Post by Rob W. Case on Dec 25, 2020 15:56:02 GMT -6
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
--Luke 21:25 – Jesus speaking of the days just before he returns
On December 21st, 2020 a rare conjunction between the planets Saturn and Jupiter occurred, creating a bright star effect in space, and can be observed plainly with the naked eye. The last time the planets were this close to each other was in 1226, and the last time they traveled together across the sky in conjunction with each other was in 1623. In 2020, this conjunction, dubbed “the Christmas star”, looks particularly special over Jerusalem in Israel, as it reminds us very much of the star of Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.
What was the purpose of the star of Bethlehem?
The Star of Bethlehem was a unique and distinct sign that was given by God to fulfill a prophecy. Balak, the King of Moab, hired Balaam, a soothsayer involved in sorcery, to curse Israel. Balaam attempts to do this three times, but fails because God intervenes. Balaam then blesses Israel, and is shown signs by an angel of the Lord about a future of a King who will one day rule in Israel. His appearance in this world would be preceded by a star, so the people would know what to watch out for.
Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls of all the people of Sheth.
People who would invest their time seeking answers and looking for the fulfillment of these signs and wonders, know how to connect dots, establish scientific methods to lead them to profound conclusions, construct instruments to better understand certain forces and dynamics, observe, gather facts, interpret evidence, and come to educated conclusions were known to be wise men.
The Star was an indicator:
Something happened in the sky that enabled seekers to see what event went with it. What’s interesting about the star itself, is that it was such a profound astronomical event that prompted the seekers to see what was happening, search the meaning, and follow the evidence to see the end result of everything coming together. In the case of Luke chapter 2, we see three men traveling to find the foretold King of the Jews.
The Star as an Actual Historic event:
My Pastor always says that when you read scripture, you need to read EVERYTHING carefully. It’s easy to gloss over certain details, or think of details that you may think do not matter. Frederick “Rick” Larson, a lawyer/researcher by trade, took the scriptures very seriously, and unearthed, unveiled, and revealed a whole new world looking at fascinating clues, facts, details, history, and science to bring us to the star of Bethlehem, the Magi, the birth of Christ, and the prophetic plan that God has set in motion. In this documentary, we learn from Philo of Alexandria, the likely eastern school of the Magi that has Babylonian roots. We also take a look at Nicholas Copernicus, a mathematician and astronomer, who discovered the model of the universe that placed the sun at the center of it. Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer and mathematician who discovered the laws of planetary motion. These men and their findings play a vital part of the scientific foundations and guidelines for which NASA conducts its findings. In this documentary, we also look at a computer program, called “starry night” that factors in all of these scientific laws, mathematics, alignments of planets, and time itself to see what to expect in space. Turn it backwards, and we see a planetary phenomenon occur (33:23 into the presentation). Larson also incorporates the constellations and their meanings, which also tells us a story, making this presentation more than just a documentary, but a fascinating experience.
There is so much more to all of this than you could ever imagine. And so, I urge you to check this presentation out for yourself.
Controversy Concerning the Star:
While the planetary conjunction case is very fascinating, there is a controversy over whether or not this is what constituted as the star of Bethlehem, or if the star was specially created by God to point to the world where Jesus was to be born. One thing is for sure; this documentary shows that there was some heavy activity in space around that time, and some powerfully intriguing cases are made here. What’s even more fascinating is that Rick Larson and his case for the star has been pursued by NASA, and others who specialize in the field of space exploration and history.
The Star’s Meaning Today:
What I find fascinating about the star of Bethlehem and the “Christmas Star” of 2020 is that it is a sign in the heavens that gets people thinking about Christ and what his birth means (or should mean) to the world, and to us individually. It also is a sign that Jesus is coming back again soon, and reinvigorates the promise that once the time is up on this day of evil, He will return and rule and reign on this earth from the city of Jerusalem, the place where God put his name (2 Kings 21:4) and it will remain forever.
