By Maria Merola אריאל
© Copyright Double Portion Inheritance, September 2002.
I first began researching the birth of our Messiah in 2002, and I have spent 15 years compiling what I learned into many articles, blogs and ebooks.
Most people don’t really want to know when the Messiah of Yisra’el was born, because this means that they will have to give up celebrating Christmas. These same people will often recoil whenever I suggest that our Messiah’s birth took place on a biblical feast. Many of them dismissively say things like “The Bible does not tell us when the Messiah was born.” They are hoping that this will get them off the hook, and they can plead ignorance about Christmas.
What follows is the response that I give when people assume the Bible does not tell us when our Messiah was born.
The Courses of the Temple Priests
What follows is the response that I give when people assume the Bible does not tell us when our Messiah was born.
The Courses of the Temple Priests
In the first chapter of Luke’s gospel, we see that John the Baptist’s father Zecharyahuw (Zechariah), the priest was visited by the angel Gabriel, and he announced that Zechariah and his barren wife were going to conceive a son.
Luke’s gospel tells us that Zechariah was of the division of “Abijah” or in Hebrew “Abiyahuw.”
This is a big clue, because in 1st Chronicles 24, we learn that King David set up a schedule for the priesthood in the Temple. Each priest served 2 weeks out of the year (and extra days during the feasts), and then they went back home after their Temple duty was finished.
Knowing that Zechariah was of the division of “Abijah” or “Abiyahuw” tells us exactly what “course” he was serving and what time of year it was. And we find out that Zechariah was serving in the Hebrew month called “Sivan,” around the Feast of Weeks or (Shavuot/Pentecost).
Assuming that Zechariah was in a hurry to get home to his wife Elizabeth to impregnate her (which, of course he was, since he was not able to speak until the child was born), we have to conclude that Elizabeth conceived sometime after Zechariah’s Temple duty was over (which was the 3rd Sabbath of the 3rd month of Sivan).
Counting forward 281 days from when Zechariah returned home from Temple duty, we can deduce that John was born around the season of Passover. To be exact, John was born 14 days before Passover on the 1st of Abib (Nisan). We know that John the Baptist came“In the spirit and power of Eliyahuw/Elijah” (Matthew 11:14), so it is fitting that he would be born around Passover, since the “Elijah Cup” is part of the Passover Seder. It reminds us that before the Messiah can come, “Eliyahuw/Elijah” must come first (Malachi 4:5-6).
Counting forward 281 days from when Zechariah returned home from Temple duty, we can deduce that John was born around the season of Passover. To be exact, John was born 14 days before Passover on the 1st of Abib (Nisan). We know that John the Baptist came“In the spirit and power of Eliyahuw/Elijah” (Matthew 11:14), so it is fitting that he would be born around Passover, since the “Elijah Cup” is part of the Passover Seder. It reminds us that before the Messiah can come, “Eliyahuw/Elijah” must come first (Malachi 4:5-6).
*Note: Why do we use 281 days for the gestation? Because it is 9 months plus one extra day for the delivery. Also, the Hebrew word for pregnancy (herayon) has the numerical value of 281!
Luke 1:36 tells us that Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy when Gabriel appeared to Miriyam and told her that she was going to conceive the Messiah.
This is how we know that our Messiah was 6 months younger than his cousin Yahuwchanon (John).
If we count 180 days (6 months) forward from the 1st of Abib in 3 B.C., it lands on the Feast of Trumpets. Now, scripture does not tell us if the child was born early or late in the pregnancy, so anytime between the Feast of Trumpets & the Feast of Tabernacles would’ve been a good time for Yahuwshuwa to have been born in keeping with this time-line.
However, all the other corroborating witnesses show that our Messiah was born earlier rather than later in the pregnancy on the Feast of Trumpets.
A Yom Kippur Circumcision
For starters, it is much more prophetically fitting that his circumcision took place on the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur, since during a circumcision, the blood of the child is sprinkled!
