The Heavens Declare the Creative Glory of God
Publisher’s Note: I have presented the following in presentation form for almost a quarter of a century. This is the first time I have put it in article form. Having been a former President of the Roper Mountain Astronomers and a former board member for many years, I have presented the following as my opinion of the Bethlehem Star. God has used it many times to share the reason for the season.
Even though the Bible never calls or implies that the Bethlehem Star was a supernatural miracle, I have had a few attendees tell me that I am trying to explain an unexplainable miracle as if that makes this miraculous event less than a miracle. But it is my opinion that this makes it more of a miracle. It glorifies the Creator more in that God set all these astronomical events in motion at the beginning of the creation of the heavens and earth. No astronomical events mentioned in the Bible collide with each other or get off track. But they occur precisely when He intended them to, at the right historical moments, despite the human choice variables involved. Only the Almighty God of Creation can do that! That is what I call a Divine Miracle of Creation!
Also, remember that God has used many natural events to provide signs in the skies, such as the rainbow. We all know what naturally causes the rainbow God has set up in the heavens to remind us that He will never judge the earth with a global flood. It was a miracle to those coming off the Ark who had never seen it before. But it had a natural explanation that we today fully understand, just like I believe the Bethlehem Star does and the Scripture allows.
Let’s remind ourselves that Scripture does say:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” – Psalm 19:1-5
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Having accepted that God can and has used natural events as signs in the sky above, as also mentioned in Genesis 1:14, historians, scholars, clergymen, and scientists have tried to solve this puzzle for centuries.
If we combine accurate historical research, modern-day technology, and astronomical facts, can we unveil the mystery and miracle of the Star of Bethlehem?
We are better equipped today to understand the miracle of the Star of Bethlehem because of the following factors:
- GEOMETRY shapes our view of the universe.
When many still thought of the planets as “wandering stars” (Jude 1:13) and that the earth was the center of the universe, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was studying the unprecedented accuracy of Tycho Brahe’s (1546-1601) vast collection of astronomical observations.
Using accurate mathematics, Kepler backed up Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) that the sun, not the earth, was the center of our solar system and that the planets were traveling in elliptical orbits around the sun. In 1610, Galileo (1564-1642) proved this with the aid of a small telescope.
With these new mathematical formulas, we now hold observational keys to the heavens and time. In other words, we can locate celestial objects with great precision at any point in history and from any viewing point on Earth. This has been proven most recently with our total and partial solar eclipses in North America which we predicted with high accuracy.
- CHRONOLOGY guides us in our timing.
Kepler and his contemporaries concluded (as many present-day historians do) that Christ was born before 4 B.C. A significant reason for this was their interpretation of the writings of an ancient Jewish historian named Flavius Josephus (37 - 95 A.D.)
Josephus refers to King Herod of Matthew 2 as dying before the Passover (end of March/first of April of each year). He also mentions an evening lunar eclipse, which he said was visible in Jericho not too long before Herod died.
Some believe it was the eclipse of March 13, 4 B.C., seen below. However, this PARTIAL eclipse started in the morning, not in the evening. We believe a more notable TOTAL lunar eclipse during the late evening hours of January 9, 1 B.C., also seen below, is more likely the eclipse to which Josephus referred.
A total evening eclipse is more remembered than a partial eclipse in the morning. We chose January’s eclipse because it was an evening event, as suggested by Josephus. Also, it was a more notable event, still within the correct timing of Herod’s death regarding the Passover.
- TECHNOLOGY solves our equations instantly.
When Kepler calculated a sky chart, it was laborious and required plenty of time. When his calculations were complete, he had a picture of the sky at a single moment of time. If he had selected the wrong day to search for the Star, it would have required more time and work.
However, Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion and their formulas are child’s play for a computer. With software incorporating Kepler’s equations, we can create a computer model of the universe at any given point in time, whether past, present, or future. We can animate the universe in real-time at any speed we choose and make months or years pass in seconds. This accuracy is because of how accurate and prefect God made His Creation. It is dependable and faithful.
With just a few keystrokes, we can wind back the clock and scan the skies precisely as they moved over Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.
What characteristics did the Bethlehem Star possess that would help us identify it as a natural wonder of God’s creation?
In the Book of Matthew, we find the following ten characteristics (qualifications) that a celestial object must have before it can be qualified as a good candidate for the Star of Bethlehem.
