#234: Seasons, Time and Precedence

“To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Since the beginning of time, providence has been in play throughout history in every circumstance and happenstance, we can see an invisible Hand at work Gently Softly slowly but surely turning the hand of time into action and reaction and making every piece of the jigsaw puzzle to come into place, so every scripture written find fulfilment in its due season and time.

Come with me as we journey down history, and we recount how providence has come into play through time and new birth.

At this point you may be wondering what new birth I speak of, some of you may have already guessed that we speak about the birth of CHRIST the MESSIAH of Israel, and the world at large. I feel I should point out that I am not here to point fingers but to establish providence and I hope that after this we will come to a better understanding of the times.

There have been different schools of thought concerning the birth of our LORD and the date on which it is recognized and celebrated globally. Generally, some are of the 25th of December school, some are of the feast of tabernacles school during the Hebrew month of Tishri which falls between September and October, and others are of the school of the Hebrew new year. 

Admittedly I was of the school of the feast of tabernacles before the writing of this piece began you know coming from the concept of how GOD will tabernacle with us here on earth and so on, note that this is not wrong per se you just have to come from a different viewpoint… well you would discover what I mean as we journey.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do YOUR will, O GOD.’  Hebrews 10:7

We would all agree on the fact that scripture written concerning CHRIST was brought to fulfilment throughout HIS life. After all, it was written JESUS did say this…

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. Matthew 3:15

When you search, you will find scattered all through the records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John statements that carry a key clause “that the scripture might be fulfilled” even to HIS death, 

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished and that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” John 19:28

Now then if we can establish the fact about HIS life and death, how about HIS birth? What scriptures did HE fulfil at HIS birth and how would this help us determine the date of HIS birth? 

Luke 2 | NKJV Bible | YouVersion

Come with me to a not-so-cold night, the stars are out in the sky, or probably not, as rains were about to fall. The freshly green-grown grass gently caressed the feet of three or some men, or probably not, as the ground was wet with showers from the heavens. The weather of that night is not definite, one thing we do know however is that shepherds watched their flock that night.

This feat is however impossible to carry out on a cold winter night as Israel is as cold as any other place in the world during the winter night.

This fact makes it quite improbable that the birth of the LORD occurred during winter because what exactly would shepherds be doing outside at night in the freezing cold?  watching their sheep eat snow while they all freeze to death? I don’t think so. This rules out December as the birth date of JESUS.

Deuteronomy 16:13-18 | NKJV Bible | YouVersion 

After reading through this passage, you would discover that there is a basic requirement for the feast of tabernacles, all males are required to be present in Jerusalem. When you read Luke 2 again you discover that a law had just been passed by Caesar Augustus that required all to go to the land of their origins for a census fulfilling the scripture of the place of CHRIST'S birth. 

One thing we know about the roman empire is that they tried as much as possible to respect the religions and cultures of the nations they colonized and allowed them to carry on their practices if they paid their taxes. This would beg the question of why Caesar Augustus would make that decree in Judea of all places at a time when their religious calendar would not permit it. 

Also, the calendar for the feast of tabernacles falls during autumn, and study.com tells us this

…the temperature grows colder, plants stop making food, animals prepare for the long months ahead, and daylight starts growing shorter…

·         Autumn facts - study.com

Pointing to the fact that shepherds are also not out during autumn as temperatures would most likely be unfavourable

This leads me to the conclusion that the feast of tabernacles would not be the time when Joseph would have to be required to be in Jerusalem by law when JESUS was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, not forgetting the shepherds of course. Therefore, disproving the feast of tabernacles as the birth date. 

When then, could be the birth of JESUS the CHRIST?

Well, don't get tired and keep up.

I would like to first and foremost point out that the coming of our LORD onto the earth should have the significance of a new beginning, a fresh start, a new age. After all, HE did come to make all old things pass away and bring in the reality of newness. The scripture did say;

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Let me ask you this. Are shepherds required to watch their flock by night all year round, or is there a set time and season for which it would be most reasonable to do so? And what season could be so crucial to a shepherd even more than their sleep and the season when they experience an increase in their flock? The “lambing season”.

The lambing season when new lambs are born, this was the period when shepherds would usually stay out to oversee their ewes put to bed and ensure that there are no complications.

A rather perfect time for the LAMB of GOD WHO taketh away the sins of the world to come into the scene no? 

So, what period in the year does this lambing season fall on exactly? It falls during the season of spring.

Then when is this on the Hebrew calendar and what is its significance? Spring begins in the Hebrew ninth of NISAN the first month of a new year (although some may argue that the beginning of the Hebrew year is Tishri, - at Rosh Hashanah - we should know that this is not biblically correct, a story for another time). The month of NISAN usually falls between mid-March and April on the Georgian calendar what does NISAN mean? It means beginning.

The Bible and especially the laws are given by GOD as a foreshadowing of what is/was to come. Next, I would be showing you some of these shadows (prophesies) that JESUS fulfilled through HIS life:

• On the day the Passover lamb is selected and taken home, Palm Sunday, the day the LAMB and SON of David triumphantly comes to HIS home Jerusalem.
• At Passover, HE dies.
• On the feast of the first fruits, HE rises. 

Now before I get carried away, we shall dive into the shadows that were fulfilled at HIS birth and the coincidences that are just too super to be ordinary coincidences. 

• It was prophesied that HE would be born in Bethlehem of Judea

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” Micah 5: 2 

• Now, what happens Jesus was born in Bethlehem because of the ordered census.
• at the time when it just so happens that the culture of the time in Israel allowed for the Passover Lambs to be specially reared in Bethlehem of Judea. So, I ask what are the chances for JESUS the LAMB of GOD to be born at the time when the Passover Lambs are born in the place where the Passover lambs were born? 
• The month of NISAN begins on the day the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt by the mighty hand of GOD. 
• JESUS was born in the month of NISAN, the month of beginning. 

• Now, remember I said previously that JESUS' birth will be the beginning of something new, the date of the birth of CHRIST was the beginning of the Hebrew new year but not just that it was the beginning of a new age, where the times are no longer counted as AD but now BC.

Join me next time as we look further into what makes me so sure of the date of HIS birth and why I think it is so important that we get the date right. 

Till then I remain your brother in HIS Vineyard; Praise Oluwawanibe