Myth: We Don't Really Know When Yahshua (Jesus) was Born

The statement that we don't really know when Yahshua was born is usually given to justify the use of December 25 as the date of Yahshua's birth. December 25th is often given because it's supposedly as good as any other date.

But, as we discussed before, there is strong reason to say otherwise.

In fact, as we progress, I think you'll see that the birth of Yahshua Ha Mashiach - as well as John the Baptist -is tied to and intertwined with Yahweh's (G-d's) prophetic calendar.

Let's start our discovery process with the Gospel of Luke. It's there we are given our first landmark for determining the timing of the Messiah's birth.

In this Gospel we find Zechariah fulfilling his duty as priest in the Temple when an angel appears to him. The angel announces that his wife Elizabeth would have a son. We know that this son - known as John the Baptist - was born nine months later.

Six months after the angel visited Zechariah, Elizabeth's relative Miriam (Mary) was told she too would have a son.

How does this help?

Well, get out your Scriptures and look at Luke Chapter one. It's here we learn some important clues that set the time. Look at verses 5-8.

Here in Luke we read that Zechariah "...belonged to the priestly division of Abijah..." and that "Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before G-d..." This tells us the angel appeared to him during the eighth division.

If we've been studying our Tanak ("Old" Testament) faithfully we should remember in 1 Chronicles where we are told that all priests in the order of Abijah were eighth in line for service in the Temple. You may also remember Nehemiah 10:7 and 12:4,17.

Zechariah was eighth in line to perform his duty. The counting of the weeks began at the head of the year which is two weeks before Passover. That corresponds to March/April on our Pope Gregory calendars. If we go eight weeks out, then add two more weeks for mandatory Temple service all priests had to serve during Unleavend Bread and Shavuot (Penetcost) we come to mid to late June.

Elizabeth got pregnant in late June. Nine months later is mid to late March which is the beginning of the season of Passover. In 3 BC Passover was on March 28.

Is there anything significant about Yochanan (John) that would tie his birth to Passover?

Well, ancient Jewish tradition says that Elijah must appear at Passover to announce the coming of the Messiah. Still today throughout the world, part of the Jewish tradition is to set a place at the Passover table for Elijah. During the meal one of the children is instructed to open the door to see if Elijah has come.

In Matthew 11: 10-14 Yahshua (Jesus) tells us that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah. This reflects the prophecies in Isaiah 40:1-11 and Malachi 3: 1-5.

Later in Luke 1:26,36 we see that it was the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy when Miriam is told by an angel she will conceive and have a baby.

An interesting connection to note is that this would be the month of Kislev. Kislev 25 is Hanukkah. Could it be that the "light of the world" was conceived on Hanukkah, the festival of lights?

Now let's do a little simple math.

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, Miriam learned she was pregnant by the Spirit. Three months later John was born. At this time Miriam was three months along. So add six months to Yochanan's birth and we come to the birth of Yahshua.

Remember, John's birth was in the month of Aviv which is late March and early April - at the season of Passover. When we go six months from there we come to Tishri or September/October. This puts Yahshua's birth in Tishri.

Is there anything significant about Tishri?

Indeed. It is the time of the Festival of Sukkot (Booths) or the Feast of Tabernacles.

Here's how Avi ben Mordechai, a Messianic Jew who believes in Yahshua explains this connection in his book, Messiah: Understanding His Life and Teachings in Hebraic Context:

"The Greek word "dwelling" means a temporary booth or tabernacle. In a Jewish context this can only be a link to the Hebrew "sukkah" or booth. And according to Jewish Oral Law a "sukkah"could be constructed from an existing cattle stall which is also called a "manger" in the Tanak: see Job 39:9, Proverbs 14:4, and Isaiah 1:3 NASB."

We also know that this was a time of taxation. This was done at the same time as Feast days to reduce the burden of travel. Basically, you could say it killed two birds with one stone.

From this hopefully it should be easy for you to see the timing of Yahshua's birth with Sukkot. Here are the events:

Joseph and Miriam traveled to be counted for taxes. When they arrived the area was full of travelers so no accommodations were available. Joseph, being faithful to the command to stay in a sukkah for the week of the Feast of Tabernacles, would find somewhere to construct his temporary dwelling. Women were not required to stay in a sukkah, but since Miriam could find no other place, they both stayed in the manger/sukkah. It is here where Yahshua is born.

There is also good reason to believe we can pinpoint Yahshua's birth to the first day of Sukkot. As a male child he would be required on the eighth day to be circumcised (Luke 2:21). If He was born on the first day of Sukkot, then His circumcision would coincide with another important event.

The "coincidence" is that on this very same day - the eighth day of the Feast - is the day called Simchat Torah. It is a Festival day that commemorates the "joy in the Torah" when the yearly readings of the Torah have been completed.