- It Occurred During King Herod’s Reign.
Matthew 2:1 – “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King …”
The Star of Bethlehem had to appear before Herod’s death. We have already concluded that 1 B.C. best fits the date for his death astronomically. The events mentioned later in this presentation fit the January 9, 1 B.C. TOTAL eclipse timing better than the March 13, 4 B.C. PARTIAL eclipse.
Also, in 1544, a translator made an error in translating Josephus’s original timeline, which Josephus used along with his writings. The timeline in question supported the equivalent date of 4 B.C. It is said that all translations before 1544 support the equivalent date of 1 B.C. as the correct date.
If this is true, this would further support our view that 1 B.C. is the year of Herod’s death. Therefore, the Bethlehem Star had to occur at least two years before 1 B.C., which would have been between 3 B.C. and 2 B.C.
- This Event Was Predictable.
Matthew 2:1 – “… there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.”
Information had to be available to the Wise Men so they could know that this event would take place and what the event would mean. Many scholars believe that the Persian Wise Men from the East were student-descendants of the earlier wise men of the Babylonian and Persian Empires mentioned in the book of Daniel.
These earlier wise men served under a Jewish prophet named Daniel, whom King Nebuchadnezzar and the empire leaders who followed put in charge of the wise men of that day.
It is said that Daniel penned other prophetic writings concerning the future of his Jewish heritage. Perhaps the fire that destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria is when such records were lost. More than likely, these lost writings made it possible for non-Jewish Wise Men to predict a Jewish event.
- The Star Had to Signify Kingship and Birth.
Matthew 2:2 – “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star ...”
The Star of Bethlehem had a royal significance, and the events surrounding the Bethlehem Star had something to do with the “birth” of a King. Many celestial objects have names with significant meanings that date back to ancient times.
During this period, there was already a heightened awareness of celestial events – which caused emperors to not only kill young males, as did Herod, but to have celebrations that may have played a significant role in Mary and Joseph being in Bethlehem during the birth of Jesus.
- The Event Had a Connection with the Jewish Nation.
Matthew 2:1-2 – “There came wise men … saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?”
The Star of Bethlehem had Jewish significance and was stated so, not by the Jews themselves, but by the Persian Wise Men, who noted that this event had something to do with the Jewish nation.
Having the Wise Men not knowing the Jewish scripture can be validated by the fact that they had to ask where this King should be born, which can be found in Micah 5:2. This shows that there were other books that the Persian Wise Men were referencing. All they knew was that this event had something to do with a Jewish King. Possibly, through the writings of Daniel, which we do not have today and referenced earlier, they were familiar with this prediction.
- The Star Had to be Visible in the East when the Wise Men First Noticed It.
Matthew 2:2 – “… for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
Most celestial objects eventually appear in the east either during the course of the night or during the course of a year.
What makes this characteristic important, however, is that the timing of when the Wise Men first saw the Star of Bethlehem in the east agrees and lines up with the second reference to the Star in its new location mentioned later in the story.
- The Event Was Inconspicuous to the Public until Explained by the Magi.
Matthew 2:3,7 – “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Then Herod … enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.”
If this event was “visually” noticeable when it was in the east, would not Herod and the people of Jerusalem already have known of it? Instead, we see Herod diligently inquiring about what time the star had appeared by asking the Magi to explain the event.
This is another reason I believe this was a physical natural event, not some unknown dynamical phenomenon. When it first appeared, it was not noticed by the public but only by the Wise Men, known also as astronomers and those who studied the heavens.
- The Star Appeared Multiple Times.
Matthew 2:2,7 – “… for we have seen his star in the east … When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them.”
According to the story and the chronological events surrounding it, this Star appeared multiple times over a span of less than two years.
Later, when Herod saw that the Wise Men mocked him (Matthew 2:16), he killed all of the babies in the region up to two years old, according to the time the Wise Men had told him that the Star “first” appeared in the East.
- The Star Preceded the Magi as They Journeyed South from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:8-9 – “And he sent them to Bethlehem … they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them …”
Without question, a candidate for the Star of Bethlehem, first noticed in the East, must be a celestial object capable of being seen later in the South as the Wise Men traveled south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to seek out the young child. This will be very important in proving what is a good candidate for the Star.
- The Star Both Moved and Stood Still.
