The answer to this question has to be “a miracle” since there are a great many variables to say with any sort of certainty that it was any particular stellar event. It appeared in the east: if Persia is meant then it is perhaps a two year journey to find Bethlehem.
It is possible that this simply means, as astrologers, they read the signs and determined that the birth of the messiah was near. “We read his horoscope” sounds far less Christmas-y, but that may be in fact what Matthew meant.
Other things besides stars could be considered as omens and portents. Comets and meteors were always considered signs, it is possible that one of these appears at the right time and made the Magi think that Messiah had been born. In addition, the star guides the Magi to the house, this is unlikely to be a comet, meteor, conjunction, etc.
Why would a star be the sign that the Messiah was born? Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17 describes a king who will rise from Israel who will rule over the nations:
Numbers 24:17 (ESV) I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
While it is difficult to state for certain that this “star” in Numbers was the star in Matthew 2, the connection of a celestial sign with the birth of a great king is a well-known feature of Ancient culture. If Jesus was the Messiah, his birth would have been accompanied with signs and great men (like the magi) would observe and understand the importance of the birth.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Hello,
I wrote a piece recently about the Magi following the star. Stars as stellar bodies are always perfectly place in the heavens. On the other hand, angels are called stars in the Bible. An angel could lead the Magi to the house of the Messiah and not be recognized as an angel.
As stated in the post, it is most reasonable to say that the star in Matthew was simply a “miracle”. Determining what the exact star was, or whether or not it was an actual star seems pretty impractical. In Matthew 2:2, there is no name given to this “star” and it is just called “his star” by the magi. In Matthew 2:9, the star appears to the wisemen, then goes ahead of them, and finally stops over where Jesus was born. This verse shows that the star was basically moving before their eyes, and leading them where to go. Obviously this is no normal star, this was something special that was made by God in order to direct the wisemen. I think it is important to note that this “star” was most likely only visible to the wisemen as well, or else I am sure this would have also drawn other people in, and the Bible never mentions others seeing it. Miracles and signs can come in many different forms, and it is very possible that this could have come in the image of a star for the wisemen. What this “star” really was is not really important I think, but what it did and the role it played is what is important.
While the star of Bethlehem was undoubtedly a miracle, I think I would also follow the line of thought that the wise men were astrologers that “read the signs and determined that the birth of the messiah was near” (Long). Yes, it is not very “Christmas-y”, but to be honest there is probably a lot in our traditional Christmas that would not match up with the true story. Stars can be used in the recognition of the passing of time. For example, every year on the days surrounding my birthday the Perseid meteor shower appears. For someone who studies the stars, the Perseid meteor shower will announce the arrival of August 12, no questions asked. This could explain just why the magi were aware of what this new star could be announcing and why they might be looking for a star to lead them to the Messiah. “The magi were probably Persian or Arabian astrologers who charted the stars and attached religious significance to their movements” (Strauss 506). Would they have known about Daniel’s prophecy of the coming Anointed One (Daniel 9:25-27) and realized the years were matching up to the prophecy? Not only would they have noticed a new star in the sky, but as Strauss says, “it was widely believed in the ancient world that the stars heralded the birth of great people” (506). This would give further evidence as to why they would have taken special notice of this appearance.
Derrick, while we cannot clearly know who could or could not see the star, I would probably lean towards the thought that the star was not something only the magi could see. If I were to look at the sky tonight, I would have no idea if there was a new star that had just appeared because I do not have a detailed knowledge of the night sky. However, for someone who spends their life studying the stars, a new appearance would seem to be immediately obvious. So, the star could in fact have been right above Bethlehem without anyone else having an awareness of its appearance. I guess this is another question we can ask when we get to Heaven!
It is interesting to consider the reason why the star that appeared over Bethlehem was a sign to the Persian or Arabian astrologers that the messiah was going to be born, and equally as intriguing- Why were they so moved by this that they left their homeland to go find Jesus? Strauss talks about how the wise men of Jesus’ time often charted the stars and thought that the sky showed signs of what was to come. They were obviously very well versed in the happenings of astrology. Even though it was normal for the wise men to “attach religious significance” to the changes in the stars I wonder if there was any other event where the wise men were so moved by what they saw that they left their land (Strauss, pg. 345, 2007). In the book Strauss also considered how the trip that the wise men took could have been up to a two years journey. This is possible because of Matthew 2:6 and how it makes it clear that Herod sent a decree to kill all of the children two years and younger, which would be “indicating that Jesus may have been as old as two” by the time the wise men arrived (Matthew 2:6) (Strauss, pg. 345, 2007). Strauss did not talk about if it was normal for wise men to travel when they perceived that a big event was going to happen or a powerful ruler was going to come. The fact that the men were so moved that they left their homes behind and embarked on a long journey just to bring Jesus, this messiah they had never seen or met, such expensive and meaningful gifts I believe is just as much of a mystery or miracle as the star itself.
The rumor or question of the star being a comet or meteor is another example of non-believers trying to give a logical answer to a biblical event. Comets usually are moving through the sky. However, there is not reference in the Bible of the star physically moving. While the star in Matthew 2 might not have been a comet, it is certain that it was a sign from God. Matthew 2:2 says, “and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” They follow the star to the place where Jesus was born. Some could suggest that they “accidentally” stumbled upon Jesus. However, I believe that God placed that star in the sky to guide them to Jesus. I believe it is also possible Numbers 24:17 is referring to the future of Jesus being born. Perhaps the Magi was familiar with this passage and instantly knew what had happened once he saw the star. It is clear he had some information about the coming Messiah. Strauss says, “It was widely believed in the ancient world that stars heralded the birth of great people” (Strauss, 506). Therefore, perhaps this belief is why the Magi thought to follow the star. Because it was a sign something great was happening.
