The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, the World's Future, and Your Future!

by Jonathan Cahn

  The Shemitah was based on the civil calendar. Thus the Shemitah year always began with the month of Tishri—specifically, it always began with Tishri’s first day, which was also the Feast of Trumpets. One year later the Shemitah would end—at sunset on the twenty-ninth day of Elul. But the same sunset that ended Elul 29 would also begin the month of Tishri at the same moment. So the Shemitah year ends the same moment Tishri begins.

  Thus Tishri is the Shemitah’s key and pivotal month. The Shemitah begins with Tishri at the end of the sixth year and concludes with Tishri at the end of the seventh year. Tishri is the beginning and end of the Shemitah.

  The Tishri Key (and Elul)

  The Shemitah’s greatest impact is manifested at two points—its opening and its closing. Each point coincides with the month of Tishri.

  The Shemitah’s first point of impact falls on the first day of Tishri at the start of the seventh year. The Shemitah’s second point of impact falls at the end of the seventh year when all debts and credits are wiped out. But the exact end of the seventh year comes at nightfall of Elul 29. Thus the moment the sun sets, all debts and credits are reckoned as gone, wiped away—the month of Elul is over and Tishri begins.

  So the month of Elul builds up to the Shemitah’s two critical points of impact and contains the Shemitah’s climatic day. But the month of Tishri, coming immediately after these two critical points of change, most clearly manifests the Shemitah’s economic and financial repercussions.

  First Impact:

  Tishri and the Shemitah’s Opening

  The beginning of the Shemitah is less dramatic than its end as the initial change is simply that of ceasing. The people stop working the land and the fields are abandoned. The effect of this on the land would be less noticeable at the beginning, but increasingly noticeable as the year progressed—and when no harvest appears in the fields.

  In pure economic terms this would translate to the beginning of a downturn in a nation’s economy—the diminishing of production, consumption, labor, employment, trade, and commerce. The month of Tishri at the beginning of the Shemitah year would be the first to reflect this change and manifest its repercussions. The downward turn in the nation’s economic realm would then become more evident in time.

  Last Impact:

  Tishri and the Shemitah’s Climactic End

  When the sun goes down on Elul 29, all the nation’s debts are wiped away as its financial accounts are wiped clean. The same moment marks the start of Tishri. Thus this particular month of Tishri that comes at the end of the Shemitah year most clearly manifests the financial repercussions of that year and of that day.

  The Shemitah’s Wake: The Season of Repercussions

  The repercussions triggered by the Day of Remission would be most dramatically seen in the ensuing days of Tishri but would not be confined to them. The repercussions would continue into the subsequent month of Heshvan and onward. The entire autumn period at the end of the seventh year is the Shemitah’s wake—when these repercussions would be most intensely felt.

  Shemitah’s Wake

  Beyond this, there is nothing confining the repercussions to just one season. They may continue into the winter, the following spring, and onward. But the autumn following the Shemitah’s dramatic conclusion, being closest to the Day of Remission, would be foremost in manifesting these repercussions, and within this, Tishri would be foremost.

  Elul: The Lead-In Month

  We must also take note of the month of Elul. Elul plays a significant role in the Shemitah as well. At the end of the sixth year Elul leads up to the Shemitah’s commencement. And at the end of the seventh year Elul leads up to the Shemitah’s dramatic end—on Elul 29. Tishri remains the Shemitah’s key month, but Elul plays a supporting role as the lead-in month.

  The mass wiping clean of a nation’s financial accounts would translate into a collapse in the financial realm. Thus if the mystery of the Shemitah is still in effect, we might expect that there exists a connection between the Hebrew month of Tishri and a collapse in the financial realm—as in that of a stock market crash.

  Could there exist such a connection? Could an ancient mystery, over three thousand years old, be operating in modern times and even ordaining the fate of world financial markets?

  Having now found the fives keys, let us begin to unlock the ancient mystery.

  Chapter 9

  The FINGERPRINTS of the MYSTERY

  The Prophet in the Field

  TWO MEN STAND in the midst of vast expanse of farm land. The wind sweeps down on the stalks of wheat, causing a continuously shifting pattern of light and shadow. One of the two, a man named Nouriel, is seeking answers to solve an ancient mystery. The other, in a long dark coat, known only as “the prophet,” is seeking to help him do that. The prophet begins sharing with Nouriel of the ancient observance called the Shemitah.

  The scene just described is from The Harbinger. During this exchange Nouriel asks the prophet a question alluding to a second mystery. Most people who read the exchange either missed what was being said or the implications of what was being said. It was an easy thing to miss as the exchange lasted just a few lines:

  “How far does the cycle go,” I asked, “every seventh year in the past . . . and into the future?”

   “The subject is for another time,” he said. “The point now is the Shemitah as a sign of judgment.”1

  The prophet had just told Nouriel of the reappearing of the ancient mystery in modern times, a reappearance linked to the years 2001 and 2008 and to the nine harbingers of judgment. Nouriel then asks the prophet if the mystery and its manifestations extend back in time or forward into the future. I included this exchange from the pages of The Harbinger to note that there was another entire realm to the mystery—but too much to include in the exchange. The prophet answers Nouriel, “The subject is for another time.” That time is now.

