There is no question that Christ’s birth was one of the most significant events in all history- that God should become a man! It seems that God wanted to be living the life of a man to the greatest extent possible. So he did not come simply as a full grown man, but was born just like any other human - as a child who was conceived in and carried by a woman till his birth.
Yet the celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas is fraught with problems. Any encyclopaedia will tell you that there is one thing for certain about the birth of Christ- it was not on the 25th of December! The reasoning is simple enough: from early November to late January sheep are traditionally penned up and fed in Israel because it’s so cold that it often snows and all the grass is dead. As there is no food in the fields traditionally shepherds in Israel penned their sheep up from late October where they are fed with dried fodder during winter. This precludes the shepherds being in the fields with their sheep on the 25th of December, as is recorded in Luke 2:8.
Many people are also rightly turned off keeping Christmas, not only due to it having the incorrect date for the birth of Christ, but also because of its pagan practices, greed and commercialization. Yet when did the birth of Christ actually happen? Many great Biblical events happen on the various Holy Days such as Pentecost and Passover. There are seven such annual Holy Days recorded in both Old and New Testaments. These days are often referred to in Hebrew as a moed, which means “appointed times”, being the annual times that God has appointed for His Festivals.
As many other important events have occurred on these appointed times it would seem reasonable to assume that, as the birth of Christ was one of the most pivotal events in the history of the relationship between man and God, it was not going to be something that just happened on any old day. Indeed it would seem strange if this event happened on any day other than one of Gods’ appointed times, or Holy Day.
This paper provides strong evidence that that the birth of Christ most likely occurred on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles in 4BC. It then goes on to explore some of the more obvious ramifications of what the timing of the birth of Christ at the Feast of Tabernacles meant then, means now and portends for the future. One obvious implication is that John the Baptist, who was six months older than Christ, was most likely born at the Passover of 4BC.
This paper is intended as a short introduction to this subject. Your comments and suggestions for improvements are most welcome, please send them to mvstorey@hotmail.com
The Record of When Christ Was Born[1]
Most of the detail about the conception of Christ we find in Luke chapters 1 and 2, where both the miraculous conceptions of Christ and John are recorded. Matthew, chapters 1 and 2, also records some of the events of Christ’s birth but lacks the chronological detail of Luke. It would be best if you first read these four chapters in your own Bible before continuing to read this article as it will help to comprehend the flow of the events as explained below.
John the Baptist was born six months before Christ (Luke 1:26). He was conceived by a miracle that started with a revelation to his father Zacharia. At the time both Zacharia and Elisabeth were very old and Elisabeth had never had any children. Zacharia was a priest “of the course of Abia” (Luke 1:5), who while serving “in the order of his course” (Luke 1:8), in the temple saw the Angel Gabriel who told him he was to become a farther, and his child was going to turn many in Israel back to God. Unfortunately for Zacharia he seems to have had some difficulty believing what was said, at which point Gabriel struck him dumb as a sign that what he said was going to happen.
This discussion with Gabriel detained Zacharia for some time so that the whole multitude of the people who were outside praying at the hour of incense … marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. (Luke 1:10 and 21). When he came out, despite being struck dumb, he made them understand that he had seen a vision. What he told them about the vision we don’t know, but many people had witnessed his dumbness and the explanation of it. It was not until nine months later that he was able to speak again, but not until after his new son was named John.
The conception of Christ is recorded in Luke 1:26. In comparison to Zacharia, Mary seems to have readily accepted the will of God, however it appears that she did suffered some consequences of being pregnant outside of marriage. We see this by the fact that Joseph was on the point of refusing to marry her until he received a vision from God saying that it was His will (Matt 1:19-25). It was only then that Joseph was willing to take her as his wife.
The stigma upon both Mary and Joseph would have been considerable, particularly as Mary was such a righteous person that God chose her to bear his Son. It seems therefore that Mary’s pregnancy, despite her obvious joy at it, was kept as quiet as possible, and may be one reason she immediately left to see her cousin Elisabeth for the next six months (Luke 1:39).
John’s conception was therefore far greater publicised than Christ’s, which is important to note as the story of their intertwined births and lives unfolds throughout the gospels.
The Timing of the Birth of Christ in 4 BC
I could take a great deal of space to explain the following, with many references and calculations, but I have decided to keep the explanation simple and leave it to the reader to conduct their own detailed research. For clarity I have also constructed Table 1 at the end of this document, which shows the calendar for the years 4-5 BC and how these events would have occurred. I suggest you also read the Companion Bible Appendix 179 and a quick internet search on “Christ born at Feast of Tabernacles” will also find many article supporting this hypothesis.
