The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me because the LORD has annointed Me to preach good news to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted; to proclaim freedom to the captives and the opening of the prisons to those who are captive; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengance of our God; to comfort all those who mourn; to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

1 - The Word became flesh and dwelt among us


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. [John 1:1, 14]
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God became man and dwelt among us. This is the most amazing event in the history of man. This event is the stuff of legends, of ancient mythology. But in fact, it is the center piece of all human history as well as the foundational belief of Christianity and if true, all mankind needs to investigate it. So in these opening chapters we are going to examine the how, the where, the why and the when of this great event. We will look to ancient writings contained within the Bible written thousands of years ago which describe in detail and in advance this great event. We will look to the writings of eyewitnesses to this great event which describe the fulfillment of these ancient prophecies.

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The most famous ancient writing is a prophecy written by the prophet Isaiah that describes the coming of our Lord. Isaiah records a conversation between the LORD and a doubting evil king named Ahaz. The Lord speaks to this king of doubt Ahaz and says, “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven”.[1]

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I love this, God says, “Make your request for a sign as deep as Hell or as high as the heaven.” Now the bible describes hell as the bottomless pit, so there is nothing deeper than Sheol because nothing is deeper than a bottomless pit. And at the same time God says, or ask for a sign as high as heaven. We know there is no place higher than the place where God resides. So this king of doubt is told by God, “Ask for the greatest of all signs a sign as deep as anything imaginable, or a sign as high as anything possible."

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God tells this king of doubt Ahaz, “Ask for an impossible sign?” Ahaz being no dummy says, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!”[2] I can hear God saying these words, “It’s too late to apologize! It’s too late!”[3] God says to Ahaz, 'You have tried the patience of men, Now try the patience of God.'[4]

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Then the most famous of all signs of the coming of our God and our King is given. It is a sign as high as the heavens and as deep as hell. The greatest and most famous of signs; “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Emmanuel.”[5] Matthew tells us that the name Emmanuel literally means and translates as “God with us”.[6]

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This sign given by the Lord Himself. The virgin was with child, a manchild. Calling Him a child speaks to His humanity. But the text doesn’t stop there, it says, she will bear or carry a son, revealing of His title and place in the Godhead as the Son of God, speaking of His Divinity. Miraculously Divinity and humanity were fussed together in the womb of the virgin named Mary.

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This one prophecy by itself being fulfilled should be enough for the whole world to shout, “Hallelujah!” But God did not just give one sign. He gave hundreds signs that foretold the coming of God in human flesh all fulfilled in one person. But this one was surely the greatest sign.

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I have never heard of any other person than Jesus of Nazareth who was born miraculously of a virgin. I’m not talking about a virgin who man implanted an embryo by in vitro-fertilization. I am talking an untouched virgin, who herself could not believe it. The angel who told this virgin the news had to remind her that “Nothing is impossible for God”.[7]

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The impossible sign fulfilled by God Himself, for nothing too high for God or too low for God, nothing is impossible for God! God didn’t sneak down to earth and leave without a trace. Signs and wonders foretold His coming and we have a fingerprint of His coming. We will examine the evidence and put together this great puzzle.

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The Glory of the Latter shall be Greater

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The Prophet Haggai brings one of the great and most unbelievable prophesies of the Old Testament. In this prophecy, the LORD of hosts declares that the glory of the latter temple shall be greater than that of the former temple. This may not seem like some great or unbelievable claim except I need to tell you about the former temple (called Temple of Solomon) and the latter temple (called Herod's Temple).

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The former or the first temple was constructed by King Solomon. He had some 183,000 men working on the temple. He used some 1,000,000 talents of silver and some 100,000 talents of gold, each talent weighing about 75 pounds each. This means that the first temple of the LORD contained some 135 billion dollars worth of silver and gold. Just so you can wrap your mind around this super expensive glorious house of the Lord. 135 billion dollars is enough money to construct the ‘Burj Dubai’[8] the largest building in the world 33 times.

