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LAW OF THE JUBILEE Henry W. Stough, D. D. On the Liberty Bell is Philadelphia, the Bell which announced Independence of the Colonies on July 4, 1776, there is cast, "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto ALL the inhabitants thereof," a quotation from Leviticus 25:10. This is a curious fact inasmuch as the bell was first cast in England, and was broken and re-cast in Philadelphia in 1753, some 23, years before it pealed out the birth of national freedom. This verse is the gist of the Law of Jubilee and would seem from its presence on the Bell to be most closely identified with the American Nation. THE FIFTIETH CYCLE The rest of the verse, which is not cast upon the Liberty Bell, reads, “It shall be a Jubilee unto you! and ye all return EVERY MAN UNTO HIS POSSESSION, and YE SHALL RETURN EVERY MAN UNTO HIS FAMILY." The seventh Day, the seventh Week, the seventh Month, the seventh Year is followed in Divine Law by the seven times Seventh Year-- "A Year of Shouting" which is the meaning of Jubilee, the year of restoration of the land to the original and rightful owners. Restoration of Land meant a limit to land ownership other than inheritance, and thus prevented landlordism, the accumulation of vast estates, such as has resulted since through disobedience to or ignorance of this Law: In Europe the growth of Feudalism which has made the people serfs; in Russia the proletariats; in England and Ireland the vast estates and landlordism with the masses of the poor; in Scotland the shooting and hunting preserves with thousands virtually homeless in the cities. Revolution has been the eventual result and the abolition of Feudalism ever since World War I; as in Russia, where the people suffered the injustices for centuries, until they finally became strong enough to overthrow the tyrants. In America we have seen these TWO TITANIC FORCES in a death grapple: the Feudalism of mortgage-foreclosure gradually confiscating farms, homes and other properties, the titles of which passing to great corporations or to the Government, with the People madly struggling to retain their rights. This Law of the Jubilee automatically destroyed such an iniquitous system and its source of wealth. The land-lord could not retain rights nor titles beyond the 50-year cycle-- "Ye shall return every man unto HIS possession" (vs. 10), and which added, "And ye shall return EVERY MAN unto his family," if his debts had curtailed his liberties. PROVISION OF VALUES Real estate values were based upon the number of years elapsing "According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it," vs. 16. That is, if the transfer takes place soon after one Jubilee is closed, the price is higher and scaled down with each following year. Real Estate prices could not be boosted by booms which so nearly wrecked Florida, nor depressed, such as was universal at the last decade. Value was based upon the number of harvests-- "According unto the number of years of the fruits (Harvests) he shall sell unto thee," vs. 15, 16. Land values are based upon productivity, the increase, which is the standard of wealth and value. Warnings are twice given, vs. 14 and 17--"Ye shall NOT OPPRESS one another," that is, by fixing an artificial or speculative price upon it for unjust, exorbitant and quick wealth-producing methods. Under this Law, land transfers could be made by an owner on these terms between the Jubilees. In some cases an owner might not care to cultivate his land for any one of a number of reasons. Thus such transfers would make the land profitable for both the seller and the purchaser. LAND TITLES "The Land shall not be sold forever, for THE LAND IS MINE," for the Israel owners were but temporary tenants— “for ye are strangers and sojourners with Me," vs. 23. Further proof is-- "And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a Redemption for the land," vs. 24. That is, there is sales redemption for the land as there is redemption needed for the people themselves. God's ownership claims are based upon creation, for as Creator He automatically becomes Owner. This is stated and re-stated throughout the Bible "The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein, for He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." Psa. 24: 1, 2. The procedure in Redemption between the Jubilees is: If poverty occasion a land sale and the original owner "be waxen poor, so that he cannot redeem it, and if none of his kin are able, then either he must acquire the amount to repay the years from the date the land was purchased, or if unable, the land must remain in the hands of the purchaser until the year of Jubilee, vs. 25 - 28. Thus perfect justice is done the purchaser who gets the harvests and to the owner who receives his purchase price based upon the number of harvests. The exception is made, for some reason, in the case of the owner of a house in a walled city, probably an "Incorporated" city, for ONE year is the limit of redemption, vs. 29, and the failure to avail of this opportunity to reclaim the house permits the purchaser to acquire a permanent title, which is not to be relinquished in the year of Jubilee, vs. 30. Other houses in villages are counted as "Field of the country," vs. 31, or probably "Unincorporated villages." This underlying reason for this difference toward city property is that there may be city improvements which are ever necessary in an incorporated city which the purchaser must meet in the form of "Tithes," thus enhancing and increasing the value of it over the original purchase price. The cities and houses of the Levites could be redeemed at any time, vs. 32, and always go back in the Jubilee, vs. 33, because the Levites had no other possessions as the other tribes had, vs. 33. Their suburbs cannot be sold at any time, for these are their gardens and fields which furnish their livelihood, vs. 34, while they