Jesus Our Jubilee!

By Mary Ann Wray

According to the Hebrew Calendar, we are into the year 5777 called “Ayin Zayin”. The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, began on October 2 of 2016 and ends on October 4 of 2017. It just so happens that 5777 is also a seven year of “release” and a 50 year Jubilee (the seventh year of seven years). For the past several weeks in prayer I kept hearing in my spirit, “A year of release.” I couldn’t shake this thought so that is what sent me on the search for more revelation from the scriptures. To lay a bit of a foundation for what I believe is the prophetic significance of this season, we can see layers of meaning in the characters of the year 5777.

You see, the Hebrew alphabet doubles as letter or numbers. Ayin’s character for “70” is two “eyes” so the significance of it means to see, to watch and know, and Divine Providence. Zayin’s character, the number seven, has several layers of meaning too. It means harvest, food as from the harvest that is cut from an implement such as a hoe and is shaped like a sword. The classical Hebrew script depicts zayin with a crown on the top of its head. The crown is called a vav. A vav represents “straight light from God to man”. Vav infers that God’s light to man is revelation knowledge that only He can give. Zayin is a paradox because it means weapon or sword but it is derived from a root word meaning sustenance or nourishment.

How can a sword relate to nourishment you might ask? One resource I read said that the sword of war is often needed for nourishment, not in the sense of fighting, but in the spiritual sense in that in order to be nourished and at rest we must engage in warfare by being watchful and alert at all times!


Under the Old Covenant these seven year cycles were referred to as the Year of Release, and the Jubilee, consecutively. This proclaimed season of release is also referred to as the " Shemitah". In Deuteronomy 15: 1 it says “At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release (shemittah). And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not demand it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord’s release.”

To explain a bit further, the Jubilee (yovel) means ‘ram’s horn’. This year of Jubilee Release was announced throughout the land of Israel by ram’s horn blasts once every fifty years. While many are predicting a time of great hardships and catastrophic woes upon the earth and America in particular during this Shemitah, I believe we may be missing the inherent promises of blessing proclaimed within it. Hebrews 7: 22 tells us that we are heirs of a New and Better Covenant! This then begs the question, “If God provided a time of release under the Old Covenant, what are His provisions for us under the New?”

We can find seven specific Jubilee promises in Leviticus 25 along with this seven year release or Sabbath rest outlined in Deuteronomy 15. There’s that number seven again! My intent is not to write an article about Biblical numerology but one can’t help but see a recurring pattern here that gets your attention! God often uses numbers to explain things to us. Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God's creation of all things.

According to Jewish tradition, the creation of Adam occurred on October 7th, 3761 B.C. (or the first day of Tishri, which is the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar). The word 'created' is used 7 times describing God's creative work (Genesis 1:1, 21, 27 three times; 2:3; 2:4). There are 7 days in a week and God's Sabbath is on the 7th day. Through my research I also discovered that God instituted the first Jubilee in 1416 B.C. when the children of Israel entered Canaan from Egypt. God continually provided this system of Sabbath rest and release from debt and oppression every 50 years after crossing the Red Sea to
ensure they would remain free from different types of bondage, if they kept His Covenant.


In three of the Gospels Jesus is proclaimed the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5). As such, He proclaimed to the world, especially to the legalistic Pharisees, that He was greater than the Law. Since Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh, He was declaring to them that He was the actual Author of those laws! Because man was and is unable to keep the requirements of the Law, it was necessary for God’s salvation to come to us through Christ’s sacrifice.

He became our substitute for God’s judgment against all sin, and in place of judgment gave us His grace available through our complete trust in Him! Jesus alone completed what the Law could never do. What an unfathomable love the Father has given to us!


We enter into Covenant with God now by faith; not the Law. Now that Jesus has provided for us a New and Better Covenant, we can safely deduce that the benefits of the Old are included within the New and obtained through our faith in the finished work of the Cross! Having said that, I believe we are in a prophetic season of release and Jubilee! I see it as us entering into a 'kairos' season with our Heavenly Father-that is if we lay hold of it by faith. For those who will trust God for supernatural blessings, I believe this year will be a year of sudden breakthroughs and blessings we’ve been waiting for a long time; in some cases decades!

To explain what I mean a bit further, there are two words used in the New Testament for time: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos is the linear or chronological time God created to separate night and day, weeks and months, years and decades and so on. But God also has a ‘kairos’ that cannot be measured by our linear time. Kairos is the right or opportune moment; the 'supreme moment' that the Father provides according to His perfect Timing and Will. The fact that the chronological Jubilee falls within our Gregorian calendar year of 2017 is no mere coincidence.


