intended to cease the Law of Jubilee before the captivity of Israel then he
would not have given the aforementioned commandments to the prince to abide after their
return from Babylon, This verse clearly hammers the idea that the Law of Jubilee ceased in
625 B.C.

The children of Israel did acknowledge to celebrate the Sabbath as well as the Jubilee by
taking an oath after their return from Babylon (Neh 10:31) “And if the people of the land bring
ware or any victuals on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the
holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt”. The oath
consist that they would leave the seventh year an exaction of every debts, this would mean
that they also have to leave the 7th sabbatical year †† i.e. the 49th year, (the very year the

††1st sabbatical year = 7th year, 2nd sabbatical year =14th years 3rd sabbatical year =21st year, 4th sabbatical year = 28th
year, 5th sabbatical year = 35th year, 6th sabbatical year = 42nd year, 7th sabbatical year = 49th year.

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Reasoning The Scriptures

Jubilee was sounded‡‡ -Lev 25:11) to exaction of all debts, this would naturally include the
Jubilee year because the 50th year is also a year of cancelling all the debts. This again proves
that the Law of cancelling the debts and release did not cease before Israel’s deportations

Historical Evidence of Jubilee observance after the Return from Babylon till the
Advent of Christ

We found some interesting corroboration during our research from the following excerpts
that the Jubilee was observed by the children of Israel after their return from Babylon till the
advent of our Lord.

The general observance of the jubilee is attested by the unanimous voice of Jewish
tradition. This unanimity of opinion, however, only extends to the observance of the
jubilee prior to the Babylonian captivity, for many of the later Rabbins affirm that it
was not kept after the captivity. But in the Seder Olam (cap. 30), the author of
which lived shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem, we are positively assured that it
was observed. Josephus, too (Ant. 3, 12, 3), speaks of it as being permanently
observed. This is, moreover, confirmed by Diodorus Siculus (lib. 40), who tells us
that the Jews cannot dispose of their own patrimony as well as by the fact that we
have distinct records of the law respecting the redemption of houses in cities without
walls, which forms an integral part of the jubilee law, being strictly observed to a very
late period (Erachin, 31 b; Baba Kama, 82 b)§§.

Dr. Ben Zion Wacholder the Professor of Talmud and Rabbinic’s at Hebrew Union College
–Jewish Institute of Religion /Cincinnati, who holds the Solomon B. Freeh of Professorship
of Jewish Law and Practice has identified the following as sabbatical years mentioned in
historical records (presumably from Tishri of the year cited to Tishri of the following year):
331 B.C, 163 B.C, 135 B.C, 37 B.C, 41 B.C, this suggests the Sabbath cycle began anew when
the Jews returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon***, if the Sabbath cycle began
this again proves that the jubilee cycle also must have taken in to consideration by the
returned Jews

The Jewish Encyclopaedia confirms that at the time of the second temple the sabbatical year
was observed

The Sabbatical year was observed during the existence of the Second Temple is
evident from the history of the Maccabees (I Macc. vi. 51, 55). The Mishnah includes

‡‡ Actually the Jubilee Trumpet sounded on the 7th month of the 49th year this is because the remaining 5 months were
to be a preparatory period to clear all disputes and settlements and thus they were hallowing the following year the year
of liberty or release. If the trumpet sounded on the 50th year then it would leave only 5 months to settle the disputes and
to cancel the debts and restore the property of the whole land which would be a highly impractical task, further it
contradicts Lev 25:10 which states that the whole 50th year should be hallowed as Jubilee to release.
§§ MCCLINTOCK & STRONG’SCYCLOPEDIA, Vol 4 - Jubilee(IV- mode of celebration Para-4)
*** "Essays on Jewish Chronology and Chronography," KTAV Publishing House, New York, 1976.

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Reasoning The Scriptures

in the examination of witnesses questions as to dates, in giving which there must be

specified the Sabbatical year, the year, month, week, day, and hour (Sanh. v. 1)†††.

