DOB_Christ.ppt

8/10/2019 DOB_Christ.ppt

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CHRISTMAS DAY

When did Jesus Christ born in this earth?

How did the day December 25th

is fixed as thebirth day of Jesus Christ?

Is there any reference in bible for us to celebratebirthday of Jesus Christ in this earth?

Is there any scriptural proof for the Date of Birthof Jesus Christ?


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The ancient origins of Christmas customs

During the second century B.C., the Greeks practiced rites to honor heirgod Dionysus (also called Bacchus). The Latin name for this celebrationwas Bacchanalia. It spread from the Greeks to Rome, center of heRoman Empire.

Itwas on or about December 21st that the ancient Greeks celebratedwhat are known to us as the Bacchanalia or festivities in honor of

Bacchus the god of wine. In these festivities the people gavethemselves up to songs, dances and other revels which frequentlypassed the limits of decency and order

Because of the nocturnal orgies associated with this festival, the RomanSenate suppressed its observance in 186 B.C. It took the senators several

years to completely accomplish this goal because of the holidayspopularity

Suppressing a holiday was unusual for the Romans since they later becamea melting pot of many types of gods and worship. Just as the Romansassimilated culture, art and customs from the peoples absorbed into theirempire, they likewise adopted those peoplesreligious practices


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The ancient origins of Christmas customs

In addition to the Bacchanalia, the Romans celebrated another holiday, theSaturnalia, held in honor of Saturn, the god of time, [which] began on

December 17th and continued for seven days. These also often ended in riotand disorder. Hence the words Bacchanalia and Saturnalia acquired an evilreputation in later times.

Winter-solstice celebrations

Both of these ancient holidays were observed around the winter solstice theday of the year with the shortest period of daylight. Fromthe Romans alsocame another Christmas fundamental: the date, December 25. When theJulian calendar was proclaimed in 46 C.E. [A.D.], it set into law a practice thatwas already common: dating the winter solstice as December 25. Laterreforms of the calendar would cause the astronomical solstice to migrate to

December 21, but the older datesirresistible resonance would remain

On the heels of the Saturnalia, the Romans marked December 25 with acelebration called the Brumalia. Bruma is thought to have been contractedfrom the Latin brevum or brevis, meaning brief or short, denoting theshortest day of the year.


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Early Christians

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During the days of Jesus apostles in the first century, the early Christianshad no knowledge of Christmas as we know it. But, as a part of the Roman

Empire, they may have noted the Roman observance of the Saturnalia whilethey themselves persisted in celebrating the customary feastsof the Lord (listed in Leviticus 23).

The Encyclopaedia Britannica tells us that thefirst Christians continued toobserve the Jewish festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemorations ofevents which those festivals had foreshadowed

Over the following centuries, new, non-biblical observances such as

Christmas and Easter were gradually introduced into traditional Christianity.History shows that these new days came to be forcibly promoted while thebiblical feast days of apostolic times were systematically rejected.Christmas, the [purported] festival of the birth of Jesus Christ, wasestablished in connection with a fading of the expectation of Christsimminent return


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How the Christmas date was set?Saturnalia and the kalends [new moon, in this case of January] were thecelebrations most familiar to early Christians, December 17-24 and January1-3, but the tradition of celebrating December 25 as Christsbirthday came tothe Romans from Persia. Mithra, the Persian god of light and sacred

contracts, was born out of a rock on December 25. Rome was famous for itsflirtations with strange gods and cults, and in the third century theunchristian emperor Aurelian established the festival of Dies Invicti Solis, theDay of the Invincible Sun, on December 25.

Mithra was an embodiment of the sun, so this period of its rebirth was amajor day in Mithraism, which had become Romeslatest official religion with

the patronage of Aurelian. It is believed that the emperor Constantineadhered to Mithraism up to the time of his conversion to Christianity. He wasprobably instrumental in seeing that the major feast of his old religion wascarried over to his new faith

This is an amazingly late date. Christmas was not observed in Rome thecapital of the empire, until about 300 years after Christsdeath. Its originscannot be traced back to either the teachings or practices of the earliest

Christians. The introduction of Christmas represented a significant departurefrom thefaith which was once for all delivered to the saints(Jude 3).

Although it is difficult to determine the first time anyone celebrated

December 25 as Christmas, historians are in general agreement that it wassometime during the fourth century.


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SantaClausis an American corruption of the Dutch form SanNicolaas,a

figure brought to America by the early Dutch colonists (EncyclopaediaBritannica, 11th edition, Vol. 19, p. 649, Nicholas,St.). This name, in turn,stems from St. Nicholas, bishop of the city of Myra in southern AsiaMinor(Turkey), a Catholic saint honoured by the Greeks and the Latins onDec. 6.

Nicholaswas a Christian bishop in the fourth century about whom we knowlittle for sure. He apparently attended the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, and avery strong tradition suggests that he did show unusual kindness towardchildren. While the red-suited old man in a sled pulled by flying reindeer is amyth, the story of a children-loving old man who brought them gifts probablyis not and in many countries, that is all there is to SantaClaus.


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The roots of modern customs

Knowing what we have already learned about the ancient pre-Christianorigins of Christmas, we shouldntbe surprised to learn that Santa Claus is

nothing but a figure recycled from ancient beliefs tied in with paganmidwinter festivals.

What about other common customs and symbols associated with Christmas?Where did they originate? Onthe Roman New Year (January 1), houses weredecorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and thepoor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and firtrees, gifts and greetingsall commemorated different aspects of this festive

season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have alwaysbeen associate with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian(Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. 2, p. 903,Christmas).


