Was the Jubilee simply an unworkable piece of legislation for pre-exilic Israel, or does it have a definite implication for the Christian community today? Likewise, if the Biblical Jubilee is a pattern of moral conduct established by God for His chosen nation of Israel as a template for economic and social justice, does it then have relevance only for those within the Christian community, or does it likewise impact greater society as a whole?

In response to these issues, this paper will briefly view the idea, and practice of Jubilee in the Old Testament, observe its understanding in the New Testament (with particular reference to Christ’s interpretation of Jubilee), and finally, within the framework of cross, community and new creation, the implications of Jubilee for the Christian community and/or beyond will be examined.

The Biblical year of Jubilee signified the conclusion of a period of seven sabbatical years in the Jewish calendar. The Jewish sabbatical system was comprised of the Sabbath day, being the seventh day of the week given over to rest and worship of God. Every seventh year was recognised as a sabbatical year, during which the land was to remain fallow, the repayment of debts were not to be pressed for, and there was a greater emphasis upon acts of charity and goodwill to the poor and less fortunate.

At the conclusion of the seventh sabbatical year, the nation was to celebrate the year of Jubilee. The concept of Jubilee being unique to the Israelite nation is highlighted by Goldberg (1980, p127), in that

Regulations governing the year of Jubilee comprise a piece of legislation unique in all the literature of the ancient Middle East. In these provisions one sees again the wisdom of God in the political, economic, and social affairs of a people holy to Him.

As is clear from the primary text in Leviticus 25:8ff, the year of Jubilee has predominantly four key observances which are all theologically based upon Leviticus 25:23 and 55. Whilst various scholars refer to these aspects by a variety of terms, they all basically fall within the following categories: i) the soil remaining fallow, ii) the cancellation of debts, iii) the release of slaves, and iv) the inalienability of family and their allocated land. It is therefore clearly evident that Jubilee represents first and foremost an economic provision whose aim is social justice and equality through the eradication of oppression. This eradication is achieved via the vehicles of liberation, and redemption/restoration.

The practice of Jubilee throughout the history of the Israelite nation is not clear, although most scholars would concede that whilst some aspects of Jubilee may have been observed, it is very unlikely that all were observed during the one year. Progressively Jubilee became linked to Messiah, and the inauguration of the messianic age. Wright (1992, p1028) comments regarding the use of Jubilee imagery within Isaiah that "thus in the OT the jubilee attracted an eschatological imagery while maintaining an ethical application in the present."

An extremely important scripture that clearly utilises Jubilee imagery is that of Isaiah 61. The importance of this scripture lies not only in the fact that there is a definite, and direct link to the proclamation of Jubilee as the "year of the Lord’s favour" (Isaiah 61:2a), nor does it lie only in the fact that the scripture’s reference to the anointed one of God had been generally interpreted as referring to the Messiah who "comes in an appointed time to resettle all things and to release debtors and slaves" (Motyer, 1993, p500). The greater significance lies in Christ’s reiteration of it in Luke 4:18-19 as a "programmatic statement concerning his mission to reverse the destiny of the poor" (Bosch, 1991, p100). Hence, this general understanding and interpretation of Jubilee in the late Old Testament provided Christ with a ‘springboard’ from which to begin the proclamation of the standards, justice, ethics and economy of the new world/Kingdom of God. This is not the only time that Jesus utilises Jubilee imagery. Yoder (1972, p 60) finds language that cannot be regarded in any other way than that of Jubilee, and states that remission of debts and liberation of slaves are "at the center of his theology."

Likewise, the concept of Jubilee can be found within the life of the early Christian community. Acts 1:6 and 3:21 both contain the term apokatastasis meaning restitution, or restoration. Wright (1992, p1029) states that these two scriptures relate "to God’s final restoration of Israel and all things."

Their understanding that the inauguration of the Kingdom of God began with the death and resurrection of Christ, was lived out in the new socio-economic lifestyle and preaching of this new creation. As Fee (2000, p53) puts it, "In the new age a whole new order has been inaugurated, with a new way of looking at things and a new value system."

