FIRST GREAT AWAKENING - NATIONAL JUBILEE 2026
THE FIRST GREAT AWAKENING
NATIONAL JUBILEE 2026
Sunday, May 31, 2026, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
This past week, I watched the movie, A Great Awakening. In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the movie tells the true story of an unlikely friendship that resulted in one of the most defining moments of American history. The Constitutional Convention was deadlocked by in-fighting in the Colonies. They had forgotten the proclamation of prayer of May 1776.
On March 16, 1776, the Continental Congress issued a proclamation asking the colonies to set aside Friday, May 17th as a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer.” Congress urged the people to confess their sins, seek God’s forgiveness and ask Him to guide their leaders. The delegates prayed that God would preserve their liberties and advance “that Kingdom which consists in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” The 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
President Donald J. Trump appointed May 17, 2026, as a day of rededication of America as “one nation under God.”
By 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention whose historical mission was to write the constitution had not only forsaken prayer, but the fledging government was barely surviving. They forsook opening the sessions in prayer until Benjamin Franklin delivered a speech urging them back to prayer. His speech became the prayer.
In the movie, Benjamin Franklin reminisces about his life and his long friendship with Revivalist George Whitefield, who was one of the evangelists whom the LORD used to birth The Great Awakening.
Franklin and Whitefield became respected friends. Benjamin Franklin, though a man of high moral character did not come to accept being born again or the divinity of Christ until he received a visitation of the LORD through the voice of thunder during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
The voice of God speaking to him through thunder (Ps. 29:3) was aligned with his previous experiences with the power of thunder and lightning in his discovery of electricity and the lightning rod.
In the midst of a great storm in 1787, he turns to God in Christ and then goes on to call the Constitutional Convention to prayer.
Benjamin Franklin: “In this situation of this assembly, groping, as it were, in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard — and they were graciously answered. All of us, who were engaged in the struggle, must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? … I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men! And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
I firmly believe this; and I also believe, that without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel: we shall be divided by our little partial local interests, our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach… I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business; and that one or more of the clergy of the city be requested to officiate in that service.” (Benjamin Franklin).
To this date, the Congress of the United States opens each session with prayer.
Lev. 25:10: “YOU SHALL HALLOW THE FIFTIETH YEAR”
As we a Christian nation, come before God again besought by perilous times of war and rumors of war, economic threats, and besieged by enemies within and without who seek to destroy our Christian culture, government, and Liberties, we turn to our God who governs the affairs of men and call upon His name to continue to establish His Kingdom within us and our children, and children’s children. We ask Him to protect the government established by Him ,”One Nation Under God.”
The 250th year spiritually is also a year of Jubilee. I know there are those who count the literal year of Jubilee on the Hebrew Calendar. This is valid. “The Jubilee years were connected with the Day of Atonement. Every 7th year was a Sabbath, and every 50th year was a Jubilee. After 7 Sabbaths of years (7 x 7 = 49), there was a Jubilee year. The Hebrew word is “YOBEL” (#3104) and means “the blast of a horn (from its continuous sound); this was the signal of the two silver trumpets of the introduction of the festival. “Jubilee, ram’s horn, trumpet.”
I am led by the Holy Spirit, to awaken the Church to expect from the Lord Jesus Christ the spiritual blessing of the 50th Year. Two Hundred Fifty is five fifties which is grace multiplied five times.
The Jubilee is prophetic of the Lord Jesus, who came to deliver the beggar, brokenhearted, bound, blind, and bruised (Isa. 61:1-3 and Lk. 4: 17-19) and to proclaim the acceptable year (Jubilee) of the Lord, which he proclaimed to be fulfilled at the beginning of His earthly ministry. He went into the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. There was delivered to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He read:
Luke 4:18-21: The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To preach the Acceptable year of the Lord…This day is this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.
Jesus would have been 33 years of age when he proclaimed the Year of Jubilee which was the same year as He began His earthly ministry.
On the Day of Jubilee, Liberty was proclaimed throughout the land to all the inhabitants as men were set free and prison doors were opened. Holiness marked this year which was also a Sabbath year for the land. No sowing or reaping was to be done. The land was to rest. Restoration of every man to his own possession brought great joy. Release of all slaves also produced much celebration. (Lev. 25:1-55).
Jesus proclaimed the “Jubilee”, “The Acceptable Year of the Lord,” Liberty, Prosperity, Healing, Recovery of sight to the blind, and deliverance of the captives. The bottom line is “Jubilee” is fulfilled in Christ Jesus and he presented Himself as the one who brings the Jubilee to fulfillment.
I first preached this in 2012 and that was the focus of our annual conference in 2012, “The Acceptable Year of the Lord,” which is every year since the first day of Jesus’ public ministry.
You may have noticed that I declare on every sermon title, the date and “The Year of the Lord.” That is because every year belongs to the LORD.
This is not a new revelation. Many of the older commentaries had this revelation. For myself, I was caught up in the 50-year cycle. It was a revelation for me in 2012.
In Ezekiel 46:17, Jubilee is called the Year of Liberty: If he (the prince) gives a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince; but his inheritance shall be his sons for them. The gift of his inheritance is for the Sons of God.
Ultimately the Year of Jubilee points to man being delivered from the curse and thus entering New Jerusalem and the restoration of dominion of the earth. Acts 2:19-21: This was what was spoken by the prophet Joel: I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come; and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Jubilee trumpet was blown on the 10th day of the 7th month, the same day that the High Priest walked through the veil. Jesus Christ, our High Priest rent the veil and opened the Holy of Holies that we might enter in through the Blood of Jesus. Ro. 6:22-23: Being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD.
In the Jubilee year there is rest, reversal, release, remission, refreshing and reunion. There is a return to parents: Lev. 25:10: You shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof; it shall be a jubilee to you; and you shall return every man to his possession, and you shall return every man to his family.
There are pillows of rest: Lev. 25:11: A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be to you; you shall not sow, neither reap that which grows of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of your vine undressed.
It is a time of peace: Lev. 25:14: And if you sell anything to your neighbor, or buy anything of your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another.
There is divine protection: Lev. 25:19: And the land shall yield her fruit, and you shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.”
It is a time of plenty: Lev. 25:21: Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.
(In the 7000 years since Adam, there are 140 Jubilee years. (11 Chronicles 5:12; Acts 1:15).
I further believe as Christians, we are given a personal Jubilee. The LORD has His own Jubilee calendar – No problem for him to keep up with each person’s Jubilee.
I experienced a personal Jubilee in 1990, my 50th year. That was the year the LORD started the fellowship of Eastgate Ministries. We were given a restored marriage and so many other blessings.
It is quite a study to try to figure out all the years of Jubilee since the Jubilee was commissioned by the Lord in Leviticus. I am sure some smart person has accomplished it. That would be a good job for A.I.
My encouragement to you is as our nation is experiencing a national Jubilee, expect and be aware of all the blessings of the LORD JESUS, not only for our nation, but for the Christians of our nation. Also expect the blessing in the sixth year which shall bring forth fruit for three years.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from K.J.V. and N.K.J.V. Benjamin Franklin’s prayer quoted from Wikipedia.