The Stars Cry Out
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world” (Psalms 19:1-4 NIV).
In this text, notice David’s use of verbs to describe how the heavens communicate to us. They proclaim. They pour forth speech. They display knowledge. They have a voice. If they are communicating so profusely what exactly are they saying?
There are many areas that we could consider in this study. However, we would like to focus our attention on the Star of Bethlehem which led the Magi to Jesus. In the book of Matthew we find eight facts regarding this star. To understand what the star really was, we must find an answer that conforms to all eight of these Biblical facts.
The first three facts are given in Matthew 2:2. After the Magi came to Israel they went before Herod and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” To these traveling men the star that they followed suggested three things – birth, kingship, and the Jewish nation.
A proper rendering of the Greek text gives us a further detail regarding the star. It should read, “We saw his star rising in the east.” Because of the earth’s rotation all visible stars, except polar stars, appear to rise in the east. This particular star then must rise in the east.
The Magi described their motive in coming to Jerusalem when they said, “we have come to worship him.” They came to worship a Jewish King. This may suggest that the wise men were of Jewish descent. We recall that not all Jews returned to Israel after the Babylonian captivity. That would explain why they would make the arduous journey of 700 miles on camel back to Jerusalem.
In contrast to the joy of the Magi, when Herod heard them “he was disturbed” (Matthew 2:3). He called the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet [Micah] has written” (Matthew 2:4-6).
“Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star appeared” (Matthew 2:7). Notice from this passage that Herod did not know when the star appeared. Here we have another clue to the identity of the star. Apparently the star appeared in the normal night sky, something that a casual observer would not notice.
In speaking to the Magi we are told that Herod “sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so I too may go and worship him. After they had heard the King, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was” (Matthew 2:8, 9).
These verses contain two additional clues. First, the star went ahead of them as they went from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. So the star, whatever it was, continued from when they first saw it rising in the east on to Bethlehem. And second, the star stopped over the place where the child was.
The natural question comes to mind, “can a star stop its travel?” We will examine this more closely and see that it is the last clue that will lead us to the identity of the guiding star.
From the Biblical account then we have eight characteristics about the star of Bethlehem.
(1) It signified birth.
(2) It signified kingship.
(3) It had a connection with the Jewish nation.
(4) It rose in the east.
(5) It appeared at a precise time.
(6) Herod did not know that it had appeared.
(7) It endured over time.
(8) It stopped over Bethlehem.
Modern astronomy and computers make it possible to simulate what our sky appeared like at any given time and place in history. When we incorporate these tools and simulate the skies as they appeared in the Middle East in 3 BC and 2 BC we find some amazing events.
Most stars in the heavens are what astronomers call “Fixed Stars.” Their relationship to one another does not change. They rise in the east and set in the west, moving very slowly across the night sky. In reality their apparent movement is caused by the earth’s rotation. As the earth rotates from west to east, the stars appear to be traveling from east to west.
However, there are other celestial bodies that appear to be stars, but in reality are planets. Astronomers call these “Wandering Stars.” They are so named because they do not have the same fixed movements across the sky. They appear to wander aimlessly before a field of fixed stars.
The largest planet in our solar system is Jupiter. It was named after the highest god in the Roman Pantheon. It is also known as the “King Planet.” Being hundreds of times more massive than earth the ancients attributed kingly qualities to this giant wanderer. As the Magi watched the skies in 3 BC and 2 BC, the unusual movement of Jupiter would have caught their attention.
As we peer back to the Jewish New Year Day of September 11, 3 BC we see that the planet Jupiter rose in the east, fulfilling one of the scriptural qualifications. Upon closer examination however, what appeared to be the single planet Jupiter was actually a conjunction of Jupiter and a star named Regulus. This name has the same derivation as our English word “regal.” The Babylonians called Regulus, “Sharu,” which means King. The Romans called it “Rex,” which also means King. Jupiter then is the King Planet while Regulus is the King Star.
This conjunction of the Planet of Kings with the Star of Kings may have indicated kingship in a forceful way to the Babylonian Magi. However, this alone would not have been enough to raise the expectations of these knowledgeable men. This conjunction occurs about every 12 years. But there is more that points to Jupiter as the heavenly body which guided the Magi.
