Thursday, October 13, 2022

Jesus ministry timeline

     Many know the prophecy's of the book of Daniel can be difficult at best to understand. Many in some churches do not even try to understand while others have a misunderstanding of them. In the Seventh-day Adventist circle there is even some confusion. Many have heard of the prophetic timeline in Daniel chapter 9 pointing to the Messiah's first advent. I'm going to attempt to break it down here with supporting historical documents as well. We will start in Daniel chapter 9 verses 24 through 27. "24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/DAN.9.KJV

    We have, as SDA's, all seen this chart and it is not my intention to go through every detail of this here. For an in depth study of this chapter click on this link: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4995/t/right-on-time--prophetic-appointments-revealed Answer

    My focus is specifically the year AD 27. Facts we know: Jesus lived for 33 1/2 years. Jesus ministry was 3 1/2 years. Jesus was 30 in the year 27 AD. Jesus was crucified in the spring of AD 31. Therefore Jesus was 33 1/2 years old when He died. Which makes His birthday in the fall. But what I want to take a closer look at is a few verses and some history involving 27 AD.

    Turn with me to Luke chapter 3:1,2,21-23 "1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituræa and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,..." Notice it does not say he had actually turned 30 yet, but it took place in the Year in which he would turn 30.  https://my.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.3.KJV We know from historical records when all of the people in verses one and two were all in power together, was the year 27 AD. (see study guide above) We also know that after Jesus baptism He was led straightway into the wilderness and was tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1-11 "1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.4.KJV But I want to focus for a few minutes on John's account of the timeline of events as recorded in John chapters 1 and 2. We won't read all of it. Jesus is baptized sometime around verse 32 but in John's account Jesus then begins to gather disciples to Himself. When we come to John chapter 2 it must have taken place after the temptation in the wilderness and in verse 4 it says "4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.2.KJV So Jesus has already been baptized and gone through the wilderness temptation and He states that His hour had not yet come to publicly proclaim His ministry. Why is this important?  Some people push off the beginning of Jesus ministry to the spring of AD 28 but this would mean that Jesus ministry wasn't 3 1/2 years long. They use the following text John 2:19 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.2.KJV They try to put the beginning of the building of the temple in 19 BC instead of 20 AD. According to Jewish history 20 AD would be more accurate. See: https://amazingbibletimeline.com/blog/herod-rebuilds-temple/ Let's read together Luke 4:14 "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?" https://my.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.4.KJV This event happened shortly after the baptism and had to also have happened after the miracle of turning the water into (unfermented) wine. I will expound on this timeline, but first, what Jewish feast is being described here in these verses? It was the Jubilee, freedom for the captives. See Leviticus chapter 25 especially vs. "54 And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, both he, and his children with him. 55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." https://my.bible.com/bible/1/LEV.25.KJV The Jubilee coincided with the day of Atonement or Yom Kippur as we know it today, which is always in the fall around the end of September or in October sometime.  Incidentally because Jesus died in the spring at the age of 33 1/2 that means that He was also born in the fall, and if I don't miss my guess I would say that because Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives of sin that He was probably born on Yom Kippur as well, in the year 4 BC, since we know that he died in the Spring of AD 31. See an example here of dates: https://www.calculateconvert.com/calculators/date/history.php?era2=adce&month2=04&day2=13&year2=31&era=bcbce&month=10&day=13&year=4   Jesus in verse 21 of Luke chapter 4 (above) said "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." It was only after this proclamation that Jesus openly began His ministry. He could not have waited until the spring of AD 28 to begin his ministry. He would not have had a 3 1/2 year ministry if He had. 

    All of this to say that God is precise, God's timing is perfect, and God's words can be trusted to be fulfilled exactly as He has said.

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