The year is 1873. The Sultan of Zanzibar Barghash ibn Saʿīd, is overlord in East Africa. British missionaries tun critics of the slave trade that is devastating swathes of East Africa. They begin to lobby hard back at Westminster in London to put pressure on Zanzibar for its role as the assembly point for this trade.
This pressure pays off. On Thursday, 5 June 1873 (Hebrew calendar: 11th of Sivan, 5633), the Treaty for the Suppression of the Slave Trade is concluded by HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Highness the Seyyid Barghash-bin-Said, Sultan of Zanzibar. A supplementary would be signed at London, on Wednesday, 14 July 1875 (Hebcal: 12th of Tamuz, 5635).
The ink is dry. But the prophetic chess pieces about the 1873 East Africa slave trade treaty would remain conspicuously obscure until 150 years later.
The stage is depicted in the Book of Leviticus chapter 25. It is the third book of the Torah (the Pentateuch), also known as the Third Book of Moses and of the Christian Old Testament.
For ancient Israel, Slave laws in Exodus 21:2–6 and Deuteronomy 15:12–18 needed some fundamental adjustments. The year of Jubilee proclaimed to be observed every fiftieth year through all the land, announcing that all slaves were free. The year of liberation of servants whose deprivation had forced them into employment by others.
The anti-slavery provisions associated with the Jubilee year (Leviticus 25:25-28, 39-41) ratifies it more of a political, economic, cultural, environmental, and communal institution, transcending religious doctrine.
Fast forward to the new year 2023, the verb, “Slave”, and the noun, “Slavery”, have both taken on a whole new meaning.
Current Chinese economic initiatives in Africa have also raised concerns of aggressive practices involving slave labor.
A report published on March 7, 2018, of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (House Hearing, 115 Congress) sighted serious labor abuse in the South Sudanese oil fields for example, as one of many impacted on the continent.
The Chinese Government is directly benefitting from instability and corruption by extracting resources with virtually no benefit for the people who inhabit the land and even using enslaved locals for their labor.
An estimated 2.8 million migrant women from third-world economies work as maids in the Middle East. The construction sector in the Arab States is dominated by migrant workers from Asia and Africa. These workers face insurmountable human rights challenges. They are bound to their employers under a system known as Kafala.
The kafala, or sponsorship, system defines the relationship between foreign workers and their local sponsor, or kafeel, which is usually their employer.
In 2018 a shocking BBC documentary presented the plight of some migrant women trafficked to the Middle East as, “Foreign maids on ‘hell’ of kafala jobs”. The documentary highlights the grim reality of women who leave their homes in depraved third world economies to work as maid in the Middle East hoping for a better life. What sometimes await is hell.
You would wish that the sheer Leviticus 25 detail would make it into the foundation of international legislature. Rather, it strongly suggests that the world community consider the laws as a utopian literary fiction, and something unique to ancient Israel.
It seems better to believe that widespread abuse of the kafala labour condition, or the system in which some people are owned by others happen not because the jubilee model is unfeasible, but because the wealthy are unwilling to accept the social and economic parity that would be costly and disruptive to them.
For corrupt African governments, exporting workers is easier than creating jobs for them at home. Foreign exchange remittances sent back by workers from abroad contribute a significant chunk of government revenue.
Looking back God, through Moses intended to pass down the Levitical Jubilee model to effectively prevent cycles of intergenerational poverty and, create a social and economic parity that would make the world a better place to be.
Some in Israel today observe the “Shemitah Year” portion of the Leviticus 25 Jubilee year – occurring after every seventh Sabbath year, thus, every 50 years – to not work the land and give it a rest after the seventh “sabbatical” year. It is not clear whether current labour laws implement anything close for foreign labourers contributing to the Jewish state economic success.
| Sabbatical Years during the second half of the 20th century fell during 5712 (1951/52); 5719 (1958/59); 5726 (1965/66); 5733 (1972/73); 5740 (1979/80); 5747 (1986/87); and 5754 (1993/94). |
Towards the end of year 2022, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) began repatriating thousands of immigrant workers mostly back to Africa following growing outrage over human rights abuse and racism.
Rosh Hashanah 5783 – Jewish New Year – began on the evening of Sunday, 25 September 2022 until the evening of Tuesday, 27 September 2022 in Gregorian calendar.
Whether the authorities in the UAE know it or not, repatriation of their kafala subjects is implementation of the ancient Jubilee labour laws instituted 3,230 years ago in Leviticus 25. The first Jubilee year according to post-Exodus chronology is 1207B.C. (2553 on the Hebrew Calendar).
Practically the Forty-nine-Year Shemitah and Fifty-year Jubilee cycles take us exactly 150 years back to 1873 East Africa slave trade treaty. That is when 2023 becomes 1873 all over again.
‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. . ., so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; . . . I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick.”’
– Ezekiel 34:11 – 16 (NKJV)
Here comes four more striking parallels in recent past where the Shemitah and Jubilee Year cycle events made manifest with incredible accuracy.
- Tue, 24 June 1873 (Hebcal 30th of Sivan, 5633); First public warning of rising anti-Semitism in the U.S. is given in a sermon by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.
- Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his anti-slavery activism.
