Chapter 15 The Eightieth Jubilee - Yom Kippur 1973

Before passing on, it is only right to draw attention to a further confirmation that the day of Christ's Resurrection was a Monday, and not a Sunday, as Christendom has held for so many centuries.

Between the hour of our Lord's ascension to His Father on the Monday morning, to present Himself and those raised with Him as the 'sheaf of the firstfruits' (Leviticus 23:10, cp John 20:17) and the hour of His departure, when He ascended back into the heavens on Saturday, June 13th, AD 33, was a measure of exactly forty days. It has often puzzled students of Scripture why, it should have been stated in Acts 1:12 that it was 'a Sabbath day's journey' from 'the mount called Olivet' to Jerusalem, as the disciples returned after the Ascension - if, as Christendom has universally asserted, the Ascension was on a Friday.

When the Holy Ghost caused Luke to write in Acts 1: 3, that Jesus 'was seen of them forty days' after His Resurrection, He was measuring the period exactly to the hour, and we can thank God that we now know that Jesus did ascend on a Jewish Sabbath. We also know that 'when the day of Pentecost was fully come' (Acts 2:1) (nine days later) it was a Monday in our calendar; the multitude who had gathered for the Jewish festival the previous day not having yet dispersed.

In earlier chapters we have seen how gloriously the God of Israel stretched forth His hand to deliver His people at the fiftieth jubilee (that is, 50 times 49 years from Adam in the Redemption Chronology). And we stated that, although Israel lost their 80th Jubilee (AD 33) because of their rejection of their Messiah, yet it was perfectly fulfilled for everyone, Jew or Gentile, who has believed in Jesus as risen from the dead.

God celebrated the year of Jubilee at the Exodus, by letting His people go, on the 15th day of the 7th month. Then, when we come to the 490th year after the Exodus in this Jubilee Chronology, we see the glory of God filling the House of the Lord again on the same day, that is, at the feast of the seventh month (Tabernacles) - see 1 Kings 8:1-11 . Again, after Nehemiah had restored the gates and wall of Jerusalem in 458 BC , we find the same feast of the seventh month was kept with great joy, even though there had been a lapse in its observance (by not dwelling in booths) 'since the days of Joshua' - see Nehemiah 8: 14-17.

So, when we come to AD 33, we need to ask, 'How did the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ perfectly fulfil this greatest of all Jubilees, without which none of the previous Jubilees could have had full significance?'

The Jubilee Still on Time!

Surely enough, when we come to the '10th of the 7th month' at the close of the 'seventy times seven' years (the 'seventy weeks' of Daniel 9:24) and have had our eyes opened to see the great hidden 'Day of Atonement', four days before the Crucifixion, we are thrilled at what we read in each of the Gospels. When the Lord spoke to Moses in Leviticus 25: 9, He instructed that the trumpet of (lit.) 'joyful sound' should be heard on 'the day of atonement.' It was to be, indeed, the day of loud and uninhibited rejoicing.

And so it was, on that 27th of April in AD 33, for we read in Luke 19: 37, that 'the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.' And when the Pharisees wanted this outcry to cease, Jesus answered: 'I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out' (verse 40). So for the disciples it was, indeed, a real 'Jubilee' celebration, and the Spirit of God focused their eyes on the coming of the Messianic Kingdom which, if the Jewish leaders had not rejected Him, should have opened as from that very day.

It was not likely that the great adversary of God and man would let this occasion go unchallenged, and we know that within four days another cry had arisen from the multitude - 'Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him' (John 19: 15). That was on Friday, May 1st; in the Lord's personal calendar, the 14th day of the 7th month.

And as it drew on to the evening of that Friday, when the 15th day was due to open, there was, indeed, 'the shout of a King,' (Numbers 23:21) but, within moments, the great Redeemer bowed His head in death.

What then of the patterning of the Almighty - had Satan triumphed and were the people who had rejected their Messiah to forfeit their Year of Jubilee forever?

No, a million times, No! But the God of Israel would suspend their Jubilee for two thousand years. This delay had actually been spoken of in Hosea 6:2, as 'two days' in the words: 'after two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.' How clearly God had foreseen the rejection of the Messiah by His chosen people!

Let us now take a further look at the way in which this 14th day of the 7th month (the Jews' 14th Nisan) had ended, and take account of the sign which God had given - 'a sign in the sun'. For the last three hours prior to the death of Jesus, 'there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened' (Luke 23:44-45).

