Jubilee festival

When the tribes of Israel were about to be settled in Canaan, Moses spelled out for them a new way to reckon time, as part of God's covenant with them. They were to use "Sabbaths of years" or "weeks of years" (Lev. 25). The land was to keep a Sabbath every seventh year. For a six-year period they were to grow, plant, prune, and reap (v. 3). But on the seventh year, they were to let the land "rest," not sowing grain or pruning vines (v. 4). Then everyone, the poor, the servants, the strangers (non-Israelites), the cattle, and even the animals would all enjoy whatever grew on its own, along with the blessed increase of the sixth year (vs. 5-7, 21-22).

Israel was also to reckon "seven Sabbaths of years" or "seven times seven years," which is 49 years (v. 8). During these years if an Israelite became poor and sold his possessions or his liberty into debt bondage, he could redeem himself, or any "next of kin" could redeem him and his possessions, by paying the debt as surety (v. 25-26). But if not, he would remain in debt bondage only until the forty-ninth year. Then in the year of Jubilee (fiftieth year) all would be forgiven, and he and everyone else would be free of debt and bondage. All outstanding debts were to be canceled. Lost lands would be restored. Creditor and debtor, bond holder and bond slave, were all to stand free, equal, and forgiven. Thus no one would become a wealthy landowner to the exclusion of the poor and landless.

On the tenth day of the seventh month of the forty-ninth year, the Day of Atonement, the priests would blow throughout the land long blasts (yobel) on the ram's horn (shofar), proclaiming the fiftieth year of Jubilee, to be kept holy again without sowing or reaping (v. 9-10; cf. Lev. 16). On that same day, a Jubilee Day of Atonement, the high priest as "mediator of the covenant" entered into the Most Holy Place "within the veil" and made atonement for Israel by sprinkling the blood onto the mercy seat on the ark containing the covenant (Lev. 16). Sins as well as debts were forgiven in one day. The covenant people were to forgive one another of their debts and wrongs. The year of redemption began on that same day. On a Jubilee Day of Atonement, the Lord God of Israel became Surety and Kinsman-Redeemer for all indebtedness and sin through the atoning blood on the mercy seat above the covenant. There was no default! Covenant justice and mercy could ask nothing more; the Lord himself as divine Proxy had underwritten and paid the debt. Of course, one will immediately recognize in this a representation of none other than the New Testament gospel of Jesus Christ!

Sabbatical desolation and messianic hope

There seems to be no historical evidence that ancient Israel ever kept this beautiful festival. Instead, they repeatedly forsook God's covenant "till there was no remedy" except the Babylonian captivity (2 Chron. 36:16,17), just as they had been warned (Lev. 26:14-46). For every "week of years" (7 years) that Israel forsook God's covenant, the Lord said the land would have to keep Sabbath (1 year) in desolation while the people were in captivity "to fulfill her Sabbaths; for as long as the land lies desolate it keeps Sabbath" (Lev. 26:33-35).

In Daniel's covenant vision (Dan. 8:1-14), he hears of the final "vindication of the sanctuary" after seeing a preternatural "little horn" attack the "glorious" land, assault "the host of heaven," and throw down and trample some of the stars and "host" to the ground. He sees the "little horn" self-magnify against the "Prince of the host," take away from him "the daily [hatamid]" sanctuary rites, cast down "the place of his sanctuary," and set up "the desolating transgression" [hapesha' shemem] (cf. Isa. 14; Rev. 12). As Gabriel explains the vision Daniel sickens, and some details are left unexplained for a time.

As the "70 years" of exile drew to a close, Daniel in earnest prayer appealed to God's covenant righteousness on behalf of Jerusalem and the sanctuary (Dan. 9:1-20; cf. Lev. 26). Gabriel (Dan. 9:23-27) explains the vision of Daniel 8 in covenant Jubilee terms. Another "seventy weeks" of years, or 10 Jubilees, are decreed for Daniel's people and holy city to "quell [kala'] the transgression [hapesha'], to seal an end [khatam] of sins, to atone [kaphar] for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness [tzedeq, from the same root as nitzdaq of Dan. 8:14], to seal an end [khatam] of vision and prophecy, and to anoint a Most Holy [qodesh qadashim]" (v. 24). Daniel 9:24 combines the key elements of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) and dedication (Num. 7; Lev. 8-9) in a Jubilee Day of Atonement (Lev. 25-26) setting, and in this way describes the final vindication [nitzdaq] of the sanctuary (1).