- Mon, 30 October 1922 (Hebcal 9th of Cheshvan, 5683); Benito Mussolini becomes Premier of Italy. Though initially pro-Zionist and on good terms with the Jewish population, he is later prodded by Hitler to adopt anti-Semitic policies. Fast-forward to 2022/2023 — breaking news stories begin to flash across social media, television, and print press.
- Anti Semitism Is On The Rise And Not Just Among High Profile Figures
- Antisemitic Speech Is Getting Louder Hate Crimes Are Rising
- Sharp Rise On Antisemitism Everywhere Notably America
- Antisemitic Hate Crimes Rise In Major Cities
- Sat, 22 July 1922 (Hebcal 27th of Tamuz, 5682); Britain granted Mandate for Palestine. Transjordan set up on three-fourths of the area, leaving one fourth for the Jewish national home. Jewish Agency representing Jewish community vis-a-vis Mandate authorities set up. Fast-forward to Wen, 30 Nov 2022 — The General Assembly (UNGA) adopted five resolutions against Israel, including a text on UN to mark ‘Nakba Day’ – the Jewish state’s establishment in 1948 as catastrophe.
- In 2022 alone, the UNGA adopted 15 resolutions on Israel vs. 13, resolutions on rest of the World combined. All this at a time when Russia is pulverizing Ukraine with devastating bombardment, Iran killing hundreds of its own citizens for mass protesting draconian Islamic hijab dress code, and the Taliban in Afghanistan cracking down on women rights to education and social liberties.
- Sat, 6 October 1973 (Hebcal 11th of Tishrei, 5734); Arab states coalition led by Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. Fast-forward Oct 2022.
- Israel found itself amid a terror wave. Since the start of 2022, over 4,000 Palestinian attacks perpetrated. By the end of 2022, Israel security killed more than 180 Palestinians in the West Bank and Palestinian assailants killed over 20 in Israel.
- Israel forces reportedly carried out more than 200 airstrikes against Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria in year 2022 alone.
- Thu, 24 February 2022 (24th of Adar I, 5782); Russia invades Ukraine, a European nation led by a Jewish president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia is a principal ally of the Anti-Israel alliance led by Iran and Syria.
That looks like a bleak picture indeed. But throughout history, God excels at turning around that which was meant for bad to the good of His people (Deuteronomy 23:5).
The violence spilling over into year 2023 from 2022 simply means birth pangs of something as significance as Levitical Jubilee dividends.
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”
– Psalm 126:5 (NLT)
Just like in every game, there are always winners and losers.
The return of Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) as Prime Minister of Israel in 2023 signals the last nail for those seeking to wipe Israel off the map. The last letter of the name Benjamin (בנימין) is quite telling.
Sixth Hebrew letter: Vav Numerical value of six. Pictographic meaning of hook, nail. Man is to work for six days and then rest on the seventh day, Shabbat. (Exodus. 16:23-30; 20:8-11)
The Jubilee year 2023 / 5783 comes at the back of eventful Shemitah moment 2022 / 5782.
Benjamin (בנימן) in the Bible is the last and youngest son of Israel’s patriarch Jacob (Genesis 35:18). Benjamin is the second son of Rachel — the first being Joseph — and she dies giving birth to him. Whenever a seed gets buried in the ground, new life springs up on the surface. Whatever has been lost during the Shemitah time 2022 / 5782 will soon begin to manifest afresh.
The gematria (numerical) value of Benjamin (בנימין) is 162 which reduces to (1+6+2) = 9
Ninth Hebrew letter: Tet Numerical value of nine. Pictographic meaning in this context, fruitfulness, judgment.
Fruitfulness for those who have spent the last Shemitah time 2022 / 5782 sowing in tears. Judgement for the perpetrators and profiteers in those teary moments.
Unless Russia and its alliance of Belarus, Syria, Iran (and even Turkey under the radar) changes course on Ukraine and Israel, they can expect a colossal cost for their adventure when the Jubilee year indictment strikes.
The same goes for several African regimes that consistently vote against Israel in the biased UNGA resolutions yet, accepting the diplomatic and economic blessings extended by the Jewish state.
God’s promises do not have an expiry date.
“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
– Genesis 12:3
All those prophetic chess pieces you didn’t know about are about to be made manifest.
Jesus’ connection to the year of Jubilee has been proclaimed by Isaiah.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD anointed me To bring good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn”
– Isaiah 61:1-2 (NASB)
- Ecclesiastes 1:9: “What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun ” – (BSB).
- Malachi 3:6: “For I am the LORD, I do not change;”
- Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
The human story began in the garden with rivers (Gen 2:8,10), it will end in the garden with ‘the’ river in its midst (Rev 22:1).
Creation began with the Light of God (Gen 1:3). The new Heaven and the new earth will begin with the Glory of God being the light in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:22,23)
Abraham crossed the Jordan River from Ur of the Chaldeans in the east to the Promised Land at Shechem and (Jeru)Salem (Genesis 12:1).
About 685 years later his great grandchildren also crossed the Jordan from the east and entered the promised land via Jericho (Joshua 3 – 5).
Children begin life by total dependence on the parents. Advancement in age enforces total dependence on others even for the most basic of tasks.
Since life expectancy of 50 years or less is what most people can manage, that makes the Levitical Jubilee cycle such a unique, usually only once a lifetime event. I am quite excited to see what else 2023 (5783) has in store.
I wish you a blessed Jubilee season 2023 (5783).
Shalom.
Faith Matters 