Josephus has mentioned in his antiquities about the Jubilee and Sabbatical years.In Josephus'
book, (Antiquities of the Jews, 3:12:3), he describes Biblical laws relative to the Sabbatical year
and Jubilee. Antiochus besieged Judas Maccabeus and the Temple during a Sabbatical year,
(Ant: 12:9:5.) During the war between Ptolemy and Hyercanus, it was a sabbatical year, (Ant:
13:8:1). Taxes were not paid to Caesar during the seventh year, (Ant: 14:10:6. In 15:1:2),
Josephus says when Herod the Great plundered the wealthy and even robbed the dead for
silver and gold to give to Anthony, that it was a Sabbatical year. In the thirteenth year of
Herod the Great, there was a great famine and pestilence (Ant: 15:9:1). In Whiston's
footnotes to Josephus (Ant: 15:9:1), he says this famine was worse than the famine of the
days of Ahab, and even worse than the days of Jacob, and that this was a Sabbatical and
Jubilee year. We cite the Whitson’s reference of footnote

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, seems to have been more terrible during this time than was that in the
days of Jacob, Genesis 41., 42. And what makes the comparison the more remarkable
is this, that now, as well as then, the relief they had was from Egypt also; then from
Joseph the governor of Egypt, under Pharaoh king of Egypt; and now from
Petronius the prefect of Egypt, under Augustus the Roman emperor. See almost the
like case, Antiq. B. XX. ch. 2. sect. 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.
We do endorse with several Biblical Scholars that the above quoted reference of Whitson do
not prove that the Jubilee was observed in 23/24 BC rather the years were of sabbatical and
Jubilee. We lay emphasis on the fact by presenting this evidence that the counting of
Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles were indeed in practise which quashes Br Russell’s statement that
the Jubilee cycle itself did cease completely in 625 B.C. If the typical cycles began to be
counted after Israel’s return from Babylon how could the antitypical cycle commence? Is
there any provision in the Bible that both typical as well as antitypical cycle can run
concurrently?

It is evident from the above presented scriptural and historical evidence that the Law of
Jubilee did not cease but continued till the advent of Christ.

††† http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=18&letter=S

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Reasoning The Scriptures

The Jubilee of the Gospel Age

In Luke chapter Four (4:17-19), as was His custom, Our Lord Jesus went into the synagogue
in Nazareth and read from the Isaiah scroll. This is what He had read:

Isa 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath
anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison
to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our
God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the
oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they
might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be
glorified.

Notice the words Our Lord uses:

good news to the poor

healing the broken hearted

proclaim the deliverance and liberty to the captive and oppressed

proclaim the acceptable year of our Lord
After reading this our Lord openly admitted that “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears”.
(Luke 4:21). Indeed the scriptures fulfilled through Christ because He is The Jubilee or the
Deliverance appointed by God to the world. The Law of Jubilee demanded to release all the
slaves, cancel all the debts, restore which was lost, give rest and proclaim liberty to the whole
land, in like manner Christ our antitypical Jubilee was sent by God:-

To release all those who are slaves to sin and death( Heb 2:15)

To cancel all our debts‡‡‡ i.e. to forgiving all our sins “In whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”- Col 1:14 (Math, 6:12, Luke 11:14,
7:40-48, Mat 9:1-4,Acts 5:31, Eph 1:7)

To restore which is lost- “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost”
Mat 18:11, (Mat 10:6, Luke 15:4-32)

To give rest. In Christ we find the true rest “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden and I will give you rest. Mat 11:28, 29. (Heb 4:1,10)

To proclaim Liberty, we receive the liberty or the release and freedom through Christ
“Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor
3:17)
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)

‡‡‡ Debts represent sins “Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors” Mat 6:12.

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Reasoning The Scriptures

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage – (Gal 5:1)

The above scriptures speak of manumission which was a part of Jubilee redemption. Now
this answers very much to the case in hand. Men are home born slaves; the chosen people of
God are such by nature; they are born in sin, and are the servants of it; Christ the Son makes
them free; and then they are no more foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God. This suggests that true freedom and liberty is by Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. He is that makes the saints free from sin; not from the being of it in
this life, but from the bondage and servitude of it, from its power and dominion, and from
its guilt and liableness to punishment for it, by procuring the pardon of their sins through his
blood, and justifying their persons by his righteousness: he also makes them free, or delivers
them from the captivity of Satan, by ransoming them out of his hands, taking the prey from
the mighty, binding the strong man armed, and delivering them from him, and from the
power of darkness, and putting them into his own kingdom; he does not indeed free them
altogether from his temptations, but he preserves them by his power from being hurt and
destroyed by him: he likewise makes his people free from the law, not only the
ceremonial law, which is abolished by him he gives them freedom of access to God, as
their Father, through his blood and by his Spirit; and admits them to all the privileges and
immunities of the church below; and gives them a right to, faith in, and an expectation of the
glorious liberty of the children of God hereafter; and such are truly Christ's freemen:

