The concept of "Crown land" is a foundational legal and historical principle primarily associated with monarchical systems, particularly those influenced by the British Empire. It refers to land owned by the sovereign (the monarch), but importantly, not as their private property.1 Instead, it's held by the monarch in their official capacity as the embodiment of the state or "the Crown."
Origins of Crown Land
The origins of Crown land can be traced back to the feudal systems of medieval Europe, particularly in England:2
Feudal Overlordship: In feudal society, the monarch was theoretically the ultimate owner of all land within their dominion. Land was granted to nobles and subjects in exchange for loyalty, service, and homage.3 What wasn't granted out remained directly under the control of the monarch.
Royal Demesne: Early monarchs had personal estates, often called the "royal demesne" or "royal domain," which provided income and resources for their household and government. Over time, particularly after the Norman Conquest in England (1066), the distinction between the king's personal lands and those held by the Crown as an institution began to blur.
Inalienability: A crucial legal principle emerged that Crown land was inalienable, meaning it could not be permanently sold or disposed of by the monarch at their personal whim. It was understood to be property of the institution of the Crown, passing with the monarchy to successive rulers.4 This was a safeguard to ensure the Crown's long-term financial stability and power.
Colonial Expansion: As European empires expanded, particularly the British Empire, the concept of Crown land was extended to newly "discovered" or conquered territories.5The monarch, representing the imperial power, asserted ultimate title to all land within these colonial possessions.6 This assertion often disregarded existing indigenous land tenure systems and sovereign rights.
In the "New World," monarchs legitimized settler claims to Indigenous territory based on a "divinely-ordained right to rule," even over lands far from their original dominion.7This was often encapsulated in legal fictions like "Crown tenure," where all lands were deemed to belong, spiritually and temporally, to the monarch.8
The doctrine of terra nullius ("land belonging to no one"), applied notably in Australia, was a particularly egregious extension of this concept, claiming vast territories as vacant even when occupied by Indigenous peoples, thereby paving the way for their wholesale dispossession.9
Implications of Crown Land
The concept of Crown land has had profound and far-reaching implications, both historically and in the present day:
Justification for Colonization and Dispossession:
Legal Basis for Seizure: Crown land provided the legal framework for European colonizers to assert ownership over vast territories globally, despite the prior occupation and complex land systems of Indigenous peoples. This facilitated the mass transfer of land to settlers and colonial governments.
Disregard for Indigenous Rights: Indigenous land claims, often based on ancient traditions, spiritual connections, and customary laws, were frequently ignored or overridden by the imposed European legal system of Crown title. This led to widespread displacement, loss of livelihoods, and the destruction of traditional societies.
Formation of Public Lands:
In many modern Commonwealth realms (like Canada, Australia, New Zealand), what was once "Crown land" is now largely understood as public land or state-owned land, administered by the government on behalf of the populace.10
These lands are used for various public purposes, including national parks, forests, conservation areas, resource extraction (mining, logging), and infrastructure development. Revenues from these lands often flow to the respective government.11
Ongoing Indigenous Land Claims and Reconciliation:
The legacy of Crown land is central to ongoing land rights disputes and reconciliation efforts with Indigenous peoples. Many Indigenous nations assert that their ancestral lands were never legitimately ceded to the Crown and that Crown title was imposed without their consent.
Legal challenges, such as the Mabo v Queensland (No 2) case in Australia (which overturned terra nullius) and numerous treaty and Aboriginal title cases in Canada, directly confront the historical application of Crown land and seek recognition of inherent Indigenous rights.12
The "Land Back" movement, gaining momentum in various former colonial nations, aims to return lands to Indigenous stewardship, recognizing their traditional ecological knowledge and rightful sovereignty.13
4. Economic and Resource Control:
Governments, as administrators of Crown land, control vast natural resources. This includes rights to minerals, timber, water, and other resources, which can be leased or licensed to private companies, generating significant revenue.14
This control also allows for strategic land use planning, environmental protection, and public access for recreation, though these aspects can often be in tension with resource extraction interests or Indigenous rights.
