I’ve had Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s new release, The Mystery of the Shemitah, laying around for a couple months. It was on my ‘to read’ stack, but limited time and other volumes I was more interested in continually snowed it under. Well, at about 1:50 the other morning I found myself staring at the clock and decided to get up, brew some coffee and read something…. This is what I picked up.
Several years ago, I read Cahn’s The Harbinger and found it interesting and somewhat compelling, but the wordy style that seemed to drag on belaboring points was a put-off. Hence, The Shemitah was a slow uptake. The 288 pages were a very fast read because many sections I could skim and get the meat, slowing only on occasion for clarity on some finer points. All total, the book took maybe a couple hours to read.
Both of Cahn’s books begin with the premise that, unlike most nations, America was intentionally dedicated to be a light to the nations, a sort of ‘new’ Israel, founded on Judeo-Christian principles drawn directly from the Torah. As such, this nation, by invoking or accepting the mantle of being a light on a hill in the image of ancient Israel also invoked the blessings and curses of obedience and disobedience.
Cahn’s premises for both books, drawn from Isaiah, is to ask whether the odd sequences of events in out recent past cannot be traced directly to our national disobedience and deserved judgment. While The Harbinger focuses on 9/11 and a number of uncanny events that seem to directly tie to a prophecy in Isaiah 9:10-11, The Mystery of the Shemitah ties together a large number of socio-economic events, particularly on Wall Street that ‘mysteriously’ fall into a fairly predictable/precise pattern that fits rather well the Shemitah cycles of Leviticus 25.
The Shemitah (H8059), as Cahn explains, it the Hebrew word for ‘release’ or ‘suspension.’ As Leviticus 25 teaches, just as every week is to have a seventh day of rest, so there is to be a rest of years, where the land was to be given rest in the seventh year and all debts were to be cancelled, slaves released, etc. Further, every seventh seven would be followed by a year of Jubilee with additional releases and land being returned to its originally allotted owner.
In the wake of his research concerning the Isaiah 9/10 tie-ins with 9/11, Cahn began to see economic collapses and downturns that fit the shemitah pattern. In his book he reveals a long list of dates and events in the American economy that seem to very closely fit this pattern. In fact, on the surface, the odds of such a sequence matching so closely border on the astronomical.
Ultimately, Cahn concludes that he is not a prophet and does not speak prophetically, BUT there is a distinct pattern here that bears watching. His conclusion is that if the pattern is correctly understood, he believes that September 2014-September 2015 is a Shemita year that is very likely the last of a Jubilee series with the following year (Hebrew civil calendar beginning with Yom Teruah) being the Year of Jubilee. I.e., late 2015-late 2016. Further, he believes that there is high probability for major related prophetic events, possibly cataclysmic, both economically and otherwise, in both America and perhaps globally.
What strikes me as particularly interesting is that this current Shemitah falls right in the middle of the blood moons that we have talked about on several occasions. In fact, the central solar eclipse in this series of feast aligned blood moons falls almost exactly in the middle of the Shemitah year. Echoing Cahn, ‘This bears close watching!!’
Review continues below.
| A personal aside that struck me as interesting convergence… Take it for what it is worth. (Not much.)I was born in 1967 and from about the age of 10 have believed strongly that my generation would see the culmination of all things and the coming of the Messiah.
