Messiah's Birthday

[Messianic Believer]

Scriptural Dates for Messiah's Conception and Birth

I. The Conception of Yochanan (Jonn the Baptist) / Luke 1:5-25

When the messenger, Gavri-El (Gabriel), appeared to Zachar'yah (Zacharias) as he was ministering in the Temple, it was during the ministration of Abiyah (Abia). This order of priests ministered in the Temple the eighth week of the Hebrew year according to the ordinance of 1 Chronicles 24:10 (and according to the Talmud). The eighth week transverses the last week of the second Hebrew month and the first week of the third Hebrew month, which culminates at Shavuot (Pentecost). This is the anchor point for discovering the exact time of Messiah Y’shua's birth. The messenger promised Zachar'yah that his prayer had been answered, and when he went home to his wife Elisheva (Elizabeth) she conceived, it seems almost immediately. This puts the conception of Yochanan the Immerser (Yochanan the Baptist) very near the time of Shavuot, the Feast of Pentecost, in the second week of the third Hebrew month.

II. The Conception of Messiah Y’shua (Christ Jesus) / Luke 1:26-55

Then, at the close of the sixth month of Elisheva' s pregnancy the messenger Gavri-El appeared to Miryam (Mary). Gavri-El told Miryam about Elisheva, saying "she who was called barren is six months pregnant," This would be the last of the ninth Hebrew month at the time of Chanukah. There are 27 weeks weeks between the end of discourse of Abiyah and the start of Chanukah (Dedication), which is celebrated eight days, from the 25th of the ninth month to 2nd of the tenth month.

Miryam accepts the word of the messenger concerning the conception of Messiah in her, and she immediately rushes from Natseret (Nazareth) to the home of Elisheva and Zachar'yah in the Judean mountains close to Yerushalayim, about a three days journey from Natseret. Miryam was probably going there to celebrate Chanukah and to help Elisheva with her pregnancy, as well as to talk to Elisheva about the messenger's visitation.

Upon Miryam's greeting to Elisheva, Elisheva responds to Miryam, calling her "the mother of Elohim". This demonstrates that Miryam was already pregnant with Messiah Y’shua. Thus, Messiah Y’shua was conceived at Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, for He is the Light of the World.

Sometimes the time of Chanukah falls close to christmas. The apostate Roman church of medieval times combined the pagan winter solstice in late December with the 25th day of the ninth month (Chanukah) to create christmas (christ mass) on December 25. Supposedly, this was to celebrate Messiah's birth.

Messiah Y’shua is shown celebrating Chanukah in Yochanan 10:22,23. It is at this celebration that He declares "I and My Father are One" [Yochanan 10:30], which testifies to His Divine origin in His conception. It also reinforces Chanukah as the time of His conception.

Historically, then, it is more accurate to celebrate Messiah Y’shua entering the world through conception at Chanukah rather than to celebrate His birth at christmas. As we shall show, christmas is not the birthday of Messiah. (In fact, christmas is an invention resulting from religious compromise with pagan tradition. christmas only has harmony with the truth, in that it falls approximately at the time of year when Messiah Y’shua was conceived by the Holy Spirit.)

III.The Birth of Yochanan/ Luke1:56-80

Miryam stayed with Elisheva for three months, which was until the birth of Yochanan. Since a full pregnancy term is 41 weeks, and 27 weeks makes up the first six months (two trimesters), which is exactly the time from the discourse of Abiyah to Chanukah, that leaves 14 weeks to accomplish the last trimester and bring the pregnancy to full term. There are exactly 14 weeks from Chanukah to Passover (Nisan 14-22). Therefore, Yochanan the Immerser was born at Passover.

He was circumcised on the eighth day, which would be the last day of Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread. Gavri-EI had said that Yochanan would "go forth" in the strength and power of Elijah [Luke 1:17]. Jewish teaching was that Elijah would come again at Passover (this is still a tradition of Judaism today).

