Thank you for sharing and that makes a lot of sense! I've also done some research and learnt that the sheppards in the middle east are only out in the fields to look after their flocks during their winter which is between March - May. The scriptures says that the angels appeard to the sheppards in the fields so this is further evidence that Jesus Christ wasn't born in December.
Assuming the "star" was what caused a night without darkness in ancient America and only the wise men saw the "star" from the eastern hemisphere, then it was a very brief phenomena. Supernovae take several months to reach their full brightness and several years to fade, as was the case for the first one modern astronomers observed in 1987. An incoming comet would have been noticed for several rotations of the earth before impact. That leaves the possibilities of an asteroid or a conjunction or some other phenomenon that would last less than a day.
There is much in the scriptures that seem to have a link to the stars and constellations, astronomy, as well as the cultural, or religious, understanding of the roles of these “heavenly bodies.” Astrology? Astrotheology? It does seem to help decoding the content of the scriptures. Thanks for the content. John Thompson
Anyone interested, get this book by author Alex Tomaras: What was "the star of Bethlehem?" -Solved! It's small book, but it packs a punch to conventional hearsay. It really settles the issue once and for all.
Suggest watching the Larson Video and learning the truth about the Star. It's good scientific and historical accuracy. There was a transposition error in dates in later copies of Josephus.
To it don't matter when our savior Jesus was born. All we know he was born and did come to save us and he is the only begotten son of almighty God. Thank you Jesus for paying a debt I could not pay. Praise God hallelujah thank you almighty God Jesus
The wise men were led to Jesus as a "young child" not a baby. Is it possible that they were led to Egypt (where Joseph was commanded to flee to escape Herod's decree) or to Nazareth where Christ was raised? Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem for the birth but is it likely they stayed there long. We know they left before Christ was 2. it certainly is possible the wise men/magi still met the Christ before he turned 2 in Bethlehem but do we know?
The Persians were ancient astronomers and their version (Zoroastraism) is also one of the oldest excepting that of Hinduism, and the Dogone tribe in Africa
The Bethlehem star is a angel. Rev 1:20 kjv identifies these seven stars as angels. Rev 9:1 calls this star/angel a He and gives him the key to the bottomless pit. Matt 2:9 kjv the star/angel which the wise men saw in the east went before them till it came and stood over baby Jesus. This is a angel. Look at a picture of a star and you’ll probably see its not standing. Look up every instance of star/stars in the bible and it has a dual meaning.
Do you think there could be a connection between China / Korea recording the events and the Magi coming from either or both of those Countries? Both are East of Israel and could explain the length of travel time. Just a thought.
Look into Nibiru It’s debris field and what happened to the earth before and after can be explained through these hypotheses. We are currently experiencing similar things (pole shift) in relationship to a celestial body coming into our system. There’s an effort to suppress this info
What i think? It is a special event in the heaven that will only happen at His birth. Therefore, whatever is the thing that created that star may only be a special phenomenom that will be solely for the Son of God's birth, not any other that is why there is no repeat to it.I really got a lot from your videos, im inclined to pick its a special supernova that had happened then instead of planets conjunction or a meteor strike.
Jesus was born on Sunday, March 1, 7 BC. He was born in the latter reign of Herod the Great. Herod died in 4 BC. The 'Star of Bethlehem' was not an astronomical or cosmological event. Joseph (Jesus' father) formed an alliance with Theudas, head of the Therapeutes. The 2 in warrior mode gave themselves titles taken from an OT verse. Joseph was the 'Star' (of David) & Theudas was the 'Scepter'. The West Manasseh Magi were a priestly caste of Samaritan philosophers founded in 44BC by Menahem and later led by Simon Zelotes. The Magians were Joseph's political associates. When they 'followed the star', they were agreeing with Joseph that a new Davidic king (Jesus) had been born. Because they recognized him as king, they were accepting him as legitimate.
*Was the Star in the east a company of brightly shinning angels?* *Bible Symbology* *Star = Angel* *....The seven stars are the angels* of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. *-Revelation 1:20* The eastern star was a company of angels that only appeared to the wise men. If it were a fixed star or a planet it would have been known to astronomers, kings, priests, scribes, shepherds and common folk alike. *Matthew 2:1, 2* -tells us that it led the wise men first to Jerusalem and then disappeared without anyone else seeing it. Then as the wise men departed for Bethlehem it reappears and leads them to the manger. (Verses 9,10). No one in Jerusalem seen the star reappear over Bethlehem when the wise men left or Herod would have followed it for himself and found Christ. Angels can appear, dissappear and then reappear, fixed stars and planets cannot, nor do they hover low directly over a city (Jerusalem) and then reappear over a manger. They can show forth their glory and lead the wise men directly to the manger and yet be invisible to everyone else. Makes one pause and muse the reasoning of a star or an angel being interchangeable on the top of a Christmas tree now, does it not?