The Acceptable year of Lord

The 50th year in addition it was called “The Acceptable Year of Our Lord”. The word
acceptable means “to treat favourably.” ASV§§§ (Isa 61:2) renders it as “to proclaim the year
of Jehovah's favour . . . of our God; to comfort all that mourn”. In this acceptable year of
the Lord the Jubilee year was a time and a way God uniquely displayed His grace and favour.
Like wise the Gospel Age which was commenced through our Lord’s ministry (Mark
1:14.15) and inaugurated by the out poring of the Holy Spirit is indeed the “Acceptable
year of our Lord” in which the liberty of Christ is proclaimed to all the world and God is
accepting the Jews as well as the Gentiles as his children making them free form the slavery
of sin and death displaying his grace and favour “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted
time; behold, now is the day of salvation”(2 Cor 6:2), This evidently proves that A.D 1874
is neither the acceptable year nor the antitypical Jubilee year.

Historical and Scriptural account Corroborated

As observed earlier, aaccording to William Whiston's footnotes to Josephus, 24 B.C. was a

Sabbatical year, and 23 B.C. was a Jubilee year. This would mean that A.D. 27 was a
Sabbatical year, and A.D. 28 was a Jubilee year. The Jubilee cycle were began to count from
the 51st year or from the next year of Jubilee, If 23.B.C was the Jubilee then the next cycle
§§§ American Standard Version

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Reasoning The Scriptures

should be counted from 22 B.C following of 27 years brings us to A.D 27 which is a

sabbatical year or the 49th year from the previous cycle (22+27 =49) we should remember
here that the Jubilee trumpet was sounded on the 10th day of the 7th month of the 49th year
(Lev 25: 8, 9)

We have presented ample evidence that A.D 27 is the year of our Lord’s baptism (in our first
series of Reasoning the Scriptures****) on the very same year that too on a Sabbath, our Lord
declared by reading from the scrolls of Isaiah “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears”.
(Luke 4:21). Our Lord knew very well that this was the year to sound the jubilee trumpet as
determined by the Law of Moses. He intended to convey his audience that he was
proclaiming the TRUE & ANTITYPICAL JUBILEE. As the legitimate fulfiller of the Law
he openly admitted that the predetermined liberty and salvation (i.e. the jubilee) would be
given to the WORLD through HIM. He affirmed that for this cause he was anointed and
sent.

Jesus Christ the Lord of the Sabbath – Math 12:8

Jesus Christ is greater than the temple, and has all the perfections of the divine attributes
which is displayed in him, is because he is the express image of his father; and even as
mediator of the New Covenant anointed for the very purpose to fulfill the Law ; so as he is
Lord of all other things, he is of the Sabbath, and has a power of dispensing with it, and
even of abolishing it; see Col 2:16 and since the Lord of the Sabbath had a power of
dispensing with it, and made use of it in the cases of David and his men, and of the priests in
the temple formerly; the Pharisees ought not to think it strange, that the Son of man, who is
equally Lord of the Sabbath, dispensed with it in his disciples now.

The main reason for implementing the Sabbath was to give the man rest i.e. the life eternal
(Gen 2:2, Heb 4: 4-10) Man lost this rest due to disobedience, that is the reason Christ has
been made the Lord of the Sabbath by Jehovah to give the actual rest and freedom which
Adam lost in Eden. The Sabbaths, Sabbatical years and the Jubilee all pointed out the rest
and liberty which would come to this world through Christ. Thus we see Our Lord’s most of
the miracles was on Sabbath (Mat 12:10-12; Mar 3:4; Lu 13:14-16, 14:1-4; John 5:9, 7:22-23,
9:14) by performing these miracles our Lord gave evidence that the intended rest, deliverance,
liberty, which the Mosaic Law thought would be given to the world through him, this was
neither the Jews nor the Pharisees comprehended.

