Consider carefully the chronology of the crucifixion and it becomes clear through the prophecies, particularly the 490 year prophecy of Daniel, that Christ was baptized when He was 27 years old and was crucified at age 31.
I was surprised to see a statement on this most excellent web site that states He was 33.
"Bonus question: Imagine how the angels acted and felt during the approximately 33 years that Jesus was away from heaven, and how they felt when he returned."
Luke 3: 21 ¶ Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
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"thirty three years" = 11 SOP hits
Christ had sojourned in the world for thirty-three years; He had endured its scorn, insult, and mockery; He had been rejected and crucified. Now, when about to ascend to His throne of glory,--as He reviews the ingratitude of the people He came to save,--will He not withdraw from them His sympathy and love? Will not His affections be centered upon that realm where He is appreciated, and where sinless angels wait to do His bidding? No; His promise to those loved ones whom He leaves on earth is, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:20. {DA 830.2}
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In order to save humanity, Christ, the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, laid aside His kingly crown and royal robe, clothed His divinity with humanity, and came to this earth as our Redeemer. For thirty-three years He lived the life of a man among men, meeting the temptations that we must meet, and overcoming through the strength imparted from above. His divinity was not manifested in any display of pomp and royal power. He could have surrounded Himself with legions of heavenly angels, thereby inducing everyone to believe on Him; but this would not have been in accordance with God's purpose. {RC 237.3}
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Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, He who was equal with God, was in the world thirty-three years, and yet there were but few who acknowledged His divine character. And can I, who am so weak, so unworthy, a frail creature of humanity, expect greater success than was enjoyed by the Saviour of the world? {1SM 69.6}
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For thirty-three years the Only Begotten of the Father dwelt among the children of men. He who knew no sin bore the burden of our guilt. During these years he finished the great work he came to accomplish. He became the propitiation for the sins of every one who believes on him. For our sake the Innocent is pronounced guilty, while through his merits the guilty are pronounced innocent. {AU Gleaner, August 19, 1903 par. 2}
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The Priests and Levites started their ministry @ age 30. Jesus our High Priest did the same at age 30, and 3.5 yrs later He was crucified.
Numbers 4:3 From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 4:23 From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 4:30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 4:35 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:
Numbers 4:39 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,
Numbers 4:43 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,
Numbers 4:47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,
2 Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
1 Chronicles 23:3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight
I never gave much thought to the time of the womb. I don't want to cross a line from sanctified imagination to pure speculation so I proceed with caution. What happened to the time He laid in the tomb?
In the womb I think His cognizance would have been consistent with a normal human. A baby has some cognizance, even in the womb, and that increases as it grows closer to term.
In the tomb I think His cognizance, as a supreme being, was set aside until the time appointed (if I may use such a term) was fulfilled.
4 BC? Perhaps 2 or 3 BC could also be suggested. Jewish thinking in that time frame was a partial day counted as a full day and a partial year as a full year. This is why I think Luke was careful with his wording of "about" 30 years of age. Depending on how you calculate the time.
Sister Whites comments on his age being 33 and yet His death being AD 31 can only be resolved with a BC birth date, as I see it.
Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to men, assumed humanity. Hiding His divinity, laying aside His glory, He was born a babe in Bethlehem. In human flesh He lived the law of God, that He might condemn sin in the flesh, and bear witness to heavenly intelligences that the law was ordained to life and to ensure the happiness, peace, and eternal good of all who obey. . . . {OFC 259.2}
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(1 Peter 1:11, 12.) The Incarnation a Painful Process.--The work of redemption is called a mystery, and it is indeed the mystery by which everlasting righteousness is brought to all who believe. The race in consequence of sin was at enmity with God. Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well as to men, assumed humanity. Hiding His divinity, laying aside His glory, He was born a babe in Bethlehem. In human flesh He lived the law of God, that He might condemn sin in the flesh, and bear witness to heavenly intelligences that the law was ordained to life and to ensure the happiness, peace, and eternal good of all who obey. But the same infinite sacrifice that is life to those who believe is a testimony of condemnation to the disobedient, speaking death and not life (MS 29, 1899). {7BC 915.3}
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Bro. Baker, avoid every question in relation to the humanity of Christ which is liable to be misunderstood. Truth lies close to the track of presumption. In treating upon the humanity of Christ, you need to guard strenuously every assertion, lest your words be taken to mean more than they imply, and thus you lose or dim the clear perceptions of His humanity as combined with divinity. His birth was a miracle of God; for, said the angel, "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 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. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing that I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." {13MR 18.2}
These words are not addressed to any human being, except to the Son of the Infinite God. Never, in any way, leave the slightest impression upon human minds that a taint of, or inclination to corruption rested upon Christ, or that He in any way yielded to corruption. He was tempted in all points like as man is tempted, yet He is called that holy thing. It is a mystery that is left unexplained to mortals that Christ could be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet be without sin. The incarnation of Christ has ever been, and will ever remain a mystery. That which is revealed, is for us and for our children, but let every human being be warned from the ground of making Christ altogether human, such an one as ourselves: for it cannot be. The exact time when humanity blended with divinity, it is not necessary for us to know. We are to keep our feet on the rock, Christ Jesus, as God revealed in humanity. {13MR 19.1}
Christ will eternally be compressed into humanity, and as the representative of humanity, is Himself as the Second Adam, the eternal payment for humanity. If Jesus ever gave up humanity all His work for humanity would be undone, there would be no perfected humanity standing as security for the human race. Christ has eternally sacrificed for our sakes then, and our sakes eternally, His freedom of total limitlessness, to remain Human + Divine for eternity as our unending Elder Brother and source of our inheritance to son - ship & daughter - ship, by adoption through Him, as humanity's representative to Father God.
