The day of Christ’s birth

Jesus was not born on 25 December, and by now many people realise this, but for the uninformed, the church in error adopted this date to officially celebrate the nativity. This happened around 320 AD under the rule of the first so called Christian Roman emperor, Constantine. The reason for selecting this day was to replace the already existing pagan festival to the sun, known as Saturnalia. The 25 December date cannot be traced further back than the middle of the fourth century and was adopted by St. Jerome, St. Augustine and others. This Christmas date replaces the Roman Lupercalia, the feast of purification of Isis and the Saturnalia - all pagan festivals, and is a mid-winter date which is completely against the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.

When was Jesus born?

Le:23:33: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Le:23:34: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.

Note the : fifteenth day of this seventh month......15 Tishri ( 7th Month) October 9 Gregorian calendar.

Le:23:35: On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Le:23:36: Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

Le:23:42: Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

Le:23:43: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

This is the Feast of Tabernacles and is celebrated during September and October every year. This period is also used to calculate the birth date of Jesus Christ in the Seventh month of Tishri, while the Feast of Tabernacles is being celebrated.

During this time in Luke 1.5

Lu:1:5: There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

David, according to 1 Chronicles 24:7-18, had divided the priests into twenty-four lots or divisions and Abijah was the eighth. Every month there were thus two divisions of service in the Temple (2 x 12 = 24), and the eighth division would therefore have fallen in the fourth month (2 x 4 = 8).

1Ch:24:7: Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

1Ch:24:8: The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

1Ch:24:9: The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

1Ch:24:10: The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

1Ch:24:11: The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

1Ch:24:12: The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

1Ch:24:13: The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

1Ch:24:14: The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

1Ch:24:15: The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,

1Ch:24:16: The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,

1Ch:24:17: The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,

1Ch:24:18: The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.

It was, during this time Zacharias was serving as priest in the order of his division according to the custom of the priesthood, and was his turn to burn incense. The angel of Lord appeared to him…

Lu:1:8: And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

Lu:1:9: According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

Lu:1:10: And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

Lu:1:11: And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

Lu:1:12: And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

Lu:1:13: But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Here comes the maths

Lu:1:24: And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

Lu:1:25: Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Lu:1:26: And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

Lu:1:27: To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

Lu:1:28: And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Lu:1:29: And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

Lu:1:30: And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Lu:1:31: And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Jesus was born nineteen months from the first Hebrew month, Nisan, which takes us to the seventh month of the following year, Tishri (19 - 12 = 7). However, there are three Jewish feasts in the month of Tishri.

In John 7, Jesus reveals his heavenly purpose as the One sent by God. Could this be the Christ, ? the Jews contemplated. The occasion is the Feast of Tabernacles and down the centuries the Jews have waited for the revelation of Jesus Christ.

It is not a coincidence that Jesus chose to reveal himself openly in Jerusalem at this festival.

Joh:7:2: Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
Joh:7:3: His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
Joh:7:4: For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
Joh:7:5: For neither did his brethren believe in him.

The association between the Feast of Tabernacles and the birth of Jesus is perhaps more clearly evident from John’s words in John 1:14

Joh:1:14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,..... word "dwelt" is the Greek word "skenoo" is translated as tabernacled to tent, or encamp, or to reside as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion.

In Leviticus, the instruction on the Feast of Tabernacles is for the people to dwell in booths, or tents.

Hence there is a clear association between the birth of Christ and the Feast of Tabernacles, through the Greek word skenoo.

Assuming that Jesus was born at Tabernacles, He would most likely have been born on the first day of the feast. Le:23:40:..."And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God" were the instructions given by Moses for the Tabernacle celebration.

The Passover in 4 BC was April 12. According to the Jewish calendar of festivals, if Passover is on April 12 in any one year, the Feast of Tabernacles will begin on 6 October in that year. If Jesus was born on 6 October 4 BC or 15 Tishri 4 BC, how old was he when he was proclaimed King at the end of the sixty-ninth week?. Online calendar

The YEAR of 4 BC is a respectable year for Christ’s birth. It also confirms that 15 Tishri 4 BC is a reliable day (Feast of Tabernacles), This would be 6 October 4 BC. It is note worthy that if we deduct 280 days (human gestation period) from 6 October, the exact date is 31 December in the previous year. Jesus Christ was not born on 25 December, He was conceived on 31 December.

When Jesus came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, it was His 35th prophetic birthday! On the day of His birth Tabernacles 4 BC, the Jews were celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles according to the instructions given by God to Moses…

Le:23:35: On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Le:23:36: Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

Le:23:37: These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:

Le:23:38: Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.

Le:23:39: Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

Le:23:40: And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

When Jesus came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, "many spread their garments on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road"

M'r:11:8: And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

Go well