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Did Jesus Christ tell us to celebrate His birth? No. He left explicitinstructions regarding how His followers are to commemorate Hisdeath (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), but nothing about His birth.


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The Feast of Passover (Pesach)- celebrated the night

when the angel passed over the Hebrew households

in Egypt.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread- commemorated the

first 7 days of the Exodus when the Hebrews left

Egypt in such a hurry that they did not have time to

add yeast to their dough.

The Feast of Weeks- also called the Pentecost(Shavuot). It marked the end of the harvest and

offering of first fruits.

The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)- the blowing

of a ram's horn, or shofar, to call the people to

prepare for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

Later this day became the Jewish New Year (Rosh

Hashanah).The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)- the most

solemn day of the year. On this day, the High Priest

sacrificed sin offerings to atone all the sins of the

people and entered the Most Holy Place to offer

incense.

The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)- celebrated the

completion of the great fall harvest and remembered

the Hebrews in the Exodus living in tents for 40years.

The Feast of the Last Great Day (Shmini Atzeret)-

marked the conclusion of the festival year.

Of the above, three were considered as "major

feasts": the Feast of Passover (Pesach), the Feast of

Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles

(Sukkot). These are often called "pilgrim feasts"because all adult males were required to travel to the

sanctuar to take art Deuteronom 16:16 .
http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/passover.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/passover.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/pentecost.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/trumpets.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/day_of_atonement.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/passover.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/pentecost.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/pentecost.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/bible.htm?passage=Deut+16:16http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/bible.htm?passage=Deut+16:16http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/pentecost.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/pentecost.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/passover.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/tabernacles.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/day_of_atonement.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/trumpets.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/pentecost.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/passover.htmhttp://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/passover.htm


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First, through the prophet Jeremiah, God

said, Donot learn the way of the Gentiles;do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,for the Gentiles are dismayed at them(Jeremiah 10:2).

God is not pleased when people are double-

minded (James 1:8; 4:8) in their worshipaccepting false religions and customs whileprofessing to worship Him.


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SCRIPTURAL PROOF FOR THE DATE OF BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST


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Tabernacles has been celebrated for thousands of years by the Jews to

commemorate God's caring for them during the time they stayed in the

desert. (The Israelites often stayed at one place for years at a time, and

erected huts for themselves in the rocky Sinai desert - a 'hut' is not a tent,

but not quite a house either.) This is one of the only threefeasts the Bible

commands Jews to keep, and to them it's the biggest.

The book of John says, in the original Greek, 'And the Word became flesh

and tabernacled among us' (John 1:14 - you will find this translation insomething like Young's Literal English Version. Unfortunately the world's best,

most accurate Bible translation, the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

translates it with 'dwell', which seems to hide a little what John wants to say

here.). Isn't it nice? Jesus 'put up his hut among us'.

Christians of his day knew the time of Jesus' birth very well. So John was

saying, 'Jesus put up his hut among us'when he was born during the 'Feast

of Huts'.


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Luke 1,5-13

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who

belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a

descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all

the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children,

because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well on in years. Once when

Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he

was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple

of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came,

all the assembled worshippers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord

appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah

saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do

not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer 32 has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will

bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.


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Luke 1,23-24

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife

Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

Luke1,26-31

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a

virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The

virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are

highly favoured! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words

and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Donot be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and

give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.


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Luke 1,32-36

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will

give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob

for ever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel

answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High

will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Even Elizabethyour relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who

was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

1 Chronicles 24,3

With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of

Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of

ministering.


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1 Chronicles 24:7-19

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,

the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,

the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul,

the twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the LORD, according

to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had

commanded him.


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The bible quotes above contain the key to the question after Jesus' birthday:

Irrespective of the new-year, the month of Nissan starts the counting of the

months, the feast seasons and the priestly duty periods in the temple in

Jerusalem. Each priestly division had to serve for one week. During thefeasts of pilgrimage all 24 division had to serve in the temple.

This means, the priest Zechariah, a descendant of Abijah, could return to his

wife not before the end of the feast of Pentecost.

As shown above Elisabeth did conceive John the Baptist end of the 3. month

(Sivan). 6 month later (Elisabeth was in here sixth month), this means end of

the 9. month (Kislev), the angel Gabriel came to Mary and she did conceive.

Jesus was born approximately 280 days later (a normal period of humangestation), which gives the seventh month (Tishri). The feast of Tabernacles

is appointed for the days between the 15. - 21. Tishri.

Therefore, Jesus was borne around the feast of Tabernacles.


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Of course, this argumentation does not lead to an exact dating of

Jesus' birthday. We need to consider even two more ambiguities:

The priestly division of Abijah including Zechariah had to serve in

the temple a second time around six month later in the year. This

boils down to a second possibility for Jesus' birthday

approximately six month later during the month of Nissan,

perhaps in the time of the Passover feast.

If a leap year lies in the period of the events mentioned above,

which means the respective year would contain a thirteenth

month of Adar, Jesus' birth would be one month earlier.


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Nevertheless, there are more considerations pointing in a similar direction:

For climatic reasons, it is hardly possible, that Jesus was born end of December.

Example: It is too cold in Bethlehem end of December to find shepherds with there

flocks of sheep out in the country during night time.

Ancient records say that December 25 is the date of conception.[3]The perfect periodof human gestation is 280 days. That would make September 29 the date of birth of the

Son of God, about the time of the feast of Tabernacle.

The word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled) among us.John 1:14

The feast of Tabernacles fittingly symbolises the dwelling of God among men.
http://www.luziusschneider.com/Papers/JesusDateOfBirth.htmhttp://www.luziusschneider.com/Papers/JesusDateOfBirth.htm


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Thank You

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