“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21, KJV).

ABSTRACT

In a world gripped by economic disparity where wealth accumulates in few hands while poverty and debt burden many, Scripture contrasts the idolatrous system of Mammon with God’s divine economy of abundance, trust, and release through principles like the manna provision, Sabbatical year, and Jubilee, calling the community to separation from worldly confederacies and reformation according to divine laws, diagnosing spiritual ailments like Laodicean self-sufficiency, outlining pillars of God’s economy, reflecting on God’s love, personal responsibilities, and culminating in a call to embody these truths amid the final crisis.

SABBATH ECONOMICS

We, as watchmen on the walls of Zion, find ourselves standing in the grip of a global paradox. Never in human history has the world seen such staggering wealth, with billionaire fortunes surging at unimaginable rates and the richest 1% owning nearly half of all global assets. Yet, this mountain of treasure casts a dark shadow: billions live in crushing poverty , and entire nations, like the United States, are drowning in consumer debt that has climbed to an astronomical $17.68 trillion. This system, built on the shifting sands of scarcity, hoarding, and perpetual debt, is the very definition of the “Mammon matrix.” It is a spiritual construct, an idolatrous economy that demands total allegiance, promising abundance but delivering only anxiety and exploitation. The Holy Scriptures provide a stark diagnosis for this condition, warning us that “the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10). The Spirit of Prophecy, through , affirms this diagnosis with chilling clarity, stating, “Mammon is the god of this world. It is a golden chain which binds men to the service of Satan.” (Testimonies for the Church 5, p. 81). This article is a theological report for you, equipping you to cut through this golden chain. We will contrast the world’s Mammon matrix with God’s “Manna miracle” , a divine economy built on abundance, radical trust, and periodic, liberating release. We will not offer a political solution but a divine one, calling men and women out of a system that chokes the soul and into the life-giving principles of Sabbath economics. Scripture reinforces this by declaring, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24, KJV). In the same vein, “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15, KJV). A passage from Testimonies for the Church reminds us, “The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 550, 1868). Through inspired counsel we are told, “Men are insensible to their condition. They are in a state of moral paralysis. They see no necessity for a change” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 478, 1870). This paradox demands our attention as we ponder, how can the community escape the grip of Mammon and embrace God’s abundant provision?

LAODICEAN LETHAL LURE!

Before we can minister to the world, we must first diagnose the spiritual sickness that wealth has inflicted upon the church itself. The greatest danger we face, as the remnant people living in these last days, is not financial poverty; it is the profound spiritual poverty that is born of material self-sufficiency. This is the precise, agonizing condition of the Laodicean church. The message from the True Witness is not a gentle suggestion; it is a “startling denunciation” (The Review and Herald, August 26, 1890). The core of the sin is economic: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Revelation 3:17). This was not a spiritual metaphor alone; the ancient city of Laodicea was a fabulously wealthy banking center, famous for its black wool and a medical school producing a world-renowned eye salve. After a devastating earthquake in A.D. 60, they proudly refused Roman aid, rebuilding the city with their own resources. They truly believed they “have need of nothing.” (Revelation 3:17). This self-sufficiency, this trust in goods rather than God, had rendered them “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16), sickening the Saviour. Sr. White warns us directly, “What is the great sin of the people of God at this time? It is that they are self-satisfied. They say, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’” (The Review and Herald, August 26, 1890). Scripture supports this diagnosis, stating, “Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Psalm 62:10, KJV). Christ teaches further, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26, KJV). The inspired pen notes, “The message to the Laodicean church is applicable to all who, feeling that they are rich in a knowledge of the truth, believe that those in need of help should be content with a position, at low wages, inferior to that of others who have had advantages of education from their childhood” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 398, 1923). A prophetic voice once wrote, “The Laodicean message applies to the people of God who profess to believe present truth. The greater part are lukewarm professors, having a name but no zeal” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 87, 1881). This spiritual malady calls for urgent remedy, but what paradox does the Bible present in contrasting worldly diligence with spiritual poverty?