Yeshayahuw (Isaiah) 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
The blood of our Messiah was “sprinkled” in the Temple when he was circumcised, and this was a foreshadowing of him later-on fulfilling the pattern of the Yom Kippur sacrificial goat:
Yahuwchanon (John) 1:29 “…… Behold the Lamb of Elohiym, which takes away the sin of the world.”
A Yom Kippur Circumcision
For starters, it is much more prophetically fitting that his circumcision took place on the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur, since during a circumcision, the blood of the child is sprinkled!
Yeshayahuw (Isaiah) 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
The blood of our Messiah was “sprinkled” in the Temple when he was circumcised, and this was a foreshadowing of him later-on fulfilling the pattern of the Yom Kippur sacrificial goat:
Yahuwchanon (John) 1:29 “…… Behold the Lamb of Elohiym, which takes away the sin of the world.”
Additionally, the foreskin is symbolic of the “veil to our heart,” (2nd Corinthians 3:15), and when it is removed, we shall see YaHuWaH “face-to-face” (meaning intimacy, and spiritual eyes to see). The priest in the Temple went behind the “veil,” once per year on Yom Kippur to come “face-to-face” with YaHuWaH! This is why the Jewish people have nick-named Yom Kippur as “Face-to-Face!” In the future, when our Messiah lands his foot on the Mount of Olives in Zechariah 12:10, he shall come “face-to-face” with the House of Judah, and they will recognize him! This will also be on Yom Kippur!
Yahuwshuwa was born on the first day of the 7th month of Tishri at sundown (just before it became the 2nd day of Tishri), therefore the 8-day count to his circumcision began on Tishri 2, taking us to Yom Kippur on Tishri 10!
Six Reasons Why Messiah Could Not Have Been Born on Sukkot
There are several other reasons why our Messiah could NOT have been born on the Feast of Tabernacles, and I will list them below.
Yahuwshuwa was born on the first day of the 7th month of Tishri at sundown (just before it became the 2nd day of Tishri), therefore the 8-day count to his circumcision began on Tishri 2, taking us to Yom Kippur on Tishri 10!
Six Reasons Why Messiah Could Not Have Been Born on Sukkot
There are several other reasons why our Messiah could NOT have been born on the Feast of Tabernacles, and I will list them below.
Reason #1 The first, and most obvious reason is because Luke 2:3 tells us plainly, that all the Yisraelites “went to his own city to be taxed.”
Luqas (Luke) 2:
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Yahuwceph (Joseph) also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Miriyam (Mary) his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
*Note: Did you catch this? They were in Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem during the birth of our Messiah. Bethlehem is 6 miles away from Jerusalem, which is a 2-3 hour journey on a donkey. And why would Joseph be seeking a room at the Inn? If this was during Sukkot, he would have been in Jerusalem building a sukkah for them to dwell in. This means that they were not keeping the Feast of Tabernacles yet for two more weeks. Additionally, they laid the child in a manger---not in a sukkah.
What is a manger? The Greek Lexicon tells us what it is:
#G5336. phatnefat'-nay from pateomai (to eat); a crib (for fodder):--manager, stall.
The English Dictionary defines this word manger as “a long open box or trough for horses or cattle to eat from.”
As a matter of fact, this same word is used in Luke 13:15 when our Messiah confronts the Pharisees about how they would save the life of their animal on the Sabbath:
Luqas (Luke) 13:15 The Master then answered him, and said, You hypocrite, do not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall [manger], and lead him away to watering?
You see, his parents placed him in an animal stall, not in a sukkah that is used for the Feast of Tabernacles!
In Acts 18:3, we read that the Apostle Shaul (Paul) was a tent-maker. The Greek word for “tentmaker,” is as follows in the Greek Lexicon:
Luke 2:7 says that the newborn Messiah was “laid in a manger,” which is an animal stall or crib, feeding trough. If he was born in a sukkah as pictured above, the Greek word used in Luke 2:7 would have said he was “laid in a skene,” or a tabernacle.
