Monthly Archives: November 2025
HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2025
We have much to be thankful for. The Good News is that despite the rise of great evil the Lord Jesus remains fully in charge and He cares about you. All Praise to Him.
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“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” [Revelation 7:12]
May you and yours have a Blessed, Joyous, and Happy Thanksgiving.
© 2025 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
REMEMBERING JFK
Iniquity and lawlessness began rising exponentially in this country after the cold-blooded murder of an American President on this date sixty-two years ago.
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In 2019 I started a new annual tradition on this site with a post entitled Remembering JFK. I’ve made a new post each year since with the same title, except for last year (2024). What follows is the sixth installment posted, as always, on November 22, the day America changed forever and which allowed for the greater rise of an evil element in power and ever-greater damage to the principles of our Constitution and rule by We the People. Today’s article is an update of the one I wrote in 2023, which remains topical, relevant, and informative, and also reveals the likely perpetrators.
A HIDDEN PLAN AND A CHANGE IN COURSE
Without getting into the deeper root causes that began in the 1890s and which eventuated in two world wars, a national depression, and the later creation of an entirely new country in the next stage of American Empire called Pax Americana, the most predominant changes to the country began in 1945. In our brief history lesson here, one may want to keep in mind that there is no such thing as the “accidental theory of history” in which transformative international events just happen by themselves and occur with no rhyme or reason or at the whim of obscure minor characters.
We are conditioned to see history this way because it is the manner in which the major news media has always presented it. Most people have no clue of the connecting undercurrents always in play or of a powerful ruling elite calling the shots behind the scenes, since they own the media and control the narrative. The only news the average person is aware of, including the larger events in our world, is that from headlines suddenly jumping forth on major media or news bulletins on television airwaves, which sometimes include seemingly disconnected-from-reality shocking events suddenly becoming reality before his or her eyes. Right after this, quick explanations come forth so the masses will know the “why” and the “who” and thus know how to respond. As on cue, the majority always responds in the same way according to the psychological suggestion given, and accepts not only the explanation of who perpetrated the deed or caused the event and why but also how one must understand and adapt to it.
This is how the powers-that-be deceived early 1900s America, a sovereign nation of freedom loving people who would never have agreed to so much intrusion upon their liberty had they known any better or been aware of the sly doings behind the scenes. It is how America was tricked, for example, into accepting the creation of the Federal Reserve Act in late 1913 at the zero hour before the Christmas break which gave the control of the economy to a small cabal of bankers, which dovetailed well with the ratification of the 16th Amendment in February of that year giving Congress the legal right to impose a Federal Income Tax on American citizens.
It is also how the country was propagandized and tricked into supporting WWI in faraway Europe in which four million US soldiers were mobilized and almost 117,000 American military personnel died for no reason. The propaganda was such that the relatively few enlightened Americans who were intelligent and aware enough to know what was really going on were castigated as unpatriotic cowards while those easily fooled and cowed by fear tactics were conned into embracing official disinformation supporting the war with no reservations and seemingly without a thought. It was likely the first time in American history the majority of the population revealed itself as an easy mark that fell without a fight, no pun intended.
The same process continued throughout the early to mid-twentieth century with each major event that transpired. None of these occurrences “just happened” or took place due to the official explanation. They happened because of the rich and powerful pulling strings behind the scenes according to a master scheme toward world control which had been well-planned far in advance.
Of such was also the assassination of President Kennedy. He represented an unknown quantity with an independent mind and an apparent belief in the Constitutional process. Though there were immediate theories on what actually happened that day constructed by those who could see through the charade which were then followed by many more theories based on emerging truth since, most Americans still don’t know the truth and pretty much don’t care to find it. The vast majority of the generation that was of age in the 1960s quickly buried its head in the sand and accepted whatever they were told to accept and thus believed the false “official” story like the good children they were, though this sad attitude began changing in following decades.