This presents a holy paradox that we must carefully untangle. The Bible clearly condemns the poverty that arises from slothfulness. We are told plainly, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” (Proverbs 10:4). The warning against laziness is severe: “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” (Proverbs 6:10-11). This is the poverty of consequence. But the Beatitudes bless a different state entirely: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). This is the poverty of acknowledgment. The Laodicean is the tragic inverse of this blessing; he is diligent in worldly business but spiritually slothful, rich in goods but “wretched, and miserable, and poor” (Revelation 3:17) in spirit. The official teaching on this Beatitude clarifies this vital distinction: “Jesus is not saying that the ‘financially poor’ are worthy of the kingdom of heaven. He specifies the ‘poor in spirit’. The ‘poor in spirit’ are those who acknowledge their spiritual poverty… They trust only in the mercy and grace of God.” (The Beatitudes: Poor in Spirit). Sr. White confirms this, stating, “Self-sufficiency is our ruin… I am alarmed as I see the self-sufficiency in our churches.” (Testimonies for the Church 1, p. 186). Scripture illuminates this contrast, declaring, “Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich” (Proverbs 28:6, KJV). Moreover, “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty” (Proverbs 10:15, KJV). In Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing we read, “The poor in spirit not only acknowledge their complete unworthiness, but they renounce all self-dependence” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 8, 1896). Through inspired counsel we are told, “Those who feel their spiritual poverty will feel their need and will come to Christ for the grace they so much desire” (Review and Herald, July 22, 1890). This distinction guides us to true riches, yet how does the community embrace the gold Christ offers to escape the Laodicean trap?

The antidote to the Laodicean trap is to reject the world’s definition of “riches” and embrace the “gold tried in the fire” (Revelation 3:18) that Christ offers. The world is full of those who, in their pursuit of worldly gain, fit the description: “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” (Proverbs 13:7). The apostle James drives this point home, asking, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5). The riches Christ offers us are the only ones that will endure. Our pioneers understood this, writing, “It is not money or lands or position, but the possession of a Christlike character, that will open to us the gates of Paradise.” (The Southern Watchman, April 16, 1903). This is the only true wealth, the “treasure laid up in heaven” which Sr. White describes as “alone enduring…. Far better to have a clear title to a mansion in the New Jerusalem than to possess a palace on this sin-cursed earth.” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 235). Scripture affirms this truth, stating, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1, KJV). Likewise, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (John 6:27, KJV). The inspired pen declares, “Riches and earthly honor cannot satisfy the soul. Many among the rich are longing for some divine assurance, some spiritual hope” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 158, 1900). A passage from The Ministry of Healing reminds us, “The love of money, the desire for riches, blinds the eyes to human need and suffering” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 212, 1905). With this antidote in hand, what foundational pillars does God’s divine economy reveal to counter the Mammon matrix?

PILLAR I: SABBATH SENSATIONAL ABUNDANCE!

The very first pillar of God’s divine economy is found in the wilderness, and it is inextricably linked to the Sabbath. The manna story is God’s foundational lesson in economics, a direct refutation of the scarcity-driven, hoarding-based model of Mammon. When Israel murmured, God did not give them a five-year plan; He gave them a daily miracle based on trust: “Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” (Exodus 16:4). This system was explicitly designed to teach equality and sufficiency. The result of this divine provision was a perfect equilibrium: “And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.” (Exodus 16:18). This was the daily lesson, which they ate for “forty years” (Exodus 16:35) , that God’s provision, when trusted, is always enough. Sr. White explains, “God had miraculously provided for the Israelites in the wilderness… This provision was to teach them a lesson of trust. They were to be supplied with their daily needs… The gathering of the manna was a daily test.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 296). Scripture echoes this lesson, proclaiming, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11, KJV). God promises, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31, 33, KJV). A prophetic voice once wrote, “The education given to Israel by the gift of manna was to teach them that God would keep His promise to those who in obedience walked in His ways” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 294, 1890). In The Desire of Ages we read, “The means in our possession may not seem to be sufficient for the work; but if we will move forward in faith, believing in the all-sufficient power of God, abundant resources will open before us” (The Desire of Ages, p. 371, 1898). This pillar establishes trust, but how does it prohibit the hoarding that plagues worldly systems?

