Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Part 2 Event Timeline Description

Transcription

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you, the land will observe a Sabbath to Yahweh. You may sow your field for six years, and you may prune your vineyard and gather its produce for six years. But there will be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land in the seventh year, a Sabbath to Yahweh: you are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. (Leviticus 25:1-4) Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Part 2 Event Timeline Description Mike Snell Copyright 2014

2 Sabbatical and Jubilee Analysis - Part 2 Event Timeline Description and Methodology Table of Contents Executive Summary Year Sabbatical Records...5 Sabbatical & Jubilee Historical Events...6 Background...7 Purpose...7 Timeline Integrity...7 Section 4 Yahshua s Ministry (see Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline)...9 Key Dates...9 Jubilee Year Abandoned Year Sabbatical Cycle Records (no 50 th year Jubilee recorded) Synchronization of 49 Year and 50 Year Cycles Year verses 50 Year Sabbatical Dates Comparison Section 2 - Fall of Judah (Southern Kingdom) Background Sieges and Deportations Ezekiel s Vision Conclusions Sabbatical and Jubilee Years Additional Sabbatical Events Jeremiah Redeems Hanameel s Land Zedekiah Proclaims Liberty for Hebrew Slaves Other Resources Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline Section 1 - Fall of Israel Section 2 - Fall of Judah Section 3 - Post Exile Section 4 Yahshua s Ministry Section 5 Current Era /6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 1

3 Table 1 - Ez 40:1-25th yr of captivity & 14th yr after fall of Jerusalem Table 2 - Hoshea (N Kingdom - Israel) & Hezekiah (S Kingdom - Judah) - Fall of Samaria Table 3 - Yahshua's Birth and Crucifixion Table 4-15th yr of Tiberius (2 year co-regency with Augustus) Table 5 - BCE to CE Transition Table 6-2nd Exile Release & Nehemiah Release Table 7 - Passover Dates - Abib 14 - Wednesday Options (Hebrew Calendar Calculator) Jubilee Years - Creation through 6000 Years Sabbatical & Jubilee Years BCE through Today /6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 2

4 Sabbatical and Jubilee Analysis - Part 2 Event Timeline Description and Methodology So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ez 22:30) Disclaimer The conclusions reached in this document have been thoroughly researched; however they represent the informed opinion of the author. As the reader, you are responsible to prove whether these things be so. Acts 17:11 Executive Summary The Sabbatical and Jubilee instructions are found in Lev 25:1-55, Deut 15:1-18 and Deut 31: These instructions provide: 1. An easy to understand 50 year repeating implementation schedule. a. Instructions to count the 49 Sabbatical years. b. Instructions to count the 50 th Jubilee years. 2. Agricultural sowing and reaping practices. 3. Sabbatical year farming practices. 4. When and how to proclaim the Jubilee year. 5. Property redemption rights. 6. Inheritance rights. 7. Forgiveness of debt. 8. Creditor responsibilities and practices. 9. Bondman and hired servant practices. 10. Transactions with brothers verses foreigners. 11. Kinsman redeemer regulations. 12. Proration of debt. 13. Promises for obedience. 14. Completion and gratuity instructions for Sabbatical release. These instructions were given to Moses at Mount Sinai prior to the Israelites going into the Promised Land in 1406 BCE (unsubstantiated). After the Israelites conquered the Canaanites, started to farm the land and keep the Sabbatical instructions given by Yahweh through Moses, the earliest first observed Sabbatical would have been no earlier than 1396 BCE. There is minimal Biblical historical evidence directly proving that Israel maintained the observance of the originally commanded 50 year Sabbatical/Jubilee system. Interestingly, there are a number of scriptures that reference the practice in an indirect way. For example, in Deut 31:10-13, Moses commanded them, saying: "At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before Yahweh your Elohim in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear Yahweh your Elohim and carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear Yahweh your Elohim as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess." 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 3

