SNT 1137 Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed
Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed
August 29, 1982
SNT 1137
Format: audio
Publication Date: 08-29-1982
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Opening; Prayer
Shine
Happy Birthday, Lydia
(Chronological list: Luk 1:5-25, 26-38, 39-80; Mat 1:18-24, 25; Luk 2:1-20; Mat 1:25; Luk 2:21, 22-24, 25-38; Mat 2:1-23; Luk 2:39, 40, 42-52;)
Luk 2:1-4; 1Sa 16:1-5
Luk 1:27; 3:31; 2:5-7; (Joh 3:16); Mat 13:55, 56; Eze 16:1-4; Col 4:6; 2Sa 19:31-42
1Ki 2:7; Jer 41:17; Luk 2:8-20
Rev 12:1
_____________________________
snt-1137_jesus-christ-our-promised-seed(vpw)-DRAFT
Well, bless your wonderful hearts and welcome to another Sunday evening here at The Way International on the, what is it, August 29, 1982. God bless.
Almighty God our heavenly Father, on this wonderful Sunday night we your people here at The Way International lift up our hearts and our lives in thanksgiving unto you for that which you have wrought for us in Christ Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Savior. Thank you for this wonderful night for our children, our young people and our adults, and for all of our people around the nations of the world. That this night may be a blessing to them as they listen to the teaching and the fellowship here at The Way International. Thank you for your love, your Grace, your mercy and your wonderful blessing on our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God bless. You may be seated.
I’d like for you to take your Bibles and turn to Luke chapter 2. The month of September is such an important month in our Way calendar, I thought it most fitting and proper in this our 40th anniversary year to share with you some of the great truths regarding Jesus Christ our promised seed.
September, in The Way calendar of activity, is always the beginning of a new year for us. And the machinery gets sort of set up and starts into motion at the close of the annual WOW festival, The Rock of Ages, when the WOWs head out on their assignment. And then, of course, all the Twig coordinators, all the way to the region coordinators head out and get started. So that by the 1st of September, all of our staffs, our fellow workers, our core, our as well as our college division students are all moving ahead in the unity of another great year.
For years, I never realized how important and significant the month of September was. Our month of September must have been very important in the mind, in the eyes of God, because that's when all of His creation in Genesis started off. And the first man, Adam, began his life. The second Adam, our promised seed, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, began his life also in September. Not chronologically, as well as historically, astronomically and biblically. All four concur and establish the truth that the promised messiah to Israel, who is every man's Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, was born – according to our calendar in use today – on Wednesday, September the 11th, 3 B.C. between the hours of 6:15 and 7:45 p.m. Palestine time.
I said he was born in 3 B.C., and those letters, B.C. stand before Christ. So we got an opportunity. How can B.C. stand “Before Christ” and Christ was born three years before he was born? It's a real opportunity. Well. In 525 A.D., a Roman Catholic monk just wrongly calculated the year of the birth of Jesus Christ. He took the year 754 since the founding of the City of Rome as the birth date, the birth year of the date of Jesus Christ. And he labeled all of the years before 754 of the founding of the City of Rome, as B.C., Before Christ, as we refer to it, and the years after that as A.D. This year is 1982 A.D. And those letters, A.D., come from the Latin words anno domini, which mean, in the year of the Lord. So he reckoned Christ’s birth as the year 1 A.D. of 754 from the founding of the City of Rome.
And, of course, all the scholars recognize and have known for centuries that he made a mistake. But thank God at least he had the vision to reckon everything before as Before Christ and everything after as After Christ, making Christ the pivotal point of all history.
I had given to you tonight, upon your arrival here at International for the evening fellowship, this particular piece of paper that has on it the table of the order in which the events occurred; the chronological events surrounding the birth of Christ. Of course, this is yours to take with you, but this will put together for you the order in which these things occurred. So that if you will read these scriptures in the order that they're given here.