Constitutional and Legal Continuity:
In constitutional monarchies, the concept of the "Crown" continues to be a legal fiction representing the state, government, and the sovereign. Crown land, while managed by elected governments, maintains a symbolic connection to this historical lineage.
The Crown Estate in the United Kingdom, for example, is a vast property portfolio that technically belongs to the reigning monarch "in right of the Crown" but whose profits are surrendered to the Treasury in exchange for the Sovereign Grant (Civil List).15
In essence, Crown land originated as the personal domain of a monarch that evolved into the institutional property of the state.16 While it now largely functions as public land, its historical imposition, particularly in colonial contexts, remains a source of profound injustice and a key driver of contemporary efforts for land rights, reconciliation, and decolonization.
Introduction To Citizenship By Investment From A Biblical Perspective:
We're looking at Citizenship By Investment (CBI) from a biblical perspective. Essentially, In ancient Israel, the laws concerning land ownership, selling, and redemption were deeply rooted in the belief that all land ultimately belongs to God.
The Israelites were considered "strangers and sojourners" with God, acting as stewards of the land He had given them (Leviticus 25:23). This foundational principle influenced all other regulations.
Readers might wonder if God's land laws to Israel apply to us. I believe that they do, because God owns the earth and assigned geographic regions to nations. God's land laws are designed for equity and we can benefit by obeying the fundamental principles in those laws.
Furthermore, the bible is the most ancient record of land laws that we know about. We see that these laws are designed for the well being and benefit of people born into nations. God's laws are fair and prevent injustice and mistreatment in land issues.
Types of Citizenship Acquisition:
Citizenship by birth (Jus Soli or Jure Soli):
This is typically granted to individuals born within the borders of a country.
Citizenship by descent (Jus Sanguinis):
This is often granted to individuals who are born outside the country but have parents who are citizens of that country.
Citizenship by naturalization:
This is a process where individuals who were not born as citizens can acquire citizenship through meeting specific requirements, such as residency, language proficiency, and a good moral character.
Citizenship by marriage:
Some countries grant citizenship to individuals who marry citizens of that country.
Dual or Multiple Citizenship:
This is when an individual holds citizenship in more than one country.
Honorary Citizenship:
This is a form of citizenship granted to individuals for their significant contributions to society or the country.
Global Citizenship:
This refers to a sense of belonging to a global community and taking responsibility for global issues, rather than being solely defined by national citizenship.
Citizenship by Investment
Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs allow individuals to obtain a second citizenship by making a SUBSTANTIAL financial contribution to a country's economy. These programs offer a faster route to citizenship than traditional immigration methods. Beneficiaries receive access to visa-free travel, business opportunities, and other benefit.
CBI is not about buying a passport. It's a privilege that is granted to worthy individuals who love a country and who want to improve its economic future. The question relates to the process and fundamental principles.
Based on the author's insight, CBI is essentially about land ownership and possessions in a territory.
A Few Implications of CBI:
Rich investors are able to buy prime land and other resources like beaches etc.
Children of the soil are deprived of access to their own resources - Canouan.
Children of the soil work with these investors at a disadvantage - they have no shares in the companies, no NIS is paid in in some instances, long hours of work etc.
Natives of the soil lose access to prime property.
Here's a summary of the key biblical laws regarding landownership:
1. Land Ownership and Inheritance:
Divine Ownership: The primary principle is that God owns the land, and the Israelites were His tenants. This meant land could not be permanently alienated from the family or tribe to which it was originally allotted (Leviticus 25:23).
Tribal Allotment: Upon entering Canaan, the land was divided by lot among the twelve tribes, and then further subdivided among the families within each tribe (Numbers 26:52-54, Joshua 13-22). This initial distribution was considered a perpetual inheritance.
Patrilineal Inheritance: Generally, land passed from father to sons. The firstborn son typically received a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17).
Daughters' Inheritance: In cases where a man died without sons, his daughters could inherit his property, as demonstrated by the case of Zelophehad's daughters (Numbers 27:1-11). However, to prevent the transfer of tribal land, these heiresses were required to marry within their father's tribe (Numbers 36:6-9).
No Permanent Sale: Because the land belonged to God and was given as a perpetual inheritance, outright, permanent sale of land was forbidden. Any "sale" was essentially a lease until the next Jubilee Year.
