GOOD NEWS: THE STAR

THE GOOD NEWS IS POLITICAL.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS WAS POLITICAL.

A King is born!

Matthew 2:1–12 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

WHO ARE THE MAGI?

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? WHO ARE THESE “WISE MEN”? WHAT IS THE STAR?

WHY DID THEY THINK A KING WAS BORN? WHY DID THEY THINK HE WAS KING OF THE JEWS?

THE “WISE MEN” OR MAGI CAME FROM BABYLON. In the Greek text, the word μάγoς (pronounced magos) is used. In this book, they will be called magi in the plural and magus in the singular. This is the word used by Matthew in Matt. 2.[i]

[i] Kihlman, Dag. The Star of Bethlehem and Babylonian Astrology: Astronomy and Revelation Reveal What the Magi Saw (p. 1). Dag Kihlman Publish. Kindle Edition.

THEY WERE BABYLONIAN: In the 3rd century BC when Alexander the Great was battling Persia the Babylonians surrendered and offered up Babylon. He intended to make it his capital. After his death, which was predicted by the Babylonian Magi, the city declined.

In the 2nd century BC the Parthian empire ruled in Persia against the Romans.

THEY WERE DIVINERS: Divination in Mesopotamia was quite different from astrology as we know it today. Firstly, it had nothing to do with the situation at birth; secondly, it was not open to everyone. At that point in time, the main user of astrology was the highest king in Mesopotamia.[i]

[i] Kihlman, Dag. The Star of Bethlehem and Babylonian Astrology: Astronomy and Revelation Reveal What the Magi Saw (p. 30). Dag Kihlman Publish. Kindle Edition.

Astrology is primarily focused on the moment of a person’s birth. Which constellation was active, and how did the moon and the planets stand in relation to each other at that point? Based on such questions, a horoscope is worked out. The word “horoscope” consists of two words: horo, meaning “time”; and scope, meaning “what is seen”. Thus, a horoscope is what is seen at a given time. The position of the planets at birth is called a natal chart, and this is the scope of what can be seen at birth. Based on the natal chart, a horoscope for life can be written. It gives details about what a person is like, what his or her strengths and weaknesses are, what he or she might become and what he or she should avoid.[i]

[i] Kihlman, Dag. The Star of Bethlehem and Babylonian Astrology: Astronomy and Revelation Reveal What the Magi Saw (p. 29). Dag Kihlman Publish. Kindle Edition.

THEY KNEW THE SKY: In around 1000 BC, the Babylonians had eighteen star signs; that is, eighteen constellations along the ecliptic. They reduced the number of star signs to twelve in about 500 BC. These star signs are pretty much the same as our twelve star signs today. The other constellations are also often inherited from Babylonia. The exception is the Virgin, which was called The Furrow. On the other hand the constellation is connected to fertility in both cultures.[i]

[i] Kihlman, Dag. The Star of Bethlehem and Babylonian Astrology: Astronomy and Revelation Reveal What the Magi Saw (p. 25). Dag Kihlman Publish. Kindle Edition.

Everyone today knows the difference between a planet and a star, but for people in ancient times, this distinction was not as clear. The planets were seen as moving stars, for instance Venus, “the morning star”. The word “planet” is actually a Greek word meaning wanderer.[i]

[i] Kihlman, Dag. The Star of Bethlehem and Babylonian Astrology: Astronomy and Revelation Reveal What the Magi Saw (p. 13). Dag Kihlman Publish. Kindle Edition.

Ancient Mesopotamian documents are named after their first words. The divination manual begins with Enuma Anu Enlil …, which means When Anu [and] Enlil ….[26] The manual is very straightforward and simple to use. A condition is described, and a consequence predicted: If Jupiter passes at the head of Venus, Akkad will be conquered with a strong weapon.[i]

[i] Kihlman, Dag. The Star of Bethlehem and Babylonian Astrology: Astronomy and Revelation Reveal What the Magi Saw (p. 32). Dag Kihlman Publish. Kindle Edition.

WHAT DID THEY SEE?

In September of 3BC they witnessed Jupiter (the King planet) passing Regulus (the King star in Leo).

Then on June 17, 2BC Jupiter was in conjunction with Venus. This was exactly 9 months afterwards.

According to Enuma Anu Enlil this was a sign that the King of Akkad (Babylon) would die and an emissary must be sent to the enemy suing for peace. The conjunction took place in the West or Amurru which is a reference to the land of Israel.

the diviners came from Babylon in Mesopotamia (see Figure 1) and used the ancient Mesopotamian divination manual, Enuma Anu Enlil. They looked at the night sky in September in 3 BC and in June in 2 BC. They concluded that the gods had decided that the king of Parthia should die. Parthia occupied Babylonia at that time, and they believed that the new king would be a kind of new Alexander the Great. Like Alexander the Great, the new king would come from a small state and overthrow a considerably larger state. This new Alexander the Great would have been or would be born somewhere in Syria, Lebanon, Israel or Jordan. [i]

[i] Kihlman, Dag. The Star of Bethlehem and Babylonian Astrology: Astronomy and Revelation Reveal What the Magi Saw (pp. 7-8). Dag Kihlman Publish. Kindle Edition.

ISN’T DIVINATION FORBIDDEN?

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 ESV

9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, 14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.

SO WHAT’S GOING ON?

The Israelites were forbidden from divination because of it’s connection to foreign nations and their worship of false gods.

This does not mean that the stars were not a canvas for God.

Genesis 1:14 ESV

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,

Romans 10:11–18 ESV

11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

SO DID THE STAR REALLY SHOW THE BIRTH OF JESUS?

Revelation 12:1–5 ESV

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,

The woman is the constellation Virgo. There is a 20 day period each year where she is “clothed by the sun”. The sun is in the Virgo constellation with the moon under the feet of the woman for a roughly 90 minute period. When did this happen? September 11, 3 BC.

The crown is Leo and on September 11 Jupiter the King planet was passing Regules the King star in Leo.

The dragon: red color locates it in the southern sky. Possibly Hydra; immediately above are Corax (Raven) and Crater which have 7 and 10 stars respectively.

The child is Jesus in v. 5.

Psalm 2:7–9 ESV

7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

THE JEWISH CONTEXT

The date of Jesus’ birth in Revelation 12 is September 11, 3bc.

In the Jewish calendar this was Rosh ha-Shanah, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. It was Tishri 1, the Day of trumpets. (Look at Revelation 11:15-19 for even more connection)

Tishri 1 was the date considered by the ancient Jews to be the first day of creation. It was the day the ancient kings and rulers of Judah reckoned as thier inauguration day of rule.

Jesus being born on Tishri 1 is a sign that he is indeed the new Adam. He has come to redeem the 1st fall.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Tishri 1 was also considered to be the birth date of Noah. A Messiah born on Tishri 1 would also be the new Noah. He has come to redeem the 2nd fall.