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No wonder this temple built by Solomon was called by some the "Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World". Now that you have some understanding of the cost and expense of the first temple, not to mention all the temple instruments made of silver and gold including the Ark of the Covenant. God Himself dwelt in this first temple and His glory filled this temple. Let's now take a look at the second or latter temple.

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The second or latter temple constructed after the return from exile in Babylon had no Ark of the Covenant. It is said in the Talmud that daily miracles ceased in the second temple. There were not 183,000 workers to rebuild this second temple. In fact Ezra records that only 56,000 Jews returned from Babylon. They did not have all the Silver and Gold which David had saved up and given to his son Solomon to build the first temple. This second temple was so unimpressive that Herod spent 46 years remodeling and giving a face lift to this second temple, hence the name given to this second temple, Herod's Temple. So the question has to be is, "How is the glory of this latter or second temple greater than the first?"

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Let's read the passage then answer this question; "For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts... The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts."[9]

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First Haggai prophesies that in a little while, the LORD is going to shake things up, in heaven and on the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. God is going to shake all the nations, because the desire of all the nations is coming. What is the desire of all the nations? The desire is none other than the Messiah, a savior of all people and all nations. The desire of all the nations is the Word of God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The LORD says, "I will fill this house with glory."

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This is exactly what John records in his gospel, "And the Word was made flesh (made into a temple of flesh), and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."[10] This latter temple whose glory that would be greater than the temple built by Solomon was none other than a temple of flesh concieved in a womb of a virgin.

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Jesus confirms this himself when challenged by what authority He does the things that He does. They challenged Jesus to show them a sign. "Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Destroy this temple; and in three days I will raise it up.' Then said the Jews, 'It took Forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body."[11]

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This latter or second temple was the body of Christ. Jesus was speaking of Himself being that temple of God. The writer of Colossians writes that it pleased the Father that all the fullness of God dwelt in Him.[12] Daily miracles returned in this second temple. Peter tells us that even the very blood of Jesus was of more value than the 200 billion dollars worth of silver and gold writing; "Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."[13]

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The glory of the latter temple turned out to be greater than the first temple, as we have beheld the glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John records that when Jesus was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said that He would "raise this temple in three days" and "they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken."[14]

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What Scripture did they believe? Haggai 2:9 which says, that the glory of the latter temple would be greater than the glory of the former temple.

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The Desire of all the Nations shall come

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“And the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.”[15]

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The desire of all the nations is none other than the Messiah. Daniel helps to confirm the desire being Jesus when he describes the ‘antichrist’ as not “regarding the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women.”[16] What is the desire of women? The desire of women is the “seed of the woman” that will “bruise the head of the seed of the serpent.”[17] This cosmic war declared in Genesis 3 finding its conclusion in Revelation 20 is between the Devil and his seed and the LORD and the seed of the woman. Jesus is the desire of women because it would be a woman that would carry this special seed and not a man.

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The woman turned out to be Mary who was espoused to Joseph although she had not known him ‘physically’. Mary would carry the Son a man-child who scripture reveals is the stone cut out of a mountain without hands.[18] Jesus is also called in scripture the stone which the builders rejected.[19]

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This stone is tied to the prophet Haggai’s revelation that the Glory of the second temple would be greater than the first, as the desire of all the nations shall come and the Lord shall fill the house with His glory. Haggai later writes, “In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet saying… And now, I pray you, Consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD… Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid Consider it”[20]

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What are we to consider? The Lord tells us to consider three times over four verses, what does He want us to consider? Consider, even from the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid. Consider from this day onward. Consider thinking about this all when the foundation of this second temple is laid. The foundation is the foundation of a human body. What is the foundation of a human body? Conception!

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“Is the seed yet in the barn?”[21] What seed? The seed of the woman, the desire of women, the desire of all the nations, is that seed yet in the barn? This 24th day of the ninth month the foundation of the second temple is laid as the seed is implanted into a woman named Mary. The Hebrew word for barn is a feminine word which is a temporary abode for seed. Is not a womb a feminine word which is a temporary abode for seed?

