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Shemitah: A Christian Perspective On The Seven Year Cycle
by Katherine Frisk, The Phaser.com:
If you think the seven year cycle of the Shemitah is another “conspiracy theory,” then I have to ask:
How many days of the week are there?
How many planets are there in our solar system? (Pluto does not count)
Are there no spring, summer, autumn and winter cycles?
To quote from the Gospels:
“He told them a parable. “See the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.” Luke 21:29
As with the seasons so we have many other cycles that intertwine and interconnect. One of these is the seven year cycle which is a fractal of the seven days of the week. This is extended to 70 year cycles, 700 year cycles and 7,000 year cycles.
In the Hebrew calender 2014-2015 is the year 5775.
2015-2016 will be the year 5776.
Remember Christine LaGarde’s Magic number 7 ??
5+7+7+6 = 25.
5 +2 = 7
Shemitah, seven year cycle.
Here is author and researcher Michael Snyder’s recent analysis on the Shemitah: The Biblical Pattern Which Indicates That A Financial Collapse May Be Coming In 2015
All major religions acknowledge the 7th Heaven, regarded as a place and state of bliss and a dwelling place of God and the Angels.
The story in the Old Testament that best illustrates Shemitah, debt forgiveness and forgiveness of sins is the story of Joseph.
According to Friedman, R.E., The Bible With Sources Revealed, one interpretation of the name Joseph is that the name derives from the word asaf/from the root /’sp/, “taken away”:
“And she (Rachel) conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach.”
In this context, the previously barren Rachel has now been forgiven, her debt, her sin is taken away due to the birth of her son Joseph,whose name in this context in turn means to take away sins.
Joseph had one brother, ten half brothers and one half sister. Joseph and Benjamin had as their ancestors Sarah, Rebecca and their mother Rachel. (Jacob had to work 7 years before he could marry Rachel.)
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah are the 7 children of Leah. (Jacob had to work 7 years before he could marry Leah)
Dan and Naphtali are the children of Bilhah.
Gad and Asher are the children of Zilph.
Jacob had 13 children. 12 sons and one daughter.
Joseph however, was cast out by his brothers because he was the favourite son of Israel, leaving Jacob with 12 children, one of whom he presumed to be dead.
We have 12 hours in the day. 12 hours in the night. 12 months of the year. 12 constellations. 12 nomes of Egypt. 12 tribes of Israel. 12 Apostles.
[Pictured: Joseph is sold by his brothers. Overbeck, 1816/17 ]
Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him, they tore his cloak of many colours and threw him in a pit leaving him for dead, but later Judah sold him to camel traders who took him to Egypt.
Joseph later rose to power in Egypt, he was given stewardship of the country,became the second most powerful person after the Pharaoh and was also known as the Pharaoh’s Cup Bearer.
The Egyptian author Dr. Ashraf Ezzat , takes issue with use of the word “Pharaoh.” He is of the opinion that “the word pharaoh is the Greek pronunciation of the compound word “pe-ro” or “pr –aa” which referred to the palace of the king or rather the great house.” The King was regarded as a “God.” In this context Joseph is given stewardship of the House of “God” and holds the sacred Cup.
The reason for this rise was because Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream of seven lean cows which devoured seven fat cows; and of seven withered ears of grain which devoured seven fat ears and predicted seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. He advised the Pharaoh to store surplus wheat. By reading the signs, in this case interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream correctly, Egypt managed to avoid hardship and starvation while the rest of the Middle East, Canaan in particular, suffered from drought and famine. With regards to Shemitah, as the land lay fallow during the drought, so the land lies fallow during a Shemitah year.
Joseph’s brothers then came to Egypt in search of grain to make bread and sought the Great Visor’s help and assistance, not knowing that this Visor was their half brother who they had plotted to kill and then sold into Egypt.
Joseph had two choices. He could either get revenge for the debt they owned him, the sin they had carried out against him, the reproach he could have exacted upon them, or he could forgive their debt, forgive their sin, take away the reproach and instead seek reconciliation.
He chose the latter. As a result Israel and his house of 70 moved to Egypt and stayed there for the duration of the famine. Through Joseph they received redemption.
As part of the Shemitah, all debts are to be remitted.
The correlations between this story and the story of the life and words of Jesus make my head spin. Here are a few:
Matthew 2:15,”Out of Egypt, I called My Son”.
His father’s name was Joseph.
There are 12 Apostles.
The most important message in the New Testament, is that instead of Shemitah, debt forgiveness, sin forgiveness and receiving redemption on a 7 day basis, a 7 year basis or even a 70 year basis, this is something done in daily life. Forgiveness is not bound by ritual hours, days, seasons or years. It is a constant and essential part of Christian life. As such I will close this article with the Lord’s Prayer:
Matthew 6:9-13King James Version (KJV)
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Katherine Frisk