The Antitypical Jubilee trumpet was sounded through our Lord’s ministry and is still going
on to the entire world, the messengers of Christ are hallowing Liberty and deliverance to all
who come under Christ. The Antitypical Jubilee is already commenced through Christ and
will culminate in the Millennial Age. The deliverance which we have found through Christ in
the present age, will be also extended to the rest of the Mankind in Kingdom age, Same as
the New Covenant, which is already inaugurated and ratified through the blood of Christ in
**** Whether Christ was crucified on A.D 33?

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Reasoning The Scriptures

the Gospel age in which the Church is participating eventually this New Covenant is
extended up to the Kingdom Age so that all the Families of the earth will participate in the
blessed liberty.
The Jubilee of grace as proclaimed and began with the day of atonement of every seventh
sabbatical year (Lev 25:9) to show that it was only with the full forgiveness of sins that the
blessed liberty of the children of God could possibly commence proves once again that
jubilee did not commence from A.D 1874. We have studied earlier that the sacrifices offered
on the Day of Atonement strictly typified our Lord’s matchless offering of his body on the
cross of Calvary. The sacrifices of the bulls and goats typifying our Lord’s death and his
blood is clearly interpreted by Apostle Paul in his epistles to the Hebrews (Heb 9:13; 7:27;
10:8-10) divorcing Paul’s statement and classifying the bull and goats into different class is
not sanction by the word of God and this is not the correct way of reasoning the scriptures.
The Jubilee or the deliverance of the children of God was granted through Christ’s unique
sacrifice on cross and before this point of time it is impossible either for the antitypical
Jubilee to start or to commence after.
It might be asked by some intellectuals that, when the law of redemption of Jubilee
appropriately fit into the times of the restitutions†††† is it not reasonable to enforce the
antitypical Jubilee when the Kingdom Age begins? We answer yes provided, if the Church
would have also redeemed in the Times of Restitution. But we have seen in the plan of God
that the redemption from sin and death is provided to the Church first (in the present age),
like manner of the first born of every Israelite were redeemed on the night of the Passover
under the blood of the slaughtered lamb. The whole creation is groaning and waiting for the
manifestation of the Sons of God (Church, Rom 8:19) it is said that these sons of God will
bless the world with Christ as the legitimate joint heirs reckoned and justified by faith (Gal
3:29) The Church cannot be reckoned righteous or justified without being released from the
bondage of Sin, because sin would hinder any one from God to reckon righteous (Isa 59: 2;
Rom 4: 7-8). Now our answer to the some intellectuals is that it seemed right in the eye of
the supreme intellectual God to redeem and release the legal joint heirs first from the
bondage of sin and then release the remainder so that the redeemed of the present age may
judge the world worthily(1st Cor 6:2; 2nd Cor 9:26,27). The Church is said to be translated
into the Kingdom of his dear son (Col 1:13) it is asserted again that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor 15: 50) without being released from the bondage of
Sin the Church cannot be translated into the Kingdom of God nor to bless the World. Thus
we affirm that the antitypical Jubilee has commenced in the Gospel age and the Church is
participating in the antitypical Jubilee i.e. to say in the liberty and redemption bestowed by
the inimitable sacrifice offered on Calvary by our Lord Jesus Christ. When this opportunity
is extended up to the millennial age eventually the world will also participate in the liberty
and redemption.

††††Most Christian Scholars interpret that the Jubilee Law typifies the Millennial Age or the Times of Restitution, the
reason is the Law of redemption of Jubilee according them correctly fits the Kingdom age like a) Deliverance from the
prison house of death (resurrection) b) Restitution of the planet earth to the edenic condition c) Restore Man to his
original state as Adam was etc.