*Chapter 6-"We have Seen His Star”* This chapter is based on Matthew 2 *“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.”* DA 59.1 The wise men from the East were philosophers. They belonged to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth, and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. Among these were many who imposed on the credulity of the people. Others were upright men who studied the indications of Providence in nature, and who were honored for their integrity and wisdom. Of this character were the wise men who came to Jesus. DA 59.2 The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism. As these magi studied the starry heavens, and sought to fathom the mystery hidden in their bright paths, they beheld the glory of the Creator. Seeking clearer knowledge, they turned to the Hebrew Scriptures. In their own land were treasured prophetic writings that predicted the coming of a divine teacher. Balaam belonged to the magicians, though at one time a prophet of God; by the Holy Spirit he had foretold the prosperity of Israel and the appearing of the Messiah; and his prophecies had been handed down by tradition from century to century. But in the Old Testament the Saviour’s advent was more clearly revealed. The magi learned with joy that His coming was near, and that the whole world was to be filled with a knowledge of the glory of the Lord. DA 59.3 The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that night when the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem. As the light faded, a luminous star appeared, and lingered in the sky. *It was not a fixed star nor a planet, and the phenomenon excited the keenest interest. That star was a distant company of shining angels,* but of this the wise men were ignorant. Yet they were impressed that the star was of special import to them. They consulted priests and philosophers, and searched the scrolls of the ancient records. The prophecy of Balaam had declared, *“There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Numbers **24:17**.* Could this strange star have been sent as a harbinger of the Promised One? The magi had welcomed the light of heaven-sent truth; now it was shed upon them in brighter rays. Through dreams they were instructed to go in search of the newborn Prince. DA 60.1 As by faith Abraham went forth at the call of God, *“not knowing whither he went”* *(Hebrews 11:8);* as by faith Israel followed the pillar of cloud to the Promised Land, so did these Gentiles go forth to find the promised Saviour. The Eastern country abounded in precious things, and the magi did not set out empty-handed. It was the custom to offer presents as an act of homage to princes or other personages of rank, and the richest gifts the land afforded were borne as an offering to Him in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. It was necessary to journey by night in order to keep the star in view; but the travelers beguiled the hours by repeating traditional sayings and prophetic utterances concerning the One they sought. At every pause for rest they searched the prophecies; and the conviction deepened that they were divinely guided. While they had the star before them as an outward sign, they had also the inward evidence of the Holy Spirit, which was impressing their hearts, and inspiring them with hope. The journey, though long, was a happy one to them. DA 60.2 They have reached the land of Israel, and are descending the Mount of Olives, with Jerusalem in sight, when, lo, the star that has guided them all the weary way rests above the temple, and after a season fades from their view. With eager steps they press onward, confidently expecting the Messiah’s birth to be the joyful burden of every tongue. But their inquiries are in vain. Entering the holy city, they repair to the temple. To their amazement they find none who seem to have a knowledge of the newborn king. Their questions call forth no expressions of joy, but rather of surprise and fear, not unmingled with contempt. DA 60.3 The priests are rehearsing traditions. They extol their religion and their own piety, while they denounce the Greeks and Romans as heathen, and sinners above others. The wise men are not idolaters, and in the sight of God they stand far higher than do these, His professed worshipers; yet they are looked upon by the Jews as heathen. Even among the appointed guardians of the Holy Oracles their eager questionings touch no chord of sympathy. DA 61.1 The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem. Their strange errand created an excitement among the people, which penetrated to the palace of King Herod. The wily Edomite was aroused at the intimation of a possible rival. Countless murders had stained his pathway to the throne. Being of alien blood, he was hated by the people over whom he ruled. His only security was the favor of Rome. But this new Prince had a higher claim. He was born to the kingdom. DA 61.2 Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite a popular tumult and unseat him from the throne. He concealed his mistrust, however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior cunning. Summoning the chief priests and the scribes, he questioned them as to the teaching of their sacred books in regard to the place of the Messiah’s birth. DA 61.3 This inquiry from the usurper of the throne, and made at the request of strangers, stung the pride of the Jewish teachers. The indifference with which they turned to the rolls of prophecy enraged the jealous tyrant. He thought them trying to conceal their knowledge of the matter. With an authority they dared not disregard, he commanded them to make close search, and to declare the birthplace of their expected King. *“And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,* DA 62.1 *“And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,* *Art in nowise least among the princes of Judah:* *For out of thee shall come forth a governor,* *Which shall be shepherd of My people Israel.”* R.V. DA 62.2 Herod now invited the magi to a private interview. A tempest of wrath and fear was raging in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior, and received the strangers courteously. He inquired at what time the star had appeared, and professed to hail with joy the intimation of the birth of Christ. He bade his visitors, *“Search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also.”* So saying, he dismissed them to go on their way to Bethlehem. DA 62.3 The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels’ visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of their notice. They themselves might have found Jesus, and might have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace; but instead of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah. *“Where is He that is born King of the Jews?”* they said; *“for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.”* DA 62.4 Now pride and envy closed the door against the light. If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It could not be, they said, that God had passed them by, to communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles. They determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so. And they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis. From this point their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Saviour. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves. DA 62.5
