Christ's Birth

*The Birth of Christ - key facts

Jesus came to fulfil the law which includes the Jewish Feasts:
*Spring Feasts: Passover and Firstfruits (14th, 16th Nisan, their first month).
- Fulfilled in His Death and Resurrection (April 1st, 3rd 33AD).
*Autumn Feasts: Trumpets and Tabernacles (1st and 15th Tishri, their 7th month).

The 2 Hebrew words for the Feasts: (1) Moedim and (2) Miqra (Holy Convocations) mean (1) Appointed Times and (2) Holy Gatherings or Rehearsals.   Thus the Feasts are gatherings of Israel at appointed times to prophetically rehearse events to be fulfilled by Christ at God’s Appointed Time.   This shows God is working exactly according to His Calendar which He has revealed to Israel through the Feasts. We should therefore expect the fulfilments in Christ to take place on their relevant Feast Days (as with Christ’s Death and Resurrection).  God’s Feast Fulfilments in Christ demonstrate His Sovereign Power in accomplishing our salvation in His perfect timing, proving clearly that Jesus is our true Saviour.

*Jesus’ Birth was a fulfilment of the Feast of Tabernacles: 
“the Word (Jesus) became flesh (His conception) and dwelt (literally: TABERNACLED, pitched His tent) among us (His Birth), and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14).

*Therefore Jesus was born on the first day of Tabernacles, 33.5 years before Passover AD 33 (since He was 30 when baptised and His ministry lasted 3.5 years -from John’s Gospel).
*Based on Israel’s luni-solar calendar this day would have been October 12th 2BC.
*Therefore October 11/12th is the birthday of Christ according to the solar calendar.

*We would expect a Divine announcement of His impending birth at Trumpets that year.  At the opening of Trumpets, 6pm 27th September 2BC, there was a sign in the heavens, a rare astronomical alignment described in Revelation 12 in connection with the birth of Christ:

“Now a great SIGN appeared in heaven (the stars): a woman (VIRGO) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of 12 stars. v2 Then being with child, she cried out in labour and in pain about to give birth..v5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.”  

See www.stellarium.org to confirm that at sunset, the opening of Trumpets 2BC, Virgo appeared clothed with the setting sun (the sun was in Virgo) and the moon was under her feet!

*Jesus was baptised on His 30th solar Birthday, October 11th AD 29 (for the start of the true solar year, the vernal equinox had slipped back by one day on our Calendar since 2BC):  “it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.  Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about 30 years of age (literally: “Now Jesus began to be about 30 years old”) (Luke 3:21-23).  Amazingly this day was also the 15th Tishri- the Feast of Tabernacles (it was also His 30th Birthday on the Jewish luni-solar calendar).

*The Dedication of Solomon’s Temple as the dwelling place of God when it was filled with His Glory on the Feast of Tabernacles (1Kings 8, 2Chronicles 5) was prophetic of the Birth and Baptism of Jesus (the true Temple of God) when the Spirit (glory) of God came upon Him.

*The 4 years of special grace to Israel described by Jesus in Luke 13:6-9 start with His Baptism on October 11th AD 29 and so end on October 10th AD 33 - when Israel was cut off (Acts 7). 

*Putting it all together:  Jesus was born at 15th Tishri (Tabernacles, 15/7) 2BC (October 12th) and was baptised on His 30th birthday (Tabernacles 29AD) when His ministry started.  Thus on the Jewish calendar His earthly ministry was from 15/7/29 to 14/1/33 (the day of His death at Passover).   This means the time from His Birth to the start of His Ministry was exactly 30 years, to the day, and His ministry (from His Baptism to His death) was exactly 3.5 years, to the day!  Thus His total earthly lifetime was exactly 33.5 years!   So we see His perfection, even in the timing of His Birth, Baptism, Ministry, Death and Resurrection, for He came in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4) to fulfil all the prophecies and Feasts exactly on time (according to God’s preordained perfect timing)!