Remember, Yahshua is the living Torah. Simchat Torah is a celebration of the rewinding of the Torah Scroll and beginning the readings again. It makes perfect sense since Yahshua was"... the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled in a sukkah) among us."

Christian commentator Matthew Henry states: "It is supposed by many that our blessed Saviour was born much about the time of this holiday; then He left his mansions of light above to tabernacle among us, and he dwelt in booths. And the worship of G-d under the New Testament is prophesied of under the notion of keeping the feast of tabernacles, Zec 14:16."

We will discuss at a later time how this Feast of Tabernacles is not only significant in the birth of the Messiah Himself, but is also a prophetic shadow picture of His return.

I know you've read the verses discussed above many times before. But, if you are like I was for 30 years, you read through them without actually "hearing" much of what they were telling you.

Many of you read Christian books and commentaries. Why not read Jewish extra-biblical sources as well?

By ignoring or downright discarding Jewish works - as has been the rule for much of Christian history - we have left ourselves handicapped. We Westerners with our Gentile/Greek mindsets have tried to comprehend the Hebrew Scriptures without the aid of an Hebraic perspective.

What folly.

Perhaps, as a side benefit of this study, we may also learn that those details in Scripture we previously skipped over do have a purpose.

Because of our lack of thorough study of the very words Yahweh Himself has given us for our spiritual benefit, we often judge some of His words as meaningless or useless. Shame on us.

May we be forgiven.

In conclusion, let us take note that instead of Yahshua's birth being on a date dedicated to the worship of pagan deities, His birth - indeed His whole life - fit perfectly into Yahweh's calendar of appointed times and Festivals.

However, when the Gentile Christian world long ago abandoned its Hebraic roots, it also began to declare that these Feasts of the L-rd were no longer relevant. As a result, generations of believers have been sold on cheap substitutes such as Christ- mass.

May we rise up out of our spiritual anemia and once again regain the spiritual strength that comes from preaching "the full gospel."

Insights from Early Christmas Traditions

What were some of the earliest Christmas traditions like? How did the disciples and the earliest church celebrate Christmas - the birth of the Messiah? Are there some lessons we can learn to enhance our holiday season this year?

If your desire is to be more like the "New" Testament church, then this message is for you.

After all, if it was good enough for them it must be good enough for us, right?

So, it may shock you to discover that Jews in the first century did not celebrate birthdays at all.

That's right. None, Nada, Zip.

Birthdays were a gentile excuse for a party.

The only time birthdays are mentioned in Scripture is in association with death, such as when John the Baptist was beheaded.

Never is a birthday given as a reason for a celebration in Scripture.

As a Jew, Yahshua (Jesus) never had a birthday party. Miriam, his Torah faithful Jewish mother, would never allow such an occasion in her home. The disciples, as Jewish followers of Yahahua, would never entertain the thought of having a birthday celebration.

The early church - up to the time of Constantine - never had celebrations of Jesus' birth.

Only with Constantine - who was a sun worshipper - did the 4th century Roman church begin to accommodate the pagans in this way. In order to satisfy those who worshipped Mithra on December 25th (and to bring them under the his control), Pontifex Maximus renamed the pagan celebration and incorporated it into church practice as Christ - mass.

What do you have if you take a pig, wash him, put cologne on him, and dress him in a new suit?

What you have is simply a dressed up pig. Nothing more.

Therefore, if we follow the traditions of the most faithful and earliest church, then there would be no celebration of Christmas.

However, today we find ourselves just like the Roman church of old. In order to satisfy those in our midst who love the pagan traditions more than the Scriptural ones, we have Christmas.

If you only knew what Christmas tree balls were meant to simulate!

Oh, that there were men and women of G-d again who had a hunger and thirst for the things of G-d. The Puritans were that way. They outlawed Christmas because they recognized it for what it was.

But, the lure of the world is strong. The Puritans are gone. Their ways ridiculed.

The odd turn of events is that we are now led to believe the Jewish Messiah came to do away with the Hebrew Torah (Law) and replace Yahweh's (G-d's) festivals with pagan ones.

Maybe this year you will begin to see that the pagan traditions we've inherited - no matter how much we've dressed them up - are cheap substitutes for the truly wonderful and eternally significant prophetic shadow pictures that Yahweh gave us in Scripture.

Sadly the Roman tradition of Christmas has taken control of the modern church- Protestant as well as Catholic. This season there will again be protests and even legal battles to keep "Christ" in Christmas.

But, the truth is, He was never there in the first place.

The only question left to ask is not whether we will follow a tradition about Christmas, but whose traditions will we follow?

Will it be those traditions of the modern gentile church,

or those of the first century disciples?

Guess Whose B'day Was NOT December 25

Whose birthday was NOT December 25?

First let me give you a list of the false sun g-ds whose birthdays were on December 25th.