The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem. The shadows of night were falling as they left the gates, but to their great joy they again saw the star, and were directed to Bethlehem. They had received no such intimation of the lowly estate of Jesus as was given to the shepherds. After the long journey they had been disappointed by the indifference of the Jewish leaders, and had left Jerusalem less confident than when they entered the city. At Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn King. None of the world’s honored men were in attendance. Jesus was cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were His only guardians. Could this be He of whom it was written, that He should *“raise up the tribes of Jacob,”* and *“restore the preserved of Israel;”* that He should be *“a light to the Gentiles,”* and for *“salvation unto the end of the earth”? Isaiah 49:6* DA 63.1 *“When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.”* Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus, they recognized the presence of Divinity. They gave their hearts to Him as their Saviour, and then poured out their gifts, *-“gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”* What a faith was theirs! It might have been said of the wise men from the East, as afterward of the Roman centurion, *“I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”* *Matthew 8:10* DA 63.2 The wise men had not penetrated Herod’s design toward Jesus. When the object of their journey was accomplished, they prepared to return to Jerusalem, intending to acquaint him with their success. But in a dream they received a divine message to hold no further communication with him. Avoiding Jerusalem, they set out for their own country by another route. DA 64.1 In like manner Joseph received warning to flee into Egypt with Mary and the child. And the angel said, *“Be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.”* Joseph obeyed without delay, setting out on the journey by night for greater security. DA 64.2 Through the wise men, God had called the attention of the Jewish nation to the birth of His Son. Their inquiries in Jerusalem, the popular interest excited, and even the jealousy of Herod, which compelled the attention of the priests and rabbis, directed minds to the prophecies concerning the Messiah, and to the great event that had just taken place. DA 64.3 Satan was bent on shutting out the divine light from the world, and he used his utmost cunning to destroy the Saviour. But He who never slumbers nor sleeps was watching over His beloved Son. He who had rained manna from heaven for Israel and had fed Elijah in the time of famine provided in a heathen land a refuge for Mary and the child Jesus. And through the gifts of the magi from a heathen country, the Lord supplied the means for the journey into Egypt and the sojourn in a land of strangers. DA 65.1 The magi had been among the first to welcome the Redeemer. Their gift was the first that was laid at His feet. And through that gift, what privilege of ministry was theirs! The offering from the heart that loves, God delights to honor, giving it highest efficiency in service for Him. If we have given our hearts to Jesus, we also shall bring our gifts to Him. Our gold and silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest mental and spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us. DA 65.2 Herod in Jerusalem impatiently awaited the return of the wise men. As time passed, and they did not appear, his suspicions were roused. The unwillingness of the rabbis to point out the Messiah’s birthplace seemed to indicate that they had penetrated his design, and that the magi had purposely avoided him. He was maddened at the thought. Craft had failed, but there was left the resort to force. He would make an example of this child-king. Those haughty Jews should see what they might expect in their attempts to place a monarch on the throne. DA 65.3 Soldiers were at once sent to Bethlehem, with orders to put to death all the children of two years and under. The quiet homes of the city of David witnessed those scenes of horror that, six hundred years before, had been opened to the prophet. *“In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”* DA 65.4 This calamity the Jews had brought upon themselves. If they had been walking in faithfulness and humility before God, He would in a signal manner have made the wrath of the king harmless to them. But they had separated themselves from God by their sins, and had rejected the Holy Spirit, which was their only shield. They had not studied the Scriptures with a desire to conform to the will of God. They had searched for prophecies which could be interpreted to exalt themselves, and to show how God despised all other nations. It was their proud boast that the Messiah was to come as a king, conquering His enemies, and treading down the heathen in His wrath. Thus they had excited the hatred of their rulers. Through their misrepresentation of Christ’s mission, Satan had purposed to compass the destruction of the Saviour; but instead of this, it returned upon their own heads. DA 65.5 This act of cruelty was one of the last that darkened the reign of Herod. Soon after the slaughter of the innocents, he was himself compelled to yield to that doom which none can turn aside. He died a fearful death. DA 66.1 Joseph, who was still in Egypt, was now bidden by an angel of God to return to the land of Israel. Regarding Jesus as the heir of David’s throne, Joseph desired to make his home in Bethlehem; but learning that Archelaus reigned in Judea in his father’s stead, he feared that the father’s designs against Christ might be carried out by the son. Of all the sons of Herod, Archelaus most resembled him in character. Already his succession to the government had been marked by a tumult in Jerusalem, and the slaughter of thousands of Jews by the Roman guards. DA 66.2 Again Joseph was directed to a place of safety. He returned to Nazareth, his former home, and here for nearly thirty years Jesus dwelt, *“that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.”* Galilee was under the control of a son of Herod, but it had a much larger admixture of foreign inhabitants than Judea. Thus there was less interest in matters relating especially to the Jews, and the claims of Jesus would be less likely to excite the jealousy of those in power. DA 66.3 Such was the Saviour’s reception when He came to the earth. There seemed to be no place of rest or safety for the infant Redeemer. God could not trust His beloved Son with men, even while carrying forward His work for their salvation. He commissioned angels to attend Jesus and protect Him till He should accomplish His mission on earth, and die by the hands of those whom He came to save. DA 67.1
The easiest, most provable, and repeated event in the bible is wormwood. It is our binary star. Upon approaching the sun would shine on all sides as it passed earth on its orbit around our main star.