In their defense, however, it was not easy for the everyman to gain the required information in a dig for truth at that time, since so many of the necessary clues were hidden behind doors most had no access to, though once a door or two did open it led to more data coming forth which a few authors successfully compiled and built upon. Once the internet happened, though, a veritable tsunami of information became increasingly available which reminds one of a certain Biblical prophecy:
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. [Daniel 12:4 KJV]
Consequently, at this stage of the game, the news is now out that most people paying even the slightest attention know that members of the intelligence community participated in the JFK assassination. It has even come forth quite recently, according to a nephew of JFK, who was a boy at that time, and who happens to be a member of the current President’s cabinet—Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—that the CIA was involved. Of course, this was suspected by some from the get-go sixty-two years ago. Another belief that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reported which came out just a few years ago was that the actual killer of his father, Robert F. Kennedy, in June of 1968, was not Sirhan but a mysterious security guard. It has since been established that though Sirhan was there and did fire multiple shots, he fired wildly from the front, though the senior RFK was hit from behind. There were also too many shots to have come from just one gun. There are other anomalies which end up refuting the official story.
CONTENDER PRETENDER
With regard to the death of our 35th President in 1963, however, the official story has long since been proven to be absolutely false and full of holes though most people are none the wiser largely because they have never taken the time to look into it, which is why such disinformation thrust forth by the major media always works with regard to the majority. It is in part why the majority is always wrong—it simply never has the full story or the complete facts and therefore bases its beliefs on what it is told to believe rather than the truth. One would think a person may say, “Well, I don’t really know what happened. I know what they said happened but I would not be very smart to believe it without verifying it.” And at that, if the person was truly interested in the truth, he would begin his research. Yet most people never do this simply because they believe the official story since they would rather not contest convention and also willingly submit to the authoritarians pronouncing and promoting the given narrative.
This used to be, long ago, un-American. Yet because the American Constitutional construct changed radically with the events of the Civil War in the 1860s—the War of Northern Aggression—and continued down that path in succeeding decades, it is no wonder that so many Americans had become subject to deception and official propaganda by the turn of the century (1900). There was truly a war on the Constitution back then by powerful people who refused to be restricted by its principles. And even though the twentieth century brought forth great scientific accomplishments and much of American life was improved, critical thinking skills in general have diminished substantially.
For example, if one were to compare the collegians of the 1950s and early 60s to those of later generations, one would see not only an ongoing lessening of personal strength, maturity, and awareness at a young age, as well as practicality and common sense, but also an increasing inability to perceive authoritative, manipulative social agendas and an increasing acceptance of official narratives, as if such were truth rather than the means to indoctrinate the masses into the formation of a veritable hive mind. This proves that the long-running psychological effort to dumb down the populace has worked and worked quite well.
Again, this hive mind concept was nothing new but the current manifestation of it is, in that it is the end result of a century’s work upon the minds of Americans. Most believe that which is not true as if it was and reject the truth that is. It calls to mind what William Casey, the director of the CIA, said in 1981:
“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”
Regarding who actually killed JFK and why has always mattered, of course, but has gained in importance ever since and especially matters at present, even though most Americans had previously become apathetic and would probably never believe or accept the truth anyway. However, the current Great Awakening, which began circa fifteen years ago, has changed that dynamic. Over these ensuing years the topic has grown in popularity as has the demand for answers.
It took a while, but thanks to a few key book authors, writers, many researchers, and most of all, what this author believes is the light of God shining forth exposing darkness, we have discovered the assassination had much to do with a certain entity’s resolute determination to become a nuclear power and JFK’s powerfully determined refusal to allow them to get there. It also had to do with the earlier forced selection of Kennedy’s running mate in 1960 which utilized egregious blackmail tactics with a future change of personal in mind. Kennedy had grave reservations regarding the choice but likely had no knowledge the man was chosen to be JFK’s planned replacement to serve the entity’s forthcoming interests.
What this means, of course, is that in this fallen world of sin and evil the great ones with great wealth and power exist at the top as they always have and can do pretty much anything they want as long as they have a willing and complicit majority population of dupes. All they must do to achieve this is work to keep people ignorant and unschooled yet obedient to and compliant toward high authority figures, something which has always been the case throughout much of history.