Of course, two weeks later, he would have dwelt in a sukkah with his parents, and there is no argument there. He definitely fulfilled the Feast of Tabernacles as a two-week old infant, and he was indeed “The WORD that became flesh and DWELT among us!” (John 1:14). You see, all three fall feasts were the season of his nativity, just as all three spring feast were the season of his death, burial, and resurrection.
In Acts 18:3, we read that the Apostle Shaul (Paul) was a tent-maker. The Greek word for “tentmaker,” is as follows in the Greek Lexicon:
Luke 2:7 says that the newborn Messiah was “laid in a manger,” which is an animal stall or crib, feeding trough. If he was born in a sukkah as pictured above, the Greek word used in Luke 2:7 would have said he was “laid in a skene,” or a tabernacle.
Of course, two weeks later, he would have dwelt in a sukkah with his parents, and there is no argument there. He definitely fulfilled the Feast of Tabernacles as a two-week old infant, and he was indeed “The WORD that became flesh and DWELT among us!” (John 1:14). You see, all three fall feasts were the season of his nativity, just as all three spring feast were the season of his death, burial, and resurrection.
Reason #2 If the birth of Messiah had taken place on Sukkot, Joseph would’ve had to appear at the Temple 6 miles away in Jerusalem with a sacrifice. It is not logical to think that he would have left Miriyam alone while she was going into labor in Bethlehem. Joseph had to be there to help deliver the child in order to legally adopt him as his own.
Additionally, Joseph would have become ritually unclean, and unfit to present an offering at the Temple for Sukkot after helping his wife deliver a child. Leviticus 12:2 tells us that when a woman gives birth to a male child, she is ritually unclean for seven days.
However, by Yom Kippur, she would have completed her initial seven-days of uncleanness (followed by 40 more days of purification). This means that she would’ve been able to attend the circumcision at the Temple, although she had to remain in “The Court of the Women.” It is not logical to think that Joseph took the child to the Temple to be circumcised without his mother present. The journey on a donkey was 2-3 hours each way, and the child would have needed to be nursed every 2-3 hours.
Reason #3 Miriyam’s seven days of uncleanness following the birth of a male child would have meant that she would have had to stay in a separate Sukkah from Joseph if the birth had taken place on Sukkot (Leviticus 12:2). However, the record of the gospel says that they both stayed in the same animal stall with the child, because there was no room at the inn. And since Joseph would have to appear at the Temple to offer a sacrifice on Sukkot, that would have rendered him “unclean,” and therefore unfit to offer a sacrifice!
Reason #4 The angels told the Shepherds to go to Bethlehem to see the child. If it had been on the Feast of Tabernacles, the angels would have told the shepherds to go to Jerusalem to present an offering for the Feast of Tabernacles!
All Yisraelite males are required to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to appear in the Temple three times per year for Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost) & The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). See Exodus 23:17 & Deuteronomy 16:16.
Reason #5 The other problem with a Sukkot birth is that it means he only fulfilled 4 out of 7 Feasts at his first coming, leaving 3 feasts unfulfilled. With a Yom Teruah birth, it means he fulfilled all seven feasts at his first coming and then, he will fulfill all seven of them again at his second coming. This is just like Jacob who worked two periods of seven years for both brides (Rachel & Leah). Our Messiah (like Jacob) already fulfilled seven feasts for the Gentiles (typified as Leah), and then he will fulfill all seven feasts for Rachel (who typifies the House of Judah). In other words, two periods of seven feasts for Both Houses of Yisra’el!
Reason #5 The other problem with a Sukkot birth is that it means he only fulfilled 4 out of 7 Feasts at his first coming, leaving 3 feasts unfulfilled. With a Yom Teruah birth, it means he fulfilled all seven feasts at his first coming and then, he will fulfill all seven of them again at his second coming. This is just like Jacob who worked two periods of seven years for both brides (Rachel & Leah). Our Messiah (like Jacob) already fulfilled seven feasts for the Gentiles (typified as Leah), and then he will fulfill all seven feasts for Rachel (who typifies the House of Judah). In other words, two periods of seven feasts for Both Houses of Yisra’el!
