When the LORD divided the years into 7-year cycles it meant something! (Leviticus 25.)  It still means something! And as we approach the coming of the King Messiah, it is increasingly more significant. For I believe there will be a last 7-year cycle before His Appearing, and before His Coming!
 
With this Rosh Hashana (The Feast of Trumpets), the last year of a 7-year cycle of years begins. This is called the Schemittah year. The day begins tomorrow evening with Erev Rosh Hashana and continues through sundown the next day. September 24 and 25.
 
There will come that Schemittah Cycle that completes all the Schemittah Cycles that have counted off time until that cycle which will have been completed just before the True Jubilee that only He can fulfill when He sets up His visible, earthly kingdom.
 
The signs of the times are so telling.  The nations of whom the Prophets spoke concerning "the end of days," are shooting into their prophetic places, just as the Lord says they would. And, of course, Israel has shot forth into its prophetic place.
 

Luke 21:29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luke 21:30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
Luke 21:31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

How can you watch the news and not realize the nations in the news are the nations in the Holy Writings of the Prophets! Syria and Damascus, Moab (Jordan), Elam (Iran), Edom (Saudi, Arab States), Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Europe, The Old Roman Empire, etc., and of course, Israel and Jerusalem.
 
I often say, the biggest miracle since Bible days is the miracle of the Ingathering of the Jews. And really, one of the biggest factors in this miracle is that after almost 2000 years, they knew who they are. They did not disappear in the populations of the diaspora.
 
Today, I received and sent Shana Tovah (Have a Good Year) greetings to several Jewish friends. I received the following from an Israeli friend. (To those who knew Yehuda Oppenheim, with whom we worked on the Ezekiel stone tablets, his brother-in-law passed this along, that he had received, to me.)  It illustrates the miracle of the Lord's keeping Israel as seen through the eyes of a present-day descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
 
SHANA TOVAH
This was such a special message that I received I just had to pass it on with lots of love for a happy New Year!  
 
This week we Jews will begin our 5775 year on this earth! Who would have believed this possible? If anyone had told Abraham that his people would be around this long, he probably would have been astounded.

Imagine, we did this without beheading anyone, without a single suicide bomber, without kidnapping and murdering school children, without slaughtering Olympic athletes, and without flying airplanes into skyscrapers.

We lasted this long despite 400 years as slaves in Egypt, 40 years of wandering in the desert, the mighty Roman army who nailed us to crosses; despite the best efforts of the Christian crusaders, the Spanish Inquisition, Hitler's third Reich, Stalin's gulags, Arab wars of annihilation, 100 years of Arab and Arafat terrorism, and 800 hate-filled UN resolutions!

How did we Jews do it? We did it by concentrating our efforts on education, love of family, faith, hard work, helping one another, and a passionate dedication to life no matter what evil befell us!

We hung in there in hope the rest of the world would one day overcome it's hatreds, jealousies, and violence, and join us in a life of cooperation and mutual respect.

We're not there yet, but we're still hopeful. And when we enter our places of worship next weekend, this is what we'll pray for with all the strength in our hearts.

Ilana joins me here with 'Best wishes for a New Year filled with health, happiness, laughter, success, joy, and kindness and may this coming year bring peace and security to Israel and to the Jewish communities in the Diaspora."

Let us all say 'Amen!'