Dealing with an educated population, however, requires a different tactic, one the devil is great at—lies and deception. If such can be couched within the realm of knowledge and historical “facts,” and if actual truth can be subverted, then one can achieve exactly what William Casey envisioned.
This does not mean God is not in charge but that He has given much dominion to humanity in general which should work to restrain the evil humans from wreaking such havoc. However, if the majority that can make a consequential difference refuses to take responsibility but continually allows itself to be deceived and submits weakly to false authority, then the relatively small percentage of humans that knows better and wants positive change has not only the evil ones to overcome but also the many willingly unaware who don’t seem to care.
THE CHALLENGE BEFORE US
Those who know ancient history and the Old Testament know the current ruling construct has actually existed since the beginning with the fall of man and has grown worse over time in that massive populations of the ancient world could be controlled by only a few and outwardly by only a solitary man sitting atop a pyramidal throne as it were. Such figures were Sumerian kings, Egyptian pharaohs, and Roman emperors. But they also included strictly religious leaders who used “the opiate of the people” to control minds and then wallets. Nevertheless, though only a relative few could see the solution by which to overcome such control, God certainly did so before everyone else and in the case of wayward ancient Israel, sent independent, incorruptible, intelligent, and ANOINTED prophets to expose the false narratives put forth as truth, reveal the wicked hidden sin of the powerful few, and break the mind power inflicted on the masses. This worked to varying degrees at times though many of these prophets ended up dead.
And there was and is no greater Prophet than our Lord Jesus who was also put to death as a result of sinister intrigue and a conspiracy but whose death serves as the greatest purpose in the history of humanity. For by it His people regain their spiritual freedom and life through His salvation and the new birth, and enlighten their minds to know and understand the truth as well as see right through the hidden machinations of evil ones intent on using humanity as slaves for their own purposes toward their own malevolent ends. The Lord referred to this as “having eyes to see.” The infilling of the Holy Spirit works wonders to enhance such spiritual sight.
On a human level JFK was very much aware of such hidden machinations behind the scenes and was intent on exposing the immoral perpetrators thereof. He died because he had the courage to rightfully challenge powerful men acting above the law, those who were wantonly engaging in evil and subverting the Constitution for their own sinister purposes. As President of the United States, he used the legal governmental authority he was given in the attempt to curtail their activity and even stop them. In the brief time he had, President Kennedy only had relative middling success in his efforts but did more than his predecessors ever did and much more than all those who followed him. Think of him what you will but the only way to stop him was to kill him. This meant he was on to something big.
May we all do our part to continue the fight that his death be not in vain.
© 2025 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
THE LORD’S REAL COVENANT MODEL AND DISCIPLESHIP STANDARD [Part 3]
There were times when the Lord was tactful and parabolic in His teachings. There were other times He didn’t hold back a whit and came out with guns blazing.
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A STRONG POWERFUL MAN
“Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” [John 7:46]
No one taught like the Lord. No one ever spoke like Him or would ever do so again. During His ministry, the Lord Jesus, the great Yehoshua Ha`Mashiach, was the very epitome of the perfect Gospel Minister and the most excellent example possible to follow. He was the Living Word …and the Word was God.
Here was a Man who was strong as an ox, who had worked very hard at manual labor throughout His early life, specifically as a builder and carpenter, working with wood and stone, using by our modern standards relatively crude but effective tools and materials often straight from the fields. He likely hewed and harvested His own trees, loaded and hauled heavy rocks, made His own bricks, and possibly even forged metal though certainly used it as needed. All of it was extremely labor intensive and time consuming.
As a builder myself, and longtime carpenter and tradesman, I know what hard work is and have the “evidence” to prove it. Yet the work I’ve done is relative to the times which are wholly unlike the Lord’s times in that tools are a massive upgrade, the materials are often machined to the point of direct use, and most of all, we have electricity. There have been many times when I did remodeling work on relatively very old houses built prior to 1900 when local carpenters of that time did everything by hand using hand saws and drills. The first hand-held power saws were not invented until the early 1920s. The old material I worked on in those houses—old dark wood studs and framing—was somewhat rougher cut, thicker, and much harder—the latter likely being due in part to the passage of time. But those boys back then had to cut it all by hand without losing any precision or time. The milled lumber used for tongue and groove flooring, trim, and siding was all hand-nailed. It was very hard work and I think underappreciated by modern tradesmen. It did not matter what the trade was in the past, the men working them were much stronger and tougher. They had to be.