5 The reading of the law at the Feast of Tabernacles was commanded as a reminder of the importance of Yahweh s Sabbatical law. There are several Old Testament examples of this command being performed, which are included in the Sabbatical and Jubilee Event Timeline. Although inconsistent, we find examples of reading of the law during the 1 st Temple period from 953 BCE (Sabbatical year) until its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar s army in 587 BCE. There is however, substantial Biblical record that the Israelites did not properly keep the Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle. Yahweh states in 2 Chron 36:20-21, And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. Since the 50 year Sabbatical and Jubilee cycle had not been consistently observed, Judah would be taken captive in order to let the land rest. This would include a total of 442 years of missed Sabbatical/Jubilee years. We know the captivity started in 587 BCE. Adding 442 years to 587 equals 1029 BCE. This dates to the time King Saul. We can conclude that the Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle was neglected or improperly observed from 587 BCE as far back as King Saul in 1029 BCE and is the symptomatic reason Yahweh sent Judah into exile. After the destruction of Solomon s Temple in 587 BCE and the 70 year exile of Judah, Nehemiah and Ezra returned to rebuild the temple in 539 BCE. The second Temple was dedicated with a renewed zeal by the returning Jews and the 50 year Sabbatical/Jubilee was once again observed until 374 BCE. In 331 BCE, Alexander s army defeated Persian King Darius III and gained total control of the Persian Empire including the land of the tribes Israel. Alexander s Greek influence forever changed the administration of the Temple with the imposition of burdensome taxes. Without Alexander s dispensation of taxes, the Israelites were no longer able to let the land have her rest. They simply could not afford it. Dispensation for the land tribute was sometimes approved by Alexander, but only for the 7 th year Sabbatical. The 50 th year Jubilee was abandoned and became an economic relic of the past. After the decline of the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire grew in power and influence. From the death of Alexander in 323 BCE until the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus starting in 27 BCE, the second Temple administration became progressively more spiritually corrupted. Although the Maccabee s repossessed control of the Temple from Antiochus IV Epiphanies Hellenization program in 164 BCE, the Torah had become marginalized by the competing sects of the Sadducees and Pharisees. The Sabbaticals were still observed, however the Jubilees had long been forgotten. In this period of time we find substantial secular evidence of land Sabbath tax dispensation. Josephus references the land rest Sabbatical year as well as other historical records, both providing consistent date collaboration. We have consistent and reliable records of consecutive 7 year Sabbatical cycles from 163 BCE through 531 CE. There are, however, no 50 year Jubilee years recorded in this timeframe. The 50 year Jubilee cycle, originally commanded in Leviticus 25, had been eliminated and replaced with a 49 year corrupted cycle, which has survived until this today. It is assumed today, as a result of the proven authenticity of secular recorded evidence of Sabbatical observance from 163 BCE through 531 CE, that we can easily extrapolate the 7 year cycles and determine the current Sabbatical year. Most Sabbatical explanations do just that. In fact, most Bible commentators and church assemblies have now compressed the 50 th year Jubilee into the 49 year Sabbatical cycle. This approach adds the 50 th year Jubilee to either year 49 of the current cycle or year 1 of the next 49 year cycle or eliminates it altogether. To some, this man made consolidation of years meets the spirit of observing the Sabbatical/Jubilee. It certainly does 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 4

6 not meet the letter of Yahweh s original instruction in Leviticus 25. The end result is that confusion reigns, misinformation is extant and those that endeavor to study this subject are frustrated to find the fullness of the story. It should be no surprise when Yahshua came as The Messiah from 5 BCE until His crucifixion in 30 CE, that He corrected what had become the corrupted Sabbatical and Jubilee system. And He did just that! The original 50 year cycle, commanded in Leviticus 25 just happened to happen to synchronize with the 49 year corrupted cycle during His ministry. Mathematically and theoretically, this can only occur once in 2450 years (49 x 50 = 2450). This happens when the 50 th year Jubilee (of the 50 year cycle) is concurrent with the 49 th year Sabbatical (of the 49 year cycle), AND both accounting systems start over in year 1 of the next cycle count. It should be noted however, the corruption of the 50 year cycle likely started between 424 BCE and 324 BCE, specifically during the time when Alexander the Great overthrew King Darius III in 331 BCE. During Yahshua s ministry, the Judean society under Roman governance did observe the Sabbatical, although it was the 49 year corrupted counting cycle. Josephus, The Book of Maccabees and the Seder Olam all reference Sabbatical year events that provide a consistent seven year counting cycle. You will find the late second Temple Sabbatical observed dates and references as follows: 49 Year Sabbatical Records BCE 1 Maccabees 6: BCE Josephus Antiquities (Book 13:8:1) BCE Josephus Antiquities (14:10:5-6) BCE Josephus - Antiquities (14:16:2) CE King Agrippa recital CE Wadi Murabba papyrus CE Seder Olam, CE Bar Kokhba revolt CE Wadi Murabba papyrus CE Archeological ruins A detailed list of the Sabbatical records and references listed above may be found in this document in the section titled 49 Year Sabbatical Cycle Records. The year CE was a Sabbatical year according to the 49 year corrupted reckoning. This same Julian calendar civil year was also the 50 th year Jubilee according to the originally commanded 50 year Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle, which you will find reconstructed in the section titled Sabbatical and Jubilee Years 624 BCE through Today. Yahshua proclaimed the acceptable year of Yahweh in Luke 4:19 near or on Atonement in 27 CE. This would have been the beginning of the correctly calculated 50th year Jubilee and the beginning of the incorrectly calculated 49 th year Sabbatical (however the 49 th year Sabbatical was what was observed in the Judean society). Since the 50 th year Jubilee had been eliminated by this time, Yahshua proclaimed its relevance and corrected the timing cycle. Even though Yahshua corrected and re-established the 50 year cycle, the corrected timing lasted only until the subsequent 7 th Sabbatical cycle in CE. There is no evidence the Jubilee that should have followed in CE was observed. Although the local Judeans observed the Jubilee proclaimed by Yahshua in 27 CE, they kept it as a Sabbatical. As a result, the 49 year cycle that Yahshua corrected, never really was corrected and is the same 49 year cycle that we find to this day. The most widely accepted Sabbatical cycle dates today are a 49 year cycle that synchronizes back to CE. Unfortunately, the correct 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 5