The manna economy was not only a test of trust in God’s provision, but a direct prohibition against the hoarding that defines the Mammon matrix. The command was simple and absolute: “And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.” (Exodus 16:19). But the spirit of Mammon, the spirit of faithless self-preservation, was already at work in their hearts. “Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.” (Exodus 16:20). This physical decay is a divine symbol of the spiritual decay that all hoarded wealth undergoes. Riches that are not put into circulation for the glory of God and the blessing of others become a curse. The apostle James warned the rich men of the last days, “Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” (James 5:3). This is why Sr. White wrote, “The cares of this life and the greed for riches eclipse the glory of the eternal world.” (Testimonies for the Church 4, p. 551.3). Indeed, she states that “Inherited riches oftener become a snare to the possessor than a blessing.” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 331.1). Scripture warns against hoarding, saying, “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty” (Proverbs 11:24, KJV). The Lord declares, “He that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:21, KJV). Through inspired counsel we are told, “Hoarded wealth will soon be worthless. When the decree shall go forth that none shall buy or sell except they have the mark of the beast, very little will people care for treasures hoarded now” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 59, 1940). A passage from Testimonies for the Church reminds us, “The love of money leads to hoarding, and this is a snare to the soul” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 545, 1875). This prohibition safeguards the soul, leading us to ask, what role does the Sabbath play in holding this economic model together?

The Sabbath is the linchpin that holds this entire economic model together; it is the weekly “reset” of our trust and the divine interruption of our labor. The only exception to the “no hoarding” rule was the sixth day, in preparation for the seventh: “Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.” (Exodus 16:26). This proves that the Sabbath, from its very re-introduction to Israel, was an economic institution, a day of rest from the cycle of getting and spending. It is the great sign that we serve God, not Mammon. Sr. White describes this function perfectly: “The observance of the Sabbath is a line of demarcation between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. It is God’s great memorial of the fact that in six days He created the heavens and the earth and on the seventh day He rested…” (5MR 85.1). This is why the final conflict is an economic one. The world’s economic system cannot stop; it demands 24/7 commerce. The Sunday law, when enforced, will be the ultimate allegiance to Mammon’s economy, while Sabbath-keeping will be the sign of allegiance to God’s economy of Manna. As Sr. White prophesied, “The contest will be decided over the Sabbath question, which will agitate the whole world.” (Evangelism, p. 236). Scripture highlights this rest, stating, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8, KJV). God commands, “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord” (Isaiah 58:13-14, KJV). The inspired pen asserts, “The Sabbath institution, which originated in Eden, is as precious as ever today” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 349, 1900). A prophetic voice once wrote, “The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted” (The Great Controversy, p. 605, 1911). This linchpin secures the model, prompting the question, how does the second pillar extend this principle to break the chains of debt?

PILLAR II: SABBATICAL SHATTERING DEBT!

The second pillar of God’s economy expands this principle of rest and trust from the week to the seven-year cycle. If the daily Sabbath breaks the cycle of labor, the Sabbatical Year breaks the cycle of debt. Debt is the primary engine of modern economic oppression, a chain that binds both individuals ($17.68 trillion in the U.S.) and nations. God’s law provided a mandatory, divine “circuit breaker” for this system: “At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release.” (Deuteronomy 15:1-2). This was not just a financial transaction; it was a spiritual one, extending even to the land itself: “But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat.” (Exodus 23:11). Sr. White explains that “God’s plan was to check the undue accumulation of wealth… The sabbatical year was to bring relief to the poor.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 532). This system was designed to bless everyone, as “These regulations were designed to bless the rich no less than the poor. They would restrain avarice and a disposition for self-exaltation, and would cultivate a noble spirit of benevolence…” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 534). Scripture underscores this release, commanding, “Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause” (Exodus 23:6, KJV). The Lord instructs, “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee” (Leviticus 25:35, KJV). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The Lord would place His people in a position superior to the nations around them. By obedience to His law they would be exalted above all other peoples” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 273, 1890). A passage from Counsels on Stewardship reminds us, “God requires that His people shall not allow the poor and afflicted to be oppressed” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 163, 1940). This pillar fosters justice, but what goal did this Sabbatical release aim to achieve in society?