Further, for the last 20+ years I have considered 2017 as the time frame of choice, reasoning that if Jerusalem was captured in a Jubilee year (Cahn says 2016, I think 2017), then at the 50 year mark it would have to be redeemed, or returned. A look at some of the last few centuries seems to indicate the Jubilees falling on the 17s and 67s. Allegedly, Rabbi Judah ben Samuel prophesied many parts of this in the early 1200s. Well, those pieces of knowledge/information floating in my head, and having just read Cahn’s Shemitah, I was sorting through boxes of stuff as we finished unpacking from our recent move and I stumbled on a piece of paper from a couple years ago. The mangled page had my birth date and Torah portion as well as my wife’s. (For those not familiar, it is supposed in some circles that names as well as the Torah portion the week of one’s birth can be prophetic. I place limited stock, but find it interesting information.) Anyway, long story short, with my fascination for prophecy and my interest, going back decades for 2017ish time frame and the probable Jubilee, what do you suppose my reaction was when I realized the connection to my Torah Portion: Behar. (Leviticus 25 … the chapter concerning the sevenths and the Jubilee!!) Yep, I had to stop and sit down as I was a bit slack jawed. How had I not noticed that connection before? Interesting. |
So, while I find Cahn’s Shemitah to be wordy, I do find the connections and possible prophetic significance to be interesting and worthy of some attention, though it certainly is NOT a ‘thus sayeth the Lord.’ Regardless, it is always a good time to repent and seek the face of the King.
Judging from the Amazon reviews, it has been well received, but will its call to repentance be acted on? Time will tell. Buckle up for a potentially bumpy ride in 2015.
Blessings.
natsab 
Sorry, I think the man lives up to his name – a real con man. I don’t sense any holy spirit anointing on him. He’s purporting what the new world order wants us to believe.
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Interesting.
It does seem hard to create/fabricate the historically verifiable tie-ins, some dating to the late 1700s, that he presents in both books…
While I do hold him with an open hand, I think ‘con-man’ would be a bit harsh.
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I’ve read both of his books, as well. Very intriguing, indeed. I’m watching. 🙂
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I definitely think we should be looking for the answer to these riddles. Most moderns including Cahn have the cycle as 49 years with the Jubilee year and the first year of the Jubilee cycle as one in the same… I find a plain reading of Leviticus 25 to read as 50 years not 49, further I read Noah’s flood as a Jubilee story. His birth means rest and 600 years later the flood. 600 is divides evenly into 50 not 49.
Pete, if its ok with you, i am going to post your article to my google + community on the subject. Please let me know.
Thanks
Barry
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Welcome, Barry.
Feel free to repost. I know this is a topic that has intrigued you from the financial world. If I recall, your dating is a bit different, no?
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Yes Pete,
I count the Jubilee differently, my Seven year is the same as Jonathan’s, but I Insist on being HUMBLE about my count. My only certainly is, that it is out there, and we should find it, and use it. By the way Charisma Media has a greed to publish my book on the subject to be released September 29 2015. Can you guess why September 29, 2015?
Thanks for the permission to re-post.
Best wishes,
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I just bought the book. If I had realized that it was written by the same man who wrote The Harbinger, I probably would NOT have bought it. I have a real hard time equating the USA to a “new Israel” – there is ONE land of Israel, and the Shemitah is to be observed only in that land, so…. Nevertheless, hubby John and I also have a gut feeling that this coming year or two will be extremely significant years. They DO ‘bear watching’ – we’ll keep our eyes and ears open!
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I think the sentiment expressed in these comments are common to most Messianics i’ve heard. Myself included.
Pete you said: “A personal aside that struck me as interesting convergence… Take it for what it is worth. (Not much.)I was born in 1967 and from about the age of 10 have believed strongly that my generation would see the culmination of all things and the coming of the Messiah.”
I would like to echo this with confirmation. I’m a year older than you and have felt the same. The first book I read from the new testament was Revelation. It not only led this Jew to faith in Messiah, it spoke to my inner heart that our generation would witness such things.
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Hey Pete, I also skimmed Cahns two books and found them intriguing as well. Since then I have watched Shemitah teachings by Joseph Dumond out of Canada (www.sightedmoon.com) and am now working on the book. Gotta admit I find it meatier and more compelling than Cahn’s. Are you familiar with his research and if so, what are your thoughts? Thanks!
PS: Ariel, Israel…25 days!
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Counting the days w ya!!!
Have heard of Drummond, but not dug into his work. May have to find the time…. So much to study/learn.
Looking forward to meeting you.
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