Reasons To Believe - Spokane Chapter

November 2005 Newsletter

Table of Contents:

Chapter Meeting: Sunday November 20, 3-5 PM.

A presentation is offered to the group, followed by discussion and questions, and we conclude with snacks and a little club business.

  • Date: November 20, 2005 (Sunday)
  • Time: 3 - 5 P.M.
  • Hosts: Dan and Cathy Bakken
  • Location: 13003 N. Miami Ct, Mead
  • Phone: 466-2693 (for directions, etc.)

The Magi and the Star

Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in a longer form in our January, 2003 newsletter. Merry Christmas!

Who were the magi who followed a star to Bethlehem when Christ was born? Did they really follow a star, and why? These are common questions at this time of year. In most common English-language bibles, the magi are called ‘wise men’, ‘magi’, or ‘astrologers’. Magi are defined in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon as: ‘oriental scientists, wise men, astrologers or seers’. The magi were associated with the courts of the Neo-Babylonian kings (625-585BC) and the following Persian (550-330 BC) and Parthian (250 BC to AD 225) dynasties. In Parthian times the magi helped run the country, and were part of the Zoroastrian religion.

DANIEL AND THE WISE MEN?

In 587 BC, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon conquered Judah, and took some of its young people to be trained “to enter the king's service.” (Daniel 1.)

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had troubled dreams. Daniel was able to tell the king his dream and interpret it. Then Nebuchadnezzar “made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.” The word for ‘wise man’ in Daniel 2 means “to be wise in mind, word or act, teach wisdom, etc. I.e. a magian – wise.” (Eerdman’s Analytical Concordance.) So Daniel was one of the magi. Daniel became the highest of the wise men- he became the ‘Prime Minister’ of Babylonia. In fact, Daniel was the Prime Minister for the Persians after they conquered Babylonia – he was a leader in two warring empires’ governments!

THE MAGI AND ASTRONOMY

One of the tasks of the magi was astronomy. Marking the signs and seasons via the night sky was the most accurate way ancient peoples had to mark time. The magi watched the sky intently, and recorded what they saw.

Archaeologists have found centuries of continuously observed occurrences in the sky recorded by the magi. They eventually were able to predict eclipses and other astronomical events. The skies were also thought to hold signs as to important events, not just to the Magi, but most peoples of the world at that time.

DANIEL PREDICTS THE MESSIAH

The magi had at least one book of the Bible - Daniel. His book would have been preserved and studied, because of Daniel’s prestige. And Daniel predicts the time of the coming of the Messiah. “From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,' and sixty-two `sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.” Daniel 9: 25

“Seven sevens” and “sixty-two sevens” refers to blocks of seven years. They add up to 483 years between the issuance of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah. There were several decrees made about Jerusalem. The one that matches best is the decree by Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem in March or April, 444 BC.

There’s a twist in the date calculation: The calendar used by Daniel was a 360 day calendar. Taking this into account, plus the fact that the year 0 did not exist, we get a date of March 30, 33 AD. This is the date of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where he was proclaimed as the Messiah by the throng. Four days later, on April 3, he would be crucified.

So the magi were aware – as many Jews were also – that a king of Israel would appear some time before March of 33 AD. They watched for a sign to confirm the right time. This was one of their specialties. Many cultures of the time believed strongly that astronomical events verified that important events were taking place. As soon as they saw a sign, they took off to visit the new king, in the tradition of the times.

THE JOURNEY

The magi probably started out from one of the Parthian royal capitals in central Mesopotamia. They had between 700-900 miles to travel, depending on their route. If they rode hard without breaks, their journey would have taken between 30 and 40 days.

But if the magi showed up in Jerusalem within a couple of months, why would Herod order all the male children of Bethlehem under two years old to be killed? Perhaps the magi weren’t able to leave quickly. Politics may have come into play. Parthia and Rome had been at loggerheads for several decades at that time. Or Herod may have been “just making sure”. We know he was a ruthless man who killed many people.

Why did the magi go to Jerusalem? The Bethlehem prophecy is in Micah 5:2, and the Magi may not have had that book of the Bible. No other details about the Messiah are given in Daniel, which is why the Magi would have to inquire in the capital city once they got to Israel. A small group of foreigners wouldn’t make a stir in Jerusalem. Many now think there were several dozen magi to get Herod’s attention.

