The Jubilee Cycle
By Larry and June Acheson
- Why Address the Jubilee Cycle?
T
he observance of the Jubilee cycle is not something that June and I have really ever had to worry about because the command to observe a year of Jubilee, as found in the 25th chapter of Leviticus,doesn’t affect our personal lives in this day and age. If it did, we would anticipate a trumpet blast in a certain year on the Day of Atonement so as to proclaim liberty throughout all the land (Lev. 25:10), and we wouldn’t be allowed to sow or reap that year. Since we do not live in a society where our leaders recognize the Jubilee cycle, we do not anticipate the sound of the trumpet blast on the Day of Atonement anytime soon, at least not by the leaders of the United States of America. Moreover, since we’re not currently engaged in farming or raising a garden, sowing and reaping is not something that June and I do anyway, so the Jubilee year doesn’t really apply to us personally.
I’m not saying the Jubilee cycle isn’t important. Everything commanded by Yahweh is important, and anyone who has studiedthe Bible knows that Yahweh’s people are commanded to recognize and observe the Jubilee cycle. Nevertheless, since June and I aren’t in a position to enforce Jubilee Year observance on others, and since we don’t sow or reap anyway, this commanded observance doesn’t really impact our lives at this time. With this in mind, you may be wondering why I’m taking the time to write a study entitled The Jubilee Cycle. Briefly, anyone familiar with the studies that June and I have written knows that we don’t usually take the time to put our thoughts in writing unless our views have been challenged by others, and that is precisely what prompted our decision to write thisessay.
Over the course of our many years of Bible study, we have met and fellowshipped with many individuals and groups with varied backgrounds, some similar to ours and some vastly different. June and I do not expect everyone to share our views on everything, and on many matters we are very content to “agree to disagree.” However, when we encounter folks who have an agenda … an “axe to grind,” if you will … we find that their primary purpose is to get us to believe as they do, and if the agreement isn’t reached, the relationship turns sour. The first time I remember experiencing being approached by someone with an agenda was at a feast we attended in 1991. Upon entering the meeting hall, we were greeted by several new faces. With plenty of time for fellowship before the services began, we enjoyed making new acquaintances and chatting about what brought us to where we were in our walk. However, it didn’t take long for us to meet someone with an agenda. We were in the process of locating a resting place for our books when a gentleman extended his hand and introduced himself. I had no sooner returned the greeting when he asked, “Do you believe Yahshua is the ‘Yahweh’ of the Old Testament?”
I thought, “Wow! This guy doesn’t waste any time!”
Recently, another gentleman with an agenda found his way into our lives. I don’t mean to strike an accusatory chord here, for most likely no one will appreciate my singling them out as having an agenda. I have been accused of having an agenda, and I certainly didn’t appreciate the accusation, but I feel I sufficiently demonstrated to him and others that they were mistaken, and I’m pretty sure the man who made that comment a few years ago would now say that his judgment was premature. I had given a presentation on why I personally believe the Messiah’s Name is spelled yod, shin, waw, ayin in Hebrew (commonly rendered Yeshua in English). The majority of Sacred Name believers we have met are persuaded that the Messiah’s name is correctly spelled yod, heh, waw, shin, ayin in Hebrew (commonly pronounced either Yahshua or Yahushua), and a certain gentleman, who holds to the position that the shorter form of the Messiah’s name is the result of a Jewish conspiracy to remove the Father’s name (Yah) from the Son’s name, made a point of approaching me after my presentation to, among other things, let me know that I have an agenda. What was so unusual about the accusation was the fact that, during my presentation, I made it clear that I have respect for both positions, even though I personally lean the way I do.[1] As I mentioned earlier, those who have an agenda aren’t typically willing to settle for a “middle ground.” In fact, my experience is such that they seem to look for opportunities to broach the subject, apparently in hopes of wearing down those who are not easily persuaded until they finally “see the light.”
A few years ago, a gentleman by the name of W. Glenn Moore asked me to assist him with editing a study he was in the process of writing regarding the prophecies of Daniel pertaining to the Messiah. I wasn’t really sure if this was something I wanted to get involved with because, like many others out there, I have other “irons in the fire,” so to speak. Nevertheless, I realize that we should make ourselves available to others whenever possible, so I agreed to give limited assistance as time allowed. Our only time to interact was on the day of the weekly Sabbath, so Glenn spent many a Shabbat in our home, studying Scripture with us and working on his study. As I delved into editing Glenn’s study, it became apparent that a major focal point centered on the Jubilee cycle, which I soon learned consists of 49-year cycles, at least in Glenn’s estimation.
