2006-12-05 03:11:45 · 17 answers · asked by dino00digger 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Unfortunately this question seemed to backfire a bit. :)
My answer:
Old Testament tradition told that a star would mark the coming of the messiah. Numbers 24:17 states "A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise in Israel." The star also fulfills other Old Testament passages, indicating to the people of the New Testament that Jesus was indeed the messiah.
2006-12-05 03:18:30 · update #1
In the Old Testament, Moses was leading the Israelites up to the border of the promised land. Balak, the king of Moab, was concerned that Moses was going to attack him. So he hired a Persian prophet by the name of Balaam to cast a curse on the Israelites. (See Numbers 22)
Before Balaam could cast the curse, God spoke to him and warned him not to try to harm the Israelites. Instead, God gave Balaam a prophecy that he spoke in Numbers 24:17 about the coming of Jesus: "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel"
Fast forward about 1500 years to the time of the birth of Jesus. A star appears in the night sky. A group of Persian "wise men", know as the Magi see the star and realize that it is a sign that a ruler has been born. They look back and find the prophecy given by Balaam saying that the Star will come for Jacob or Israel (different names for the same thing). So they journey to Jersalem, the captial city of Israel. (See Matthew chapter 2)
Histroical records show us that the Magi traveled with their own personal army that numbered around 3,000 soliders. They had only about a year before that been involved in a battle in Persia where they had destroyed an entire city and looted it. At the time the arrived in Jerusalem, Herod's army was gone, fighting a battle near the Egyptian border. So that Bible is correct when it says their presence "troubled Herod and the whole city with him."
When Herod was asked where the new king had been born, he called for his own scholars, who based on a prophecy in Micah 5:2, send the Magi to Bethlehem to find the child. Once their, they presented him with gifts, including gold, frankincense and myrrh. Many Bible scholars place the value of the gifts in the hundreds of thousand of dollars.
Immediately after that Joseph has to take Jesus and Mary and flee to Egypt for 4-5 years to avoid being killed by Herod. The money from the Magi enables them travel, hide for several years, and once Herod has died, return to their hometown of Nazareth.
The importance of the star: it annouced to the word that Jesus had been born. It was one of over 90 prophecies Matthew list as fulfilled by Jesus. It showed that Jesus had come not only for the Jews, but the Gentiles. And it provided money to keep Jesus alive for the first years of his life.
2006-12-05 03:13:27 · answer #1 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The "Star Prophecy"; Numbers 24:17
—There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.—
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Prophecy
2006-12-05 03:19:02 · answer #2 · answered by wolf560 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The star was the guidepost for the magi{wisemen}.They were told to follow the star to see the new born King.The star "lead "them to the nativity.To this day man uses the stars to find his way at sea or in the dessert.That is y it so significant.
2006-12-05 03:22:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was a part of Satan's effort to have Jesus killed while a baby.
You'll note the star led the astrologers to King Herod.
Herod wanted Jesus dead.
An angel came to them and told them not to return to Herod.
It was a physical tool revealing a battle in the spiritual realm.
2 Corinthians 11:14 says one of Satan's tricks is to transform himself into light.
Its impressive and mis-leading ....develish!
2006-12-05 03:17:49 · answer #4 · answered by Uncle Thesis 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Easy, it goes to show how far the devil went to kill Jesus. If you remember the story, the angels told the Jewish shepherds about the birth of Jesus. The "wise men" were pagan astrologers who practiced something that was condemned by the Law of Moses. The "star" that they followed took them first to whom? To Jesus? No! It led them to a cruel ruler who wanted Jesus killed. Satan was behind the star.
2006-12-05 03:13:04 · answer #5 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
this star was part of prophecy it also led the wise men to the birth place of Christ the bright Morning Star. the Truth the Way and the Light,
The wise Men knew of the Birth of our Savior i guess one needs to be wise to know the Truth from all the lies like Satan Claws tells.
2006-12-05 03:23:13 · answer #6 · answered by jamnjims 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The star as a sign of Christ's birth was one of the prophesies. Fulfillment of the prophesies is what shows that Jesus is the Christ.
2006-12-05 03:15:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Showed the wisemen the way to baby Jesus, also a clarification factor of his birth
2006-12-05 03:17:22 · answer #8 · answered by dadknows 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because Satan caused this phenomenon in order to betray the Christ Child and allow Herod to find and kill him. God destroyed the plan by warning the astrologers not to return to Herod.
2006-12-05 03:16:31 · answer #9 · answered by Sparkle1 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The bible condems astrology. The astrologers almost got Jesus killed by telling Herod where he was. They shouldn't be a part of Christmas. It doesn't even say how many there was.
Most of that story is just made up.
2006-12-05 03:14:38 · answer #10 · answered by Ruth 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