Anniversaries of momentous events in history are useful times to remember and consider, especially in relation to the unfolding of Bible prophecy. Yet there may be something much more significant and momentous in relation to these two events. Israel’s biblical calendar was divided into periods of sevens. Every seven days was the Sabbath day, every seven years was a sabbatical year when debts were forgiven and every 7 sabbatical cycles (49 years) was the great year of jubilee when every man was free to return to his land of inheritance. These were the milestones of Israel’s national life under God’s law.

The seventh month was also significant on Israel’s calendar. On the first day of this month, there was a memorial of blowing of trumpets and a gathering together of the elders of Israel. Leviticus 23:24

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”

This was followed by the day of atonement, on the 10th day of the month. The day of atonement was also the day on which the trumpet of the jubilee sounded throughout the land of Israel. Leviticus 25:8–10, 13.

"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… In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession."

From this law concerning the jubilee, we learn that the major feature was liberty; the return of everyman to his land of inheritance and to his family. There could be many circumstances for which an Israelite could have lost possession of his land, but whatever those circumstances were, financial, health or family problems; we must remember the basis under the law, for possession of the land was the keeping of the commandments of the law. A loss of the land of inheritance, could quite likely be the result of sin.

"Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out." Leviticus 20:22

It is therefore significant that the blowing of the jubilee trumpet was on the day of atonement, the day of forgiveness and reconciliation for Israel. The jubilee then, had to do with worship and forgiveness and renewal of God’s covenant - the covenant of possession of the holy land.

Five days after the day of atonement the feast of tabernacles began. This is one of the three feasts in the year, which the children of Israel would travel to Jerusalem.

The jubilee then, was announced by a great trumpet blast throughout the land of Israel. It was a time of redemption, liberty, returning to the land of inheritance and to families. It was related to the day of atonement and so to forgiveness and the renewal of the covenant. It was therefore also connected to solemn worship, while being a time of great rejoicing. It was also a time of travel up to Jerusalem, for the feast of tabernacles.

In Isaiah 27:12-13, we read a prophecy of the time of the return of the Jews to the land and the great trumpet that will be blown.

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”

The blowing of the trumpet, the return to the land of inheritance, worshiping the Lord and travelling to Jerusalem are all features of the jubilee. Earlier in Isaiah 27 we have the forgiveness of sins for Israel, verse 9, “…by this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged.” Here then in Isaiah is a great Jubilee that will take place in the last days when the kingdom is established. There will be liberty throughout the land and everyman will return to his possession.

At the beginning of Isaiah 27 we read of the destruction of Israel’s enemies.

"In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”

The one who will destroy the enemies of Israel and possess the land, is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only through him that possession of the land can be obtained, he will proclaim liberty the the captives, and bring again the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. It is the Lord Jesus now, who is orchestrating events to bring about the establishment again of the kingdom to Israel. Some of this work is described in Revelation 16:12.

"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”

The drying up of the Euphrates symbolizes the drying up of the power of the peoples who live in the region of the Euphrates. The kings of the East, are literally in the Greek, the kings of the suns risings and are a symbol for the Lord Jesus Christ and his saints. The powers then in the region of the Euphrates are to be dried up, to make way for Christ and the saints — the little stone power, who will take possession of the land of Israel and establish the kingdom — the great jubilee.

The driving of the Ottoman Turks from Jerusalem and the issuing of the Balfour declaration in 1917, is then a major and significant event, orchestrated by the Lord Jesus Christ, in order for the introduction of the Kings of the the sun’s risings, so that liberty can be proclaimed throughout the land of Israel, the Jewish people can return and the kingdom be established. 

This is very interesting then, as it was 49 1/2 years after the liberation of Jerusalem in 1917, when in June 1967 the Jews liberated the old city of Jerusalem in 1967! We are now another 49 years after 1967 and we wonder what great event could take place in the next year, which would be another great milestone toward the establishing of the kingdom again to Israel.

With these thoughts in mind then, events in Israel in the next year could be of a major significance, or leading to an event of major significance as they did in 1917 and 1967.

We in fact do see a building up of events in Israel today. There is a large continued international push for Israel to give up the old city of Jerusalem and for there to be a Palestinian state — through the so called peace process, or two state solution. We see the people of Israel becoming more religious. Changes in the government this last week have created a government which is being called extremist and right wing. Avigdor Liberman is now defence minister and a new MK, Yehudah Glick, in the ruling Likud party. Yehudah is a national religious Jew, who is an activist for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount and a survivor of an assassination attempt. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters that:  "We have also seen reports from Israel describing it as the most right-wing coalition in Israel's history and we also know that many of its ministers have said they oppose a two-state solution”

The term “right wing” mostly refers to the position of the government on the “peace process” and as has been noted, many of the ministers in the government oppose it, as far as in giving away central Israel and East Jerusalem to the Palestinian Arabs.

We believe this build up of events in Israel is leading to the kingdom of God and the great jubilee. We watch with anticipation, to see what may transpire in the next year! Join us again next week God willing on www.bibleinthenews.com — this has been David Billington with you.