Monday, August 24, 2015

THE SHEMITAH JUDGMENT?

According to the Jewish calendar, the next Shemitah year will be the year 5775 after Creation, which runs from September 25, 2014, through September 13, 2015.

As we see the Wall Street Financial Market plunges and then slightly recovering many believers are asking themselves, is this indeed the ‘Shemitah judgment’ coming over the United States that will culminate on September 13, 2015 with a total collapse of the American economy as has been prophesied by several preachers and televangelists? The answer to this question is unequivocally NO!

The Shemitah has nothing to do with God shaking the American Economy or causing a famine, nor is it about judgment!

The Shemitah is a Jewish Sabbath year which was an obligation given specifically and ONLY TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL as we can read in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 15:1-5 (NLT):

“At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money. This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord’s time of release has arrived. This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites—not to the foreigners living among you. “There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today.”

The context of these verses are, that at the end of seven years, debt was to be released, and the ground given rest. Again, the Shemitah year has nothing to do with God shaking the American Economy or causing a famine, nor is it about judgment as some of these teachers falsely proclaim. This seven-year sabbatical was ONLY FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL!

There is NO BIBLICAL SUPPORT whatsoever for the idea that God would either require any other nation to observe the Shemitah year, or that He would impose a Shemitah-type judgment according to a seven-year cycle on any nation!

I have heard false teachings of so-called Bible scholars who twist the Word, claiming ‘extra biblical revelation’, even though the Bible warns NOT to add to or take from His Word (See Proverbs 30:6, Deuteronomy 4:2, and Revelation 22:19). Unfortunately, many take these teachings to heart and fall for this hype, instead of studying God’s Word for themselves in proper context!

This Shemitah judgment is nothing but a hyped up “fear” propaganda that helps these false prophets sell their books, videos, and travel from seminar to seminar charging big entrance fees. The September 13 Shemitah judgment is also good for the sales of survival foods, as well as generators, shortwave radios, water filters, solar panels, seeds for up to 70 acres of food, you name it!

Jesus warns us that there will be all sorts of calamities coming over this world in these last days, but that we should NOT PANIC!!!

Jesus also said that we will be hated and persecuted all over the world because we are His followers and that many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people! And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come! (See Matthew 24:1-14)

For this reason Jesus commanded us to:

“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” Mark 16:16-18 NLT

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