In the same way that the Biblical Jubilee outlined in Leviticus was addressed to the chosen nation of Israel, the implications of the Jubilee as the foundation of the Kingdom of God is addressed to the Christian community. One of the difficulties Jubilee holds for the Christian community lies in its relevance to modern Christianity. The issue of whether Christ was calling for the observance of a literal national Jubilee, or setting the foundations for the coming of the Kingdom of God remains hotly debated. An additional understanding is that Jubilee in Christ’s teaching is merely a symbol, not a concept. However, this assumption invalidates the impact of social justice as an integral component of the eschatological Kingdom of God. Kaylor (1994, p84) comments that Jubilee "expresses at least prophetically the notion that to be Yahweh’s people involved operating with a concept of justice for the community as a whole." Similarly, to cite Christ’s use of Jubilee language as a call for a literal observance of a specific year of Jubilee is limiting to the overall ministry of Christ. Snyder (1985, p 70) emphasizes the reality of Christ’s teaching in that "Jesus does not seem to have been inaugurating a Jubilee year. Rather he was announcing the Jubilee age – the very kingdom of God (Mt 4:17)." This interpretation of Christ’s usage of Jubilee language is likely the most correct – that Christ was clarifying the ethos of the Kingdom.

As the Christian community is representative of the Kingdom of God in the present, social justice and ethics must undoubtedly play a major role within the community’s life. As Yoder (1992, pix) clarifies "the people of God is called to be today what the world is called to be ultimately." Therefore, one of the responsibilities of the Christian community as the primary addressee of Christ’s teaching, is not only to display the standards of the new creation/kingdom before the rest of society, but endeavour to impact and change those elements of society that oppress the poor or weak. In regard specifically to economic justice then, Jubilee presents a model that seeks equality, and the sharing of resources on the basis of need rather than greed. As Snyder (1985, p73) comments "the gospel concerns koinonia – how people share the resources of life God has given us." This form of economic justice must begin in the household of God as it did in the early Christian community. It is not the issue of money, but that of oppression created through inequitable distribution of wealth.

4. What of Jubilee 2000 Then?

This then leads back to the initial question of the relevance of Jubilee to those outside of the Christian community. The Jubilee 2000 movement has a basic Christian foundation, and whilst their spokespersons may, or may not, adhere to the Christian faith, the ethos behind the call for an end to oppression, imposed by way of unfair debt structures benefiting the wealthy nations of the world, clearly illustrates the power of Jubilee. The success of the movement has been enormous, and has led to the cancellation of billions of dollars in debt to poor third world countries. Cancellation of debt is not the only focus. Structures are being put into place to ensure that those countries where debt has been cancelled, are provided with the required support to manage their individual economies, so as to consolidate their position after clearance of the monies owed.

It is inevitable, given the mandate for the Christian community to proclaim the Kingdom of God to society, that the Biblical Jubilee concept will be adopted and integrated to some extent by groups outside of the Church. Some would see this in an adverse way that limits the Church’s ability to proclaim the Gospel. However, as Sider (1993, p73) states, "we work now to nudge society in the direction of that coming wholeness, justice, and reconciliation because we know it will come fully at Christ’s return."

5.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, clearly the Biblical Jubilee as outlined in Leviticus 25, was, and remains an ethical, socio-economic standard peculiar to God’s chosen people. It has been viewed hermeneutically that throughout the Old Testament, Jubilee became understood in terms of Messiah and the messianic age, which Jesus himself confirmed that He had come to inaugurate. It has been seen that the Christian community is the addressee of Christ’s teaching regarding Jubilee, and as such must embrace the requirements that the Kingdom of God (the New Creation) dictate. Clearly, the concept of Jubilee has been shown to be a piece of legislation whose focus is that of protection from oppression via liberty/release and restoration.

Jubilee encourages economic justice through cancellation of debt and equal distribution of resources, and as Wright (1992, p 1029) concludes,

In this regard then, the Jubilee understanding of the Kingdom of God has great ramification for both the contemporary Christian community as well as society as a whole.

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