Isaiah 61:2 English Standard Version (ESV) to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
The Hebrew puts an emphasis on the year by proclaiming it acceptable. It is duly noted that the Lord shows favor upon this time period but shifting the attention to the Lord lessens the impact of the conditions surrounding just what the word year means in context to His acceptable favor.
In one sense a year is one measure of time. It is considered to have a beginning and an end. Since a year is as a thousand years to the Lord in His realm perhaps we should look at a year in another way.
A year is divided up by seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter. Interestingly enough the year begins with winter and yet many of us think in terms of the year beginning in the spring. That too can be significant because of our understanding of change. Seasons change and the most pleasant seems to be spring and blossoms.
The time in which the Lord’s favor is shown is the time in our lives when we accept change, to be born again, to reset the times of our lives by the seed that was sown emerging in newness of life.
The day of vengeance refers to God’s justice. He has placed the guilt of our sins upon His Son to pay the debt of our sins which held us captive.
Matthew 20:28 English Standard Version (ESV) even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Romans 6:3-4 English Standard Version
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.