Since one of the layered meanings of zayin, the number 7 means ‘sword’ Hebrews 4:12 tells us the God’s word is a two edged sword! To have 777 occur three times in a row is significant since the Godhead is “three in one”. You see, God will not be mocked. His Word endures forever in the midst of changing and perilous times. Whatever man sows the same will he reap; good or evil. This symbolic and chronological Hebraic calendar year of 5777 iterates that fact.

It also interesting to note that this is the 70th Jubilee cycle from the time of the first Jubilee dated on or about 1416 B.C. The fact that we are in the 70th Jubilee cycle is of no small import either. Here we see the sword of 7 appear 10 times. In Genesis 1 we find the phrase "God said" 10 times, which is a testimony of His creative power. God gave the 10 Commandments to man. Ten therefore represents man's responsibility to keep the commandments. Ten is also viewed as a complete and perfect number, as is 3, 7 and 12. It is made up of 4, the number of the physical creation, and 6, the number of man. As such, it signifies testimony, law, responsibility and the completeness of order.

It is also interesting to note that ten generations of man lived on the earth before the flood waters came and swept away all those who were disobedient. Noah, the tenth generation, was 600 years when he and seven other family members entered the ark. As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be when the son of man returns (Matthew 24: 37). Could it be that we are nearer His return than we think, since the days numbered of 5777 speak of completion of the Word of the Lord? I don’t know, but I find this all very interesting and definitely a ‘sign’ from the Lord...

I also read that our President elect will be 70 years, seven months and seven days old on the day of his Inauguration. I don’t think this is a mere coincidence either. I believe the Father is aligning dates, times and events in order to ‘speak’ to us through them if we’ll have ears to hear.


The Sons of Issachar were wise in that they discerned the times and seasons of God and knew what to do (1 Chronicles 12: 32). As New Testament believers, we have the same anointing by the Holy Spirit and can discern the “Kairos” times and seasons of God. I recently saw an amazing video that was purported to have occurred on Rosh Hashanah, October 2, 2016. There was a circular cloud hanging over Jerusalem with the sound like trumpets heard in the background. Could this be another sign of us entering into a “Kairos” season of release? Perhaps...

When Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), He was attesting to the fact that, just as the Sabbath day was originally instituted to give man rest from his labors, He came to provide us rest from laboring to achieve our own salvation by our own “dead” works. Because of His sacrifice on the cross, we can now forever cease laboring to attain God’s favor and rest and receive His mercy and grace through faith. Ephesians 2: 8 says that we are saved by grace through faith; not our works so that none of us can boast. Jesus gives us rest from our enemies, salvation for our souls, liberation from sin and the bondages of the enemy. He provides for all of our physical, spiritual and emotional needs, gives us the hope of family salvation, and canceled all of our sin debt before the Father!

The seven Jubilee promises are as follows:

 Rest –The Promised Land was to rest every Sabbath (7th) year, just as each person was to rest every Sabbath (the 7th) day (Duet 15: 1). Jesus gives us the promise of entering into His rest by faith. Hebrews 4: 1

 Possession of goods – The Jubilee was a special year of redemption, with every Israeli having his property restored. “In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession” (Leviticus 25:13). In Luke 4: 18-20 Jesus declared that He came to restore and release us from everything the devil took from us! After He read this prophecy, He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. He said to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 Restoration and returning of family “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan” (Leviticus 25: 10). Act 16: 31 tells us that if we believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be saved along with our household!

 Increase (enjoying the fruit of your labor) “For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field” (Leviticus 25:12). Slave owners ate the finest from the field—the increase. Slaves ate the leftovers. That is about to change. Increase of the fields refers to prosperity. You are promised God’s best; not the scraps! Philipians 4: 19 says that God supplies for ALL of our needs according to HIS riches in GLORY by Christ Jesus!

 Freedom from Oppression & deliverance from bondages “If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other. (Leviticus 25:14-17. When God pours out supernatural blessing during the coming Jubilee season, the devil can’t oppress you. People can’t oppress you. Financial oppression will be history for believers who understand and act on what is coming! In the Aramaic Bible translated to English Jesus said in John 8: 36 “If the Son therefore will set you free, you will truly be the children of liberty.” Glory to God!

 Safety (supernatural protection & abundant life) “Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and you will dwell in the land in safety” (Leviticus 25:18). God wants to protect you, despite what continues to happen among the uncertain times and challenges. Jesus gives us authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and He said nothing shall harm us! Luke 10: 19

 Supernatural Provision ”Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years” (Leviticus 25:21). The Father is about to command the blessing on His sons and daughters who operate in childlike faith and obedience in their giving. Jesus said, “Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down and running over shall man pour in your lap! “ Luke 6: 38

Let’s lay hold of these precious promises by faith and trust God to do for you what you could never do for yourself! Jesus is our Jubilee!

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruptio n in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1: 3-4