7 accounting for the 50 th year Jubilee has remained fundamentally lost. In an effort to uphold the Jubilee instructions found in Leviticus 25, some assemblies today have compressed the 50 th year Jubilee into the 49 year Sabbatical cycle by inserting or stacking the Jubilee year in either year 1 or 49 of the Sabbatical cycle. This is an attempt to observe the Jubilee, however not as an intercalated 50 th year. The instructions in Leviticus 25 call for a separate intercalated 50 th year for the Jubilee, not integrated or stacked with the 49 year Sabbatical cycle. The Sabbatical and Jubilee cycle is a full 50 year cycle with ending boundaries at 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 etc. New 50 year cycles start at 51, 101, 151, 201, 251 etc. The Sabbaticals occur on years 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49. The 50 th year is the Jubilee. Year 51 is the first year of the next cycle with Sabbatical years of 57, 64, 71, 78, 85, 92 and 99. The 100 th year is another Jubilee. With the understanding that Yahshua proclaimed the correct Jubilee year in CE, it is now possible to precisely correlate previous and future Jubilees with accompanying Sabbaticals. From the Jubilee anchor Yahshua announced in CE, there are currently accurately linked Sabbaticals and Jubilees dating back to 724 BCE as follows: Sabbatical & Jubilee Historical Events Fall of Samaria in 724 BCE Jubilee year 2 Kg 17:1-6, 2 Kg 18:1-19 Sennecherib s 4 th invasion of Northern kingdom in 717 BCE - Sabbatical year 2 Kg 19:29, Isa 36:1, Isa 37:30 Josiah s reforms in 624 BCE Jubilee year 2 Kg 22 & 23, 2 Chron 34 & 35, 2 Kg 22:8 Redemption of Hanameel s land by Jeremiah - Zedekiah proclaims liberty for Hebrew slaves in 589 BCE - Sabbatical year Jer 32:1-44, Jer 34:8-14, Jer 35-Jer 37 Ezekiel s Temple vision in 574 BCE Jubilee year Ez 1:1-2, Ez 40:1 Zerubbabel returns to rebuild Temple in 538 BCE Sabbatical year Ezra 3:4-6, Ezra 2:1 2 nd Temple re-construction finished in 517 BCE Sabbatical year Ezra 4:24, Ezra 6:15-16 Under Ahasuerus (Xerxes) Esther, Mordecai and Jews liberated in 474 BCE Jubilee year Esther 3:7-13, Esther 8:9-17 Artaxerxes I releases 2 nd group of exiles in 460 BCE Sabbatical year Ezra 7:7 Artaxerxes I releases Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem in 446 BCE Sabbatical year Neh 2:1, Neh 8:1-18, Neh 1 & 2, Neh 6:15 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 6

8 Nehemiah s second return to Jerusalem in 432 BCE Sabbatical year Neh 5, Neh 13: nd Temple destroyed in 70 CE by Titus end of Sabbatical year Mt 27:35-44, Mk 15:24-32 USA declaration of Independence July 4, 1776 Sabbatical year USA defeats British at Battle of Saratoga in Sept 19 and Oct 7 in 1777, declares liberty from King George III Jubilee year UN Resolution 181 declares Israel statehood May 15, 1948 Sabbatical year Background In the research paper titled Sabbatical and Jubilee Analysis - Part 1 (How to Count the Cycle), the various alternative methods of counting the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycle were examined. The conclusion of this paper scripturally proved the Jubilee year was intercalated as the 50 th year of the cycle count before the restart of the next 50 year count. The proper counting of the Sabbatical years include: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49. The Jubilee is year 50. Year 51 is year 1 of the next Sabbatical cycle count. In other words, there are 2 Jubilee s in a 100 year time frame. The following table shows 2 complete 50 year Sabbatical/Jubilee cycles: Sabbatical Jubilee Cycle Sabbatical Year Jubl Yr Sabbatical Year Jubl Yr 1/7 2/7 3/7 4/7 5/7 6/7 7/7 1/7 2/7 3/7 4/7 5/7 6/7 7/7 Cycle 1 Cycle 2 The Sabbatical and Jubilee Event Timeline follows this 50 year cycle count. Please refer to the section titled Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline. Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide the guidance, methodology, logic and rationale necessary to understand the Sabbatical and Jubilee Event Timeline. Additionally, this document examines and explains the key events, supporting scriptures and reference tables found in the section titled Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline. Timeline Integrity There is considerable academic debate among scholars regarding the actual dates of the historical events presented in this research paper. In the scriptures (especially in the OT) you will notice events listed as example, the 18th year of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:3). In order to reconcile this with a Gregorian date, it is essential to understand how the regnal years of a specific king are 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 7