Number one is Luke 1:5-25, which is the angel's announcement of the birth of John the Baptist. You start there and go all the way through, you will chronologically have everything in order regarding the birth of Jesus Christ. The second one is Luke 1:26-38, and that's the angel's announcement of the birth of Jesus. Number three is Luke 1:39-56, Mary visits Elizabeth. Number four is Luke 1:57-80, which is the birth of John the Baptist. And then you go to Matthew chapter 1:18-24, where you have the record dealing with Mary, Joseph and the angel. And in number six, Matthew 1:25a and in Luke 2:1-20, you have the birth of Jesus. Number seven is Matthew 1:25b and Luke 2:21, which is Jesus’ circumcision and the naming of Jesus Christ. Number eight is Luke 2:22-24, which is marriage purification and Jesus’ presentation in the temple. Number nine is Luke 2:25-35, where Simeon is there in the temple. And the tenth one is Luke 2:36-38, which is the prophetess Anna. Then in Matthew chapter 2:1-12, you have the wise men, the magi. And number 12 is Matthew 2:13-22, the flight to Egypt. And 13 is Matthew 2:23 and Luke 2:39, their return to Nazareth. Fourteen is Luke 2:40 and verse 42, Jesus to the age of 12. And finally, the 15th one is Luke 2:42-52, Jesus from age of 12 to manhood.
This will put together for you all the accuracy that we know of God’s Word regarding the chronological events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ.
Now, in Luke chapter 2, in verse 1 we read,
Luke 2:1:
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
The world is the empire. It's a figure of speech where the word ‘world’ is used, but it means only a portion of it – the empire, the Roman Empire. The decreed from Caesar Augustus that all the empire should be taxed. The reason this was done is because the 25th anniversary year, the silver anniversary of Cesar Augustus, was coming up and they were preparing to make an enrollment and. And that enrollment was to honor Caesar Augustus. And that's why that word ‘taxed’ is not a taxation at all, it's an enrollment. The counting of the number of people where they could report to the emperor exactly how many people he had who belonged to him. That's why this scripture here is so unique.
Verse 2 says,
Luke 2:2:
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
Now, this verse has caused scholars no end of confusion, and the unbelievers have consistently ridiculed the Bible, saying that Cyrenius was not governor of Syria at that time. Well, he had a special appointment at that time by Caesar Augustus. A special appointment to oversee the enrollment. And that's why this enrollment was first – or before, one of the text reads – this enrollment was before Cyrenius was made governor of Syria. It was a special appointment to oversee that enrollment that Caesar Augustus had ordered.
Another translation of this verse could be, this first registration took place when Cyrenius was on special assignment in Syria. The spelling of this name accurately is Q-U-I-R-I-N-A-S. U-S, it is. Q-U-I-R-I-N-U-S.
I have no difficulty with the word ‘first’ because I understand an enrollment, which is documented chronologically in the years 7 and 6 B.C. This enrollment was the first one that was made when Cyrenius or Quirinus was the appointed one to oversee the enrollment. Later on, he took over the complete governorship of Syria.
In verse 3, it says,
Luke 2:3:
And all went to be taxed,…
The word ‘taxed’ is the word enrolled or registered. Some of your Bibles may have the word registered as one of the alternative words to the word taxed in there. Do any of your Bibles have that? If I got one, you have to have one – some of you anyways. But that's the accuracy of it. They went to be enrolled because it was a command of the emperor that everybody had to appear for registration, for enrollment.
Luke 2:3:
[They] all went to be…[enrolled], every one… [went to] his own city.
Then verse 4 says,
Luke 2:4:
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
Everyone had to go back to his own city for this enrollment.
Now, Mary was pregnant with Jesus Christ. Remember now, John the Baptist had been born approximately six months earlier. Now, Joseph and Mary head toward Bethlehem for this enrollment. And the reason he had to go is because it said he was out of the house and what? {Lineage.} He was of the family and he was of the descent, the lineage, of David.
In 1 Samuel, take a look at this now. 1 Samuel chapter 16, verse 1.
1 Samuel 16:1:
… the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, [who had been the king of Israel] seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: [Jesse, the man from Bethlehem] for I have provided me a king among his sons.
The sons of Jesse, who lived at where? Bethlehem.
1 Samuel 16:2-5:
And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, [verse 3] and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
[verse 4] And Samuel did that which the LORD [what?] {spake,} and came [where?] to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou… peacefully? [Hell he did.]
… And he sanctified [verse 5] Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
So Jesse lived in the city of Bethlehem, and that is why Joseph and Mary, who were of the house and lineage of David, had to go back to the city of Bethlehem.
