The Time Line of Elizabeth's and Mary's Pregnancies.
The Time Line of Elizabeth's and Mary's Pregnancies.
Why does this matter? True, it is not a matter of salvation, strictly speaking, but we should always strive to understand all of Scripture, and as Spurgeon said (paraphrase) we should not allow the Roman Catholics exclusive rights to Mary. Virtually everything they teach about her is not based on what the bible teaches, but upon fables and papal decrees, and is therefore wrong.
Mary was not immaculately conceived. Mary was not sinless. Mary was not a perpetual virgin. Mary was not assumed up to heaven. Mary in not the co-redemptrix.
Those things are NOT found in the bible.
Rather we find Mary herself saying, "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior." Luk 1:47 She says she has a savior, and thereby is telling us she is a sinner!
But this Blog is not specifically about Mary, it is to harmonize the time from when Zacharias is told by the angel Gabriel that his wife Elizabeth is going to have a son, until the time Jesus is born; which is only a short 16 months!
First, the whole sequence of events starts with Zacharias being selected to go into the Holy of Holies to burn incense.
Much is made of Zacharias and Elizabeth being "well stricken in years" (Luk 1:7), but since Zacharias was still an active priest, he could not have been older than 50, since the priests were in active service only up to the age of 50 (Num 4:3, 23, 30, 35); Elizabeth would be a few years younger, so she was only in her late 40s! Granted she is too old to have children, but not as old as we tend to think.
Gabriel tells Zacharias that he and Elizabeth will have a son. So as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house, a very happy man, having heard such good news, and as all of us would do after being away for a time, they have sex, and under the blessing of God, Elizabeth becomes pregnant.
"And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months," Luk 1:23-24
It is not stated how soon it took her her to become pregnant, but since God was in this, I think we can safely assume she became pregnant fairly quickly, meaning that within a month or so after Gabriel told Zacharias that she would become pregnant, she does in fact become pregnant.
Secondly, the next event in this sequence of events is Gabriel going to Mary.
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,..." Luk 1:26
The "sixth month" refers to how far along Elizabeth was in her pregnancy.
And Gabriel says to Mary, "And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren." Luk 1:36
This gives us a pretty exact time line from when Gabriel meet with Zacharias, until he goes to Mary: only 8 months have passed; 2 months for Elizabeth to become pregnant, and then 6 months of her pregnancy.
Thirdly, "immediately" (in those days) after Gabriel talks to Mary, she goes to see Elizabeth, "with haste."
"And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;" Luk 1:39
"In those days," refers to a short time period, a week maybe to get her stuff together, and she leaves to go see Elizabeth. It is not a far journey, shown by the fact she goes alone; a young girl of 15 would not be allowed to go on a long journey by herself; a day or two, three at most.
Fourthly, so within a week or so of being told she will bear the Christ and that Elizabeth is pregnant, Mary arrives at Elizabeth's house; BUT when Mary arrives at Elizabeth's house, she is already pregnant, verified by the fact that John, who was inside his mother, leapt for joy upon hearing Mary greet Elizabeth. Elizabeth said to Mary: "the mother of my Lord."
"And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy." Luk 1:41-44
So we are up to 9 months from the time Gabriel appears to Zacharias until Mary now steps into Elizabeth's house.
At this time, Elizabeth is 7 months pregnant, 1 to 2 weeks having passed since Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant; and Mary herself is just in her first month of pregnancy.
Fifthly, it is specifically stated that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months
"And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house." Luk 1:56
Therefore Mary would have been with Elizabeth when she gave birth, and this would be 100% normal for her to stay and be there to help her female cousin give birth, especially given all that the 2 of them know from Gabriel's announcements to each of them separately, which they had shared with each other.
And since Mary was there for the birth, she would certainly have stayed a few extra days to help Elizabeth, seeing it was her first child, and she therefore would certainly have been there when they circumcised John, since that was done 8 days after he was born. Remember, circumcision was both a religiously and culturally significant event. So that means Mary would have been there when the family went back and forth about naming John, and when Zacharias started talking again. It could well be Mary who told Luke all of these events, for Luke specifically says he interviewed the eye witnesses.
As a side note, Luke wrote his gospel about 40 years after these events: 33 years of Jesus life plus a few extra years for him to write it. By then Zacharias and Elizabeth were probably both dead, but Mary would have only been around 55 to 60, and probably still alive. She would have been between 15-20 when she married Joseph, plus the 40 years.
Back to our time line.
Sixth, Mary goes back home. She is now around 4 months pregnant (she arrived at Elizabeth's during her first month, and stayed 3 months), and so she starts to show! People see she is pregnant, and start to talk, and this causes Joseph to consider breaking off the marriage engagement:
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily." Mat 1:18-19
She starts to show, people realize she is pregnant, Joseph finds out, he knows it is not him, and so he wants to break things off; BUT God sends an angel to explain things to Joseph, and that is when Joseph learns this is a supernatural event.
"But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Mat 1:20-21
At this point she is 5 months pregnant.
Seventh, the engagement is not broken off, but during the next 4 months, from when the angel speaks with Joseph until Mary gives birth, the decree about taxation is issued, forcing them to travel at the very end of her pregnancy.
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." Luk 2:1
"And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luk 2:3-7
And she gives birth to Jesus.
Total elapsed time from Gabriel telling Zacharias he would have a son, until the birth of Jesus: only 16 months!
- 2 months from the time Gabriel speaks to Zacharias until Elizabeth becomes pregnant
- 6 months of pregnancy until Mary goes to see her; at which time Mary is 1 month pregnant
- 3 months while Mary is with Elizabeth; which when it ends Mary is 4 months pregnant
- 5 months til Jesus is born
16 short months!
So what is the point, and why is this important?
First, we always want to understand as much of the bible as we can, and with historic events, understanding the sequence and elapsed time is critical to a proper understanding of the whole event. This is why harmonies of the gospel are good. We read Luk 1 and Mat 1, but rarely do we think about the flow of events in real time, and who was interacting with whom, and when, and how much time was elapsing.
Second, many times we read the bible and think all is miracle and supernatural, and we forget God entered human history, the human time line, and so things fall out in a very normal human way; a very normal human sequence of events. Both Elizabeth and Mar were pregnant for 9 months, just like every other woman is, in a normal pregnancy.
This is a great example of the normalness of events in the bible, and especially so, as it revolves around the greatest event in history.
Third, John was only 6 months older than Jesus.
Forth, most of the bible is historic narrative!
The majority of the Old Testament is historic narrative.
The 4 gospels are historical narrative.
Acts is historical narrative.
Revelation is historical narrative.
AND
The Epistles were not written to mythical churches, but to the churches in real cities and towns, most of which still exist today. And the flow of events is recorded as historical sequential fact in the book of Acts. And the Epistles are real letters, written by real people: Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude, who had either planted those churches or at least ministered in them. It is all historical narrative.
Remember in school we were taught to ask: Who? Where? Why? When? and How?
So when we read the bible, here are some questions to think about:
How much time has elapsed during the unfolding of this event?
How is this event connected to what came before it and what follows?
Where were people coming from and going to?
With whom were they speaking and who heard?
With the Epistles, think of Paul remembering what happened in each town as he wrote his epistle, because for him it was his real personal history, it was his life. He writes to the Corinthians: "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus" 1Co 15:32.
Fifth, Christianity is based on history, historic fact.
"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." 1Co 15:4-8
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount." 2Pe 1:16-18
23 May 2025