Keep this in mind when considering the work of ancient times. Most of the men the Lord chose for ministry were likewise strong and tough, wiry and ripped, and accustomed to hard labor whether they were carpenters, fishermen, lumbermen/millers, stonecutters, butchers—you name it. Whatever it was they did it was without the many later innovations and certainly without electricity which we all pretty much take for granted. This does not mean that modern workers do not work very hard in their own right or are not tough and strong as well (one has to be), but times must be put in perspective.
THICK SKIN TENDER HEART
No one is more tender-hearted than the Lord. No one loves as much, No one is more willing to serve and do whatever must be done in the process of saving souls from eternal death. It is why the Lord could use finesse and tenderness when called for, knowing a deft touch works wonders for the heart, especially upon those with broken, aching, and contrite hearts. Living in this fallen world of sin, pain, and suffering wreaks havoc on human hearts and the Lord was never one to pile on but expressed compassion whenever necessary. He was the essence of kindness.
Imagine such a strong Man with weathered thick skin and crinkling about His face and eyes showing such care and concern. He was the very picture of the ultimate Disciple, putting up with the rigors and necessities of life while also exhibiting the height of spiritual Light and Grace. He was a Man from heaven within but appearing ever much like a Man of his times without.
Yet, He was also a Lion and His roar could be heard at a distance. This was often the case when He had to preach to great crowds. To lesson the decibels, He would on occasion use natural means to make His voice go further, such as when He would preach from a boat just off the shoreline or at His Sermon on the Mount when He was actually at the base of the rise, allowing His voice to waft upwards as in a natural amphitheater.
I think He saved his greatest roar for those with the thickest hearts and thinnest skins. You know who I mean. Check out all His world-class “Woe to you” rebukeathons dispersed throughout the Gospel accounts. These were directed at non-men existing in the mere guise of humanity who hated people and wanted only to rule them, extract whatever wealth from them they could, and make them live in fear. In their twisted minds, people subjected to such conditions were far easier to control. The Lord greatly opposed such miscreants, those given over to false authority, especially those of the religious leadership variety. They were pretty much all sellouts, existing as mealymouthed persnickety hairsplitters, devious to a T, with less compassion than an angry rattlesnake. They were so evil they relentlessly attacked their very Creator, the One so infinitely unlike them. They were, as the Lord Himself stated, “of your father the devil.” This gives us insight into the hard-hearted thin-skinned one opposing all that is good and always falsely accusing the righteous.
WHY A COVENANT?
I spent many seasons as a coach. I put my own men’s softball teams together. I’ve done decades of team-oriented blue collar work in construction and the Texas oil field. Try working with people who refuse to be team players. These are usually not the higher minded and talented independent types able to forge their own path by God’s grace. If needing to be team players, such independent types almost always submit to teamwork because they are smart enough to know it works for the greater good and makes working together much more enjoyable and doable. The good guys often don’t care so much about who’s in charge but only that whoever is in charge is very good at it for the benefit of everyone else. Most people have no problem submitting to such leadership but there are always bad apples who can’t make it on their own and for whatever reason, can’t work so well within a team either (a covenant).
It is the same with many Christians. They either simply cannot understand the concept of covenant with God or refuse to do so, displaying a lack of perceived understanding regarding its required purpose, an incomprehension of its necessary full application, or an insufficient grasp of its inherent constitutional structure. Regardless, there is never any reason or excuse to violate it.
