The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of the Messiah

#2 The Timing of Elisabeth and Mary’s Pregnancies

Luke 1:5, KJV - There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Zecharias was of the tribe of Levi, so he was a priest. He was assigned priestly duties during the course of Abia, which would have occurred in the Fourth Month of the Hebrew Calendar. We find this priestly responsibility in 1 Chronicles 23:3-6 and 1 Chronicles 24.

The Passover usually came around the end of March or the beginning of April by our modern calendars. So, the eighth course of "Abia," would have been expected to occur around the end of July (from mid-month to its end). It would have been after this that Zacharias returned home, and if conception happened shortly thereafter, John could be expected roughly nine months later, around March/April of the following year.

Elisabeth and Mary’s pregnancies are clearly defined as being 6 months apart. Mary’s pregnancy was 6 months behind her cousin Elisabeth. Since John was born in March/April, which is the first Hebrew Month Abib, this would mean that Jesus was born 6 months later in September/October, which would be Tishri, the Seventh Month on the Hebrew Calendar.

When we look at the precepts in the Old Testament, to support the claim that Jesus was born on the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, we find several indicators to support this claim:

Leviticus 23:34, 39 KJV - 34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month [shall be] the feast of tabernacles [for] seven days unto YHWH. ... 39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto YHWH seven days: on the first day [shall be] a sabbath, and on the eighth day [shall be] a sabbath.

1.      Leviticus 12:2-4 KJV Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.  (3)  And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.  (4)  And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.

a.Luke 1:57-60 KJV Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.  (58)  And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.  (59)  And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.  (60)  And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

b.       Luke 2:21-23 KJV - 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to YHWH; 23 (As it is written in the law of YHWH, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to YHWH;) (33 days)

c.       Luke 3:21-23 KJV - 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age…

d.       Jesus’ Public Ministry was about 3 ½ years long (see link below) He was 33 yrs old.

 i.      There was a Passover in Jerusalem at the start of his public ministry (John 2:13, John 2:23).

 ii.     There was a Passover in Galilee midway through his public ministry (John 6:4).

 iii.    There was a final Passover in Jerusalem at the end of his public ministry, that is, the time of his crucifixion (John 11:55; John 12:1)

Jesus is the Most High YHWH in the Flesh

In Exodus 24 -26, we come across a scene in which the glory of the Most High God (YHWH or YAH for short) abode upon Mount Sinai, and during a period of 40 days and 40 nights He gave Moses instruction to speak unto the children of Israel to make offerings unto Him and to build a sanctuary/tabernacle for the glory of the Most High YHWH to dwell among them.

When we read the New Testament, we learn that Jesus is the tabernacle that “tabernacled” with us. The Hebrew word for Tabernacle is Mishkan (Strong’s H4908), which literally means “a dwelling place”. The Tabernacle was a temporary place for the glory of YHWH to dwell in. Let’s take a look at some scripture that describes Jesus as the Tabernacle of YHWH:

Matthew 1:23 NKJV - 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (EL short for ELOHIM translates to God in English)

Colossians 1:15 -17 KJV He is the image of the invisible God (ELOHIM), the firstborn of every creature:  (16)  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  (17)  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

John 1:1 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (ELOHIM), and the Word was God (ELOHIM). 

John 1:14 KJV And the Word was made 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.

2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV For God (ELOHIM), who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (ELOHIM) in the face of Jesus Christ (YAHUSHUA the Messiah).

The Body is a Tabernacle/Temple/Sanctuary of ELOHIM

John 2:19-21 KJV -  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  (20)  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?  (21)  But he spake of the temple of his body.

1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV -  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God (ELOHIM), and ye are not your own?

The Day of First Fruits is the True Day of Christ’s Resurrection

In 1 Corinthians 15:4, Paul writes that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. Yet, what Old Testament text predicted a third day resurrection?  Well, by calling Christ’s resurrection a firstfruit, Paul echoes Leviticus 23.

Leviticus 23:9–14 (ESV): 9 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before YHWH, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to YHWH. 13 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to YHWH with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your ELOHIM: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

You can see how Leviticus 23:9-14 is an Old Testament text that pointed to Jesus’s resurrection on the third day.