Matthew 2:9 – “… and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.”
This is probably the most puzzling of all the characteristics of the non-scientific observer of the heavens.
How can a star have the capability of both moving and standing still? This is why most people unfamiliar with the heavens consider this Star an unknown phenomenon, or as some put it, an unexplainable miracle. I believe we have a more exceedingly great miracle of Creation as mentioned earlier. In animated illustrations soon to follow, a great explainable candidate for the Star of Bethlehem may help solve this unexplainable mystery.
- This Event, by its Own Nature, Was Unique.
Matthew 2:10 – “When they saw the star, they (Wise Men) rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
When these professional astronomers saw this Star as they left Jerusalem, with its final conclusion played out over Bethlehem, they rejoiced as if something UNIQUE had happened.
Such a climax had significance in strengthening their resolve that this journey was not wasted and that the predictions were accurate and conclusive.
Candidates for the Star of Bethlehem?
Before we go into what we believe the Bethlehem Star was, let’s review the following celestial objects that previous historians and scientists have nominated as suitable candidates.
- Meteor
Meteors are grain-sized space particles that burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, causing streaks of light that are very short-lived. They are often referred to as “shooting stars.” Did meteors streak through the night sky during King Herod’s reign? Of course, they are common and are seen every night. While a shooting star can be beautifully viewed from the Earth, does it pass our ten-point test? No.
- Comet
Comets are much like large, dirty snowballs flying through space. They are sometimes as big as a few miles across. Their tails are particles coming off the comet as it approaches the Sun. They appear periodically, and their spectacular sight would make them an obvious candidate. The only problem is that they have always been considered an evil omen and never a sign of good news. Also, there is no ancient record of any comets during this time period.
- Supernova
A supernova is the violent, convulsive explosion of a massive star, which brightens dramatically as it dies. It could make a great candidate, but many ancient civilizations recorded supernovae, and there is no historical reference to such an event during this time period. Also, we would have to conclude that if a bright enough supernova had occurred, it would have been conspicuous to the people in Jerusalem.
- Eclipse
An eclipse is when a bright celestial object, such as the sun or moon, becomes dark when it is covered up by another celestial object or the shadow of a celestial object. Some have suggested that an eclipse (occultation) of Jupiter in 6 B.C. by the moon would make a great candidate. But remember, one of the main emphases of our event is that the star appeared, not that the star disappeared. The time of this event does not match the above characteristic No. 1.
So, what was this Star of Bethlehem?
These Magi were known as astronomers, among many other professions. They were very familiar with the heavens and placed particular importance on the motion and positions of the planets. If we observe the night sky as it was during 3-2 B.C., as our previous research has already established, we will find a very likely candidate for the Star of Bethlehem.
First, we must explain what a planet conjunction is.
Each planet orbits the sun at a different speed. The inner planets move faster in their orbits. Consequently, from our viewpoint on Earth, it seems as though these planets overtake and pass each other during an event known as a conjunction. During a conjunction, the planets appear to be close together, but in reality, they are millions of miles apart.
A unique event took place.
Planetary conjunctions are somewhat common events, as you can see in the above animation. During 3 and 2 B.C., there were nine significant conjunctions. But something occurred during King Herod’s reign (meets qualification #1).
Early morning on August 12 of 3 B.C., a celestial drama began, revealing a close conjunction between Venus and Jupiter. This, undoubtedly, would have had particular significance to these Wise Men, who possessed knowledge of a prediction of the birth of a Jewish King.
On that morning in the eastern skies (qualification #5), the Wise Men saw a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the constellation of Leo, near the star Regulus.
The Magi apparently knew that the constellation Leo the Lion was the Jewish tribal sign of Judah (Genesis 49:8-10), the royal lineage of Jesus (qualification #3 & #4).
“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. (9) Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? (10) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (Messiah) come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” - Genesis 49:8-10
Jupiter has always been considered the king of planets, and the ancient Babylonians gave Regulus the name Sharru, the king of stars (qualification #3). And Venus was associated with femininity.
This celestial event was not a publicly noticeable event but can be predictably explainable (qualification #2 & #6). God’s creation of mathematical predictability and accuracy in regard to His creation is why we can go back in time and see this event ourselves. This first occurrence, more than likely, marks the beginning of the Magi’s search for the meaning of this event.
