When Was Jesus Christ Born

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was born near the end of Herod's reign which would place his birth at 6-4 BCE. Luke tells us that Jesus was born around the time the Roman governor Quirinus took a census in Judea. That would place his birth at 6-7 CE, ten years from the end of Herod's death. Mark and John say nothing. As explained in the nativity legends, neither gospel has the qualities of real history.

We might wonder what Matthew and Luke imply when it was known at the time of Jesus' birth that he would be a savior. The answer is bound up in astrology, based on his place of birth and the alignment of the stars at his time of birth. Matthew does it by imputing the wise men (magi=astrologer), and Luke suggests shepherds were visited by an angel (angel=angle). (See Bible Astrology)

For reasons explained here, I am not sympathetic to the idea that Jesus was a real person. The date of his annual birth can be found in the stars because he was a mythologized sun hero. (See Gospel Zodiac) This page explains the astrological significance of December 25th and the age which marked the year of his original birth. The date of his original birth can be affixed at December 25, 7 BCE.

The clue to the timing of Jesus' first birth has to do with his association with fish. In what astrologers call a Great Year spanning 25920 years; it is divided into twelve Ages according to the constellations of the Zodiac, lasting 2160 years each. Because earth rotates with a wobble called precession, it does not return to the exact point of departure from the previous year. When the sun is at its highest position during the spring equinox, the constellation in its background determines the Age it is in. (For more detail, see Bible Astrology)

Technically, the Age of Jesus began when the sun entered Pisces on the spring equinox. At the beginning of spring for the last two thousand years, the sun appears to be drifting across the stars of Pisces with each passing year. Because this creeping process is so slow, it is not easy to make an exact determination when an Age begins and ends. But the timing of the beginning of the Age of Pisces fits nicely with the Bible's depiction of Jesus being born about 4-6 years before the beginning of the first century.

The Age of Jesus

On May 27, 7 BCE, shining as a beacon in the Western sky, a conjunction occurred among Jupiter (traditional king of the gods) and Saturn (ruling planet of Judah) in the constellation of Pisces the Fish (the House of the Hebrews). For a few days the two planets appear as if to be nearly touching. There was a second conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn on October 6 and a third Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on December 1.

Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions occur about every twenty years. Triple Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions occur about every 139 years. And triple Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions occur in Pisces roughly once every 900 years. Jupiter is the fourth brightest planet after the Sun, Moon and Venus.

Figure 1. The Age of Jesus began with three Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions in Pisces.

Figure 2. Since then, the sun has been creeping across Pisces every spring for the last 2,000 years.

About 2012 the sun will enter the Age of Aquarius. Then it can be said that the Age of Jesus has past.

"I am with you always to the end of the age." (Matt. 28:20).

Divine conception

The next question is when was the Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit? By affixing the timing of Jesus' birth at December 25, she would have to have been conceived nine months earlier. That would be when the sun crosses the spring equinox on March 21.

By looking at the midnight sky at that time we see the constellation Virgo descending upside down as if she is in the missionary position. Allegorically, the sun has conquered the forces of evil because it is when daylight hours exceed nighttime hours. In the spring she is free of sin because it is the only season of the year when the sun has overpowered the retreating dark forces. Thus there is peace on earth.

Figure 3. The virgin being descended upon by the Holy Spirit on March 21.

The Nativity

Some sources say that this triple conjunction looks like a single bright star and depicts the wise men and the star of Bethlehem. No so! For a better fit we need three stars to represent the three gifts symbolizing the wise men. We also need an unusually bright star for the star of Bethlehem, and we need a yearly event that coincides with the sun's rising on December 25.

The candidate for the three wise men can be found in the constellation of Orion the hunter. It has three stars at its belt that align with Sirius. What makes Sirius the prime candidate for the star of Bethlehem is that it is the brightest star in the sky next to the sun.

At four o'clock in the evening, on December 25, Sirius rises above the horizon in Jerusalem. This was the first such event in the Age of Pisces. The three stars on the belt of Orion point down towards Sirius, the star of Bethlehem. Orion is not a trivial constellation; it plays the part of the Son of Man in the Gospels.

The significance of Bethlehem is another play on words. In Hebrew, "Bethlehem" means house of bread. As the picture of Virgo shows in the picture above, Virgo is holding stalks of grain. It symbolizes Mary in the house of bread. The name of "Mary" is etymologically related to water, the element of birth.

²The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. (Gen. 1:2)

Figure 4. The three wise following the Star of Bethlehem

In conclusion, the original date of Jesus' birth occurred on December 25, 7 BCE. The entry of the sun into the Age of Pisces was a one time event. Jesus' death and resurrection plays out each year with the sun's course through the four seasons.

An excellent explanation about the origins of the constellations can be found in Ancient Egypt. To the ancient Egyptians, Orion was their god Osiris. In the Gospels, Orion is the Son of man. To the Egyptians, Sirius was their most sacred star. Its brightness combined with its rising at the time of the spring equinox, marked off each new year.

Related links

For when Jesus was born: Star of Bethlehem

The gospel characters can be seen in the Garden Tour

Jesus' yearly sun cycle: Gospel Zodiac

Jesus Nativity Legends explains the lack of historicity of the gospels

Jesus Christ Sun of God by David Fideler

Link A view of Venus and Jupiter forming a triangle with the moon gives a sense of what ancients saw.

Cuadro: Alejandría, la Jerusalem egipcia

Anteriormente a los romanos, 300 años antes del nacimiento de Jesús, Alejandro Magno murió sin descendencia, por lo que su imperio se dividió entre sus generales, siendo Ptolomeo el que quedó a cargo del país de las pirámides. Con ello se creó un sincretismo entre los antiguos dioses egipcios y los helénicos. Toth pasó a ser Hermes, y su famoso libro dio origen a la famosa Tabla Esmeralda, e Imhotep, dios de la medicina, fue asimilado con Asclepios. Surgieron nuevos dioses como el adorado Serapis, dios artificial creado a partir del dios egipcio Asar-Hapis (Osiris-Apis), que pasó a ser el esposo de Isis, cuyo culto se desarrolló por todo el Mediterráneo. La adoración a Isis llevó consigo la celebración del nacimiento de Horus, conocido como Harpócrates por los griegos e identificado on ÇApolo y el Sol Invictus por los romanos.

San Marcos

Tras la muerte de Cleopatra (30 a.C.), quien fue una alta sacerdotisa de Isis, Egipto se convirtió en una provincia romana. Alejandría, capital cultural de Egipto, reunía una gran cantidad de filósofos griegos, romanos y judíos escapados de Judea, que fueron desarrollando un culto común en la creencia de que la inmortalidad se conseguía gracias a la iniciación de un “Hijo de Dios muerto y resucitado”, en donde la muerte y el renacimiento era simbolizado por el nacimiento de Horus. El Adonis fenicio, el Attis frigio, el Osiris Egipcio, el Serapis alejandrino todos ellos fueron hijos de dios. Los romanos habían importado de Egipto el culto de Mitra, “Hijo de Dios muerto y resucitado”, cuyo cumpleaños se celebraba el 25 de diciembre.

Con este escenario de creencias hace aparición en Alejandría el cristianismo. La fecha del nacimiento de Mitra fue adoptada por los primeros cristianos como fecha del nacimiento de Jesús, hecho asociado a la señal en el cielo que marcaba una estrella de oriente. Pese que el apóstol que evangelizó Egipto fue Marcos, padre de la iglesia copta, es el evangelio de Mateo el único que nos habla del viaje realizado por la Sagrada Familia a Egipto. Los expertos aseguran que dicho evangelio fue escrito en Alejandría entre los años 40 y 80 d.C. por personas que no podían mantenerse ausentes de los acontecimientos astronómicos que se celebraban desde los antiguos egipcios. Por aquellas fechas en la noche del 25 de diciembre se podía ver ascender por el horizonte las tres estrellas del cinturón de Orión, los tres “reyes” que antecedían la salida de la estrella de oriente, Sirio, que si antiguamente simbolizaba a Isis de la que nació Horus, se transformo en época cristiana en la Madona que daba luz al niño Jesús. Las tres estrellas se convirtieron en la tradición en los Reyes Magos de Oriente.

Por el efecto de la precesión de los equinoccios, la estrella Sirio permanece 72 días al año bajo el horizonte, por lo que no se puede ver. Después de este periodo la estrella vuelve a verse, momento en que se conmemoraba en el Antiguo Egipto el año nuevo. La simbología era la del nacimiento del Horus divino desde el vientre de su madre Isis, representada por dicha estrella. El acontecimiento astronómico varía 8,5 días cada 1000 años. Actualmente el orto helíaco de Sirio se produce el día 5 de agosto, mientras que época de Jesús el hecho se producía el 19 de julio. Es por ello por lo que cuando los romanos cambiaron su calendario lunar a otro solar, de la mano del astrónomo alejandrino Sosígenes, se nombró al mes de salida de la estrella de Sirio con el nombre de Julio César, en ese nuevo calendario “juliano” que no era otra cosa que la continuidad que tuvieron los egipcios durante 3300 años a la hora de medir el tiempo.

