The Star Of Bethlehem DVD
The Star of Bethlehem DVD, created by Rick Larson, has caused many to accept 33 AD as the date of Jesus' crucifixion, which is biblically, chronologically and historically impossible. Advocates of the 33 AD date use 444 BC as the starting point for Daniel's time prophecy regarding the coming of the Messiah (Daniel 9:24-27). At the end of this article I will provide a "link" which conclusively proves that the context of the biblical record favors 457 BC as the "starting date" for Daniel's prophecy, and which also proves that the correct date for Jesus' crucifixion was 30 AD (The Passover in 30 AD was on a Friday, just as it was in 33 AD).
Another problem with the 33 AD theory, is that it uses time reckoning from the "Egyptiancalendar" to arrive at its 33 AD date. Only the Egyptians used the 360 day-per-year calendar that the 33 AD advocates use. Neither the Jews, Babylonians or Persians used a 360 day-per-year calendar. Daniel served within Babylonian and Persian systems and governments, but never Egyptian ones. So, why would Daniel's prophecy utilize an Egyptian calendar?
Furthermore, Daniel's prophecy was written for the benefit of the Jewish people, giving them a prophetic "time-clock" to count the years till the coming of their Messiah, so that they could be ready to receive Him. And, it also gave the Jews a specific probationary time period to put an end to their sins and to establish righteousness. Doesn't it seem reasonable and logical that Daniel would utilize Jewishtime reckoning and a "Jewish calendar" in his prophetic message for the "Jewish people"?
The Jewish year and calendar is based on the lunar cycle. The twelve Jewish months are Nisan, Iyyar, Sivan, Tamuz, Ab, Elul, Tishri, Chesvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat and Adar, with six months having 30 days and six months having 29 days. Therefore, the Jewish year has 354 days, not 360 days. But, that's only part of the problem for proponents of the 33 AD theory. The Jewish "time system" also has "leap years". In fact, there are seven leap years in every nineteen year cycle; the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years of every nineteen year cycle are leap years. What happens in a Jewish leap year? They add a thirteenth month, Adar 2, which has 30 days, thus increasing the number of days in a Jewish leap year to 384.
Although the Jewish leap year system is not commanded in the Bible, we know that the Jews have used this system throughout their history. If they hadn't, their "holy feasts", which were commanded by God to be held in specific months at specific seasons of the year, which also corresponded with "first fruits" and "harvest" offerings; these feasts would have moved dramatically within just a few years, because of the eleven day difference between a lunar year and a solar year. For example, if they would have omitted their leap years, every eight years Passover would have fallen in January, and the Feast of Tabernacles would have fallen in July. And, every sixteen years Passover would have fallen in October, and the Feast of Tabernacles would have fallen in April; thus Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles would have completely switched places every sixteen years. In fact, without the Jewish leap year system, these "holy feasts" would have been held at the wrong time of the yearninetypercent of the time! Therefore, the appropriate first fruit and harvest offerings commanded by Scripture could not have been offered ninety percent of the time. Therefore, it is obvious that the Jewish people have always used this leap year system.
This creates a huge and "uncorrectable problem" for proponents of the 33 AD theory. They use 483 (the first 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy multiplied by 7 days per week), multiplied by 360 days, an "Egyptian year", to arrive at their 33 AD date (Most theologians agree that Daniel utilized a "day for a year" time reckoning in his prophecy.). However, Daniel was not an Egyptian; he was not writing to Egyptians; and he was not serving under an Egyptian government. Therefore, the chances of him using Egyptian time reckoning are nil. In fact, it's a virtual certainty that he would not have used the Egyptian calendar, but rather the Jewish calendar. And, when using the "start date" used by advocates of 33 AD (444 BC), if he included the Jewish leap years, of 384 days, in his time reckoning, it would add about "sevenyears" onto the total of his time prophecy, thus bringing us to 40 AD, not 33 AD. In this scenario Jesus would have been at least 42 years old when he died, and He would have had a ministry of about 12 years! On the other hand, if Daniel omitted the leap years, and just used a Jewish "standard" or "non-leap-year" of 354 days for his time prophecy, then it would deduct about eight years from the total of his prophecy, thus bringing us to 25 AD, not 33 AD. In this scenario Jesus would have died before He was 30, and the Bible says that He first started His ministry when He was about 30 years old. In other words, both scenarios are biblically impossible.
