Matthew 2:1 The Birthday Of The Messiah, Part One

Before getting started, I forgot to mention, in the last enty, that Y'shua, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem. This was according to prophesy, as written in Micah 5:2

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

Now, back to the actual day of the Messiah's bith. Even though this is important, we must remember, that is more important to as to the why, not nessesarily the when Y'shua came. Over the next few days, we will state only the facts concerning this controversial subject. Remember, it is only by God's Holy Spirit and your relationship with him that you arrive at the truth. This is written in Acts 17:11.

"... in that they received the message with all eagerness of heart, but searched the scriptures to whether those things were so."

Otherwise, check the fact for yourself. God wants you to have an informed faith, not a blind one.

To establish the birth month of Yeshua, we have to first look at the birth of Yochanan, John, the baptist which begins with his conception.

In Luke 1:5-25, the angel, Gavri-El Gabriel, appeared to Zachar'yah, Zacharias, John the Baptist's Father, as he was performing his duties in the Temple. This was during the priestly course of Abiyah,Abia. This course of priests ministered in the Temple the eighth week of the Hebrew year as dictated by King David in 1 Chronicles 24:10. This is also backed up and documented in both the Talmud and the Mishnah.

The eighth week runs its course during the last week of the second Hebrew month of Iyar and the first week of the third Hebrew month of Sivan, ending at Shavuot, Pentecost. This is our starting point to establish the month of our Messiahs birth.

The angel indicated that Zachar'yahs prayer, for a son, had been answered. Keep in mind the wording here. He said that Zachar'yahs prayer, for a son, has been answered, not going to be answered. That means that we can put the conception of Yochanan, John the Baptist, around the time of Zachar'yahs priestly service, during the last week of the Hebrew month of Iyar, very near the time of Shavuot, the Feast of Pentecost, in the second week of the month of Sivan, the third Hebrew month. Pentecost or Shavuot is approximately May-June time period.

Remember, there is a lot to look at, so we'll break it up into small managable and consumable parts and finish this up over the next few posts.

Matthew 2:1 The Birth Year Of The Messiah

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod..."

Unfortunately, the birth date of Y'shua is in dispute, within the church today. However, it doesn't have to be.  Let's take a look at the facts and come to a logical conclusion.

1. In the first verse here in chapter 2, we find that Y'shua was born in the days of Herod.  According to historical sources, King Herod rude between  63–4 BC.  Therefore, Y'shua was born within that time period.

2. And Luke chapter 2, verse one, we are told that Y'shua, Jesus, was born during the reign of Cesar a Gustus. Who ruled  from 27 BC to 14 AD.  This narrows down the birth of the Messiah to between 27 BC and 4 BC.

3. Now let's jump ahead temporarily to Matthew 2:16, where we are told that Y'shua was around two years old at the time that the Magi, from the east, came to visit Herod.  That tells us that Y'shua was born, at the latest, in the year 6 BC, since Herod died two years later.

4. In Devarim, Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses, when prophesying about the Messiah, says, 

"The LORD your God will raise up unto you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me; unto him you shall hearken"

In Acts 7:22, it says that Moses was 40 years old when he began his ministry until his people, the Jews.

Therefore, Y'shua, Jesus, had to be 40 years old, when he started his ministry.

Y'shua, Jesus, allowed himself to be publicly called the Messiah, for the first time, when he rode into Jerusalem, in 32 AD, making him approximately 40 years old, in 32 AD. If you are following me, it's important to remember that there is no year zero, in our calendar.

That puts Y'shua's, Jesus's, birth date around 7 BC.

5. In Genesis, 49:10, it states:

"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes."

Chapter 4, folio 37 of the Babylonian Talmund records:

“When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them: they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming: ‘Woe unto us for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come.'”

Josephus, a comtemporary historian, at the time of Y'shua, give us the year of this incident, as 6-7 AD, in his book, "Antiquities of the Jews."

6. According to the Law of Moses, it was determined that the age of accountability, for a human, is 13 yrs old. That would mean that the Messiah would have been 13 yrs old, 6-7 AD

Working backwards, we come to 7 BC.

7. Finally, there was a supernova, that could be seen by the naked eye, in 7 BC. This was most likely the Star of Bethlehem, that led the Magi.

Next time, we will zero in, on the actual birth month of Y'shua, the Messiah.