The magi got further directions from Herod. They were to go to Bethlehem. Herod asked them to return to tell him about the Messiah and where He was located. On the way to Bethlehem, which was 17 miles from Jerusalem, the star appeared again, as a confirming sign.

Bethlehem was full at the time of Jesus’ birth, because of the census. Afterwards, Bethlehem was again a small village. So when the wise men came, they would have had no problem finding Jesus. They presented Jesus with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Having been warned in a dream not to return through Jerusalem, the wise men left. This made Herod furious, and he killed all male children under two in Bethlehem, fulfilling biblical prophecy.

THE STAR

The Greek word for used for ‘star’ in Matthew 2 is ‘aster’. It is defined as: any kind of heavenly body shining forth light; star, comet, asteroid, meteor, etc. It would have been anything bright in the sky visible to the naked eye. Also, the star had to reappear again a relatively short time later, and be recognizable as the same event.

Skeptics question how a star can guide someone. However, a more literal translation of Matthew 2:9 is: The star which they saw in the east went before them until coming it stood over where the child was. The word ‘stood’ is the Greek word ‘histome’: to appoint, place, fix; to cause something or someone to keep its place. This definition shows that the star was probably not a moving object.

So the Star initially appeared in the east to the Magi, reappeared shortly after, and was recognized as the same star confirming their direction towards Bethlehem. A number of suggestions for the star have been made – a comet, a supernova, a recurring nova… but a planetary conjunction fits the story best. This occurs when two planets come close together. As the conjunction draws near, the planets come closer and closer each night, and then they move

apart again. Conjunctions can recur a few months later. Since the planets’ orbits are extremely stable, it is easy to look back in time and figure out where in the sky the planets were.

On June 17, 2BC a very dramatic conjunction between Jupiter and Venus occurred, so close that they appeared as one ‘star’ in the sky. Jupiter was seen as a royal star. This conjunction took place in the area of the sky where the constellation of Leo lies. Leo is called the King constellation. This is significant especially when the magi are expecting some kind of sign heralding the Messiah’s birth.
In late 3 BC to early 2 BC, Jupiter executed a retrograde loop just above Regulus, the brightest (Royal) star in Leo. This series started in the early morning skies, when the Magi made their first observations of objects emerging from the sun’s glare. This may be the birth date of Jesus. This likely prompted the Magi to leave for Israel, and its capitol, Jerusalem.

CONCLUSION

Can we prove this planetary event was the star of Bethlehem? No, but it fits the biblical and historical facts the best. We can at least show that Matthew’s account of the Magi and the star are credible. And we now have even more reasons to proclaim the Matthew account as a faithful record of the birth of Jesus.

Who We Are and What We Do: Your Local Reasons To Believe Chapter

We're here to answer your questions and help local Christians and churches get more answers about science and the bible issues.

  • We offer trained apologists and bring in national speakers to speak at local churches and other events to share these exciting discoveries.
  • We build alliances with churches, ministries, and groups to share the Reasons to Believe message.
  • We help Christians overcome their fear of science and equip them to use it as an effective tool in spreading the Gospel.
  • We reach out to skeptics and non-believers with gentleness and respect, encouraging them to evaluate their worldviews.

Contact Information:

For more information about the Reasons To Believe Spokane Chapter, contact:

  • Phone: Dan Bakken (509) 466-2693
  • Email:

  • Web Page: www.reasons.org/chapters/spokane

  • Newsletter Editor: Cathy Bakken, cgbakken@yahoo.com

Resources To Know About:

www.reasons.org: Many useful documents are available, as well as their daily new "reason to believe" from the latest scientific research.

Reasons' Web Store: Buy the books you read about here! http://store.reasons.org/

Reasons Institute: RTB's online distance learning program. Take college-level apologetics courses. Contact RTB for information at 626-335-1480.

Reasons To Believe television show: Thursday mornings, 3:00 A.M. Pacific time on TBN. An archive of recent shows is at www.reasons.org.

Creation Update Web Radio Show: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/creation_update/Archives.asp.