  Observances vs. Prophetic Signs

  Is it possible that the mystery of the Shemitah has been operating in the modern world since before the time of the harbingers? Is it possible that it’s been affecting the course of nations and world history, and that it lies behind some of the most pivotal events of modern times?

  To answer this, we must distinguish between the observance of the Shemitah and the Shemitah as a prophetic sign. Only Israel was compelled to keep the Shemitah as an observance. As an observance, the Shemitah applies to one nation. But as a prophetic sign, it may apply to any nation. As an observance, the Shemitah comes regularly, every seventh year. But as a sign, it is not bound to any schedule or regularity. But when it does appear, it will manifest the essence of the Shemitah, its effect and mystery, in the form of a sign.

  Identifying the Shemitah’s Fingerprints

  The Shemitah most directly affects and operates within a nation’s economic and financial realm. So if the mystery is still in effect, it should be manifesting in these two realms. We must therefore begin our search by looking into the economic and financial realms of the modern world and nations—and specifically in the realm of financial and economic crises, downturns, recessions, depressions, stock market collapses, and crashes.

  Since we are not dealing with the command, the observance, and the regulations of the Shemitah, but rather the prophetic signs, we would not expect the manifestation to necessarily occur on a regular basis, every seven years. We would expect rather that it would not be a regular phenomenon but a unique one. We would not expect the connection to be formulaic or simplistic. Nor would we expect that every economic downturn must be connected to the phenomenon. But we will look at the economic downturns, recessions, and depressions of modern times and see if they manifest the fingerprints of the ancient mystery.

  Land of Apostasy

  In the case of the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, the Shemitah appears as a prophetic sign against a nation in moral and spiritual apostasy from God. This would point us toward nations and cultures moving away from their biblical foundations. We have s
een that America contains a unique connection to ancient Israel, being formed and established after its pattern. Therefore while looking at the global picture, and the nations, we will pay special attention to America.

  We will take note that the Shemitah is linked not only to national judgment but also to national blessing. The sign may appear at the time of a nation’s rise to power. And yet, if that same nation should turn away from God and the foundations on which it was established, we would expect the sign of the Shemitah to increasingly appear as a warning of judgment.

  The Clues

  We will now see if there could exist any connection between the occurrences of financial and economic collapses in the modern world and . . .

  • A seven-year cycle

  • The specific seven-year cycle of the biblical Shemitah

  • The seventh year of the specific seven-year cycle

  • The Hebrew month of Tishri

  • Financial or economic collapses and the Hebrew month of Tishri converging with the Year of the Shemitah

  • The autumn wake that seals the end of the seventh year

  • The Hebrew month of Tishri in convergence with the Year of the Shemitah

  • The Hebrew month of Tishri in convergence with the climactic end of the Shemitah year

  • The Hebrew month of Elul, or proximity to its point of greatest impact

  • The Hebrew month of Heshvan, which begins where Tishri ends

  Using these keys, we will now open up the backstage of world history. We will look at the greatest economic and financial collapses of modern times. And we will see if the fingerprints of the ancient mystery appear.

  Chapter 10

  The MYSTERY of SEVEN CRASHES

  The Great Crashes

  WHAT HAPPENS IF we search for the greatest long-term crashes (as opposed to day crashes) or collapses in stock market history? These will generally be connected to economic crisis and recession. What happens if we take the Bible’s ancient mystery of economic cessation and financial nullification and hold it up against these greatest collapses?

  The following represent the majority of the greatest long-term stock market crashes in history, arranged in order of increasing magnitude.

  The Crash of 2000–2001

  The Dot-Com Crash and 9/11

  This stock market collapse began with the “Dot-Com Crash” of 2000–2001. Then came 9/11, which would first paralyze Wall Street and then cause further deterioration. The collapse would continue into 2002. By the time it ended, more than 37 percent of the stock market had been wiped out.

  Could there be any connection between the crash of 2000 and 2001 and the ancient mystery? The Shemitah comes once every seven years. It just so happens that the first Shemitah of the new millennium fell in the period of 2000–2001, the years of the Dot-Com Crash, a deepening recession, the attack of 9/11, and one of the greatest stock market day crashes in history. The Shemitah year took place entirely within the overall financial and economic collapse. Its overlap with the crash of 2000–2001 is thus 100 percent.

  The Crash of 1916–1917

  First World War

  Also known as the “Crisis of 1916–1917,” this stock market crash took place during the First World War. It began in November 1916 and reached its low point one year later in December 1917. What the crash of 1916–1917 lacked in length it made up in severity. By its end, 40 percent of the market had been wiped out.

  Could there be any connection between the crash of 1916–1917 and the mystery of the Shemitah? There was one Shemitah in the midst of the First World War. It happened to fall in the years 1916–1917, the same period of the crash. The Shemitah commenced in September 1916. Two months after its beginning, the stock market collapsed. The Shemitah reached its culmination in September 1917 on the Day of Remission. Three months later the collapse was finished. The Shemitah coincided with the economic collapse for ten of its twelve months—an overlap of over 80 percent.