Perhaps even more interesting to the Wise Men as they traveled to Jerusalem was an event on September 14. Jupiter came into conjunction with Regulus in Leo, then moved past Regulus and appeared to stop and move backwards until it passed Regulus for the second time on February 17, 2 B.C. See the above animation.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they saw Jupiter stopping again in the southern skies (qualification #8). This explains that these “wandering stars” (planets) can appear to move and stop (qualification #9).
After Jupiter passed Regulus for the third time on May 8, a pattern appeared, as if Jupiter, King of Planets, was crowning Regulus, King of Stars, with a celestial coronation as King! (again, qualification #3). See animation above.
Such coronated zig-zag motions that we just mentioned in regard to Jupiter’s movement are called retrograde motion in astronomy. They occur because the Earth moves faster within its orbit around the sun than Jupiter in its outer orbit. See animation above.
The same effect can be seen when you pass a slow-moving car on a freeway. The car appears to be moving backward against the background, even though you both are moving forward. So, if you both are going the same speed, it appears that the other car has stopped beside you in relation to your current view of looking out the window.
Another drama plays out in the skies.
An interesting event occurred in the skies during the coronation occurrence previously mentioned.
Revelation 12:1-2 says, “There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet … and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”
Between September 11-12, 3 B.C., during the first phase of Jupiter’s retrograde motion, the constellation Virgo the Virgin, who is beside the Constellation Leo mentioned earlier, is clothed with the sun and the moon is right under her feet, just like the scripture depicted.
This annual event agrees in timing when the Magi saw the star in the east and came to Jerusalem saying where is he “born” King of the Jews (qualification #3 – Birth).
Another interesting historical and astronomical fact is that right between the sun and the moon during this event is a star, which, in almost every nation's depiction of this virgin constellation for thousands of years, has been called “the seed.” In English, we call it Spica, which means “the seed,” and it is located right there in the constellation of Virgo.
This brings to mind the ancient scripture regarding the Messiah as the seed of a virgin in Genesis 3:14-15:
“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Before we leave this event, it's interesting to note that in two depictions of constellations, Hercules' foot is typically shown as stepping on the head of the serpent dragon constellation Draco. This imagery dates back to ancient times and represents Hercules' victory over the serpent dragon Draco, where he is often depicted as crushing the serpent dragon's head with his foot. Another interesting note: in our above story in Revelation 12, Satan is referred to as the Dragon (Draco) in the heavens after Virgo and the child. See the above image. This brings to mind part of the verse we just quoted "...it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Finally, on the evening of June 17, 2 B.C., the King of Planets Jupiter and Venus (star of femininity) “again” came into conjunction near King of Stars Regulus (qualification #7). This time, they were so close as to appear as one bright “unique” star (qualification #10).
As the Wise Men arrived at where the young child was, the planets came so close together that human eyes could not split them apart. They were right beside each other, as depicted in the image below. Being the 2nd and 3rd brightest objects at night, with their combined brightness, they appeared as if a new, brighter unknown star appeared.
Currently, there is no scientific evidence or astronomical research that such an event as this took place before or will ever occur again. No wonder they rejoiced with exceeding joy – their journey was a success!
We believe, the Wise Men saw what they consider the Star of Bethlehem and the King of the Jews!
Born to die illustrated in the heavens.
Another fascinating astronomical event has occurred for the past 6,000 years in the southern skies. A famous constellation known as the “Southern Cross” has been playing out its own drama due to the wobble of the earth on its axis – the Precession of the Equinoxes.
It is not noticeable in short periods but can be obvious when simulated observations are compared in spans of centuries using astronomical software based on Johannes Kepler's mathematical formulas mentioned earlier in the article. You can see the result in the collage image below.
Because of the earth’s wobble, the constellations and stars appear to move in different positions over long periods of time. This is based on Earth’s wobble rotation on its axis and its rotation around the Sun. This has caused the Southern Cross to appear visibly to most of the known ancient world and was recognized as a cross even then. Its disappearance from the visible heavens in the Northern Hemisphere with its prophetic significance coincided with the fulfillment of the time Jesus Christ hung upon an earthly cross.