IV.The Birth of Messiah Y’shua/Luke 2

Nisan, when Yochanan was born, is the first month of the Hebrew year. As we have shown, Miryam conceived six months after Elisheva conceived, which means Messiah Y’shua's birth would have to come six months after Yochanan's birth, during the seventh Hebrew month. Since we know that Yochanan was born at Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread, we learn the time of Messiah Y’shua's birth by counting six Hebrew months from Passover. The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on Nisan 15 and six months later Tabernacles begins on 15th of the seventh month. Therefore, Y’shua was born on the first day of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).

The first day of Tabernacles is a Sabbath rest, so it fits that Yosef and Miryam planned their journey to Beit-Lechem (Bethlehem) so they would finish their journey before the festival Sabbath. They found lodging just in time.

Concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, Elohim commanded that Yisrael should observe it eight days. They were to build temporary dwellings called a sukkah and dwell in them [Leviticus 23:34-43]. These sukkahs were erected to house families with some bare comforts and food for the eight days. Food was placed in a stall or a crib for storage in the tabernacle. The King James Bible calls this food crib a manger. Messiah Y’shua was not born in a barn, but rather in a temporary tabernacle which had been built for the celebration. He was placed in a "manger", demonstrating in a type that He is the Bread of Life from heaven.

The eighth day, Messiah Y’shua was circumcised according to the scriptural command [Luke 2:21]. For a male, this is what accomplishes a full Hebrew birth. The Feast of Tabernacles is for exactly eight days. The first and last days are both holy Sabbaths. Messiah Y’shua was born on the first day, a holy Sabbath, and circumcised on the eighth day, a holy Sabbath. Evidently, Elohim intended this entire Feast of Tabernacles to be set aside in order to accomplish and celebrate Messiah Y’shua's birth into the world.

Note that Elohim provided two holy feasts that lasted eight days, Passover/Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles. Yochanan the Immerser, the forerunner of Messiah, was born and circumcised in the eight days of the first, then six month later Y’shua the Messiah was born and circumcised the eight days of the second. Yochanan came in the first month of the year and Messiah Y’shua came in the seventh month. In ministry, Yochanan introduced the way through Messiah and then Messiah Y’shua perfected it, even as the first and seventh months signify.

V. Conclusion

This chronology provides us with the exact day of Messiah Y’shua's birth, the 15th day of the seventh month, according to the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrew calendar is kept updated to this modern day, and every year the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is absolutely set from the 15th to the 22nd of the seventh month. Because the Hebrew calendar is based on the course of the Moon (Lunar) and the modern calendar is based on the course of the Sun (Solar), the two move in relation to each other. This means the Feast of Tabernacles will always occur somewhere between mid-September and mid-October, but not on the exact same Gregorian dates every year. For instance, in 1995 the Feast of Tabernacles was October 9-October 17, but in 1996 the Feast of Tabernacles was September 28-October 5. While this is initially confusing to the unlearned mind, a combination Gregorian/Hebraic calendar will easily clarify how the dates relate. Many local funeral homes provide free Hebrew calendars each year showing the modern dates for the holy Feast Days (ask for a Jewish calendar).

It may help you to understand the seeming movement of Messiah Y’shua's birthday by looking at your own birthday. Even though your birthday might keep the same number year after year, the day of the week it falls on changes. In like manner, Y’shua's birthday is on the same Hebraic calendar number each year, the 15th of the seventh month, but in relation to the Gregorian calendar it changes. However, you can plan for His birthday to always occur sometime between the latter part of September and the early part of October.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a most important commemoration. Zechariah 14:16,17 tells us that one day all nations will be required by law to honor this feast. For what greater reason, than it is the birthday of the King of Kings! Why should we delay?

Our hope and prayer is that all Believers will return to the roots of their faith and learn to restore the fallen foundations. May we all work to become separate from this world as a holy people before our holy Elohim.

[paul]

[quote="Messianic Believer"][. However, you can plan for His birthday to always occur sometime between the latter part of September and the early part of October.

Our you can plan for His birthday each and every day in your heart. For each day is a new day, and Dec.25th, or sometime between Sept. and early October is meerely a forshadow of His true coming into our hearts.

[EagerBeaver]

Messianic Believer,

This is a good piece of info. I love learning more about history. Thanks for the research!