9 counted. You will find helper Tables for key events that will clarify the date. The following are additional considerations utilized to develop the Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline. In all cases, the scriptures are considered the foundation of this research. External dating sources are used only if they do not conflict with the bible record. Accession Dating (Postdating system) The tenure of the reigning monarch is counted in full years (like a 1 year old child is between 1 and 2 years old, there is no zero year). The zero year is called the Accession Year, the next is the 1 st year, etc. The first year (or partial year) of the reigning monarch is counted as zero. The anniversary is counted from Nisan to Nisan in the northern kingdom and Tishri to Tishri in the southern kingdom. The House of Judah appears to have used this method of dating until King Jehoram in 848 BCE, when non-accession dating was instituted. Accession dating was also used in Babylon. This dating system was likely utilized in Daniel chapters 1 and 2 relative to Nebuchadnezzar s regnal years (but not Jehoiakim). Jeremiah and 2 Kings also use this dating method for Nebuchadnezzar s regnal dating (Nisan to Nisan anniversary dating was also a Babylonian practice). Notice Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. This is a probable reference to Nebuchadnezzar s accession year (zero) and Jehoiakim s non-accession year 3. This interpretation also reconciles Daniel s 3 years of training referenced in Daniel 1:5-18 (starting in BCE). Daniels first service to King Nebuchadnezzar was interpreting the dream in Daniel 2: It should be noted that Daniel wrote The Book of Daniel at a later time in his life. As Prime Minister of Babylon, it logically follows that Daniel would have dated all events relating to Nebuchadnezzar with the Babylonian Accession Dating Method. Non-accession Dating (Ante-dating system) The tenure of the reigning monarch is counted in partial years. The first partial year of the reigning monarch is counted as year 1. In the month of Tishri, the reigning monarch begins year 2 of his reign. The House of Israel (Northern Kingdom) appears to have used this dating method throughout their 207 year history (except from 797 to 723 BCE when it appears they used the accession dating system). After King Jehoram (Southern Kingdom in 848 BCE) it appears the House of Judah used the non-accession dating method. Jeremiah and Ezekiel used non-accession dating in their writings. This research paper uses this method for all OT calendar calculations dating back to 848 BCE (Daniel regarding Nebuchadnezzar excepted). Nisan Calendar (Beginning of months) The Nisan to Nisan calendar was used by the House of Israel (Northern Kingdom) during the early division of the tribes (931 BCE) through the reign of Hoshea ( BCE). Note: Babylonian regnal years were also counted from Nisan to Nisan in secular historical documents. The regnal dating for Nebuchadnezzar in 2 Kings, Jeremiah and Daniel all seem to reconcile to a Nisan to Nisan calendar. Tishri Calendar (Beginning of year) The Tishri to Tishri calendar was used by the House of Judah (Southern Kingdom) dating back to the split of the kingdoms in 931 BCE. The Tishri to Tishri accounting is used for the majority of this research paper, excluding Nebuchadnezzar s reign in Babylon (which uses Nisan to Nisan dating). Co-Regency The simultaneous rule of 2 monarchs, leaders or emperors. As an example, the son may be made co-regent during the reign of the father. The reign is counted in terms of the father 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 8

10 and of the son (2 Kings 8:16). A New Testament example is the reign of Emperor Tiberius. He was co-regent with Emperor Augustus starting in 12 CE, although his exclusive individual reign started in 14 CE. Hebrew Civil Calendar and Gregorian Calendar Synchronization The Hebrew civil calendar starts in Tishri (7 th month), while the Gregorian calendar starts in January (1 st month). Tishri normally falls in September/October on the Gregorian calendar. This offset is accounted for within the Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline tables referenced in the research paper. Calendar Calculators The following calendar calculators were used for Table 7 Passover Dates Abib 1 Wednesday Options. The calculators work fine to convert Gregorian to Julian dates. Converting Gregorian to Hebrew dates prior to 1 CE is not considered reliable and accurate conversions. Calendar Calculators were not used anywhere else in this project. Intercalating = inserting, to insert a day into a calendar. IE, the 50 th year Jubilee is intercalated into the calendar and is a separate, standalone 50 th year (not combined with year 1 or 49). Yahshua s Anchor Section 4 Yahshua s Ministry (see Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline) The starting point for the Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline is Yahshua s ministry (Section 4 Yahshua s Ministry). Everything biblically points to Yahshua and He is the foundation and centerpiece of this research. An analysis of the historical record provides the keys to establishing the birth, ministry and crucifixion of Yahshua Messiah. Key Dates 1. Herod died spring 4 BCE There are several alternative dates for Herod s death, however they all are speculative. The commonly accepted historical record supports 4 BCE as the most probable date, and there is abundant secular evidence for this date. The most important point regarding Herod s death is that it must occur during a window of time after the birth of Yahshua in order to support Matt 2:16 (kill all the infants 2 years and younger). The other important consideration is that the Magi (wise men) were led to Yahshua s house, not the birth location (Matt 2:11). The visit by the Magi, at a minimum, would have taken place a few months after Yahshua s birth. It would be logical that Herod would die 6-18 months after Yahshua s birth. 2. Tiberius reign starts 12 CE Historical records are clear and consistent regarding the rule of Emperor Tiberius. Tiberius officially succeeded Rome s first Emperor Augustus on 18 September 14 CE. However, a thorough search of history will reveal that Augustus named Tiberius as his Co-Regent in 12 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 9

11 CE (some argue as early as 11 CE). The importance of this date is referenced in Luke 3:1-2: Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of Yahweh came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. Even though Tiberius shared ruler-ship as Co-Regent from CE, he was functionally the one in charge as a result of Augustus failing health. From the local perspective of Dr. Luke, Tiberius became the operational Caesar Tiberius in 12 CE. One additional consideration found in Luke 3:2 is the reference - Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. Annas officially served as High Priest from 6 15 CE, when he was deposed by prefect Valerius Gratus for imposing capital execution, which had been forbidden by the imperial Roman government. Even though he was officially removed from his office, he maintained his operational ruling authority of the Sanhedrin throughout the life of Yahshua Messiah. Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas (John 18:13), who was appointed in 18 CE by the same prefect (Gratus) that deposed Annas. When Annas and Caiaphas are referenced in Luke s gospel, he is taking into consideration the operational authority of Annas and formal authority of Caiaphas. It is this same comparison and backdrop by which Dr. Luke references Tiberius reign as co-regent with Augustus. The dual contemporary High Priest authorities of Annas and Caiaphas are again referenced in John 18:19-23: The high priest then asked Yahshua about His disciples and His doctrine. Yahshua answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said." And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Yahshua with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?" Yahshua answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?" Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Chronological notes - Tiberius became co-regent in 12 AD From Catholic Encyclopedia, Thus according to Suetonius, these ceremonies and the declaration of his "co-princeps" took place in the year 12 AD, after Tiberius return from Germania. Wikipedia Luke 3:1 also provides 4 additional Roman leaders as dating benchmarks for this time period. Notice Herod (Antipas) the Tetrarch and Philip the Tetrarch date back to their father s death (Herod the Great) in 4 BCE. 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 10