Strauss, Mark L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels, Zondervan
Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, 2020
The event of the star that was seen when the three “wise men” or magi were traveling is an interesting event to analyze. Thinking about the situation logically, the star had to be unique – brighter, bigger, more noticeable – compared to other stars surrounding it. From an astrological standpoint it can be easy to come to the conclusion that it was either a meteorite or asteroid – a sign to the magi that Dr. Long explains can be seen as a miraculous event happening. Strauss furthers Dr. Long’s explanation by saying, “This latter event is intriguing since Pisces was sometimes associated with the Hebrews and with the end times, Saturn with the Syria-Palestinian region, and Jupiter with a world ruler. This could explain why the magi came to Israel looking for a king.” (Strauss 334). I have not considered in the past what the star could actually be logically, as I didn’t think it was very significant. However, the star obviously is significant as it led the magi to the place of Jesus, fulfilling a prophecy in the Old Testament. Knowing that the OT prophecies are becoming fulfilled, we as Christians have a greater hope in the fact that we know we will be saved and spend eternity in heaven through Jesus.
This is a question that I have ALWAYS had as long as I’ve known the story of Christ. I have always thought it was just a really bright star but that it has to be there for a reason at that exact time of the year. The fact that there is a connection between Numbers and the celestial sign of Christs birth that is the star. According to prophecy the star and the Magi make sense to fulfill all that the Messiah birth needs. I agree with what some of the other people have said that the star itself is not what’s important, the role in which it played is what is the really important piece. I find it interesting that it is never really explained what really it was other than “his star” like in Matthew 2:2. It leaves open a lot of interpretation and question as to if it was really like the childhood stories, a glowing light in the sky, or if it was something completely different.
It is hard to know if it was a physical star or if it was something in the sky that was out of the ordinary. Strauss writes, “it was widely believed that the stars heralded the birth of great people.” Many people at the time had this belief. My thought is God uses this idea to help the magi find the birthplace of Jesus. It would be interesting if the star in numbers 24:17 was the same star in the gospel of Matthew. I never made this connection until reading this post. Honestly that was a story that I forgot about.
Near the time of Jesus’ birth, “wise men from the east” appeared in Jerusalem inquiring, “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.” (Matthew 2:1–2 ESV). What exactly was this star? Matthew tells us that it “went before” the magi, and that “it came to rest over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:9). This is surely strange behavior for a star. Over the centuries commentators have suggested that this star was a planetary conjunction, a comet, or a supernova. What is more likely is the conception of ancient astrological phenomena. This star would have, logically and positionally speaking, been bigger and brighter than any around it, pointing back to Jesus Himself. It was widely believed in the ancient world that the stars heralded the birth of great people. The Roman historians Suetonius and Tacitus even “speak of an expectation that a world ruler would come from Judea” (Strauss, 2020). Nicholl, in The Great Christ Comet, argues the star of Bethlehem to be a natural phenomenon—what scientists call a “great comet”—that appeared at the time of Jesus’ birth. These are comets that appear and reappear, orbiting over long periods of time.
Long (2017) considers other astronomical objects to have been omens in the ancient world, “Comets and meteors were always considered signs, it is possible that one of these appears at the right time and made the Magi think that Messiah had been born.” This occurrence was well-known in Mediterranean culture and widely recognized by “great men” who would have been able to interpret the sign. Some believe Numbers 24:17 to contain an interpretive clue, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.” Bringing it to our world, Americans still read horoscopes. Many Americans cannot begin to name the twelve tribes of Israel but they can certainly tell whether they are a Leo, a Pisces, or an Aquarius. In Babylonian culture, those called Magi were serious students of the stars, students of astronomy and astrology. From anecdotal evidence, the studious reader of the Bible knows that after the Babylonian captivity still existed a large community of Jews present in Babylon (Strauss, 2020). Perhaps due to this, when the magi saw this astronomical phenomenon, they reasoned that a king would be born in Israel. Regardless of individual beliefs, it is evident that God had preordained the star of Bethlehem to appear at this time to indicate that Christ had been born, just as He had ordered history to lead up to this point.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that the star was a comet or a meteor. If anything, I’ve grown up thinking the star was more like the north star or the “second star to the right” because if you follow it you find something miraculous. However, I’ve always been curious that in Matthew 2:2 it’s never really explained what really it was other than “his star”. So I think that’s why I never really looked much into what the star really was. Strauss mentions that the star prophesied the Birth of an important person being Jesus. “This could explain why the magi came to Israel looking for a king.” (Strauss 334). Matthew 2:2 states “We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” I believe that the three wise men knew about what these stars signified and therefore followed the star because they knew something or someone important was coming. Miracles and signs can come in many different forms, and it is very possible that this could have come in the image of a star for the wisemen. However, I think it’s also interesting to think about who could see the star. The Bible never mentions anyone else following the star except for the wise men. Could it be that they were the only three who could see the star?
The star that is found in Matthew 2 is an example of much symbolism that is found throughout the Bible. The star represents the messiah in who was Jesus. The star could be seen above Jesus by the wisemen and Herod. This star is the first of many miracles that only Jesus could perform which can be found throughout the New Testament.