The stated goal of this Sabbatical release was the establishment of a just society where poverty, while a potential reality, would not become a permanent condition. The promise was explicit: “Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee… Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God…” (Deuteronomy 15:4-5). This seems to conflict with verse 11, which states, “For the poor shall never cease out of the land…” (Deuteronomy 15:11). This is not a contradiction; it is a description of the ideal versus the reality. God’s design was the elimination of poverty (v. 4), but He knew that because of sin, misfortune, and disobedience, “the poor should never cease out of the land”. He therefore used this reality as a perpetual test of His people’s character: “…therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11). Sr. White masterfully synthesizes this: “Although God had promised greatly to bless His people, it was not His design that poverty should be wholly unknown among them. He declared that the poor should never cease out of the land. There would ever be those among His people who would call into exercise their sympathy, tenderness, and benevolence.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 531). In a similar vein, she confirms, “He suffers His poor to be in the borders of every church. They are always to be among us, and He places upon the members of the church a personal responsibility to care for them.” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 201). Scripture emphasizes care, saying, “He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse” (Proverbs 28:27, KJV). The Lord declares, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6, KJV). The inspired pen asserts, “God’s people are to be channels for the outworking of His will on earth” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 528, 1890). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The poor are not to be neglected; they are God’s purchased possession” (Welfare Ministry, p. 15, 1952). This goal tests character, yet why did ancient Israel fail to uphold these Sabbatical principles?

Tragically, just as the church today has compromised the Sabbath, ancient Israel compromised the Sabbatical Year. The test of faith was too great. Lenders, fearing the “Lord’s release,” would refuse to lend to the poor as the seventh year approached. To circumvent God’s plain command, the sage Hillel created a legal loophole called the prosbul, a declaration in court that prevented the Sabbatical Year from canceling commercial debts. This human “fix” effectively “made void the law of God” for economic convenience, a sin echoed centuries later in the apostasy of our former brethren. This failure was not without consequence. The prophet Jeremiah condemned the fathers who “hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear” (Jeremiah 34:14) to release their servants. The failure to observe these Sabbatical rests for the land was cited as the very reason for the 70-year Babylonian captivity, “until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.” (2 Chronicles 36:21). Sr. White confirms, “The traditions of men had made void the commandments of God… [they] had… made the observance of the Sabbath a burden.” (The Desire of Ages, p. 284). Scripture laments this compromise, stating, “They mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16, KJV). The Lord warns, “Ye shall keep my statutes, and do them” (Leviticus 18:5, KJV). A prophetic voice once wrote, “The children of Israel failed to occupy all the territory which God appointed them” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 453, 1890). In The Great Controversy we read, “The people turned against the reformers, and many were put to death” (The Great Controversy, p. 213, 1911). This tragic failure highlights the need for faithfulness, leading us to inquire, what grand pillar resets society itself against generational inequalities?

PILLAR III: JUBILEE JUSTICE JOLT!

The third and final pillar is the grandest of all: the Year of Jubilee. If the Sabbath resets the week and the Sabbatical Year resets debt, the Jubilee resets society itself. Occurring on the 50th year, it was the ultimate divine antidote to the two great curses of Mammon’s economy: generational poverty and generational wealth. The command was glorious: “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” (Leviticus 25:10). This law was built on the bedrock principle of divine socialism: God owns everything. “The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.” (Leviticus 25:23). This single law prevented the permanent accumulation of capital (the land) into the hands of a wealthy elite. Sr. White explains its purpose: “The Year of Jubilee… was to be a safeguard against the extremes of affluence and poverty… It was to re-establish every family in its own possession, and thus to preserve the balance of society.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 534). We are merely stewards, for as she states, “‘The land is Mine,’ saith the Lord. Man is only the steward… We are to remember that in all our transactions, we are dealing with God’s property.” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 186). Scripture proclaims this ownership, declaring, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1, KJV). God affirms, “For all the earth is mine” (Exodus 19:5, KJV). The inspired pen notes, “By the observance of the Sabbatical year, they were reminded of God’s ownership of the soil” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 531, 1890). A passage from Education reminds us, “The system of tithes and offerings was intended to impress the minds of men with a great truth–that God is the source of every blessing to His creatures, and that to Him man’s gratitude is due for the good gifts of His providence” (Education, p. 44, 1903). This pillar prevents extremes, but how did the prophets condemn Israel’s breach of these economic laws?

