Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-02-02
HIS VIEWS CONCERNING
DATE OF cHRlST'S BIRTH

EDITOR NEWS.
Noting Mr.. R. D. Layne's inquiry
regarding our Lords birthdate, and a,
few Christians are aware that this
date is clearly marked in the Scrip
lures, would like to answer Mr..
Layne's query. giving Bible proof, as
it would perhaps be new to many Of
your readers.
The Bible proof is strong and clear
that Jesus was born about October 1st,
B. C.ss.--..It is commonly conceded
that his earthly ministry lasted three
and half years. The sixty-nine sym
bolic weeks ofs.years recorded by Dan.
9:24-27, reached to his baptism and an
ointing as Messiah, and in the midst
Of the SEVENTEEN week lof Israel 5
special fayorl be was" cutoff. three
and 9 half years from the beginning
of his ministry. As is, perhaps, we'll
known, he was crucified at the time of
the Jewish Passover. about April 1st,
whatever the year. The three and a
half years of his ministry. which ended
at the cross in April must therefore
have begun about October, whatever
the year. So, then, October of some
year was in reality the true month of
his birth. because he promptly began
his ministry as soon as he was thirty
years of age, which under the Jewish
law he could not do before he was
thirty, as we read, that when "Jesus
began to be about thirty years of
age" he was baptized and anointed
and began to preach. Luke 3:23;
Matt. AN; Jno. 1929. 43.
John the Baptist was six months old
er than Jesus, Luke :26. 36, etc. J
and began to preach just six months
before Jesus became of age and began
his ministry. Johns ministry is
clearly stated to have begun in the
fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar the third emperor of Rome,
luke 3:t. This is a we'll established
date of which there can be no reason
able doubt. Tiberius succeeded Au-
gustus Caesar in the year of Rome
767, which was the year A. D. IA.
The fifteenth year of.his reign would
therefore be A. d. 80, when as Luke
says, John began to preach. Since Je-
sus' thirtieth birthday and the opening
of bis ministry, were in October, and
since Johns birthday and his preach
ing were in each instance six months
earlier. it follows that John began to
preach in the spring about April 1st--
just as soon as he was of age; not be-
fore. So, then, John was thirty years
old in A. d. 80, about April 1st.
And Jesus birthday about six months
later must have been about B. G. 2,
about October 1st.
The above is clear, and strong, but
we have additional proof that Jesus
was crucified on Friday, April 3rd,
A. d. 49, His crucifixi on occurred at
the time of the Passover, at the close
of the fourteenth day of the month
Nissan (Jewish time), corresponding to
April, and though this date rarely
falls on Friday, it did so in A. D. 33,
and establishes that date 80 fully that
even Usher, who adopted B. Q. A as
The year OF Jesus birth was forced to
admit that his crucifixion was A. d.
3d. Note Usher's dates and compare
them at Luke 2:2t and Matt 2:1 with
those at Matt. 81 and Luke 90.
Thus it is again proven that Jesus
birth was about one year and three
months before our common era A. ID.
|, for his ministry ending when he
was thirty three and half years old
April 3rd, A. d. 33, the date of his
birth is found by measuring backward
10 date thirty three and half years
,rior to April 3rd, A. ID. 33. Thirty
wo years and three months before
April A. d. 33 would be Jan. 3rd, A.
}. 1, and one year and three months
urther back would bring us to Octo-
,er Bird, B. G. Q, as the date of Jesus
firth at Bethlehem.
Nine months further back would
ring us to about Christmas time as
he date at which our Lord as the
'Logos", laid aside his glory which
10 had with the Father before the
world was made John 17:15), and was
onceived by the Virgin Mary, to be
orn man and become our Redeem
r. Some have claimed that Christ
nas was originally celebrated as the
ate of the Annunciaticn by Gabriel
o Mary. Luke 1:26.
The above is almost complete and
onclusive. Only those who try to
lace Jesus birth at B. G. A. and
vho try to establish Herod's death by
osephus' dates could seriously find
ault with it, but Josephus is insccur-
te in his dates. In some instances
ome of them would teach that Herod
led B. C. A, but others are not in
armony. For instance, Herod's
cath is said to have been at the age
seventy. He was made governor OF
Ialilee B. c. AZ, at which time DO
,phus says he was twenty-five years
Ia. (Ant. 149:2). This would date
is birth B. c. 72. al plus 25). His
cath at seventy would then be b. q.
instead of B. C. 4. However, there
much difference Of opinion among
istoriaus relative to Herod's death.