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“Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth; from this day I will bless you.”[22] The vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, none of these has brought forth fruit. These reference to the kings of Israel, the nation of Israel, the priests of Israel, and the witnesses of Israel prospectively and none of these has brought forth fruit, but from this very day I will bless you.

Consider the first coming of our Lord on the eve of the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, the light of the world was conceived in the virgin womb of Mary as the Holy Spirit of God overshadowed her. Consider it, the desire of all women and of all the nations, the seed of a woman, the chief cornerstone, the foundation was laid on the four and twentieth day of the ninth month.

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Signs in the heavens as to an appearing

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The Prophet Haggai gives us a prophecy concerning the date of conception of Messiah Jesus. But it is John the revelator who gives us the description of the signs in the heavens that appeared at the time Jesus was born.

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"And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth... And she gave birth to a Son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne."[23]

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On the fourth day of creation, "God made two great lights, the greater light to govern the day (the Sun), and the lesser light to govern the night (the Moon); He made stars also."[24]

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"God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them (the Sun, Moon and stars) be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years."[25]

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The Sun, Moon, and stars are to be for signs and seasons. The Hebrew word here for signs is a sign as to an appearing or a coming. While the Hebrew word for seasons means an appointed time. So the Sun, Moon and stars are for signs of an appearing or coming at an appointed time.

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Hence, "When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman."[26] The Lord has revealed these signs of His birth hidden in the Book of Revelation. Let walk through the signs described by John and then answer the question of when did this sign take place?

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First, it is a sign that appeared in heaven, the second heaven which holds the Sun, Moon, and stars. The sign is a woman clothed with the sun. We know this set of stars as Virgo the virgin. The virgin is holding a branch in one hand and an ear of corn in the other. The LORD put a picture of the virgin Mary in the heavens. The brightest star in the constellation Virgo is Al Zimach or Tsemech in the Hebrew both hold the meaning of the branch.

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I want to note here that the Hebrew word Tsemech (Strong's number 6780) appears four different times in the Old Testament each in reference to Messiah the Branch. (Isaiah 4:2 He is the Branch of the LORD; Jeremiah 23:5 He is the Branch will reign as King; Zechariah 3:8 He is My servant the Branch; Zechariah 6:2 He is a man whose name is Branch) Each of these point to the four gospels; Matthew, Messiah is King; Mark; Messiah the servant; Luke, Messiah the man; John, Messiah is God.

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This great sign of a woman clothed with the sun happens once a year during the Hebrew month of Tishri or on our calendars between latter part of August and the first half of September. We know from Isaiah 40:26 that the Lord knows each of these stars by name and not one of these stars or constellations is out of place.

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Secondly, the moon is at the feet of the woman while she is clothed with the Sun. This happen only one day a year. The sign would take place as the sun sets below the horizon and a crescent moon appears. The sighting of the new crescent moon would begin a new month and in this month a new year. The 1st of Tishri is celebrated as the "Feast of Trumpets" or Rosh Hashanah the Head of the Year.

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Rosh Hashanah is celebrated with the blowing of trumpets which were also used to herald a new king. This is also by Jewish tradition the anniversary of the date that the first adam was created. So isn't it fitting that the last Adam would be born on the same date.

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"So also it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit... The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven."[27]

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Although Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as the Head of the Year, it is actually the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. This means that conception took place, according to Haggai on the ninth month and the twenty-fourth day and birth some 271 days later on the first day of the seventh month.

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Amazingly the Hebrew word for pregnancy or conception, Herayown, has a gematria of 271. (Gematria just means the numberical value which each Hebrew letter has added together to a total.) In this case, Herayown (Strongs Number 2032), is spelled in Hebrew, Hey, Resh, Yod, Vav, Nun each having numerical values of 5, 200, 10, 6, and 50 respectively, which add up to 271. The conception of the Hebrew Messiah on the 24th of Kislev until His birth on the 1st of Tishri, 271 days later on the Hebrew calendar which 271 is the Gematria of the Hebrew word for conception or pregnancy (probably not a coincidence).

