Tuesday, April 3, 2012

*Best of DTB #167* The case for April 3rd, 33 AD

Friday April 6th, 2012 is Good Friday. This is the day Christians around the world solemnly commemorate the death of Jesus Christ.

However, is it the date of His actual death?

We do not believe the evidence supports this. We believe the actual date of Jesus Christ's death is the date of this article- April 3rd and in the year 33 AD. This is just as the calendar prescribes.

Let's look at the evidence.

First, The third chapter of Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus was about 30 years old in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar.

Although Tiberius actually took power in late 14 AD, the common ascension method of dating starts counting at the beginning of the Jewish Ecclesiastical calendar on 1 Nisan, 15 AD. This means that Jesus is about 30 in April of 30 AD.

However, what exactly does about 30 mean? 25-35? 28-32? 29-31? or closer?

John Chapter 2 tells us that at the start of Jesus ministry, the temple in Jerusalem had been under construction for forty six years. When the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, it was said that it had been under construction for 84 years. Subtract 84 years from 70 AD and you arrive at 16 BC. The project to rebuild the temple was commissioned about 19 BC and it would have taken at least three years to accumulate the builders and stone.

If the Temple had been started in 16 BC, Jesus would indeed have been about 30 years old 46 years into it's construction in 30 AD.

Finally, if Jesus was born in December of 2 BC,as we believe we have proven in this video, then Jesus was, indeed, about 30 years old in 30 AD (30 years and about 3 1/2 months to be exact)

Since there are 4 consecutive Passovers mentioned in the Gospels, with the first starting His earthly ministry and the last ending it, we know that his ministry lasted 3 years.

Now let's look at what we know about the day Jesus died.

  • It was on a Friday that was the preparation day for the Sabbath. That is, we have to find a year when the Passover begins on Saturday.
  • It was a day approximately 3 years from the start of Tiberius 15th year, either by calendar method or direct ascension method (this could only be 32 or 33 AD).
  • It was a day where there was an eclipse.


The date would have to fit all 3 of these criteria.

Can such a date be found?

Yes. First there are only two dates during this time period when the Passover is immediately preceeded by a Friday. One is 30 AD. There is no plausible way you can put Christ as 33 years old in 30 AD because, he would have been 30 in Tiberius' 12th year. Secondly, there is no record of an eclipse on this date.

However, there was an eclipse on April 3rd, 33 AD, the Friday immediately preceding the passover, when Jesus would indeed have been 33 years old.

There is one final piece. In the 9th chapter of the book of Daniel, there is a prophecy that stipulates 483 Jewish years from the decree of King Artaxerxes of Persia to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem until the Christ is cut down. This decree was issued approximately 444 BC which, converting the calendars, takes us to about late 32/ early 33 AD.

Along with the other clues, we believe the case is clear- April 3rd, 33 AD as the date of Our lord's death and April 5th as the Resurrection.

Tune in to Ross and Margie's Catholic roundtable.


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