The fiery condemnations of Israel’s prophets were not vague calls for “social justice” in a modern political sense; they were specific, targeted indictments for breaking these very economic laws. When the prophet Isaiah thundered, “Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!” (Isaiah 5:8), he was literally condemning their failure to return the land at the Jubilee. When Amos decried that they “afflict the just… and… turn aside the poor in the gate from their right” (Amos 5:12) , he was referring to the legal and economic rights guaranteed by the Sabbatical and Jubilee laws. The prophet Micah summarized the entire requirement, which was not empty ritual, but economic righteousness: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). Sr. White connects these dots for us, writing that “The rich were trespassing upon the rights of the poor, and… God was dishonored… Amos, in his prophecy, has portrayed the iniquity of the house of Israel.” (The Review and Herald, June 12, 1900). She cites Isaiah’s warning directly to the “ancients of His people… ‘ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.’” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 219). Scripture denounces injustice, crying, “Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:3, KJV). The Lord demands, “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17, KJV). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The prophets stood boldly in defense of the truth. They were filled with zeal for God” (Prophets and Kings, p. 148, 1917). A prophetic voice once wrote, “God’s word sanctions no policy that will enrich one class by the oppression and suffering of another” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 187, 1905). These condemnations find fulfillment in the Messiah, raising the question, how does Jesus embody the ultimate Jubilee?

This entire framework of economic liberation finds its fulfillment in the Messiah. When Jesus Christ stood up in His hometown synagogue to launch His public ministry, He did not choose a text on piety or doctrine. He unrolled the scroll to Isaiah and announced the Spiritual Jubilee: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19). This “acceptable year of the Lord” was a direct, unmistakable reference to the Jubilee. Sr. White confirms, “In the synagogue at Nazareth, Christ announced His mission… He came to proclaim the Jubilee… This was the work of Christ. He came to set at liberty the captives, to break the yoke of oppression…” (The Desire of Ages, p. 244). He embodied this message, becoming the ultimate expression of Sabbath economics: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Scripture reveals this fulfillment, declaring, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isaiah 61:1, KJV). Christ proclaims, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, KJV). Ellen G. White wrote, “Jesus came to this world to save the erring, guilty sinner” (The Desire of Ages, p. 257, 1898). In Patriarchs and Prophets we read, “The plan of redemption was to restore man to his God-given dominion” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 67, 1890). This fulfillment manifests God’s love, but how do these concepts reflect that love in action?

GOD’S LOVE GLORIOUS GLOW!

These concepts of Manna, Sabbatical Release, and Jubilee are the very architecture of God’s love, demonstrating that His love is not a passive sentiment but an active, governing principle. The world often misunderstands divine love as mere indulgence, but God’s love is a love that protects, provides, and restores. It is a love that builds guardrails against the sin of selfishness. The apostle John defines this practical love perfectly: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18). The Sabbath economy is this love in “deed and in truth.” It is the system He designed to ensure no brother would be permanently destitute and no other brother would be corrupted by permanent hoarding. His love is manifested in His providence—His design for creation. As Sr. White writes, “God manifested His love in the work of creation… Not a drop of rain falls, not a ray of light is shed upon our unthankful world, but it testifies to God’s long forbearance and His great love.” (How God’s Love is Manifested). Scripture illustrates this love, stating, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10, KJV). God shows, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV). A prophetic voice once wrote, “The love of Christ is a golden chain linking finite man with the infinite God” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 236, 1881). Through inspired counsel we are told, “God’s love for His children during the period of their severest trial is as strong and tender as in the days of their sunniest prosperity” (The Great Controversy, p. 621, 1911). This architecture reflects divine care, inviting reflection on what responsibilities toward God arise from these concepts?

My primary responsibility toward God, in light of His divine economy, is to pass the test of stewardship. The core principle of the Jubilee—”the land is mine” (Leviticus 25:23)—applies to every cent in my bank account, every talent I possess, and every moment I am given. I own nothing; I am merely a manager, a “steward,” and the requirement is faithfulness: “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2). This earthly life is an examination. God is testing me to see if I am fit to be trusted with the “true riches” (Luke 16:11) of eternity, or if, like the Laodiceans, I am so defiled by selfishness that I cannot enter His kingdom. My responsibility is to prove, by my liberal and faithful use of “unrighteous mammon” (Luke 16:11), that I trust His Manna economy more than Mammon’s. Sr. White summarizes this solemn responsibility perfectly: “We should never forget that we are placed on trial in this world, to determine our fitness for the future life. None can enter heaven whose characters are defiled by the foul blot of selfishness. Therefore, God tests us here, by committing to us temporal possessions, that our use of these may show whether we can be entrusted with eternal riches.” (Counsels on Stewardship, p 22). Scripture demands this faithfulness, commanding, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10, KJV). God questions, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8, KJV). The inspired pen declares, “Every man is the steward of God. To each the Master has entrusted His capital” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 114, 1940). A passage from Testimonies to Ministers reminds us, “God has lent us talents to use for Him. To one He lends five talents, to another two, and to another one” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 282, 1923). This test determines fitness, but what responsibilities toward our neighbor emerge from these divine concepts?

