Could Hanukkah be the time of the conception
of the Lord Jesus and the Feast of Tabernacles in September be the actual birth
of our Lord and Saviour?
I have not truly celebrated Christmas
for many years now because I know that it is not the birth of the Lord Jesus
Christ, in fact I think we all know that, but rather it is a pagan feast and
ritual from the master copier, none other than Satan himself!
The date on which we now celebrate the birth of Jesus was adopted by the
Christian Church as late as the fourth century and his birthday is not
mentioned in Scripture at all.
This date was first observed in 336 AD, some 24
years after the Roman emperor Constantine established Christianity as the state
religion. Apparently, Pope Julius I chose to replace the pagan winter solstice
feast in honour of Mithra, the “Unconquered Sun,” that had been officially
recognized by the emperor Aurelian in 274 AD. From Rome, the new feast
celebrating the birthday of the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) spread to
all other churches. And Horus was born of the virgin mother Isis at the winter solstice of Demeber 25th (as below).
As many Christians are aware, the
modern Christmas celebration combines many strands of tradition including the
ancient Roman pagan festival of Saturnalia (merrymaking, exchange of presents),
the old Germanic midwinter customs (Yule log, decorating evergreen trees), the
tradition of Francis of Assisi (displaying the crib, or crèche of Jesus), the
medieval feast of St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas in Dutch, hence “Santa Claus”), and
the British sending of greeting cards (1840s). The Puritan pilgrims did not
celebrate Christmas because of its many unbiblical associations. The holiday
was officially recognised in the United States in 1870.
However, I do not want to cover old ground and write about the pagan
winter festival. You are probably familiar with all that anyway. I am writing
because I think that The Hebrews, the Israelites, and many others in the Middle
East, think differently from us in the West, and in particular when it comes to
births and conceptions. So that celebrating a birthday for them is not about
the baby being born, but being conceived. I am told that in the Jewish culture
of Jesus’s day, the day you were conceived was actually considered your
birthday.
Most of us know that Jesus could not
have been born “in the bleak midwinter” because the sheep were still out in the
pastures, but perhaps he was conceived at that time? Surely a more reasonable
date for the conception of Jesus would have been Hanukkah, a celebration of
dedication and victory, when miraculous light fills the temple!
WHAT IS HANUKKAH?
The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish rebellion, lasting from 167 to 160 BC,
led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and the Hellenistic influence
on Jewish life.
According to the Talmud, a late text, the defiled
Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned there for
eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day’s
lighting.
This event is now celebrated as Hanukkah which is
observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev
according to the Hebrew calendar. It may occur at any time from late November
to late December in the Gregorian calendar.
The name “Hanukkah” derives from the
Hebrew verb “to
dedicate“. But it has also been rendered as “they rested on the
twenty-fifth”, referring to the fact that the Jews ceased fighting on the 25th day of
Kislev, the day on which the holiday begins.
Consider the possibility that Jesus might have been conceived at that
time, and we could easily come to the conclusion that Jesus was conceived at
Hanukkah, and born nine months later at the Hebrew feast of Tabernacles which
means God tabernacling or meeting and living with his people.
Can the idea of Jesus’ conception on 25th Kislev be supported by
scripture? Yes. The Bible also leads us to another conclusion, that the actual
birth of Jesus into this world happened during the Feast of Tabernacles in
September – a time of rejoicing to celebrate “God With Us”.
A study of the time of the conception
of John the Baptist reveals he was conceived about Sivan 30, the eleventh week
(Luke 1:8-13, 24). Adding forty weeks for a normal pregnancy reveals that John
the Baptist was born on or about Passover (Nisan 14). Six months after John’s
conception, Mary conceived Jesus (Luke 1:26-33); therefore Jesus would have
been conceived six months after Sivan 30 in the month of Kislev—Hanukkah.
Was the “light of the world,”
conceived on the Festival of Lights [Hanukkah]? Starting at Hanukkah, which
begins on Kislev 25 and continues for eight days, and counting through the nine
months of Mary’s pregnancy, one arrives at the approximate time of the birth of
Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles.