To learn more about how our Messiah fulfilled all seven feasts at his first coming, see the blog entitled: “What is the Testimony of Yahuwshuwa?”
Reason #6 In Luke 4, Yahuwshuwa began his ministry after his 40-day fast, when he went into the Synagogue and read the Isaiah 61 scroll. This was on Yom Kippur, because as the High Priest Melchizedek he declared “The Acceptable Year of YaHuWaH.” Only the High Priest could declare those words on Yom Kippur!
What this means is that he had to be 30 years old when he did this, according to the Towrah (see Numbers chapter 4).
And since he was “beginning to be about 30 years old” at his baptism 40 days earlier, (Luke 3:23); Therefore, we must conclude that he turned 30 on Yom Teruah, just in time for him to declare “the acceptable year” on Yom Kippur as a 30-year old High Priest!
If he had been born on Sukkot, his 30th birthday would’ve still been 5 days away, and therefore, he did not qualify to “declare the acceptable year!”
Overwhelming Evidence for a Feast of Trumpets Birth
At the beginning of my research back in 2002, the first thing I did was read this book by Dr. Ernest L. Martin “The Star that Astonished the World.”
Dr. Martin painstakingly goes into much detail pin-pointing the exact day, year, and hour Messiah was born, based on the constellations. I highly recommend that you read the links below:
The entire book can be downloaded free at the link below:
If he had been born on Sukkot, his 30th birthday would’ve still been 5 days away, and therefore, he did not qualify to “declare the acceptable year!”
Overwhelming Evidence for a Feast of Trumpets Birth
At the beginning of my research back in 2002, the first thing I did was read this book by Dr. Ernest L. Martin “The Star that Astonished the World.”
Dr. Martin painstakingly goes into much detail pin-pointing the exact day, year, and hour Messiah was born, based on the constellations. I highly recommend that you read the links below:
The entire book can be downloaded free at the link below:
From the research of Dr. Martin, and many other proofs that I discovered on my own, we can be certain that the Messiah of Yisra’elnamed “Yahuwshuwa” (Joshua, not Jesus) was born on September 11th in 3 B.C. on “Yom Teruw’ah,” aka “The Feast of Trumpets.”
This constellation was visible over Bethlehem on that famous night, as it was prophesied about in Revelation 12:
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
5 And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto Elohiym, and to his throne.
On September 11th in 3 B.C., just before sundown, this planetary alignment was taking place, as a “one-time-event” in history. On this date, and never before this date, nor ever again afterwards, has this same configuration of the planets and stars been seen.
The Hebrew word for “virgin” is “bethuwlah,”which is what this constellation is named after. The pagans renamed these constellations after pagan deities, and they assimilated this “virgin” to their false mother goddess, Gaia, the planetary mother. However, its origin has always pointed to only one “mother” which is Jerusalem “the mother of us all”(Galatians 4:26).
I also want to recommend this PDF document as another witness to the birth of Messiah on the Feast of Trumpets:
Download the PDF file below at this link:
The reason why this feast is properly called “The Day that No Man Knows,” is because it is the only feast that is determined by the sighting of the first crescent moon by at least two credible witnesses. To learn more about this feast, see the blog entitled: Yom Teruw’ah: “The Day That No Man Knows!”
As with his first coming, our Messiah told us that his second coming would also be when “No man knows the day or hour!”(Matthew 24:36-Mark 13:32). And so it follows that with any pregnancy, we are given a “due date,” but only the Heavenly Father knows when the baby will come. Hence, the baby comes at a time when no man knows!
Interestingly, for the past 2,000 years, nobody seemed to know when our Messiah was born. However, in these last days, he is revealing the hidden things about himself, such as his true name, and his true date of birth!
Just like Joseph, the “suffering servant,” who hid himself from his lost brothers until the appointed time, our Messiah is now revealing his true identity to us!
Our Messiah’s date of birth, and his true name are important in order to differentiate him from all the impostors who were supposedly reincarnated on December 25th.
A more thorough and detailed thesis on the birth of Messiah can be found in my other ebook.