2. Selling Land:
Temporary Lease: When land was "sold," it was actually a lease for a number of harvests, with the price adjusted according to the number of years remaining until the next Jubilee (Leviticus 25:15-16).
Economic Hardship: Sales of land typically occurred due to economic hardship, where a family was forced to sell part of their ancestral inheritance to survive.
Houses in Walled Cities: Houses within walled cities had a different rule. If not redeemed within one year of sale, they became the permanent property of the buyer and were not returned in the Jubilee year (Leviticus 25:29-30). Houses in unwalled villages, however, were treated like fields and subject to the Jubilee laws (Leviticus 25:31).
Levitical Property: Levites had special rules for their houses in the cities allotted to them. They always had the right to redeem their houses, and any sold Levitical houses would revert to them in the Jubilee, as these were their permanent possessions (Leviticus 25:32-33). Their pasturelands were never to be sold (Leviticus 25:34).
3. Redemption of Land:
Right of Redemption (Goel): If an Israelite was forced to sell their land, they (or a close relative) had the right to "redeem" or buy it back before the Jubilee year.
Self-Redemption: If the original owner became prosperous enough, they could buy back their land. The price would be calculated based on the remaining years until the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:26-27).
Kinsman-Redeemer (Goel): If the original owner could not afford to redeem their land, a close relative (kinsman-redeemer or "goel") had the right and responsibility to buy it back to keep the land within the family (Leviticus 25:25). The Book of Ruth provides a well-known example of this principle with Boaz acting as the kinsman-redeemer.
The Jubilee Year: This was a crucial institution for land redemption, occurring every **fiftieth year** (after seven cycles of seven sabbatical years).
Proclamation of Liberty: The Jubilee year was proclaimed on the Day of Atonement with the blowing of a ram's horn (Leviticus 25:8-10).
Return to Property: In the Jubilee year, all sold land was to be returned to its original family owners, regardless of whether it had been redeemed earlier. This ensured that ancestral inheritances were not permanently lost due to poverty (Leviticus 25:10, 13, 28).
Economic Reset: The Jubilee served as an economic reset, preventing the permanent accumulation of wealth and property in the hands of a few and ensuring that all families had access to their inherited land. It also involved the freeing of Israelite indentured servants (Leviticus 25:39-41).
These laws highlighted the communal and theological understanding of land in Israel, emphasizing God's ultimate sovereignty and providing a social safety net to prevent extreme poverty and the permanent disenfranchisement of families from their inherited land.
Solutions For Equitable CBI as the legislation is already in place
God says LEASE THE LAND and do not sell it. Select a portion of crown land, rather than all, for these kinds of development projects. Protect the rights of children of the soil to own the land forever.
Enact legislation to cover every detail of how a BI program is to be implemented. Examples of areas to be included:
map a clear path to citizenship - like the USA.
no passport sales.
applicants must be of good character, pass background check, present an detailed investment plan.
applicants must sign a contract in which they agree to reinvest finances and resources into national projects etc defined by the state.
assign a department to CBI - implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
facilitate citizen reports of serious issues like law breaking, exploitation etc.
Historical warnings regarding land ownership issues
The history of land ownership across the globe is rife with examples of injustice, where indigenous populations and marginalized groups have been dispossessed of their ancestral lands by more powerful, often colonizing, entities. This systematic deprivation has had profound and enduring negative impacts, creating generational cycles of poverty, cultural loss, and social fragmentation for the descendants of those dispossessed.
Post - slavery citizenship by investment in the Caribbean
Following the abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean in the 1830s, planters faced a severe labor shortage as newly freed Africans largely refused to continue working on the plantations under exploitative conditions.1 To maintain their lucrative sugar industry, colonial authorities and planters devised a system of indentured labor, primarily recruiting workers from India, China, and later other parts of Asia.
The rationale presented for this system was that these laborers were "voluntarily" migrating for economic opportunity, signing contracts (indentures) for a fixed period (typically five years) in exchange for passage, wages, and sometimes a return passage or small land grant at the end of their term.
