The year of release, rooted in biblical law, is tied to the Hebrew calendar and directly linked to the Feast of Trumpets, which begins every seventh year. This year of release concludes on the 29th day of Elul, the day immediately preceding the Feast of Trumpets, which falls on the first day of Tishri in the civil calendar and the seventh month of the sacred calendar. As the 29th day of Elul ends at sunset, the Feast of Trumpets begins, marking the start of the seventh year. The year of release is viewed as a Sabbath, a period of rest for the land that God has given, reflecting the original instructions to dress and keep it. Land is seen as a gift from God, bearing major responsibilities, and is given as a loan under His sovereignty. The year of release underscores respect for God as the land's Owner and faith in Him to provide prosperity, acknowledging that without His provision, there is no abundance. The term "release," from the Hebrew word shemittah, can also mean cancel, drop, or remit, relating to loans, indebtedness, and even forms of slavery. In the seventh year, debts are to be forgiven, mirroring the principle of forgiveness without expectation of repayment, as God forgave His people. This year also mandates rest for the land, with no sowing, reaping, or storing of volunteer crops, though what grows naturally may be eaten by all, including the poor, strangers, and animals, as a form of God's welfare system. Additionally, the year of release commands generosity, urging an open hand to the needy even as the seventh year approaches, without begrudging the gift, for God promises blessings for such obedience. In matters of servitude, a Hebrew servant must serve six full years, but in the seventh year, they are to be set free, regardless of when their service began within the cycle, ensuring their release and provision to start anew.

The year of release, known as the Shemitah, is a significant cycle in God's calendar, occurring every seven years. It begins and ends in Tishri, the seventh month of the sacred calendar, corresponding to September/October, running from one Tishri to the next. This period covers parts of two years on the sacred calendar, with the current year of release starting last September and ending in early October 2022, just before the Feast of Tabernacles. The timing is crucial, as Deuteronomy 31:10 instructs that the law is to be read at the Feast of Tabernacles in the year of release, within the last year of the seven-year cycle. The Shemitah involves more than letting the land rest; it includes releasing debts, which can extend to financial or interpersonal obligations, and brings changes in work and employment. When observed properly, it marks a necessary break or natural end of a cycle, leading to abundance and stability in the next cycle, wiping clean and beginning anew. If transgressed, however, God may release His grip, allowing events to take a destructive course, resulting in shaking and overthrowing, with disruptive impacts on agriculture, productivity, labor, economics, and even the Feast of Tabernacles. The Shemitah proclaims God's sovereignty and ownership, emphasizing prosperity when observed and loss when ignored, reminding His people that He is the source of stability and abundance, humbling the proud, and underscoring man's dependence on Him. As a judgment, the year of release acts as a great equalizer, separating wealth from owners, wiping away accumulations, smoothing imbalances, releasing entanglements, and facilitating transitions as the seventh year wraps up to make way for a new beginning in the eighth. Current disruptions, including drought, food supply issues, price spikes in oil and gas, labor problems, inflation, and wealth destruction, align with the Shemitah's themes, especially as they occur together within this year. Historically, the sequence of these years has been preserved for over 2,100 years, with records from Josephus confirming a consistent seven-year cycle, aligning with the current year of release in 2021-2022. God has ensured a record of these special years through the Jews, enabling His people to align with His will, even if the church does not have authority to declare specific years as Shemitah.