It’s one of those days when I’m not sure whether to be happy or sad that as a nation, it’s been 49 years since we have been free! Where we are, and where we could have been by now is such a big gully apart that if we really knew any better we would not find so many things so funny. Imagine for example that we are the darkest nation on earth, and parallel that with the fact that we are one of the wealthiest nations on earth in all the elements that can be used to generate power. We became independent 49yrs ago, but can we truly lay claim to freedom? In 49 years Nigerians have willfully submitted to the recycled leadership of the same set of people. It would have been exciting if those people were actually our brightest and fairest, but it is appalling to consider that we averagely agree that our leadership is not representative of our intelligence, values and good naturedness. Year in year out however, the strongest arm of government – the people, silently reneges it’s powers to those whose voices ought be be subject to theirs, and for 49yrs we have allowed the tail to wag the dog!
It’s bad, but thank God, this is our year of Jubilee! Without going into detailed biblical references and deep exhortations on the origin of Jubilee and the concept, let me quickly summarize. God is very structured and very detailed, and uses numbers quite well (I’ve written a number of articles on numbers). On the 7th day of creation, God rested. He then appointed the 7th day for man as a day to be separated from all labours to rest. It is meant to be a day of freedom, a day of liberty, a day when you just stay off all work and rest. For the slaves in captivity in Egypt back then, rest was a luxury indeed. God then established a number of events characterised by this number 7. After 7 sets of 7 days.. meaning 7weeks, there was the celebration of a week of weeks, same for years. The 49th year is the end of the 7 sets of 7years, and marks the beginning of a year of years. The actual Jubilee is on the clock of 50, but the proclamation of it starts from the 49th year. It is a year when two key things are guaranteed – 1. Freedom! 2. A repossession of inheritance! Nigeria, welcome to your year of Jubilee!
An attempt to go into the details of what this 49th year holds would make this post unbearably long, so once again permit me to hint and gloss lightly over the surface of the issues. I’ll expect debate and questions to give us all an opportunity to open all our eyes towards what is coming.
There are a few fundamentals I am assuming here, let me clarify them.
1. I am assuming that you understand in all scriptural referrences to Israel, Israel was classified as God’s first born and hence is a type of the template of what God has in plan and stock for other nations. That God is the God of all the nations of the earth, and that in every nation, God’s people are those called by his name.
2. I am assuming that you know that every major symbolic event demonstrating freedom took place in the Bible happened during the year of Jubilee. I mean events like – The Birth of Abraham, Exodus, The dedication of Solomon’s temple, The return from Babylon and the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. I am assuming that you know that this life is not where it all ends. That all current Jubilees are pointers to a greater Jubilee that is set to happen before the expiration of time. That all that God says are types and shadows of that which leads over the edge of time, into eternity!
Having taken the assumptions out of our way, these are a few things to expect in the next 1yr. By the time we clock 50, we would have entered fully into the operations of Jubilee, but the process and proclamation starts now!
1. Freedom
Nigeria and Nigerians are currently held in bondage. We are independent as a nation but we are not free. This is a year in which the cry and clamour for freedom must take new frequencies. As a nation our people are in chains! Financial Chains, Social Chains, Political Chains, and even Spiritual Chains. The salaries are not enough, and even the courage to engage in means to make ends meet is bankrupt – We are in Financial Chains. The young and upcoming man is interested in a lady he would love to marry, he has love and a litte money, but society is setting him expectations that will make his wedding trendy but his marriage stressful – Society Chains. We keep saying our leaders are corrupt and bad, yet we refuse to exercise our civil right to vote, no volounteer our uncorrupt selves for pubic office – Political Chains. We are not living right with God, we know, we go to church regularly and the messages rarely make us feel we are different from everyone else, the preacher preaches a userfriendly gospel and does not rock anybody’s boats, we know that things are not right but are caught in the habit of religion – Spiritual Chains.
When you are roaming one spot for 49 years, it’s either you have a chain that ties you to a particular spot, or the chain is anchored deep within your soul far from the reach of any who could help. In this year, chains will be revealed and broken. Freedom is a good thing and a bad thing. The slave goes free, and the master is deprived. In this year, many servants shall lose their masters. Some people’s freedom will be delivered because their captors are no more. The human entities that constitute our problems as a nation will be no more. I proclaim freedom over your life, you will know no limits, your boundaries will be enlarged. This is our year of Jubilee!
2. Repossession of Inheritance
There are so many things we have as a country, seperately and corporately. In some of these things, our folly in times past has led us to exchange our destiny for a pot of porrige. We, a prosperous oil rich and resource rich country are ranking as darkest nation on earth, featuring as number 9 failed state and winning so many sad appelations. This year however, we are taking it all back! Those houses are not owned by them, they are our inheritance, and at the right opportunity we’ll get what is ours!
We have lost our right to be respected by other nations, but we’ll get it back
We have lost a right to be called the Giants of Africa, but we’ll get it back
By now, we should be ranking as one of the best countries in the world to live, we are really far from it, however we’ll get all back!
Is there anything that has been taken from you that you had before? As individuals and as a nation this is our year of years!