Having spent a relatively small amount of time studying the Jubilee cycle many years ago, I had already been persuaded that the Jubilee cycle consists of 50 years, not 49, and it didn’t take long for me to share my personal understanding with Glenn. One thing led to another, and eventually Glenn gave a presentation pertaining to why he believes the way he does. His reasoning did not persuade us of his position, but just as I don’t believe our salvation is dependant on the precise spelling or pronunciation of the Messiah’s name, I likewise do not believe the Almighty is going to condemn anyone for not knowing the precise length of the Jubilee cycle. I believe Glenn agrees with this point, but even though I don’t believe he regards the understanding of the length of the Jubilee cycle to be critical to our salvation, at the same time, he regards it as being critical to the understanding of prophetic timelines, including the timing of the Messiah’s return. This, then, may explain why I began to get the feeling that Glenn wasn’t willing to “let go” until he succeeded in persuading me of his position.
As time progressed without my being persuaded that the Jubilee cycle consists of 49 years, Glenn began to exhibit an even greater passion regarding his understanding of the Jubilee cycle as it relates to the timing of prophetic events. At one point, he professed that he believes this understanding is a calling he has received from Yahweh to share this “message of truth” with the world. It eventually became evident to Glenn that June and I do not agree with his message. I noticed an increased push for me to understand and accept his view regarding the Jubilee cycle, and he became more and more bold in promoting his teaching, including the timing of the next millennium. As I believe I have made very clear, June and I have no problem with those who disagree with our understanding of the length of the Jubilee cycle. It matters not to us whether you choose to believe the cycle consists of 49 years or 50 years. One thing we have learned over the course of time is that it is very difficult to find two individuals who agree on everything, so if this is something we don’t agree on, then I’m willing to table it while keeping our focus on pleasing Yahweh by remaining as faithful as we can to His Word, striving to follow the example set by His Son Yeshua, Whose sole focus was doing those things that please the Father (John 8:29).
Regrettably, it became apparent that, while it is not important to June and me that others agree with our position regarding the Jubilee cycle, such does not seem to be the case with Glenn. I noticed that he began posting dates for when the new millennium will begin … with full knowledge that he believes the Messiah must come at or before the new millennium begins. Thus, I began to witness the realization of my worst fears: Glenn was setting dates based upon his understanding of prophetic timelines, combined with this belief regarding the length of a Jubilee cycle. I have been exposed to too many “date-setters” over the years, none of whom were correct in the dates they came up with. Although I shared my concern about the historical fallacies connected with date-setting, combined with the fact that Yeshua essentially cautioned against doing such a thing, Glenn responded, “While I also urge caution regarding anyone who sets dates for certain Biblical events to occur—we have to at least leave some latitude since it is entirely possible that they could possibly be correct.”[2] He proceeded with his prophetic timeline, and began a ministry named “Jubilee Countdown Ministries.”
Quite frankly, I became concerned that others, aware of the association I had with Glenn, would identify me with his ministry, including his inclination towards date-setting. I thus decided that it was time to put my views in writing. When June and I authoredthe first version of ourJubilee Cycle study, Glenn’s name was only mentioned in a footnote in which I attributed a quote to a study he had written. However, amid protests from Glenn that I was making “sweeping generalizations” about all who focus on the Jubilee cycle as being “date-setters,” and that he wasn’t among that crowd, I was compelled to illustrate that, indeed, Glenn is in with that crowd. I will address this later in our study. For now, I only want this introduction to help you, the reader, to better understand why I have taken the time to put my thoughts in writing. I would much rather compose a study explaining my view without involving the names of those with whom I disagree, but due to the complexities involved in needing to provide quotes, along with the journalistic responsibility of attributing the quotes to the person who made them, I was left with no choice but to mention Glenn by name, not in an attempt to disparage him, but rather to provide readers with the facts pertaining to the progression of our discussion, as well as my reason for choosing to author this study.
I do not come to you as a teacher, nor do I write this in an attempt to persuade anyone of our position. You are free to believe as you wish regarding the length of a Jubilee cycle; since it has no bearing on our observance of Yahweh’s Torah in this day and age, and since it does not dishonor our Heavenly Father to believe one way or the other, June and I will respect whichever view you come away with. Hopefully, we can all agree that our primary focus should be on honoring our Heavenly Father and His Son, so as long as we are willing to focus on the weighty matters of Yahweh’s Torah and the importance of remaining faithful children, we should be able to get along just fine!
- The Connection Between Jubilee Cycles and the Timing of the Messiah’s Return
A
s I have previously mentioned, we have reviewed both the “49-year Jubilee cycle” belief and the “50-year Jubilee cycle” belief, and although we have chosen to lean a certain way, we do not feel any animosity towards those who do not agree with our conclusion. However, we do have a problem with using the Jubilee cycle as a means of “setting dates” based upon the interpretation of Bible prophecies. While my Jubilee discussions have only been with W. Glenn Moore, I have found that other folks also use the Jubilee cycle so as to introduce us to the timing of Scriptural events, all the way from the date of Creation to the timing of the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah. In order to accomplish this chronological determination, I have found that they often take some liberties with the plain instructions found in Yahweh’s Word, and this, combined with Glenn’s adamant stand that I came to expect each time we visited (whether over the phone or in person), concerned me to the point that I decided to put my own thoughts into written form. I want to make it clear that I write solely from the perspective of an individual who seeks the proper understanding of Yahweh’s Word, and I certainly do not condemn anyone who disagrees with our position, nor do I deny that each of us should be keenly aware of the “times and the seasons” (1 Thessalonians: 5:1-4).
