Welcome to the 49th week of the year! The 49th week is the seventh and last week in the seventh seven weeks of the year. This is the week completing the seventh seven weeks of the year. It is a core seventh season week. It is the last week of the last 49-day season in the year. It is like the end of the end in the year. The seventh is the end-point; and the 49th week is 7×7 week. The week following this week is the week of Jubilee. Get ready! The Jericho Wall of the year is about to give way; and disease of Naaman is about leave him. The Bible-patterns for understanding the 49th week are 1) the seventh day of creation narrative, 2) the 49th book of the Bible, 3) the 49th chapters of the Bible, 4) and the seventh three chapters of the seventh book of the Bible.
Week 49 is a seventh day of creation week. God ended His work and rested on the seventh day. God also blessed the seventh day and sanctified (set apart and distinguished) the seventh day as a day for His pleasure. He blessed the seventh day because He rested on that day. The plan of God is that men may come into rest in the seventh season or at the seventh point. The seventh season is for ending toil and labor. It is for lifting burdens and relieving the oppressed. This 49th week is a week of rest. It is for ending struggles. Let it be so for you and all yours. The plan of the evil one is to push men into unrest and restlessness in this season; by getting them to dishonor God. Rather than people resting in life, He wants them to rest in death. The 49th season is especially for doing the Lord’s pleasure. No man is free to do his own thing in a seventh season. It is the season of the Lord’s pleasure.
Week 49 is a book-of-Ephesians week. Ephesians is the 49th book of the Bible and sings loudly about our redemption in Christ – about who we are, where we are, and where we going IN CHRIST (chapters 1-3). The death of Jesus was for our redemption. Ephesians 1:7,13-14 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace [13] In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, [14] who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory”. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”.
The 49th book of the Bible is a revelation of our redemption from sin and death; and about who we are in Christ; just as Jacob, in Genesis 49, revealed to his sons their destinies. It is about our spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. The 49th book of the Bible is about our gains in Christ. The death of Jacob is recorded in the 49th chapter of Genesis. His death gave room to his sons. The 49th book of the Bible makes reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and speaks of our resurrection, translation, and session with Him. Other 49th chapters of the Bible speak of ransom, salvation, and redemption. Jesus died to redeem us from the power of death and the grave. He suffered pain to usher us into gains.
The 49th book is also about living to glorify God (chapters 4-6:9). The fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters give emphasis to Christian living. Living irresponsibly in the 49th season will not only rob people of the blessings of the season, but also bring them disasters. That is the reason Psalm 49:20 says, “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish”. As irresponsibility cost Reuben his firstborn status in Genesis 49, the 49th book reveals that our position in Christ does not absolve us of the responsibility of living right at home, at work, and in the community. Our position in Christ cannot nullify our profession as believers. The 49th week is for honoring God with our lives.
The 49th book of the Bible ends with a call to put on the whole armor of God (6:10-24). The 49th season is for wrestling against evil spiritual forces – principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Week 49 is a week of intense spiritual warfare. However, we are not to engage the enemy with fleshly weapons but with the whole armor of God. You will win the battle of this 49th week!
Week 49 is a 49th-chapters-of-the-Bible week. In Genesis 49,Jacob prophesied over his sons concerning their future. The 49th season is a time to receive light about yourself and your future. It is a season of blessings and impartations. Those were also the last words of Jacob before his death. Genesis 49:33 says, “And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people”. Genesis 49 ends with resting in death and burials. There is something about the 49th and death. That is the reason God made the 49th a season of redemption from death, yokes, and burdens. Reuben lost his firstborn status in this chapter for a wrong thing he did in the 35th chapter of Genesis. Week 49 is a score-sheet week! The 49th week is for delivering ‘the last stroke’. Your 49th week will not end with sadness and sorrow!
Psalm 49 is counsel to men that riches do not profit in the day of death. Wealth cannot be taken out of this world. Riches cannot redeem from death and the grave; but God can. Psalm 49:15 says, “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah”. Psalm 49 enlightens us with truth that it is better to run after God than to run after wealth in the 49th season. This 49th week, God will do, for you, what money, wealth, and riches cannot do!