In Luke 1:27, Gabriel came to Galilee, to the city of Nazareth,
Luke 1:27:
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, [who was] of the house of [what? {David};…
In chapter three, you have the same great truth. 3:31, after all of those names are given from verse 23 on through 31, it says finally in verse 31,
Luke 3:31-32:
… which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of [whom?] {David,}
Which was the son of [what?] Jesse
So there is no question about Joseph and Mary being out of the house of David and of the lineage of David. And that's why they had to return to Bethlehem, by order of the king, to be enrolled, to be numbered. And verse 5 of Luke 2 says,
Luke 2:5:
[And] To be… [numbered or enrolled] with Mary his espoused wife,…
The word ‘espoused’ is not used in two of the Aramaic texts. You know, to being an espoused wife is not necessary. If you're a wife, you’re a wife. If you’re spouse, you’re a spouse, you know. Soup is soup and apple butter is what. Right. And therefore, the word espoused is not necessary.
Luke 2:5:
To be… [enrolled] with Mary his… [what?] {wife,}…
For they were already married. You know, they'd gone through the ceremony. But she was…
Luke 2:5:
… great with child.
Ready to have the delivery of that child. Verse 6.
Luke 2:6-7:
And so it was, that, while they were there, [in Bethlehem, the city of David] the days were accomplished [or completed] that she should be delivered. [That she should give birth.]
And she [verse 7] brought forth her [what?] firstborn son,…
Brought forth her what? Firstborn. Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son. John 3:16.
John 3:16:
… God so [what?] {loved} the world, that he gave his [what?] {only begotten Son,}…
Jesus Christ was God's only begotten Son, but not Mary’s. The Word says she brought forth her what? Firstborn son. That means she must have had other sons later. Because if you have a firstborn that tells me you must have a what? Second born. Otherwise, that first-born would be your only begotten. You talk about the accuracy of the Word and the beauty of it. Tremendous, people. Was her firstborn son.
In the Gospel of Matthew - keep your finger in Luke, but in Matthew 13, in verse 55 the Word says,
Matthew 13:55:
Is not this [what?] the carpenter's son? is not his mother called [what?] {Mary?} and his [what?] {brethren,} James, and Joses, and Simon, and [what?] {Judas?}[Four boys there.]
And his sisters, [and the word for sisters here is more than two] are they not all with us?...
So the record in Luke chapter 2 simply tells us the truth, that Jesus Christ – that Mary brought forth her firstborn son, Jesus Christ. Her first-born son. And that little comma after the word ‘son’ in verse 7, the period of time in there. And there's something occurred there that is not mentioned at this particular location in the Word, because after the comma come the words “and wrapped him in swaddling clothes”.
Now, we know from Oriental custom, culture, biblical culture that whenever a child was born who was a prince, who was scheduled to become the king, that child would always have to be washed with water that had salt in it. That child had to be cleaned up after birth with water that had a small amount of salt in it, because every prince born to be a king had to be salted.
That's why, if you look at Ezekiel – Ezekiel chapter 16,
Ezekiel 16:1-4:
… the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know [how screwed up she is] her abominations, [that’s verse 2]
And say, [verse 3. I’m Ezekiel 16:3. And say,] Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity [your origin] is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and… [your] mother an Hittite.
And as for thy [origin, thy] nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor [what?] swaddled…
Why, he said, you're so lousy that when you were born you weren't salted, you weren't swaddled. That's what the prophet said. So every time a child was born as a prince who was to be king, he had to be salted.
And it's real interesting that this word ‘salted’ is also used regarding your life and mine in the book of Colossians, in the church epistle of Colossians chapter 4. Chapter 4 of Colossians, verse 6.
Colossians 4:6:
Let your speech be [what?] alway with grace, seasoned with [what?] {salt,} that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
To be salted men, that this prince who was born to be king, that his words would always be salted. He would mean what he would say and he would say what he would mean. Today, I think people need to get salted. It would help a little bit occasionally if they really did it and believed it.
But that's why this verse 7 of Luke 2,
Luke 2:7:
… she brought forth her firstborn son, and [before she] wrapped him in swaddling clothes, [they had to clean him up.]