What was God saying in this? We believe these last three hours had a special significance. For the previous three years, ever since Jesus made His first appearance in Jerusalem, when He cleansed the Temple with 'a scourge of small cords' at the time of the Jews' Passover in AD 30 (see John 2: 13-17), their animosity against Him had increased, and soon, as we discover from John 5:16-18 & 7:1, they 'sought to slay Him.' His ministry was rejected by them and, in effect, what they did was to put out 'the light of the world' (John 8:12).

Because of this enmity of the leaders of His own people, it is true to say that for three years the Son of David had 'walked in the valley of the shadow of death' (Psalm 23:4) - and in the end had actually been put to death by them. As a result, 'that which was spoken by the prophet Joel' (see chapter 2:31) was fulfilled, and 'the sun was turned into darkness.' This, however, was not all and a further sign was to follow for, as Peter testified on the Day of Pentecost, 'the moon was turned into blood' (Acts 2: 20).

The Two Days of the Lunar Sign

The significance of this 'sign in the moon' is vastly greater than is generally assumed, but for the present we will take the simple surface meaning of the expression: 'the moon (shall be turned) into blood.'

When an understanding was granted as to the exact time and duration of the death and burial of Jesus, it came to light that the moon was turned into blood over the two 'feast' days - the Jews' feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Jews' 'first day of the weeks', when they waved the Sheaf of the Firstfruits of their harvest before the Lord, together with a lamb for a burnt offering (see Leviticus 23: 10-14). These Jewish 'feasts' God refused to recognise, but they formed a type, as already shown, each 'day' as 'a thousand years' (2 Peter 3:8), representing 'the times of the Gentiles' (Luke 21:24) during which the Jews would be in dispersion, after being cast out of the land.

This was clearly prophesied in Amos 8: 9-10 where we read: 'I will cause the sun to go down (lit. 'in') at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: and I will turn your feasts into mourning ... and I will make it as the mourning of an only son.'

So, by turning the moon 'into blood' over those two days, while the body of His only Son was lying in the Sepulchre, God was really giving a 'sign' of the nature of the two thousand lunar years which would follow the death of Israel's Messiah. He would certainly 'turn the feasts' of the Jews 'into mourning,' and who can begin to measure the sufferings of that outcast people, as history has recorded them, from the Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 to the present day? It would, indeed, be a history of bloodshed, and the supreme effort of Satan to destroy that people in the days of Adolf Hitler would result in the removal of an entire third part of their whole world population from the earth.

The Eightieth Jubilee

Jesus was raised from the dead at midnight on May 3rd - that is, at the opening of the Roman day of May 4th - AD 33, which the Gospel writers call 'the first (day) of the weeks'. In the sight of His Father, '(Who did not reckon the time of His death and entombment) this day can have been no other than the 15th of the 7th month. It was certainly this date in the calendar of His life in this world, that is, if the whole of the day on which Jesus was born - October 29th, 1 BC - is taken as the beginning of His 33 years, 6 months and 14 days to His death. (This calendar reckoning has to begin at 6pm October 28th, 1 BC).

Hallelujah! 'And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a Jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man to his possession, and ye shall return every man to his family' (Leviticus 25: 10).

What could be more wonderful than to discover that this great 'year of release' - this year which followed immediately on 'the Day of Atonement' at the end of 49 years - had really looked on to the resurrection of Jesus our Lord from the dead! And this at the close of the last great era of 'seventy weeks' (or 10 x 49 years) which God had sent Gabriel to reveal to the prophet Daniel. In His death our glorious Lord and Saviour had, indeed, 'made an end of sins, and made reconciliation (lit. atonement) for iniquity and, (in His own person) brought in everlasting righteousness' (see Daniel 9: 24). And the very next day of His life - and, praise God, it was now life beyond the grave - was the opening of that mysterious year, 'the fiftieth year' which (as shown in our Dan 7) could never be reckoned as an addition to time, because it spoke of eternal life, and all that Redemption really implies. Oh, hallelujah!

We will not now enlarge further on the meaning and vast significance of the Year of Jubilee, as our purpose is to reveal what we believe is an aspect of our Lord's personal calendar in which He can be seen to have perfectly and gloriously fulfilled 'the feasts of the Lord' pertaining to the 'first' and 'seventh' months, as these are outlined for us in Leviticus 23: 4-8 and 34-36. But before doing so, we must again make special reference to the great Day of Atonement which God secretly designed to fall on April 27th, AD 33, as already shown.

The Day of Atonement and the Two Thousand Years

Towards the end of our Chapter 13, it was shown how simply and wonderfully the Redeemer figuratively enacted the covering of His people. He had 'need' of the ass's colt (see Exodus 13:13) and then, when His disciples had covered it with their own garments, we read that 'they set Him thereon.' He covered the ass, which represented them (see Job 11:12) and with which they had identified themselves by clothing it with their own raiment. We believe it is clear that when Jesus arrived at 'the hour', so strongly emphasised in John 12: 23-33, from which He could look ahead exactly four days to the actual hour of His death, then He uttered the words: 'The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified.'

