Al-Baqara 111; The Nativity
Verse 111 of Al-Baqara, the second sura (chapter) of The Glorious Qur'an reads,
And they say: "None shall enter Paradise unless he is a Yahudi (Jew) or a Nasrani (Christian)." Those are (only) their vain or empty wishes. Say to them: "Bring your proof if you are truthful," (Al-Baqara 111; translated by Dr. Syed Vickar Ahamed Holmdel).
One such item of proof is the very birth of our Lord, Jesus the Christ.
As a scientist I can speak with some authority on the matter of proof. One well-known scientist once stated that, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof." While this assertion may have a visceral appeal to someone seeking to reject a given truth without reason, with prejudice if you will, it is nonetheless an assertion which quickly crumbles under the weight of reasoned scrutiny. Proof is either proof, or it isn't. There is no gray area in any proof. If something is proven, then it is indisputable. If something is disputable, then it isn't proven. It's very much like calling something "extremely unique." Something is either unique or it isn't, and something is either proven or it isn't. There are no gradations of uniqueness, nor of proof.
There are, however, gradations of preponderance. But preponderance is not proof. Preponderance is too often what people, both individuals and mobs, rely on to justify their beliefs and prejudices. I do not say that there is no place for preponderance. To the contrary, preponderance is often all there is on which to base one's judgment. But it is always imperative that one both recognizes, and diligently remains cognizant of, any reliance on preponderance, and then only in the absence of real proof. Too often preponderance becomes nothing more than mob-mentality disguised as reason. In fact, scrutiny too often reveals that in many groups the only thing passing for preponderance is the self-confirmation of mutual assurance in the absence of true reason.
Now concerning proof, it is a fundamental tenet of the scientific method that the ultimate test of any hypothesis is its ability to predict future events. When a hypothesis is shown to accurately (within the limits of the ability of the observer to measure a result) and repeatedly predict future events (for example the outcomes of a set of experiments), that hypothesis is considered proven.
Just such a future event was the birth of Jesus, and scripture made some astoundingly specific predictions about just that. But before we look at those predictions, I think it is important that we look more closely at just how accurately we can measure the results.
Calendar issues
When I was younger I was told that we suspected that Jesus was born in the springtime, but we weren't really sure. I was told that because we weren't sure that He was born in springtime we celebrate His birth on December 25th. And as a child I never once thought to question why being uncertain was cause to move the date to the diametrically opposite side of the calendar. No, I am not going off on a tangent about the origins of the Christmas holiday. The only point I want to make is that we know quite well when Jesus was born. We don't know the date, but specific dates weren't really very important to people then. Neither do we know the year. The best information currently available puts the birth of Jesus in the interval from 5 B.C. to 1 A.D.. Nonetheless, we do know that Jesus was born in the month that overlaps what we would now call the end of May and the beginning of June.
In the 1st chapter of Luke, verse 26, we read that the Angel of the Lord came to herald the conception of Christ in the sixth month. This is, on the Hebrew calendar, the month of -&-! (Elul; August/September on the Gregorian calendar). And in the 2nd chapter of Luke, in verses 6 and 7, we read that Mary delivered Jesus when she was due ("... the days were accomplished that she should be delivered,"). Nine months after the 6th month is the 3rd month. On the Hebrew calendar it is called 0&*2 (Silvan; May/June on the Gregorian calendar). So you see, we do know Jesus' birthday, at least as accurately as that of anyone born in those days, and it wasn't in December.
Now don't make the mistake of believing that just because people were less concerned with particular dates than we are that their calendar was somehow less accurate. The Jewish calendar, then and now, is at least as accurate as any other calendar, including the Gregorian calendar which we use. Yes, prior to 360 A.D. (although the Jews don't call it A.D.) the Jewish calendar was regulated by observation.. Months began on the day that the first sliver of a waxing moon became visible. When people saw the first sliver of a moon they would report their observation to the Sanhedrin. Upon hearing reports from two reliable witnesses, the Sanhedrin declared it the first day of the month and sent out messengers to proclaim such to the towns and villages (which perhaps has something to do with why specific dates just weren't as important to people then).
