Easter Sunday and Christmas

EASTER SUNDAY AND CHRISTMAS

ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE

November 12, 2013

The Scripture does not support the idea that JESUS was born on December the twenty-fifth.

In pursuit of the truth, let’s commence where GOD ordained JESUS CHRIST as High Priest.

The Law had said that the qualifications for becoming High Priest: 

·        the man had to be no less than thirty but no more than fifty years old
·        a Levite
·        a part of Aaron’s lineage.  

Luke said that at the time of His Baptizing: “Jesus began to be about thirty years of age,” Luke 3:23

Yea, He was not of the tribe of Levi neither was He of the lineage of Aaron, He was of the tribe of Judah. Although, Mary, His mother, was the cousin of Elisabeth, who was married to Zacharias that was a priest.  So, thru marriage, Jesus had a connection to the priest hood.   Not a problem for GOD: Isaiah said, on behalf of His pedigree:  “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:”   Isaiah 53:2a; Luke 1:5-36. 

GOD ordained Him as High Priest at the time of His Baptismal service.

Luke wrote; “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee, I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22   

As High Priest, that enabled Him to take on the task of defeating the Devil and to succor His redeemed. After He defeated the Devil and Satan, He was crucified; Ah but, on the third day GOD raised Him from the dead. That day was the day of all days, and because GOD made it happen on Sunday, it is called Easter Sunday.  

On the Hebrew calendar, the date is not moveable but on the Gregorian calendar Easter is a moveable feast, which means that it does not occur on the same date every year.   

How is the date of Easter calculated? Here's the Formula for Determining the Date of Easter. In A.D. 325, the Council of Nicaea set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.   In practice, that means that Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after March 21. Easter can occur as early as March 22 and as late as April 25, depending on when the paschal full moon occurs.

The date of the birth of JESUS is even more evasive than Easter Sunday, for GOD didn’t intend for His people to single out a peculiar day to celebrate the birth of His SON but its plain enough to see that it was not December the twenty-fifth. We may not know the exact day but we can get within a couple of weeks.

The things that we know using God's calendar and Holy Feasts:

·        That Jesus was crucified at the Passover, the first month and 14^th day.
·        That Jesus’ ministry was three and a half years long.
·        That Jesus was 30 years old when He began His ministry at His baptism.
·        That from the start of Jesus’ ministry until the stoning of Stephen was 7
years. (3 ½ plus 3 ½ equals 7)

Now, let’s use these things that we know, and start at the time that Jesus was crucified. Then we will work backwards, paying close attention to the Feasts of God.   

Jesus started His ministry on or near the “Feast of Trumpets.” Then, exactly 30 years earlier, Jesus was born. The birth of Jesus Christ was on or near the “Feast of the Trumpets,” 5 BC, 7th month and 1st day. The seventh month was called Tishri and on the Gregorian calendar was from September 6 thru October 2.   Today it is known as Rosh HaShana.

Clear as mud, right?  

Providing other Biblical scholars and I are correct, then Jesus was born sometime between September 6 and October 2, in the month of Tishri.

Yet, another event that warrants our attention is where Luke wrote: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”  Luke 2:8  Locals say shepherds during this time would have taken shelter during the December nights.

At any rate, that statement is biblical and plays a part in determining the season of His birth.   I’m not condemning those who celebrate Christmas on December twenty-fifth.

My family has always observed December the twenty-fifth to honor the birth of Bethlehem’s Babe, for their celebration was always to honor Him.

Allow me to repeat myself:

I believe  the “thousand two hundred and three score days found in Revelation 11:2 and Revelation 13:5 and the forty-two months located in Revelation 11:2 and Revelation 13:5 is what John calculated to be the total time of our Savior’s ministry  from His Baptismal service to His resurrection.

John was there, you know?

May the GOD of Heaven be blessed by our study of His word!

Amen! 

Now that we have established when Jesus was born, His baptism, His crucifixion and resurrection. Lets continue looking at what the prophet Daniel said about the 70th week and it's relationship with Jesus and His Church.

 

MESSIAH SHALL CONFIRM THE COVENANT WITH MANY FOR ONE WEEK

September 5, 2013

Let me begin by saying that our title is so entwined with the SEVENTY WEEK doctrine,  that I say, if there is any discrepancy it is on my part.

Daniel began this study where the man Gabriel said to Daniel: “Messiah shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”  Daniel 9:27

Understanding this doctrine makes it possible to understand the following doctrines.  Here I have listed some:

·        The week in this prophecy was a week of years, meaning (7) years.
·        MESSIAH shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week
·        Know this unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: Christmas and Easter.
·        In that he himself hath suffered being tempted; he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Now the doctrine that is recorded in this document is essential for understanding Biblical doctrine that is dependent on the Biblical dates for most if not all are reconciled with the calendar date that began when JESUS was Baptized and His Sacrificial Death on the Cross.

Now to get on with our study where Gabriel appeared to Daniel and said: “Messiah shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.”

Daniel 9:27   That meant in the midst of the Covenant Messiah would be cut off through death by Crucifixion. 

The COVENANT of one week, or seven years, was valid from the day that Jesus the  Messiah was anointed at His baptism.   Matthew said:  “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17

The Covenant began at that instant and continued it’s validation for the next (7) seven years.

You know what?    When all is said and done the Covenant was about keeping His Disciples safe from the vicious hands of those that sought to kill them, that will be more apparent before we are done with this study.

Yea, JESUS assured His Disciples of their safety, when He dispatched them, He assured them: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19

Therefore, He kept them safe from those whom He addressed as: “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” Matthew 23:33

Yea, He kept them safe for the first half of the Covenant.

Many are those that suggest that at the Death of JESUS the Heavenly clock was either paused or brought to a halt at the death of JESUS to be restarted at what they call the beginning of  the great tribulation.“  

But not so and here’s why:  On the night of all nights, and in His prayer of all prayers JESUS assured the Holy FATHER: “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”  John 17:12

And He pled with FATHER GOD, with these words: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” John 17:11   And He kept them safe for the last half of the seven year covenant of one week. 

Yea, the Covenant JESUS made with His Elect was all about their safe keeping from the old serpent and his seed.   The Heavenly clock continued to click.   He kept them safe for three and half more years, even until the WORD OF GOD had been preached at Samaria.  Acts 8:14

Ah, but after the Samaritans had received the WORD, seven years had come and gone according to the secular Calendar, that had measured out seven years and therefore the Covenant came to an end.

Yea, the seven year Covenant that had been an umbrella of safety for the disciples had ended.    Then we saw their murderous hands at work, after the death of Stephen the Jews killed James.    And henceforth the disciples suffered many afflictions at the hands of the Jews.

May the GOD of the universe be blessed forever. 

Amen!