These facts would be much more in keeping with the prophecies of the
birth of the Messiah, certainly much more relevant than the old pagan winter
festivals of Rome. Naturally, there is much discussion and debate about the
exact facts, with some disputing the Hanukkah conception, and some disputing
the timing. But overall there is consensus among scholars about the scriptures.
Respected theologian Dr E.W. Bullinger (above) in the Companion Bible writes:
“It appears without a shadow of a doubt that the day assigned to the
birth of the Lord Jesus, i.e December 25th, was the day on which he “was
begotten of the Holy Ghost” i.e by “pneuma hagion” or Divine Power as in Matthew
1:18-20. This leads us to His actual birth on the 15th of Ethanin or
to us September 29th in the year following. Thus making it
beautifully clear the meaning of John 1:14 – “The Word became Flesh and tabernacled
with us” (Matt 1:18-20 again).
An overwhelmingly strong argument in favour of
the correctness of this view lies in the fact that the date of “the festival of
Michael and all Angels” has been from very early times the 29th day
of September, on Gentile or Western reckoning” (CB Appendix 179 Dates of the Begetting
of Our Lord).
Another highly esteemed theologian Matthew Henry (below) wrote:
“It is supposed by many that our
blessed Saviour was born much about the time of this holiday; then He left his
mansions of light above to tabernacle among us (John 1:14), and he dwelt in booths.
And the worship of God under the New Testament is prophesied of under the
notion of keeping the Feast of Tabernacles (Zec.14: 16).”
The most sure way of discovering the truth is by using, as stated above, the
birth of John the Baptist as a time-marker. When Zechariah was ministering in
the temple, he received an announcement from God of a coming son. The eighth
course of Abia, when Zechariah was ministering, was the week of Sivan 12 to 18.
Adding forty weeks for a normal pregnancy reveals that John the Baptist
was born on or about Passover (Nisan 14). Six months after John’s conception,
Mary conceived Jesus (Luke 1:26-33). Therefore, Jesus would have been conceived
six months later in the month of Kislev. Kislev 25 is Hanukkah. From this date,
counting the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy, one arrives at the approximate
time of the birth of Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles (the early fall of
the year).
During the Feast of Tabernacles, God
required all male Jews to come to Jerusalem. The many pilgrims coming to Jerusalem
for the festivals would spill over to the surrounding towns (Bethlehem is about
five miles from Jerusalem). Joseph and Mary were unable to find a room at the
inn because of the influx of so many pilgrims.
“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 (Luke 2:7).”
They may have been given shelter in a Sukkah, which is built during a
seven-day period each year accompanying the celebration of the Feast of
Tabernacles. Due to the difficulties during travel, it was common for the
officials to declare tax time during a temple feast (Luke 2:1).
The fields would have been dotted with Sukkoths during this harvest time
to temporary shelter animals. The Hebrew word “stable” is called a Sukkoth
(Gen. 33:17).
Was Yeshua’s conception prophesied in the
Scriptures? Was this around what we now call the Hanukkah? For the human life
of the Son of God began at His conception! Yes! It is found in the book of
Haggai (about 520 B.C.):
“Consider now from this day and upward, from the
four and twentieth day of the ninth month, (the Hebrew ninth month is the month
of Kislev), even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s Temple was
laid, consider it … from this day I will bless you.” (Haggai 2:18,19).
His True Birthday
So, to conclude, His true birthday was the 29th of September during the Feast of Tabernacles, when He became "the water of life and the light of the world" (as below).
And most probably we can celebrate the season of December 25th because
it occurs during the Feast of Hanukkah when He was conceived. Perhaps there
really is a “reason for the season” and we can celebrate the birth of Jesus
(his conception that is) if we remember that it is Hanukkah, and not the
artificial festival today known as Christmas that is a real reason for our hope
and joy.
And, in fixing upon that date instead of 25th December in the world, we
can maybe avoid the worst of the paganism and excesses that the world has recreated
around its modern-day Saturnalia.
And remember that our Lord
was actually born into this world of ours on the 29th September,
during The Feast of Tabernacles when He visited us in person and made His home
with us for around thirty three years.
Maranatha Blessings,
Nev.
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