He just got born. They took care of his naval, they washed him up real nice, real clean, with a little bit of salt in the water so that he would be salted. So that when he, the prince, would become the king, his words would mean what he would say and he would say what he would mean. That's why a prince had to be salted, and that's why Jesus Christ was salted.
Now, after the salting, a prince had to go through something else, and that's the rest of the verse here.
Luke 2:7:
… wrapped him [wrapped him] in swaddling clothes, [swaddling clothes]…
Swaddling clothes were strips of linen-like material. That, when this Prince was born and they had salted him, dried him off, then they would wrap him from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, leaving his little mouth and nose open so he could breathe. And that was indicative that when he would become king, he would always walk straight and upright before the people.
In the days of Ezekiel, the people had wandered far away from God. And the leader of the people who had caused the wandering away, the Word says, he was not salted neither was he swaddled. Jesus Christ was salted when he was born, and he was swaddled. And then he was laid in a manger. The word is aoria, A-O-R-I-A.
Luke 2:7:
… and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
The manger is not the kind of manger that I was brought up with here at New Knoxville in the barn where we kept the horses, or where we kept the cows. The manger was basically just a feeding area for the animals. Say this platform up here is the stable, then the feeding area would be back over here, would be the feeding area. This is where they would feed the animals. And when Jesus Christ was born, after she had wrapped him in swaddling clothes, Joseph and Mary laid him in the manger – in the area where the animals were fed. And the reason they had to do that is because there was no room at the inn. There was no room for them in the inn.
Now, that is very significant to me and to all of us who are interested in the integrity and accuracy of the Word. We have just learned earlier that he was out of the house and the lineage of whom? David. And he had gone… Joseph and Mary had gone back for the enrollment, by order of Caesar Augustus, and Jesus Christ was born in the city of David, Bethlehem. And he was born in a stable where there was a manger. And the reason was because they had no room in the inn proper. You know, in the Holiday Inn or something. No room for them in that inn. So this is why he was born in that stable and laid in that manger area. But he was at the house and the lineage of David.
There is a record in 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel 19:31 I want to start with.
2 Samuel 19:31-42:
And Barzillai [see the word? Verse 31? B-A-R-Z-I-L-L-A-I] the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king [with food] of sustenance while he lay at… [this other town]; for… [this Barzillai] was a very great man. [A rich man. A wealthy man.]
And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
Thy servant will go a little way over [the] Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. … [And] behold thy servant Chimham; [C-H-I-M-H-A-M, Chimham] let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.
And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.
And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
And, behold, [verse 41] all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?
And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's… [expense?] … hath he given us any gift?
And so this goes on. And what happens here is that the king gives a property to this man, Chimham. The record I want you to look at now is 1 Kings chapter 2. 1 Kings chapter 2. And in verse 7,
1 Kings 2:7:
… shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy [what?] brother.
Jeremiah chapter 41, verse 17.
Jeremiah 41:17:
And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation [and the text is ‘in the inn’, I-N-N, in the inn] of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,
When you put all of this together, there is no doubt in my mind at all that, when there was no room for them in the inn, the inn was literally that location which the king had given to Chimham years and years before. That was the inn they stayed at, and that was literally a house of David. It had belonged to David the king, who had given it to the servant. And years and years later, Jesus Christ was born at that inn. But in a stable because there was no room in the inn, but the stables that were associated with the inn, where the people who stayed at the inn kept their animals. That's the very location where Jesus Christ was born.
And so he literally was born in the house because he was of the lineage of David. That's Luke chapter 2, when you put it together.
Well, now verse 8.
Luke 2:8:
And there were in the same country [In the same environmental area, same general area] shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
At the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, in that same area, that same province, territory, vicinity. Like we’d talk the New Knoxville area, or the St. Mary's area, New Bremen. Within the immediate vicinity. There were shepherds. They were out in the field. Out in the field and they were watching over their flock by night. You're not out in the field on December the 25th in Palestine with your sheep, you praise your tootsies – theirs too. They were out in the field at night because people would pay to have the animals to spend the night in their field because they would manure the field for them. And that's why the shepherds here in verse 8 were in the field. And they were watching over their flock. And the last word is very significant. It was what time of the day? It was night. Got to remember this. They’re watching over their flock by night.
