What Is the Year of the Lord’s Favor?
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Isaiah, noted as the “Messianic prophet,” wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me … to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:1-2). This verse and its context gives us much to unpack. One of our questions is, what is “the year of the Lord's favor"?
In the Old Testament, the year of the Lord’s favor was a time when the Israelites were forgiven their debts. Also known as “the year of jubilee” (Leviticus 25:8-13), this, the fiftieth year, was to be holy as unto the Lord. And in that year, each of God’s people was to return to their people and to their land. They could not sow nor reap, but they could eat of the produce of the land. The Lord promised to provide enough for three year’s sustenance before the year of jubilee began.
Author Hope Bollinger tells us, “During the Day of Atonement (Numbers 36:4), the blowing of a ram’s horn would indicate the start of the year of Jubilee. The Israelites would dedicate this year of rest to God, acknowledging that God would provide for their needs.”
What Does the Bible Say about the Year of Jubilee?
The Bible tells us, “And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants” (Leviticus 25:10). Later in the same chapter, Scripture says, “You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly” (Leviticus 25:45-26). And so, God’s people were freed from the debt of slavery.
The lessons for the people are: everything belongs to the Lord (Leviticus 25:23; Psalm 50:10), He will provide for our needs, and most importantly, the “year of the Lord’s favor” extends far beyond a release of physical debts.
Isaiah 61 is known as one of the Old Testament’s Messianic prophecies, and Isaiah 61:1-3 illustrates the Lord’s earthly work. Modern Reformation writer Andrew Menkis cites J. Alec Motyer, an Old Testament scholar and pastor, who says the hope of a Messiah is one of five key elements unifying Isaiah's vision. “Within the vision Motyer demonstrates that Isaiah paints three distinct ‘portraits’ of the Messiah: the King (1-37), the Servant (38-55), and the Anointed Conqueror (56-66). Each unique portrait shares significant characteristics which will be fulfilled in one Messiah. For example, in each portrait, the Messiah has the Spirit and word of God and is characterized by righteousness. Each is of the line of David, includes the Gentiles as well as Jews in their mission, and has the ‘Messianic enigma.’ In other words, each portrait hints at the human and divine nature of the Messiah.”
For the afflicted ones in Isaiah’s time, the prophecy of salvation and deliverance coming from the Messiah is their hope.
Various commentaries articulate this phrase (the year of the Lord’s favor) to mean the time when God was pleased to display His good favor to humanity. The Apostle Paul calls this the “fullness of time (Galatians 4:4). As it always does, the Old Testament points to the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ — the Messiah.
What Did Jesus Mean When He Quoted Isaiah 61:2?
Here we find the meaning of Paul’s quote from Galatians 4:4. Considering Isaiah 61, Christ is portrayed as the anointed Victor, for one of Isaiah’s dominant themes is the coming Messiah and His glorious era.
In Luke 4:18-21, Jesus is speaking to the assemblage in the synagogue in Nazareth,
“’The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’”
The text tells us Jesus spoke with gracious words (v. 22) and the people spoke well of Him and marveled at His words. But Isaiah’s prophecy said the anointed One had a double mission, that of salvation and vengeance (Isaiah 61:2b). Jesus then proclaimed salvation extends to the Gentiles by revisiting how Elijah and Elisha brought healing to people outside the Jews (Luke 4:25-27). When Jesus earlier said “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” He refuted the Jews’ belief they were the only ones to have the Lord’s favor. After He spoke of the prophets, they were “filled with wrath” and drove Him out of town to throw Him down a cliff. But Jesus supernaturally passed through the midst of them and went away (vv. 28-30).
What the unbelievers understood and rebelled against is Jesus’ proclamation that He is the One who blesses and judges all peoples, that He is the long-awaited Messiah. They knew the scroll He read and they knew Isaiah 61:2b says the anointed One will bring the day of the Lord’s vengeance. As the righteous gospel, Jesus is the year of the Lord’s favor — the year of jubilee. The word, “year” as it is used here is not a specific time frame on the calendar; it specifies the age of grace until Jesus returns. (The age of grace is the time period between Christ’s first advent and His Second Coming.)
All who trust in Him as the Messiah will be saved, for He has indeed given us His favor and His promise to provide for our spiritual needs — salvation.
You will notice Jesus did not quote the last part of Isaiah 61:2, which also proclaims, “the day of vengeance of our God.” That day would find a twofold fulfillment, with 70 A.D. being the first part, and Jesus’ Second Coming comprising the second part. In 70 A.D., Rome destroyed Jerusalem, which Jesus said would happen in Matthew 24:1-28 (cf. Mark 13:1-23 and Luke 21:5-24). The Jewish nation was judged because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 4:10-12; 12: 1-12; Luke 24:25-27; John 1:11; 5:38-47).
Because of the twofold fulfillment of God’s judgment of Israel and the nations, the year of the Lord’s favor is not relegated solely to the time of Christ’s second coming.
Why Does the New Testament Quote so Much of the Old Testament?
By quoting so much of the Old Testament, Jesus and His Apostles confirmed the Old Testament as authoritative and prophetic. Because the Bible is one continuous redemptive narrative, we see how God has centered everything on Christ, the promised Messiah.
“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).
The oft-quoted adage is true: The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. By quoting the Old Testament, Jesus and the writers of the New Testament (or Covenant), reveal a deeper expository meaning of the Old Testament. When quoting the Old Testament, the New Testament affirms God’s character and His redemptive purposes.
Further, the history written in the Old Testament adds affirmation to the claims of Christ. He is Who he says He is, the promised Messiah. The Old Testament confirms fulfilled prophecy.
Why Should Christians Study the Book of Isaiah?
We gain a better understanding of God’s sovereignty and how He ruled in the nations in times past when we study the book of Isaiah. We also see how Christ may exercise His rule and reign in today’s nations.
Reading Isaiah’s prophecies about Christ grows our faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Our hope in God’s sovereignty strengthens as we see how He fulfills His promises and prophecies. Finally, when we read Isaiah – and indeed the whole Bible – our love for the Lord grows.
Every “jot and tittle” of Scripture is presented for our benefit and for God’s glory. Even the long genealogies give us evidence of how the Lord God assured the lineage of Christ would never be broken. God’s promises and prophecies will always come to fruition. If you’ve been avoiding the Old Testament, read through it with a focus on Christ and the prophecies concerning Him. You will come away with a greater love for the Lord and a greater understanding of His redemptive plan.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Mint Images - Tim Robbins
