THE DATE OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Apostle Dr. Gabriel Sanchez Velazqauez and his wife Esther

THE LORD JESUS WAS SIX MONTHS YOUNGER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST

Since in the New Testament we can calculate the date of the birth of John the Baptist, and we know that the Lord Jesus was six months younger than John we can then, therefore, know by this information the time of year in which the Savior would have been born.

Let’s see: The priests of Israel since the time of David had been organized to serve in the Temple of Jerusalem, distributed into 24 groups that the Bible called 24 lots because those priestly groups were ordered by a system of choosing lots.

In I Chronicles 24:7-17 we find the list of such divisions of work according to their father’s house: 1) Jehoiarib, 2) Jedaiah, 3) Harim, 4) Seorim, 5) Malchijah, 6) Mijamin, 7) Hakkoz, 8) Abijah, 9) Jeshua, 10) Shecaniah, 11) Eliashib, 12) Jakim, 13) Huppah, 14) Jeshebeab, 15) Bilgah, 16) Immer, 17) Hezir, 18) Happizzez, 19) Pethahiah, 20) Jehezekel, 21) Jachin, 22) Gamul, 23) Delaiah, and 24) Maaziah.

In this manner, each priestly division served two times each year for a week, and all the priests served in one group together during three weeks of the year, that is during the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of the Tabernacles.

These divisions of priestly work started to count at the beginning of the month of Nisan. Therefore, for Zacharias the father of John the Baptist, who was of the lot of Abijah, that is the eighth division, his turn to serve with his group for the first time in the Jewish religious year was in the week between the month of Iyar 27 and the month of Sivan 5, which on our calendar falls between the 1st and 7th of June. Luke 1:5 says: “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”  The next week, between the 8th and 15th of June, he also stayed in the temple because it was the Feast of Pentecost. Luke 1:23 says: “So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.”

We remember that Elizabeth was sterile, but when Zacharias was in the Temple, when he entered to offer incense in the evening, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and announced that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a boy, and that he would remain mute until the day of the birth of his son which he was to name John. The story is narrated in Luke 1:24: "Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself for five months..."

In such manner John the Baptist was born in the middle of the month of March, nine months after the 15th of June when Zacharias returned from Jerusalem to his house.

The Nativity Church 

And now the biblical date that is fundamental for us in this book, that is the date of the birth of the Lord Jesus.

The Word says in Luke 1:26-38 that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that by a work of the Holy Spirit, she would conceive a son which would be named JESUS.  But in Luke 1:36 it clearly says: "NOW INDEED, ELIZABETH YOUR RELATIVE HAS ALSO CONCEIVED A SON IN HER OLD AGE; AND THIS IS NOW THE SIXTH MONTH FOR HER WHO WAS CALLED BARREN."

According to these biblical dates the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary around the middle of the month of December, when Elizabeth already was six months pregnant, and from this date nine months should be counted until the birth of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus should have been born in the latter part of September.

Therefore, why is it said that Jesus was born on the 25th of December? Whose interest is it to propagate this lie year after year? And why will you and I, only to respect the force of tradition, continue to support this lie?

JESUS DIED IN THE SPRING

The Lord Jesus died on the eve of Passover.  The Passover is celebrated the 14th of the month of Nisan. In 2003, for example, this feast was from the 17th to the 24th of April.

The Gospel of John 18:39 says that Pilate alluded to the Passover feast in the trial of the Lord Jesus. Literally we read: "But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"

Very well. We take into account that Jesus began his ministry when he was 30 years old. The Gospel of Luke 3:23 says: "Jesus Himself began His ministry at about 30 years old", and it has been supported in general terms that his ministry lasted three and a half years. Some Bible scholars make this assertion according to Daniel 9:27 that says:  "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering".

Jesus could have started his ministry at the age of 12 years old, for at this age he already knew more than the members of the Sanhedrin, but the law established that a priest could not pursue his ministry before turning thirty years old. Numbers 4:3 says: "from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old..." If Jesus started his ministry at 30 years of age and died in April (on the eve of Passover), then Jesus started his ministry at the end of September or the beginning of October. And 30 years before, when he was born, it was also the end of September or the beginning of October, that is fall, not winter.

DO YOU DESIRE TO REMAIN IN THE LIE?

The first time I encountered some Christians who did not celebrate Christmas, but in those days they went on vacation, I wrongly judged them. I thought that they were not spiritual, that they lacked much in order to be true Christians.

But...after what we have seen in this chapter do you want to continue celebrating a false date? Many would ask, then why does half of humanity celebrate the 25th of December as if it were the date of the birth of Christ?

The answer must be traced back through the pages of history since before and during the period of Christianity. Let's see:

          

The shepherds in Israel are never in the fields during the winter

      -The first Christmas that is mentioned in history was the one celebrated by Semiramis, mother of Tammuz. We will talk about this                 in the next chapter.

                -At the coming of the dispersion that God did with mankind right         after the construction of the Tower of Babel, all the men left for          different directions carrying the religious image of the "goddess-           mother" with her son Tammuz in her arms.

                -So, all the ancient religions celebrated the nativity (this means birth)   of the pagan god Tammuz on the 25th of December.

                -The most important ancient cultures give testimony that Christmas    was the 25th of December, the most important religious holiday of the      year.

                - As proof, we note the following cases: For some on the 25th of           December Osiris was born, for others Horus, for others Hercules, and       for others Bacchus, for others Adonis, for others Jupiter, for the            Romans, Saturn. That is why Christmas in Rome is also known as      Saturnalia.

                -Surprising. The ancient peoples dressed up and celebrated the              nativity of the Babylonian god Tammuz, in its different names.

                -If Jesus Christ had not been born, all the peoples would now be           celebrating Christmas anyway.

In this way we understand that Christmas is a PAGAN HOLIDAY AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH JESUS CHRIST.