  The Crash of 1973

  The Crash of Multiple Crises

  It began as a currency crisis and was compounded by the 1973 oil crisis and various other national and international crises. By its end, 45 percent of the market had been wiped out. In the two years from 1972 to 1974 the American economy’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth shrank from 7 percent to a negative 2 percent contraction. At the same time inflation soared from a rate of 3 percent in 1972 to 12 percent in 1974. The repercussions of the crash in the United Kingdom were even more dramatic with the London Stock Exchange losing 74 percent of its value and only returning to the same market levels in 1987. Measured in real terms, it would take the United States twenty years to regain the levels lost in this collapse.

  Could there be any connection between the crash of 1973 and the ancient mystery? The Shemitah began in the latter part of 1972, with most of its course occurring in 1973. Four months after the Shemitah’s beginning, the stock market began to collapse. One of the Shemitah’s definitions and consequences is that it causes the nation’s production to decrease. The GDP represents the nation’s domestic product or production. As the 1972–1973 Shemitah progressed, the nation’s domestic production began to fall. By the end of the collapse it had shrunk by 70 percent. The Shemitah took place simultaneously with the collapse in the financial realm for eight of its twelve months—an overlap of over 66 percent.

  The Crash of 1901–1903

  The Struggle of Titans

  The crash of 1901–1903 was brought on by the struggles of E. H. Harriman, Jacob Schiff, and J. P. Morgan to gain financial control of Northern Pacific Railroad. It caused so much damage that the resulting crisis is sometimes called “the 1901–1903 depression.” By its end, 46 percent of the market was wiped out.

  In the midst and depths of the collapse is the biblical Year of the Shemitah, which began in September 1902 and ended on September 21, 1903. Less than two months after its end, the collapse reached its end. The Shemitah’s entire course took place within the collapse—an overlap of 100 percent.

  The following three crashes constitute the greatest long-term stock market collapses in modern history.

  The Crash of 1937–1938

  The Recession of the Great Depression

  The crash of 1937–1938 has been called “the Recession of the Great Depression.” By early 1937 the American economy had recovered to pre-Depression levels in the areas of production, wages, and profit. But in the spring of 1937 the economy entered a downturn. It continued through much of 1938. It brought the American stock market and economy back to depths not seen since the days of the Great Depression.

  Is there any connection between the crash of 1937–1938 and the ancient mystery of the Shemitah? The years 1937 and 1938 just happen to be the same period of time in which falls the Shemitah. The start of the economic downturn came in March 1937 in the Shemitah’s approach. The Shemitah’s actual commencement day was September 6, 1937. The very day after the Shemitah began, Wall Street collapsed. Starting with this collapse and continuing over the next nine months, America’s manufacturing employment fell by a quarter, its industrial output by a third, the stock market by half, and profits by over three quarters. By June of 1937 four million workers lost their jobs.

  The stock market’s downturn overlapped with the first half of the Shemitah year. Its deep crash began the day after the Shemitah’s beginning. The Shemitah overlapped with the financial collapse for six months or 50 percent of its duration, and with the economic collapse for nine months of its duration or 75 percent. The extreme economic plunge took place entirely within the Shemitah’s parameters.

  The Crash of 2007–2008

  The Great Recession

  The crash of 2007–2008 is known as the “Great Recession,” “the Global Financial Crisis,” and “the Second Great Depression.” It was the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. It wiped away trillions of American dollars, threatened the collapse of several major financial institutions, helped trigger the European Sovereig
n-Debt Crisis, and launched a global recession that would last into 2009. By its end, more than half of the stock market had been wiped out.

  Is there any connection with the collapse of 2007–2008 and the ancient mystery? The stock market had been in a continual period of expansion for several years, but less than thirty days from the Shemitah’s commencement in September 2007, the momentum began to change. The stock market began to collapse.

  The Shemitah reached its climax one year later in September of 2008. The crash reached its greatest intensity the same month. Its repercussions continued into the spring of the following year. The ancient economic remission and the crash of the Great Recession took place simultaneously. The overlap of the Shemitah to the Great Recession is 100 percent.

  The Crash of 1930–1932

  The Great Depression

  The long-term collapse which began in 1930 and lasted until 1932 would constitute the worst economic and financial crisis in modern history—the core of the Great Depression. Even after the great stock market crashes of 1929, there had been an upward turn. In fact, within six months of the initial crashes, the stock market had returned to early 1929 levels. But in 1930 another downturn began, this time involving a collapse of global trade. Even with this, the market eventually stabilized. But in April of 1931 a downturn began that would bring the world into the depths of the Great Depression. By the end, in July 1932, the amount wiped out of the market was 86 percent. It would take until 1954 for the market to recover its precrash levels.

  The years 1930 and 1931 were marked by several key events and developments that would usher in the depths of the Great Depression. In 1930 there would be another stock market collapse as well as the passing of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act in mid-June, which would lead to a collapse in global trade and a further descent of the stock market. By late 1930 the world economy began a deep and steady deterioration.