Fortaleza Babilonia, Iglesia

El misterio del nacimiento de Horus, nacido de la virgen Isis, tenía por tanto continuidad en la liturgia cristiana, ideas tradicionalmente aceptadas que favorecieron la expansión del cristianismo en tierras egipcias. Un concepto de muerte y resurrección que ha llegado hasta nuestros días ya que, por azares del destino o por causalidades misteriosas, en la pasada noche del 31 de diciembre del año 1.999, cuando todo el mundo se preparaba para la festividad de la entrada del tercer milenio, Sirio marcaba su culminación en el meridiano. Si el helicóptero hubiera colocado (cosa que al final no ocurrió) el piramidión dorado sobre la cúspide truncada de la Gran Pirámide, se podría haber visto mirando desde la cara norte del monumento a Sirio colocado sobre la cúspide, alineado correctamente con el canal sur de ventilación de la cámara de la Reina. Es seguro que muchas sociedades secretas, que muchos estudiosos de los cultos isíacos, considerasen ese momento como el que anunciara la segunda venida de Horus, o de Jesucristo.

Resulta curioso que el único de los discípulos que visitó Egipto fuese Marcos, cuando el único que en los evangelios habla de Egipto fuese Mateo. La tradición oculta esotérica, recogida en sectores de librepensadores, afirma que si por un lado Mateo configuraba las normas de la Iglesia Marcos ofrecía un cristianismo que fue acogido por las corrientes gnósticas.

Hasta el nacimiento del cristianismo todos los adeptos a las diferentes liturgias debían pasar por una iniciación más o menos extensa. El cristianismo rompió esa tradición ya que para pertenecer al grupo sólo se debía profesar la creencia como acto de fe. Fue entonces cuando se produjo la ruptura entre los que, como los antiguos egipcios, el conocimiento era el camino hacia la iluminación, y los que dejaban en manos de la incipiente Iglesia su “salvación”. Una diferenciación que, a lo largo del tiempo, se convirtió en verdaderas persecuciones de los poderosos contra los sectarios y produjo el oscurantismo religioso y científico cuyos flecos han llegado hasta nuestros días pese a los esfuerzos realizados durante el Renacimiento.

En Alejandría se gestó, o pudo gestarse el pensamiento que ha predominado los últimos dos milenios. Los sabios que moraban en sus casas tuvieron la capacidad de combinar el hábito por la meditación con el desarrollo de la cosa pública, algo que iba en contra de unos poderes a los que no interesaba que el pueblo tuviera un acceso a la divinidad distinto al que propocionaba sus arcas. Y cuando en marzo del año 415 los cristianos enardecidos por el patriarca de Alejandría asesinaron a Hipatia no sólo acabaron con la mujer más notable de la Antigüedad, sino que obligaron a los herederos de la filosofía griega, a los seguidores de Horus, a refugiar su culto a ojos profanos. En Belén nació Jesús, en Alejandría volvió a nacer, como lo había hecho varias veces a lo largo de los tiempos.

http://manueljosedelgado.wordpress.com/tag/jesus-en-egipto/

  "The Star of Bethlehem," as it has been known in tradition for centuries, has caused untold confusion with regards to the birth-date of Jesus Christ. Much of this confusion is due to the fact that the Magi actually presented their gifts to the child Jesus on this date, who was about 15 and one half months old by this time. This holiday via Roman Catholic tradition, related to the previous pagan holiday Saturnalia, which became recognized and celebrated as "Christ-mass," once Christianity became the official state religion of Rome, but those with any knowledge of this subject realize this was not Chist's birthday. The Sun standing still in Capricorn marks the lamb of God, found and honored in Bethlehem by the Magi. Upon leaving the massing of planets in August of 2 BC, Jupiter continued in its westerly retrograde motion observed intently by the Magi in their normal early morning observations. It entered Virgo in early December of 2 BC, where it took up a Meridian position during the union of Venus & Mars. Earnest Martin states:

"…This apparent westward motion of Jupiter each day could have indicated to the to proceed in the same westward direction toward Jerusalem.Magi" During their visit with Herod, the Magi were directed to Bethlehem by the input of the Judean Scribes." ¹

As Wierwille states;

  The Feast of Dedication in the reference above, memorialized the removal of idols and idolatry from the Temple during the period of the Maccabees. This is interesting when we realize that directly prior to making this statement in John  2:19 above, Jesus’ response to the religious leaders of Israel, who asked him for a sign, was cleansing the Temple from the corruption involved in the illicit sales of inferior quality sacrificial goods in the Temple’s courts. This cleansing of the Temple would have been necessary in the proper preparation and sanctification for the upcoming Passover feast. God’s providence never ceases to amaze us as we realize the perfect timing and orchestration of the heavenly bodies in this celestial showcase of signs surrounding the birth of Christ. Even more engaging is the Magi’s involvement, a group of Gentile astronomers, who alone identified and acted with believing on their discernment of these celestial announcements of Jesus’ birth. The history of the Magi both before and after the death of Zoroaster, marks two distinct groups or Magian sects, the first group more popularized, following the idolatrous teachings of Astrology, and "magic," rooted in Sun worship. The other group became acquainted with the updated teachings of the coming King of the Judeans under the tutelage of the prophet Daniel [Daniel 5:11], during the Babylonian captivity. Daniel built on the rich traditions of Zoroastrianism, setting the standard for revealing the spiritual significance of celestial phenomena according to the principles of the Astronomy of the Biblical Patriarchs. As Wierwille states:

"The truth regarding "his star" became accessible knowledge to the when the Persians took over the Babylonian Empire {Daniel 5:31}. As recorded in Daniel 6, at the time of the take-over, Daniel retained the high position he had held under Babylonian rule… MagiAccording to Daniel 6:3, Daniel was again set over the Magi, and therefore could fully instruct them in the accurate knowledge of Biblical prophecy written in the stars. Thus, the Judeans in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian, and Darius the Persian passed their knowledge of the spiritual significance of the Constellations to the Magi who preserved it and hence were aware of the promise of the birth of the Judean King." ³

  As Gentile astronomers in recognition of the promised seed, the were some of the first non-Judeans to realize the coming glory of the Son of God, as Isaiah 60:3 indicates: And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising., . Their realization also foreshadowed the mystery of the body of the Church of Grace revealed in Ephesians 3:6 where; the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. This was indicated by Jesus’ reference in John 2:19, and here by the Magi who sought out the promised seed in Bethlehem to pay respect to, or worship, the young King of the Judeans, who was the true Temple. God working with these Gentiles here, also speaks to the deep corruption of the Judean religious leaders in Jerusalem, seen also with their confrontation by both Jesus and John the Baptist. In a footnote of this same reference V.P. Wierwille states:Magi

"Since there was no prohibition of work for the Judeans, or a holy convocation, the Magi, though being Gentiles, were able to secure all the aid they required from the Judeans to find the child. The first day of the feast was on Kislev 25 of the Hebrew calendar, and continued for eight days. In the year 2 B.C., this was from December 22 to 29." ⁴[emphasis mine]

  Wierwille goes on to say that: "According to astronomical calculations, Jupiter was not visible crossing the Meridian, the "high point" over Bethlehem from September through November of 2 BC …However by December 4 of 2 BC, Jupiter became visible at the Meridian shortly before dawn…the eclipse that shortly preceded Herod’s death occurred on January 9, 1 BC. Thus it was sometime during this five week period from December 4th to January 9th that the journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and saw the star ofMagi Matt. 2:9."⁵ [emphasis mine]

Wierwille also points out in reference to "came and stood over" that:

   "Astronomically, stars and planets are similar to the sun in that they rise in the east and set in the west. Furthermore, a star or planet is like the sun in that it will reach a high point in the sky in relation to the observer. At this point it is on the Meridian (longitude) of the observer. During the day, the sun reaches this point at noon. Consider the stars and planets in their nightly courses. They rise in the east. At some time during the night each will reach its highest point in relation to the observer, the Meridian. If this occurs in the southern sky as one is travelling south, as with the travelling from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the star would appear to come and stand over one’s destination.Magi"⁶

  We should recall at this juncture Jupiter’s annual activities including its retrograde motion, which began according to Martin, on December 25 in 2 BC Martin states: "Jupiter arrived at its ordinary time for retrogression and it became stationary among the stars. But this time something unusual happened. In 2 BC as viewed from Jerusalem, Jupiter came to its normal stationary position directly over Bethlehem on December 25th…not only that, the planet assumed its stationary position while in the middle of the Constellation of Virgo, the Virgin." ⁷

  Thus, according to Martin, the same astronomical phenomena that initiated Jupiter’s three Conjunctions with Regulus, its annual retrogression, or retrograde motion would have caused Jupiter to stand still in the heavens for about six days near the intersection of the ecliptic and the Meridian mid-body in Virgo. This occurred in week of the celebration of the Feast of Dedication in December of 2 BC. Also recall the relationship between the cycles of the Sun and Jupiter, and that it was the Sun, mid-bodied in Virgo for the twenty-day period, from August 27th to September 15th, marking the birth of the promised seed. 