The Sanhedrin also added leap months periodically, as needed, to realign the lunar cycles with the solar year. They simply observed when the first month, 02*1 (Nissan), had moved earlier sufficiently that it was fully into winter and declared a 13th month. They also juggle the number of days in the 8th and 9th months, 0&:( (Cheshvan) and &-2, (Kislev) respectively, but this is just to ensure that Yom Kippur and Hoshanah Rabba do not conflict with the Sabbath. This has nothing to do with the accuracy of the calendar year.
In the 4th Century Rabbi Hillel II formalized the Jewish calendar based on astronomical calculations. Note that this predated, by 12 centuries, the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. In this contemporary Jewish calendar leap months are added every two or three years, seven times in a 19 year cycle. When they add such a month it is called ! 9$! (Adar I) and it precedes the regular month of 9$! (Adar) which in such leap years is designated " 9$! (Adar II).
The point is that in both cases, with both the earlier calendar governed by observation and the modern calendar governed by astronomical calculations, the Jewish calendar is just as accurate as our Gregorian calendar. And though it may not seem so to most Americans, it doesn't have to be corrected nearly as often. That's right! Don't forget that our Gregorian calendar is also corrected, and not just every four years either. It's ironic that the underlying idea behind the Gregorian calendar, considered to be an improvement, was to minimize the number of required corrections. To accomplish this we abandoned the idea of a lunar year. Still, we have added leap seconds 23 times since 1972. Compare this to the approximate 12 times that the Jewish calendar has been corrected during that same period.
I want to make one more point before moving on. You may have heard that the Jewish calendar consists of 360 days. It does not. Depending on any "leap" adjustments that are made, the Jewish calendar has either 353, 354, 355, 383, 384 or 385 days. The 360 day year that many have heard of is called a prophetic year. It is derived by taking the average of the number of days between a solar year and a lunar year. If one studies biblical prophesy, one will find that the 360 day prophetic year does seem to be the one used in scripture. I'm just not certain that it's really germane to this article. After all, I've already pointed out that we don't know the exact date, or even year, of Jesus' birth. So counting days is probably folly.
The Christ's prophesied birth
In Micah 5: 2, we read that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. That this prophesy was well understood is made plain in the response of the chief priests and scribes when Herod demanded to know where the Christ would be born (Matthew 2: 4 - 6). They didn't have to deliberate or research the question. They knew immediately that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem and they explicitly cited Micah 5: 2 as their source.
Bear in mind that Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, so his contribution to The Bible was written more than 700 years before Jesus' birth. And still Micah said that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. Notice that he wrote, "... though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, ...." This, in the vernacular of one analyzing this prophesy based on the statistics, was a long shot.
In order to put a little perspective on the probabilities involved here, let's forego raw numbers and do a bit of a thought experiment instead.
With 43 Presidents in 223 years, there is approximately one President every 5.4 years. Thus, in 700 + years there would be about 130 to 135 Presidents. Now imagine that Benjamin Franklin, in 1776, would have declared that the 135th President of the United States would be born in Brookneal, VA, a town that then existed but that is so small that few outside of Virginia (or likely even in Virginia) could find it on a map. That is very much analogous to Micah naming Bethlehem among the tribes of Judah as the birthplace of the Christ.
As for the timeline involved, I think we lose perspective when we talk about the 8th Century B.C. So again for some perspective about our hypothetical timeline to the 135th President, consider that we are at a time approximately equal to that when Cyrus gave the order to go and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1: 2; approximately. 536 - 538 B.C.). 2006 A.D. is a lot closer to Benjamin Franklin than the 135th President, whoever (if anyone) that may be.
What I am trying to show is just how absurd it would have been for anyone to choose the birthplace of the Christ 700+ years before hand, and how much more absurd it would have been to choose Bethlehem as that location. That is, of course, if they were doing so on their own, relying on their own faculties. Thus, that this prophesy was found to be true demonstrates that it's source was not the man Micah, but the Lord who inspired him. Stated in a manner consistent with the dispassionate analysis of the scientific method, either Micah defied incalculably astronomical odds to make an unbelievably lucky guess, or someone with specific knowledge of the future imparted this information to him.
