"Jesus the Messiah Returns"
ISBN 1-59196-730-9 at Barnes and Noble .com

HEROD'S TEMPLE

Joseph the Husband of Mary was alive to see the Present Day Julian Calendar adopted by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. and to know of Julius Caesar's assassination on the Ides of March by Brutus and Cassius as well as the antics of Antony and Cleopatra. Joseph also saw the Romans name a local leader, Herod, ruler of Judah in 37 B.C. In 20 B.C., Herod received permission to rebuild and expand the Temple and work continued on the Temple for another forty years.

This expanded second Temple, sometimes called "Herod's Temple," was built on a huge four-sided platform that was almost a mile around its base. Its largest stones were as big as 40-feet long and 6 feet high. Some of these stones are still in place today on the temple site in Jerusalem. What is left of this "temple mount" can be seen clearly at the site called the "Western Wall" or "Wailing Wall" where many Jews still go to pray. The platform which is still in existence today. measures as follows: 1601 feet on the west, 530 feet on the east, 1024 feet on the north and 922 feet on the south.

The Fifth 1000 years of Man's Rule

Anno Domini - The First Coming of the Christ

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive,and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel" Isaiah 7:14 - Matt 1:22-23

First, we must establish the date of the birth of John the Baptist, who preceded Jesus by six months. This is provided through the cycle of duties of the priests in the Temple and through knowing the "course" of service under which Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, served. The Bible tells us clearly that Elizabeth, conceived immediately after Zacharias returned home from his priestly service. Luke 1:5 also states that Zacharias was a priest of the "course of Abijah."

1 Chronicles 24 divides the priestly families into 24 groups. Abijah, would be on duty from the during the month of June. After this time Zechariah returned home. (Lk 1:23) Mary became pregnant 6 months later (Lk 1:26).. This places the conception of Jesus on the Feast of Hanukkah in December. Assuming an average pregnancy, Jesus was born on - The Feast of Tabernacles.

" So it was, that while Zechariah was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:8-13)

"And so it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days (of his Temple service) his wife Elizabeth conceived (in late June) ; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.

THE ANNUNCIATION TO MARY

 

Now in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. (Luke 1:23-27) So in late December at the Feast of Hanukkah, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth and announced that she was to be the mother of Jesus the Messiah. From this annunciation we get the first part of the song, "Ave Maria" or "Hail Mary".

 "And the angel said unto her, Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favor with God..And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. ..He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David...And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:30-33

 

NEXT