  Martin goes on to say that: "on December 25th, 2 BC at the ordinary time for the Magi’s pre-dawn observations, Jupiter would have been seen in Meridian position (directly over Bethlehem) at an elevation of 68 degrees above the southern horizon. This precise position would show the planet shining directly down on Bethlehem while it was stationary among the stars." ⁸

         These were important celestial indicators for the Magi, who would have seen the spiritual significance of "his star"—Jupiter, "clothing" Virgo during the month of December in 2 BC, directly over Bethlehem, indicating the birthplace of the King of Kings, who would inherit David’s throne. In this light, we can understand Balaam’s great prophecy in Numbers 24, as a reference to this. Num. 24:17
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh, there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.



"Star out of Jacob and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel"- Star = H3556 (kowkab) figuratively an illustrious Prince who is the star to rise out of Jacob, holding the scepter as ruler over Israel. We should take notice of the figure of speech polysyndetyn utilized in this verse regarding the "many ands" which emphasize each aspect of the verse appearing between the ands. This "star" was associated with the sceptre rising out of Israel, is a celestial reference to the sign of Leo the Lion with specific implications for it’s brightest luminary, Regulus the king star, the brightest star on the ecliptic also known as the "heart of the Lion." The King's sceptre is the symbol of his power over the heathens and those who oppose his purposes, by which he will rule over them with an unbending authority or "rod of iron," [Ps. 2, Rev. 19:15]. Regulus was known by the ancients as the only king star which is linked with this scepter. This fulfills Jacob’s prophesy, that one holding this scepter would arise out of Judah according to Genesis 49. Secondly, the regal authority of this star is established in the king planet-Jupiter, whose authority as we have just seen, was symbolized by Leo the Lion, of the tribe of Judah that provided the regal stock from which the kingly line of Israel arose, first in King David, and ultimately in Jesus Christ from the "root of David" [Rev. 5:5]. The triple planetary Conjunction of the king planet Jupiter, with the king star Regulus in Leo from 3-2 BC, thus aligns specifically with the prophecy of Genesis 49:8-10, which shows the maturation of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Balaam’s revelation here in Numbers 24:17 provides the Scriptural basis for the connection between the "star of Jacob" [Jupiter] and the "Sceptre," to the advent of Christ the King, who came forth out of Jacob’s genealogical line. Secondly, there is a celestial double meaning in the phrase: Star out of Jacob, with connotations for both the general and specific aspects of our Celestial Prelude. The complete details of the correlation between the triple Conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus in 3-2 BC and the record in Gen. 49, is available through our bookstore on the DVD "The Biblical of the Birth of Christ.Astronomy" This unique teaching provides the in-depth instruction on the celestial pagentry of the birth of Christ, along with the history of the Magi and numerous related Biblical Astronomy topics which space does not allow on the website.

   As we have shown, the ecliptic is structured so that each of the 12 primary signs of the zodiac of 30 degrees has three decans associated with them, of 10 degrees each. The first decan of Virgo was called Coma, which is depicted in the Dendera zodiac as a seated mother nourishing her infant son. Coma is the Hebrew name of this Constellation which means "the desired." The Egyptian name for this decan of Virgo was Shes-nu the desired son, [Hagg. 2:7]. It was in the head of this child, the desired of the nations, as Haggai prophesied him to be, that a supernova appeared over 100 years prior to the birth of Christ. E.W. Bullinger refers below, to the popular belief regarding this general sign that was prevalent in and before the first century BC:

"a traditional prophecy well known in the East, carefully preserved and handed down, that a new star would appear in this sign [Coma] when he whom it foretold, would be born." ⁹

   This tradition is was based on Balaam’s declaration in Numbers 24, meaning that Balaam’s prophecy holds additional import. First, The new star, or supernova in the head of the infant in Coma, visible for a total of over 250 years, was the general sign that prepared the Magi to be on watch for specific aspects of the second part of the Celestial Prelude, involving the series of celestial signs from 7-5 BC. These signs surrounding the triple planetary Conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in 7-6 BC would set the stage for the Magi's recognition of the triple planetary union of Jupiter-Regulus from 3-2 BC, that would mark the long prophesied birth of the promised seed. Here we see the third aspect of Balaam’s prophecy in relation to the scepter, symbolic of the reign of the king planet Jupiter. As we have seen in our study, Jupiter is the planet that the Magi referred to as "his Star" in Matt. 2:2.

  "there shall come a star out of Jacob"- In Numbers 24:17, when "Jacob" is referred to, it refers not only to the seed of Jacob, but also the land promised to him, in his covenant with God. Bullinger states in reference to this star in Numbers 24:17 that the word "come" is, come forth (as in the Revised Version). He translates " there shall come a Star out of Jacob," as: "There shall come forth a star at or over the inheritance or possessions of Jacob," thus indicating the locality which would be on the Meridian of this star."¹⁰ [emphasis mine]

  This "Star out of Jacob" would not only be unique due to its Messianic symbolism, of the Promised Seed, but also because of the terrestrial link of his birthplace-Bethlehem of Judea, in the Promised Land of Jacob’s inheritance. This holy land, especially the town of Bethlehem, was specifically marked out by his star-Jupiter, as God guided the Magi to the birthplace of both David and Christ. Rolleston has an notable remark regarding this:

 "The forewarned that the star must appear over Jacob, over his inheritance, would see that star in Coma passing over the center of that inheritance: but as it would also appear to pass vertically over every part of it that was nearly in the Latitude of Jerusalem, they could not at once fix on the spot of the Messiah’s birth, therefore they went to inquire; the Latitude, as it were, being given by the star, the longitude by the prophecy." Magi¹¹

  Rolleston’s quote reveals that she also fell victim to the confusion between the general and specific signs of the Celestial Prelude. It was not the new star in Coma that led the Magi to Bethlehem, which had been shining brightly for over 100 years, but the Scepter-Jupiter in Virgo stationary due to its retrograde motion during the winter Solstice that stood over Bethlehem, the inheritance of Jacob, that inspired the great joy of the Magi. It was the dual triple Conjunctions of Jupiter that identified the king planet as "His Star," and this was the same star that got them started on their caravan which led them to Jerusalem in August of 3 BC. Since Coma is the "L"-shaped decan of Virgo, pictured below, adjacent to it in the heavens, the Magi saw both the supernova in Coma, AND Jupiter in Virgo, simultaneously aligned on the Meridian in the same part of the skies over Bethlehem. We have depicted this graphically in the banner for this section of our web-site.



  Here we see the witness of the stars, and the Scriptures, working together to bring the Magi to the toddler Jesus, because their alert observation of "his star" brought them to Jerusalem and the scribes declaration from Micah 5:2, when Herod questioned them, sent the Magi south towards Bethlehem.
  Tracking again the historical references to the Coma supernova, Ignatius, one of the Church Fathers and the Bishop of Antioch, in about 69 AD, records that: "At the appearance of the Lord a star shone forth brighter than all other stars." If we are careful not to confuse this reference with the planet Jupiter, we can deduce that this supernova was still visible to Ignatius over 200 years after it first appeared, thus marking the general timeframe of Jesus’ birth. Seiss has some viable historical references which narrow down the period wherein this was visible:
supernova

  Martin’s assertion that Jupiter began its retrograde motion on December 25th, 2 BC, agrees with the parameters set by V.P. Wierwille regarding the beginning of the Feast of Dedication, that year which was from December 22 to 29. Wierwille, also points out that; As the Magi left Jerusalem, they saw Jupiter on its nightly course. Looking south they saw it high in the sky, nearing its apex on the Meridian of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Thus, the king planet-Jupiter was clothing Virgo, as the Sun did during the birth of the promised seed, mirroring the movement of the light of the world, while clearly marking the birthplace of the King of the Jews for the Magi.  

Martin states that:

… while Jupiter was in its "standing still" position over Bethlehem, the Sun was also "standing still." All know that December 25th is in the usual period of the Winter Solstice. The word Solstice means "Sun stands still." These stationary coincidences of Jupiter and the Sun are quite related, and would have appeared significant… ¹³

   The word "arise" in verse 2, is not only used of the Sun and light in general, but it and two of it's derivatives occur in Isaiah 60:1-3, Jer. 23:5. As we have seen in regards to Jer. 23:5, the planet Jupiter, the sedeq planet is associated with the Messiah, Jesus Christ the righteous zemach-branch, and is one of five primary Old Testament prophecies pertaining to this Branch, as the coming promised seed. However, with these stationary coincidences of Jupiter and the Sun, we have an additional Messianic-solar association. The reference of "arise" above, is very interesting when considered not only from the aspect of Jupiter standing still, in Virgo, but also referring to the setting time of the star Spica in Virgo, which bears the ancient Hebrew star name "Al Zemach." Thus it serves as a singular celestial  marker of the moment of Christ’s birth, which followed on the heels of Sunset in Virgo, during the first moments of Tishri 1, in 3 BC! Virgo provided the context for both Jupiter standing still on the Meridian as a reference to Bethlehem, the birth-place of Jesus Christ, and the star-set of Spica in reference to the birth-time of Jesus Christ, at the beginning of New Year’s day, Tishri 1, of the calendar of Israel.