The Birth of Jesus All that night Mary was restless so that neither of them slept much. By the break of day the pangs of childbirth were well in evidence, and at noon, August 21, 7 B.C., with the help and kind ministrations of women fellow travelers, Mary was delivered of a male child. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the world, was wrapped in the clothes which Mary had brought along for such a possible contingency, and laid in a near-by manger. In just the same manner as all babies before that day and since have come into the world, the promised child was born; and on the eighth day, according to the Jewish practice, he was circumcised and formally named Joshua (Jesus). The next day after the birth of Jesus, Joseph made his enrollment. Meeting a man they had talked with two nights previously at Jericho, Joseph was taken by him to a well-to-do friend who had a room at the inn, and who said he would gladly exchange quarters with the Nazareth couple. That afternoon they moved up to the inn, where they lived for almost three weeks until they found lodgings in the home of a distant relative of Joseph. The second day after the birth of Jesus, Mary sent word to Elizabeth that her child had come and received word in return inviting Joseph up to Jerusalem to talk over all their affairs with Zacharias. The following week Joseph went to Jerusalem to confer with Zacharias. Both Zacharias and Elizabeth had become possessed with the sincere conviction that Jesus was indeed to become the Jewish deliverer, the Messiah, and that their son John was to be his chief of aides, his right-hand man of destiny. And since Mary held these same ideas, it was not difficult to prevail upon Joseph to remain in Bethlehem, the City of David, so that Jesus might grow up to become the successor of David on the throne of all Israel. Accordingly, they remained in Bethlehem more than a year, Joseph meantime working some at his carpenter’s trade. At the noontide birth of Jesus the seraphim of Urantia, assembled under their directors, did sing anthems of glory over the Bethlehem manger, but these utterances of praise were not heard by human ears. No shepherds nor any other mortal creatures came to pay homage to the babe of Bethlehem until the day of the arrival of certain priests from Ur, who were sent down from Jerusalem by Zacharias. These priests from Mesopotamia had been told sometime before by a strange religious teacher of their country that he had had a dream in which he was informed that “the light of life” was about to appear on earth as a babe and among the Jews. And thither went these three teachers looking for this “light of life.” After many weeks of futile search in Jerusalem, they were about to return to Ur when Zacharias met them and disclosed his belief that Jesus was the object of their quest and sent them on to Bethlehem, where they found the babe and left their gifts with Mary, his earth mother. The babe was almost three weeks old at the time of their visit. These wise men saw no star to guide them to Bethlehem. The beautiful legend of the star of Bethlehem originated in this way: Jesus was born August 21 at noon, 7 B.C. On May 29, 7 B.C., there occurred an extraordinary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces. And it is a remarkable astronomic fact that similar conjunctions occurred on September 29 and December 5 of the same year. Upon the basis of these extraordinary but wholly natural events the well-meaning zealots of the succeeding generation constructed the appealing legend of the star of Bethlehem and the adoring Magi led thereby to the manger, where they beheld and worshiped the newborn babe. Oriental and near-Oriental minds delight in fairy stories, and they are continually spinning such beautiful myths about the lives of their religious leaders and political heroes. In the absence of printing, when most human knowledge was passed by word of mouth from one generation to another, it was very easy for myths to become traditions and for traditions eventually to become accepted as facts. Ref. The Urantia Book
Thank you for sharing and that makes a lot of sense! I've also done some research and learnt that the sheppards in the middle east are only out in the fields to look after their flocks during their winter which is between March - May. The scriptures says that the angels appeard to the sheppards in the fields so this is further evidence that Jesus Christ wasn't born in December.
