Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Christmas Star

I know some have of you have read about The Christmas Star appearing this year on December 21st. I couldn't help but really take a deeper look at how amazing that this occurrence would be happening in the year 2020.
In the year when Jesus was born, there was violence, chaos, political and social unrest. It was dark. The Magi found him by way of the star, which was the "meeting" of 3 stars: Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. They followed the star until it rested on where he was and they began to worship him. In a time where it was dark, Light was brought into our world. Jesus stepped in to the chaos and brought peace.
Fast forward to this year, 2020. It's a time of violence, chaos, political and social unrest. It is dark. Winter Solstice, December 21st, being a time where the day is the shortest and night is the longest...it's literally the "darkest day" and is the beginning of what most would say the cold, dark winter season. But on the darkest day this year, Jupiter and Saturn meet, giving us the Christmas Star! How fitting...that in the moment of time during the Christmas season that we get to see this beautiful reminder...that even in the darkest of times...Light will, and has, stepped in. In our chaos He is there. In our darkest time, He is there. He brings Light, and makes all things new.
So, as you look out on December 21st for the Christmas Star, may we be reminded of His power, and His Light that He brings for all mankind. He is perfect at stepping into chaos and bringing it into peace.

These photos were taken by Nathan Klok outside of Grand Marais MN
Jupiter, Saturn and Mars


Saturn


Merry Christmas to all.
It is always darkest before the dawn

Wow, amazing pics. Thanks for posting.

Have you compared that to scripture? To start with, no one knows the year Jesus was born. We know he was born under the rule of Herod the Great who died in 4BC. They fled to Egypt when Herod tried to kill Jesus who could have been as old as 2 by the time Herod knew he existed. They stayed in Egypt until Herod died. We don't know how long they lived in Egypt but we know they were back in Israel by the time Jesus was 12. Some scholars believe Jesus was born around 10BC but no one knows for sure.

The Magi followed the 'star' in the western sky as they apparently came from The Chaldean area. After they arrived in Jerusalem, it was in the south, not the west, as they followed it to Bethlehem. How does a star change it's location in the sky? Then, it came to rest over the house where Jesus was. It was low enough to pinpoint a specific house in a town. It couldn't have been more than a few hundred feet above the ground.
We don't know what the star was but one thing's for sure - it wasn't planets or stars. It was something very low to the ground. Many Christian scholars speculate that it was an angel.

Do we think Jesus was born December 25?

Many believe it but the evidence says otherwise.

Probably just tacked it on to a solstice festival. The rebirth of the sun.

Recall the part about the "shepherds abiding in the fields with their flocks."

Why would they abide in the fields in December instead of abiding in the house where it was warm? and why would farmers let sheep into their fields to destroy the crops?

Answer: The custom was, after the harvest, to temporarily let sheep into the fields. The sheep ate spilled grain and their manure fertilized the fields. this occurred right after the harvest, which was in mid-September.

What year was Jesus born?

Herod died in 4 BC. Check.

The NT says the census, when Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem, occurred when Cyrenius first became Governor of Syria.

Cyrenius is the Greek form for Quirinius. Flavius Suplicius Quirinius, a famous Roman, became Governor of Sryia in AD 6.

So how do we explain the slight disconnect in time? I have a theory. The Gospels were not written down for several decades. Why bother? They thought Jesus would return shortly. When they finally did write them down, much time had passed and they confused the year Quirinius became Governor of Syria with the year he was Consol of Rome, a much more important office. That year was 11 BC. In 11 BC a great comet appeared in the morning sky. Note: the Magi did not "follow" it then, but interpreted its meaning. Allowing 8 weeks to prepare and make the journey to Jerusalem, the comet would have disappeared behind the sun.

Only when they went to Bethlehem from Jerusalem did the comet "go before them." How is that possible? Simple. The journey was 6 miles. A camel can easily walk 6 miles per hour. The comet would appear stationary in the sky. The part about it stopping over a certain part of Bethlehem is a bit of hyperbole.

We know that comet as Halle's Comet. It's apparition that year precisely corresponds to what the Bible says, including the direction in which it reappeared on the journey to Bethlehem.

One other thing. Toward the end of his ministry, about 33 AD, Jesus tells some skeptics that he is doing what Abraham wanted him to do. The skeptics mock him, asking how he could have known Abraham "for you are not yet 50 years old." Why didn't they say "not yet 40 years old?

I've read that there's evidence that he had earlier served a previous term as governor, during Herod's lifetime.

You might call it hyperbole to have the star stopping over an individual house but that's precisely what the Bible says. It was moving ahead of them but then came to a stop. That was no planet.

Luke 2:9...And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

Another thing comes up which might be a translation problem. The wise men tell Herod that they 'have seen his star in the east' but then followed it west. The star was in the west, not the east. Apparently a more precise translation would be something like 'we, in the east, have seen his star'.

Absofrickenlutely not!

Could be.

Interestingly, a statue of Quirinius survives, so we know what he looked like. We don't know what Jesus looked like. Or Herod. There were many statues of Herod but they were all destroyed. Only the bases survive.

Time is an illusion- Albert Einstein

Well, give it a 1/364 or 1/365 chance, anyway.