Luke 2:9:
And, lo, the angel of the Lord [the angel of the Lord] came upon them,…
‘Came upon’ is not accurate. ‘Came upon’ would be like hovering over the top of your head, you know, flipping their wings or something. No, no, no. Angels are not that kind of plane. The text reads, “And lo, the angel of the Lord stood by them.” Stood by them.
Luke 2:9:
… and the glory of the Lord [the Shekinah glory of the Lord] shone round about them: and they were [really shook] sore afraid.
Well, what do you think would happen to you if this occurred? You might be sort of shock too, huh? Sore afraid. But, verse 10,
Luke 2:10:
… the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings [good news, great news] of great [what?] joy,…
Good tidings of great joy. Not just tidings of joy, but good tidings. Good tidings of what kind of joy? Great joy.
Luke 2:10:
… which shall be to all people.
And that truth is still true today, and will be until the return of Christ. That, with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he made available to the whole world, including blessings even on unbelievers, it's good tidings of great joy, which shall be to what? All people. Without any exception.
Then he said to the shepherds, verse 11,
Luke 2:11:
For unto you is born this day [is born this day] in the city of [what?] {David} a Saviour, … [who] is Christ the Lord.
Christ, the Lord, Messiah, the Lord. Now, verse 12.
Luke 2:12:
And this shall be a sign… [to] you [shepherds]; Ye shall find the babe…
It’s a newborn babe; brephos is the text. A newly born child. Not one that has been born for two, three, four days. But you shall find the new babe.
Luke 2:12:
…wrapped in [what?] swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And, as I told you, a prince would be salted and wrapped in swaddling clothes because he represented royalty. Here is Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son born, that's got to be royalty. That's top royalty. So he was salted, but he was also swaddled.
And the angel said to the shepherds that they would find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in the stable in the manger area. A child was not wrapped in swaddling clothes for any great length of time. It was not the length of time that was important, it was the fact that he was wrapped in swaddling clothes. That he’d been salted and then wrapped. But this angel said to the shepherds that they would find that child still wrapped in what? Swaddling clothes. And they would see him lying in a manger.
Luke 2:13:
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host [a whole bunch of angels] praising God, and…
Singing? No. Doing what? {Saying.} Angels never sing – only in denominational churches and wrong theology. Angels cannot sing. You do the singing. That's why Walter gets you all practiced up or something. The saints do the singing. The angels,
Luke 2:13-14:
… praising God, and [what?] saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
I believe the Aramaic text is more accurate where it reads, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good hope for all men.” Instead of ‘will’, the word is the word ‘hope’. Good hope for all men.
It is significant that the angel appeared to the shepherds. The angel did not appear to the governor or the ruler of the province, nor did the angel appear to the high priest. On such a momentous occasion, he appeared only to those whom God knew would believe, and these were the shepherds on those Judean hills, the very area that David had been a shepherd in years and years before. These shepherds, at this time, we're the ones unto whom the angel and the host of angels appeared.
Now, verse 15 says,
Luke 2:15:
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them [the shepherds, and gone back up] into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto [what?] {Bethlehem,} [the city of David]…
The Word of God was the will of God, and they got the Word of God via the angel at that moment of time, and they believed. They said,
Luke 2:15:
Let us… go even unto Bethlehem, [not New York. The Word of God means what it says and what? Says what it means.] and see this thing [what a thing] which… [has] come to pass, [Well, what’s the thing? Jesus Christ. Born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. That's the thing.] which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And verse 16 says,
Luke 2:16:
And they came with [what?] {haste,}…
They moved right now. When the angel had said you'll find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, they understanding culture, baby, we better get to tracking. They're not going to keep him wrapped in swaddling clothes very long, so let's move out. So they got their jets rolling because they went with haste. Maybe they had Harley's, I don't know. But anyways, they really moved out.
Luke 2:16-17:
… they came with haste, [verse 16. And when they got to Bethlehem they] found [who?] Mary, … Joseph, and [there was] the babe [exactly like the angel had declared] lying in a [what?] manger.
