In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. And he burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. (II Kings 25:8-9 ESV)
Fear Not… Then Notice the Calendar
In the Bible, years are counted oddly. There was no over-arching calendar system. Usually, the year of Judah’s or Israel’s king is noted as a way to place the events on a timeline. But here, as the events in Judah develop, the year of King Zedekiah’s reign is not mentioned. Instead, the context of these horrific events is the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, Emperor of Babylon.
It is, perhaps, a symbolic way of noting that God’s people were now under the authority of Babylon.
Historically, as Christianity grew in Europe, we began to make note that local leaders are not the standard for record-keeping. Instead, scholars began to note the number of years since the Messiah’s birth… since the incarnation. So rather than, “the 5th year of King Bottlenose IV,” they wrote, ‘the year of our Lord 946.” In Latin, this was written, “Anno Domini,” and abbreviated, “A.D.”
As long as our calendars, historians, and birthdates use A.D. it is a reminder of Christ’s Kingship.
It is no surprise that some scholars desire to replace A.D. with something else. But even if academia starts using a different abbreviation, or even a different numbering system, Christians can find comfort in remembering Christ’s rule in our lives.
We have nothing to fear when Jesus is King. Let the calendar remind you of that every day.
Fear not, then notice the calendar.