Let us ask what hour was it which called forth the words, 'Now is My soul troubled (or afflicted); and what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour": but for this cause came I unto this hour. "Father, glorify Thy name".' It was then that a voice came from Heaven saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." It was after this that Jesus declared: 'Now is the judgment of this world.'

'The hour' of His death, four days thereafter on May 1st, was 'the ninth hour', as Mark's Gospel tells us, and that was between two and three in the afternoon (chapter 15:33-34).

'The hour is come'

Yom Kippur - October 6th 1973 at 2 pm Those who had watched every phase of world history since 1914, with their eyes on the Bible's amazingly timed chronology, were not surprised to be alerted several days before October 6th 1973 by the knowledge that the God of Israel could by no means pass the end of two thousand years from the Cross of Jesus without showing His hand in some dramatic way.

These 2,000 lunar years contain 708,734 days, or 1,940 solar years and 162 days in our calendar, and if they are measured from the 'hour' of 2 pm on April 27th AD 33, they will be found to end at 2 pm on October 6th, which was Israel's Day of Atonement in 1973; that is, they spanned the exact time between two Days of Atonement - the one known only to God, and the other the accepted date observed by modern Israel, the tenth day of Tisri, which is their seventh month.

Although it was kept a complete secret beforehand by the Arab leaders involved, exactly at that hour the terrific artillery barrage simultaneously burst out on both the Syrian and Egyptian fronts; and, as many will remember, Israelis had to rush from their Yom Kippur services in their synagogues, and make a dash for their tanks, planes or trucks. It is reported that among the last words they heard from the Hebrew Prayer Book, before the alarm was given, were these:

'On the Fast Day of Atonement it is sealed ... who is to perish by fire, who by water, who by the sword ...' That war was amazing in every respect and the Jews call it, so we are told, 'The War of the Day of Judgment.' The events of it are too well known to rehearse here, but those who take an interest in the exact timing of world affairs will be asking, 'Did the God of Israel take account of the end of these 2,000 lunar years when they spanned the distance between the day of our Lord's Resurrection and the equivalent point in the Middle East War?'

Let us put this question more clearly. The greatest 'offence' Israel ever perpetrated against their God (which appears to be referred to in Hosea 5:15) was the putting to death of their Messiah, and John 12: 10-11 shows their religious leaders finally plotted this on April 27th AD 33. As this was with God His true, though hidden, Day or Atonement, He at once measured forward the great span of 'two days' (see Hosea 6:2) or 2,000 exact lunar years, to end on the Jews' Day of Atonement at the precise moment when the firing broke out in all its fury, on October 6th 1973.

Then, just as there had been six days between April 27th and the midnight of May 3rd AD 33 when, as 'the resurrection and the life' (John 11:25), Jesus had turned the tables upon death, so God allowed the fearful conflict of the Yom Kippur War to continue until Friday, October 12th, when the Israelis had become desperate for arms, ammunition and supplies. Their opposition to being forced to accept a cease-fire was furious, but they had to be ready to agree in the end. By this Friday, in consultation with the superpowers of Russia and America and with Egypt, Henry Kissinger was sure that he could force a cease-fire in situ. But at midnight the British Foreign Office realised that Egypt was not really ready to accept. Indeed, on the morning of October 13th President Sadat confirmed this. Egypt wanted to fight on to attain a still better position, before any cease-fire, and to bring Israel to her knees.

It was this continuation of hostilities that compelled America to decide at once to send Israel an immense air-lift of supplies and ammunition, replacing what she had lost in this first week of fighting, and this they did. The result, as is well known, was that by mid-week the Israelis managed to cross the Suez Canal and a week later, by the 23rd October, they had cut off supplies and water to the Egyptian Third Army.

What we have seen then is the most amazing spectacle - the same God Who had operated in 1948 to bring Israel to nationhood exactly 4,000 years from His covenant of Genesis 15, made in 2053 BC - the God Who had fought for Israel in the Six Day War of 1967 , when Jerusalem ceased to be 'trodden down by the Gentiles' (Luke 21:24) - this God, in 1973, had now literally timed the appalling blow suddenly struck without warning by Egypt and Syria which, to put it mildly, would have knocked Israel right out if their enemies had been given a free hand to fight on, and if further supplies and arms had been delayed in coming through from the USA.

