The Star of Bethlehem

Who were the Wise Men (Magi), and why did they expect the birth of the King of the Jews at that time, and why were they looking for His Star? What was the Star of Bethlehem - a comet, supernova, conjunction of planets, or a manifestation of God’s Glory? If it was the Glory of God, what was its connection with the other manifestation of Glory at that time? How did the Magi know it was the Messiah's Star; what was so special about it? How did it fulfil Balaam’s Prophecy in perfect detail in Numbers 24:17? Derek looks first at the manifestation of God’s Glory to the Bethlehem Shepherds, when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8-18). They were special levitical Shepherds with a special role of looking after the Passover Lambs, destined to be sacrificed in the Temple, just 5 miles away. Likewise, Jesus was born to die for us as the sinless sacrificial Lamb of God, the ultimate Passover Lamb. By doing this, He become the Saviour of the world, for all who receive Him. So, it was appropriate for God to choose these Shepherds to witness the birth of His Passover Lamb, the One born to save us by His sacrificial death (1Cor 5:7). Then we look at Matthew 2: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, WISE MEN (Magi) from the East came to Jerusalem, saying: “Where is HE, who has been BORN King of the Jews? For we have seen HIS STAR in the East (literally: ‘in its RISING’) and have come to worship Him” (v1-2). The Magi were kingmakers, who confirmed, anointed and endorsed any new king. So, when God's King was born, it was only right these believing Magi from the nations were chosen to honour this new-born King. Whereas the Jewish Shepherds proclaimed the coming of the SAVIOUR of the world, the Gentile Magi proclaimed He was also the true KING of the nations. So, Jesus is both Saviour and King. How did the Magi know to look for Messiah’s Star to appear over Israel? When Daniel was exiled to Babylon, he was exalted to be chief over all the Magi of Babylon (Dan 2:48). He taught them the messianic prophecies including Numbers 24:17: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel”, and his prophecy of the 70 Weeks (Dan 9:24- 27), gives a 490-year Countdown to the Coming of the Jewish Messiah. A core of believing Magi, faithful disciples of Daniel, knew these prophecies, and so knew the timing for His Birth was drawing near, and so were on high alert, watching for the Sign of His Birth in the Heavens, a new STAR, corresponding to the description in Num 24:17. They saw His STAR arise on the same night as His Birth, heralding His arrival (Matt 2:7), and then it disappeared, until it reappeared 2-3 months later: “When they heard the king, they departed; and BEHOLD, the STAR which they had seen in its RISING (on the night of His Birth) WENT BEFORE THEM, until it came and STOOD OVER where the young CHILD was. When they saw the STAR, they rejoiced” (Matt 2:9-10). The Star of Bethlehem has no other explanation, but that it was a supernatural manifestation of God’s Glory. So, there were 2 manifestations of God’s GLORY at Christ's Birth: (1) The Jewish Shepherds saw His Glory and multitudes of angels, proclaiming His Birth as the Lamb of God, the SAVIOUR of the world, and (2) the Gentile Magi saw the rising of a new Star from Israel, proclaiming His Birth as the KING of the world. The manifestation of God’s Glory and the angelic host to the Shepherds was the very same manifestation of His Glory that the Magi saw in Babylon (the Star of Bethlehem), signifying that the same Jesus is Lord over both Jew and Gentile, and that the dual offices of Saviour and King are held by the same Person, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Both events must have happened at the same time, on the night of Christ's birth, as they both heralded His Birth. When God’s Glory appeared to the Shepherds, near Jerusalem: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the Glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9), this would have appeared to the Magi, watching from Babylon, like a bright Sceptre arising out from Israel, in the dark western skies, as Num 24:17 predicted. Then after delivering their message, the multitude of angels, surrounded by glory, did not just disappear, but visibly ascended higher & higher into the sky (Luke 2:15). To the watching Magi, this would have appeared like a bright new Star arising up out of Israel, just as Balaam had predicted for Messiah’s Star (Num 24:17). While all other stars move westwards in the sky, they saw His Star rising from Israel and going in the opposite direction, before disappearing. They realised this unique Star that they saw in its Rising had to be the prophesied Star announcing the Birth of the King of the Jews (Matt 2:2). Thus the 2 manifestations of God's Glory at Christ’s Birth were actually the same manifestation of His Glory, seen from 2 different viewpoints.