Preface to Reckoning of Time
From the Book Reckoning of Time
Creator did not create the world in order for us to have fun and get entertained. The world was created in order to worship the Creator.
This study will present evidence from the Scripture for the dating of the Sabbath and Jubilee years of the Creator from the creation of the world to its end as we know it. This study does not intend to present the case what cycle or what years the Sabbaths of the land had been observed by the nation of Israel. But it will make an attempt to restore as accurate as possible the Creator’s reckoning of time as the present author understands it. This work is composed of three parts: Jubilees, The Last Kingdom, and Time of Reckoning or The Last 1,260 Days of This World.
There is a difference of opinion in the Talmud as to whether the Jubilee year is to be included in or excluded from the forty-nine years of the seven cycles. The majority of rabbis hold the view that the Jubilee year was an intercalation and followed the seventh Sabbatical year making two fallow years in succession. After both had passed, the next cycle began. They adduce this theory from the plain words of the Torah to “set apart the fiftieth year.” Yehudah ha-Nasi, however, contends that the Jubilee year was identical with the seventh Sabbatical year (R. H. 9a; Giṭ. 36a; comp. Rashi ad loc.). The opinion of the Geonim and of later authorities generally prevails, that the Jubilee, when in force during the period of the First Temple, was intercalated, but that in the time of the Second Temple, when the jubilee was observed only “nominally,” it coincided with the seventh Sabbatical year. In post-exilic times the jubilee was entirely ignored, though the Shemittah (Sabbatical year) was strictly observed. That the Sabbatical year was observed during the existence of the Second Temple is evident from the history of the Maccabees (read 1Ma_6:51-55).
To sum up, the exact year of Sabbath is in dispute, and different dates are given. There are two schools of thought as to how to count the jubilee years: one on them defend the understanding that the jubilee cycle consists of 49 years (7 x 7 years) and the 50th year, the jubilee, coincides with the first year of the new jubilee cycle. On the other hand, others read Leviticus 26 literally and are in understanding that the new jubilee cycle begins after the 50th year.
These issues will be explained further in this work, however, one thing is certain: the Creator does not misspelled nor does He miscalculate His reckoning of time. He does not count the years in a confusing fashion. It is also very possible to expect that the Creator of the universe has used symbolism of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years in His calendar whenever they match significant events in the world history in order to draw our attention closer to His reckoning of time. And it is also a good thing to bear in mind that when we find such occurrences, it is a certain sign that we are on the right path to restore the reckoning of time.
Whether we understand or not how YHVH times His universe, it makes no difference to Him. He does not run His universe around what we understand or not; around what we believe or not. It is our duty to study His Word as it is written and walk in obedience.
This author will seek and try to restore to his best ability the Creator’s reckoning of time and discover the possible symbolism thereof. If YHVH wills so. Blessed be His Name!
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says Yehovah. (Isa 1:18)
The present author does not claim any copy rights pertaining to this work. It was freely given to him, it is freely given, too.
All quotes taken from extra-Biblical sources are to be used at the reader’s discretion. Unless otherwise stated, all references to the Talmud are taken from www.Chabad.org.
The author reserves the right to make changes and additions to this study thereof as knowledge may increase, if The Omniscient permits so.