For more information, and for supplemental materials, visit:
bethlehemstar.com
--Luke 21:25 – Jesus speaking of the days just before he returns
On December 21st, 2020 a rare conjunction between the planets Saturn and Jupiter occurred, creating a bright star effect in space, and can be observed plainly with the naked eye. The last time the planets were this close to each other was in 1226, and the last time they traveled together across the sky in conjunction with each other was in 1623. In 2020, this conjunction, dubbed “the Christmas star”, looks particularly special over Jerusalem in Israel, as it reminds us very much of the star of Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.
What was the purpose of the star of Bethlehem?
The Star of Bethlehem was a unique and distinct sign that was given by God to fulfill a prophecy. Balak, the King of Moab, hired Balaam, a soothsayer involved in sorcery, to curse Israel. Balaam attempts to do this three times, but fails because God intervenes. Balaam then blesses Israel, and is shown signs by an angel of the Lord about a future of a King who will one day rule in Israel. His appearance in this world would be preceded by a star, so the people would know what to watch out for.
Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls of all the people of Sheth.
People who would invest their time seeking answers and looking for the fulfillment of these signs and wonders, know how to connect dots, establish scientific methods to lead them to profound conclusions, construct instruments to better understand certain forces and dynamics, observe, gather facts, interpret evidence, and come to educated conclusions were known to be wise men.
The Star was an indicator:
Something happened in the sky that enabled seekers to see what event went with it. What’s interesting about the star itself, is that it was such a profound astronomical event that prompted the seekers to see what was happening, search the meaning, and follow the evidence to see the end result of everything coming together. In the case of Luke chapter 2, we see three men traveling to find the foretold King of the Jews.
The Star as an Actual Historic event:
My Pastor always says that when you read scripture, you need to read EVERYTHING carefully. It’s easy to gloss over certain details, or think of details that you may think do not matter. Frederick “Rick” Larson, a lawyer/researcher by trade, took the scriptures very seriously, and unearthed, unveiled, and revealed a whole new world looking at fascinating clues, facts, details, history, and science to bring us to the star of Bethlehem, the Magi, the birth of Christ, and the prophetic plan that God has set in motion. In this documentary, we learn from Philo of Alexandria, the likely eastern school of the Magi that has Babylonian roots. We also take a look at Nicholas Copernicus, a mathematician and astronomer, who discovered the model of the universe that placed the sun at the center of it. Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer and mathematician who discovered the laws of planetary motion. These men and their findings play a vital part of the scientific foundations and guidelines for which NASA conducts its findings. In this documentary, we also look at a computer program, called “starry night” that factors in all of these scientific laws, mathematics, alignments of planets, and time itself to see what to expect in space. Turn it backwards, and we see a planetary phenomenon occur (33:23 into the presentation). Larson also incorporates the constellations and their meanings, which also tells us a story, making this presentation more than just a documentary, but a fascinating experience.
There is so much more to all of this than you could ever imagine. And so, I urge you to check this presentation out for yourself.
Controversy Concerning the Star:
While the planetary conjunction case is very fascinating, there is a controversy over whether or not this is what constituted as the star of Bethlehem, or if the star was specially created by God to point to the world where Jesus was to be born. One thing is for sure; this documentary shows that there was some heavy activity in space around that time, and some powerfully intriguing cases are made here. What’s even more fascinating is that Rick Larson and his case for the star has been pursued by NASA, and others who specialize in the field of space exploration and history.
The Star’s Meaning Today:
What I find fascinating about the star of Bethlehem and the “Christmas Star” of 2020 is that it is a sign in the heavens that gets people thinking about Christ and what his birth means (or should mean) to the world, and to us individually. It also is a sign that Jesus is coming back again soon, and reinvigorates the promise that once the time is up on this day of evil, He will return and rule and reign on this earth from the city of Jerusalem, the place where God put his name (2 Kings 21:4) and it will remain forever.
For more information, and for supplemental materials, visit:
bethlehemstar.com