  We have already considered the relationship between the Sun and the planet Jupiter apparent above, in light of the celestial kinship between these two heavenly bodies. The Messianic-solar relationship is seen not only in Malachi 4:2 above, but also in Revelation 21, where Jesus Christ appears as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

  As the manifested glory of God on the level of the senses, Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, the light of the world, will illuminate the city of righteousness, the New Jerusalem with his unified four dimensional ministry as the capstone and cheif corner stone of the body of Christ. There will be no need of a Temple at that time, because even as the Magi were coming to pay respect to, or worship, the young King of the Judeans, in 2 BC, so will all the inhabitants of the earth in that day, for every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to him, who is the head of the Church, the true Temple.

  Mercury and the Moon were located in Sagittarius during this sign, indicating Gabriel’s publishing of the king that was honored and gifted by the Magi. These gifts financed the trip to Egypt that the angel of the Lord instructed Joseph to take. This record is found in Matthew.

 The long awaited and prophesied King had finally arrived, who would make peace between the Judeans and the Gentiles, the prince of peace and the true temple in the Lord.

  In summary, Martin’s contention that the annual retrograde motion of Jupiter, which caused "his star" to stand still beginning on December 25th 2 BC, would explain much of the confusion traditionally associated with this date as the birth of Christ. Martin states that; This may have been the time when the presented their gifts to Jesus. This could be a reason why people in the later Christian Church said that December 25th was a day associated with the giving their gifts to the newborn Jesus. MagiMagiAs more people awake to these truths, we no longer need to remain bound in the dark shackles of tradition regarding the birth of Christ.

Chanukah and the Conception of Yahshua (Jesus)

Yahshua HaMaschiach (Jesus the Messiah) of the House of David

New King James Version

By Robert D. Mock MD

robertmock@biblesearchers.com

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights - December, 2000

Reedited - Hanukkah, December 20, 2003,

Picture Edited – Chanukah, December 25 eve, 2005

Part One

Topics

The Festival of Lights

Zacharias, meets Gabriel in the Temple

Miriam meets Gabriel in Nazareth

When the Fullness of Time has Come

The Conception, Birth and Circumcision Dates for John and Jesus

The Birth of Jesus

The Festival of Sukkoth

Shepherds watching over their flocks by Night

Simhat Torah – Circumcision of the ‘Living Torah’ at the Temple.

The Dedication of Jesus

The Three Magi

The Meaning of Christmas

The Festival of Lights

Chanukah during the Holocaust by Toby Knobel

The air is damp and foggy.  The atmosphere feels surreal and mystic as I drive down a tree-lined lane. ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ floats across the dashboard of my Camero, jolting my memory; this is the season celebrating the birth of the Christ child.  My memory immediately revisits the grand Parisian art museum, the Louve in Paris, and the scenes there of the Madonna and the Christ child which are so indelibly imprinting in the Christian consciousness. 

There the 13^th century masters painted Mary in velvets of blue, green and scarlet, with the naked Christ child nestled against her bosom, set against a backdrop of Italian Renaissance architecture and Venetian cultured landscape. Though beautiful, is this the most accurate picture of the birth of the Christ child that we have, cloaked in medieval iconoclastic style?  Do we even have a mental grasp of who Yahshua ben Joseph was, what his culture was like, and who sis family was?  The Almighty had a time, place and purpose for His Chosen Son.  Does our religious imagery reflect the life he really lived?  Our understanding of Jesus begins with his early life, so I ask you to join me in taking another look at the birth of Jesus.

The story of the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke begins in the Temple of God, on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Here, the Herodian genius and ambition combined to construct the largest and most monumental structure in the entire Roman Empire and bring glory and honor to Jerusalem, God’s  (Hashem’s) Holy City and the Temple of the Lord. 

Zacharias, meets Gabriel in the Temple

The Angel Gabriel Appearing to Zacharias, ca.1799–1800
William Blake (British, 1757–1827) –Metropolitan Museum

Standing before the altar of incense of the Lord during the week prior to Pentecost (Shavuot), sometime between 7 B.C.E and 5 B.C.E, was Zacharias, a Levite in the priestly lineage of Abijah.  This was his spring, weekly tour of duty in the Temple, the seventh course (week), along with all the other members of the family of Abijah.  No, it was not the seventh week since the beginning of the Levitical New Year, on Nisan 1 in the spring of the year.  All Levites were required to serve in the Temple during the spring and fall Festivals of Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), in order to minister to immense crowds which came to Jerusalem as required by the Torah for all living male Israelites above the age of bar mitzvah. The eight day festival of Passover (Pesach) occurred in the third week, so now, seventh week course of Abijah, actually was the eighth week after Spring New Years. 

Lots were cast, and Zacharias’ duty for the week was to sprinkle incense on the golden altar before the Temple of God.  Below him, the Temple crowds were assembled in adoration and prayer before Adonai, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Yes, these crowds were getting larger as early arrivals to the upcoming Spring Festival of Pentecost (Shavuot), the following week on the sixth day of Sivan, were beginning to assemble.  During the Pentecost celebration, the theme of the festival was focused on the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.

Suddenly, Zacharias, now a Levite priest of many years, met face to face with the awesome glory reflected by an other-dimensional being recognized as the Archangel Gabriel. Gabriel, the signet Archangel for Israel, was instructed to bring direct messages from the Almighty, sitting on His celestial throne envisioned by the mystic sages as the sixth heaven called Makon.

Whereas the Apostle Paul claimed he visited the third heaven in an out-of-body experience, according to the Torah sages, Gabriel resided in the second heavenly hall of Rakiyah also called the ‘firmament’.  Here in the second heaven was where tzaddiks, when in a state of spiritual purity were able to conversed and commune with the angels.  It was here the ‘signs of heaven’ were revealed to the prophets.  It was to this second heaven, divine messages were sent by the Almighty God (Hashem).  The prophet would be brought up in ‘vision’ to meet God’s emissary.  Here Elijah, Daniel and John the Revelator were taken in vision as they were revealed the ‘hidden messages’ of the Lord. 

Zacharias was informed that his barren wife, Elizabeth (Elisheva), also of the Tribe of Levi, was to be blessed and have a son.  He was stunned, incredulous and now speechless.  The curse of being barren would be over; not only that, this son would be specially chosen as a messenger of God, and given the ‘mantle’ of Elijah (Elias), the great Prophet of Israel.  It would only be safe to presume that Zacharias wanted to rush to his home to be with Elizabeth.  Did he not have a ‘holy mission’ to accomplish?           

Unable to speak, Zacharias not only had to fulfill his priestly duties the remainder of the week, but he still had to remain on Temple for another two days, until the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) on Sivan 6 and 7, was completed.  So, what was the first day that John the Baptist (Johannan ben Zacharias) could have been conceived?  The first potential date would have been the 8^th day of Sivan, the date most equivalent to the end of May. There is no doubt those arthritic knees of Zacharias made great haste to his home. According to the Holy Writ, “soon after” (Luke 1:24), the sperm and egg were united and the cellular division of the ovum marked the conception of life of that mighty messenger of God who was to prepare the ‘way of the Lord’.  From his birth (womb), he was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:15) and his duty was to bring back many Israelites to the Lord their God…., to reconcile father and child, to convert the rebellious to the ways of the righteous, to prepare a people that shall be fit for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16-18)

During the first and second trimester, Elizabeth (Elisheva) lived in seclusion.  For five months, she told no one, not even her family.  Yet the sixth month after the conception of John the Baptist, near the end of October, Gabriel once again delivered a message from the celestial Throne of God in the sixth heaven.  Once again, Gabriel penetrated the inter-dimensional veil of the first heaven called Vilon, this time bringing Mary, a young maiden about fourteen years of age, into the visionary world of pure spirit.

Miriam meets Gabriel in Nazareth

Mary (Miriam), a young maiden living in Galilee in the town of Nazareth, was betrothed to an older man, Joseph, a resident of the town of Bethlehem, from the tribe of Judah. Mary (Miriam) was a relative of Elizabeth (Elisheva); therefore she was at least of one lineage of the tribe of Levi.  The Lucian lineage of Jesus through his grandfather, Heli, was a Davidian lineage so Miriam’s relation with Elizabeth was through her maternal lineage.

The Arch-angel Gabriel appears to Miriam

Gabriel, now speaking to Mary (Miriam), in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s conception, would place the date of this visit in the month of December.  Let us look at the evidence:  the month of Sivan would have been the middle of May to the middle to the end of June. Then we have Tamuz (1^st month), Av (2^nd month), Elul (3^rd month), Tishri (4^th month), Cheshvan (5^th month), and so Kislev 8 (6^th month) of this visit would be in the in the middle of December.       

Yet it is important to note that Mary (Miriam) was not pregnant at the time of Gabriel’s visit, for it was stated by the Archangel,

Luke 1:30 - “Do not be afraid, Mary, for God has been gracious to you; you shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus.”

This prophecy given to Miriam by the angel Gabriel was before Yahshua was conceived was later confirmed at the eighth day of Jesus’ birth when He was circumcised in the Temple, and His father Joseph’s gave Him His name. 

