Christmas – A Time To Be Joyful
This article will point out the meaning of December 25th, and although Jesus wasn’t born on that date, it is a very special day to one who is a Christian. This article will show that December 25th, is the first time in the history of man, that the promised seed in Genesis 3:15, has dwelt with man..
Luke 1: 3, “It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee most excellent Theophilus.” Verse 4. “ that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, herein thou hast been instructed”.
During the time of the nation of Israel, King David set up 24 courses of priest that would minister in the Temple. They would commence their service starting after the Feasts of Tabernacles as mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23 and each course would serve twice in a year. The course of Abia as found in 1st Chronicles 24:18. This is the time that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Zachariah in the Temple and said his prayers would be answered and that his wife would bear a son.
The course of Abia is the eighth of twenty-four courses of service for the priest to serve in the temple during the year. It is a date on the Hebrew calendar and can be verified to coincide with an accurate date on the Roman calendar, our month June 21-23.
Zachariah finished his duties then arrived home on the 23rd of June and the conception of John occurred precisely thereafter as described by Gabriel. This would be just after the summer solstice. This Angel Gabriel was also sent to a virgin whose name was Mary (Luke 1: 25–26).
Luke 1: 36, “ And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren”.
The time of Mary’s conception would be six months later than Elizabeth’s conception and just after the winter solstice. The Companion Bible makes a comparison of the Jewish months with our Roman calendar according to the course of Abia. We thank Kregel Publications and the Companion Bible for these dates.
The conception of John the Baptist
–23rd of Sivan —— June 24th
The conception of our Lord
– 1st Tebeth —— Dec. 25th
The birth of John the Baptist
– 4th–7th Abib —— Mar. 25th–28th
The birth of our Lord
– 15th of Tisri —— Sept. 29th
We can read in the first chapter in the book of Luke the joy that Mary had at her conception. Listen to what Mary says on the very day of her conception.
Luke 1: 47, “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my savior. He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for henceforth all generations shall call me blessed”. Verse 49, “ for He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is His name”. Vs. 50, “ And His mercy is on them that fear ( have respect ) Him from generation to generation”.
What is being talked about in these verses is the planting of the seed as in any conception. There is only one seed that the Bible stresses importance in and that is the seed of promise, Genesis 3:15.
Isaiah 7:14, “ Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel”
The word Emmanuel means God with us. But why did the conception occur to a woman that was called a virgin?
Luke 1:34, Then Mary said to the angel, “ How shall this be seeing I know not a man?”
Mary was a physical virgin as well as spiritual virgin not believing the teachings or the traditions of men. God will not mix His promised seed with the seed of deception implanted by men. And what of this sign as mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah in his Book, Isaiah 7;14?
Genesis 1;14, “ And God said ,Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years”.
The sun is the only light of the two luminaries in the heavens that brings about the seasons of the year.
The word season is moed in the Hebrew and means an appointment or fixed time. God doesn’t change the way He works out his purpose otherwise we would always be in confusion.
John the Baptist was conceived approximately at the summer solstice and Jesus was conceived six months latter just after the winter solstice. (see Luke 1:36). Nine months after the conception would bring us to the Autumn feasts days, after the harvest, whereas Jesus would become a type of first fruit.
1st Corinthians 15: 23, “But every man in his own order; Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ at His coming.”
December 25th is a wonderful time of the year, and it’s celebration should be in that it was the first time that God dwelt with man. It’s importance is in what the Bible tells us had happened on that date rather than what men’s traditions lead us to believe. Mary’s conception was on December 25th and she gave birth to her son nine months later, on September 29th.
The Function of the Spirit
We need to keep in mind how God’s creative power works. This will eliminate the confusion. God’s Spirit is given first inward, Mary’s conception, and producing the results outward in the birth of her Son, Jesus. A seed represents a new beginning. In agriculture a seed is planted before its crop is ready for harvest. 1st inward then outward. Our Father would have us to understand His appointed times and His purpose rather than have us dwell on vain ideas. The real joy we should feel on December 25th is that it was the first time in man’s history and the fulfillment of prophesy that God, through the conception of Mary and the planting of the promised seed, was willing to dwell with man, that is Mary, Mother of our Lord. December 25th is the date of the planting of the promised Seed found in Genesis 3:15, which Seed, became the God-Man Jesus, who was born 9 months later in the month of September, at the Autumn Festivals as the 1st fruit of God, 1st Corinthians 15:23.
The Evergreen Tree
Because Christ wasn’t born on December 25th, what is the Christmas tree all about? The evergreen or cedar tree is different than all other trees. It is always alive, and not subject to the seasons. The Bible is full of symbolic language showing there are references where men are referred to as trees.
Mark 8:24, and he looked up, and said, “I see men as trees walking.”
Hosea 14:8 says that God compares Himself to a green fir tree and Christ refers to Himself:
“Luke 23:31, “If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
Just as Christ, Emmanuel, was the Holy seed in Mary, it is not wrong to bring, symbolically, a fir tree into our houses during the Christmas season because a fir tree is a living representative of God Himself. And it is true, just as the fir tree was cut down brings us to remembrance how Christ was cut down as a sacrifice for us. No one worships a tree. There are many negative customs that are associated with December 25th but those customs will never dampen the Joy, and the exclamation of Mary, knowing that the great God of the universe, for the first time, as a prophetic event, has dwelt with man.
God saw to it, maybe not as obvious as some may like, to record for us, the date of the course of Abia.
This information recorded by Luke, has to be correct because it was disclosed not by any man, but by Gabriel, an Archangel, sent of God.
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