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"...and the shepherds were watching their flocks by night..."
[This is an intriguing presentation I listened to given by a man who's name I did not get, unfortunately...but I wrote quickly as I closely listened, and thought I would share it with you...]
"The question is, why weren't the sheep in their sheep folds as normal?
There were only two times when the shepherds were in the fields at night:
1) When the lambs are being born in the Spring, or...2) in the Autumn.
If the sheep were in their folds during "lambing" time, lambs would have been trampled, injured or killed. So, at both Spring and Fall, when the lambing season occured, the shepherds take their sheep and lead them out at night time, and keep a close eye on them and watch for predators, and also for ewe's who were having trouble giving birth. So we conclude that Jesus was born in the Spring or Fall of 3 B.C., and since the registration was in the late Summer or early Autumn, we suspect that Mary gave birth in the Autumn of 3 B.C.
Luke says she was, "...great with child..." when she arrived in Bethlehem, in the census. But we have other proof that this was the time of year that Jesus was born, because of Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, and Elizabeth's husband, Zechariah.
First of all, just a bit of ancient history:
You'll recall that about 1000 years earlier, King David had organized the priestly schedules into 24 "courses" or "times" each year, for the priests to be serving. Each priest served their course annually...and in Luke 1 we read that Zachariah belonged to the division or course of "Abbia" or "Abisha." Abisha was the 8th course...and after accounting for the interruption of Passover and the Feast of Weeks, we find that Zachariah would have served in June. If we assume that it was June of this particular year that the Angel Gabriel promised Zachariah a child from his barren wife Elizabeth, it means she would have conceived later in June, and Elizabeth would have given birth to a full term baby in Spring the following year.
Now Luke tells us that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant when Mary came to visit her. Thus we know that Mary's visit was in the winter of that year because the Bible mentions that. Shortly after Mary herself had conceived a child, and that she stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months...presumably until her son John had been born...and then she went home.
So we know for sure that Mary did not give birth in the Spring, but in the Autumn of 3 B.C. But can we get any closer than this? Perhaps the very month or day of Jesus' birth? Well, perhaps so...
There is a strange passage in Revelation related to the birth of Jesus which is confirmed by something which John says in his Gospel. But before we look at that strange passage, let's have a look at what happens in Revelation 12:1...(we need a bit of explanation)...
In this presentation we will be talking about several star groups or constellations in the path of the sun as it goes through the heavens. The path is shown by the double line in the diagram, (and he shows a diagram...) The constellations that we'll be specifically dealing with are: Cancer the Crab; Leo the Lion; and Virgo the Virgin.
Astronomy today still has these same names as the ancients had back then. Interestingly, all major star groups have had these names in languages around the world for 1000's of years...how did it get like that?
Well, the Bible gives us the answer.
In Psalms 147:4, and Isaiah 40:26, we find reiterated that God Himself gave the stars their names. In Job 26:13, we are told that God Himself named the constellations and formed their shape. Sometimes it is easier to picture these constellations or star shapes as stick figures.
The 12 star groups and constellations that the sun passes through are called the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Now some may start getting uptight at this word - but there is nothing intrinsically evil about the Zodiac. It comes from the Greek word "Zoad," meaning, "the ways or the path of the sun in the heavens."
Because God named the stars, we actually have a message there for us in the stars and constellations that tell a story. Modern day Astrology seeks to get our eyes off this message from God in the stars onto a perversion...but that's a whole lecture in and of itself, and I do not have the time now to go into it. But back then, and still today, there's one constellation that the sun passes through, and it was called, "The Woman In Heaven." We know it as "Virgo."
"The Woman In Heaven" was their long before the birth of Jesus and it was in fact probably referred to in Isaiah 14. In Revelation 12:1, we read that the "Woman In Heaven," or "Virgo," was "...clothed with the sun...", and had the "...moon at her feet..." If the 'Woman In Heaven" is indeed referring to the constellation Virgo, this passage is giving us very specific information about the birth of Jesus - because the motion of the earth in its orbit - the sun appears to pass through this circle of constellations that we've already mentioned. Each constellation in this circle has it's own time of being "...clothed in the sun...", (when the sun is actually within that constellation.)