This narrative conveniently ignored the coercive recruitment practices, deceptive promises, and often brutal conditions that awaited the indentured workers, effectively creating a new form of semi-slavery designed to ensure a cheap and controlled labor supply for the plantations.
The implications of indentured labor were profound and long-lasting for the Caribbean. While it did prevent the immediate collapse of the sugar industry and introduced new cultural groups to the region, it also perpetuated a highly exploitative economic system. Indentured workers endured harsh living and working conditions, low wages, and often faced discrimination and violence, with limited legal recourse.
For the descendants of these laborers, the legacy includes the formation of diverse multi-ethnic societies, but also persistent social hierarchies, economic marginalization, and the challenge of reclaiming ancestral histories obscured by the colonial narrative.
The system also contributed to the ongoing struggle for land rights and economic independence, as many indentured workers were unable to return home or acquire sufficient land, leaving them in precarious economic positions and contributing to the enduring socio-economic disparities within Caribbean nations today.
The Dynamics of Dispossession: Power, Greed, and Ideology
The common thread running through these historical injustices is an imbalance of power, fueled by greed for resources and often justified by prevailing ideologies of racial or cultural superiority.
1. "Discovery" and Conquest (Post-Columbus Americas):
The Narrative: European powers, particularly Spain and later England, France, and others, operated under the doctrine of "discovery," asserting that lands not "owned" by Christians were open for claim. This disregarded the existing, sophisticated systems of land tenure and spiritual connection to the land held by indigenous peoples (e.g., the Taino, Aztec, Inca, and later numerous North American tribes).
Methods of Deprivation: This involved outright conquest through military force, the imposition of European legal systems that did not recognize indigenous rights, fraudulent treaties, and the devastating impact of introduced diseases that decimated native populations, making resistance more difficult.
Negative Impact on Descendants:
Loss of Livelihoods: Indigenous communities were pushed onto marginal lands, losing access to fertile hunting grounds, agricultural lands, and vital resources, leading to widespread poverty and food insecurity.
Cultural Erasure: Land was deeply intertwined with spiritual beliefs, oral traditions, and cultural practices. Its loss meant the erosion of identity, language, and traditional governance structures. Residential schools (like those in Canada and the U.S.) further aimed to "civilize" native children by severing their ties to land and culture.
Intergenerational Trauma: The historical trauma of violence, displacement, and cultural suppression continues to manifest in higher rates of poverty, substance abuse, mental health issues, and lower life expectancy within indigenous communities today.
Legal Disenfranchisement: Ongoing battles for land rights, treaty recognition, and self-determination persist, reflecting the lasting legal and political impacts of initial dispossession.
2. British Colonization (e.g., India, Africa, and particularly Australia):
The Narrative: The British Empire, like other colonial powers, often justified its expansion through "civilizing missions" and the belief in the superiority of British law and agricultural practices. In many cases, lands deemed "unoccupied" (terra nullius) or "underutilized" by European standards were simply claimed.
Aboriginals of Australia: The concept of "terra nullius" was explicitly applied to Australia, despite the presence of Aboriginal peoples with deep, complex connections to the land for tens of thousands of years. Their hunter-gatherer lifestyle was not recognized as a valid form of land ownership by British law.
Methods of Deprivation: Land was unilaterally declared Crown land, parceled out to settlers for sheep farming, mining, and other ventures. Aboriginal people were dispossessed, often violently, confined to reserves, or forced into labor. The "Stolen Generations" policy forcibly removed Aboriginal children from their families, further severing cultural ties to land and kin.
Negative Impact on Descendants:
Extreme Disadvantage: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to face significant socio-economic disparities, including lower life expectancy, higher incarceration rates, and poorer health and education outcomes compared to non-Indigenous Australians.
Cultural Fragmentation: The loss of ancestral lands and the forced removal of children led to profound cultural disruption, including the loss of languages, ceremonies, and knowledge systems intrinsically linked to specific places.
Mental Health Crisis: High rates of intergenerational trauma, depression, and suicide reflect the lasting scars of dispossession and systemic discrimination.
Ongoing Land Rights Struggles The landmark Mabo decision in 1992 overturned "terra nullius," recognizing native title, but the process of claiming and proving native title remains complex and lengthy, highlighting the enduring impact of historical injustice.
