-
Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
jupiter, saturn will appear to merge in rare christmas star event
- Thread starter Salty
- Start date
Saturn isn’t very bright - it certainly will not be like the picture of the Christmas star on our Christmas cards 
Last year Jupiter and Venus were close together.
Venus is noticeably the brightest “star” in the morning sky.
I took a hand-held picture of Jupiter and Venus with the moon between them on my cell phone last year (Jan 31, 2019)
Jupiter on the far right. Saturn is even dimmer, so this won’t be an exciting event unless you are into astronomical events.
An interesting article on the Christmas Star was published a while back by the American Scientific Assocoation.
Matthew’s Magi Never Visually Followed a Star Anywhere, But ... [link]
Rob
Last year Jupiter and Venus were close together.
Venus is noticeably the brightest “star” in the morning sky.
I took a hand-held picture of Jupiter and Venus with the moon between them on my cell phone last year (Jan 31, 2019)
Jupiter on the far right. Saturn is even dimmer, so this won’t be an exciting event unless you are into astronomical events.
An interesting article on the Christmas Star was published a while back by the American Scientific Assocoation.
Matthew’s Magi Never Visually Followed a Star Anywhere, But ... [link]
“The Messianic Star seems to have been connected to symbolic royal celestial events at the heart of Babylonian planetary science. The star was not discovered through the Babylonian omen catalog or their normal astrology. The star over Bethlehem was not spectacular. It was not necessary for the star to be overly luminous or visually remarkable. However, the star was symbolically significant. The wise men never followed the star anywhere visually, but the star was waiting for them upon their arrival in Bethlehem.”
Rob
Last edited:
Scott Downey
Well-Known Member
The star rose, went ahead of them and and stopped over where Christ was.
So I don't think of this as a starlight in the sky. I think it was moving with purpose of guiding, so it was a miraculous event, may have been an angel or a sign from God, not an occurrence of a natural event.
The scripture implies it moved directionally when they got closer to Christ
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
So I don't think of this as a starlight in the sky. I think it was moving with purpose of guiding, so it was a miraculous event, may have been an angel or a sign from God, not an occurrence of a natural event.
The scripture implies it moved directionally when they got closer to Christ
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
IMO, the star was a miracle of God, that appeared to the Magi in their homeland, signaling to them the coming of Messiah. The linked article ponders how the Magi would make this association; my only idea (since scripture is silent) is that the Holy Spirit moved them to make the trip. The star appeared again over Bethlehem, showing the Magi the exact place where the child was. I think it possible (again with no scriptural backing, yea or nay) that the star might have been visible only to the Magi, as there's apparently no record of others seeing or remarking of it. And more important than anything about the star is that Jesus was born exactly as had been prophesized.
Scott Downey
Well-Known Member
Reading this after they saw the king, the star appears again to them and they are very happy to see it.
So it seems to me the text implies it was not always visible to all people, it went out when they met with king Herod, he could not see it, and a good thing that is too.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
meaning before this the star had gone away. And now it has reappeared to guide them the final distance to Christ