Assuming the "star" was what caused a night without darkness in ancient America and only the wise men saw the "star" from the eastern hemisphere, then it was a very brief phenomena. Supernovae take several months to reach their full brightness and several years to fade, as was the case for the first one modern astronomers observed in 1987. An incoming comet would have been noticed for several rotations of the earth before impact. That leaves the possibilities of an asteroid or a conjunction or some other phenomenon that would last less than a day.
There is much in the scriptures that seem to have a link to the stars and constellations, astronomy, as well as the cultural, or religious, understanding of the roles of these “heavenly bodies.” Astrology? Astrotheology? It does seem to help decoding the content of the scriptures.
Thanks for the content. John Thompson
What do I think ...? I think this was a very well done video
which gave us all some interesting information to ponder.
Thank you for this.
Wait, isnt it called astronomy?
No… astrology is the more superstitious side of astronomy.
Anyone interested, get this book by author Alex Tomaras: What was "the star of Bethlehem?" -Solved!
It's small book, but it packs a punch to conventional hearsay. It really settles the issue once and for all.
We believe that Jesus was born on April 6
He was born on April 6, but we don’t know the exact year
Suggest watching the Larson Video and learning the truth about the Star. It's good scientific and historical accuracy. There was a transposition error in dates in later copies of Josephus.
To it don't matter when our savior Jesus was born. All we know he was born and did come to save us and he is the only begotten son of almighty God. Thank you Jesus for paying a debt I could not pay. Praise God hallelujah thank you almighty God Jesus
The wise men were led to Jesus as a "young child" not a baby. Is it possible that they were led to Egypt (where Joseph was commanded to flee to escape Herod's decree) or to Nazareth where Christ was raised? Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem for the birth but is it likely they stayed there long. We know they left before Christ was 2. it certainly is possible the wise men/magi still met the Christ before he turned 2 in Bethlehem but do we know?
The Persians were ancient astronomers and their version (Zoroastraism) is also one of the oldest excepting that of Hinduism, and the Dogone tribe in Africa
The Bethlehem star is a angel. Rev 1:20 kjv identifies these seven stars as angels.
Rev 9:1 calls this star/angel a He and gives him the key to the bottomless pit.
Matt 2:9 kjv the star/angel which the wise men saw in the east went before them till it came and stood over baby Jesus. This is a angel. Look at a picture of a star and you’ll probably see its not standing.
Look up every instance of star/stars in the bible and it has a dual meaning.
It is the star spica which is where the virgin hand is (ear of wheat) hence born from a virgin.
Ooh, what date would that be?
Do you think there could be a connection between China / Korea recording the events and the Magi coming from either or both of those Countries? Both are East of Israel and could explain the length of travel time. Just a thought.
Good thought
September 11th. Run that date with sun rising in Virgo.
HMMM !! ALWAYS A MESSAGE !!!! HAPPY CHRISTMAS 2023. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024. FROM,U.K. (2023).
Look into Nibiru
It’s debris field and what happened to the earth before and after can be explained through these hypotheses. We are currently experiencing similar things (pole shift) in relationship to a celestial body coming into our system. There’s an effort to suppress this info
i knew it! he is returning when beetlejuice goes supernova.
What i think? It is a special event in the heaven that will only happen at His birth. Therefore, whatever is the thing that created that star may only be a special phenomenom that will be solely for the Son of God's birth, not any other that is why there is no repeat to it.I really got a lot from your videos, im inclined to pick its a special supernova that had happened then instead of planets conjunction or a meteor strike.
Check out April 17 6 BC
Should be astronomy
Jesus was born on Sunday, March 1, 7 BC. He was born in the latter reign of Herod the Great. Herod died in 4 BC. The 'Star of Bethlehem' was not an astronomical or cosmological event. Joseph (Jesus' father) formed an alliance with Theudas, head of the Therapeutes. The 2 in warrior mode gave themselves titles taken from an OT verse. Joseph was the 'Star' (of David) & Theudas was the 'Scepter'. The West Manasseh Magi were a priestly caste of Samaritan philosophers founded in 44BC by Menahem and later led by Simon Zelotes. The Magians were Joseph's political associates. When they 'followed the star', they were agreeing with Joseph that a new Davidic king (Jesus) had been born. Because they recognized him as king, they were accepting him as legitimate.
*Was the Star in the east a company of brightly shinning angels?*
*Bible Symbology*
*Star = Angel*
*....The seven stars are the angels* of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
*-Revelation 1:20*
The eastern star was a company of angels that only appeared to the wise men. If it were a fixed star or a planet it would have been known to astronomers, kings, priests, scribes, shepherds and common folk alike.
*Matthew 2:1, 2* -tells us that it led the wise men first to Jerusalem and then disappeared without anyone else seeing it. Then as the wise men departed for Bethlehem it reappears and leads them to the manger. (Verses 9,10). No one in Jerusalem seen the star reappear over Bethlehem when the wise men left or Herod would have followed it for himself and found Christ.