Why then did the Lord God allow this affliction to fall upon His ancient people? ('Ancient' because of the covenant relationship God established with Israel four thousand years ago). I read these words from Leviticus 23: 29 relating to the law of the Day of Atonement:

'For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.'

'But', a million Jewish voices will at once exclaim, 'Israel was fasting and keeping their Day of Atonement, and afflicting their souls on October 6th 1973, at the very hour when the war broke out.' We would agree, but how many among them remembered the fact that for two thousand years Jesus had been abhorred and despised by their nation whose rulers had delivered Him to be crucified by the Romans in AD 33? They certainly were not 'afflicting their souls' in repentance because of what they had done to Him!

Yes, everything depends upon whether or not Jesus was, and is, the Son of the Living God, and Israel's promised Redeemer. The Gentiles have said that 'God is dead,' but Israel should know better, and the facts presented in this book relating the two Days of Atonement - the hidden one in AD 33 and the one the nation kept in 1973 - should, if proved to be true, provide sufficient answer. God would have His Jewish people to consider - the Messiah is not dead, He is alive for evermore!

We must not attempt to deal with the question of responsibility for the death of Jesus; but all should remember one vital point. Luke (in his Gospel 22: 6), informs us that the Messiah was betrayed and taken to Israel's chief priests and scribes 'in the absence of the multitude.' It seems clear that the time has now come for the people (the multitude) of Israel to study their Scriptures and to pray, not only for themselves, but for their leaders, that enlightenment as to the actual truth of God's Word may be granted to every sincere and seeking heart. For it has been no small matter for the nation to lose nearly 2,500 precious lives in the Yom Kippur War with Syria and Egypt and to find themselves in their present position of economic and geo-political precariousness.

It may be easy for man to say, 'no more war' and this, indeed, is the universal desire of the peoples of the world and will ultimately find fulfilment at the return of the 'Prince of Peace' (Isaiah 9:6) - following what is called 'the Supper of the Great God' in Revelation 19:17. But before all this, as we know from 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-10, there is to be a last great effort of man after 'peace and safety', prior to an outbreak of judgment from which there will be no escape, and of which the Second World War was but a shadow.

However, as the world knows, there is no hope of either peace or safety in the present hour, unless the continuous strife over the boundaries of Israel can be calmed and healed by a solution which is satisfactory to both Jew and Arab. Perhaps we are about to see that calm Figure, hitherto 'asleep on a pillow, in the hinder part of the ship' rise up and utter His rebuke to the threatening wind and waves, saying to the sea (of the nations), 'Peace, be still' (see Mark 4: 37-41).

We shall make no further comment on the Divine reasons for allowing the Yom Kippur War, as far as Israel is concerned, but must turn at once to watch its effect upon the civilised world. Over that very weekend, which was 2,000 years from the resurrection of Christ, a new situation developed in the Middle East, and already Egyptian and Saudi Arabian Oil experts were commencing to discuss ways in which their 'Oil Weapon' might be used against Israel. How little did the nations dream that (after the 'two days' of a thousand years) a 'third day' had been reached in world history.

'As a Thief in the Night'

(2 Peter 3:10) No one needs to be reminded of the economic difficulties into which the so-called Christian nations have been plunged as a result of the Arab oil embargo of 1973. One thing is clear - (or should be clear to all who pay the least attention to the strong exhortation of 2 Peter 3: 8, that we should 'not be ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years ...' ) - and that is this, that measured from the death of Christ, 'two days' had passed and therefore that a 'third day' had come in October 1973. And for the civilised world that 'day' came 'as a thief in the night' (1 Thessalonians 5: 2-6). Have any attempted to estimate the financial loss to the western nations which has been occasioned since the Yom Kippur War?

The Church of God, practically as a whole, has no knowledge of these things because they have not understood how to 'watch' for the coming of the 'day of the Lord.' In the foreknowledge of God, all Christendom is depicted in Matthew 25: 1-13 as 'ten virgins' or bridesmaids who are well-equipped with 'lamps', but only half of whom have taken 'oil' (signifying the Holy Spirit) with them, as they settle down to wait for the Bridegroom's arrival. Before long, however, all are overcome with sleep. But the Parable shows that at the hour of 'midnight' they were awakened by a cry, and one and all became aware of the need to 'trim their lamps', i.e. to get their profession and their testimony in line with the Holy Spirit's requirements in relation to the Lord's appearing.

Who can doubt that this end-time awakening has already begun with a multitude of individuals the world over. These, indeed, are busy with the trimming of their lamps and delight in the ever brighter burning of their 'oil.' But we must now return to consider 'the hidden things' in AD 33.

Chapter 16 Jesus Keeps the Feasts of First and Seventh Months

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