All calculations relevant to the timing of Scriptural events aside, the question I am led to ask myself is, “If I were living in the days in which Sabbatical years and Jubilee years were observed, would I reckon them the way Glenn and others of his persuasion teach that they should be determined?”
In order to answer the above question, let’s first examine how different authors believe the Sabbatical years and Jubilee years should be determined. I have found that there are two primary interpretations of the commandment to observe the Jubilee cycle. The one interpretation, which is endorsed by June and me, enjoins that each Jubilee cycle contains 50 years. The other interpretation, supported by Glenn and many others (as we will bring out later), maintains that each Jubilee cycle consists of 49 years, with adesignated “year 50” overlapping “year 1” of the next cycle. This is somewhat confusing at first glance because one might think that if there is a “year 50,” then it must be a 50-year cycle. However, if “year 50” coincides with “year one” of the following Jubilee cycle, this “overlap” produces a 49-year cycle instead of a 50-year cycle. Here is how the author of an internet article explains this latter interpretation:
Also of importance is that the entry into the promised land occurred in 1406 BC. This means that we are currently half-way through the important 70th jubilee cycle, which will end in the spring of AD 2025. (70 x 49, which is 7 x 70 x 7 years, or 490 x 7 years. A jubilee is counted as 7 x 7 years in succession, with the 50th overlapping the first year of the next cycle of 49 years. Hence, the seven year Sabbaths and the 49-year jubilee cycles run uninterrupted in the same way as the regular weekly Sabbaths. God is consistent!)[3]
The author of the above excerpt shares Glenn’s view that the 50th year overlaps the first year of the next Jubilee cycle. In other words, “year 50” is also “year one” of the following cycle. I’m sure there are other ideas and explanations pertaining to how count to Jubilee years, but the above is the one I am most familiar with. Interestingly, I find that although most of the explanations I have come across agree with the one cited above, virtually each individual’s calculation seems to produce a different year in which the current Jubilee cycle ends. The above individual, as revealed in his commentary, maintains that the current cycle will end in the year 2025. Another individual, whose comment is cited below, speculates that the next Jubilee year will correspond to the year 2010:
I made my own chart, and guess what? The year 2010 AD came out as the JubileeYear.
Sept. 9, 2010 is Tishri 1, 5771, the Feast of Trumpets that is Christ's Coronation Day in Heaven. It is also the day of the Marriage of the Lamb and the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is the Day of God's Wrath too. If this is correct, Jesus would return, as I thought, on the following Nisan 1, 5771 (April 5, 2011), during the Jubilee Year.[4]
I never cease to be amazed at how there seems to be no end to individuals offering their predictions of when the Messiah will return, even though Yeshua plainly stated, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” The above prediction is but one of many I have read over the years. Other prognosticators, a little more cognizant of Yeshua’s words, but still perhaps a little too sure of themselves, say things like, “He said no man knows the day and hour … He didn’t say we can’t know the month and year!” Their different conclusions notwithstanding, both individuals from whom I have quoted thus far agree that “year 50” of the Jubilee cycle overlaps the first year of the next cycle. In other words, “year 50” and “year 1” coincide.[5]
At this point, some folks may reach the premature conclusion that I am making a “sweeping generalization” that all believers who support the“Year 50 = Year 1” method are date-setters. However, all I am making is a general observation that, to date, has consistently been true. There are bound to be some individuals out there who prove to be the “exception,” so I don’t mean to paint a broad picture of all “Year 50 = Year 1” adherents as being date-setters. Nevertheless, it all fits. Since I don’t know of anyone who is actually willing and able to fully observe the Year of Jubilee, the only reason I can imagine for attributing such prominence to this belief is the setting of dates and times. I mean, I certainly doubt that any modern-day landowners out there are going to find out who owned the land before they did and return it to their descendents during the Jubilee Year, which is what landowners would be required to do if they truly observed the Jubilee Year. There will be a few folks out there who will blow the trumpet on the Day of Atonement to announce the Year of Jubilee, and there will be believers who will not sow or reap during that year, but I highly doubt that it will go much further than that, if at all, in this day and age. Let’s face it: You’re not likely going to find any articles written about the Jubilee cycle from the perspective that we need to remember to not sow and reap during that year. Such being the case, the only reason I can think of for attributing so much significance to the Jubilee cycle that an individual would go so far as to name his ministry something akin to “Jubilee Countdown Ministries” would be to direct his followers to the dates he has come up with while conducting his personal Jubilee cycle research. Of course, those dates include the timing of the Messiah’s return.