RR HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YESHUA (Part 2 of 2) By Dr. Raymond Finney
Shavuah Tov,
I conclude the two-part series on the birth of Yeshua. Refresh your memory by retrieving Part 1:
https://syknox.org/blog/2025/10/01/rr-happy-birthday-yeshua-part-1-of-2-by-dr-raymond-finney .
** YEAR OF BIRTH? What can we glean from Scriptures about the YEAR of Yeshua’s birth? Consider:
THE MAGI’S PILGRIMAGE (CELESTIAL EVENT). Magi-- Wise Men from the East-- observed a new celestial event (Matthew 2:2– the “King of Jews’ ‘star’”), which they interpreted as a sign of the birth of the Jewish Messiah. (Numbers 24:17: [Balaam’s oracle in part] “’I see him, yet not at this moment. I behold him, yet not in this location. For a star will come from Jacob, a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of all the sons of Seth.’”) Modern astronomers relate two conjunctions of planets during this time. A planetary conjunction is two planets appearing together as one, with brighter light output. Venus and Jupiter were in conjunction in June of 2 BC and Saturn and Jupiter in October of 7 BC. Or, Yeshua’s “star” might have been a comet or a nova or supernova (a massive thermonuclear star explosion with tremendous light output). Each of these phenomena would be a temporary event and would not now be visible.
THE MAGI’S PILGRIMAGE (GIFTS FOR YESHUA). The Magi’s visit to the Holy Family to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh provides a useful date. (Luke 3:1-2: It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar— when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of the Galilee,.… 2 During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came upon John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.) Correlation of Scriptures and historical records suggests that Yeshua was born in 4 BC to 2 BC.
SIDELIGHT: Understand the prophetic significance of the Magi’s gifts to the Baby Messiah.
>> GOLD has long been a precious metal suitable for both royalty and divinity. This gift prophesied that Yeshua would be King of kings and Lord of lords. The gold may have had a practical use. Herod sought to kill newborn male infants (Massacre of the Innocents) to eliminate a successor to his throne. Joseph and Miriam (Mary) carried the Baby Yeshua to safety in Egypt to escape Herod’s evil wrath. How could Joseph, a young construction worker, afford to travel to and support his young family in a foreign land? He could sell the Magi’s gold to provide shelter and food for his family.
>> FRANKINCENSE, a resin from a Middle Eastern tree, has a wonderful fragrance when burned and has long been used as incense, including incense offering to God (Exodus 30:34). Frankincense prophesied a symbol of holiness and righteousness. Frankincense symbolized Yeshua’s willingness to become our “burnt offering” by sacrificing Himself on Golgotha’s cross.
>> MYRRH was also obtained from the bark of local trees. Myrrh was a spice used in embalming the dead. What a strange gift to give a newborn baby. If you went to admire a friend’s newborn baby, would you take a gallon of embalming fluid as a gift? Myrrh was also mixed with spoiled wine (vinegar) to form a drink. In Matthew 27:34, we are told Yeshua during His crucifixion was given sour wine (vinegar) mixed with “gall.” This “gall’ was usually animal bile, but occasionally could be myrrh. Myrrh symbolized suffering and affliction. Recall Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah, chapter 53).
>> Thus, the Magi’s gifts prophesied the newly born Yeshua would be King, would suffer, and would die. Do you think the Ruach ha-Kodesh guided the Magi, as they selected gifts for the Baby Yeshua? END sidelight.
HEROD’S REIGN. Herod the Great was king of Judea. Herod’s reign is an important anchor in dating Yeshua’s birth. Herod was alive when Yeshua was born. (Matthew 2:1a: Now after Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod,….) A fearful Herod engineered the Massacre of the Innocents to kill the newborn King. (Matthew 2:16-18: Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became furious. And he sent and killed all boys in Bethlehem and in all its surrounding area, from two years old and under, according to the time he had determined from the magi. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, Rachel sobbing for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”) Herod’s reign began in 37 BC or 36 BC. He died ca 4 BC. The highly respected Roman-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Herod died in 4 BC. Therefore, Yeshua was likely born no later than 4 BC.
TIBERIUS CAESAR’S REIGN. The Apostle Luke wrote about Yeshua’s birth in his Gospel. (Luke 3:1: It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar— when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of the Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene.) Correlating the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign and assuming an age of thirty years when Yeshua began His ministry, Yeshua’s birth can be placed no more recently than 2 BC to 3 BC.