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Signs that led the Magi to Jerusalem

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By decoding the signs described in Matthew to those of Haggai and John we come up with a day and year of this great sign, because, remember these signs in the sun, moon and stars are for signs as to an appearing and for seasons as to an appointed time and for days and years.[28]

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"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him'."[29]

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The Magi stated, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him." First, question, "Who would come and worship a Jewish King and who are these Magi or wise men? The only people who would come worship a Jewish King are Jews, so these wise men had to be of Jewish decent and I believe they are.

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In the second chapter of Daniel, the Jewish prophet who was carried off to Babylon, Daniel is promoted by King Nebuchadnezzar to "chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon."[30] Daniel who was credited with interpreting dreams and signs in his lifetime was made chief of a group of wise men whose descendants some hundreds of years later would travel the seven hundred miles to herald the Jewish King.

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Daniel knew the prophecy from to Torah which says, "A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel."[31] But Daniel must have gotten a deeper revelation as to what this star would be, or what to look for, because almost six hundred years passed before wise men headed to Jerusalem, knowing they had seen the star of the birth of a king.

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What sign in the heavens brought Magi from the east to Jerusalem? It had to be something that appeared quite normal in the heavens except to these Magi, as Herod asked "them the time the star appeared?"[32] The star also appeared to transverse the heavens compared to the background stars, then appears to come to a stop, as recorded by Matthew. "And lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was."[33]

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The only star that can wander the heavens and then appear to stop is a planet. In fact the name planet actually means "wandering star". A planet can make such movements through the heavens where it moves through a background of stars then appears to stop and go into another direction (This is explained by retrograde motion).

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The "king planet" Jupiter circles the circuit of the heavens once every twelve years so a conjunction occurs between the "king planet" Jupiter and the 'king star" Regulus (located in the constellation Leo). Strangely in the fall of 3 B.C. through the spring of 2 B.C. this occurred not once but three times. In fact, it appeared as if the "king planet" Jupiter crowned the "king star" Regulus. These three conjunctions must have been the sign or at least part of the sign that the wise men were looking for.

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The first of the three conjunctions occurred on September 14, 3 B.C. followed by two more, one on February 18, 2 B.C. and lastly on May 8, 2 B.C. Next time I want to examine the other sign in the heavens between the king planet and the mother planet that also occurred three times and must have sent the wise men on their way for a rendezvous with the toddler king Jesus.

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The Star of Bethlehem Revealed

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The wise men were lead to Jerusalem the capital of Israel by comic signs in the heavens. Three conjunctions between the king star 'Regulus' and the king planet 'Jupiter' where bookended by three conjunctions between the mother planet 'Venus' and the king planet 'Jupiter'.

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This first conjunction of Venus and Jupiter took place on August 12, 3 B.C., just 33 days prior to the first of three conjunctions between the king planet and the king star on September 14, 3 B.C. The distance of separation was just over the width of the moon as it appears in the heavens. This first conjunction appeared in the east in the evening sky.

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Ten months later the second conjunction took place in the morning sky appearing in the west from the perspective of the Magi. This conjunction was so close it was impossible for the naked eye to distinguish the two objects. These two planets appeared as one bright star. This close of a conjunction takes place only once every 1.4 million years, not something you see every day. This second conjunction took place on June 17, 2 B.C. just 40 days after the third conjunction between the king planet and the king star.

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Finally in the east in the evening sky Jupiter came into a third conjunction with Venus in early September of 2 B.C. Three conjunctions between the king planet and the king star, bookended by three conjunctions between the mother planet and the king planet and in the middle of all that the closest and brightest conjunction ever! As Jupiter passed Venus in the evening sky in the east, Jupiter began a three and a half month journey across the night sky heading from east to west until it came to a stop over Bethlehem (as seen from Jerusalem) and turned back to the east.

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If the Magi had waited until all three conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus plus all the conjunctions between Jupiter and Venus before following the "wandering star", the planet Jupiter from the east to the west, then sometime in the fall of 2 B.C. they would have headed for Jerusalem in search of the king of the Jews.

