A world without evil. Sounds pretty good, right?
The Book of Jubilees, a text from around the 2nd century BCE, paints just such a picture. It's not part of the standard Hebrew Bible, but it was hugely influential, especially among certain Jewish groups. Jubilees 50, in particular, offers a powerful glimpse into a future where Israel—and, by extension, the world—is finally, completely cleansed.
It says, plainly, that the jubilees will pass (a jubilee being a period of 49 years), until Israel is cleansed from all guilt, from all the "fornication, and uncleanness, and pollution, and sin, and error." It's a complete spiritual and moral overhaul. Imagine a society free from those burdens, living with confidence in their land.
And then comes the kicker: "there will be no more a Satan or any evil one." Gone. Vanished. The land will be clean "from that time for evermore."
Think about that for a moment. No more temptation. No more internal battles against our worst impulses. A world where goodness isn't just a struggle, but the natural state of things. What would that even look like?
But it's not all just future hope. The Book of Jubilees immediately grounds this grand vision in the present, in the here and now. It follows that hopeful passage by reiterating the importance of the Sabbath. "Behold the commandment regarding the Sabbaths," it says. "I have written (them) down for thee and all the judgments of its laws. Six days wilt thou labour, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God."
It's a reminder that this future isn't just going to magically appear. We have to work towards it, starting with the basics: observing the Sabbath, taking a day to rest, to reflect, to connect with something larger than ourselves.
The text continues with a very strict, almost jarring command: "In it ye shall do no manner of work, ye and your sons, and your men-servants and your maid-servants, and all your cattle and the sojourner also who is with you. And the man that doeth any work on it shall die."
Whoa. Strong words, right? While we might interpret the details differently today, the core message is clear: the Sabbath is sacred. It’s a non-negotiable part of building a better world, a constant reminder of our connection to something beyond the daily grind.
So, what does this all mean for us today? Maybe it's about recognizing that the vision of a world free from evil isn't just a distant dream. It's something we can actively work towards, one Sabbath at a time. Maybe it's about finding ways to cleanse ourselves from the "fornication, and uncleanness, and pollution, and sin, and error" that hold us back. Maybe it's about creating spaces, even small ones, where goodness can flourish.
The Book of Jubilees offers a powerful and challenging vision. It asks us to imagine a world without evil, and then challenges us to start building it, one Sabbath, one act of kindness, one step at a time. What kind of world will we choose to create?