Doug--
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
I in turn respectfully disagree with your stance on the Jubilee.
Leviticus 25:20-22 is referring to the last three years at the end of the 50-year Jubilee cycle and the first year of a new cycle.
In other words the the 6th year is the 48th year, the 7th year is the 49th year which is a land rest year, the 8th year is the Jubilee or 50th year, (another land rest year) the 9th year is the 51st-- or the first year of the next Jubilee cycle.
YHWH is telling us in verse 22 that He will bless the crops we plant in the 6th (48th of 50) year of the last 7 years in the 50-year cycle so that there will be plenty of food to store for the two years of Sabbath land rest--which are the 7th/49th year and the Jubilee year (the 8th/50th year).
This 6th/48th year blessing also ensures there will be enough for the beginning of the 9th year which is also the first year of the next 50 years--so they can eat until the new crops come in during the 9th year, as verse 22 promises.
Bottomline:
To me, this is logical and scriptural--7 cycles of 7 years, followed by the Jubilee year and then begin again. YHWH ensures there is plenty for the two back-to-back Sabbath years, so He gives a greater increase in the 6th year. This is very simple. It grows hair when we try to make it more complicated than that.
Doug, I put this to rest some years ago. My husband and I will spend time studying about an issue such as the Jubilee and examine all the perspectives. We study the scriptures, check out all the references to it in scripture and sometimes we check with a Hebrew language expert. After that, we pray and even fleece if we think its appropriate. If and when we get an answer, we don't question it after that. (If we don't get a definitive answer, it goes into the "unsolved mystery file".)
This one was solved some years ago. I wrote this post to share what we had learned. So, in keeping with our policy--so I won't be going further with you on this.
May YHWH Bless,
Mary Ames