Luke 2:21 - “He was given the name Yahshua, the name given by the angel before he was conceived.

It is this name, Yahshua, given in Aramaic, which is linguistically similar to Hebrew that Jesus was given by the archangel Gabriel.  It will be name, Yahshua, that we will call Jesus the rest of this manuscript.

Then the Archangel said to Miriam,

Luke 1:28-35 - “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Yahshua. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and God (Hashem) will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

To confirm this message, Gabriel said,

Luke 1:36-37 - “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. “For with God nothing will be impossible.”   

When the Fullness of Time has Come

If the time for the first conceivable date for the conception of John was truly the 8^th of Sivan, and the archangel Gabriel came to Miriam on the 6^th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the 8^th of Kislev, then given a latitude of about two weeks from this date for the moment in time when the “Power of the Highest” would “overshadow” Miriam, then the most appropriate time and the most appropriate Jewish celebration festival for this miraculous conception of Miriam would have been the second day of Hanukkah, the 25^th of Kislev (the month of December), which is celebrated as the  “miracle of Light”. 

Antiochus Epiphanes IV and the Desecration of the Temple  

On the 24^th of Kislev, 167 B.C., the menorah was lit in the newly cleansed Temple of God.  The was one of the great moments in Jewish history for the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes IV of Syria had been driven from the land of Judea.  It all began when the Hellenistic ruler used his imperial rule to force the inhabitants of his kingdom to convert to Hellenism, known as the Greek Metrology.  Many Jews found this to be a very civilized way of life.  Yet the Torah observers and especially the Torah observing priests in the temple of Zerubabbel in Jerusalem refused to observe the Greek customs and to incorporate Hellenistic ways of worship.  When the Torah observing Jews refused to quit worshipping on the Sabbath (Saturday), practicing circumcision and observing the kosher laws of clean meats, they were threatened with death, the temple was desecrated, and the vessels, the altar, the menorah were defiled by sacrificing a pig on the altar of the Lord.  Then the worship to the Greek god Zeus was instituted.  This was the Abomination of Desolation. 

The rumor in the land was that a revolt was in the making and immediately Antiochus ordered his troops to the town of Modi’in, the home of the priest Mattathias and his five sons.  There the family of Mattathias revolted, Mattathias was killed and under the leadership of Judah, nicknamed “Maccabee” or ‘The Hammer’, they killed the Syrian soldiers and a full scale guerrilla revolt began that eventually led to the expulsion of all the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes IV from the land of Judea. 

The temple was cleaned up, repaired and re-cleansed according to the commands of God given to Moses (Moshe). The golden menorah was ransacked from the temple and a new menorah had to be built from inferior metals, yet with great love and care, the temple was ready for its dedication.  Yet there was a crisis. When the menorah in the temple was lit on that day of Dedication, only one day of the sacred lighting oil was available in the City of David, Jerusalem and it would take another eight days to prepare new oil.  Even so, to celebrate the victory of their independence, they chose instead to light the menorah and let God provide the rest.  By a miracle of the Divine, the menorah remained lit for eight days, burning only on one days worth of oil.

Therefore, the miracle of light occurred on the ‘second’ day or the 25^th day of Kislev, as there was one days worth of oil, but none for the second day and beyond.  The Feast of Dedication was celebrated throughout the land and Hanukkah entered the festival cycle of the Jews. 

25^th of Kislev – The Conception of Yahshua (Jesus)

On the 25^th day of Kislev, Elizabeth (Elisheva) would have entered her sixth month, third trimester, of pregnancy, from day 164^th to the 172^nd day after conception. If the sacred texts could be redacted on the meaning of the “Miracle of Light”, then on the 2^nd day of Hanukkah, Miriam was overshadowed by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and Yahshua (Jesus), the ‘Light of the World’ was conceived.  So on this Christmas celebration, that miraculous event, was not the birth of Jesus, but the “Mystery of God” and the Incarnation was the infusion of the world of the Divine by the Holy Spirit upon the ovum of Mary.  This was a Mystery which is not comprehensible even today by modern genetic or gynecological scientists. 

Nativity - School of Stephan Lochner (ca. 1410-1451) - Munich, Bavarian state collection

So when was Jesus born if it was not on Christmas morning?  First, let us return to the developing fetus of Johannan ben Zacharias (John the Baptist) who, in utero, was awaiting his birth. Fifteen and one half weeks after Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, Johannan ben Zacharias, the Baptist, was born on the first day of Passover, on the 273^rd to the 280^th day of pregnancy, a ‘full-term’ for a woman of advanced years.  As such, Johannan (John) would have been circumcised on the 8^th day of Passover.  As John the Baptist carried the mantle of Elijah in the 1^st century, even to this day, the Orthodox Jews will set a place for Eliyahu (Elijah) during the Passover Seder meal. 

Exactly six months after Passover (Nisan 15), the first day of Sukkoth, the Feast of the Tabernacles, began.  For a young female with a first gestational pregnancy (primipara), Miriam, if she conceived on the 24^th day of Kislev, the first day of Hanukkah, then on the 25^th day of Kislev, the second day of Hanukkah, cellular division of the ovum began and the “Miracle of Light” occurred.  Two hundred eighty five days later, (285 days), on Tishri 15, the first day of Sukkoth, the Feast of the Tabernacles, the infant, Yahshua (Jesus), was born on this earth.

So here is the revelation given for over 3500 years in the Hebrew traditions of the Festivals.  Culmination in the ‘progressive revelation’ of God (Hashem), we can now understand the addition of Hanukkah to the Festivals of the Lord. Even to the Jews, the remnant of the chosen ones of God, divine revelation continued to be witnessed.  This idea was not canonized in the TaNaKh, but the Jews did believe and relived it yearly in their festivals of the Lord.

The Conception, Birth and Circumcision Dates for John and Jesus

Gabriel meets Zacharias in Vision                          Week Prior to Pentecost, 27 Iyar – 5 Sivan     

Conception of Johannan (John the Baptist)          Week after Pentecost, 8-15 Sivan

Conception of Yahshua (Jesus)                      Hanukkah, second day – 25 Kislev (December)              

Birth of Johannan (John the Baptist)               Passover, first day, 15 Nisan.                                 

Circumcision of Johannan (John the Baptist)     Passover, eighth day, 22 Nisan              

The Birth of Yahshua (Jesus)                        Feast of Tabernacles, first day, 15 Tishri           

Circumcision of Yahshua (Jesus)                   Simhat Torah, eighth day - 22 Tishri                    

http://www.biblesearchers.com/hebrews/festivals/hanukkah.shtml

The Birth of Jesus

With this historical picture in mind, we no longer have to think of shepherds herding sheep on the hillsides of Judea during the winter sleet and ice storms, and throngs of people traveling across the land to the place of their birth to be counted on a national census (and taxation) during the mid winter snowfall.  We now can imagine throngs of people; in fact the province of Judea was on foot, for all the men of the land were required to go to the House of the Lord, the temple of God in Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkoth.

The Birth of Yahshua in the Basilica of Fourviere

This was called the season of our rejoicing (zeman simhateinu).  The harvest was now completed, the days of repentance during the Days of Awe, leading up to the Great Day of the Lord, Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement, was over.  The people in the land could now have a sense of security and fulfillment.  They were at peace with themselves, their neighbors, and their God.

Here within the throngs, Joseph and the very pregnant, Mary (Miriam), were traveling.  No doubt they were singing, praising and enjoying the fellowship with all their friends and fellow pilgrims.  That is, as well as you could enjoy it when the first signs of contractions began, suggesting that the birth of a child was near.  The fellow travelers were probably also excited, and the mothers and grandmothers were giving the best of their maternal advice to the new arrival to the world of motherhood.  Mariam was but a young teenager about fourteen years of age.  All the soothing words of comfort could not overcome the fears of impending motherhood.  Will I be a good mother?  Can I tolerate the pains of childbirth?  How am I going to handle raising a child, destined to be a messiah, a tzaddik (righteous man), the Son of God?  She no doubt wanted to shout to all who would hear; Don’t you know, I am giving birth to One who is to be destined the King of kings and Lord of lords?  Yet she pondered these things and kept them in her heart.

The Festival of Sukkoth

Sukkoth was simply called, ha-had, or ‘the Festival’ (1 Kings 12:32).  The land was in a festive mood and pilgrims traveled in caravans, singing and dancing to the rhythmic lyrics of praise to Adonai, their Lord and Savior. 

Rabbi Lazer Brody in his Succa binding his Lulav 

What is of interest is that the Feast of Tabernacles, and specifically Simhat Torah, the last or eighth day of the festival, was the one feast and the one week which commemorated the Shekinah (Sh’chinah), the Glory of God, as ‘tabernacling among men’ and the last day of the feast was when the Torah itself would ‘come to life’. The Torah was to come in the flesh.  The Torah was to dwell among men.  Truly, Yahshua was the “Torah in the Flesh.”

The colorful Temple ceremonies and rites at the festival were designed for an uplifting festive spirit with the large number of sacrifices, the great clouds of incense giving fragrance to the air and the choruses of priests singing and chanting.  All the human senses were stimulated with the ceremonies and pageantry.  The changes of season with cool daytime breezes and crisp evenings invigorated the body.  Living a life of Torah to the observant Hebrew was a celebration.

