Christmas Investigation: Does the Bible Reveal the Exact Day Jesus Was Born? (The Mystery of Tabernacles)

Índice/Index

Publication Date: December 25th

Estimated reading time: 18-20 minutes

Scripture Base: Luke 1, 1 Chronicles 24, John 1

Keywords: date of jesus birth bible, feast of tabernacles, division of abijah, zechariah and elizabeth, christmas in september, birth of john the baptist, biblical chronology.

Introduction: What Are We Celebrating Today?

Today is December 25th. The lights are flashing, the table is set, and the whole world has stopped to celebrate the birth of the Boy from Bethlehem. And that is wonderful. There is nothing wrong with setting aside a day on the Western calendar to honor the arrival of the Savior.

But what if I told you that while the reason for the party is right, the date on the birthday cake is probably wrong? And what if I told you that the Bible, far from being vague about dates, left us a chronological “treasure map” hidden in the work schedules of Old Testament priests?

Many Christians believe it is impossible to know when Jesus was born. They think it was a date lost to history. But when we cross-reference information from Luke with the Chronicles of the kings of Israel, a stunning date emerges. A date that not only makes mathematical sense but carries an explosive theological meaning that will change the way you read the Gospel of John.

In this special Christmas report, we are going to do something different. We are opening the “Biblical CSI.” We will follow the clues left by King David and Doctor Luke to discover when Heaven touched Earth. Get your Bible and your calculator ready.

1. The Forgotten Clue: King David’s Roster

To find Jesus’ birthday, curiously, we don’t start in the New Testament. We start a thousand years earlier, with King David. In 1 Chronicles 24, David organizes the functioning of the Temple. There were many priests (from the tribe of Levi), and not everyone could minister at the same time.

So David, along with the high priest Zadok, created a system of Divisions (or Courses).

They divided the priests into 24 Divisions.
The Jewish year has 12 months (lunar).
Therefore, each division would serve twice a year (approximately 15 days per shift).

The Bible lists the name of each family drawn for these shifts. And here is the golden key. In 1 Chronicles 24:10, we read:

“…the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah…”

Keep this name: Abijah. The family of Abijah was the eighth in the service roster.

Doing the Calendar Math

The Jewish religious year does not begin in January, like ours. It begins in the month of Nisan (which falls between March and April on our calendar), around Passover time. Let’s calculate when the “Division of Abijah” worked:

March/April (Nisan): 1st and 2nd Divisions.
April/May (Iyar): 3rd and 4th Divisions.
May/June (Sivan): 5th and 6th Divisions.
June/July (Tammuz): 7th and 8th Divisions.

Therefore, the Division of Abijah (the eighth) served in the Temple in the second half of June (according to our Gregorian calendar). Why is this important? Because this is the key date that unlocks the birth of Jesus.

2. The Missing Link: The Priest Zechariah

Now, let’s jump a thousand years forward and open to Luke chapter 1. Luke was a physician and historian. He says at the beginning of his Gospel that he investigated everything “carefully from the beginning.” He gives us technical details that Matthew and Mark do not.

Look at what he says about John the Baptist’s father:

“In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah…” (Luke 1:5)

Here is the connection! Zechariah wasn’t just any priest ministering on a random day. He was from the Division of Abijah. This means Zechariah had a scheduled date to be in the Temple: The second half of June.

The text continues:

“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.” (Luke 1:8-9)

We know exactly when this happened. It was June. Zechariah was there burning incense when the angel Gabriel appeared and said that his wife, Elizabeth (who was barren and elderly), would become pregnant. Zechariah finishes his shift (around June 30th) and goes home.

“When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant…” (Luke 1:23-24)

Mathematical Conclusion 1: Elizabeth conceived John the Baptist right at the beginning of July.

3. Mary’s Pregnancy: The “Sixth Month”

Now the chronology begins to point to the Messiah. Luke tells us that Elizabeth hid herself for five months. And then:

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth… to a virgin… The virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26-27)

Sixth month of whom? Of the calendar? No. The text clarifies in verse 36:

“Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.”

Let’s do the math:

Elizabeth got pregnant in early July.
July + 6 months = December (late December or early January).

It was during this period (December/January) that the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary, and she conceived Jesus. Divine Irony: We celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th. But, by biblical calculations, December was likely the month of Jesus’ Conception. It was in winter, around the Feast of Hanukkah (Festival of Lights), that the “Light of the World” was lit in Mary’s womb. Divine biology began to operate in the dark of winter.