But this was far from the most impressive prophesy documented in scripture concerning the birth of the Christ. Consider the Nativity story as recorded in Matthew 2: 1, 2. We read that wise men, the Magi, came from the east to see the newborn King of the Jews. The question I pose is this. How did they know?
I know that they said they saw His star. And no, before anyone asks, I do not have an explanation for what that star might have been, nor do I plan to spend any time discussing possibilities. As far as I'm concerned, and until and unless God shows me more, it was a miracle.
But I do have an explanation of how the Magi knew that Jesus was born. Note that scripture says they came from the east, hence, from the region of Babylon. Remember that Daniel was taken captive into Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. There he rose to power, not merely under Nebuchadnezzar, but under Belshazzar and Darius as well. He became the most powerful of three presidents over the Medo-Persian empire. He rose to positions of power and renown in an empire known for its philosophical, academic, and intellectual prowess. And to be sure, the generations of wise men who came after him were well versed in his writings.
So what did Daniel write? In Daniel 9: 24 he wrote that God ordained 70 weeks, apportioned to His chosen people, the Jews, in which he would bring an end to sin, finalize the reconciliation of iniquity, conclude all prophesy and anoint the most Holy. In other words, the Jews have seventy weeks in which time God will complete the work He began through them.
Do not be misled by the English translation making use of the word "weeks." In Hebrew the word is .*3": (Shooveem) and is better translated literally as the plural "sevens." It differs from the word for "seventy" only in the diacriticals (the pronunciation). Much like the Hebrew word .&* (yom) means "day," but not necessarily 24 hours, the word .*3": (Shooveem) means "weeks," but not necessarily seven days. Daniel 9: 24 says that God has set aside 70 cycles of seven years each, or 490 years, in which He will complete His purpose for His chosen people, the Jews.
Now look at what Daniel writes next.
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. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: ..., (Daniel 9: 25, 26a).
First we see that there was a well defined starting point, a time at which the clock began. This was when the command to rebuild Jerusalem was issued. The Bible records four decrees which had to do with rebuilding in Jerusalem, but the first three pertained only to the Temple, not the city. The first such decree was made by Cyrus, king of Persia, in approximately 536 - 538 B.C., and it is recorded in II Chronicles 36: 22, 23 and again in Ezra 1: 1, 2. Take care to note that this decree was to rebuild the Temple only, not the city of Jerusalem. In Ezra 6: 1 - 5 we read that Darius made a decree to confirm and complete the earlier decree of Cyrus. Next we read, in Ezra 7: 12 - 24, that Artaxerxes made a decree which restored the plundered Temple treasures to the Temple, added to the Temple treasure from the king's treasury, allowed for freewill offerings to benefit the Temple, allowed any Jews who wished to return to Israel, ordered the governors of the lands he ruled to contribute also to the Temple, authorized reinstitution of the Temple Law to govern, granted safe passage to Ezra and the priests and forbade taxing them. But, take note that this was all with regard to the Temple, not the whole city of Jerusalem.
Indeed, Daniel's prophesy is explicitly about a decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, not the Temple, and even specifically names the streets and the wall. And there is but one such decree recorded in scripture. In Nehemiah 2: 1 - 8 we read that Artaxerxes gave such a decree to Nehemiah, in the 20th year of his reign, specifically authorizing him to go and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. As for when that decree was made, we know it was issued sometime in the period 454 B.C. and 444 B.C., inclusive, but we can't independently nail it down any closer than that.
Now let's look closer at the specifics of Daniel's prophesy. He divides the 70 weeks (of years) into three periods. The first period is 7 weeks, or 49 years. The second period is three score and two (62) weeks, or 434 years. The final period is a single week, or seven years. Now this gets pretty specific, so let's look carefully.
Reexamine Daniel 9: 25, 26a (above) once again. From the time that Cyrus' decree went forth until the time of the Messiah was to be first 7 weeks (49 years) and then 62 weeks (434 years). Then reiterating and expounding, first the street and the wall would be built, during the 49 year period, "... even under troublous times." Then, after the second period of 434 years the Christ would be cut off (crucified).