The basic concept of this understanding is that when Luke 1:5 tells us that Zacharia was a priest “of the course of Abia” who was serving “in the order of his course”, it pins down the time when he would have been in the Temple with Gabriel. A ‘course’ of priests served in the Temple on two occasions each year, for a week each time. Also, at the Feast of Tabernacles and Passover all the priests served together. According to the Companion Bible in the year 5 BC “the course of Abia” served at the temple on 6-12th Dec and the 13-19th June.
If Zacharia had the vision when he was in Jerusalem in June, then John the Baptist’s conception would have taken place after Zacharia had finished his ministry and gone home to his wife Elisabeth, which means it would have been about June 23rd.
We can determine that Mary’s visit from the Gabriel was six months after the conception of John because we are told that after seeing Gabriel she immediately went into the hill country to visit Elizabeth who was six months pregnant (Luke 1:26 and 1:36). This would mean the conception of Christ was about the 24th or 25th of December. Therefore nine months after the conception would indicate that Christ was born on about the September 29th. Similarly John was born six months earlier on the about the 25th of March 4BC. If these dates are correct then John was born on the Passover on the 25th of March 4BC and Christ was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, on September 29th 4BC.
I have checked these dates and find them accurate- if you find they are not please give me a call.
Other Evidence for the Birth of Christ at Tabernacles.
The above summary is the basis of the argument that Christ was born at the Feast of Tabernacles. It is also possible to calculate the dates of the conception of Christ and John from the other “course of Abia” in December, with the result that the births don’t fall on any day of importance. We therefore have to conclude that either John the Baptist and Christ were born in 4BC on the Passover and Feast of Tabernacles respectively, or they were born six months apart but not on any Holy Day.
To me it seems reasonable to assume that God would have ordained both these momentous occasions to occur at time of His appointed feasts, rather than just any old day of the year. However if you would like more evidence you could read the detailed historical evidence that is presented in Bullinger’s Companion Bible where he sites dates of Kings’ reigns and other reasons it would have been in June rather than December that Zacharia was in the temple. For the purposes of this paper I won’t go into the detail that Bullinger covers, as I prefer to concentrate on the significant scriptural and chronological ramifications of Christ being born at the Feast, which Bullinger doesn’t look at in any depth.
Bullinger considers that the Gospel of John is also alluding to the birth of Christ being at the Feast of Tabernacles when it says: And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. (John 1:14 MKJV) Most translations have the word ‘dwelt’ rather than “tabernacled” but, according to Bullinger, the actual Greek word does not simply mean ‘dwelt’ but specifically refers to the time that God spent with Israel in the tent before David built the temple.
The Birth of John
Have you ever wondered why Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months but left just before the birth of John? (Luke 1:56). Normally a close relative would stay for the birth, particularly a birth of this magnitude and importance including the prophecy of Gabriel, Elizabeth and Zacharia both being very old and the miracle of Zachariah being struck dumb.
As stated above, if Christ was born at the Feast of Tabernacles then John would have been born six months earlier at Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
In Luke 2:41 we read that Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem at the Passover every year. So if John was born at Passover then the reason Mary left would be obvious: she would have gone to the Passover at Jerusalem.
While Luke does not mention keeping the Passover as the reason Mary left, it seems like a logical solution for this very strange act of leaving just before the birth and lends strong evidence to Christ being born at the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Shepherds
Who were these shepherds keeping watch over their sheep? And why would God choose these men, who were amongst the lowest sector of society, to directly tell all Jerusalem about the birth of the Messiah?
If Christ was born at the Feast of Tabernacles, and as Bethlehem is less than five miles from Jerusalem, let’s ask the obvious question “What would shepherds be doing with sheep here and at this time of the year?” More than likely these shepherds would have been keeping the sheep ready for the sacrifices of the temple at the Feast. The sheep could also be an important food source for the thousands of people that came to Jerusalem to keep the Feast.
So, while the shepherds were no doubt celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles themselves, they were also obviously making a lot of money selling sheep! Remember there was no refrigeration in those days so all the meat for the Feast had to be fresh, a few days old at the most. Being a shepherd at the Feast was therefore a critical job, as it was not just a significant religious event, but for the shepherds was most probably was the biggest market all year! For this reason the men that saw the Angels were not your average shepherd, but most probably were very responsible, trusted and skilled people. Perhaps they may have even owned many of the sheep they were “keeping in the fields”, as they would be responsible for collecting a lot of money from selling the sheep.
