Timing The Birth of Jesus; PART 2 OF 4

    Seeking to glorify Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) who came into the world to save mankind, we seek out Zacharias's "Course of Abia", given in Luke 1:5, as being the key to the timing of John's birth, and therefore that of Jesus' birth, six months later (in that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant at the time of Yeshua's miraculous conception).

    The Course of Abia in which Zacharias served is a period of service assigned to the temple priest, as we find out in 1st Chronicles 24:7-18. There were twenty-four periods of service (covering the year), two weeks to each, two Courses per month. Abia, (or Abijah) is the 8th course of the twenty-four; that would begin in the fourth month of the year.

1st Chronicles 24:10 & 19 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, 19 These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

• 1st Month ............ Course 1 & 2
• 2nd Month .......... Course 3 & 4
• 3rd Month ........... Course 5 & 6
• 4th Month ........... Course 7 & 8

    The Course of Abia would conclude in the fourth month of the year, and according to the Luke chapter 1 narrative, immediately after the conclusion of this course, Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist by Zacharias, her husband. Six Months later (Luke 1:36), when Gabriel visited Mary and she also became pregnant with the Lord Jesus Christ, would have been the 10th month of the Jewish calendar. Nine months after that would be the season of Christ's birth, which would have fallen in the 7th month of the Jewish Calendar year (based on the Hebrew 12 month calendar). Here is a layout of the Jewish Calendar compared with our Gregorian Calendar.

    So then the 7th month of the Jewish Calendar translates to our tenth month October. This year, 2002, this would have occurred immediately after the Sukkot Feast of Tabernacles of the Fall feast days, clearly removed from the winter months. Some years this staggers back earlier, but I don't believe it ever falls, later.

    So then the time that Messiah Jesus was born into the world was in the vicinity of the Fall Feast days. While my last thought is admittedly speculation, it could have very well been that Messiah's birth fell during the Feast of Tabernacles in the year he was born, in perfect sequence with the theme of God dwelling with man.

    This is the true season of Christ's birth. Glory to His name.

Shalom,
Michael


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