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Reasoning The Scriptures

The Lawful Right of Redemption

Lev 25: 25:- If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of
his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has
sold. (NASV)‡‡‡‡

The above verse says that it was the will of God that the debtor’s nearest kinsman should
redeem his brother when possible. In fact, the law specifically states in the NASV that “his
nearest kinsman IS TO COME AND BUY BACK what his relative has sold.” We know that the
law is not only a moral document, but is also prophetic. It was therefore prophesying that
Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer, would come to buy back everything that was sold
when Adam sinned. The Scriptures cannot be broken. If the redeemer has the power to
redeem, the law says he is commanded by the will of the Father in heaven to redeem what
his brother has lost.

We are His brethren. Therefore, the law demands that Jesus Christ redeem all that was lost
in Adam. The only relevant question is whether or not Jesus Christ really did this or not. We
believe He did, for His blood has never lost its power, nor did Jesus fail in any point of law
to do all that the Father asked of Him. The law was fully satisfied.

The law of redemption was closely tied to the law of Jubilee. Essentially, redemption of the
inheritance was always possible prior to the year of Jubilee. A near kinsman also had the
lawful right to redeem the debtor at any time. We read in Leviticus 25:47-50
Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a
countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a
stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger's family, 48
then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem
him, 49 or his uncle, or his uncle's son may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives
from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.

It is important to understand the law of redemption, because it has everything to do with

God’s plan for the redemption of both Israel and the world. A friend does not have the right
of redemption; only a near kinsman does. This means that if a man sells himself and his
family to work for another man, his friend may redeem him—but only if the master allows
it. The friend does not have the RIGHT of redemption. Instead, the master has the right to
keep the new bondservant in his employ. But if a near kinsman decides to redeem the
debtor, the master has no choice in the matter, for the kinsman has the right of redemption.

The reason our Lord Jesus came to this earth, is to pay the ransom price, (“Who gave
himself a ransom for all” 1 Tim 2:6) the word translated for ransom is antilutron according to
Strong’ # G487 means a redemption price: and according to Thayer: - what is given in exchange for
another as the price of his redemption. He did not come in the form of an angel, but was born a

‡‡‡‡ New American Standard Version

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Reasoning The Scriptures

man, specifically of the seed of Abraham. He did this in order to have the lawful right of
redemption. If He had come as an angel, the divine law would have ruled that He was only a
FRIEND of sinners, whose sin had given them a debt they could not pay, men who had lost
their inheritance through Adam’s sin.

Our Lord Jesus was indeed a friend of sinners, but He chose to be more than that. In order
to have the RIGHT of redemption for Israel, He had to be more than a mere friend. He had
to be born of the seed of Abraham. In order to have the RIGHT of redemption for all
mankind, He had to be more than an angelic friend. He had to be born of flesh and blood.

He qualified on both counts, as we read in Hebrews 2:11-17.

11For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father;
for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying [in Psalm
22:22], "I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I
will sing Thy praise." 13And again [in 2 Samuel 22:3], "I will put my trust in Him."
And again [in Isaiah 8:18],"Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me." 14
Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also
partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had
the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver those who through fear of
death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help
to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become our
kinsmen redeemer and merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. We conclude, then, that Jesus Christ was born of
flesh and blood in order to have the lawful right of redemption of the whole world, his life
was the price of redemption through which we all have brought ( 2nd Cor 6:20). He was
likewise born specifically of the seed of Abraham in order to have the lawful right of
redemption for the House of Israel and for the world.
If He Prospers, He May Redeem Himself –Lev 25: 49
There was also provision in the Law of Jubilee that if the debtor prosper and render enough
money to redeem himself, he always had the lawful right to do so. This teaches us the great
philosophy of the Atonement that Christ is the one and only saviour and redeemer of the
world. The Children of Israel could have prospered and would have attained the life eternal
by obeying the Law for it is stated that whoso abide the law shall live by it (Lev 18:5; Rom
10:5) the law provided an opportunity to prosper and earn enough money (grace) so that all
their debts can be annulled but as the flesh was weak the Law could not prosper in man nor
make him prosper to earn sufficient Grace (money) to redeem himself. The mankind in
general has tried several religious rituals of self – righteousness in order to attain the
salvation from this world but all these rituals did not make mankind to redeem them nor
prosper. We see Mankind’s hopeless state of slavery to sin and inescapability from the
bondage of death, it is said in the scriptures that we all are as split water on the ground

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Reasoning The Scriptures

which cannot be gathered up again - hopeless and destitute state(2 Sam 14:14), this law
when applied to the antitypical realm it teaches that man cannot prosper and provide the
necessary price to redeem himself (Psa 49:7-9) but God alone has to provide a suitable
ransom price to redeem the mankind and that is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who gave
himself a ransom for all. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has indeed given the ransom price
and has the right to redeem all who come under his care. No creature under the heaven or
above is capable to redeem us, save Jesus Christ (Rev 5:3-5; Acts 4:12).