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The Magi admit that they "saw His star in the east"[34] and that the star "went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was."[35] We understand that the signs in the heavens appeared within the last two years of their arrival as Herod ended up killing "all the male children who were in Bethlehem, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi."[36]

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This means that signs in the heavens first appeared less than two years earlier. That the star appeared to travel across the heaven from the east then appeared to stop over the city of Bethlehem as viewed from Jerusalem. Jupiter would have ended its 3 1/2 month journey across the heavens in the early morning hours of December 25, 2 B.C. standing still in the heavens over Bethlehem.

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Jesus would have been 15 and a half months old as He would have been born September 11, 3 B.C. on the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah of 3 B.C. as described in the book of Revelation, "A woman clothed with the sun and the moon at her feet and she cried out in pain as to give birth."[37]

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Amazingly, although Christmas is incorrectly celebrated as the birthday of Jesus Christ, on December 25, 2 BC Magi brought gifts to the Child King Jesus making it the first Christmas.

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Signs for days and months and years

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I have laid out the dates for the conception of Jesus through the date when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt and presented himself as King. Let's review the important dates in the life of Jesus.

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Conception 24th of Keslev, Eve of Hanukkah (Festival of Lights), 4 B.C.[38]

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Birth 1st of Tishri, Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year), Sept. 11, 3 B.C.[39]

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First Christmas coincidently celebrated when ‘Wise men’ arrive in Bethlehem and present Jesus with gifts, December 25, 2 B.C.[40]

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Ministry of Jesus begins at about 30 years of age,[41] in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar.[42] [Augustus Cesar died in Aug. of 14 A.D.] The 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar would have been from Aug of 28 A.D. through Aug. of 29 A.D. Jesus would have turned 30 in September of 28 A.D. during the beginning of the 15th year of Tiberius Cesar's reign.

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Baptism of Jesus, fall of 28 A.D. most likely three weeks after His birthday as every Jew needed to present himself in Jerusalem for Feast of Tabernacles, Tishri 15-22nd, and after His baptism Jesus was lead to the wilderness for 40 days.[43]

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Jesus presented as King, Palm Sunday Nisan 10, 32 A.D. as prophesied by Daniel, the 173,880 day from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.[44]

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Jesus crucified, Thursday Nisan 14, 32 A.D. and died at 3:00 p.m. Feast of Passover.

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First day Jesus is in the tomb, Friday Nisan 15, 32 A.D. on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is a Sabbath.
[45]

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Second day Jesus is in the tomb, Saturday Nisan 16, 32 A.D. which is the weekly Jewish Sabbath.[46]

On the third day Jesus is raised from the dead, Nisan 17, Sunday, Feast of First Fruits[47] becoming the First Fruits of the resurrection.[48]

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The text of Matthew 28:1 in the original Greek should read; "After the Sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week..." Hence, Jesus is crucified on Thursday, then there are two Sabbaths (Friday and Saturday), then Jesus is raised on the third day, Sunday.

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Then 50 days later, when the feast of Pentecost had fully come in 32 A.D. the Holy Spirit is poured out on 120 believers in Jerusalem.[49]

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Dec. of 4 B.C. – Conception

Sept. 11, 3 B.C. – Birth

Dec. 25, 2 B.C. - Magi bring gifts and celebrate 1st Christmas (Jesus is 15 and a half months old)

1 B.C. Jesus turns 2 yrs old and family flees to Egypt

No year ZERO on Calendar

1 A.D. Jesus turns 3 yrs old

10 A.D. Jesus turns 12 yrs old

11 A.D. Passover Jesus is 12 1/2 and Jesus teaches in the temple[50]

28 A.D. Jesus turns 30 yrs old is baptized and begins ministry

32 A.D. Jesus would have turned 34 in the fall but was crucified in the spring at 33 1/2 yrs old after a 3 1/2 yr ministry

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Conclusion

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Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! Biblical prophecy along with historical records and astronomical signs in the heavens confirm the exact dates of every major event in the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. However, this book cannot just be about the wow’s of prophesies that are revealed and decoded.