Back then, the sun was in Virgo in September. And for the moon to be at her feet, means that the sun and the moon where in the same area of the sky. This means that it had to be "New Moon." And in this case, it was the September New Moon. Now, the real New Moon can't be seen except through a telescope. It takes about 2 nights for the sliver of the New Moon to become visible to the naked eye in the sunset.
Now the September New Moon in 3 B.C. started astronomically on the 10th. It was visible 2 nights later, on the 12th of September of 3 B.C. Here's something interesting: If Jesus was born on that day, the 12th of September, and circumcised his eighth day, in accord with Jewish law, then he was circumcised and shedding his first blood on the Jewish Day of Atonement, September the 20th that year. The Feast of Tabernacles started 5 days later on the 25th, and here's where the link to the Gospel of John comes...because in John 1:14 we are told..."...The Word became flesh..."..."...and tabernacled amongst us..." The use of the original word "tabernacle," was giving us some fascinating hints that Jesus could well have been born around the time of The Feast of Tabernacles, and at that Jewish festival, people dwell in booths covered in branches.
Now this particular date, at the Feast of Tabernacles, may not be absolutely correct, however, all the other evidence indicates that Jesus was born sometime in late Summer or early Autumn of 3 B.C. It also mens that we can reasonably be sure, from the point that we have in Revelation that sometime between the 10th and the 25th of September that year, was the birth of Christ. If that is true, there is an intriguing possibility...if his birth really did occur sometime around the 25th of September, it meant that his conception was quite close to the 25th of December of the previous year.
We know almost exactly when Jesus was born by looking at the Bible...while looking at the historical data...while looking at the life of Augustus...and while looking at the life of Herod..."
[I have more from this man's presentation...where he goes on into explaining the stars and constellations at that time, and how the Magi saw and followed them, but I'll stop here for now...I found it very interesting though...hope you do as well...]
Isn't it awsome, to know that God has given us all the means in His Holy book to determine His Truth?? Great thread!! I liked the interpratation of the "woman clothed with the sun" from Revelation. I had never thought of it that way. I was definately anticipating the end. Mostly because Kaydence was born September 28th.
Isn't it awsome, to know that God has given us all the means in His Holy book to determine His Truth?? Great thread!! I liked the interpratation of the "woman clothed with the sun" from Revelation. I had never thought of it that way. I was definately anticipating the end. Mostly because Kaydence was born September 28th.
GOD BLESS YOU, VERNA!!!
ALMOST2L8
It is awesome Dale!...I just love finding out new revelations...uncovering new hidden treasures in the Bible, there is so much in there that we have no idea of...but the Lord has His timing in revealing precious stones...one by one......I'm glad you found it as interesting as I did!
GOD BLESS YOU TOO DALE...and your precious family! I love you brother! Have a blessed Christmas!
This is an astrologer interpretation. Jesus Christ rejects astrology as the occult, and not of heaven but the devil. The interpretation of the women clothed in the sun, moon at her feet represents the body of Christ, or the bride of Christ, she is about to give birth in Revelations 12 means to New Believer and a harvest of souls into the new Creation of the anointing of The Lord God every one born again go though. clothed in the sun represents eternal light of God, moon at her feet represents authority. In the rest of the vision of Apostle John the red dragon trys to devour the work were she is about to give birth to the new converts. A torrent river comes out of the dragon or devil mouth represents, The authority of the devils people to water down the gospel and the importance of Christians to try to stop converstion. Then God helps the women and sends her into hiding represents the rapture if the Church at the Great Tribulation. Then the devil goes off and trys to get other Christians who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ and those who keep his commands. To know this heavenly interpretation you have to Know Holy Spirit who interpretes the word of God for Jesus in the New covenant. Also the Star of Bethlehem is The Lord Gods eternal light by him though his worker angel.`` for example the burning bush for Moses was the eternal light.``
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...I'm glad you found it as interesting as I did!
