Merry Christmas!
Is the Star of Bethlehem fact or fiction?
Pastor Terry Dashner (www.ffcba.com)
"...We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him"
(Matthew 2:1) NIV.
Introduction... Through the years there has been much
controversy regarding the Star of Bethlehem. Some say that the
story recorded in the book of Matthew (chapter 2) is nothing
more than an ancient fable. Some say it was not a star but a
comet or a super nova that occurred at the birth of Jesus.
Others deny it all together. But, what do you think about the
Star of Bethlehem?
Excuse the pun but light still shines on the Star of Bethlehem
according to astronomers like Dr. Michael Molnar. Dr. Michael
Molnar, an astronomer who holds a PhD from the University of
Wisconsin and author of the book entitled, The Star of
Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, says that the Star of
Bethlehem directed the Magi from the region of Mesopotamia in
modern day Iraq to the land of Israel during the time of Christ.
Today I'd like to share some of his findings. It might surprise
you what he has discovered about the Star of Bethlehem. I
believe you will walk away from hearing this message in awe as
to God's message written with the stars. It seems that God
wanted to announce to the world the arrival of His new-baby boy
2000 years ago, and He used the stars to do it. God can do
things like that. Psalm 8:3 reads, "When I consider your
heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which
you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?" (NIV) Yes, the heavens
declare the glory of God!
So let's begin by looking back 2000 years to the town of
Bethlehem where the baby Jesus was born.
Bethlehem... The Bible scholar William Barclay tells us that
Bethlehem was quite a little town six miles to the south of
Jerusalem. "The name Bethlehem means The House of Bread, and
Bethlehem stood in a fertile countryside, which made its name a
fitting name. [...]Bethlehem had a long history. It was there
that Jacob had buried Rachel, and had set up a pillar of memory
beside her grave (Genesis 48:7; 35:20). It was there that Ruth
had lived when she married Boaz (Ruth 1:22), and from Bethlehem
Ruth could see the land of Moab, her native land, across the
Jordan valley. But above all Bethlehem was the home and the city
of David (I Samuel 16:1); and it was for the water of the well
of Bethlehem that David longed when he was a hunted fugitive
upon the hills (II Samuel 23:14, 15)."
Barclay continues to write, "It was in Bethlehem, David's city
that the Jews expected great David's greater son to be born; it
was there that they expected God's Anointed One to come into the
world. And it was so." Micah 5:2 reads, "O Bethlehem Ephratah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall
come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin
is from old, from ancient days."
The Magi... The Bible says that the Magi came from the east to
find the baby. What was that all about? Again Barclay writes,
"These Magi were men who were skilled in philosophy, medicine
and natural science. They were soothsayers and interpreters of
dreams. In later time the word Magus developed a much lower
meaning, and came to mean little more than a fortune-teller, a
sorcerer, a magician, and a charlatan. Such was Elymas, the
sorcerer (Acts 13: 6, 8) and Simon who is commonly called Simon
Magus (Acts 8:9, 11). But at their best the Magi were good and
holy men, who sought for truth.
"In those ancient days all men believed in astrology. They
believed that they could foretell the future from the stars, and
they believed that a man's destiny was settled by the star under
which he was born."
Dr. Michael Molnar... This is where Dr. Molnar's book comes in
handy. According to most historians, king Herod died in 4 B.C.
If Jesus is alive before Herod died in 4 B.C. and He was, then
our Gregorian calendar is off a few years. (Dionysius was a
Catholic monk in the sixth century A.D. who invented the western
calendar we use today.) So based on the Biblical account of
Herod being alive when Jesus was born, we must conclude that
Jesus was not born in 0 A.D. So what gives?
Again according to Dr. Molnar, "On April 17, 6 BC two years
before King Herod died Jupiter emerged in the east as a morning
star in the sign of the Jews, Aries the Ram. The account in
Matthew refers twice to the Star being in the east with good
reasons. When the royal star of Zeus, the planet Jupiter, was in
the east this was the most powerful time to confer kingships.
Furthermore, the Sun was in Aries where it is exalted. And the
Moon was in very close conjunction with Jupiter in Aries. Modern
calculations suggest that this was close enough to be an
[eclipse]. But the Sun's glare would have hidden that event.
Saturn was also present which meant that the three rulers of
Aries' trine (Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn) were present in Aries.
Saturn and Jupiter were said to be attendants on the rising Sun,
another aspect for astrologers. By modern expectations this is
trivial, but for ancient stargazers this configuration was truly
awesome."
Molnar continues, "The lunar occultation [eclipse] of Jupiter on
April 17, 6 BC was just one of several astrological conditions
pointing to a king's birth. The greatness of a ruler or king was
said to depend on the number of regal astrological effects at
the time of birth. This distinguished, say, a low level governor
from an emperor. Knowing that lunar conjunctions (close
approaches) with Jupiter were one condition for a king's birth,
I looked for the closest conjunctions, namely occultation's in
the time frame biblical scholars claim as likely for the birth
of Jesus. I quickly focused on the occultation of April 17, 6 BC
after realizing that Jupiter was also 'in the east' in Aries.
'In the east' is mentioned twice by Matthew because astrologers
such as the Magi said this was the most important time for
Jupiter to produce future kings. Moreover, the Moon's incredible
nearness to Jupiter amplified that power. Keep in mind that
astrologers of Romans times were making crude calculation of
planetary positions to create horoscopes, but when these were
likely. But keep in mind that the occultation was the key to
finding this incredible day which has many important conditions
pointing to the birth of not just the king, but a great king in
Judea.
Word of application... What does this study say to us? It says
this. Before the earth was framed, God had in mind how He would
announce His only begotten Son to the world. When He made the
earth, He made the fixed orbits for the stars to follow
throughout time. In His wisdom, He designated a fixed time that
His Son would be born, and He announced it with the stars of
heaven.
This was no ordinary baby born in Bethlehem of Judea. He is the
Son of the Living God. God loved this world so much that He sent
His only-begotten Son. And whoever believes on Him--that He is
indeed the Son of God--shall have everlasting life. If God can
direct the stars to speak for Him, surely He has no problem
getting a message of good news to you and me--Jesus is come to
free the world from her sin. This is the "merry" in Merry
Christmas!
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming again as the
Lion of the tribe of Judah...are you ready for Him?
Pastor T.