CALENDAR MISCALCULATION. Our early calendar is an outgrowth of the Roman Catholic Church, but it is based on miscalculation. Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 agreed that Dionysius Exiguus, the sixth century monk who first calculated Yeshua’s birth, miscalculated this birth by at least four years. The Pope opined that Yeshua was likely born between 7 BC and 2 BC.
CENSUS OF CAESAR AUGUSTUS (QUIRINIUS). The Gospel of Luke provides information about the reason Joseph and the betrothed, pregnant Miriam (Mary) traveled from their home in Natzeret, Galilee to Bethlehem, Judea. The travel was necessary to fulfill man’s law (comply with the census order) and God’s law (Matthew 2:1-5). While in Bethlehem, Miriam delivered Yeshua. The small village was unable to accommodate the influx of travelers, and the Baby Yeshua was laid in a “manger" (Matthew 2:6-7, Luke 2:7). Since Yeshua may have been born during Sukkot, some have questioned whether the Holy Family had been sheltered in a sukkah, which would have been built at the inn for Sukkot. Yeshua’s First Coming would have been more complete by His symbolically “tabernacling” with us by lying in a sukkah, the symbol of the Feast of Tabernacles. Several prophecies in the Tanakh were fulfilled by HaMashiach’s being born to a virgin in the City of David in poverty. Most scholars estimate this census occurred some time during the years of 6 BC to 4 BC. Although Herod was evil, he would probably not have required his subjects to travel in the winter (December) to comply with his census order, but he would have chosen autumn (when temperatures were more moderate and much of the agricultural work had been completed for the year).
BEST ESTIMATE. Correlating all information from Holy Scriptures and various historical records, scholars place the most likely year of Yeshua’s birth during the period of 6 BC and 4 BC. Some would extend this range from 6 BC to 2 BC. King Herod’s reign and death are significant factors in arriving at the date of His birth.
A PERSONAL NOTE. As a youngster and younger adult, my wife and I, along with our children, celebrated the birth of Yeshua on December 25 as a joyous family celebration. Only recently, when I have learned more about the history of my faith, do I recognize this date to be fiction and not fact. I miss a December Christmas, even though some Christmas traditions are imported from pagan observances. The lights, seasonal hustle and bustle, seasonal joy, carols, brisk cold weather (with occasional snowfall in our area), excitement of children, foods, and other features of a traditional December Christmas are memorable. Admittedly, this season has some nonsense, too (Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, etc.). Such nonsense is counterbalanced by the classic “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgIwLeASnkw). I still cannot get my arms around an autumn “Christmas,” but I am working on it.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now much in the news. Out of curiosity, I asked an AI site (ChatGPT) the question, “When was Jesus the Christ born?” The AI answer agrees with this RR, to wit: “The exact date of Jesus Christ's birth is not known, and the Bible does not specify a precise day. However, scholars have estimated that he was likely born between 6 BCE and 4 BCE based on historical and astronomical data, including references to King Herod's reign (who is said to have ordered the Massacre of the Innocents in the Gospel of Matthew) and the alignment of certain events. The 25th of December is celebrated as Jesus' birthday in Christian tradition, but this date was chosen centuries later, possibly to coincide with pre-existing pagan festivals like the Roman festival of Sol Invictus (the "Unconquered Sun"), which celebrated the winter solstice. In short, while December 25th is the traditional celebration of Jesus' birth, the actual date remains uncertain.” It took only a couple of seconds for AI to provide this analysis, which is considerably faster than it took me to research this RR. The moral is: If Yeshua tarries much longer in calling us home, are we all going to be replaced by machines? (And yes, AI even opines on machines replacing humans.)
ET CETERA. More information could be added to this RR, but most information about Yeshua’s birth points to a day in September or early October (during Sukkot?) in the years of 6 BC to 2 BC.