The Redeemed Serve a New Master

In the law of redemption, the redeemed bondservant does not have the lawful right to be his
own boss or the master of his own destiny. As we quoted earlier in Leviticus 25:53, like a
man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight.
A redeemer is one who pays the price of redemption for the bondservant. In essence, he
buys the bondservant from the master, who is a “stranger,” or foreigner, and who is likely to
abuse the man and oppress him. The near kinsman is commanded to redeem his brother on
the grounds that he will treat the bondservant in a lawful manner with kindness and
consideration. This means that the bondservant merely changes masters. Redemption does
NOT mean the bondservant is now free to do his own will. The Apostle Paul discusses this
point of law in Romans 6, the chapter where he discusses the supposed right of the
redeemed Christian to continue in sin that grace may increase.

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? 2 May
it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? . . . . 17 But thanks be to God
that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that
form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin,
you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of
the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to
impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your
members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you
were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21Therefore what benefit
were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the
outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and
enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the
outcome, eternal life.

Paul’s discussion here is based upon the law of redemption. The redeemed bondservant is
bound by the divine law to serve the redeemer. Jesus is the Redeemer, who bought us with
His blood, and for this reason, as Paul says, we have been “freed from sin and enslaved to God”
(vs. 22). That is, sin is no longer our master, but we now have God as our Master. That
means we are now accountable to His law and are expected to be obedient to Him.

All Land Belongs to God

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Reasoning The Scriptures

The law of Jubilee depends upon a deeper law, which we quoted earlier. It is found in
Leviticus 25:23, where God says, "The land is mine." For this reason, it could not be sold
permanently, but always had to return to the original owners at the year of Jubilee. Adam
was made of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). Man was a part of God's creation and
land inheritance. God's intent was to build a house for Himself in earth, and that house is
man himself. Because man is a created being, he does not own himself. God owns all that
He has created. All the land belongs to God. It is true that man has been given a level of
authority, but man does not have ultimate sovereignty over his "land," that is, himself. For
this reason, man has been given the right to sell his land temporarily. He may sell himself
into sin for a while, even for a lifetime. But he has never been given the right to sell his land
for all time. His land will always have to revert to God at the Jubilee.

When man sinned, the "land" was sold. That is, Adam and his children and his entire estate
were sold into sin. In essence, God lost His inheritance in the earth. It is for this reason that
Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem God’s lost inheritance. He came as a near
Kinsman in order to secure the RIGHT of redemption. His blood--the payment for the sin
of the world--is worth far more than the sin-debt of all mankind put together. More than
that, the law is on His side, because He has the right of redemption. That means He can
redeem all if He wants to do so.

The Jubilee in the Times of Restitution

The law of God demands the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21)Indeed the thousand year
Messianic rule will restitute all which Adam has lost, but the restitution cannot come to the
world without the joint heirs of Christ who are, according the Abrahamic promise will bless
the world. The present age is an appointed time to redeem the sons of God for whom the
whole creation is anxiously and eagerly waiting to be revealed (Rom 8:19) so that, through
them the whole world might receive the freedom and rest, as we have seen earlier that this
restitution cannot come to the world unless and until the Church is redeemed. When the
complete bride class joins with Christ, then only the call to partake in the river of life is
extended to the world (Rev 22: 17).The Church is participating in the Jubilee or the
deliverance given by Christ in the present age and in due course the rest of the mankind will
join and participate in the blessed Liberty (Jubilee) in the Age to come of which is said the
Times of Restitution.

What a glorious promise! The Jubilee is the law of grace. No matter how far a man goes into
debt, the Jubilee will set him free. All creation waits in anticipation of this Jubilee. It is the
goal of history and the ultimate purpose of God.

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