SHEMITAH

Some people have excitedly sent me emails about the Shemitah (Leviticus 25) and its application to America as a result of reading Jonathan Cahn's book, The Harbinger, and watching him on TV. They believe wholeheartedly in what Cahn is saying, but I am a bit of a "Berean" and want to make sure it is not just a false hermeneutic.

I have been trying to find if there is a biblical basis to Shemitah and other Old Testament prophecies for America today.  I am a bit late in reading Jonathan Cahn's the Harbinger. It is not a well-written book, but he tries to build the case for God working in events in America based on a verse in Isaiah and 7 & 50 year cycles related to the jubilee years.  America is in trouble  but are his interpretations accurate?  It is clear that God judges nations, but is America's judgment a result of prophecies in Isaiah written to the nation of Israel or more because we are a nation violating God's moral principles (Romans 1)?

I am also concerned because money and marketing are involved and in addition after doing some internet reading, some people are seeing signs in some strange things like the number "7" on a cow's face. It also strikes me a bit like the old "British Israelism" heresy that was using Old Testament verses to argue the British people descended from Israel and were finding Old Testament verses to support its case.

Here is an ad for a $20.00 DVD arguing Cahn's case:  http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/featured.html.  But on YouTube you can see a number of interviews.  He is a very good speaker.

Here are a couple of people who are questioning his biblical interpretation.  These critics may be wrong, but they do point up issues and failures of the 7 year cycle to have any apparent consistent impact looking back into recent history.

• http://www.examiner.com/article/shemitah-year-of-2015-may-bring-financial-upheaval
• http://standupforthetruth.com/2014/09/will-christians-snookered-shemitah/
• http://www.biblicalintegrity.org/2014/09/19/mystery-of-the-shemitah/