[verse 17] And when they [the shepherds] had seen it, they made known abroad [and the word ‘abroad’ is everywhere. Everywhere they went] the saying which was told them concerning this child.
They told everything they knew every place they went. They said, man, we got there. Here he was still in swaddling clothes. These angels came. The angel first then the other angels. Told all about it everywhere they went concerning this child.
Luke 2:18:
And all… that heard it [scratched their heads] wondered [It’s remarkable they didn't get splinters under their fingernails, scratching their heads] at those things which were told them by [what?] {the shepherds.}
Put yourself in the shoes of those shepherds, and then witnessing to your next door neighbor in the New Knoxville community or New Bremer, St. Mary’s or where you come from. They might be wondering a little about how kooky can you get, right? Exactly what they thought of the shepherds. Didn't bother the shepherds any, they just told it like it was. We speak the Word. We speak the Word in our ministry. They spoke what they knew was true. No matter people believed it or not, they spoke it, everywhere. Everywhere.
Luke 2:19:
But [verse 19] Mary kept… these things, and [thought deeply] pondered them in her heart.
She put it in her lockbox. Mary wasn't running around, the shepherds were doing the running. Mary was nursing the baby and [inaudible 00:50:23] taking care of it. But the shepherds were telling everything, but Mary hid all of these things in her lockbox of her heart.
But, verse 20.
Luke 2:20:
… the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and [what] seen,…
Hearing and seeing went together. They heard that the Messiah had been born, then they saw him. You hear the Word first and then you see the results of it when we believe that Word.
Luke 2:20:
as it was told unto them.
Now, that's the immediate declaration of the birth of Christ in the gospel of Luke. But the Book of Revelation, surprisingly enough, pinpoint the exact time of Christ's birth that we now have just generally read about in Luke 2. Revelation chapter 12 pinpoints it. Verse 1 of Revelation 12. Now watch it, because this will pinpoint the exact time of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:1:
And there appeared a great wonder in [the] heaven;…
The word ‘wonder’ is the word sign. There was a great sēmeion, a sign, a wonder in the heaven. And the word ‘heaven’ is the word zodiac. There appeared a great sign of the zodiac.
Revelation 12:1:
… a woman [a woman. A woman. And the only woman in the zodiac is Virgo, the woman. A woman] clothed with the sun, and the moon under her [what?] feet,…
Now, that phrase, or those statements in there, are astronomically and chronologically, and every other way just fantastic. As the sun travels through the ecliptic each year – and the word ‘ecliptic’ means its cycle. As the sun travels through its cycle each year, it enters Virgo, the woman, each year for approximately 20 days only. For 20 days.
Now, in this year of 3 B.C., the sun was in Virgo from August the 27th to September the 15th. But there's another statement in Revelation 12:1. It says, but…
Revelation 12:1:
… the moon under her [what?] feet,…
So Revelation gives us a period of time regarding the sign of the zodiac of Virgo, who was clothed with the sun from August the 27th to September the 15th, but then it adds this extra truth in light; but the moon was under Virgo, the woman's, feet.
The sun was what I have just described to you. She was clothed with the sun, and that period of time could have come between what? August the 27th and September the what? But it also says the moon was under her feet. And, astronomically in the year 3 B.C., it was only on September the 11th that the moon was visible in Palestine. Under her feet between sunset and moonset. And that was September the 11th, 3 B.C. Between sunset and moonset.
And, according to astronomy, sunset on September the 11th, 3 B.C. was at 6:15 p.m., and moonset was at 7:45 p.m. So some time between that 6:15 period and 7:45 p.m. on September the 11th, which was on a Wednesday, Jesus Christ was born in the city of David in Bethlehem, in a stable laid in a manger.
And that period of time, with moonset at 7:45, sunset at 6:15, that period of time is biblically called night. That's why I told you to remember that shepherds were in the field watching their sheep when? At night. It all just fits together like a hand in a glove.
Now, furthermore, on the morning of Thursday, September the 12th, predawn, there was visible the King planet Jupiter and the King star Regulus. And they were both in close proximity in the constellation of Leo, which is a sign of the Messiah and of Judah. The next morning after he was born, this was visible to them – the King planet Jupiter, the King star Regulus. And these were in close proximity right in the heart of Leo, and Leo is the sign of the Messiah, the sign of Judah biblically.