We are told that after the shepherds had seen the baby Jesus “they publicly told about the word spoken to them concerning this Child. And all those who heard marveled about the things spoken to them by the shepherds.” Yet who would listen to a bunch of shepherds? Their normal role in society was certainly not important or respected people, so why would God tell this great news to lowly shepherds?
When, however, we realize that it was the Feast of Tabernacles, then this mystery become clear: it was only for a few days a year at the Feast of Tabernacles that shepherds were very important people. These shepherds would therefore have had the perfect opportunity to tell everyone, rich and poor, about what they had seen. All the people keeping the Feast in Jerusalem would come to the shepherds and would therefore have no alternative but to listen to their story.
By God providing this great revelation to the shepherds would also have been a major snub to the religious leader of the day, the Priests and the Sanhedrin. However, as there were many shepherds that saw the Angels and the baby Jesus, their witness could hardly be denied by the religious elite.
It seems obvious that these particular shepherds at this particular Feast of the year were strategically placed to provide a powerful message to every sector of society. Gods’ tactic in choosing these shepherds to announce this most important event is shown to be entirely appropriate, and it also provides more evidence to support the idea that Christ was in fact born at the Feast of Tabernacles.
Bethlehem:
The birth of Christ at this time would also explain why it was so crowded at Bethlehem, such that there was no room for them at Joseph’s relatives. It seems that the township of Bethlehem, being about five miles from Jerusalem, would have been a very popular spot for attendees at the Feast of Tabernacles to lodge. Added to this was the fact that everyone was to report to their town of birth for some sort of account for taxation.
There is plenty of evidence to show that the “Inn” that there was “no room for them to stay in” was not a tavern or motel but the spare room of the relatives, where they would normally lodge visitors. But because of the tax and the Feast of Tabernacles there was no room for them in this “Inn” or spare room. However at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles there was another room that could be used, where the animals would lodge in winter. This was typically under the house, and as the animals had not been in there all summer it would not have been too smelly for Joseph’s relatives to tidy it up and put the young family in.
These relatives must have known of the circumstances of Joseph’s betrothal to Mary; the fact that she was pregnant before wedlock, the claim of the miraculous conception, the claim that Joseph had also had a message from God to marry her. They would have also known that they were coming to stay at Bethlehem very close to the time of Mary being due to give birth. Yet they put them in the stable under the house. The convenience of the trough to lay the baby in was therefore symbolic of not so much the poverty of their circumstances at the time of the birth, but more symbolic of the lack of importance placed on the birth by Joseph’s relatives. Such rejection is surely also symbolic of the rejection that the Jewish leaders would give Christ some 33 years later.
Yet how surprised would these same relatives have been when the shepherds came to see the new born child on the night of the birth, and told them about the Angels’ message and their great and powerful song?! Perhaps the new family was swiftly moved to better accommodation?!
Given the above evidence, we will assume for the rest of this article that it is true that Christ was born at the Feast of Tabernacles, and based on this assumption will examine how this understanding alters our reading of the Bible. We will first examine what the scriptures tell us about the events surrounding the birth of Christ in the light of the birth of Christ being at the Feast of Tabernacles and then examine what it means for those hundreds of thousands of Christians that keep the Feast of Tabernacles today.
The Feast of Tabernacles and the Millennium
We celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles as a picture of the millennium when Christ will rule the earth for 1,000 years, as pictured in Rev 20. The fact that Christ was born at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, and that he was hailed as the King of the Kingdom of God, gives greater significance to the celebration of the millennium at this festival.
The birthday of Christ in 4BC was the physical birth of the King of the Kingdom of God who would later say: “I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven to you.” (Mat 16:18-19). The birth of Christ was the beginning of a new phase in the plan of God in which Christ was a physical representative of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Those who would follow after him, to whom he would promise to give the keys of the Kingdom, would thus be able to look back to his birth as the beginning of a new era.
The words of the Angel that appeared to the shepherds also have greater significance when understood in this context of the Feast of Tabernacles. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. (Luke 2:10) The word for “people” is the Greek word laos and, according to Strong’s, means “a people (in general; thus differing from G1218, which denotes one’s own populace): - people.” It’s not the same as “Gentiles” but includes both Gentiles and Israel.