4. The Birth: The Feast of Tabernacles

Now, the final calculation. A normal human gestation lasts 9 months (or 40 weeks). If Mary got pregnant in late December or early January, when was Jesus born?

Count 9 months from January: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September.
Result: Jesus was born between late September and early October.

What happens in the Jewish calendar in September/October? The most joyful and prophetic feast of all takes place: The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

This feast celebrated the time when God lived in tents (tabernacles) with the people in the desert. It was a harvest festival, a time of joy, where everyone left their homes and lived in temporary booths for 7 days.

The Connection to John 1:14

This sheds a blinding light on the most famous text of the Apostle John. In our translation, we read:

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14)

But in the original Greek, the word used by John is skenoo, which literally means: “Tabernacled” or “Pitched his tent.” John, being a Jew, was likely making an intentional theological pun. He was saying: “The Word became flesh and celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with us.”

Jesus was not born in winter (December), where shepherds would not be in the fields with sheep due to the cold and rain (Luke 2:8). He was born in the mild autumn of September, during the feast where God “pitches his tent” with men. It makes perfect theological sense that Immanuel (God With Us) is born exactly on the feast that celebrates God’s dwelling with man.

5. The Symphony of Jewish Feasts

God does nothing randomly. The three great feasts of Israel seem to mark the agenda of Redemption:

Passover (March/April): Marks Redemption by blood.
- Who was born at Passover according to this count? John the Baptist. (If Elizabeth conceived in July + 9 months = March/April).
- Why is this amazing? Because Jews expect the prophet Elijah to return at Passover. To this day, at the Jewish Passover meal (Seder), they leave an empty chair for Elijah.
- Jesus said: “And if you are willing to accept it, he [John the Baptist] is the Elijah who was to come.” (Matthew 11:14). John the Baptist arrived exactly at the feast prepared for him!
Pentecost (May/June): Marks the harvest and the giving of the Law.
- This was when God sent the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
Tabernacles (September/October): Marks God’s dwelling.
- This was when God sent the Son (Birth of Jesus).

It is a perfect symphony. The Forerunner (John) arrives at Passover. The Son (Jesus) arrives at Tabernacles. The Comforter (Spirit) arrives at Pentecost.

6. The Future: The Birthday the Nations Will Celebrate

This discovery is not just about the past; it is about the future. The prophet Zechariah tells us that in the Millennium, when Jesus reigns over the Earth, all nations will have to celebrate a specific feast. Guess which one?

“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:16)

Why Tabernacles? Perhaps because it is the King’s birthday. The whole world will celebrate Christmas in September/October. Zechariah is emphatic: whoever does not go up to celebrate this feast will have no rain. God takes His calendar seriously.

7. So, Is December 25th a Mistake?

We come to the practical question: Should we stop celebrating Christmas today? Should we throw away the tree and the turkey? Absolutely not.

The Bible gives us the probable date through deduction, but it does not command the celebration of the date. If God wanted the day to be a dogma, He would have written “15th of Tishrei” explicitly. He left it hidden so that we would not worship the calendar, but the Christ.

December 25th was chosen by the early church (Rome) to Christianize pagan winter solstice festivals. It was a missionary strategy. But the Spirit of Christmas—the celebration of the Incarnation—is valid on any day.

You can celebrate today. Enjoy the family, the lights, and the opportunity to speak of Jesus, since the whole world is listening. But, in the bottom of your heart, keep this precious biblical secret: Jesus is our Tabernacle. He was not born in a cold winter palace. He was born in the joy of the harvest, to pitch His tent in the middle of our confusion and say: “I live here now.”

Conclusion: The Word Tabernacled

Knowing that Jesus was likely born at Tabernacles changes our view of God. He is not a God who visits us and leaves. He is a camping God. He sets up the tent and stays.

If you are feeling lonely today, remember: God did not just visit Earth; He moved in. Today, His tabernacle is not made of canvas or stone. It is made of flesh. You are His house.

May on this December 24th (or in September), you open the curtains of your heart and let Immanuel in.

Merry Christmas! (And a belated Happy Tabernacles!)

Hearing Him Org — Examining the Scriptures to know Him.

Biblical References Used

1 Chronicles 24:1-19 (The roster of priestly divisions and the family of Abijah).
Luke 1:5-24 (Zechariah, the division of Abijah, and John the Baptist’s conception).
Luke 1:26-36 (The Annunciation to Mary in Elizabeth’s sixth month).
John 1:14 (The Word tabernacled among us).
Zechariah 14:16 (The prophecy about the Feast of Tabernacles in the future).
Matthew 11:14 (John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come).