What's the "bottom line"? If Jewish Daniel, writing to a Jewish audience, did use Jewish time reckoning, the 33 AD date is impossible. Once again, the 33 AD date only works with an Egyptian calendar. And, if you think that Jewish Daniel, serving under Babylonian and Persian governments, writing to a Jewish audience, using a time prophecy that was meant to help Jews be ready to accept their Messiah when He came; if you think that he was using Egyptian time reckoning, then I've got some swampland in Florida that I want to sell you for a few million dollars.
Another problem with the 33 AD theory, is that it uses time reckoning from the "Egyptiancalendar" to arrive at its 33 AD date. Only the Egyptians used the 360 day-per-year calendar that the 33 AD advocates use. Neither the Jews, Babylonians or Persians used a 360 day-per-year calendar. Daniel served within Babylonian and Persian systems and governments, but never Egyptian ones. So, why would Daniel's prophecy utilize an Egyptian calendar?
Furthermore, Daniel's prophecy was written for the benefit of the Jewish people, giving them a prophetic "time-clock" to count the years till the coming of their Messiah, so that they could be ready to receive Him. And, it also gave the Jews a specific probationary time period to put an end to their sins and to establish righteousness. Doesn't it seem reasonable and logical that Daniel would utilize Jewishtime reckoning and a "Jewish calendar" in his prophetic message for the "Jewish people"?
The Jewish year and calendar is based on the lunar cycle. The twelve Jewish months are Nisan, Iyyar, Sivan, Tamuz, Ab, Elul, Tishri, Chesvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat and Adar, with six months having 30 days and six months having 29 days. Therefore, the Jewish year has 354 days, not 360 days. But, that's only part of the problem for proponents of the 33 AD theory. The Jewish "time system" also has "leap years". In fact, there are seven leap years in every nineteen year cycle; the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years of every nineteen year cycle are leap years. What happens in a Jewish leap year? They add a thirteenth month, Adar 2, which has 30 days, thus increasing the number of days in a Jewish leap year to 384.
Although the Jewish leap year system is not commanded in the Bible, we know that the Jews have used this system throughout their history. If they hadn't, their "holy feasts", which were commanded by God to be held in specific months at specific seasons of the year, which also corresponded with "first fruits" and "harvest" offerings; these feasts would have moved dramatically within just a few years, because of the eleven day difference between a lunar year and a solar year. For example, if they would have omitted their leap years, every eight years Passover would have fallen in January, and the Feast of Tabernacles would have fallen in July. And, every sixteen years Passover would have fallen in October, and the Feast of Tabernacles would have fallen in April; thus Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles would have completely switched places every sixteen years. In fact, without the Jewish leap year system, these "holy feasts" would have been held at the wrong time of the yearninetypercent of the time! Therefore, the appropriate first fruit and harvest offerings commanded by Scripture could not have been offered ninety percent of the time. Therefore, it is obvious that the Jewish people have always used this leap year system.
This creates a huge and "uncorrectable problem" for proponents of the 33 AD theory. They use 483 (the first 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy multiplied by 7 days per week), multiplied by 360 days, an "Egyptian year", to arrive at their 33 AD date (Most theologians agree that Daniel utilized a "day for a year" time reckoning in his prophecy.). However, Daniel was not an Egyptian; he was not writing to Egyptians; and he was not serving under an Egyptian government. Therefore, the chances of him using Egyptian time reckoning are nil. In fact, it's a virtual certainty that he would not have used the Egyptian calendar, but rather the Jewish calendar. And, when using the "start date" used by advocates of 33 AD (444 BC), if he included the Jewish leap years, of 384 days, in his time reckoning, it would add about "sevenyears" onto the total of his time prophecy, thus bringing us to 40 AD, not 33 AD. In this scenario Jesus would have been at least 42 years old when he died, and He would have had a ministry of about 12 years! On the other hand, if Daniel omitted the leap years, and just used a Jewish "standard" or "non-leap-year" of 354 days for his time prophecy, then it would deduct about eight years from the total of his prophecy, thus bringing us to 25 AD, not 33 AD. In this scenario Jesus would have died before He was 30, and the Bible says that He first started His ministry when He was about 30 years old. In other words, both scenarios are biblically impossible.
What's the "bottom line"? If Jewish Daniel, writing to a Jewish audience, did use Jewish time reckoning, the 33 AD date is impossible. Once again, the 33 AD date only works with an Egyptian calendar. And, if you think that Jewish Daniel, serving under Babylonian and Persian governments, writing to a Jewish audience, using a time prophecy that was meant to help Jews be ready to accept their Messiah when He came; if you think that he was using Egyptian time reckoning, then I've got some swampland in Florida that I want to sell you for a few million dollars.
