The Jubilee Trumpet

“CAUSE the trumpet of the jubilee to sound . . . and proclaim liberty throughout all the land.” (Lev. 25:9, 10)a That proclamation, according to Jehovah’s law given by the hand of Moses, was to be made once every fifty years on the day of atonement. It meant the freeing of Israelite slaves, the returning of ancestral estates to their rightful owners, the reuniting of families and even giving the land a rest. What happiness that proclamation brought with it and how eagerly the Israelites who had lost their land, their liberty or their loved ones must have looked forward to it! The jubilee was prophetic in its meaning and therefore is of great interest to us today.—Rom. 15:4; Heb. 10:1.

Most persons think of the ideal liberty in terms of democracy or self-rule, and particularly since World War I have the peoples of the world clamored for this liberty. But serious flaws are becoming more and more apparent in this liberty, while its very life is being threatened by totalitarian enemies.—2 Pet. 2:19.

Jehovah God is a God of proper liberty, and such liberty he gave to our first parents in Eden. However, due to selfishness they lost their liberty and came into bondage to Satan the Devil, once a mighty angel whom God had placed in charge of man and who made himself Satan by his rebellion against Jehovah. To keep control of mankind he built a powerful organization, consisting of not only selfish human creatures, but also demons, angels who, like himself, had rebelled against God.—Genesis chapter 3; Ezek. 28:13-18; 2 Cor. 4:4.

By their disobedience our first parents also brought themselves and their offspring into bondage to sin. “Every doer of sin is a slave of sin.” And sin caused death to rule as king over mankind. Surely no human government could possibly offer men liberty from Satan and his organization, from sin and from death. But Christ Jesus can and does: “If the Son sets you free, you will be actually free.”—John 8:31-36; Rom. 5:12-14, 20, 21; 6:23, NW.

How is it that Christ Jesus can offer this liberty to man? Because he has both the legal right and the power and authority to do so. By dying on the torture stake he bought the human race with his own blood, thereby providing the legal basis for freeing man from sin’s condemnation and its penalty. The pouring out of holy spirit on his followers fifty days after his resurrection was proof of that fact. Since then God has been selecting a body of 144,000 members to share heavenly resurrection and glory with Christ Jesus and to reign with him.—Acts chapter 2; Heb. 9:12, 14; Rev. 14:1, 3; 20:5, 6.

Although at his resurrection Jesus received all power and authority, he had to wait for God’s due time to exercise it in behalf of mankind. Bible prophecy shows this time came in 1914, when war took place in heaven and Satan and his demons were cast down to the earth.—Matthew chapter 24; Mt 28:18; Heb. 1:13; Revelation chapter 12.

Soon will come the complete destruction of Satan and all his organization, visible and invisible, and complete freedom for all lovers of truth and righteousness. Now is therefore the time to proclaim liberty to all of earth’s inhabitants. Will you do your part?

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