Set Time

A question that should be asked; however, not often enough is:

Why do people observe the 25th of December as the birth of Yeshua our Messiah?

Many would agree that it is not the actual date of His birth.  However, they would also state that one can not know the date.  Many seem to celebrate on December 25th out of tradition.  However is God that arbitrary, that any date would be alright with Him?

What if one could know the date?  Would it not be better to observe the God chosen date?  Because the truth is we can know the date.  There is in scriptures a set time.

In the case of Isaac, God’s told Abraham in Genesis 17:21:

 21But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Then in Genesis 21:2:

 2For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

 There was a set time for Isaac to be born.  The Psalmist writes in Psalm 102:12-13:

12But thou, O Yehovah, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. 13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

There is even a set time to favor Zion.  Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1:

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

There is a time for every purpose.  Would it not follow that there would be a set time for Yeshua to be born?  Paul writes in Galatians 4:2:

 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

And in Galatians 4:4:

 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Note the phrase in Galatians 4:4:

 WHEN THE FULNESS OF THE TIME WAS COME

This refers to the appointed time.  This is telling us that there was a set time for the Messiah to come forth.

Some people wonder, why did we have to wait 4000 years for the Messiah to come forth?  God had a plan, just like the plan in Ephesians 1:10:

10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

When the Messiah comes a 2nd time and gathers us together that too will occur at a set time.  Not too soon and not too late.  We must understand that God has His perfect timing.  The Bible did not leave us wanting on the issue of Yeshua’s birth.

Within reasonable assurance, one can easily determine the date of Yeshua’s birth.  Based on:

Scriptures tells us Yeshua was born on the 1st day of Sukkoth or the 15th of Tishri.  There are even more things that point to Yeshua’s birth, John 1:14:

14And 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.

Dwelt is the Greek word skenoo {skay-no’-o}.  It means to fix one’s tabernacle, to abide or live in a tabernacle.  A better translation for John 1:14 would have been:

                14And the Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us

Coincidence?  Makes sense that Yeshua would be born on Sukkoth.  Yeshua tabernacled among us.

Now this Greek word skenoo {skay-no’-o} comes from the word skenos {skay’-nos}.  Skenos {skay’-nos} means a temporary residence, tabernacle.   In reference to the human body, it refers to a soul which dwells in a body like a tent, and which is taken down at death or the abode of the spirit.  Yeshua left all He had in heaven to dwell on earth with us, Philippians 2:6-8.

6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The word fashion is the Greek word schema {skhay’-mah}. It refers to: comprising everything in a person which strikes the senses, the figure.  Schema is an alternate form of echo {ekh’-o}.  Echo means to have or to posses.  Yeshua took on the temporary form of a man to dwell on earth.  Yeshua left the glory of heaven to temporally live with us.  He emptied Himself of His divinity.

This is the same as what God commands us to do for Sukkoth, Leviticus 23:42-43.

42Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am Yehovah your God.

We live are to live in temporary dwellings and look at our more permanent dwellings.  Yeshua was temporarily on earth and could see His permanent residence in heaven.

In the Sukkos or Tabernacle, we are to remember God freed our forefathers from the bondage of Egypt, Pharaoh.  Yeshua took on a temporary form to free us from the Greater Pharaoh.

We are told in Hebrew 10:1:

1For the law having a shadow of good things to come,

This is no coincidence that the filling of the Temple and the birth of Yeshua occurred on the same day.  Tishri 15 the 1st  Day of Succoth is the birth of the Messiah.

Yeshua was born on the 1st day of Succoth, why would one think any different?

 Hebrews 13:8

 8Yeshua Messiah the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Our faith is not based on logic; however, our God is logical.  Never forget Hebrews 13:9:

9Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

Sukkoth is not a strange doctrine, it is consistent with the plan of God, Galatians 4:4-5.

4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Sukkoth was the set time.  As for other dates, you have to decide for yourself.  However, God’s timing is clear in scriptures.  It is no mystery.  It is our faith.

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