Kingdom of God on Earth
At the beginning of Feast of Tabernacles in 4 BC the Kingdom of God had physically come on Earth in the form of a child who was the King of the Kingdom. When we add these scriptures to our celebration of the Feast representing the Millennium it identifies that this 1,000 years will be a time of “good tidings of great joy” applicable for all people and all nations. We can therefore celebrate that Christ’s birth truly heralded the beginning of the Kingdom of God throughout all the Earth.
We can also see the importance of what Gabriel told Mary at the conception of Christ: Fear not, Mary: for you have found favour with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:30-33)
And Isaiah tells us: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isa 9:6-7)
When it says “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end” it seems to indicate that from the time of his birth (from henceforth even for ever) the Kingdom of God had taken on a new phase, to spread into the entire world.
The Church and Israel in the Kingdom of God
During the Feast of Tabernacles we can celebrate Christ coming in the flesh which means that from the birth of Christ onward the Kingdom of God was definitely on the Earth: first in the body of Christ then in the Church as members of the body of Christ who are ruled by the King of the Kingdom of God.
The birth of Christ however was not the beginning of the physical rule of God on Earth, for Israel was also to be a light to the world of the Kingdom of God, otherwise Christ could not have said: Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matt 21:43) So Israel once had the role of representing the Kingdom of God on Earth, but the members of the body of Christ have taken over this role. And not only the role of Israel but of the Priesthood as well: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1Pe 2:9-10)
At the Feast of Tabernacles we can therefore celebrate Christ’s birth setting up a new physical presence of the Kingdom of God on Earth in the Church, and we can also look forward to the next phase of the world wide fulfilment of the Kingdom of God in the millennium after the second coming of Christ to rule over all the Earth.
Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God
The central role of the Church is clear: On Christ's behalf therefore we come as ambassadors, God, as it were, making entreaty through our lips: we, on Christ's behalf, beseech men to be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:20 Weymouth NT 1912)
As ambassadors we represent God for the simple reason that we are today citizens of the Kingdom of God: “Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,” (Eph 2:19) The preceding verses provide the context: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:10-13)
Our role on Earth when we take on the citizenship of heaven is to therefore proclaim the coming Kingdom of God as representatives of God, and what better time to do that than at the Feast of Tabernacles where we can tell the world not only of the coming Kingdom but also about the true date of the birth of Christ!
Rejoicing at the Feast of Tabernacles
We are commanded to greatly rejoice, which included great feasting, at the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:40, Deut 16:15).
During this time of rejoicing we should also remember the rejoicing of Mary and Joseph who, like all new parents, celebrated these first days of the life of their new child, who happened to be the baby Jesus. We should never forget that Christ was a child who came in the flesh and had to be fed and changed and protected and taught like any other child. By not understanding the significance of the birth of Christ at the Feast of Tabernacles we ignore vital scriptures about the importance of the events surrounding his birth and how they are significant for us celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles.
The words of Mary tell us more about the Feast of Tabernacles and what the birth of Christ at this time pictures: And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit exulted in God My Savior. For He looked upon the humiliation of His slave woman. For, behold, from now on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One did great things to me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is to generations of generations to those fearing Him. He performed mightily with His arm; He scattered proud ones in the thought of their heart. He put down powerful ones from thrones, and exalted lowly ones. He filled the hungry with good things, and He sent the rich away empty. He helped His servant Israel in order to remember mercy, even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed to the age. (Luke 1:46-55).
Most of this prophecy was not fulfilled in Christ’s time, but could be understood to be prophetic of the millennial rule when Christ as the King of the Kingdom shall rule the world.
John the Baptist
In Luke 1 the story of Christ’s birth is interwoven with the birth of John the Baptist. John was miraculously conceived six months earlier than Christ, which means that his birth would have been on or about the Passover or the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. John’s commission was to tell everyone to repent for the Kingdom of God was at hand. This message of repentance and righteousness is the same message as that of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Wise Men and Christ
The next event recorded in the early life of Christ, the wise men from the East coming and giving Christ gifts, is only in Matthew 2. We are told in Luke that Mary and Joseph went back to Nazareth after Christ was circumcised. Yet in Matthew it says the family fled to Egypt from Jerusalem after being warned in a dream that Herod would try to kill the child. The only way to reconcile these two accounts is that Jesus was not a new born baby but a young child at the time Matthew records the visit of the wise men. This is supported by the fact that Herod killed all children 2 years old and less, according to the time that the wise men had calculated the time of the birth of Christ. There is also no record of both the shepherds and the wise men being present at the same time. The wise men also did not find the child in the manger but in a house (Matt 2:11).