Within all festive celebrations, loneliness was be more penetrating, especially to Miriam who could not afford to be transparent about what is really happening to her. Security in the lands was in highest alert and Roman soldiers lined the Roman roads, to some a symbol of safety and security and to others a symbol of oppression and the yoke of servitude.  To be a child born in the lineage of David was a dangerous thing to be.  Those in the lineage of David were recognized as a threat to the Roman government and to Herod, the king in the land, who was known for his ruthless and merciless suppression of any potential aspirant to the throne of Judea.  Shouting King of the Jews would be like shouting out ‘bomb’ in a modern American airport. It would give you attention you could do without. 

This Festival, called the Festival of Booths or Festival of Tabernacles.  It was the third of three fall festivals in the month of Tishri in the months of September or October.  Many refer to these three festivals, Rosh Ha Shannah (Festival of Seventh Trumpet), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkoth (Festival of Tabernacles) as the Second Advent. 

On the other hand, the three spring festivals were called the First Advent; the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Passover sacrifice and Seder and the Festival of First Fruits, in the month of Abib or Nissan.  When Yahshua (Jesus) was condemned in spite of his innocence, died as an outcast man and was buried and then arose from the dead as the “first fruits of the resurrection”, he fulfilled every literal typology of Passover.  For seven days and seven nights, the Passover reminded the Hebrews of their ancestors, who for 40 years lived in the wilderness, in shelters no better than those constructed for their animals.  In fact, the Hebrew word, ‘Sukkoth’ was used to describe ‘stables’ or lodging places for animals. 

Genesis 33:17 - “And Jacob journeyed to Sukkoth, built himself a house, and made sukkoths (booths) for his livestock.  Therefore the name of the place is called Sukkoth.”

Five miles from Jerusalem, in the city of Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary (Miriam) would seek shelter. For the Sukkoth season, the most important ritual was to live for eight days in a Sukkoth, a temporary structure, covered with tree branches.  Being on the outskirts of Jerusalem, throngs of pilgrims, unable to find accommodations in the Holy City, moved to the suburbia.  As such, the homes of the Bethlehem residents were available for hire for the pilgrims coming in for the festival.  A room was sold a premium, for there always were more pilgrims than accommodations.  Literally, there was “no room in the inn”. 

We can use a little ‘divine imagination’ to suggest that with the progressive contractions, the pace of Joseph and Mary (Miriam) slowed down and they soon found themselves lagging behind the groups of traveling pilgrims and no longer were with their friends and associates. 

Blowing the Shofar Blown on Sukkot by Gilabrand

To the inhabitants, the pilgrims represented monetary income with their rooms for hire, yet sometimes too much is too much, and pretty soon, they begin to feel, please go away.  For most inhabitants of the village of Bethlehem, the festivities were to be celebrated in their own Sukkoth, where they talked, celebrated and fulfilling the final mitzvoth (commandment), to rejoice unto the Lord. 

When Miriam and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, she might have been in full labor, but there was a problem.  The town was full, not only full, but packed full. Where are you going to put another family, especially a woman in full labor, among throngs and crowds singing, talking and celebrating?  The homes were full, the privately built Sukkoths were full, and where else but the real ‘sukkoths’, the dwelling places for the animals could they stay? Even so, in the canon, there is no reference to caves or barns, yet there is a reference to a manger, a feeding trough for the animals could have easily been brought to a Sukkoth  and later transferred into a make-shift crib in a village home. And so it was stated by John;

John 1:14 - “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” 

Here we see the birth of the messiah, and the time when ‘we beheld His glory’, who literally was tabernacling or dwelling among men within the booths of Sukkoth, yet resided in the sukkoths of the animals. 

Shepherds watching over their Flocks by Night

This was the last few weeks before the harsh winters would set in, and the shepherds spent a lot of time allowing the sheep to fatten up before winter.  The dreaded heat of summer was over, and the evenings were cool, crisp and pleasant. 

Shepherd Visiting the Baby Yahshua in an Animal Succoth

A squalling infant, now wrapped in swaddling clothes for protection in the cool breezes of evening and the curious stares of the domestic animals is a scene familiar to all Christendom.  Nearby, shepherds on a grassy sloped hillside suddenly found them serenaded by a chorus of supernatural choristers, singing,

Luke 2:8-10 - “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Good Will towards all men on whom his favor rests...”

Actually, this was not the first thing that happened, once again that inter-dimensional gateway into the world of the Divine opened and again there “stood before them an angel of the Lord, and the splendor of the Lord shone round them. They were terror-stricken…” (Luke 2:8-10)  First there was Zacharias, then Miriam, afterwards Joseph, and now the shepherds. What was the message of the angelic messenger?  “Fear not!” That is consoling. 

Luke 2:10-12 - “I have good news for you: there is great joy coming to the whole people. Today in the city of David a deliverer has been born to you - the Messiah, the Lord.  And this is your sign: you will find a baby lying wrapped in his swaddling clothes, in a manger.

Quickly, they headed to town, winding in and out among the multitude of Sukkoths, asking, have you seen a newborn child?  Guess what?  My guess is that there was only one birth in Bethlehem that evening.  When they found Joseph and Miriam, “they recounted what they had been told about this child; and all who heard were astonished at what the shepherds said.”  (Luke 2:17-18)

Simhat Torah – Circumcision of the ‘Living Torah’ at the Temple.

What is of interest is that the Feast of Tabernacles, and specifically Simhat Torah, the last day, or eighth day of the festival, was the one feast and the one week which commemorated the Shekinah (Sh'chinah), the Glory of God, as ‘tabernacling among men’ and the last day of the feast was when the Torah itself would ‘come to life’. 

Simhat Torah at the Kotel (Wailing Wall) by artist Jacques Soussana

Simhat Torah, the 22^nd of Tishri, in the Jewish festival year, commemorated the advent of the Torah, and literally means “the rejoicing of the Torah”.  On this day, the Torah scroll would be taken from their sacred place by the rabbi and they would dance with the Torah around the synagogue and even into the streets as though the Torah was coming to life.  There is even enacted a symbolic wedding, including a wedding procession, with the Torah and a chosen member of the congregation. 

And so it was stated by John,

John 1:14 - “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”.

Here we see the birth of the messiah, and the time when ‘we beheld His glory”, who literally was tabernacling among men within the booths of Sukkoth.  Then on the eighth day, Simhat Torah, he became ‘alive’, recognized in Jewish life as a live birth, when he was circumcised, and his name was given to him, a name selected by his Heavenly Father.

As a male born child, Yahshua was circumcised at home because His mother, Miriam, was undergoing the forty days of ritual purification. 

Leviticus 12:2-4 - If a woman has conceived and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.  She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled."

This would be the same messiah, who would later point his followers toward the Torah as a Torat Chayim (Living Torah).  Jesus, as the true and fullest emanation of the Torah (The Word of God), now alive as a Torat Chayim (Living Torah), would truly be recognized as ‘divine’, that is literally meaning “of or from the vine” or as the “Agent of the True Vine, Hashem (God). These may be mystical concepts, but they are also profound thoughts on the nature of Jesus, the messiah.

So on that day, as foretold by the angel Gabriel, Joseph obeyed the command of the Lord and named His son a name that came from the Hebrew root word, Yasha, meaning ‘to save’. 

Matthew 1:21 – "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." 

Here Joseph, the adopted father, named his son and thereby claimed him as his own. 

Matthew 1:18 – "Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he (Joseph) called His name Yahshua." 

While the family of Jesus was introducing their young son in the rites of circumcision, the pilgrims were completing the most awesome ritual of the festival season.  They were celebrating in marching, dancing and singing the moment in time in which the Lord of hosts would come down in the flesh and dwell among them.

The memories of the ancient processional marching around the city of Jericho were still vivid in the Jewish consciousness.  Once a day for six days they marched around the city of Jericho and then seven times on the seventh day, the Israelites walked around the ancient city of Jericho.  With a blast of the shofars, the walls came tumbling down. 

It was this type of processional marching called Hakkofot that was performed on Simhat Torah.  On this day, all the Torah Scrolls were removed from each of their Arks in the synagogues and carried on the central platform and seven time the priests would march the scrolls around the temple altar.  This was accompanied with dancing and acrobatic feats of ecstatic joy.

The Dedication of Jesus

 The Dedication of the Babe Jesus

It was on the forty days after the birth of Yahshua, on the 4^th day of Kislev, during the first week of December; this Torah observant Jewish family, Joseph and Miriam, brought Yahshua to be dedicated at the Temple Mount proper.  As is written in the laws of Hashem (God of Israel)

Luke 1:21-25a - “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to Hashem (God)” 

No, they did not return from Nazareth, rather they were still residing in the city of David, called Bethlehem.  This dedication of Yahshua came after his mother, Mary, had spent forty days in seclusion and returned to the temple for her rites of purification.  Here the parents of Jesus were fulfilling in complete obedience to the Laws of Moses and the halachah (teachings and customs) of the Jews. 