Angels can appear, dissappear and then reappear, fixed stars and planets cannot, nor do they hover low directly over a city (Jerusalem) and then reappear over a manger. They can show forth their glory and lead the wise men directly to the manger and yet be invisible to everyone else.
Makes one pause and muse the reasoning of a star or an angel being interchangeable on the top of a Christmas tree now, does it not?
*Chapter 6-"We have Seen His Star”*
This chapter is based on Matthew 2
*“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.”*
DA 59.1
The wise men from the East were philosophers. They belonged to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth, and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. Among these were many who imposed on the credulity of the people. Others were upright men who studied the indications of Providence in nature, and who were honored for their integrity and wisdom. Of this character were the wise men who came to Jesus.
DA 59.2
The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism. As these magi studied the starry heavens, and sought to fathom the mystery hidden in their bright paths, they beheld the glory of the Creator. Seeking clearer knowledge, they turned to the Hebrew Scriptures. In their own land were treasured prophetic writings that predicted the coming of a divine teacher. Balaam belonged to the magicians, though at one time a prophet of God; by the Holy Spirit he had foretold the prosperity of Israel and the appearing of the Messiah; and his prophecies had been handed down by tradition from century to century. But in the Old Testament the Saviour’s advent was more clearly revealed. The magi learned with joy that His coming was near, and that the whole world was to be filled with a knowledge of the glory of the Lord.
DA 59.3
The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that night when the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem. As the light faded, a luminous star appeared, and lingered in the sky. *It was not a fixed star nor a planet, and the phenomenon excited the keenest interest. That star was a distant company of shining angels,* but of this the wise men were ignorant. Yet they were impressed that the star was of special import to them. They consulted priests and philosophers, and searched the scrolls of the ancient records. The prophecy of Balaam had declared, *“There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Numbers **24:17**.* Could this strange star have been sent as a harbinger of the Promised One? The magi had welcomed the light of heaven-sent truth; now it was shed upon them in brighter rays. Through dreams they were instructed to go in search of the newborn Prince.
DA 60.1
As by faith Abraham went forth at the call of God, *“not knowing whither he went”*
*(Hebrews 11:8);* as by faith Israel followed the pillar of cloud to the Promised Land, so did these Gentiles go forth to find the promised Saviour. The Eastern country abounded in precious things, and the magi did not set out empty-handed. It was the custom to offer presents as an act of homage to princes or other personages of rank, and the richest gifts the land afforded were borne as an offering to Him in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. It was necessary to journey by night in order to keep the star in view; but the travelers beguiled the hours by repeating traditional sayings and prophetic utterances concerning the One they sought. At every pause for rest they searched the prophecies; and the conviction deepened that they were divinely guided. While they had the star before them as an outward sign, they had also the inward evidence of the Holy Spirit, which was impressing their hearts, and inspiring them with hope. The journey, though long, was a happy one to them.
DA 60.2
They have reached the land of Israel, and are descending the Mount of Olives, with Jerusalem in sight, when, lo, the star that has guided them all the weary way rests above the temple, and after a season fades from their view. With eager steps they press onward, confidently expecting the Messiah’s birth to be the joyful burden of every tongue. But their inquiries are in vain. Entering the holy city, they repair to the temple. To their amazement they find none who seem to have a knowledge of the newborn king. Their questions call forth no expressions of joy, but rather of surprise and fear, not unmingled with contempt.
DA 60.3
The priests are rehearsing traditions. They extol their religion and their own piety, while they denounce the Greeks and Romans as heathen, and sinners above others. The wise men are not idolaters, and in the sight of God they stand far higher than do these, His professed worshipers; yet they are looked upon by the Jews as heathen. Even among the appointed guardians of the Holy Oracles their eager questionings touch no chord of sympathy.
DA 61.1
The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem. Their strange errand created an excitement among the people, which penetrated to the palace of King Herod. The wily Edomite was aroused at the intimation of a possible rival. Countless murders had stained his pathway to the throne. Being of alien blood, he was hated by the people over whom he ruled. His only security was the favor of Rome. But this new Prince had a higher claim. He was born to the kingdom.
DA 61.2
Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite a popular tumult and unseat him from the throne. He concealed his mistrust, however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior cunning. Summoning the chief priests and the scribes, he questioned them as to the teaching of their sacred books in regard to the place of the Messiah’s birth.
DA 61.3
This inquiry from the usurper of the throne, and made at the request of strangers, stung the pride of the Jewish teachers. The indifference with which they turned to the rolls of prophecy enraged the jealous tyrant. He thought them trying to conceal their knowledge of the matter. With an authority they dared not disregard, he commanded them to make close search, and to declare the birthplace of their expected King. *“And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,*
DA 62.1
*“And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,*
*Art in nowise least among the princes of Judah:*
*For out of thee shall come forth a governor,*
*Which shall be shepherd of My people Israel.”*
R.V.
