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alone, nor saines, celebrare rheir birrh–
days ." ("Chrisrmas," 1908 edirion,
Vol. 3,
p.
724.)
In What Season
Was Cbrist Born?
Even rhough rhere are no records
which show rhe date of Chrisr's birch,
rhere is sufficien t evidence wi rhin rhe
Bible itself which clearly reveals that
His birrh was nowhere near, of all
days, December 25.
Firsr, ro show chis, ler us consider
che rime of Chrisr's ministry, which
we find revealed in che Bible.
Daniel 9:27 shows rhac Christ
would preach rhe Gospel for three
and one-half years (one half of a
prophetic week). Jusr as a natural
week has seven days, a
prophetic
week
has seven propheric days wherein each
day equals one year. (See Numbers
14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6.) Daniel, rhen,
is speaking about a seven-year period.
In che midsr of thar period, rhar is, at
che end of three and one-balf years
(or rhree and one-half propheric
days), Cbrisr's earrhly minisrry would
come
ro
an end.
Whar does chis show? Very much!
Chrisr's minisrry carne
co
an end ar
Passover rime in A.D. 31. (For proof,
wrire for our free booklet,
The Cruci–
Jixion Was Not on Friday.)
Then
3
!n
yea rs preceding che spring of A.D. 31
would put che commencement of His
minisrry in che early
autumn
of A.D.
27.
But whar does chis prove? Lec us
see.
The Gospel furcher rells us rhar
Chrisr began His minisrry jusr as He
was approaching 30 years of age
(Luke 3:23). This was che age
required by rhe Old Testamenr ro
which priests musr actain before rhey
could be installed as official minisrers
and preachers (Num. 4:3). The Jews
also considered thar 30 years of age
was che age of maruriry and real .man–
hood.
Notice whar chis indicarion shows.
Since Chrisr was jusr abouc 30 years
old when He began His minisrry in
early
autumn,
A.D. 27, rhis clearly
16
shows He was born somerime
in
the
early autumn
of 4 B.C. - 30 ycars
before!
Autumn rhe Only Possible
Season
There are many proofs which poinr
ro
an early aurumn birch of Chrisr.
For example, if Chrisr had been boro
in any of che seasons preceding
aurumn 4 B.C. (thac is, spring or
summer of 4 B.C.), He would have
been pasr 30 ar rhe commencemem of
His minisrry. Buc che scriprure says
He was about or approaching 30.
Also, lec us consider che season
immediarely
after
aucumn
4
B.C. -
che winrer. If He had been born in
che winrer of 4-3 B.C., rhen He
could, of course, have been under 30
wben He began preaching (as che
Gospel says). Bur chis season is out of
che quesrion. Here is why: We have
che plain resrimony of rhe Scriptures
rhar che flocks were srill
in the Jields
ar
che rime of Chrisr's birrh (Luke 2:8).
The flocks were never in rhe fields in
Palestine during rhe wimer season.
They were kept inside barns or in
protecred places during che months
from mid-Ocrober
ro
mid-March.
(See
Ciarke's Commmtary
on Luke
2:8.) The late aurumn and winrer
seasons of Palesrine were roo severe
for che flocks ro remain in che open
and unprorecred from che rain, wind
and frost. Norice Marrhew 24:20 for a
reference ro Palesrinian winrers.
These faces alone prove rhar early
aurumn 4 B.C. is che only conceivable
period in which Christ could have
been born!
~ore
Proo(
1Lhe
Temple Ritual
In the New Tesramenr we have
anorher imporranr chronological fea–
cure which will show che season of
Christ's birrh. Ir concerns che rime
periods in which rhe Levítica! priesr–
hood served in rhe Temple. By com–
paring rhese prescribed rimes wirh
cerrain New Tesramenr references, we
can arrive ar che very season for che
birrh of Chrisr.
In che days of Chrisc, rhe Aaronic
priesrhood, which offered che sacri–
fices in che Temple ar Jerusalem, was
divided inro 24 separare divisions.
Each division (called a
corme)
had one
chief priesr who was chosen by lor ro
represenr che whole division in che
Temple for a wcek's period. This
chief priesc was ro offer che eveni ng
and morning sacrifices and rhe
incense offerings.
The priesrhood had been divided
inro 24 courses by David.
In
his rime
there were so many priesrs rhat all
could nor possibly serve in che Sanc–
tuary at the same time. So David
divided rhem into 24 courses and
gave inscrucrions rhac one course
should serve in the Sancruary for one
week, rhen rhe next course could
serve che following week, etc. These
24 courses of the priesthood are
described in
1
Chronicles 24. The
names of che individual courses are
given from verse 7 rhrough 19.
We
are furrher rold by Jewish
records thar each of rhese courses
began serving at noon on a Sabbath
and conrinued rheir service unril
noon the nexc Sabbath - a one-week
period
(Talmud, Sukkah,
55b, fooc–
nore 5, p. 270). The Jewish historian,
Josephus, who lived during rhe rime
of che Aposde Paul and was himself a
priest belonging
co
che first of che 24
courses
(Josephus' Lije,
1), also celis us
that each one of rhese courses scrved
for one week, from Sabbarh ro Sab–
bath
(Antiquities,
vii, 14,
7).
The
Jewish rccords again rell us
char the courses also served biannuaJJy
- rwice in rhc year. That is, che firsc
course would begin serving in che
spring of the year, on che first week of
che sacred ycar.
The
second course
would serve rhe second week, ere.
This
went on until che rwenry-fourch
course had served. Then, in rhe
autumn of che year, ar che firsr week
of che civil year, the first course
would commence again, and all of
che courses would repear rhe order.
Tbus, on each of che 48 weeks during
rhe year, one particular course of rhe
priescs served in che Temple.
PLAIN TRUTH September-October 1972