FINALLY. Does it matter when Yeshua was born? Scholars have spent many hours researching the question of Yeshua’s birth, but the answer remains unknown. Other aspects of His life are more important. The most important feature of Yeshua’s birth is that He even came to live among humans to bring us God’s New Covenant that we may believe in Him and be rewarded eternal life. (John 3:16: [Yeshua said] “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”) Yeshua may have been born during the Feast of Sukkot (early autumn). It is now early autumn, the season of Sukkot. So, Happy Birthday, Yeshua! Yeshua, thank You for Your birth, life, death, resurrection, and everything else You have given and promised to us. Until November 2, when we meet again to study God’s precious Word, Shalom and Maranatha.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun19-Oct-202527th of Tishrei, 5786
Ge 6:9-22Jos 7Ps 6Mt 4(Jas 4)
I conclude the two-part series on the birth of Yeshua. Refresh your memory by retrieving Part 1:
https://syknox.org/blog/2025/10/01/rr-happy-birthday-yeshua-part-1-of-2-by-dr-raymond-finney .
** YEAR OF BIRTH? What can we glean from Scriptures about the YEAR of Yeshua’s birth? Consider:
THE MAGI’S PILGRIMAGE (CELESTIAL EVENT). Magi-- Wise Men from the East-- observed a new celestial event (Matthew 2:2– the “King of Jews’ ‘star’”), which they interpreted as a sign of the birth of the Jewish Messiah. (Numbers 24:17: [Balaam’s oracle in part] “’I see him, yet not at this moment. I behold him, yet not in this location. For a star will come from Jacob, a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of all the sons of Seth.’”) Modern astronomers relate two conjunctions of planets during this time. A planetary conjunction is two planets appearing together as one, with brighter light output. Venus and Jupiter were in conjunction in June of 2 BC and Saturn and Jupiter in October of 7 BC. Or, Yeshua’s “star” might have been a comet or a nova or supernova (a massive thermonuclear star explosion with tremendous light output). Each of these phenomena would be a temporary event and would not now be visible.
THE MAGI’S PILGRIMAGE (GIFTS FOR YESHUA). The Magi’s visit to the Holy Family to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh provides a useful date. (Luke 3:1-2: It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar— when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of the Galilee,.… 2 During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came upon John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.) Correlation of Scriptures and historical records suggests that Yeshua was born in 4 BC to 2 BC.
SIDELIGHT: Understand the prophetic significance of the Magi’s gifts to the Baby Messiah.
>> GOLD has long been a precious metal suitable for both royalty and divinity. This gift prophesied that Yeshua would be King of kings and Lord of lords. The gold may have had a practical use. Herod sought to kill newborn male infants (Massacre of the Innocents) to eliminate a successor to his throne. Joseph and Miriam (Mary) carried the Baby Yeshua to safety in Egypt to escape Herod’s evil wrath. How could Joseph, a young construction worker, afford to travel to and support his young family in a foreign land? He could sell the Magi’s gold to provide shelter and food for his family.
>> FRANKINCENSE, a resin from a Middle Eastern tree, has a wonderful fragrance when burned and has long been used as incense, including incense offering to God (Exodus 30:34). Frankincense prophesied a symbol of holiness and righteousness. Frankincense symbolized Yeshua’s willingness to become our “burnt offering” by sacrificing Himself on Golgotha’s cross.
>> MYRRH was also obtained from the bark of local trees. Myrrh was a spice used in embalming the dead. What a strange gift to give a newborn baby. If you went to admire a friend’s newborn baby, would you take a gallon of embalming fluid as a gift? Myrrh was also mixed with spoiled wine (vinegar) to form a drink. In Matthew 27:34, we are told Yeshua during His crucifixion was given sour wine (vinegar) mixed with “gall.” This “gall’ was usually animal bile, but occasionally could be myrrh. Myrrh symbolized suffering and affliction. Recall Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah, chapter 53).
>> Thus, the Magi’s gifts prophesied the newly born Yeshua would be King, would suffer, and would die. Do you think the Ruach ha-Kodesh guided the Magi, as they selected gifts for the Baby Yeshua? END sidelight.
HEROD’S REIGN. Herod the Great was king of Judea. Herod’s reign is an important anchor in dating Yeshua’s birth. Herod was alive when Yeshua was born. (Matthew 2:1a: Now after Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod,….) A fearful Herod engineered the Massacre of the Innocents to kill the newborn King. (Matthew 2:16-18: Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became furious. And he sent and killed all boys in Bethlehem and in all its surrounding area, from two years old and under, according to the time he had determined from the magi. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, Rachel sobbing for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”) Herod’s reign began in 37 BC or 36 BC. He died ca 4 BC. The highly respected Roman-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Herod died in 4 BC. Therefore, Yeshua was likely born no later than 4 BC.