Jerusalem would be rebuilt in "seven weeks," or one Jubilee (49 years). After "seven weeks and sixty-two weeks" (69 weeks) will appear "Messiah a Prince" (i.e., Prince of the host) who would be "cut off and left with nothing." The people of "a coming prince" (i.e., little horn) would destroy both "city and sanctuary" and until the end desolations were decreed (vs. 25-26). This would occur in the final seventieth sabbatical week, when covenant would be confirmed with many (v. 27). In the half of the week (first 3 1/2 times), he "shall put a Sabbath end [yeshebuat] to sacrifice and offering" (i.e., the taking away of "the daily"). Upon "the outskirts" would be "the abominations of a desolator (i.e., little horn) even until the end" (final 3 1/2 times). Finally, "what is decreed" would "pour out upon the desolator."

The gospel feast (New Testament) since AD 31

Around 27 AD, Jesus announced, "The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand..." (Mark 1:15), an obvious reference to the "seventy weeks" of Daniel 9. About AD 31 Jesus was crucified, buried, arose from the dead and ascended to the throne of God. By so doing he accomplished several things, including:

1. Judgment of the world. The lifting up of Christ on the cross was the "judgment of this world" when its "prince...[was] cast outside" (John 12:31-32; 16:11, cf. Rev. 12). When "cut off and left with nothing" by the greatest assault of Satan the real "little horn," Christ put "a Sabbath end to sacrifice and offering" (cf. Heb. 10:1-22). The hour of God's judgment came with the public display of Christ as Mercy Seat ['ilastyrion] in the Jubilee redemption verdict of justification for all who believe (Rom. 3:4, 21-25, cf. Rev. 14:6-7). Jesus' "kingdom prayer" (Matt. 6:9-13) is an eschatological Jubilee Day of Atonement prayer proclaiming forgiveness for indebtedness in heaven and on earth ever since.

2. Entrance into the Most Holy. As the ancient "high priest enter[ed] into the Holiest [ta 'agia] every year with blood not his own," so also at his ascension our great "High Priest entered into the Holiest [ta 'agia] once for all not by the blood of he-goats and calves but by his own blood having secured eternal redemption [Jubilee]" (Heb. 9:11-12, 25). Christ purchased that eternal rest signified by the Sabbath when he "passed through the heavens" to the "throne of grace" and "entered within the innermost veil" (Heb. 4:4,10,14,16; 6:19-20). In one redemptive act he both "cleansed" and "dedicated a new and living way through the veil," making atonement once for all (Heb. 1:3; 9:11-12, 23-28; 10:14, 19-22).

3. Heavenly judgment and justification by faith. At his ascension, the eschatological Son of man "came with clouds" to "the Ancient of Days to receive his kingdom" (Dan. 7:13-14; Mark 14:62; Acts 1:9-11). Since then believers in Jesus have entered into the heavenly pre-Advent judgment and found perfect justification in Jesus their Mediator (Rom. 3:1-5:1; Heb. 12:22-24; 1 Tim. 5:24). "For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). Likewise all who died in faith before Christ have already been justified and declared perfect in that judgment (Heb. 11-12:22-24; cf. Rev. 12:5-12; 14:6-7; 1 Pet. 4:17).

The real eschatological gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world, and then the long-delayed Advent will come (Matt. 24:14). Forgotten truths that we as Seventh-day Adventists have only begun to recover since 1844, Scripture proclaims to be true since Christ's death and resurrection.

When we recover justification by faith in its covenant Christ-centered prophetic framework, we discover the only gospel and sanctuary doctrine Scripture knows anything about. Christians will someday advance beyond limiting atonement theories and inadequate prophetic schemata. Then the only true gospel will be preached- Jesus our Proxy paid our debt, threw the accuser out of court, and declared righteous both God and believing sinners ever since, and yes, he's coming back for his own! Why not in our day? Why not our generation?

Lee Greer is a Ph.D. candidate in Biology at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA. www.jesusinstituteforum.org.

1 This linking of Jubilee Day of Atonement, judgment, restoration, and Messiah as Melchizedek king-high priest was made in the Melchizedek fragment (11Q13) from Qumran (1st century BC-AD) and of course in the book of Hebrews. (Compare also Isa. 61, 63 and Jesus' citation of Isa. 61 in Luke 4).