3. **Indentured Workers Post-Slavery and the Refusal to Compensate Former Slaves (United States):
The Promise and Its Betrayal: Following the American Civil War, the promise of "40 acres and a mule" was briefly floated (Sherman's Special Field Order No. 15), offering confiscated Confederate land to freed slaves. This was intended to provide an economic base and true freedom. However, this promise was largely unfulfilled.
Why Whites Refused to Pay/Compensate:
Racial Ideology: Deep-seated racism and the belief in white superiority prevented many from accepting the idea of Black land ownership and economic independence, which threatened the existing racial hierarchy.
Economic Self-Interest: Southern landowners relied on cheap Black labor. Providing land to freed slaves would have destabilized the plantation economy by removing a subservient workforce and creating economic competitors.
Political Will: There was insufficient political will in Washington to enforce land redistribution, and President Andrew Johnson reversed many of the Reconstruction-era efforts, returning confiscated lands to former Confederates.
Systemic Barriers: Even without land, discriminatory laws (Black Codes, Jim Crow), violence (Ku Klux Klan), and economic exploitation (sharecropping, convict leasing) prevented Black people from accumulating wealth or securing land, even when they had the means.
Negative Impact on Descendants
Generational Poverty: The denial of land as a foundational asset trapped millions of Black Americans in cycles of poverty, sharecropping, and wage labor with little opportunity for upward mobility. This contributed directly to the vast racial wealth gap seen today.
Limited Economic Mobility: Without land, access to capital, education, and political power was severely restricted, hindering the ability of Black communities to build generational wealth and economic security.
* **Urban Segregation and Redlining:** The lack of rural land ownership contributed to mass migrations to urban centers, where systemic housing discrimination (redlining) further restricted Black homeownership and wealth accumulation, pushing them into neglected neighborhoods.
* **Persistent Racial Inequality:** The legacy of land denial is a key factor in understanding contemporary racial disparities in income, health, education, and incarceration rates, demonstrating how historical injustices perpetuate themselves across generations.
Conclusion
The historical deprivation of land from indigenous peoples and marginalized groups is not merely a past event; its reverberations are felt profoundly by their descendants today. These injustices have created deep structural inequalities, eroded cultural identities, and fostered intergenerational trauma.
Addressing these legacies requires more than just acknowledging the past; it necessitates ongoing efforts towards land back movements, reparations, genuine reconciliation, and systemic changes that dismantle the lingering effects of colonial and discriminatory land ownership practices. The struggle for justice in land rights is central to achieving equity and healing historical wounds.
Chapter 82 of The Book of Enoch documents the human calendar that humans are to follow:
364 days per year.
Each day of the year is marked by "heads over thousands" or specific stars.
12 months per year.
30 days per month.
4 quarters in each year.
Each quarter consists of 90 days + 1 intercalated day.
The beginning of each quarter is marked by an intercalated/intercalary day.
These intercalated days divide the four portions of the year.
The intercalated day is marked by the appearance of specific stars.
The intercalated days (equinoxes and solstices) are not included in the calendar.
New years begin in Spring, on the day after the Spring Equinox.
The signs of the New Year and Summer are given in detail.
Book of Enoch Chapter 74: lunar and solar cycles
The lunar and solar calendars describe the cycles of these luminaries and NOT the calendar that humans are to follow.
The sun and moon complete their cycles in each year in 364 days:
And the sun and the stars bring in all the years
exactly, so that they do not advance or delay their position by a single day unto eternity; but complete the
years with perfect justice in 364 days (book of Enoch 74: 12).
Why should humans follow the Enoch Calendar - Chapter 82
It is simple and easy to follow.
The Bible does not document a 13th month.
When there is a leap year on other calendars, a day is lost.
Persons born on the 29th of previous years miss a birthday.
The year does not end in 364 days on a lunar calendar:
And the sun and the stars bring in all the years exactly, so that they do not advance or delay their position by a single day unto eternity; but complete the years with perfect justice in 364 days (book of Enoch 74: 12).
I believe that God revealed the cycles of the sun and moon to allow humans to track their path.