Now, this September the 11th, 3 B.C., you have to put 11th and 12th together, Wednesday and Thursday stuffed together, because the Hebrew day started with sunset. So the 11th of sunset one day would take you over in your reckoning of time to the next day, because we start our stupid days at midnight, you know. Everyone starts the day at midnight. We do, I guess. Twelve midnight we start Monday. Tonight at midnight, 12 o'clock, we start Monday. That's really sort of screwy when you think about it.
But this Wednesday, that Wednesday of September the 11th when Jesus Christ was born at night, that day was a new moon day, according to astronomy. And the new moon always indicated that it was the first of the month, and it was a day of celebration.
And this September the 11th of 3 B.C., according to the Hebrew calendar, was the first day, the new moon day, of the seven month of the year. And the seventh month of the Hebrew year is the month called Tishri. Spelled T-I-S-H-R-I. Tishri is the seventh month. And the first day of the seventh month was a new moon, and the first day of Tishri was New Year's Day. New Year's Day. The Rosh Hashanah is still celebrated by the Jews today as the new day. Tishri. September the 11th was the first day of the new moon that started that month of Tishri. The first day of it.
This first day of the month of Tishri was also the first day of the creation of the original Adam in Genesis. The first Adam breathed on the first day of Tishri. Jesus Christ is the second Adam. He also breathed on the first day of Tishri, September the 11th, 3 B.C.
Furthermore,… That God really worked on this one. It took Him centuries to get around to getting the production, but He really worked on this. That first day of Tishri is called the Great Day of Trumpets. Every month, every new moon started a month, and the new moon was always a day of trumpets. Everybody, they blew the trumpets. But on the seventh month, the first day of the month was the Great Day of Trumpets, because that first day of the seventh month was the time when they really blew their trumpets in recognition of the one true Jehovah, who was also Elohim.
And on that very day when they were blowing the trumpets, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, God's only begotten Son who someday is coming back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, they were blowing the trumpets, the Great Day of Trumpets. They announced it. They didn't know what they were blowing for that day, but that's how it all fits. Was the first of Tishri.
Furthermore, that first day of Tishri opened the Feast of Tabernacles. One of the feasts that all the members, the male members of the Israel, had to attend. The Feast of Tabernacles, which is the feast of ingathering, the feast of harvest.
And it is during this Feast of Tabernacles that you have the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement.
Boy, someday when you really see this and gel it in your heart, your whole soul spirit just goes sky high. That Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior who died for us, who is our atonement, who laid down his life, was born on that day when the Feast of Tabernacles started, the new moon, the Feast of Trumpets. And he was God's atonement for all the sins of all man.
The first day of Tishri is also the day when the reigns of kings we're counted. Let's say that you got installed or something or inaugurated on the fifth month because the other king died or something. You would not become really installed until the first day of Tishri. And all the king's reigns of the Old Testament date from Tishri 1 to Tishri 1. That's how they reckon the reign of the king.
Now, Jesus Christ is King of all Kings, and his day is reckoned from Tishri 1 on. And sir, that's the same day – the same day of the week that the first Adam was breathing, the second Adam, Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior, breathed for the first time on Tishri 1, corresponding to our September the 11th, 3 B.C. between those hours of 6:15 and 7:45 p.m. on that day.
That's how this Book of Revelation pinpoints, almost within a 90 minute period, the exact time of the birth. And that would give you enough time to work it down with the salting, the wrapping and what, and the shepherds from the Judean Hills to come to the city of David, to Bethlehem, to the very inn which belonged to the house of David, and to see this child that the angel had declared them,
Luke 2:11:
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, … [who] is Christ the Lord.
That is part of the record of the birth of Jesus Christ. By God's mercy and grace, next Sunday I will continue to unfold some of these great truths regarding the Word of the coming of the promised seed.
Father, surely love you and thank you for the ineffable greatness of your Word and the wonderful truth of that Word. And how it thrills our hearts, Father, to be able to take your Word and endeavor to clarify it, make it simple for your people. And like Ezra of old, to give your people an understanding of the Word again, that they can walk with the greatness of that Word. Thank you, Father. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Bless you.
[end: 01:06:55]