As seen from the earth the course of Jupiter, as well as other planets, seems to change course and actually go back- wards making a loop in the night sky. Astronomers call this “retrograde motion.” The reason for this apparent change in course is simply because, as we observe the planets from earth, we are watching from a moving platform. This is similar to speeding past a moving car. The car we are passing appears to be going backwards. As the earth makes its orbit around the sun it is traveling at a different rate of speed than the other planets. As earth’s orbit approaches theirs, they appear to be moving in one direction. As the earth passes them they appear to change directions.
Jupiter’s retrograde is very shallow, more like a halo. After the September 11, 3 BC meeting of Jupiter and Regulus, Jupiter followed a very interesting course. After their initial conjunction Jupiter went past Regulus and then stopped. It then entered retrograde and went back towards Regulus for a second conjunction. Jupiter then progressed again and stopped a second time. Entering retrograde again it reversed course for a third conjunction with Regulus. This triple conjunction was a rare occurrence and would have caught the Magi’s full attention. They witnessed the King Planet draw what appeared to be three halos over the King Star. This transpired over a period of several months. The heavens were speaking to them, suggesting, “KING! KING! KING!”
In addition to this we note that Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation of Leo the Lion. We recall the text in Genesis 49:9. “You are a lion’s cub, 0 Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness – who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his” (see also Revelation 5:5).
Herod questions the wise men
This means that Messiah would come from Judah. Judah was given the designation of the lion. Messiah would be the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. If these learned men were of Jewish descent, these words would have been very significant. As they studied the heavens, they saw the King Planet crown the King Star in the constellation of the Lion.
This celestial demonstration began on September 11, 3 BC, the Jewish New Year’s Day – Tishri 1. This day was also the Feast of Trumpets. But rather than simply being the customary New Year proclamation, in this cosmic dis- play we see the proclamation of something far greater, a new beginning, a new age. This may have been the indica- tor for the conception of Jesus within Mary.
Nine months later another interesting celestial demonstration occurred. After completing the triple crowning of Regulus, Jupiter moved on to another spectacular conjunction, this time with the brightest of all the planets, Venus, known as the mother planet. Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love. The Babylonians named the planet Ishtar, the personification of womanhood, and goddess of love. Thus, when Jupiter, the King Planet, came in conjunction with the Mother Planet, Venus, it produced the most spectacular starlight seen in centuries. With a telescope one could see that Jupiter and Venus were actually stacked together like a figure 8. In this formation neither blocked the other, each contributed light, creating a brighter display. To the Magi, looking without a telescope, the sight appeared as a single bright star. No celestial light had appeared so bright for centuries, nor would it be seen again for centuries to come. The king and mother planets thus joined together, silently proclaiming the birth of our king, destined to become “The Light of the World” (John 8:12). As the wise men studied God’s starry canvas it is little wonder that they came searching for the new born king.
Wise men following the star
This conjunction between Jupiter and Venus occurred on June 17, 2 BC This suggests that the birth of Jesus may have been on that very date. God’s silent testimony became the backdrop for the angelic hosts as they sang “Peace on earth, good will toward men.”
This suggestion for the birth of Jesus on June 17, 2 BC, may seem foreign to Bible Students. 1 We are accustomed to saying that he was likely born around October 1st. The testimony that we are examining seems to indicate that his birth was some 3 months earlier. Can this new date be harmonized with scripture?
We know that Jesus died on Passover, in the spring of 33 AD. The 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel showed us that his ministry was 3½ years long. That would make his baptism, when he became the anointed Messiah, 3½ years earlier, about October 1st, 29 AD.
We then assumed that October 1st would have been his 30th birthday. This is based on the fact that the earliest a Levite could begin to serve in the Tabernacle was at the age of 30. Even though Jesus was not a Levite we reason that he would want to begin his ministry as soon as possible, on his 30th birthday. However, the scriptures do not demand this interpretation. Jesus may have been baptized three months after his 30th birthday. Luke 3:23 tells us he began his ministry when he was about thirty years of age. If Jesus was 30 years old plus 3 months at his baptism, it would meet this scriptural requirement. If Jesus was exactly 30 years of age, the word “about” would be unnecessary.