Speaking of which, there are times when tact and finesse won’t do. When the Lord has already put the very best deal together, one that can never be improved upon, He sometimes has to enforce it. Though it may be harsh, it is necessary. Here’s an example:
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! [Galatians 1:6-9][1]
This is why the Lord created a sacred covenant that each of His followers must sign on to in the beginning knowing it is forever and always and also knowing that one’s total submission to the Leader is a non-negotiable requirement. It is not because the Lord wants to rule and reign over His people and make them feel His weight (He can), but to simply make the whole thing work. He is the best. The best of the best. There is nobody better. He is the greatest Leader there could ever be and is infinitely trustworthy, loving, and kind. He is also stronger and tougher than anyone else, the greatest Alpha Male of all time, and proved it by His entire ministry.
The final proof came when He voluntary went to the cross, subjecting Himself to abject horrendous torture and shame on our behalf. There is no greater love than this. He deserves infinite glory for all eternity. One can never praise Him enough!
Therefore, whoever has a problem with signing an eternal covenant with such a Man has got a severe problem which likely demands spiritual deliverance. In other words, if the Lord will never wrong you (He won’t), if you can always trust Him (you can), if He will never walk out on you (He won’t), or betray you (He won’t), will always love you (He will), can always be counted on (Amen), and will forever do His best to keep His end of the deal (He will), then what’s the problem? There is no other covenant or contract or agreement that any of us has ever signed onto that is anywhere close to being as beneficial as the Lord’s covenant. And it’s eternal! Therefore, though church and ministry agreements are fine, they pale in comparison to the agreement each of us makes with the Lord. Anyone with a measurable IQ knows it’s the Lord who has by far the bigger challenge in such a deal.
WORTH IT ALL
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [Romans 8:18]
It is understandable then, why the Lord has commandments that His followers must keep. Whatever it is they must do is nothing comparable to what He subjects Himself to in His Covenant. And no matter what the cost of Discipleship may be, it is next to nothing compared to the benefits both here and beyond. Those who sign up and stay the course make the greatest and best decision of their entire existence.
The names of every one are found recorded in the Book of Life.
© 2025 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
THE LORD’S REAL COVENANT MODEL AND DISCIPLESHIP STANDARD [Part 1]
It allows for no deviancies or dissent, is always per the authoritative command of the Lord Jesus, and requires absolute trust and obedience (even unto death).
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It is also entirely unforced and voluntary. The Lord never uses coercion. He never utilizes religious demands, false fear tactics, or compulsion to gain converts and grow His congregation. He also never engages in the payoff to buy the services of others. His model and standard is so unlike any other which must use such illicit methods of conscription to force compliance, it is truly a wonder He is left with any community at all. Yet His following grew quickly by leaps and bounds. He also had none of the usual personal incentives, such as the desire for social credibility and acceptance, a good living and hope of greater prosperity, and worldly religious power. These facts demand an otherwise unknown component, one based on a pure heartfelt willingness to submit to servanthood toward the Lord and one another, regardless of its perceived negative effect on personal choice and natural liberty. This hidden factor must be something great that God has done for those He loves before they could ever possibly do anything for Him.
SPIRITUAL COVENANT
The Lord Jesus taught that all who are apart from God and not in relationship with Him are dead in sin. Not most. Not a mere majority. ALL. In this He perfectly agreed with all previous Old Testament teachings and prophetic pronouncements on the subject. The Word of God thus makes it clear that personal sin separates one from God. From God’s perspective, this was a horrifying development which grew ever more so as the gangrene of sin spread evilly outward as a plague on mankind. He knew people in that condition could never fix themselves or transcend their situation. Something had to be done, of course, but it would have to start with Him.
Yet it is not possible for God to be in fellowship with sinners. It is primarily because He is holy and pure, which requires those in right relationship with Him to be the same. Though in the beginning, humanity had been created in the image of God, the original visage had become greatly marred. Some yearned for a return to the Garden. Most, however, adapted to sin and became comfortable in their fallen state. If such separation from God is desired, it is also an indication that the willful sinner places more importance on whatever causes the broken covenant than he or she does toward God or a relationship with Him. Regardless, in reality, human beings were not only created by God but created for Him. We were designed to be in relationship with Him and without Him we have a hard row to hoe.