DA 62.2
Herod now invited the magi to a private interview. A tempest of wrath and fear was raging in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior, and received the strangers courteously. He inquired at what time the star had appeared, and professed to hail with joy the intimation of the birth of Christ. He bade his visitors, *“Search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also.”* So saying, he dismissed them to go on their way to Bethlehem.
DA 62.3
The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels’ visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of their notice. They themselves might have found Jesus, and might have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace; but instead of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah. *“Where is He that is born King of the Jews?”* they said; *“for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.”*
DA 62.4
Now pride and envy closed the door against the light. If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It could not be, they said, that God had passed them by, to communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles. They determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so. And they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis. From this point their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Saviour. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves.
DA 62.5
The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem. The shadows of night were falling as they left the gates, but to their great joy they again saw the star, and were directed to Bethlehem. They had received no such intimation of the lowly estate of Jesus as was given to the shepherds. After the long journey they had been disappointed by the indifference of the Jewish leaders, and had left Jerusalem less confident than when they entered the city. At Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn King. None of the world’s honored men were in attendance. Jesus was cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were His only guardians. Could this be He of whom it was written, that He should *“raise up the tribes of Jacob,”* and *“restore the preserved of Israel;”* that He should be *“a light to the Gentiles,”* and for *“salvation unto the end of the earth”? Isaiah 49:6*
DA 63.1
*“When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.”* Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus, they recognized the presence of Divinity. They gave their hearts to Him as their Saviour, and then poured out their gifts, *-“gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”* What a faith was theirs! It might have been said of the wise men from the East, as afterward of the Roman centurion, *“I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”*
*Matthew 8:10*
DA 63.2
The wise men had not penetrated Herod’s design toward Jesus. When the object of their journey was accomplished, they prepared to return to Jerusalem, intending to acquaint him with their success. But in a dream they received a divine message to hold no further communication with him. Avoiding Jerusalem, they set out for their own country by another route.
DA 64.1
In like manner Joseph received warning to flee into Egypt with Mary and the child. And the angel said, *“Be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.”* Joseph obeyed without delay, setting out on the journey by night for greater security.
DA 64.2
Through the wise men, God had called the attention of the Jewish nation to the birth of His Son. Their inquiries in Jerusalem, the popular interest excited, and even the jealousy of Herod, which compelled the attention of the priests and rabbis, directed minds to the prophecies concerning the Messiah, and to the great event that had just taken place.
DA 64.3
Satan was bent on shutting out the divine light from the world, and he used his utmost cunning to destroy the Saviour. But He who never slumbers nor sleeps was watching over His beloved Son. He who had rained manna from heaven for Israel and had fed Elijah in the time of famine provided in a heathen land a refuge for Mary and the child Jesus. And through the gifts of the magi from a heathen country, the Lord supplied the means for the journey into Egypt and the sojourn in a land of strangers.
DA 65.1
The magi had been among the first to welcome the Redeemer. Their gift was the first that was laid at His feet. And through that gift, what privilege of ministry was theirs! The offering from the heart that loves, God delights to honor, giving it highest efficiency in service for Him. If we have given our hearts to Jesus, we also shall bring our gifts to Him. Our gold and silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest mental and spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us.
DA 65.2
Herod in Jerusalem impatiently awaited the return of the wise men. As time passed, and they did not appear, his suspicions were roused. The unwillingness of the rabbis to point out the Messiah’s birthplace seemed to indicate that they had penetrated his design, and that the magi had purposely avoided him. He was maddened at the thought. Craft had failed, but there was left the resort to force. He would make an example of this child-king. Those haughty Jews should see what they might expect in their attempts to place a monarch on the throne.
DA 65.3
Soldiers were at once sent to Bethlehem, with orders to put to death all the children of two years and under. The quiet homes of the city of David witnessed those scenes of horror that, six hundred years before, had been opened to the prophet. *“In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.”*
DA 65.4
This calamity the Jews had brought upon themselves. If they had been walking in faithfulness and humility before God, He would in a signal manner have made the wrath of the king harmless to them. But they had separated themselves from God by their sins, and had rejected the Holy Spirit, which was their only shield. They had not studied the Scriptures with a desire to conform to the will of God. They had searched for prophecies which could be interpreted to exalt themselves, and to show how God despised all other nations. It was their proud boast that the Messiah was to come as a king, conquering His enemies, and treading down the heathen in His wrath. Thus they had excited the hatred of their rulers. Through their misrepresentation of Christ’s mission, Satan had purposed to compass the destruction of the Saviour; but instead of this, it returned upon their own heads.
DA 65.5
This act of cruelty was one of the last that darkened the reign of Herod. Soon after the slaughter of the innocents, he was himself compelled to yield to that doom which none can turn aside. He died a fearful death.