act as Public Servants, or the Officials of the Government. Thus God protects the property of those who administer His Kingdom Law. LAW OF PROTECTION The temptation was then, as it is now, to relieve a citizen who is in need, by lending him money at INTEREST. This is to overlook a great Kingdom principle, that A CITIZEN'S FINANCIAL CONDITION IS A COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY. He must not be left at the mercy of fellow citizens, or "That he may live with thee," vs. 35. A bankrupt citizen must be rehabilitated, or relieved that he may not become a permanent charge or liability upon the state. "Thou shalt relieve him… Take thou NO INTEREST of him, or Increase (Profit, or Harvest Wealth); Thou shalt not give him thy money upon USURY (INTEREST), nor lend him thy victuals for INCREASE" (PROFIT), vs. 35-37. There are TWO reasons for this: First, "Fear thy God," vs. 36. "I AM the Lord thy God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt," when Israel was in bondage. Renting money is to bring your brother into abject slavery, for it was the payment of money, then of cattle and herds, then of farm implements, then of lands in the time of the Famine which culminated in the slavery of the Egyptians to Pharaoh. Renting money will finally bring you again, as it literally did in Egypt, into Physical SLAVERY. This warning of God was vividly proven, on the return of the Jews from Babylon, when they literally foreclosed mortgages upon their brother Benjamites' sons and daughters and made them slaves until stopped by Nehemiah (Neh. 5). Thus God in His Law afforded protection to the debtor even though, for reasons otherwise than interest and foreclosure, he may be brought into economic bondage. Then he can only be regarded as "a hired servant," but not as a "bondservant," vs. 39, 40. The limit then is the year of Jubilee--"As an hired servant and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee and shall serve thee unto the year of Jubilee; and then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him and shall return unto HIS OWN family and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return," vs. 41. Not even slaves from surrounding nations can be mistreated. "Ye shall serve yourselves with them," vs. 46 (Heb. margin). These are made servants by their own choice-- "of them shall ye buy," vs. 45. PROCLAMATION OF LIBERTY The Jubilee Restoration of the Land Titles is "To proclaim Liberty throughout ALL the land unto ALL the inhabitants thereof," for this Year of Shouting declares that livelihood and wealth are derived from the land. To deprive any from ownership and use of the land is to force such into poverty and bring ultimate disaster and destruction upon the nation. The Land, therefore, is basal to all other possessions, even to Labor. In the last analysis every man lives upon or from the soil, and must have enough for economic independence for this purpose. Deprivation of the Land means Bondage, while Land Restoration means LIBERTY throughout ALL the land and unto ALL the citizens. No wonder this is called the year of Jubilee or SHOUTING. LAW OF PROTECTION Look at our nation now-- approximately 85% renters and the number increasing every day with foreclosures. Landlords-- the modern Feudal Barons, the Renters are the modern Serfs! Where titles have not passed, the monster Interest is devouring slowly these possessions. It is therefore simply a matter of time until Landlordism is universal and also tyrannical as now shows itself in ruthless evictions of the one-time, but now defaulting owners. Not the least disaster was the loss of the homes, farms, businesses, etc., but the loss of MORALE until the people became more or less hopeless and robbed of incentive. More than Farm Loan Bureaus were required as long as the violations of Kingdom Law against Money Rental continues! Under this wicked and ungodly system the Government itself must protect its loans by foreclosures when loans are defaulted as has been going on until the Government is the Greatest Landlord of all. FEAST OF TRUMPETS Each yearly fall fast was ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, which sounded the gathering together of the Tribes; this was followed by the Day of Atonement, or National Repentance and a Return to God, then was observed the Feast of Tabernacles. Thus began the Year of Jubilee, "Then shalt thou cause the Trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the Day of Atonement, shall ye make the Trumpet sound throughout the land," Lev. 25:9. Basil Stewart points out, "The First Jubilee year was the year when the Israelites under Joshua crossed the Jordan and took the city of Jericho, in 1446 B.C., signified by the blowing of trumpets of the Jubilee (mistranslated "ram's horns" in the Authorized Version; correctly given in Fenton's Bible, Joshua 6: 4). precisely a period of SIXTY-NINE Jubilees, (1446 and 193* minus 1 is 3381 years; divide by 49, and the result is 69). The era of the Second Advent (of Jesus Christ), therefore, falls within the 70th Jubilee which compares, by analogy, with the 70 weeks of Daniel and the First Advent. (Messiah came when the 69 weeks had been completed, and in the course of the 70th, seven always being the sign of completion)." 1936, therefore, ushers in an Era beginning the 70th Jubilee, which is associated with the coming of Jesus Christ as King over Israel. When He comes, "THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND," Cor. 15: 52, and 1 Thess. 4: 16, and there will begin the restoration of Israel under the Kingdom Law. What a great era is awaiting Anglo-Israel, when we return to the Lord and His Just, Merciful and Righteous t Laws! We shall then understand the words of the Master when He said, "Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness!" NEW SERMON
#10820, LAW OF THE JUBILEE New Christian Crusade Church |
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