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The Overview of The Plan of God, Part 12A

The Year of The Jubilee

The undeniable formula for what God is doing with mankind is given to us by the holy spirit. That formula is revealed to us in these words:

1Co 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

“As in Adam… even so in Christ.” As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall the same “all” who are “in Adam… be made alive.” That is also the message of the year of the jubilee. “You shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” We have a series of studies on the priesthood, the Levites, and the camp of Israel, which demonstrates that the camp of Israel typifies the whole world. The Levites typified the many called, and the priesthood typified the chosen or elect of God. The holy spirit revealed this to the apostle Paul:

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

So when we are told that “You shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family”, this is what we are being told:

Eze 16:53  When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
Eze 16:54  That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.
Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

It doesn’t require a spiritual giant to deduce that if Sodom and Samaria are going to be saved, considering the apostasy of both of those cities, then God intends to save “every man”, and He is intent upon saving all men of all time. This is exactly what we are told so many times and in so many ways in both the Old and the New Testaments:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth [1Ti 2:4], even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Eze 16:55  When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish [Job 23:13], but that all should come to repentance.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Everything God did with mankind from Adam until Christ, and everything He is now doing, is preparing His “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” (Rev 14:4) to ‘warn every man and teach every man… (Col 1:28) the mysteries of the kingdom of God’ .

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

It is all leading up to the great jubilee of scripture, and that great goal will also be accomplished through “we who have the firstfruits of the spirit… the sons of God”, who are being judged now, first, so we can show to all men of all time the same “yet so as by fire” mercy which is now being poured out on us.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

How do we know that we “have now obtained mercy”? How do we know whether we a part of that “blessed and holy… first resurrection… firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”? Here is how we know whether we are part of that group of “the church of the firstborn… the pillar and ground of the Truth”:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue [G3306: ‘meno’, abide] in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

If our salvation is a matter of being “as in Adam”, then we should expect the scriptures to reveal to us that we have no choice in the matter of our salvation. That is not to say that we will not choose, but it is to say that our choice will be “even… as” it was in Adam, and lo and behold, that is exactly what the scriptures teach from Genesis to Revelation for this one reason:

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

“The whole creation… was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who has subjected the same in hope [of] the redemption of our body. Then “the whole creation…through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.” That is the doctrine of the year of the jubilee, and it is so stated throughout the scriptures.

The goal of God has never been to have a “dying, [and] corruptible…body, [with a] rebellious, carnal mind [which] is enmity against God.” It has all along been through “entering into His rest” to create a new man who would be “conformed to the image of [Christ]”:

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The “predestined… firstborn” are just that. They are “firstborn”. They are not the ‘only’ born. Predestination is a Biblical doctrine which demonstrates that all that God is doing will in the end bring all who are in Adam to be “conformed to the image of his Son”. It is “the year of the Jubilee” which is outside of the physical realm and it therefore outside the scope of the annual festivals which God gave to ancient Israel.

Today we will look at this final part of the revelation of the overview of the plan of God for all of mankind as it is revealed to us in “the year of the jubilee”.

In our earlier study we quoted this statement:

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

It is a rare person who is even given to understand that the church is the fullness of Christ who fills all in all because Christ’s “inheritance [is] in the saints.”

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Few people know that Christ’s “inheritance [is] in the saints”, but it is even fewer who realize that Christ’s Christ, the saints of “this present time” (Rom 8:18) fill Him just as He fills His Father who fills “all in all.” This “all in all” goal of God is typified for us outside of the seven festivals of the three annual seasons of the year. The year of the jubilee is pictured outside the annual holy days because the goal of the plan of God is outside the scope of this earthly vessel of clay. Therefore it is represented, not in a day following six days, neither is it represented by a day which follows seven weeks. Instead the goal of the overview of the plan of God, is outside of and beyond the scope of those who are redeemed while in these clay vessels. The year of jubilee deals with the redemption of all mankind as well as all spiritual powers and principalities in heaven and in earth:

Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

“All things… whether… things in earth or things in heaven” would include “the devil and His angels” for whom the judging and redeeming fire of the lake of fire is prepared:

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting [G166: ‘eonios’, age lasting] fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world [a thousand years, Rev 20:1-6]? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels [In the “white throne… judgment”, Rev 20:7-15]? how much more things that pertain to this life?

“This life” in “this present time” (Rom 8:18) is contrasted with the great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death. That ‘judgment is outside of “this present time”, which is signified by the three seasons of seven holy days:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature [Including the spirit realm] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.[ By whose mercy they will receive mercy]

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Because ‘the year of Jubilee’ deals with the spiritual realm, it is represented for us not in a day or a week but in a year which follows seven sevens of years which we are given in the Old Testament law of the year of the jubilee:

Lev 25:9  Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
Lev 25:10  And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 

You will notice that the trumpet of the jubilee is sounded on the day of atonement. This fact connects the significance of the jubilee year to the predestined firstborn elect who are ordained of God to judge both this present world and the devil and his angels.

The day of atonement is the day when the scapegoat was offered for the iniquities of Israel. So before we read any more about the year of the jubilee, let’s take the time to see why the year of jubilee is declared on the day of atonement:

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

We have recently finished a series of studies on the identity of this scapegoat, and we found in that study that this scapegoat is just one more type and shadow of God’s elect, through whom He is bringing all men to Himself, and through whom He will accomplish His goal of being all in all:

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

So the glory we read about in Romans 8 is not physical glory in this present time. Our glory as “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” is not a matter of having a shining face like Moses had when he came down off Mount Sinai with the two tablets containing the law. “The glory which shall be revealed in us [is] that which excels” the glory that was fading away. “The glory which shall be revealed in us” is the same glory that is being revealed in Christ as the Savior of this world simply because we, too, are to be saviors with Him.

Look very closely at what we are told of who we are:

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“With the Lord’s goat”, Christ, we are being offered as “a living sacrifice, dying daily with [Him, being] crucified with Him, [yet living], to bear upon [ourselves] all their iniquities, having them placed upon [our] head by [our] Priest”, who is Christ.

Lev 16:22  And the [scape] goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

It is not possible for the natural man to begin to appreciate the work God is doing with His creation. But it has been given to a “few… elect… firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, not only to see, but also to become those “saviors… on mount Zion” by enduring and being faithful to the end:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 

The salvation of all men will come only through Christ’s firstfruit, firstborn, who have been given the double portion of the inheritance. That double portion of the inheritance which is given only to “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” is a major part of “the deep things of God”. That double portion of the inheritance grants us to judge both this present physical realm and “when the thousand years are expired (Rev 20:7) then we will also “judge angels” in the next spiritual realm. In terms of the quantity of those being redeemed the judging we are predestined to do in the great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death, will be the greatest work of grace God will ever bestow on His creatures. That final work is not in the physical realm. That final work will be done in the spiritual realm of the lake of fire where Sodom and Samaria, and all men of all time, will finally fulfill the year of the jubilee, and all in Adam will be given “abundant… life”, finally fulfilling the commission Christ was given and the reason for which He emptied Himself of His divinity and came into this physical dying realm.

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

We will stop here for today, and in our next study we will see what is to take place in the year of the jubilee, and we will find, as we have already pointed out, that even this goal of the plan of God for all men is accomplished in and through “the church which is His body… the glory of His inheritance in the saints” because:

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you [to save the world].