Adam and Eve discovered this early on. Rather than continue to honor her husband as she had been doing and remain faithful, she made the fateful decision to honor another above him. In this she violated her covenant with Adam, which, because she committed gross sin, also violated her covenant with God. When Adam discovered that Eve had violated herself in sin, something from which she would not be able to recover, it was his duty to remain faithful to God and make sure the same terrible circumstance did not befall him. To keep everything intact he should have shown Eve the door. Instead, he allowed her deception to violate his good conscience because he apparently could not fathom life without Eve.
In that critical though brief interval of time when Eve was hopelessly corrupted but Adam was not, the man made a much more grievous decision than had the woman. Why? Because other than Eve, who had made her choice, everything else could still be saved. Adam’s covenant relationship with God could remain pure. The Garden could remain perfect, growing, and fruitful. God’s original plan for man could remain intact. This, however, would have required Adam to become as the Lord and be a savior.
Speaking of which, remember when Jacob’s son Joseph saved his entire family and future nation? He did so because he had apparently already subjected himself as a young man to the will of God. He therefore allowed God to use him for great good though it would cost him everything but his own life and also thirteen years of terrible trial, pain, and misery. Nevertheless, Joseph remained faithful throughout and completed his course. The famine which would have wiped out the tiny emerging nation of Israel in the land of Canaan would, though just as deadly in Egypt, have a solution against it there, again by the hand of God through Joseph, which also allowed him to save the most important thing of all—the generational line going through the children of his brother Judah that would result many centuries later in the coming Messiah, the real and greatest SAVIOR of all mankind.
Would that Adam had accepted his savior assignment. Instead, he did the opposite. Instead of saving everything He turned his back on God and effectively embraced the serpent as had Eve. She convinced him to partake of the dirty deed as she had done, because from her new perspective eating the forbidden fruit had become the right and good thing to do. This meant her life with God was already in her rear view mirror and she was not changing her mind.
Perhaps Adam had no natural defense or immunity from such powerful manipulation in that there is only so much God can teach us in His attempt to persuade us from making stupid idiotic decisions, the bad result of which we cannot perceive. Such a thing comes down to faith and trust and that even though it may look like God could not be more off base and wrong one will honor and obey Him anyway. Had Adam done this by simply fighting through the great temptation, something he was certainly equipped to do, and stating unequivocally as his future descendant did—“Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only,’”—everything would have been saved, save for Eve.
He also could have saved himself future misery by giving Eve what she wanted post haste, which she would get eventually anyway, by escorting her to the Garden Gate pronto and wishing her well in the wild world beyond which she seemed desperate to experience, you know, to push the envelope and enjoy life and rumble off on a Harley with her snake friend and no longer be cooped up in a boring Garden or under subjection to a measly man with incorrigible discipleship standards instead of being hooked up with a powerful demonic personage. Yeah, sure. What fun. See ya, Eve. Watch out for that screen door…
But no. Adam ended up forcing God’s hand to kick them both out. For God, this revolting development was not a surprise and was even something of which He had already made future provision:
For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. [1Corinthians 15:21-22][1]
© 2025 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved. [To Be Continued…]
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
WHEN WAS THE APOSTLE PAUL BORN? [Part 3]
It is my conclusion that Paul had just turned 30 years old when the Lord met him on the road to Damascus. From this I was able to calculate his year of birth.
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WHEN WAS THE LORD JESUS BORN?
According to my extensive research over many years, I have discovered that there should not be such a relatively wide range of dates regarding the birth of our Lord. There are several clues to follow in the written New Testament accounts primarily within the Gospel of Luke. This man was not only an excellent writer and historian, he was also a man who put forth an exceptional effort at arranging the Lord’s life and ministry in a chronological manner. By the time he began his two part project which also included the Book of Acts, there already existed some written accounts of the Lord’s ministry, some probably brief, including at least one written in Hebrew.
Luke also paid close attention to historical dates which corroborated the Lord’s personal history. There is also no doubt that he sought as many eyewitness testimonies that he could gather. He at last wove all this material together in a clean, comprehensive fashion to create an excellent treatise of inestimable worth, especially regarding the Book of Acts as it is the only extant history of first-century Christianity.