12 Leader Reigned Location Pontius Pilot 26 CE - 36 CE Governor of Judea Herod the Tetrarch (Antipas) 4 BC 39 CE Galilee named by Augustus upon death of Herod The Great in 4 BC Philip the Tetrarch 4 BC 34 CE Ituraea and Trachonitis - named by Augustus upon death of Herod The Great in 4 BC Lysanias uncertain Main dating reference is Luke 3:1-2, 15 th year of Tiberius 4. Temple Was 46 Years In Building Herod s Temple renovation construction project started in the year 19 BCE, in the 18 th year of his reign. John 2:19-20 states: Yahshua answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 19 BCE plus 46 years equals 27 CE. The year being referenced in John 2:20 is 27 CE. 5. Yahshua in Nazareth While in Nazareth, Yahshua went to a Synagogue on a Sabbath day. The account is found in Luke 4: Yahshua is proclaiming the Jubilee year is about to begin and that He is the Jubilee. Yahshua, through the Spirit, proclaims the year of Yahweh s favor and to: a. preach the gospel to the poor b. heal the brokenhearted c. provide freedom (pardon) to prisoners of war (only on a Jubilee year - Lev 25:10) d. restore vision to the blind e. set free the oppressed These proclamations are all references to the Jubilee year instructions. See Leviticus 25 and Isaiah 61:1-2. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: Acceptable year an allusion to the Jubilee year (Lev. 25:10), a year of universal release for person and property. Wesley s notes: The acceptable year plainly alluding to the year of Jubilee, when all, both debtors and servants were set free. The verse quoted is from Isa 61:1-2 with the notable exclusion of the last part of verse 2, the day of Yahweh s vengeance. This is a reference to Yahshua s second coming. The timeline of this event takes place in 27 CE after the account of the four months unto harvest in John 4: This account chronologically takes place just after Yahshua s first Passover in 27 CE. Notice in John 4:45 the reference to the events noted by the Galilean s that recently occurred in Jerusalem at the Passover. Also notice John 4:35, Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 11

13 There are a couple of points regarding this verse. First, the fields are already ripe for harvest. The grain crops are mature and ready for harvest during the April May timeframe. Fields being white for harvest indicates the crop is already mature and harvestable but the reaping is complete in Tishri, just before the Feast of Tabernacles. The second important point is that this final reaping is four months away. Grain (threshing floor) and grape (winepress) harvest is referenced with the Feast of Tabernacles in Deut 16: This event marks the scripture in John 4:35 in the May timeframe in 27 CE. After this event Yahshua and His disciples journeyed into Galilee. An unknown amount of time transpires before we find Yahshua visiting His hometown in Nazareth. This is when He went to the synagogue and delivered the Jubilee proclamation in Luke 4: What is sure is that the Jubilee proclamation took place after May in 27 CE. It would be logical that a Jubilee proclamation would be made on Atonement, Tishri 10, 27 CE (Lev 25:9) by Yahshua. Useful timeline: Line Sample/Following His Steps Timeline.jpg The following chart shows the major harvest crops in Israel: Agricultural Harvest in Israel (Canaan) Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Abib (Nisan) Tishri Barley X Oats X Wheat X Peas X X Lentils X X Sesame X Flax X Grapes X X X X Figs X X Olives X X X Courtesy - Oded Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, Temple Destroyed August 10, 70 CE (Sabbatical year) After a 3 year siege of Jerusalem and the slaughter of over 1 million Jews, the second Temple was destroyed and burned under the command of Roman General Titus. The Temple gold was reclaimed and provided the funding to build the Roman Coliseum. Reference: Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book V and VI 7. Table 3 Yahshua s birth and death Table 3 shows the Julian year starting in 5 BCE on the top line of each 10 year row. The month of Tishri is shown with an x corresponding to the September/October months in the Julian (Gregorian) year. Tiberius co-regency (with Augustus) started in 12 CE. There is considerable academic 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 12