My responsibility toward my neighbor is to see him as God does and to act as Christ’s hands. When the lawyer asked Christ to define “neighbor,” Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan—a story that shamed the religious elite (the priest and Levite) who were pious in ritual but bankrupt in practice. At the story’s end, Jesus reversed the question: “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37). My neighbor is not defined by his creed, race, or social standing; my neighbor is anyone who is suffering. My responsibility is to show mercy. To “he that hath pity upon the poor” (Proverbs 19:17), God makes a promise. The Spirit of Prophecy defines this duty with inescapable clarity, stating, “Any human being who needs our sympathy and our kind offices is our neighbor. The suffering and destitute of all classes are our neighbors; and when their wants are brought to our knowledge, it is our duty to relieve them as far as possible.” (Testimonies for the Church 4, p. 226, 227). Scripture commands this mercy, saying, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18, KJV). Christ teaches, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12, KJV). Through inspired counsel we are told, “We are to care for every case of suffering, and to look upon ourselves as God’s agents to relieve the needy to the very uttermost of our ability” (Welfare Ministry, p. 30, 1952). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Christ identifies His interest with that of suffering humanity” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 25, 1905). This duty extends practically, but how do we fulfill it without political involvement?

But how, practically, do we fulfill this responsibility without engaging in the “political activities” that our faith forbids? God’s law provides the method. Our first duty is to our own: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10). Sr. White emphasizes this, stating, “In a special sense Christ has laid upon His church the duty of caring for the needy among its own members… so is the ‘household of faith’ to care for its needy and helpless ones.” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 201). The mechanism for this care is the “second tithe.” This ancient command provided a fund for both religious assembly and charity. As Sr. White explains, “To promote the assembling of the people for religious service, as well as to provide for the poor, a second tithe of all the increase was required… Every third year, however, this second tithe was to be used at home, in entertaining the Levite and the poor… This tithe would provide a fund for the uses of charity and hospitality.” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 530). This is God’s welfare system, a non-political, church-based model that fulfills the command to care for “the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow.” (Deuteronomy 14:29). Scripture guides this care, stating, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27, KJV). The Lord instructs, “When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled” (Deuteronomy 26:12, KJV). The inspired pen asserts, “The consecration to God of a tithe of all increase, that thereby the means may be ample to carry forward His work, is a divine requirement” (Counsels on Stewardship, p. 71, 1940). A passage from Welfare Ministry reminds us, “Christ’s followers are required to come out from the world, and be separate, and touch not the unclean, and they have the promise of being the sons and daughters of the Most High, members of the royal family” (Welfare Ministry, p. 217, 1952). This practical fulfillment calls the watchmen to action, but what word does it offer to those who will hear?

WATCHMEN WAKE-UP WARNING!

As we are uniquely positioned to deliver this message because we hold all its components. When I speak with my Jewish friends, I can affirm their profound understanding of the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee as the heart of tzedakah (justice). But I can also gently ask why the prosbul was created, circumventing the “Lord’s release” (Deuteronomy 15:2) and showing how human wisdom fails where divine faith is required. When we engage our Muslim friends, we can honor the piety of Zakat, the mandatory 2.5% “purification” of wealth given to the poor. But we can also show them a more complete system, where God does not just command a tax on wealth, but a periodic reset of the land itself, reminding all that “the land is mine” (Leviticus 25:23). When we meet our Buddhist friends, we can respect the mindfulness of “Right Livelihood,” the principle of earning a living that does no harm. But we can reveal a higher truth: that God’s law provides more than just the avoidance of harm; it provides an active, restorative mechanism (the Jubilee) to heal the harm that has already been done. Scripture encourages this dialogue, saying, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6, KJV). God advises, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Timothy 2:24, KJV). Through inspired counsel we are told, “We should seek to understand the religion of others, that we may be enabled to present the truth in its purity” (Evangelism, p. 484, 1946). A prophetic voice once wrote, “In our association with unbelievers we are to be pure, sweet rivulets flowing from the fountain of life” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 231, 1909). This positioning demands inward examination, so what personal questions must we confront to align with God’s economy?