When I became a real Christian decades ago, it seemed as though the standard date for the Lord’s death and resurrection was 30AD. I have not done all that much research into how such a date was chosen but the main reason appears to be primarily based on the demise of King Herod the Great. According to the general consensus this date has for the most part always been 4BC which would mean the Lord would have to have been born before this since Herod was very much alive when the Lord came into the world. Yet it could not have been too much before 4BC because the Lord’s birth date also had to fit with the historical record stated in Luke’s Gospel. However, the dates Luke gives were apparently somewhat contested by historians if they appeared to differ from what most perceived as the official record derived from secular sources, again, primarily based on Herod’s death.
According to my own research, though, beginning many years ago, I discovered that the official date of Herod’s death does not hold up under close scrutiny. In fact, a very good case can be made that Herod did not actually die until early in the year 1BC, most likely in January. I will not get into all the details of my research here but based on this date and the fact that the Wise Men actually visited the Lord about a full year after He was born, I concluded that the Lord’s Birthday was in the early autumn of 3BC, most likely on the 15th of the seventh month.
This also fits perfectly with Luke’s account of the fourteenth year of Tiberius since the previous emperor Augustus died in 14AD. Based on the way the Roman dating system worked with reference to regnal years, the Lord actually began His ministry in the autumn of 28AD which fits perfectly with 3BC as His year of birth. (Remember, there is no Year Zero. From 3BC to 1AD is three years.)
BUT WHAT ABOUT PAUL?
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series I revealed my working theory regarding Paul’s birth year, based on several Scriptural clues, and that the Apostle Paul was actually 30 years old when he experienced his unprecedented visitation from the Lord out on the highway. We also know that the general consensus range of this event is about 33-36AD though it varies slightly according to different sources.
I had always thought it odd that nothing more concrete has apparently ever been discovered regarding the actual year of Paul’s conversion. As far as I’m concerned, though, I believe what I have accomplished here is at this point the definitive date. Please know I have already done a deep dive on this subject matter and have a good set of notes from which I am writing this series. If I am correct, it is also due to major clues I believe the Lord gave me which came as an answer to prayer when I began this project:
With regard to birth years, as Joseph was to his younger brother Benjamin, so was the Lord to Paul.
Based on the clues I received and a closer look at many Scriptural accounts, I concluded that there was a nine year difference in the ages of Joseph and Benjamin.
What I discovered was not at all far from the general consensus dates. But rather than give a range, which is not all that difficult to do and could be construed as lazy research, I wanted to find the exact year of Paul’s birth. I believe I did:
The Apostle Paul was born in the year 7AD.
He was nine years younger than the Lord. When the Lord began His ministry in 28AD, Paul (Saul) was a young man of 21. He had already spent much time in Jerusalem learning at the feet of his rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) which probably began when he was a young teen. It is also likely the case that Paul made several pilgrimages to the City of David throughout his youth since his father had to be a man of relative wealth and prominence to afford Paul’s exceptional education.
And as many have speculated, it is not at all beyond reason that this young man had heard the news of a new Rabbi up in the Galilee who appeared to defy convention and also draw comparisons to the mighty prophets of old. Did young Paul ever cross paths with the Lord? I think he did. One can only wonder if the young impressionable student ever allowed himself the opportunity to open his heart toward his destiny before his fierce hardcore religious indoctrination slammed it shut with no cure.
That is, until 37AD:
“While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
‘Rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
‘To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God,
‘That they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” [Acts 26:12-18][1]
© 2025 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved.
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
WHEN WAS THE APOSTLE PAUL BORN? [Part 2]
In Part 1 I mentioned several otherwise hidden Scriptural clues in my search for Paul’s actual birth year which continued to build toward a remarkable conclusion…
.
