The state of Israel had been chosen by God to lead other nations of the world to the knowledge of the Most High God in worship and reverent. God had instructed Israel in many ways and manners on the essence of leading a worldwide gospel messages in her journey through nations of the world, Zachariah 11:7-15.
Israel connections with other nations were meant to show the way of salvation. Thus, the book of Isaiah chapters 1-35 reveals how God’s plan for Israel and other nations around her at that time will influence the future. The chapters predict happenings in that particular time then shifted to the future by pointing out events that had not jet happened.
In those sections of Isaiah’s prophecies concerning some nations of his time. The prophet Isaiah did not tender his message for the sake of popular opinion. He gave words about changes God wanted to take place – God at times reveals and works through history in hidden and indirect ways to many nations (Chapter 10).
So, each nation required individual treatment. Those who readily repented had only light punishment, while stubborn nations had further discipline. Isaiah was hoarse and unyielding in his message. Sometimes he stood alone against a tide of opinion. And he warned that relying on military might or on wealth other than God would lead to disaster?
REDEEMING THE PEOPLE
God chose the state of Israel and instructed them to observe the jubilee every 50 years (Lev.25:12). During the Jewish Jubilee God’s law provided for a kind of redistribution of wealth based on proclamation of liberty and redeeming of rights. The Jubilee celebration served as a festival of statehood premised on the redeeming of the nation of Israel. While, the people were redeemed in the Jubilee year, the nation gained from the even distribution of wealth.
God permitted the Jews (Israel) to observe their Jubilee every 50 years. The Gentiles nations require 100 years (50+50) for their Jubilee celebration because God works on number relativity. A number of Gentile nations knowingly or unknowingly have reaped the benefits of this divine instruction by redeeming their 100 years and establishing their own nationhood to be commemorated every 100 years.
The 100 years’ mark for United States of America began from 1774-1874, after the civil war America graduated from:
1. The American Revolution(1763)
2. The Continental Congresses and Constitutional Conventions (1774)
3. Expansion and Reforms (1801)
4. The African-American perspectives (1818) to emerge as modern America in 1890.
And, the result was welfare economy, human rights regulations and development of the industrial United States. Lastly, the American states have been guided by a strong constitution pinned down to their strength and faith in themselves and in God Almighty.
The 100 years success story of the People’s Republic of China started on 10th October 1911, when the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Imperial Dynasty and established the People’s Republic of China in 1912.
During their centenary celebration in October 2011, the PRC celebrated the event generally as 100th year anniversary of the Xinhai revolution. The PRC leads a new economic reform programme called “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”, literally meaning “change, reform and open up”.
Their policies were citizen-oriented with family involvements. From 1978 until 2023, unprecedented growth occurred with the economy increasing by 9.5% a year. Chinese economy surpassed that of Japan in 2010 as Asia’s largest economy and became the second largest after United States of America.
The success story of these two super power nations was as a result of their targeted determination to make a mark on their historic 100 years anniversary.
Nigeria was progressing towards her 100 years mark as a country because, Nigeria was given propitious time to blossom and grow her economy in the fear of God around her 100 years existence as an entity. But, the gains of nationhood were not fully achieved in the course of our coexistence.
Nigeria celebrated her 100 years anniversary (1914-2014) at a time when the world was looking up to Africa as the next continent to attract world focus. The misrepresentation of the 100 years anniversary celebration in 2014 was part of the mistake, when some accurate dates and memorial sites were left out of the process.
Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan had the mandate to salvage the nation in that direction; but, he chose to trade it off on the altar of ignorance and bad counsel. The celebration was short of the desired national ovations; since, in the right context it was to be a celebration of national reorganization and redistribution of wealth.
As was noted in 2014, the commencement date of the centenary anniversary was shifted three times. The centenary house at Ikot Abasi was not given due commendation. Even the Centenary City, which was a major project, was not completed in time. More so, the spiritual aspect that touched on redeeming the people and the redistribution of wealth was not considered.
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