14 debate on the exact month Tiberius became co-regent in 12 CE. Counting from 12 CE, Tiberius 15 th year did commence sometime in 26 CE. Assuming non-accession dating is used, the first year of Tiberius reign is 12 CE (through 13 CE). The 15 th year of Tiberius reign, referenced in Luke 3:1, would be in 26 CE. Putting all these facts together and counting backwards from Yahshua s 30 th birthdate in 26 CE, places His birth in Tishri, 5 BCE. Counting forward from 26 CE, marks His crucifixion on Nisan 14, 30 CE at the age of 33.5 years. 8. Table 4 15 th yr of Tiberius Table 4 shows the counting of the 15 years referenced in Luke 3:1. The count starts from 12 CE, the start of the Tiberius and Augustus co-regency. 9. Table 5 BCE to CE Transition Table 5 shows the transition years between the Sabbatical year in BCE to the next Sabbatical year in 5 CE. There is no zero year in the count of years that bridge BCE and CE. 10. Table 7 Passover Dates Wednesday Options Table 7 details the Passover dates from CE. The Early Passover column is determined by calculating Nisan 14 (Passover) occurring on/after the Spring Equinox. The Late Passover column is determined by calculating Nisan 1 (new moon) on/after the Spring Equinox. We know that Yahshua s crucifixion had to occur on a Wednesday. The years that qualify as a Wednesday Passover show Wed as highlighted. The referenced calendar calculators will produce these results. Jubilee Year Abandoned Sabbatical and Jubilee years were kept according to the Leviticus 25 instructions during the early years after the Israelites entered into the Promised Land. The House of Judah was taken into captivity for 70 years while the land rested for 70 (cycles of) years. This would be one year for each missed Sabbatical and Jubilee. See 2 Chron 36:21, Lev 26: Seventy years would represent a time span of 490 years if only Sabbaticals were counted (7 x 70 = 490). However, if Sabbaticals and Jubilees are included in the 70 year count, the time span would be 442 years (7 Sabbaticals + 1 Jubilee every 50 years would equate to 56 Sabbaticals and 8 Jubilees in 400 years, plus 6 more Sabbatical cycles to total the 70 years of land rest referenced in 2 Chron 36:21: as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years. In other words, the House of Judah was not observing the Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle for at least 442 years prior to their captivity. In either case, we know the House of Judah was freed from captivity, after 70 years, by Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE, also a Sabbatical year (see Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline Section 3 Post Exile). The captivity would have started in 609 BCE ( = 609 BCE). It turns out that 609 BCE was the end of the last un-kept Sabbatical before Nebuchadnezzar II imposed his first siege and deportation on Jerusalem in 605 BCE. The House of Judah had not been keeping the Sabbatical/Jubilee ordinance for at least 442 years prior to 609 BCE. This dates to 1051 BCE ( = 1051 BCE) and includes the time of Samuel (1 Sam 7-8) just prior to King Saul (1 Sam 8-10). Even after the coronation of Solomon s First Temple, there are but a few notable exceptions of the Sabbatical/Jubilee observation (see Sabbatical & Jubilee Event Timeline). Although the Sabbatical/Jubilee was a well-known ordinance of the Torah, the cycle was not being observed with any consistency. 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 13

15 The captivity of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah ended in 539 BCE. Under the leadership of Ezra the priest, Governor Nehemiah and Governor Zerubbabel, the second Temple was constructed and there was a re-commitment to Yahweh s law and observance of the Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle (Haggai 1:12, Neh 1:9, Neh 8:8). From 539 BCE to 424 BCE we find likely occurrences of Sabbatical and Jubilee observations (see Sabbatical and Jubilee Event Timeline Section 3 Post Exile). The latest likely 50th year Jubilee occurrence is 374 BCE. After this date there is no Biblically verifiable 50th year Jubilee until Yahshua proclaims the Acceptable year of Yahweh in 27 CE. Later in the second Temple period, from 373 BCE 27 CE, the 50 year Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle observance became seriously corrupted. Starting with Alexander the Great, who conquered Persia in 332 BCE and continuing with Emperor Augustus and the start of the Roman Empire in 27 BCE, a burdensome tax system was imposed on Judeans. The tax system sometimes provided for special tax dispensation during the 7 th year Sabbatical, but no tax dispensation was ever permitted for the 50 th year Jubilee. The result of the tax system was the elimination of the Jubilee from the 50 year cycle. The Jubilee year was soon forgotten and the 49 year Sabbatical cycle was established out of necessity to pay tax to the governing authority. From the time Alexander the Great conquered Persia until today, the only evidence of the original Sabbatical and Jubilee is referenced as a 49 year recurring cycle. The following secular recorded evidence is available in several research documents including: o The late Dr. Earnest Martin s book, The Star That Astonished The World (2nd edition, 1996) o See Section titled The Late Second Temple James D. Dwyer 49 Year Sabbatical Cycle Records (no 50 th year Jubilee recorded) o o We are told in Maccabees 6:49 that Judas Maccabee s defeat at Beth-Zur was in a Sabbatical Year from the autumn of 163 to Autumn 162 BC. Josephus, the Jewish historian, shows the murder of Simon the Hasmonean as happening in the Sabbatical Year of Autumn 135 to Autumn 134 B.C. The year BCE (or the year 177 of the Seleucid Era) was noted to be a 7th year in the writings of Flavius Josephus. In 'Antiquities of the Jews' he noted, "there came around the year in which the Jews are wont to remain inactive, for they observe this custom every seventh year, just as on the seventh day." (Book 13:8:1). The same year ( BCE) was also noted to be a year of 'rest' in 'Wars of the Jews'. In this book, Josephus noted the following: "the year of rest came on, upon which the Jews rest every seventh year as they do on every seventh day". o The year BCE could have been a 7th year. In 'Antiquities of the Jews', Josephus stated that the Jews had a legal agreement with the Romans concerning a reduction of taxes in 7th years. In substantiation of this, he cited a decree from one of the Roman emperors. The decree stated when Caius Caesar was consul for the fifth time he ordered in the 2nd year of the current land-use agreement that a 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 14