DA 66.1
Joseph, who was still in Egypt, was now bidden by an angel of God to return to the land of Israel. Regarding Jesus as the heir of David’s throne, Joseph desired to make his home in Bethlehem; but learning that Archelaus reigned in Judea in his father’s stead, he feared that the father’s designs against Christ might be carried out by the son. Of all the sons of Herod, Archelaus most resembled him in character. Already his succession to the government had been marked by a tumult in Jerusalem, and the slaughter of thousands of Jews by the Roman guards.
DA 66.2
Again Joseph was directed to a place of safety. He returned to Nazareth, his former home, and here for nearly thirty years Jesus dwelt, *“that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.”* Galilee was under the control of a son of Herod, but it had a much larger admixture of foreign inhabitants than Judea. Thus there was less interest in matters relating especially to the Jews, and the claims of Jesus would be less likely to excite the jealousy of those in power.
DA 66.3
Such was the Saviour’s reception when He came to the earth. There seemed to be no place of rest or safety for the infant Redeemer. God could not trust His beloved Son with men, even while carrying forward His work for their salvation. He commissioned angels to attend Jesus and protect Him till He should accomplish His mission on earth, and die by the hands of those whom He came to save.
DA 67.1
The easiest, most provable, and repeated event in the bible is wormwood. It is our binary star. Upon approaching the sun would shine on all sides as it passed earth on its orbit around our main star.
The Birth of Jesus
All that night Mary was restless so that neither of them slept much. By the break of day the pangs of childbirth were well in evidence, and at noon, August 21, 7 B.C., with the help and kind ministrations of women fellow travelers, Mary was delivered of a male child. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the world, was wrapped in the clothes which Mary had brought along for such a possible contingency, and laid in a near-by manger.
In just the same manner as all babies before that day and since have come into the world, the promised child was born; and on the eighth day, according to the Jewish practice, he was circumcised and formally named Joshua (Jesus).
The next day after the birth of Jesus, Joseph made his enrollment. Meeting a man they had talked with two nights previously at Jericho, Joseph was taken by him to a well-to-do friend who had a room at the inn, and who said he would gladly exchange quarters with the Nazareth couple. That afternoon they moved up to the inn, where they lived for almost three weeks until they found lodgings in the home of a distant relative of Joseph.
The second day after the birth of Jesus, Mary sent word to Elizabeth that her child had come and received word in return inviting Joseph up to Jerusalem to talk over all their affairs with Zacharias. The following week Joseph went to Jerusalem to confer with Zacharias. Both Zacharias and Elizabeth had become possessed with the sincere conviction that Jesus was indeed to become the Jewish deliverer, the Messiah, and that their son John was to be his chief of aides, his right-hand man of destiny. And since Mary held these same ideas, it was not difficult to prevail upon Joseph to remain in Bethlehem, the City of David, so that Jesus might grow up to become the successor of David on the throne of all Israel. Accordingly, they remained in Bethlehem more than a year, Joseph meantime working some at his carpenter’s trade.
At the noontide birth of Jesus the seraphim of Urantia, assembled under their directors, did sing anthems of glory over the Bethlehem manger, but these utterances of praise were not heard by human ears. No shepherds nor any other mortal creatures came to pay homage to the babe of Bethlehem until the day of the arrival of certain priests from Ur, who were sent down from Jerusalem by Zacharias.
These priests from Mesopotamia had been told sometime before by a strange religious teacher of their country that he had had a dream in which he was informed that “the light of life” was about to appear on earth as a babe and among the Jews. And thither went these three teachers looking for this “light of life.” After many weeks of futile search in Jerusalem, they were about to return to Ur when Zacharias met them and disclosed his belief that Jesus was the object of their quest and sent them on to Bethlehem, where they found the babe and left their gifts with Mary, his earth mother. The babe was almost three weeks old at the time of their visit.
These wise men saw no star to guide them to Bethlehem. The beautiful legend of the star of Bethlehem originated in this way: Jesus was born August 21 at noon, 7 B.C. On May 29, 7 B.C., there occurred an extraordinary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces. And it is a remarkable astronomic fact that similar conjunctions occurred on September 29 and December 5 of the same year. Upon the basis of these extraordinary but wholly natural events the well-meaning zealots of the succeeding generation constructed the appealing legend of the star of Bethlehem and the adoring Magi led thereby to the manger, where they beheld and worshiped the newborn babe. Oriental and near-Oriental minds delight in fairy stories, and they are continually spinning such beautiful myths about the lives of their religious leaders and political heroes. In the absence of printing, when most human knowledge was passed by word of mouth from one generation to another, it was very easy for myths to become traditions and for traditions eventually to become accepted as facts. Ref. The Urantia Book