Posted on 12/25/2008 9:15:43 AM PST by CE2949BB
According to the Bible, when Jesus was born three Magi saw a star in the East that signaled the birth of a new king. But just what was it, from an astronomical point or view, that the Magi actually saw?
Fred Grosse, a professor of physics and astronomy at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa., says there are several popular theories that may answer this question.
(Excerpt) Read more at scientificblogging.com ...
I have my own explanation for the star over Bethlehem...GOD...no other explaination needed.
I have my own explanation for the star over Bethlehem...GOD...no other explaination needed.
I watched a special on cable . . . not sure which station . . . where they picked apart every little detail of Christ’s birthday, right down to the virgin birth and found it so amusing that secular humanists (atheists) could be so void of common sense and a warm heart to reject faith in Jesus Christ . . . If this would have happened then “that” could have happened . . . and on and on.
Heck, if frogs had wings, they wouldn’t bump their ass . . . so who gives a fig?
Get back to me when they’ve decided whether or not Pluto is a planet.
Pluto is a planet - plus it was discovered by Americans, so we need to make sure it keeps its planet designation.
Some think that these magi were the remnants of those who are left from the time of Daniel and had carried on what Daniel would have taught them at that time. Daniel was given knowledge of the future by prophecies that God gave him. We have those that are written down and they are accurate. Daniel could have also been given prophetic events that would have signaled the coming of the Messiah, and that this was the remnant from the time of Daniel, of those who were to “keep watch” for that coming time.
The magi were recognized and known as “king-makers” in that they often had a part in the recognition of new kings. When they would travel, they wouldn’t be a lonely and solitary group of guys traveling all alone out there. They would have traveled with an “army” or military garrison, having the full authority of the state.
Herod and Jerusalem were quite disturbed at their coming, because this could spell a lot of trouble for Israel. If another king was “to be made” (according to the magi, known as “king-makers”) — then Herod and those others in his employ and associated with Herod were in trouble. Their “status-quo” was threatened.
Herod received them because they were foreign emissaries from that adjoining country (but were not necessarily friends with Israel). This would have been a big delegation and a significant one — one big enough and important enough to be able to command an audience with King Herod.
So, Herod was very cautious about them and they were very cautious about Herod (and having been warned to not return to Herod). They also came long after Jesus was born. Jesus was in a residence by the time they arrived. And, the fact that Herod went to kill all newborns from two years and under tells us the maximum time period that they arrived, later...
These were all events that happened according to the plan of God and according to His wisdom in bringing Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, into the world for the salvation of mankind, all who accept Him as the Savior of the world...
Well, it's a dwarf planet anyway.
Thank you - I’ve always loved that story.
Hey, hey, we gotta be P.C. Its a little person planet. ;^)
Where in the Bible does it say THREE Magi saw the star?
http://www.geocities.com/rojodos/docs/9000000000.htm
I’ve seen that documentary, I think. It’s a gentleman giving the presentation, with the night sky behind him, right? He is able to backtrack using computer program that positions the stars/planets as they would have been on specific dates. Very interesting documentary. I’ve watched it with my kids, and they were actually interested in it...with no Disney script or pop star!
And, of course, the star witnessed was merely the result of an excess of swamp gas and mass hysteria.
Differently sized planet...
First the Magi were astrologers, Zoroastrians, from whence we obtain the term “Magician”.
But God had condemned such practices (Deut. 18:9-14) so these Magi were not serving God in their quest.
Next, how did God announce the birth of His son? Luke 2:8-14 says angels announced it to shepherds, telling where to find the infant and it was the shepherds, not the Magi astrologers, who saw the newborn Jesus.
Matt.2:11 says the astrologers only saw Jesus when in a house as much as a year later.
The Magi first came to Jerusalem and contacted Herod as the star they saw didn't lead them to Bethlehem at first.(Matt. 2:1).
It was Herod who gave them information about where to find Jesus and only then did the star lead them to Bethlehem.(Matt. 2:7-9)
Whose purpose was this so-called star serving? Herod's for the purpose of finding and destroying Jesus not God's.
The Magi were ready to return to Herod with the information they had gathered, (even if unwittingly), when now a divine dream warns them away from returning to Herod. And it was an angel, not some star that warned Joseph's family to flee to Egypt and tells them it is safe to return.
So who did this star serve? A murderous Herod and pagan astrologers.
What purpose did it serve? To lead Herod to Jesus, by way of the astrologers, so Herod could kill him.
Did God use this star to announce Jesus’ birth? No, He used angels and a divine dream to to give information to those He wanted informed.
From the Bible's account we can conclude that whatever this “star” was, it was not from God. Further we can see that it served Satan's purpose to have Herod kill the future messiah.
Herod had a choice when he heard about the Christ child.
He could have sought him out but he chose to kill him.
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