16 deduction in the amount of taxes that land users paid to the Romans should be granted to the Jews (refer to Antiquities, Book 14:10:5-6). If the current year (44-43 BCE) did correspond to the cited 2nd year of the land-use agreement then it might be possible to interpret this passage to mean that the respective year did correspond to a 7th year (as celebrated by the Jews). o o Josephus rehearsed another Roman decree concerning a grant to Jews allowing celebration of the 7th years. This respective decree substantiates that Jews, under the late Second Temple, positively were celebrating Sabbatical years. "Judea should pay a tribute yearly, excepting the seventh, which they call the Sabbatical year, because thereon they neither receive the fruits of their trees, nor do they sow their land... (taxes are to be paid) every year, the seventh year, which they call the Sabbatic year, excepted, whereon they neither plough, nor receive the product of their trees." (Antiquities, Book 14:10:6). Josephus shows Herod s conquest of Jerusalem as occurring in the last part of the Sabbatical Year of 37 to 36 B.C. The year BCE appears to have been both a 7th year and 70th year (as noted by Josephus). This year, the year when Herod was declared king at Jerusalem, is referred to as a 'hebdomatikon' year as follows: "Now the Jews that were enclosed within the walls of the city fought against Herod with great alacrity and zeal (for the whole nation was gathered together); they also gave out many prophecies about the temple, and many things agreeable to the people, as if God would deliver them out of the dangers they were in... this happened to be a Sabbatic year [or literally, a 'hebdomatikon' year]" ('Antiquities of the Jews', 14:16:2). The year BCE is noted to have been both a 7th year and a 70th year in a second passage of 'Antiquities of the Jews'. This instance is recorded in the next book as follows: "At this time Herod, now he had got Jerusalem under his power, the Sabbatic year (or literally, a 'hebdomatikon' year), was still going on, and forced the country to lie still uncultivated, since we are forbidden to sow our land in that year." (Book 15:1:2). o o o King Agrippa I recited the section of Deuteronomy which a king was required to do as associated with the Sabbatical Year (Deuteronomy 31:10-13). He performed it at a time which historically shows that Agrippa s Sabbatical Year was 41 to 42 CE. A papyrus document written in Aramaic has recently been found in Palestine which is dated to the second year of Nero, and it says that that year was a Sabbatical Year. Thus, 55 to 56 CE was a Sabbatical according to the historical secular record. The year CE (autumn-to-autumn) was almost surely a 7th year--based on an ancient Deed of Loan. This paper was recovered at Wadi Murabba near Bethlehem. This legal note is explicit in stating that a 'year-of-release' was underway in the 2nd year of Nero Caesar. Because Nero ascended to the throne in autumn of the year 54 CE, the cited Sabbatical year (autumn-to-autumn) would have largely corresponded to 2nd year of the reign of Nero. A reference in the second century Jewish work called the Seder Olam can be interpreted as showing the Temple at Jerusalem being destroyed in a Sabbatical Year. That would have been 69 to 70 CE. 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 15

17 The year CE (autumn-to-autumn) is shown to have been a 7th year by the early rabbis. The Taanith indicates that the Second Temple was destroyed in a post- Sabbatical year (B. Taan., 29a). The Arakin has "thus it is found that it (the destruction of the Second Temple) happened during the last part of a septennate" (B. Arak., 12 b). A third century rabbi (Hunna) computed the Sabbatical cycle based upon the fact that the Second Temple was destroyed in a Sabbath year (B. Azar., 9b). Rabbi Jose (Yose) ben Khalapha commented that the year prior to the destruction of the Second Temple was a Sabbatical year (Seder Olam, 30). Because the Second Temple was destroyed in autumn of the year 70 CE, then it's easy to recognize from the rabbis that a Sabbatical year occurred immediately prior to the destruction of the Temple. Essentially, the Temple is indicated to have been destroyed in autumn of the year 70 CE very close to the boundary of a 7th year (at the end of the respective 7-year cycle). o o o o Dated documents have been found concerning the Bar Kokhba revolt of the Jews against the Romans which show that the year 132 to 133 CE was also a Sabbatical Year. The year CE (autumn-to-autumn) also appears to have been a 7th year, as based upon another legal paper recovered at Wadi Murabba. This respective contract (Mur 24E) was written in late autumn of the year 134 CE. This sub-lease agreement describes what appears to be a 5-year lease term. The respective lease was to last until the 'eve of the Sabbatical year'. It is clear that 5 years from autumn in the year 134 CE ends with autumn of the year 139 CE. Then, this respective year (139 CE) would have corresponded to the very beginning of a yearof-release. The ruins of an ancient synagogue have recently been uncovered which have a date, in a mosaic, for the Jewish year 4000, and this was the second year of a Sabbatical cycle. This equates to 237 to 238 CE on the Gregorian calendar (a Sabbatical year reckoned from the 49 year corrupted cycle count). There is a reference in the Jewish Talmud (Sanhedrin 97b) that the Messiah will release the world from its bondage of corruption in the year after 4291 of the Jewish calendar. Since it was believed this would occur in a Sabbatical Year, this reference becomes important (though the prophecy did not occur) because the year after 4291 equates to CE on the Gregorian calendar, and it was a Sabbatical reckoned from the 49 year corrupted cycle count. Synchronization of 49 Year and 50 Year Cycles The Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle has been changed from 50 years as ordained in Leviticus 25 to a 49 year cycle as dictated by the civil tax authority starting in 332 BCE. Today those that desire to honor Yahweh s Sabbatical have secular historical records dating back to the late second temple period that only verify a 49 year cycle. The 50 th year intercalated Jubilee, as specified in Leviticus 25:9-12, has been effectively eliminated from the historical record. In an attempt to satisfy the commemoration of the 50 th year Jubilee, some have inserted the 50 th year Jubilee into the 49 year cycle count by double counting year 1 or year 49 (of the 49 year cycle) as the Jubilee (50 th year). Some even split year 1 and 49, from Nisan to Nisan, and overlap the 50 th year Jubilee as a bridge between the first and last year of the 49 year cycle. See the separate companion document titled Sabbatical and Jubilee Analysis - Part 1 - How to count the cycle. 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 16

