“It is important to note that the Jubilee applied NOT to Israel’s priesthood (typical of the Gospel Church), but to the others only; for the priesthood was given no possessions (no inheritance in the earth, whether of property or family), and hence could neither lose any nor have any restored. The Jubilee was for all the people except the priestly tribe, and hence typifies, not those blessings which are to come to the Church, the “Royal Priesthood,” but the restitution blessings–earthly blessings–in due time to come to all those who become believers in and followers of God.

The teaching of this type is in perfect accord with what we have learned in our examination of the divine Plan of the Ages thus far. It points unmistakably to “The Times of Restitution of all things, spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.” Moses was one of those prophets; and here particularly he speaks to us of the coming restitution of man’s first estate and liberty, long lost, sold under sin. By the failure of our first parents all was lost: all rights were forfeited, and all became slaves to the tyrant Sin and were unable to free themselves. The family circle has been sadly broken by the bondage of corruption– death. Thank God for the promised time of release! The Jubilee is at hand, and soon the captives of Death and slaves of Sin shall have back their first estate, perfect manhood, and their first inheritance, the earth–the gift of God through Jesus Christ, the mediator and ratifier of the New Covenant.

While in the typical Jubilee Year many restored liberties and blessings were at once entered upon, yet probably most of the year was required to straighten out affairs and get each one fully installed again in all his former liberties, rights and possessions. So, too, with the antitype, the Millennial age of Restitution. It will open (as it has) with sweeping reforms, with the recognition of rights, liberties and possessions long lost sight of; but the work of completely restoring (to the obedient) all that was originally lost will require all of that age of restitution–a thousand years.

It is certain that no antitype of the Jubilee answering to the features of this type has yet occurred; and, on the strength of our Lord’s assertion, we are equally sure that the type could not pass away unfulfilled: “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the Law to fail.” (Luke 16:17)

But, apparently, this feature of the Law has failed. As a matter of fact, the type, which was observed regularly every fiftieth year as long as the Israelite’s were in their own land, has not been observed since the time of their captivity in Babylon. Apparently, therefore, this feature of the Law did “pass away” without even beginning a fulfillment.

What shall we answer in the face of this apparent contradiction of the Lord’s statement?

But is it really so? or can any antitype of the Jubilee be found, beginning where the last observance of the typical Jubilee ended?

Yes, we answer; a clearly defined antitype had its beginning at that exact point, and on a larger and grander scale, as antitypes always are. We see, by actual fulfillment, that the cycles, as well as the Jubilee Years in which they culminated, were included in the type; and that the same method by which the typical Jubilee was pointed out (by multiplying) was to be observed in calculating the time for the antitype–Earth’s Great Jubilee. When the last typical Jubilee had been observed and had passed away, the great cycle began to count, the close of which will usher in the antitypical Jubilee or Restitution age.

We have already referred to the method of counting the Sabbaths–that the multiplying of the Sabbath or seventh day by seven (7 x 7 = 49 (following Passover) pointed out Pentecost, the Jubilee Day which followed; and the multiplying of the seventh year by seven (7 x 7 = 49) made the cycle which pointed out and led to the fiftieth or Jubilee Year.

And the same system carried out would indicate that to reach the great antitype which we seek we should in like manner square the Jubilee–i.e., multiply the fiftieth year by fifty. That is to say, the antitypical cycle, by the method of multiplying here taught us, should be reckoned by multiplying the typical Jubilee or fiftieth Sabbath year by fifty, just as in reaching it we multiplied the seventh year Sabbath by seven. Lev. 25:2-13

Following this divinely indicated method of reckoning, wonderful results open before us, which assure us that we have the correct key and are using it as was intended by him who formed this treasure-casket. Fifty times fifty years gives the long period of twenty-five hundred years (50 x 50 = 2500), as the length of that great cycle, which began to count when Israel’s last typical Jubilee ended, and which must culminate in the great antitypical Jubilee.

AND THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART: We know that such a cycle must have begun to count where the type ceased; because, if not one jot or tittle of the Law could pass away without a fulfillment at least commencing, then the Jubilee type, which was far more than a jot or tittle, indeed a large and important feature of the Law, would not have been permitted to pass away until the right time for its antitype to begin.” (B178-181 edited)

Continued with next post.