Leviticus 12:6 – "When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting."

Provisions were made for the poor and those unable to bring a lamb to the temple.

Leviticus 12:8 – "And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons – one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

At the temple in Jerusalem there was a just and pious man whose name was Simeon, who was waiting for the Consolation of Israel.” (Luke 2:21-25a)  Here we see prophetically the mission and purpose of the life of Jesus. The major theme of the Prophets looking for the Consolation of Israel was the calling for the reunification of the House of Israel (Northern Kingdom) with the House of Judah (Southern Kingdom). 

So on the steps of the beautiful Temple of Herod, we see Simeon, holding the infant Jesus, and “the Holy Spirit was upon him as it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death before he had seen Hashem’s (God’s) messiah.  So Simeon came by the Spirit into the Temple. When the parents brought in the messiah, to do for him according to the custom of the Torah, he took him up into his arms and blessed God and said,

Luke 2:25b-32 - “Hashem, now you are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” 

There on the Temple Courtyard, the mission of Jesus was foretold.  He was to be 

(1)   a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and

(2)   the glory of your people, Israel” 

Simeon only paraphrased the words of Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:5-6 - “And now Hashem says, Who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him so that Israel is gathered to Him, for I shall be glorious in the eyes of Hashem, and my God shall be my strength, indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the ‘natzri’ (preserved ones) of Israel; I will also give you as light to the Gentiles, that you should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 

The Three Magi

The Magi have always been a source of mystery to the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.   Is it any wonder that the Wise Men are the focal point of drama in the modern day Christmas day plays?  Everyone loves the glitter, color and pageantry the Magi bring to what would otherwise be a rather dull looking play. 

The Three Magi and the Madonna with Child

Yet who were the Magi, the Wise Men, and the Astrologers, according to various Biblical translations?  What we do know is that to the north and east of the Euphrates, in the remnant of the ancient Persian Empire, was several small kingdom states.  This was the same area where Daniel governed for Cyrus and Darius, when the power center changed from Babylon to Persapolis, in modern day Iran.  What was not considered is that the populations within this area, according to Josephus “comprised the vast hordes of the assimilated Northern Kingdom who had escaped Assyrian exile.”  Here we have a prince of Judah, Daniel, governing over the people of Judah, taken in the Babylonian captivity, and also governing over large population of Israelites inhabiting a large area of the central Persian empire.  

In the first century, it was the Parthian empire, known as the ‘Anvil’ in which all the other mid-eastern states, Commagene, Edessa, Osrhoene, Pontus and Armenia, were compressed in the political vice with the ‘Hammer’ of the Roman Empire.  What is fascinating is that all of these small independent principalities were called “Lion States” in which their rulers or kings recognized the constellation of Leo as their Royal insignia.  This is not unusual, for the Kingdom of Judah, was also a “Lion State”, the origins which went way back to Sinai, when the tribes with their insignias, camped around the Tent Sanctuary of the God of Jacob. The order of the twelve tribes around the sanctuary was in accordance with the twelve stations of the Zodiac. 

The ruling royal class in Parthia was known as the “Kings of Kings”. It was the “Kings of Kings” and the Magi, the wise men of the empire, who chose the next King of Parthia.  Was it the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, on July 29, 7 BC, producing the largest known stellar body known astronomical history, occurring also in conjunction with the rising Sun, the planet Mercury, all in the Constellation of Leo with the giant red star, Regulus, the King Star, that suggested to these Magi, and a special event was in progress?    Knowing and respecting full well the ancient prophecy in the Torah about the blessing of Jacob to his son Judah that the “scepter (or rule) should not depart from Judah (Genesis 49:10) suggested to these nations that even they should be ruled by the chosen “King of Kings” from the House of David in Judea.  This would have been an appropriate time, as two months later on October 3, 2005 near the festival of Succot, the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn reappeared.

What is of interest is that Jerusalem is in the inherited land of the tribe of Benjamin, but Bethlehem, five miles away is in the inherited land of  Tribe of Judah.  Were these Magi looking for a potential candidate to someday rule over Parthia, Commagene, Edessa and/or Armenia? 

'The Journey of the Magi' by James Tissot, French. Watercolor, 1894.

What we do know is that the visitation of the Magi from the East did not occur at Sukkoth, nor were Mary and infant Yahshua still in the Sukkoth at the time of their visit.   Modern descriptions of Magi entering the stables miss entirely the Biblical story.  In the Gospel of Matthew (Mattathias), which is the only source for this account, states,

Matthew 2:11 - “Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and bowed to the ground in homage to him; then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” 

We also note that this visit was some time after his birth, circumcision and dedication.  When the Magi first came to the court of Herod, thinking rightly so that the birth would be within the royal family household, they inquired of King Herod about any new royal birth.  This was the King Herod who was known for his paranoia and manic rages as he killed any potential aspirant to the throne including the Hasmonean family of the Maccabean and especially any potential rivals from the House of David. 

Herod inquired of the chief priests and lawyers concerning the prophecies concerning a future anointed one.  There within the Oracles of God (Hashem) they read him the prophecy,

Shrine of the Three Magi at the Köln (Cologne, Germany) Cathedral

Matthew 2:5-6 - “Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are far from least in the eyes of the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a leader to be the shepherd of my people Israel.”

With this information, Herod summoned the Magi for a private conference.  The prime purpose of the meeting was to obtain the astronomical data from these eastern astrologers to determine the date of birth of the infant child.  This was critical information, for the subsequent massacre of all children in Bethlehem and the surrounding villages two years of age and younger, was determined by “the time he had ascertained from the astrologers.” (Matthew 2: 16) The Christ Child was any age up to the age of two, determined by the first sighting of the Star in the East. 

So now, we have a nucleus for the story of the Magi.  Learned scholars in the wisdom sciences of the East, possibly representing several different countries or principalities, were looking for a potential ruler, a ‘special’ ruler from the Lion Tribe of Judah. Yahshua would be recognized as a ruler in waiting.  The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were not only fit for royalty, but providentially given as provisions to sustain the family of Joseph during their future exile to Egypt. 

King Herod became ill, according to Josephus, immediately following an act of impiety against the priesthood, at which time an eclipse of the  moon occurred on March 13, 4 B.C. Was this ‘act of impiety’ the slaughter of the male infants in Bethlehem, whom the priest suggested to be the domicile of the future King of kings?  What we do know is by the fall of 4 B.C., Herod had died and the political environment in Judea would now be safe for the return of the family of Joseph with the young child, Jesus.

The Meaning of Christmas

I sit before the fireplace with a manger scene before me.  What is the meaning of all of this? Is this the picture God (Hashem) wants us to understand as we contemplate the most significant moment in the history of this world, when God (Hashem) intercepts our three dimensional world and incarnates a portion of the World of the Divine into the ovum of a young maiden, one called “Most favored one.” (Luke 2:28)

Angels Serenading the Babe Yahshua

Has the meaning of Christmas and Hanukkah been hidden for centuries by the will of God (Hashem)? Is there a meaning for this special season of the year that is waiting for those willing to listen to God (Hashem)?  Did the Almighty specifically design in the celebrations and Festival of the Hebrews, first in the Torah and later in progressive revelation with the Jews, the coming of His Son and the timing of His coming?  Does it make a difference whether Jesus birth is set in medieval architecture, or why not a modern ghetto, or a western cowboy barnyard rather than in the proper cultural context of the fall festival of Tabernacles?  Is there a reason He came to the Jews, the remnant of God’s chosen people, during the celebration of the Lord, near the Temple of God in God’s Holy City?

Part Two –  Sukkot – the day Yahshua came to Dwell with Man

Topics

Introduction

With Joy and Dancing, Fall Festival of Succot Began

The Festivals of the Lord

The Festival of Sukkot

Living in a Sukkoth

The Arrival of the Family of Joseph to Bethlehem

The Word (Torah) was made Flesh and Tabernacled (Dwelt) among Us

The Shepherds were watching over their Flocks by Night

Simhat Torah – when the Torah became Alive

The Dedication of Yahshua (Jesus)

The Promised Messiah

The Appointed Time

“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son.” 

Jesus the Messiah (Yahshua HaMaschiach) of the House of David

Part One – Chanukah and the Conception of Yahshua (Jesus)

Part Two –  Sukkot – the day Yahshua came to Dwell with Man

Part Three – Born of a Virgin

Part Four – The House of Joachim and Anna, the Parents of Mary

Part Five – Was Joseph Betrothed or Espoused to Mary?

 Part Six – Joseph of Arimathea, the genetic link between Mary and Joseph

Part Seven – The Birth of Yahshua, was this another Fallen Angel Story?

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¿En qué mes nació Jesús? II

¿Cuándo cae Hanukkah? En diciembre.

¿Por qué esta fiesta iba a enfatizar la luz? Según el libro histórico 2da de Macabeos el cual refleja las costumbres de la época intertestamentaria dice los siguiente 2da Macabeos 10:6-7.( Biblia de Jerusalén )

Lo celebraron con alegría durante ocho días, como en la fiesta de las Tiendas, recordando cómo, poco tiempo antes, por la fiesta de las Tiendas, estaban cobijados como fieras en montañas y cavernas.
7 Por ello, llevando tirsos, ramas hermosas y palmas, entonaban himnos hacia Aquél que había llevado a buen término la purificación de su lugar.