This can be validated by a quote from Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), an Italian poet and a great astronomer who authored The Divine Comedy. He said in reference to the constellation, “Four stars never beheld but by the early race of man.” This passage of Dante’s was quoted by Amerigo Vespucci (in which America was named after) on his third voyage toward the Cape as he viewed the starry skies of the South Hemisphere and boasted that he “now looked on the four stars never seen till then by any but the first human race.” He was referring to the latitude of the Norther Hemisphere at which most populations existed on Earth at that time.
An interesting characteristic took place during the time of Christ's death. As a result of the earth’s wobble, as seen in the above collage, the Southern Cross was lifted up each night from behind the horizon and stood erect in the sky as if planted on the ground. This brings to mind the following verse:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15
This is the reason for the season and why the King of the Jews was born. He, King of kings and Lord of lords, came to die so that we may live!
If anyone cannot see the declaration despite the complexity and the impossibilities from a finite point of view of His creation with its inexhaustible density and infinite authorship, declaring a Supreme Being that cannot even be compared to any other living entity known or unknown. Especially One that is so Mighty, All-Present, All-Powerful, and All-Knowing, who cares about such a small insignificant creature as us. As David puts it so well in Psalm 8:3-4:
“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from The Times Examiner as we celebrate the Creator, Sustainer, and Savior who came to be born and, in death and resurrection, redeemed falling man!
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Chronological Timeline of the Events in this Presentation and Matthew 2.
- August 12, 3 B.C. - As Jupiter enters the Constellation of Leo, it and Venus enter a conjunction in the eastern skies. Magi begin their research on what this conjunction means - vs. 2.
- September 11-12, 3 B.C. - Virgo clothed with sun and moon under her feet, signifying the month of Christ's birth (Rev. 12:1-2).
- September 14, 3 B.C. - Jupiter and Regulus 1st conjunction.
- October 3 B.C. - Jupiter begins its coronation mission over Regulus.
- November 3 B.C. - The Magi begin to prepare for their journey to Jerusalem (Since Winter was on hand and November-February is the time of the annual rains, they more than likely decided to travel in February 2 B.C.).
- December З B.C. - Jupiter goes into retrograde motion back to Regulus (part of the coronation event) February 17, 2BC - Jupiter and Regulus 2nd conjunction and Wise Men travel to Jerusalem - vs. 1-9.
- March/April 2 B.C. - Jupiter stops moving in the southern skies of Jerusalem above Bethlehem near Regulus - vs. 9.
- May 8, 2 B.C. - Jupiter and Regulus 3rd conjunction - The Magi are in Bethlehem. - vs. 9-11.
- June 17, 2 B.C. - Jupiter and Venus 2nd conjunction (so close that human eyes could not split them apart - The only known event of its kind). The Magi Worship the King of Jews while still in Bethlehem but Jesus was not in the manger at this time! - vs. 10-11.
- July 2 B.C. - After staying in Bethlehem due to harsh weather coming and how young the child was and being warned about Herod, the Magi return home another way - vs. 12.
- August 2 B.C. - Joseph, Mary, & Jesus leave for Egypt while Jupiter leaves the Constellation of Leo - vs. 13-15.
- September 2 B.C. - Herod kills babies up to two years old in search of the King of the Jews - vs. 16-18.
- January 9, 1 B.C. - Full evening lunar eclipse mentioned by Josephus.
- March/April 1 B.C. - Passover, as mentioned by Josephus.
- May or soon after - Herod dies soon after Passover - vs. 19-23.
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Why December 25th is not part of the Story.
As Christianity established itself during the first century A.D., Christmas did not exist. Christians only celebrated Easter. The first celebrations of the birth of Jesus did not show up until the 4th century when Christianity became the predominant religion by Emperor Constantine.
The goals were to Christianize the festivals of popular culture and ancient rituals, which were celebrated during December. In particular, Jesus as "The Light of the World" or "Sun of Justice" was chosen to replace the pagan ritual Mithraic Sol Invictus, which worshipped and thanked the god of the Sun for letting the days get longer and the nights get shorter. To the pagans, this was a sign that Spring was sure to come.
The choice of December 25 was ultimately based on the Church's desire to turn the people of the Roman Empire away from such a thing. Therefore, little by little, a calendar of religious festivals was established in the 4th century, replacing ancient rituals and pagan celebrations – December 25th’s Mithraic Sol Invictus being one of them.
Over the next millennium, the observance of Christmas on December 25th followed the expansion of Christianity into the rest of Europe and most of the known world and has become what we know Christmas to be today.
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