18 Of course it is impossible to reconcile a 50 year cycle with only 49 years of counting. Although it is compelling to stand by the justification of the provable secular historical record, it nevertheless has been corrupted by man s government. Yahweh did not originally ordain a 49 year Sabbatical cycle; He ordained a 50 year Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle (Lev 25). With this background we now have a better understanding of what Yahshua was accomplishing in Luke 4:19. Starting in the 4 th century BCE, after Alexander s conquest of Persia, the original 50 year Sabbatical/Jubilee cycle was corrupted to a 49 year Sabbatical only cycle. After the first missed Jubilee (suspected to be 324 BCE after Alexander s conquest) each successive 49 year Sabbatical cycle became one year earlier due to the eliminated 50 th year Jubilee. This dropped/eliminated Jubilee year continued until the time of Yahshua s ministry and has continued until this day. However, when we examine the dates of Yahshua s ministry, we find an interesting correlation to Yahshua s proclamation The acceptable year of Yahweh in 27 CE (Luke 4:19). As we have already established, during this time frame, the Jewish society living in the region of Judea did in fact observe the 49 year Sabbatical cycle. The historical records confirm the Sabbatical observation in 49 year cycles. The 50 th year Jubilee was forgotten, but the corrupted 49 year cycle remained in place. Yahshua s proclamation in Luke 4:19 not only declared Himself as the Jubilee liberator, but He reset the corrupted Sabbatical calendar to be synchronized with the originally established 50 year Jubilee cycle. His proclamation was made during the unique year that synchronized the 49 and 50 year cycle. Notice on the following comparison chart the year CE was a Sabbatical on the 49 year cycle and a Jubilee on the properly calculated 50 year cycle. During this year (27 CE), both cycle counts are now in synchronization. This is a very unusual coincidence that mathematically is possible only once during a 2450 year timeframe. Yahshua s reset corrected the 49 year cycle count until the next Jubilee in CE, which was not observed in Roman controlled Judea. Instead, the regression of the corrupted 49 year cycle count was substituted and remains in place until today. Following are the historically provable Sabbatical years listed from the secular records above compared to the originally ordained 50 year Jubilee cycle. Notice the historical record is consistent with the 49 corrupted year cycle. 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 17

19 49 Year verses 50 Year Sabbatical Dates Comparison Corrupted Non-corrupted 49 Year Cycle - No Jubilees 50 Year Cycle - Intercalated Jubilee Sabbatical Year Verifiable Records Sabbatical Year Jubilee Year BCE Maccabees Josephus Josephus Josephus BCE BCE CE CE King Agrippa Papyrus Doc Seder Olam = Bar Kokhba Sabbat cycles 14 Sabb/Jub cycles Sabbat cycles 42 Sabb/Jub cycles CE Talmud CE 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 18

20 By putting all these facts together, we now know a key Jubilee date. The Jubilee year of CE (Tishri to Tishri), proclaimed by Yahshua Messiah in Luke 4:18-19, is the cornerstone of the remainder of this research paper. From this benchmark, we will discover additional Sabbatical and Jubilee year events revealed in the Bible. If Yahshua s Ministry, Section 4 is in error, this entire document is wrong. Once you prove the Sabbatical in CE and the Jubilee in CE, the rest of the timeline will fall into place. Section 2 - Fall of Judah (Southern Kingdom) Prophetic warnings: From Judah o Jeremiah o Habakkuk o Zephaniah From Babylon o Ezekiel o Daniel "The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads," says Yahweh Elohim (Ez 22:29-31). Background In this section we will examine the events and timeline starting with the first siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 606 BCE. This is the year Daniel was deported to Babylon to start his training under King Nebuchadnezzar II. Again in 598 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar returned to Jerusalem for a second siege and continued the deportation of prominent Jews including King Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah or Coniah). The second siege ended in 597 BCE with the capture of the city and the installation of the new vassal King Zedekiah. A third and final siege of Jerusalem ended in 587 BCE with the total destruction of the city and the Temple. The interlinked writings of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, along with the historical records of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles allow an accurate reconstruction of the timeline for this section. The events, dates and players in the timeline must reconcile with each other according to the scriptural references. No single scripture provides the complete story, however the composite view of several different scriptures interlock to provide accurate dates as referenced in Table 1. The focus in this section is to find a datable reference for a Jubilee year that can be reconciled with the Jubilee year proclaimed by Yahshua in the previous section (Section 4 Yahshua s Ministry). The Jubilee year of CE, proclaimed by Yahshua in Luke 4:18-19 must be reconcilable back in time to any other known Jubilee. The events that led to the destruction of the first Temple and the subsequent datable prophesies written by Ezekiel will be examined in detail to pinpoint a 50 th year Jubilee date. As you will see, this date is exactly in sync, and on a 50 year Jubilee boundary with the announcement/proclamation made in CE (Jubilee year) by Yahshua Messiah. The account of this period of history as documented by Ezekiel is of particular interest and will serve as our beginning reference date. 3/6/2014 Sabbatical & Jubilee Analysis Pt. 2 19