I never gave much thought to the time of the womb. I don't want to cross a line from sanctified imagination to pure speculation so I proceed with caution. What happened to the time He laid in the tomb?
In the womb I think His cognizance would have been consistent with a normal human. A baby has some cognizance, even in the womb, and that increases as it grows closer to term.
In the tomb I think His cognizance, as a supreme being, was set aside until the time appointed (if I may use such a term) was fulfilled.
4 BC? Perhaps 2 or 3 BC could also be suggested. Jewish thinking in that time frame was a partial day counted as a full day and a partial year as a full year. This is why I think Luke was careful with his wording of "about" 30 years of age. Depending on how you calculate the time.
Sister Whites comments on his age being 33 and yet His death being AD 31 can only be resolved with a BC birth date, as I see it.
Most people do not study this... you are correct in thinking that Jesus was 33 1/2 years old when he died. He was baptized at 30. His ministry was 3 1/2 years. Which means, his birth was in the fall sometime and probably in Oct. Satan knows and that's why I think he puts his holiday around the same time as Jesus birth out of spite and malice.
"The exact time when humanity blended with divinity, it is not necessary for us to know."
So THATS what happened in the womb!
Thanks for posting that letter to Brother Baker Ed, its an important insight as to the "nature of Christ". He, Christ, had no propensity toward evil, His thoughts were always pure and holy, without the slightest inclination toward evil. I picture Adam in the same way, perfect in his creation, without the slightest tendency toward evil, his every thought, pure and holy.
Yet in both cases, according to what I see as perhaps the highest law of our Father, "free will". The ability to make a choice, good or bad, when the test comes. Christ overcame when faced with such a decision, where Adam failed. Sin is after all, a matter of the mind first. Christ's physical body was that of man weakened by thousands of years of sin. He was shorter in stature than Adam, physically weaker, in keeping with Gods laws reflected in the deterioration of the race over time.
"The exact time when humanity blended with divinity, it is not necessary for us to know."
So THATS what happened in the womb!
Thanks for posting that letter to Brother Baker Ed, its an important insight as to the "nature of Christ". He, Christ, had no propensity toward evil, His thoughts were always pure and holy, without the slightest inclination toward evil. I picture Adam in the same way, perfect in his creation, without the slightest tendency toward evil, his every thought, pure and holy.
Yet in both cases, according to what I see as perhaps the highest law of our Father, "free will". The ability to make a choice, good or bad, when the test comes. Christ overcame when faced with such a decision, where Adam failed. Sin is after all, a matter of the mind first. Christ's physical body was that of man weakened by thousands of years of sin. He was shorter in stature than Adam, physically weaker, in keeping with Gods laws reflected in the deterioration of the race over time.
Wonderful mystery!
this is true and as sinful humans inclined to do the wrong most of the time would probably celebrate the birth rather than the victory of the cross
nature of Christ, "Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"
Thank you "studies prophecy" for your nice spirit.
Agreed totally that it is not wise to go into speculation, yet it is interesting to contemplate what Jesus did for those 9 months....
nb, I think it is highly likely Jesus was born around the time of one of the Fall Feasts, but not sure of that. We do know that he exactly fulfilled the Spring Feasts. His ministry of 3 1/2 years will be exactly fulfilled by the 144,000 at the end too.
I do wonder what is significant about 30 years of "building" tho....
The end times will be fulfilled exactly on the times of the Fall Feasts.
