The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament, Part 1 · Section 3 – Section 6
SECTION III. LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 5. to Ver. 57. The birth of Iohn the Baptist, and the birth of our Saviour foretold by the Angel Gabriel.
Year of World. 3927: Year of Rome. 753 AVGV∣STVS. 30 HEROD. 34 The Method and order of this Section, will not need much proof or …eering. The preceding; gave an intimation of Christs forerunner, Ioh. 1.6. and this begins to tell his story to the full.
HEROD the Great, by descent an Edomite, and placed by the Romanes King of Iudea, [compare Gen. 27.40.] among divers other plagues, in his uneven, and rugged reign, had slain the Sanhedrin, Joseph. Ant. l. 14. c. 17. and to plaster the businesse again, by the counsell of Bava ben Bara repaired the Temple, and made it incomparably more sumptuous then it was before, Iucas. fol. 19. He began this work in the 18th year of his reign, and it cost him eight years to finish it, Ios. Ant. lib. 15. c. 14. So that this new fabrick was but eight or nine years old at this year that we are upon.
In this Temple, Zacharias a Priest of the course of Abia, was offering incense in the holy place, as was used daily; and hath tidings brought him of a son, that should be forerunner to the Messias. Although Zacharias be said to have been of the course of Abia, yet can it hardly be thought that he was of his seed and posterity: for we finde mention but of four of the courses that returned out of Babylon, and Abias was none of them, Ezra 2.36, 37, 38, 39. But the whole number of those Priests that did return of those four courses, being about 4290, were cast by lot into 24 courses, according to the Primitive institution, and Zacharias was of the eight, as Abias course had been before the captivity, and which yet bare his name, as the other did their names, who had denominated the courses from their first originall. Of this ordering of the courses after the captivity, both Talmuds speak largely, in the Treatise Taanith cap. 4.
Whether Zacharias were of the seed of Abia or no, it is apparent by his serving in Abias course, that he was not high-Priest, but one of the ordinary Priests, that served by course as their turn came, and that had their particular imployment in the service, by lot. The manner of their lottery for this purpose, is mentioned at large in Tamid cap. 3. in Ioma cap. 2.
The Angel Gabriel who about 456 years ago, had given account to Daniel of the time of Messias his sufferings, doth now when that time is drawing neer, first bring tidings of his forerunners birth, and then of his own.
The Ierusalem Gemara in Ioma fol. 42. col. 3. relates a story very parallel to this of Zachary, both of his seeing an Angel in the Temple, and of his stay there longer then was used at offering Incense. Simeon the just, say they, served Israel in the high-Priesthood fourty years: And on the last year he saith unto them, This year I must die. They say to him, How knowest thou that? He answered. Every year hitherto, when I went into the most holy place [on the day of expiation] one like an old man cloathed in white, and vailed in white, went in with me, and came out with me. Now this year he went in with me, but came not out with me. And instantly after, The high-Priest might not stay praying in the most holy place long, lest he should put the people into a fear. One once staid long, and they were about to go in after him. Some say it was Simeon the Iust. They said to him, Why didst thou stay so long? He answered, I was praying for the Sanctuary of your God, that it should not be destroyed. They say to him, Though thou diddest so, yet shouldest thou not have stayed so long.
If this relation carry any truth with it, it might be looked upon, as the expiring of Vision [as Prophesie had also ceased not long before that time:] for Simeon the Iust, is said to be foreign of the remnant of the men of Ezraes great Synagogue. Aboth R. Nathan cap. 4. and upon the death of Zachary and Malacy, who were of that Synagogue, the spirit of Prophesie departed: And here Vision and Prophesie is dawning again.
Zacharias for not beleeving the words of the Angel is struck foreign Deaf and Dumb: and doth foresignifie the silencing of the Leviticall Priesthood ere long to be. In the Jews Canons foreign is one of the five sorts of persons that they commonly exclude from all imployments and matters of honour, trust, or import; and it means foreign one that can neither hear nor speak, Jerur in chegigah. fol. 75. col. 4.
His wife Elizabeth conceiving with childe, retires as a recluse for five moneths space, that she might keep her self from all defilement, she carrying as choice a Nazarite in her womb as she did, ver. 15.
Five moneths were not the whole time of her retiring for that, that urged her to keep close so long, had the same tie upon her all the time she went with childe; but five moneths are only named, by way of introduction to the story, and occurrence in the sixth monethmonth mentioned instantly after.
In the sixth monethmonth the same Angel appeareth to the Virgin Mary, and telleth her of the birth of the Messias, to be of her: which she beleeving, though by the course of nature so impossible, she presently goeth to her Cosen Elizabeth into the hill-countrey of Iudea [to Hebron, see Iosh. 21.11.] not only to visit her and to rejoyce with her, nor only to see the proof of those things that the Angel had told of her, but very probably, acted by the holy Ghost, that she might conceive the Messias in Hebron, where so many choice and eminent types of him, and references to him had been in ancient time.
These tidings come to the Virgin at the very latter end of the year that we are upon, or the beginning of the next, and her journey to Hebron is in the middle of winter.
SECTION IV. MATTHEW Chap. I. All the Chapter. CHRISTS Genealogy by the Line of Solomon, and by his supposed Father Joseph. His Mother in danger to be divorced upon false suspicion of Adultery.