In light of this, I must look inward. Am I a Laodicean? (Revelation 3:17). Do I say I am “increased with goods,” or do I confess that I am “poor in spirit”? (Matthew 5:3). Do I live by the Manna model, trusting God day-by-day (Exodus 16:4), or am I anxiously hoarding for a future I do not control, allowing my possessions to rot and “breed worms”? (Exodus 16:20). Do I, in my own heart, practice the “Lord’s release” (Deuteronomy 15:2) , or do I hold my brothers in the bondage of financial and personal debt? Do I truly believe “the land is the Lord’s” (Leviticus 25:23) , or do I clutch my property as if it were my own? These are the questions that determine our fitness for the kingdom of heaven. Scripture probes the heart, asking, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5, KJV). The Lord queries, “For who hath despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10, KJV). The inspired pen urges, “Let every soul search his own heart, and draw from the bank of heaven” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 332, 1885). A passage from Steps to Christ reminds us, “Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work” (Steps to Christ, p. 70, 1892). This inward look extends to the church, compelling us to ask, how must the community become a visible model of this divine economy?

As a church, we must become the visible model of this divine economy. We must be the one place on earth where the Manna miracle is lived out, where “he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack.” (2 Corinthians 8:15). The early church achieved this: “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them… and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” (Acts 4:34-35). Sr. White calls us back to this primitive godliness: “Those whose hearts are filled with the love of Christ, will follow the example of Him… Money, time, influence–all the gifts they have received from God’s hand, they will value only as a means of advancing the work of the gospel. Thus it was in the early church…” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 71). We must “make careful, judicious arrangements for the care of its poor and sick” (Testimonies for the Church 6, p. 269) , restoring the “second tithe” to first “meet the temporal necessities of the needy,” which will then “find an open avenue to the heart.” (Testimonies for the Church 4, p. 227). Scripture models this unity, stating, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (1 Corinthians 12:25, KJV). The apostles practiced, “And all that believed were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44, KJV). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The church is God’s agency for the proclamation of truth, empowered by Him to do a special work” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 600, 1911). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Let the church arise, and repent of her backslidings before God” (Selected Messages, book 1, p. 121, 1958). This model prepares for the crisis, but what final reformation awaits in the economy of heaven?

HEAVEN’S ECONOMY EPIC!

We are standing on the precipice of the final crisis. The world, sensing its own system is broken, is clamoring for its own “great reset,” a counterfeit jubilee controlled by the agents of Mammon. But the final conflict is an economic conflict, and it will be “decided over the Sabbath question.” (Evangelism, p. 236). Why? Because the Sabbath is the great “line of demarcation” (5MR 85.1). It is the sign of our allegiance to God’s economy of trust, rest, and abundance. The false sabbath, Sunday, is the engine of Mammon’s economy—a day of commerce, consumption, and ceaseless labor. When the Sunday law is enforced, it will be the world’s final, desperate attempt to force humanity to worship the beast and his economic system. The “thorough reformation” (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 514) to which we were called , is not just about the day we worship. It is a call to restore the economics of our worship. It is a call to live the Manna miracle , practice the Sabbatical release , and embody the Jubilee restoration. This is the present truth. This is the message that proves our faith is not dead theory but a living, breathing reality. This is “pure religion and undefiled” (James 1:27): to care for the fatherless and the widow, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world’s corrupt economic system. This is our work. This is our final message. Amen. Scripture foretells this conflict, warning, “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:17, KJV). The end approaches, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17, KJV). The inspired pen declares, “The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty in the closing work” (Last Day Events, p. 219, 1992). A passage from The Great Controversy reminds us, “In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off” (The Great Controversy, p. 590, 1911). This reformation seals our destiny.

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SELF REFLECTION

How can I delve deeper into these economic truths from Scripture, allowing them to transform my daily trust in God’s provision?

How can we present these principles of divine economy to varied audiences, making them relatable while upholding biblical accuracy?

What common misunderstandings about wealth and poverty exist in our community, and how can I correct them graciously with biblical evidence and Sr. White’s insights?

In what ways can we as a community live out God’s economy, becoming examples of trust, release, and restoration in a debt-ridden world?

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