It is apparent therefore that Luke recorded the early days of Christ’s life. What Matthew recorded was what happened in Jerusalem and Bethlehem at least 12 months after the family had been home to Galilee. They then came back to Bethlehem to attend one of the feasts. If this festival was Passover (when Christ was 1.5 years old) the fact that Joseph was warned to flee to Egypt would also have been appropriate as it was at the Passover that Israel left Egypt.
Circumcision:
We tend to shy away from understanding or emphasizing the ritual of circumcision, for, as recorded in the Book of Acts, its importance and meaning was totally negated by the lack of its necessity for Gentile converts. Paul’s later writings also downplayed the importance of circumcision for us today, but at the time of Christ it was still essential and had significant meaning.
Because Christ was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles then, according to the commandment, he would have been circumcised on the 8th day, or what COG’s have always called the Last Great Day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Yet this is actually a separate feast in its own right, which represents the final fulfillment of the Kingdom of God with a new heaven and new earth. The circumcision of Christ on this day therefore should be seen in the light of this meaning as well.
We understand that the Last Great Day represents a new beginning with a new Heaven and new Earth. Circumcision also represented a new beginning for Israel as it was the sign of the covenant God had with Abraham (Gen 17:11). Circumcision therefore could be seen as being representative of the new relationship between God and Man, as the covenant between Israel and God was a new relationship.
As Christ was a newborn baby for the first 7 days he would be ‘totally natural’ without the special relationship with his creator that circumcision provided. By the act of circumcision he was brought into a relationship that meant he had a purpose and meaning and covenant. This relationship between Israelites and God was to ultimately lead them to the potential for eternal life with the Creator himself. This Festival of the Last Great Day therefore pictures a new beginning with the new spiritual man who has an eternal relationship with God.
Circumcision was a significant event and most probably was accompanied by celebrations and feasting, and, as we have seen with John, was likely the time for the naming of the child. Our celebration upon the Last Great Day therefore can have more significance now that we understand it was also the day of the circumcision of Christ.
33 Days After The LGD:
Mary was required to go to the temple to give an offering for her purification after the birth of a male child, in line with the ritual of purification of Leviticus 12:1-4. So, 33 days after being circumcised on the Last Great Day, the baby Jesus was brought to the temple (Luke 2:22-39). This presentation for purification may also parallel Christ’s life of 33 years, after which he was presented to the Father for the purification of all mankind?
Not only was this event 33 days after his circumcision but was also 40 days after Christ was born. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness living in tents and this 40 day period has some parallels to this wandering.
While there is no feast day 40 days after the First Day of Feast of Tabernacles, what does the Bible record happened?
There were only two people who made it through the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Joshua and Caleb. When the baby Jesus was taken to the temple there were also two very righteous and very old people, a man and a woman, who saw and recognized Christ him and gave God praise for him. This 40 day period could therefore picture the end of Israel’s wanderings and the fact that those righteous people who endured to the end would also praise God.
The messages of these two people have more meaning when associated with the Feast of Tabernacles and the wandering in the wilderness. Simeon was “waiting for the Consolation of Israel”, the comfort for Israel. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures that comfort and peace for both physical and spiritual Israel.
Simeon further said “For my eyes have seen Your Salvation which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.” This is certainly the message of the Feast of Tabernacles, that all nations would understand the light of God and spiritual Israel would be glorified and rule over the children of the world.
When Christ’s birth is celebrated on 25th Dec it changes everything!
The scriptures clearly show that the dates for the conception and birth of Christ and the conception and birth of John were not unknown or forgotten by the early church. Added to this historical evidence seems to point to the fact that the celebration of the Birth of Christ was changed about 300AD. Instead of the conception of Christ being celebrated on the 25th of December, they celebrated the Birth of Christ on that date. Some have suggested that this may have been to bring it in line with pagan ceremonies on that date. Whatever the reason it effectively changed the commemoration of Christ’s birth, and also his conception, by nine months. This naturally meant that the commemoration of the birth of John and his conception would also need to be brought back nine months.
The result is that while the dates for a commemoration event remained almost the same the actual events being commemorated by the counterfeit festivals were altered. Coincidently it is interesting to note that all these dates are also close to either the Equinox or the Solstice, which were often seen as auspicious times for pagan celebrations.
[1] Reference Note:
This short paper draws much from E.W.Bullinger’s 1922 Companion Bible, where there are more detailed calculations for the birth of Christ in Appendix 179.