Es decir, que la fiesta de Hanukkah se celebraba casi igual a la fiesta de losTabernáculos.

La fiesta de los Tabernáculos se celebraba a mediados de septiembre, y la fiesta de Hanukkah (Dedicación) se celebraba a mediados de diciembre.

De acuerdo a 2da de Macabeos 10, ambas fiestas se celebraban de la misma forma.

Vayamos al Deseado de todas las Gentes, pág. 428 (Capítulo 51).

Otra vez, pues, Jesús les habló, diciendo: Yo soy la luz del mundo. El que me sigue no andará en tinieblas, mas tendrá la luz de la vida." (V.M.)

Cuando pronunció estas palabras, Jesús estaba en el atrio del templo especialmente relacionado con los ejercicios de la fiesta de las cabañas. En el centro de este patio se levantaban dos majestuosas columnas que soportaban portalámparas de gran tamaño. Después del sacrificio de la tarde, se encendían todas las lámparas, que arrojaban su luz sobre Jerusalén. Esta ceremonia estaba destinada a conmemorar la columna de luz que guiaba a Israel en el desierto, y también a señalar la venida del Mesías. Por la noche, cuando las lámparas estaban encendidas, el atrio era teatro de gran regocijo. Los hombres canosos, los sacerdotes del templo y los dirigentes del pueblo, se unían en danzas festivas al sonido de la música instrumental y el canto de los levitas.

Por la iluminación de Jerusalén, el pueblo expresaba su esperanza en la venida del Mesías para derramar su luz sobre Israel.

¿Qué conmemoraba la Fiesta de los Tabernáculos? La venida del Mesías para derramar su luz sobre su pueblo.

Continuando con El Deseado de Todas las Gentes, pág. 428:

Por la iluminación de Jerusalén, el pueblo expresaba su esperanza en la venida del Mesías para derramar su luz sobre Israel. Pero para Jesús la escena tenía un significado más amplio. Como las lámparas radiantes del templo alumbraban cuanto las rodeaba, así Cristo, la fuente de luz espiritual, ilumina las tinieblas del mundo. Sin embargo, el símbolo era imperfecto. Aquella gran luz que su propia mano había puesto en los cielos era una representación más verdadera de la gloria de su misión.

El énfasis de la Fiesta de los Tabernáculos estaba en la luz.

Ahora vayamos a Juan 1:1-3

En el principio era el Verbo, y el Verbo era con Dios, y el Verbo era Dios. 2 Este era en el principio con Dios. 3 Todas las cosas por él fueron hechas, y sin él nada de lo que ha sido hecho, fue hecho.  

Aquí describe a Jesús en el cielo.

Sigamos con Juan 1:4-5

En él estaba la vida, y la vida era la luz de los hombres. 5 La luz en las tinieblas resplandece, y las tinieblas no prevalecieron contra ella.

¿Qué fiesta conmemoraba la venida del Mesías? La Fiesta de los Tabernáculos.

Después de leer Juan 1:1-5 el cual se refiere a Jesús divino que vendría como la luz al mundo, a partir del versículo 6 este libro comienza a hablar del hijo de Elizabeth y Zacarías de quienes hablamos al principio del tema en Lucas 1. Ese hijo se llamó Juan el bautista.

Veamos Juan 1:6-9

Hubo un hombre enviado de Dios, el cual se llamaba Juan. 7 Este vino por testimonio, para que diese testimonio de la luz, a fin de que todos creyesen por él. 8 No era él la luz, sino para que diese testimonio de la luz.

9 Aquella luz verdadera, que alumbra a todo hombre, venía a este mundo.

¿Por qué en el evangelio de Juan se enfatiza tanto que Jesús es la luz del mundo y que su precursor es Juan el bautista?.

Vayamos a Juan 1:14

Y aquel Verbo fue hecho carne, y habitó entre nosotros (y vimos su gloria, gloria como del unigénito del Padre), lleno de gracia y de verdad.

La palabra “habitó” en griego es “Tabernaculó”.

¿En qué mes nació Jesús? En septiembre

¿Qué fiesta se estaba celebrando en ese mes? La Fiesta de los Tabernáculos que apuntaba hacia la venida del Mesías.

Por tanto, nosotros debiéramos celebrar el nacimiento de Jesús en el tiempo que indica la Biblia, en la fecha de la Fiesta de los Tabernáculos que corresponde a septiembre.

¿Cuándo es que Cristo tomó la humanidad, cuando fue concebido, o cuando nació? Cuando fue concebido.

Jesús fue concebido en diciembre, en el mes en que se celebraba la fiesta de la luces (Hanukkah). Es decir, la concepción de Jesús y el nacimiento de Jesús apuntaban proféticamente por la Fiesta de la Dedicación (Hanukkah), la Fiesta de las Luces, indicando que el Verbo se había hecho carne y su nacimiento cumple la Fiesta de los Tabernáculos cuando también la luz resplandecía en el atrio del santuario en señal de que la gente estaba esperando al Mesías venidero.

Por eso debemos hacer dos fiestas: Una en septiembre, y otra en diciembre.

Patriarcas y Profetas, pág. 582

Como la pascua, la fiesta de los tabernáculos era conmemorativa. En recuerdo de su peregrinación por el desierto, el pueblo debía dejar sus casas y morar en cabañas o enramadas hechas con "gajos ... de árbol hermoso, ramos de palmas, y ramas de árboles espesos, y sauces de los arroyos." (Ley. 23: 40, 42, 43.) El primer día era una santa convocación, y a los siete días de la fiesta se añadía otro octavo que se observaba de la misma manera.

En estas asambleas anuales, los corazones de jóvenes y ancianos recibían aliento para servir a Dios, al mismo tiempo que el trato amistoso de los habitantes de las diferentes partes de la tierra reforzaba los vínculos que los unían a Dios y unos a otros. También hoy sería bueno que el pueblo de Dios tuviera una fiesta de las cabañas, una alegre conmemoración de las bendiciones que Dios le ha otorgado. Como los hijos de Israel celebraban el libramiento que Dios había concedido a sus padres, y también como los había protegido milagrosamente a ellos mismos durante sus peregrinaciones después de la salida de Egipto, así debiéramos recordar con gratitud los diferentes medios que él ideó para apartarnos del mundo y de las tinieblas del error y para llevamos a la luz preciosa de su gracia y de su verdad.

No sabemos el día exacto en que Jesús nació, pero sí sabemos que fue en septiembre, según la Biblia.

Volvamos a Luc. 1:78-80

Por la entrañable misericordia de nuestro Dios,

Con que nos visitó desde lo alto la aurora,

79 Para dar luz a los que habitan en tinieblas y en sombra de muerte;

Para encaminar nuestros pies por camino de paz.

80 Y el niño crecía, y se fortalecía en espíritu; y estuvo en lugares desiertos hasta el día de su manifestación a Israel.

La palabra aurora en griego es “anatolé helíus” y significa “de donde se levanta el sol”.

¿Tiene una gran importancia la Fiesta de los Tabernáculos que se celebraba a mediados de septiembre?

¿Tiene una gran importancia la Fiesta de la Dedicación (Hanukkah) que se celebraba a mediados de diciembre? Sí, porque ambas conmemoran la concepción y el nacimiento de Cristo para traer luz a los que se encontraban en tinieblas.

¿De qué se acuerda mayormente la gente en diciembre? De comer, de beber, de comprar, de regalar, de bailar, y si acaso, en Jesús.

Nosotros debemos concentrarnos en las fiestas que indican la luz del mundo, Cristo Jesús.

La forma y la fecha en que se celebra la navidad es incorrecto ya que Jesús, según la Biblia nació en septiembre y no el 25 de diciembre, el cual era el día más corto del año y en que todas las naciones paganas adoraban ese día al dios sol, símbolo de Lucifer, el lucero de Isaías 14:12.

¿Qué es lo más importante de este estudio? Que permitamos que la luz de Cristo entre a nuestros corazones y nos dé vida.

Juan 8:12

Otra vez Jesús les habló, diciendo: Yo soy la luz del mundo; el que me sigue, no andará en tinieblas, sino que tendrá la luz de la vida.

La luz trae vida. Cristo es la luz y la vida.

Exhortación

Ef. 5:8-14

Porque en otro tiempo erais tinieblas, mas ahora sois luz en el Señor; andad como hijos de luz 9 (porque el fruto del Espíritu es en toda bondad, justicia y verdad), 10 comprobando lo que es agradable al Señor. 11 Y no participéis en las obras infructuosas de las tinieblas, sino más bien reprendedlas; 12 porque vergonzoso es aun hablar de lo que ellos hacen en secreto. 13 Mas todas las cosas, cuando son puestas en evidencia por la luz, son hechas manifiestas; porque la luz es lo que manifiesta todo. 14 Por lo cual dice:

Despiértate, tú que duermes,

Y levántate de los muertos,

Y te alumbrará Cristo.