The jubilee.
The sabbath of the seventh day is commemorative of the rest of God after the work of creation, and anticipative of the rest in heaven for his people after the world's great week of toil and sorrow (see Hebrews 3:1-19, Hebrews 4:1-16). The more to impress these things upon us, to keep alive our gratitude, and to stimulate our faith and hope, he also instituted the sabbaths of the Levitical system. Conspicuous amongst these are the grand sabbaths mentioned in this chapter, viz. that of the seventh year and that of the week of years. This last comes now under review; and we notice—
I. THE TIME OF THE JUBILEE.
1. In its astronomical aspect.
2. In its theological aspect.
II. THE PROCLAMATION OF THE JUBILEE.
1. This foreshadowed the preaching of the gospel.
(a) If the land of Canaan be taken as a specimen of the world at large, then was this a prophecy of the proclamation of the gospel to the ends of the earth.
(b) But if the land be taken in a restricted sense as applicable to the people of the Law in contradistinction to the heathen, then the teaching is that those only who renounce sin by repentance are concerned in the blessings of the gospel.
2. The trumpet also suggests the judgment.
(a) to awaken the dead (1 Corinthians 15:52);
(b) to summon all men to the tribunal.
III. THE BLESSINGS OF THE JUBILEE.
1. It proclaimed a release.
2. It was a season of joy.