[oletimer]

Messianic Believer;
Thanks for the information. I love history and back ground information as it often open up to better understanding of what we believe. What , when, where, how, and what was going on at the time often give a better prospective on the subject.

God (Elohim) Bless

[Messianic Believer]

Amein Paul. I absolutely agree that we should celebrate Him each and every day, every hour, every minute, etc.

We should also look to and celebrate the Feasts of Elohim (Lev 23) with the understanding that Messiah is in all of them, and they are all prophetic of His advent, His giving of the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit), and His return to take us, His bride, to be with Him.

He is found in every chapter of the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. He was, is, is to be the center of our lives.

[RamboPreacher]

It is a gret piece. I have seen it coming up all over the internet. Did you research/write it? do you have any citings (internet or bibliographic) to provide? to the information the extends the scriptural references?

[dolfan]

So, the manger was a food box? Never heard of that, and I'm glad you posted that. But, can you elaborate on the reasons why you are certain that this is so?? I would say it doesn't matter, but I don't want to dismiss this so flippantly. If He was not born in a barn and laid in a trough or ledge for animal food, haven't we taken the symbolism of the humble surroundings of His arrival very incorrectly, and have we not very systematically drawn conclusions about the Father's unfolding of His plan that may be also incorrect??? Maybe not, but it does make me wonder. So, given that for so long so many have said so much that seems so very, very right ..... how important is the distinction between what you present as the, forgive my tongue in cheekiness, "real Christmas story" and what we've always thought/learned it is? (Of course, this says nothing of the many little inaccuracies we all know and love to ignore, i.e., wise men showing up in Bethlehem vs. somewhere else quite a bit later.)

[Gerald Creasy]

Gee, And I'm sitting here wondering if MB thinks he's a truer Christian because he uses all those non-anglicised Hebrew names and such....

[EagerBeaver]

Nah, just more Jewish. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

[Messianic Believer]

nope, terminology doesn't make me a truer Believer. I just prefer to use the Hebrew names. If you prefer, I can use the english names here. I don't want to offend. I was just offering up some info.

[Messianic Believer]

No, I did not write it although I have researched it. This particular piece was written by the late David Hargis.

The order of the priests can be found in 1 Chronicles (Dibre HaYamim Aleph for Gerald ) 24:1-18, where King David divides the priestly descendants of Aharon into 24 orders. The assignment of the priests is given to them in I Chronicles 28:11-13. and each priest would serve in Jerusalem for one week according to I Chronicles 9:25. Finally, the week of service in the Temple would start on the Sabbath and end on the following Sabbath according to II Chronicles 23:8. This is supported by Josephus in the "Antiquities of the Jews" in that it continued after King David set this up in Chronicles.

We know that according to Scripture there are three pilgrimage “moedim” (feasts) in which every male is required to appear “before the L-rd” (Deut 16:16). These three feasts are Unleavened Bread (Passover), Shavu'ot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Booths).

The Hebrew calendar is lunar-based, with each month having either 29 or 30 days for a total of 51 weeks in a normal year. A leap month (Adar II) is added every second or third year to recalibrate the calendar.

If we take the 24 orders, plus three pilgrim feasts, we have 27 weeks, leaving us with another 24 weeks, in which case each order would serve twice every year.

These numbers are confirmed by the Mishnah (Talmud). We know that the order of Abiyah (Zechariah’s order) is the eighth order, according to I Chronicles 24. Two of the three pilgrim feasts occur before or during the first eight weeks and thus the order of Abiyah would not serve until the 10th week. This timing would mean we are into the second Sabbath of the month Sivan (which would start on the 12th and end on the 18th).

We must now return to the book of Luke where verses 23-24 state, “When the time service was complete, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.” So, Elizabeth conceives on the third week of Sivan (between the 19th and the 25th). If we take a standard 40-week pregnancy as the norm, then Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) would have been born on or about the 15th of Nisan, which coincides with the feast of Passover.

[Gerald Creasy]

nope, terminology doesn't make me a truer Believer. I just prefer to use the Hebrew names. If you prefer, I can use the english names here. I don't want to offend. I was just offering up some info.

No. I don't have a problem with it whatsoever as long as the doing of such is not part of a "better" belief system or man made law.