TIBERIUS CAESAR’S REIGN. The Apostle Luke wrote about Yeshua’s birth in his Gospel. (Luke 3:1: It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar— when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of the Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene.) Correlating the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign and assuming an age of thirty years when Yeshua began His ministry, Yeshua’s birth can be placed no more recently than 2 BC to 3 BC.
CALENDAR MISCALCULATION. Our early calendar is an outgrowth of the Roman Catholic Church, but it is based on miscalculation. Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 agreed that Dionysius Exiguus, the sixth century monk who first calculated Yeshua’s birth, miscalculated this birth by at least four years. The Pope opined that Yeshua was likely born between 7 BC and 2 BC.
CENSUS OF CAESAR AUGUSTUS (QUIRINIUS). The Gospel of Luke provides information about the reason Joseph and the betrothed, pregnant Miriam (Mary) traveled from their home in Natzeret, Galilee to Bethlehem, Judea. The travel was necessary to fulfill man’s law (comply with the census order) and God’s law (Matthew 2:1-5). While in Bethlehem, Miriam delivered Yeshua. The small village was unable to accommodate the influx of travelers, and the Baby Yeshua was laid in a “manger" (Matthew 2:6-7, Luke 2:7). Since Yeshua may have been born during Sukkot, some have questioned whether the Holy Family had been sheltered in a sukkah, which would have been built at the inn for Sukkot. Yeshua’s First Coming would have been more complete by His symbolically “tabernacling” with us by lying in a sukkah, the symbol of the Feast of Tabernacles. Several prophecies in the Tanakh were fulfilled by HaMashiach’s being born to a virgin in the City of David in poverty. Most scholars estimate this census occurred some time during the years of 6 BC to 4 BC. Although Herod was evil, he would probably not have required his subjects to travel in the winter (December) to comply with his census order, but he would have chosen autumn (when temperatures were more moderate and much of the agricultural work had been completed for the year).
BEST ESTIMATE. Correlating all information from Holy Scriptures and various historical records, scholars place the most likely year of Yeshua’s birth during the period of 6 BC and 4 BC. Some would extend this range from 6 BC to 2 BC. King Herod’s reign and death are significant factors in arriving at the date of His birth.
A PERSONAL NOTE. As a youngster and younger adult, my wife and I, along with our children, celebrated the birth of Yeshua on December 25 as a joyous family celebration. Only recently, when I have learned more about the history of my faith, do I recognize this date to be fiction and not fact. I miss a December Christmas, even though some Christmas traditions are imported from pagan observances. The lights, seasonal hustle and bustle, seasonal joy, carols, brisk cold weather (with occasional snowfall in our area), excitement of children, foods, and other features of a traditional December Christmas are memorable. Admittedly, this season has some nonsense, too (Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, etc.). Such nonsense is counterbalanced by the classic “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgIwLeASnkw). I still cannot get my arms around an autumn “Christmas,” but I am working on it.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now much in the news. Out of curiosity, I asked an AI site (ChatGPT) the question, “When was Jesus the Christ born?” The AI answer agrees with this RR, to wit: “The exact date of Jesus Christ's birth is not known, and the Bible does not specify a precise day. However, scholars have estimated that he was likely born between 6 BCE and 4 BCE based on historical and astronomical data, including references to King Herod's reign (who is said to have ordered the Massacre of the Innocents in the Gospel of Matthew) and the alignment of certain events. The 25th of December is celebrated as Jesus' birthday in Christian tradition, but this date was chosen centuries later, possibly to coincide with pre-existing pagan festivals like the Roman festival of Sol Invictus (the "Unconquered Sun"), which celebrated the winter solstice. In short, while December 25th is the traditional celebration of Jesus' birth, the actual date remains uncertain.” It took only a couple of seconds for AI to provide this analysis, which is considerably faster than it took me to research this RR. The moral is: If Yeshua tarries much longer in calling us home, are we all going to be replaced by machines? (And yes, AI even opines on machines replacing humans.)
ET CETERA. More information could be added to this RR, but most information about Yeshua’s birth points to a day in September or early October (during Sukkot?) in the years of 6 BC to 2 BC.