There is yet the final week (7 years) God has accounted to the Jews. Read the whole passage of Daniel 9: 24 - 27 and you will note that after the Christ is cut off, "... the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; ...." The point is that there is a period of indeterminate time between the crucifixion of the Christ and the beginning of that final 7 years. That final 7 years is what some Christians refer to as the Tribulation period. Of course this opens up a whole new topic for deliberation, one which I do not intend to delve into now. It is sufficient for the topic at hand to note that we do not know when that final 7 years will begin, and that what we do know is that there should have been 49 years plus 434 years, or 483 years between Artaxerxes' decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the crucifixion of Jesus.
Now one might think that since we don't know the exact year that Artaxerxes gave his decree to Nehemiah, and since we don't know exactly what year Jesus was born, and since we don't know exactly how old Jesus was when He was crucified, that we are in trouble. But do not be so quick to dismiss. Remember, I said that in order for a hypothesis to be proven, it must test true within the ability of the observer to measure the result. So let's analyze what we do know.
We know independently that the 20th year of Artaxerxes' reign was from 454 B.C. to 444 B.C.. We know that Jesus was born sometime between 1 A.D. and 5 B.C.. And we know that Jesus was either 32, 33, or 34 when He was crucified. From this information we can calculate both the longest and shortest possible periods between Artaxerxes' decree and Jesus' crucifixion. If 483 years is outside that window of possibility then the prophesy is false and the Bible is proven wrong.
The shortest possible interval between the decree and the crucifixion would be if the decree happened in 444 B.C., Jesus was born in 5 B.C., and He was crucified at 32 years of age. In this case Jesus would have been crucified in 27 A.D., putting the total interval at 27 -(-444) = 27 + 444 = 471 years.
Similarly, the longest possible interval would have been the case that the decree was made in 454 B.C., Jesus was born in 1 A.D., and He was crucified at 34 years of age. In this case He would have been crucified in 35 A.D., putting the total interval at 35 -(-454) = 35 + 454 = 489 years.
Thus, our result is that the best measurement of the interval between Artaxerxes' decree and Jesus' crucifixion is 480 years, ±9 years. This includes the prophesied interval of 483 years, thus the prophesy is proven true.
And this is why the Magi knew of the birth of the Christ, because they knew of Daniel's writings. And you can be sure that when they read the decree by Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem, they started counting the years. No, they wouldn't have known exactly which year He was to be born, but they knew in which year He would be crucified. And so they had an idea of when to start watching for His birth. And clearly they were watching for His birth, or they wouldn't have seen His star (whatever His star was).
I would like to make one more point here, for emphasis. Just as the response of the chief priests and scribes to Herod's query about the birthplace of the Christ demonstrated that they understood Micah's prophesy, the fact that the Magi knew of Jesus' birth and were watching for it demonstrates that they too understood Daniel's prophesy. Moreover, the Magi trekked across the desert, the Middle East, to see this newborn king that had been prophesied by their illustrious predecessor. I doubt they would have done this at all, much less carrying treasures (gold, frankincense and myrrh), if they harbored any doubt of the certainty of the prophesy. So even if the English translations of these prophesies seem a bit vague to us, it is demonstrated that to those before us these prophesies were not ambiguous at all.
Now Couple the extremely improbable result that the Christ was crucified 483 years after Artaxerxes' decree with the equally improbable result that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem and we have seen, yet again, that the Bible has been shown to repeatedly and accurately predict very distant future events. And so therein is yet another piece of the proof asked for in Al-Baqara 111. But don't be defensive. As always, it's not about proving anyone, or any religion, wrong. It's not about finding out which is the true religion. It's not about finding out if I'm right or if you're right. It's not even about finding out if we're all right. It's about finding out that we're all wrong, and only God is right. It's about finding out what God desires, and that it's His will, His work, that matters. Not ours.
Comments or questions? I'd like to hear them. Comments
Micah 5: 2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Matthew 2: 4 - 6 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Ezra 1: 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Matthew 2: 1, 2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Daniel 9: 24 - 27 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. 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. 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. 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.
II Chronicles 36: 22, 23 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Ezra 1: 1, 2 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Ezra 6: 1 - 5 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
Ezra 7: 12 - 24 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem: That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house. And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
Nehemiah 2: 1 - 8 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.