WHether it were that Mary conceived with childe at the instant of the Angels telling her of her conception, as hath been held most generally, or at the instant that she came to her Cosen Elizabeth in Hebron, by the time, that she had stayed with her three moneths, she might easily be discovered to be with childe, as Tamar was after the same space of time, Gen. 38.24. Whose case and danger of death in that story, compare with the Virgins case and danger of divorce in this. The Talmudish Decretals do allot three moneths for such a discovery. Every woman [say they] that is divorced or become a widow, behold she may not be married, nor espoused, till she have stayed 90 daies, that it may be known whether she be with childe or no; and that there may be distinguishing betwixt the seed of the first husband, and the seed of the second. Likewise a stranger and his wife which are proselytes, they keep them asunder 90 dayes, that there may be a discerning between the seed sown in holinesse, [that is when they are come into the true Religion out of Heathenisme. Compare 1 Cor. 7.14.] and the seed not sown in holinesse. Talm. in Jehameth cap. 4. & in Chetubeth cap. 5. Maym. in Gerushin cap. 11.
This space of time considered, in the present story, it sheweth how fitly the last verse of the preceding Section, viz. Luk. 1.56. and the 18th verse of this, do joyn together. The Genealogy interposed doth not interrupt, but illustrate the story intended: And it is not only properly, but even necessarily, set in the front of the Evangelicall history, that satisfaction might be given by it, in that main point concerning Christ, which the Scriptures do so often inculcate, and which the Jews would first of all look after, namely to prove Iesus of Nazaret, how ever so meanly born, yet to be The son of David. There were two remarkable Maxims among the Jewish Nation. 1. That there was to be no King for Israel, but of the house of David and line of Solomon. Talm. in Sanhedr. cap. 10. And consequently they looked for King Messias from that Line. 2. That the family of the Mother is not called a family. Juchasin. fol. 55. Hereupon hath Matthew most pertinently brought this pedigree through the house of Solomon, and ended it in Ioseph a male, whom the Jews looked upon as the Father of Iesus.
The last verse of this Chapter, as it referreth to the demeanour of Ioseph and Mary in their mutuall society till the birth of Christ, lyeth properly in the Harmonizing of the Evangelists, in the place where it doth: But as it referreth to the birth of Christ, it is coincident with Luk. ….7. The Reader in his thoughts will place it as he seeth cause in these severall relations.
SECTION V. LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 57. to the end. Iohn Baptist born.
WHen Maries three moneths stay with her Cosen Elizabeth was expired, it is easily guessed, that if Elizabeth by that time, were not delivered of her child, yet she was very neer it: and that consideration doth cleer the subsequence of this Section to the preceding.
Iohn Baptist born in Hebron, the place of the residence of Abraham, and of the first Royalty of David. Here Circumcision was first ordained, and here is he born, that was to bring in Baptisme instead of Circumcision. The Priests at the Temple, as they looked for break of day, used oft to say, The face of all the skie is bright even unto Hebron. Talm. in Joma. cap. 3. & in Tamid cap. 3. Compare the dawning of the Gospel now rising there, in the birth of the Baptist▪ and compare the words of Zacharias a Priest, ver. 78,
The time of the Baptists birth, will be found [by setting that clock from our Saviour] to have been in the Spring much about the time of the Passeover, about which time of the year Isaac was born.
SECTION VI. LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 1. to Ver. 40. CHRIST Born.
World. 3928 Rome. 754 Augustus. 31 Herod. 35 LUKE maketh the coherence cleer, when he interposeth nothing betwixt the birth of the Baptist and the birth of Christ: and indeed there is nothing to be found in any of the Evangelists that can interpose.
The four Monarchies which Daniel had told should be, and should expire, before the coming of Christ, have now run their course, and a fifth is risen far more potent and fully as cruell as all the four put together, and therefore it is pictured with the badges of all the four, Rev. 13.2. compared with Dan. 7.4, 5, &c.
A Decree of Augustus given out at Rome, becomes an occasion of accomplishing a Decree of the Lords, namely of the birth of the Messias at Bethlehem. He is born under a Roman taxation, and now that Prophesie of Chittim or Italy afflicting Heber, Numb. 24.24. beginneth livelily to take place.
The time of his birth was in the monethmonth Tisri [which answereth to part of our September] and about the Feast of Tabernacles, as may be concluded upon by observing that he lived just two and thirty years old and an half, and died at Easter. That monethmonth was remarkable for very many things. In it the World was created, the Tabernacle begun, and the Temple consecrated: and as the Ierusalem Gomarists well observe, In it were the Fathers [before the flood] born: In Resh hashavah fol. 56. cap. col. 4.
His birth was in the night, and attended with a Song of the whole quire of Angels [as Heb. 1.6. and compare Iob 38.7.] and with a glorious light about Bethlehem Shepheards, to whom this great Shepheard is first revealed.
At eight dayes old he is Circumcised, and made a member of the Church of Israel: At fourty dayes old, he is presented in the Temple in the east gate of the Court of Israel, called the gate of Nicanor; and Maeries poverty is shewed by her Offering [compare ver. 24. with Lev. 12.6, 8,] yet her Childe is owned as the consolation and expectation of Israel.
The first year of his age and infancy Christ spent at Bethlehem: for whereas the Lord by the Prophet had appointed his birth there, Mich, 5.2. his parents had no warrant for his education in any place but there, till the Lord should give them an expresse for it, which he did by an Angel, Mat. 2.22. Therefore how the words of Luke in chap. 2. ver. 39. are to be understood we shall observe upon the next Section.