1. Crishna (Vishnu),
2. Osiris,
3. Horus,
4. Hercules,
5. Dionysys (Bacchus),
6. Indra,
7. Buddha,
8. Tammuz,
9. Ra,
10. Zeus,
11. Mithra,
    

Remember, Yahweh is the true and living Elohim (G-d).

He is not like the false g-ds. He is not just another deity on an historian's list of ancient beliefs.


He does not want to be treated like the false g-ds.

Deu 12:2 - 4 "You shall completely destroy all the places in which the nations which you shall possess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.

And you shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and burn their pillars with fire.

And you shall cut down the carved images of their g-ds, and destroy their names out of that place.

You shall not do so to Yahweh your Elohim (G-d)."

He does not want us to even mention the names of these false deities.


Exodus 23:13b "And make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth."

Now, can we honestly say the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth who gave His Son for our salvation was nothing but a copy cat of these false deities?

Can we say we honestly believe our Creator would allow His precious Son to be born on a day so completley given over to pagan sun worship?

Or, do we say that the date doesn't matter?

If it doesn't matter, then what Scriptural reason can be found to justify holding an event on the one day of the year totally identified with false sun worship?

Some say it doesn't matter because we no longer associate December 25 with sun worship and false g-ds.

An argument by ignorance. Because we are ill-informed that makes it OK.

Well, we are no longer ill-informed, are we?

Or are we saying Yahweh forgot for a moment in history what day December 25 represents?

Besides, dates do matter.

Just because the entire world of confessing believers neglects the Creators calendar in favor of a pagan one doesn't make it right.

Determining righteousness is not done by majority vote.

Why bring all this up in October?

Do you have your nativity scenes up now? You should.

I'll tell you why next time.

Yom Kippur? What's that?

Yom Kippur? What's that?

Oh, not much...just the granddaddy of all Sabbaths, that's all.

A prophetic shadow picture of the coming Day of Atonement, also know as the Day of Judgment.

Yom Kippur passed a few days ago. It's one of Yahweh's (G-d's) appointed times on His calendar. He says that anyone who ignores it should be cut off from His people.

Yahweh calls it a holy convocation - as are all of His feasts.

The point to grasp is that the Hebrew word for convocation is pronounced mikraw. It means a rehearsal.

The Feasts of Yahweh are rehearsals for things to come. Which just points to one of the reasons it's poor theology to say these rehearsals have been done away. Rehearsals continue until opening night.

So, if you are not practicing the rehearsals, you can't fully understand what's happening when the curtain rises on the real Day of Atonement - an event we should see soon.

Here's my confession: I don't like Yom Kippur rehearsals.

It's a fast day which makes it a really lousy day for me. By the time it's over, I'm feeling rough, miserable and cranky.

But, of course, I believe that's the benefit of it. Because it's a rough, lousy day, it makes me face the reality of the Day of Atonement in a more concrete and up-close kind of way.

It's so easy to "believe" in certain theological concepts and still remain aloof from them. For instance, we can talk about being sinners, but deep down inside we all think we're really not so bad. It's all those other people who have sin problems - not us.

Am I not right?

When you practice the rehearsal of Yom Kippur, your discomfort gives you a hint of what the final Yom Kippur will be like.

The real Day of Judgment will be both a wonderful and a horrible day.

Wonderful for those written in the Book of Life.

Horrible for the hundreds of millions who are not.

The days of Noah are a shadow picture Yom Kippur as well.

For 120 years Noah and his sons prepared the Ark. The building process itself presented a huge opportunity to witness to the peoples. But none listened.

One day, Yahweh told Noah to get inside. Yahweh Himself then closed and sealed the door.
The time for repentance was over.

For Noah and his family it was a wonderful day because they were safe as the rains and the floods came. At the same time, it was a horrible day for those outside.

As the waters rose higher, you can imagine how the people must have screamed, wailed, and begged to be let in the Ark.

For days Noah's family heard all the pleas from the friends they left behind. They heard a scary new sound as rain pounded the ground for the first time in history. They felt the boat shake as it began to ride the waves.

No doubt they were stunned into silence as they witnessed Yahweh's awesome judgment.

On Yom Kippur we can begin to get an ephemeral taste of the frightening fate awaiting those not written in the Book of Life.

This should drive us to be all the more grateful for our salvation (our Ark) through the Messiah Yahshua (Jesus) and to renew our committment to living a life pleasing to Him.

Likewise, the thought of so many people lost for an eternity should compel us to be more fervent in our efforts to reach those who don't know the Saviour.

Actually, reading about the Day of Judgment in the Book of the Revelation is how I got saved. I was stunned as I saw the fate of those who were not His people.

I guess the question now to ask is, "What kind of day will the holy convocation of Yom Kippur be for you?"

As in the days of Noah, will it be simply another day of chasing after success in this lost world, or will you be among those whose hearts are prepared and ready to go?

The rehearsal of Yom Kippur is good for us - whether you and I like it or not.

After all, Father knows best.