But we might wonder why Jesus would wait 3 months after his birthday before being baptized. One possible explanation may have been because he wanted to become the anointed Messiah exactly on the Day of Atonement, which time of Jesus’ death we see that he very specifically fulfilled the Passover type by dying at the same time as the Pascal Lamb was being slain. If the timing of his death was so precise, then it may be reasonable to believe that Jesus would want to be baptized exactly on the Day of Atonement, thereby becoming the anointed Messiah. 0n this day the bullock was sacrificed as a picture of Jesus’ perfect humanity being offered in consecration to God. In the year 29 AD the Day of Atonement was on October 7th.
There are several other aspects about the Star of Bethlehem that need to be answered. When Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem we are told that the star went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. We have seen that a planet can appear to stop and reverse directions in the night sky.
As mentioned earlier, computer simulations now make it possible to see exactly where every star and planet appeared in the sky at any possible date. When these simulations are run for the year 2 BC we get a startling result. 0n November 5th, 2 BC Jupiter began to reverse its path and on December 27, 2 BC it stopped its retrograde movement over the town of Bethlehem, and then reversed its direction.
With excitement the Magi rode down to Bethlehem to find Jesus, the new born king. But they did not find him in a manger as most people believe. Notice the wording of Matthew 2:11. “0n coming to the house (Strongs 3614, a residence) they saw the child (Strongs 3813, an infant) with his mother.” Jesus and his parents were no longer in a stable but were residing in a house. The Greek word translated “child” means a toddler or “a half grown child.” According to this celestial scenario Jesus was no longer an infant, but some 6 months old. God used the silent movement of stars and planets to proclaim the birth of our Savior.
THE STARS CRY OUT AGAIN
We have seen the marvelous works of God as He set His testimony in the stars regarding the birth of our Lord. But that great heavenly witness continued as we travel to the end of Jesus’ life.
We know the exact date of Jesus’ death. It was on Friday, April 3, 33 AD (See Volume 2 page 54). This corresponds to the 14th of Nisan. Since Israel followed a lunar calendar, the 14th of Nisan was always a full moon.
We also know that Jesus died at 3:00 PM (see Mark 15:25-37). Computer simulation reveals that as the moon rose the night ending Nisan 14, it was coming out of an eclipse. Running our simulation to an earlier time of day shows what was happening with the moon at the exact time of Jesus’ death. The result tells us that the eclipse of the moon began at 3:00 PM, the exact time of our Lord’s death.
Venus I Jupiter conjunction
The eclipse however was not a total eclipse. There was a sliver of moon that had not been totally obscured. We know that the moon is a symbol of the Mosaic Law. It was a lesser light than the sun, which pictures the Gospel message. This remaining sliver of moon may be telling us that, although the greater part of Israel had been cast off, there was still a remnant of faithful ones that came into Christ.
ONE MORE CRY FROM HEAVEN
A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth is positioned between the sun and the moon, thus blocking sunlight from shining on the moon. If we were able to stand on the moon during a lunar eclipse we would see the earth blocking out the sun. We would see a solar eclipse.
If we could view Earth from the moon at 3:00 PM on Nisan 14 we would witness another fascinating event. At that moment we would see behind the sun the constellation Aries, the Pascal Lamb. Just as Jesus died at 3:00 PM, the sun was eclipsed in the constellation of the lamb. This cannot be coincidence. It was God’s design that illustrated how the light of the world was extinguished at that precise moment. Jesus died for the sin of the world, as our Passover Lamb.
Only God could implement such monumental movements of His astronomic creation to immortalize the death of His beloved son Jesus, the savior of all mankind. Just as Jesus was “slain before the foundations of the world,” we are now beginning to glimpse the extent to which God would go in designing His celestial witness. It causes us again to reverently bow before our great Creator! 2
– Br. George Tabac
(1) Please see “What did the Magi See?” Beauties of the Truth, Nov. 2011, for an interpretation suggesting the autumnal equinox 2 BC.
(2) To watch a video of the Power Point discourse that includes computer animations of the actual star movements and positions, please visit http://chicagobible.org/public/videos/TheStarsCry0ut