I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER
As inapplicable as it may initially appear, the first clue of note with reference to Paul’s birth year regarded the ages of the Hebrew patriarchs Joseph and Benjamin. These were the last two sons of Jacob (#11 and #12). Though there was technically not a “Tribe of Joseph,” he actually was given two tribes by his father Jacob—the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh—named after Joseph’s two sons. Though these were Jacob’s grandsons, they were given equal standing and rank as Jacob’s own sons and were counted as tribal progenitors of the Hebrew nation. Here is the list of Jacob’s twelve sons by birth order including the mother of each:
- Reuben (Leah)
- Simeon (Leah)
- Levi (Leah)
- Judah (Leah)
- Dan (Bilhah)
- Naphtali (Bilhah)
- Gad (Zilpah)
- Asher (Zilpah)
- Issachar (Leah)
- Zebulun (Leah)
- Joseph (Rachel): Sons Ephraim and Manasseh
- Benjamin (Rachel)
One might note that though they are generally referred to as the twelve tribes of Israel, there are actually thirteen tribes due to the inclusion of the two tribes descending from Joseph. It is interesting, however, that by the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation in the early 60s AD, the tribe list located there in chapter seven refers to the tribe of Ephraim as the tribe of Joseph and also does not mention the tribe of Dan. Hence, it is a list of twelve instead of thirteen. One might wonder what happened to Dan (I’ve done much past research on this) but that’s another study for another day.
The next clue I received/discovered concerned the age difference between Joseph and Benjamin. As I wrote in Part 1, I saw the Lord as Joseph and Paul as Benjamin.
This would mean the difference in ages between Joseph and Benjamin would be the same as that between the Lord and Paul.
MY WORKING THEORY
At the end of Part 1 I revealed that the scholarly consensus was that the man Benjamin, when he went to Egypt with the rest of his extended family, was 32-35 years of age. This is a reasonable estimate. But I decided on a specific age that was not only just as reasonable but scripturally foundational:
Benjamin was 30 when he went to Egypt.
I like this age number because it is significant in Scripture. Most importantly, it was the age of the Lord when He began His ministry. It was also the age of Joseph when the Lord raised him up to become second in power in Egypt. In addition to these, a Levite of Kohath/Gershon/Merari had to be at least 30 (to 50) to “enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting” (Numbers 4:3, 23, 30), as was also required of Levites such as the tent carriers. Both King Saul and King David were 30 when beginning their reigns. All of these prove that the age of 30 was chosen by God as the age of maturity for higher service and ministry in general.
Since Benjamin already had ten sons by the time he went to Egypt, he could have started his family early, maybe around 15-16 years old, since Jacob would have doted on him, and money, provision, shelter, etc. would not have been a problem. This is assuming, however, that Benjamin had only one wife, something Scripture does not address (or name), though the apocryphal book of Jasher (not likely the same one mentioned in the OT) claims he had two. A man would otherwise have to work very hard to build up his life in preparation for marriage and children and usually not be ready until his mid-twenties or so. Under that condition Benjamin would not have had the time to father ten sons.
Here is another interesting indication: Jacob was 130 years old when he went to Egypt, at two years into the famine during the “bad seven.” This would mean, according to this scenario, that he fathered Benjamin when he was exactly 100, just as it was with Abraham and Isaac, which could definitely be another clue. Incidentally, Joseph was born when Jacob was 91 which, as I mentioned in Part 1, would make him 39 at that same time.
This means, according to my working theory, that there was a 9 year age difference between Joseph and Benjamin.
If Benjamin was indeed 30 at that time, which appears increasingly plausible, it is why the age of 30 also fits so perfectly for Paul at the time of his salvation and the effective beginning of his ministry. It is also in keeping with why the Lord decided to make such a significant unprecedented move at that particular time, at least in part:
As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. [Acts 9:3-9][1]
The time had come. Paul had turned 30.
By appearing to Paul in a flash of light “brighter than the (midday) sun,” the Lord had chosen a dramatic way to get Paul straightened out and on the right track toward his destiny. It was probably the only thing that would have worked when dealing with a headstrong, stubborn, intensely driven and focused man set on achieving his fervent religious duty come hell or very high water.
In Part 3, the conclusion of this series, I will complete what I believe is a relatively solid case with additional clues and a general timeline based on a very important key date which leads to Paul’s actual birth year. See you then.
© 2025 by RJ Dawson. All Rights Reserved. [To Be Continued…]
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.








