Where does the passage say they were going to Jerusalem for a festival? This is what the text says
Luke 2
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. [SUP]2 [/SUP](This was the first census that took place while[SUP]
[a][/SUP]
Quirinius was governor of Syria.) [SUP]3 [/SUP]And everyone went to their own town to register.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. [SUP]5 [/SUP]He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. [SUP]6 [/SUP]While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, [SUP]7 [/SUP]and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
So from that passage how do you get that someone who family is from Capernum going to JERUSALEM to register? It's pretty simple HOW many were related to the line of David when David had many wives and Solomon had 300 wives? So you think maybe the reason why they could fine no in the inn was because of the fact that so MANY people were related to the line of David and had to register in BETHLEHEM,with Bethlehem being a SMALL town?
You are trying to ADD something the text that is NOT there. No where from that text can anyone say that it was during one of the three main festivals they were to go up to Jerusalem.
This is WHAT you said
Post # 40
There was no room in the inn.
Why? Because for 3 times a year all able-bodied males are supposed to be in Jerusalem for worship: Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Tabernacles. And the timing of the months from Zechariah's service in the temple (feast of Weeks/Pentecost), all the way to Christ's birth (the following year), brings the narrative to the 7th biblical month. The Feast of Tabernacles is in the 7th month.
Where does the text say anything about them going up to Jerusalem for a FEAST? It does not say that at all.
Matthew 13:44
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
...we can assume the man bought the field with the purpose of
digging deeper for even *more* treasure also.
1 Corinthians 2:10
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
We can stay on the surface of what happened and never experience any depth of the richness of the glory of God...or we can dive into that richness, as God said to "ask, seek, and knock" for more.
We should already know as a fact that God - in his infinite wisdom - *always* gives more than one witness of a truth outside of scripture...especially for an event as important as Christ's birth, but let's see what the scriptures say.
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Luke 1:5
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia. And his wife was the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
1. Luke tells the reader Zechariah is the
8th priestly house to serve in the Temple
in order for the year; Abijah (pronounced "A-bi-yah"). In
1st Chronicles 24:7-18 we read that this is the order King David established based on the sons of Aaron. 24 sons take turns as High Priest (to lead the service) in the temple throughout the year, every Sabbath. There are roughly 52 weeks in a year so every priest would lead at least twice by the time the year was finished.
2. Every able-bodied male was required to be in Jerusalem for the 3 feasts (
Deuteronomy 16:16). These feasts were special requiring *all* 24 priestly houses to be present and serve, so these holidays didn't count toward their normal rotation, even through the priest next in line led temple services (
Mishna Vol.2 order moed, tractate Rosh Hashanah).
Luke 1:8-9
And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
3. Temple service began on the first Sabbath
AFTER the 1st day of the 1st month of a new biblical year. The first Sabbath following Aviv 1 was
any day between the 2nd and 8th of that month (a 7-day range) at the
end of that week. So the following is the starting weeks of the course of priestly service:
Order of Priestly service for all 24 houses (at end of...):
Week 1 = Priest #1
Week 2 = all priests serve (because of
Feast of Pesach/Passover; led by Priest #2)
Week 3 = Priest #2
Week 4 = Priest #3
Week 5 = Priest #4
Week 6 = Priest #5
Week 7 = Priest #6
Week 8 = Priest #7
Week 9 = all priests serve (because of
Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost;
led by Priest #8)
Week 10 = Priest #8
…etc.
So Luke says it was either the 9th or 10th week of priestly service and Zechariah - the 8th priest - was leading the service.
Luke 1:10
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.
4. Why was the whole multitude there at the temple? Which week must it have been? 9 weeks into service put the narration in the
3rd biblical month. It was Shavuot (Pentecost); the Feast of Weeks.
Luke 1:23
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
5. Zechariah had to minister during two weeks (the 9th and 10th weeks) of temple service before returning home during the 11th week of priestly service...
Luke 1:24
24 And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
6. (End of) 3rd biblical month + 5 months of Elizabeth hiding =
(end of) 8th biblical month; (beginning of) 9th biblical month [or also beginning of Elizabeth's 6th month of pregnancy]
Luke 1:26 [brackets mine]
And in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy (if read in context)] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto the city of Galilee, named Nazareth…
7. Within the 9th biblical month Christ was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:56 [brackets mine]
And Mary abode with [Elizabeth] for three months, and returned to her own house.
8. 6th month of Elizabeth's pregnancy [or 9th biblical month] + 3 months = 9th months [or 12th biblical months finished]. This brings us right back around to the 1st biblical month by the time Elizabeth is ready to deliver John.
Luke 1:57
Now Elizabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
9. By this time, Mary is through 3 months of pregnancy...and it's within the 1st biblical month. She has 6 months to go before it's her time to deliver Christ into the world.
(within) 1st biblical month + 6 months to go =
(within) 7th biblical month as when Christ is born.
10. Ancillary evidence: It was believe in Hebrew tradition that Elijah would return on Passover (which occurs in the 1st biblical month). To this day, Jews will still place an empty plate at their Passover table. But here in Luke we have John the baptist (who was prophesied to come in the spirit and power of Elijah) being born in the 1st biblical month, they just didn't recognize this was the Elijah fulfillment.
How much do you want to wager that he was born on Passover (14th of 1st month), considering (a) it can take 2 weeks after her term is reached for a woman to deliver her child, and (b) as per God's law a male child is circumcised on their 8th days of life (the day when Luke 1:59-60 says John was named by Zechariah)?
So 6 months from the middle of the 1st month brings us to the middle of the 7th, exactly when the Feast of Tabernacles begins.
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So it was Feast of Tabernacles when Christ was born. Now imagine all of the people; multitudes upon multitudes of people...Jews...Gentiles...The last and most important Feast of the year for the Jews. Caesar's decree for his vote of all people... Imagine the level of temporary housing needed for *everyone*. Imagine like with any special event (even sports events) the space closer to the event is filled first - and quickly - and then it spreads out from the epicenter in Jerusalem. Time is required for all of this so we can imagine about a week or two before the actual day rooms are filling up everywhere including in nearby towns. Add to this, the requirement of every able-bodied male had to build a sukkah (temporary shelter with their supplies) on the holy day and actually live in it for 7 days, so imagine needing a inn for your stuff while you made your trek to the Holy Land. Imagine just how big - and important - all of this was to all of Israel!
"No room in the inn" in Bethlehem doesn't necessarily mean people were currently "inhabiting" in every single room, but it definitely means all the rooms were "booked". There was a convergence of activity in Israel so much so that Mary was forced to deliver Christ in a temporary housing structure (i.e. a Sukkah), perfectly fulfilling the Feast of Tabernacles.
The 15th of the 7th biblical month.
Luke's original readers would have known exactly when Christ was born simply from the text that he gave because they were firmly a part of that Hebrew culture (living through their calendar & traditions each year), the same way you would know which month and day I was talking about if I said "
Jim was born on Thanksgiving". But in order to see the full picture; the full truth, we must dig below the surface of what's already shared using all of scripture where it applies.
Proverbs 25:2 [Brackets mine]
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but it is the honor of [Royalty] is to search out a matter.
...if we even care to do so.
Sorry..I didn't say nor was I implying Christ was born in Jerusalem???
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