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The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The glory of the second temple turned out to be greater than the glory of the first temple. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”[51] The King of the universe became the sacrifice for all mankind.

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Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”[52] All of us have been born once, in the image and likeness of sinful Adam. We have all been born into a sin nature, all of us a product of the seed of Adam. Except one Jesus was born not of the seed of Adam but by the Spirit of God.

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Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”[53] All of us have been born of water, our mother’s water broke and we were born. However, Jesus spoke of another birth, being born again. Not reentering our mother’s womb again but born first of the water and then being born secondly of the Spirit.

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Jesus was the only one birthed by the Spirit. I should say the first one birthed by the Spirit. The same angel that announced to Daniel the prophecy concerning seventy weeks[54] also announced the miraculous birth of our King to Mary.

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“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, ‘Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”[55]

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Jesus was not born by the blood of a man, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but born of God. “It was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in (Jesus).”[56] Any who desire to enter the kingdom of heaven must be born again, but this time born of the Spirit of God.

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We have a promise how we can be reborn, “But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He (Jesus) gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name (the name of Jesus), who were born (born again) not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”[57]

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Once this miracle birth takes place within us we begin the process where we “are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”[58] The key to understanding who God is and finding a relationship with Him is found in and through receiving Jesus and believing in His name.

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This relationship between God and man was lost in one garden and rebuilt in another garden. What was lost at one tree was redeemed at another tree. What man could not do for himself, God came and did for him. This is the story told by the Bible. It’s God’s story. He wrote it. The story is about Him. It’s a story that once you come to understand it will cause you to worship God as never before.

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Over the next three chapters we will examine why Jesus came and how the incarnation of God in human flesh was veiled from His very people. The mystery of His coming has been hidden right under our noses. If you don’t know the Lord, take time to find Him while He can be found. If you already know Him take time right now and worship, the one who was and is and is to come.

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[1] Isaiah 7:11

[2] Isaiah 7:12

[3] Lyrics “Apologize” by One Republic Ship

[4] Paraphrase of Isaiah 7:13

[5] Isaiah 7:14

[6] Matthew 1:23

[7] Luke 1:37

[8] Wikipedia, Burj Dubai is being built at a cost of $4.1 Billion

[9] Haggai 2:6-7, 9

[10] John 1:14

[11] John 2:19-21

[12] Colossians 1:19

[13] 1 Peter 1:18-19

[14] John 2:22

[15] Haggai 2:7

[16] Daniel 11:37

[17] Genesis 3:15

[18] Daniel 2:45

[19] Psalm 118:22

[20]Haggai 2:19

[21] Haggai 2:19

[22] Haggai 2:19

[23] Revelation 12:1-2, 5 Emphasis Added

[24] Genesis 1:16 Clarification Added

[25] Genesis 1:14 Clarification Added Emphasis Added

[26] Galatians 4:4

[27] 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47

[28] Genesis 1:14

[29] Matthew 2:1-2

[30] Daniel 2:48

[31] Numbers 24:17

[32] Matthew 2:7

[33] Matthew 2:9

[34] Matthew 2:2

[35] Matthew 2:9

[36] Matthew 2:16

[37] Revelation 12:1-2

[38] Haggai 2:10-18

[39] Revelation 12:1-2, 5

[40] Confirmed by signs and wonders in the heavens

[41] Luke 3:23

[42] Luke 3:1

[43] Luke 4:1-2

[44] Daniel 9:24-25, Luke 19:42-44

[45] Leviticus 23:6-7

[46] Leviticus 23:3

[47] Leviticus 23:10-11

[48] 1 Corinthians 15:23

[49] Acts 2:1

[50] Luke 2:41-52

[51] John 2:19

[52] John 3:3

[53] John 3:5

[54] Daniel 9:21

[55] Luke 1:21-36

[56] Colossians 1:19

[57] John 1:12-13

[58] 2 Corinthians 2:18

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