FINALLY. Does it matter when Yeshua was born? Scholars have spent many hours researching the question of Yeshua’s birth, but the answer remains unknown. Other aspects of His life are more important. The most important feature of Yeshua’s birth is that He even came to live among humans to bring us God’s New Covenant that we may believe in Him and be rewarded eternal life. (John 3:16: [Yeshua said] “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”) Yeshua may have been born during the Feast of Sukkot (early autumn). It is now early autumn, the season of Sukkot. So, Happy Birthday, Yeshua! Yeshua, thank You for Your birth, life, death, resurrection, and everything else You have given and promised to us. Until November 2, when we meet again to study God’s precious Word, Shalom and Maranatha.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun19-Oct-202527th of Tishrei, 5786
Ge 6:9-22Jos 7Ps 6Mt 4(Jas 4)
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RR Psalm 28:5 Part 5RR Psalm 28:6 Part 6RR Psalm 28:7a Part 7RR Psalm 28:7b Part 8RR Psalm 28:7c Part 9RR Psalm 28:7d Part 10RR Psalm 28:8 Part 11Rabbi’s Reflections - Saturday, May 10, 2025 by David HarwoodRR Psalm 28:9 Part 12RR Psalm 28:9 Part 13RR Psalm 28:9 Part 14RR Psalm 28:9 Part 15RR Psalm 29:1 Part 1RR Psalm 29:2 Part 2Favor From a Fooled Philistine By David HarwoodRR Psalm 29:3 Part 3RR Psalm 29:4 Part 4RR Psalm 29:5 Part 5RR Psalm 29:6 Part 6RR Psalm 29:7 Part 7RR Psalm 29:7 Part 7Favor/Grace in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings By David HarwoodRR Psalm 29:8 Part 8RR Psalm 29:10 Part 10RR Psalm 29:9 Part 9RR Psalm 29:11 Paert 11RR Psalm 30:1,2 Part 1RR Psalms 30:3 Part 2RR Psalm 30:4 Part 3Favor (Chen/Charis) in the Psalms By David HarwoodRR Psalm 30:5 Part 4
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RR Psalm 30:6 Part 5RR Psalm 30:7 Part 6RR Psalm 30:8 Part 7RR - Psalm 30:9-11 Part 8RR Psalm 30:12,13 Part 9RR Favor (Chen/Charis) in Proverbs By David HarwoodRR Psalm 31:1,2 Part 1RR Psalm 31:3 Part 2RR Psalm 31:4 Part 3RR Psalm 31:5 Part 4RR Psalm 31:6 Part 5RR Psalm 31:7 Part 6RR Kohelet By David HarwoodRR “Taking Our Thoughts Captive – Part 2” By Jerry MillerRR Psalm 31:8 Part 7RR Psalm 31:8 Part 8RR Psalm 31:9 Part 9RR - Psalm 31:10 Part 10RR Psalm 31:11 Part 11Zechariah and Favor By David HarwoodRR - Psalm 31:12-14 Part 12RR Shalom SpecialRR Psalm 31:15 Part 13RR Psalm 31:16,17 Part 14RR Psalm 31:18 Part 15RR Psalm 31:19,20 Part 16RR Adonai-Tzva’ot and End-Time Favor By David HarwoodRR Psalm 31:21 Part 17RR Psalm 31:22 Part 18RR Psalm 31:23 Part 19
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RR Psalm 31:24 Part 20RR Psalm 31:25 Part 21RR Psalm 32:1 Part 1Rabbi’s Reflections - Favor and Luke By David HarwoodRR Taking Thoughts Captive Part 3 by Jerry MillerRR Psalm 32:2 Part 2RR Psalm 32:3,4 Part 3RR Psalm 32:5 Part 4RR Psalm 32:5 Part 5RR Psalm 32:6 Part 6Some Nuances of Charis By David HarwoodRR Psalm 32:7 Part 7RR Psalm 32:8 Part 8RR Psalm 32:8 Part 9RR Psalm 32:9 Part 10RR Psalm 32:10 Part 11RR Psalm 32:11 Part 12RR Psalm 33:1 Part 1RR Psalm 33:2,3 Part 2RR Psalm 33:4,5 Part 3RR Psalm 33:6,7 Part 4RR Psalm 33:8,9,10 Part 5Favor In Acts 1 by David HarwoodRR Psalm 33:11,12 Part 6RR Psalm 33:13,14 Part 7RR Psalm 33:15,16 Part 8RR Psalm 33:17,18,19 Part 9RR Psalm 33:20,21 Part 10RR Psalm 33:22 Part 11RR Favor in Acts 2: Stephen by David HarwoodRR “Endurance for the Race” by Jerry Miller