In Isaiah 49, the Lord is called ‘Savior’ and ‘Redeemer’ and Israel is called His servant – His chosen. Isaiah 49 is God’s promise concerning the restoration of Israel. It is about returning her to her land; and restoring her glory. This means that the 49th season is a season of recovery and restoration. This 49th week, the Lord is willing to show you great mercy; and help you beyond your wildest dreams and imagination. He wants to give you the things that belong to you (including the ones you don’t even know exist); and contend with those contending with you.
Jeremiah 49 is a proclamation of judgment against Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. It is all a reaction from Heaven for their mistreatment of Israel. The season of your redemption cannot be a happy time for your enemies. God judges wickedness in the 49th season; to save His chosen ones. This week, God will reveal Himself as your Savior before those who oppress you.
Listen! Listen!! Listen!!! There is something about the 49th and ‘listening’. The 49th season is Heaven’s broadcast season! This is a week of revelations and instructions. It’s time to listen. It’s time to hear something about who you are, what you have, and where you are going. In Genesis 49:1-2, “…Jacob called his sons and said…Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father”. Psalm 49:1 says, “Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together.”. Isaiah 49:1 says, “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar!” This week, you will not miss what Heaven is saying and revealing. God was speaking in the 49th year of the United States, when John Quincy Adams became the 6th President of the United States. Did America listen? Andrew Jackson and his group felt robbed by a ‘corrupt bargain’. The ‘Era of Good Feelings’ ended. God was speaking in 1949 but our world was not paying attention until the Communist Party took over China in 1949. Apartheid also became official in South Africa in 1949. South Africa did not listen. In 2009, the 49th year of Nigeria, Heaven was speaking but Nigeria did not pay attention until Boko Haram surfaced. This 49th week, your adversary will not gain power over you. This week of redemption, the Lord will deliver our world from oppressors and killers.
Week 49 is a Judges 19-21 week. The seventh three chapters of the seventh book of the Bible are applicable to the seventh and last week in the seventh 49 days of the year. This section is about sacrilege, war, tears, and rehabilitation. In the 19th chapter, sodomites raped a man’s concubine to death. The man cut his wife’s body into pieces and distributed it all around Israel. This led to war between Israel and the tribe of Benjamin in the 20th chapter. The Benjamites suffered great losses from the war; and in the 21st chapter, all Israel gathered to discuss the rehabilitation of Benjamin. They had sworn irrevocable oaths against Benjamin but now had to find a way out – beginning with finding wives for the men of Benjamin. This section of Judges indicates that if God is not honored in a 49th season, as in a seventh season, unrest, destruction, and regrets will take over the season. Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism became a serious threat from 2009, the 49th year of Nigeria. That was a warning bell to the country.
Week 49 is a Hebrews – Revelation season. Every year has both a New Testament side and an Old Testament side. In the same way, every seven weeks of the year has an Old Testament side and New Testament side. This also applies to every 49 years of life. The 49th week of the year is the last section of the New Testament side of the seventh seven weeks. It expresses the last nine books of the Bible. Those nine books, from Hebrews to Revelation, are the end-time books of the Bible; and are about the recovery of the church and earth. They include the general epistles and the apocalypse. They are about God reclaiming His people; and reclaiming the earth for His people. Those nine books are about getting God’s people to bounce back and be the way they ought to be. The apocalypse is about reclaiming the church and the earth. Week 49 is redemption week! It is a week to bounce back. It is a week to be who God made you to be. It is a week of getting rid of things in my life that shouldn’t be. It is a week of rest – not distress or unrest.
This week, do these four things:
1) proclaim and declare your redemption from sin, death, and power of the grave;
2) obey God and honor Him by your life in everything you do;
3) raise the antennae of your Spiritual Receiver to pick up the signals from Heaven;
4) get ready to resist and drive the enemy and stranger away from your inheritance and possession. Put the enemy to flight from your position in Christ. Dress up in God’s armor by revelation. Put on, and take up, your superior spiritual armor. You are the redeemed of the Lord. Bondage and death are behind you. The power of slavery and destruction is broken. Give proof of these by living to honor the Redeemer; and by fighting from victory in Christ. Happy 49th week!