The Three Wise Men!
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM!
Have you ever wondered how the Three Wise Men knew how "The King of the Jews" was about to be born? And why they new the Bethlehem Star was "his star" before it even rested over Bethlehem?
It is of course possible they were told about this in a dream, or directly by an angel, or by a voice from God like Samuel heard. But the bible does not record such revelations. So, how did they know? I think the Lord may have revealed to me how they knew this. So I will share this now, especially hoping some Jewish people might reflect on this, and believe in their Messiah!
The Prophecy of the 70 Weeks.
In Daniel chapter 9 is the famous "Prophecy of the 70 weeks" which is about the "people of Daniel" as God says it is about "thy people". This prophecy is about the Messiah, and is one of the very few scriptures where the word "Messiah" is used, so it is very important! Here is the prophecy:
Daniel 9: 24-27.
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
What makes this prophecy so stunning, is how accurate it is, and that it is a Jewish prophecy, still there to this day in their bible, not a Christian new testament writing. Yet despite the accuracy of this, probably many many more people are converted by reading Isaiah 53, that talks about the character and the sufferings of the Messiah in more detail. This may be because when all is said and done relationship is more important to God than mathematical accuracy is, and perhaps to us too!
1) Mission of the Messiah:
The mission of Jesus is to save us, so it says in verse 24) "to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness" This scripture clearly tells us it is Jesus that makes us righteous forever in the sight of God, not our works, or works of priestcraft, such as baptizing us, or giving communion to people.
2) The Messiah
verse 35) then tells us when the Messiah shall appear "unto the Messiah the Prince" This coincides exactly with the time of Jesus when you count up the years from the time Jerusalem begins to be rebuilt.
3) verse 36) tells us "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:" The expression "cut off" means that he dies, and the expression "but not for himself" means Jesus is dying for us, to wash away our sins.
4) After this the prophecy predicts that the city of Jerusalem will then be destroyed (which happened in 70 AD) with "a flood" but Daniel chapter 7 tells us that water represents "the people of the world" so it is with a flood of people, a huge Roman Army.
5) Who else was
a) called "the Messiah"
b) died for other people's sins,
c) finished the transgression,
d) made an end of sins,
e) made reconciliation for iniquity,
f) and brought in everlasting righteousness
g) in the time period between building the walls of Jerusalem, and its destruction in 70 AD?
other than Jesus?
The answer is no one! It is absurd to say a Jesus was a false Messiah, born at the exact time this prophecy tells us the Messiah would appear, and that after that billions of people say they follow him, in one way or another.
How did the 3 wise men know the star was of the Star of Jesus?
Now this is the logic the wise men used, to know when Jesus would be born, and how they knew the Star of Bethlehem was the star of the Messiah, who they learned was Jesus when they arrived in Bethlehem.
If Jesus the Messiah is predicted to DIE at a certain date after the walls are rebuilt, does it not logically follow that he obviously must be BORN at a certain date before that? When the wise men saw this very rare astronomical event in the sky, they therefore surmised this must be the star leading them at the right time, to the place where prophecy says the Messiah would be born, in Bethlehem.
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2.
This prophecy says the Messiah will be King over Israel (a spiritual King) so they called him "The King of the Jews".
The famous astronomer Patrick Moore had this astrological event investigated to see if it was real, and at the time Jesus was born, and it really happened! Scientific proof the bible is right!
The Jews say they have 613 Laws, but they deliberately miss one out! It says in the Books of the Law:
"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Deuteronomy 18: 18-19.
This prophecy about the Messiah is daunting. The Jews simply must accept him! Or the punishment is to be serious! The punishment was in real terms "to be cut off from being one of God's people" (Romans 11:22-24) as the Jews were no longer Jews, as their physical bodies were circumcised, but the circumcision of the heart is required in the new covenant to be one of God's people. In fact, In Galatians chapter 4 it tells us that people who fail to follow Jesus, but still go off after the Old Law, as seen by God as being in Hagar, not part of Sarah.
The wise men were not called wise for nothing. If they knew the Daniel 9 prophecy of the 70 weeks, and realised when Jesus would be born, and they knew the prophecy of where "The King of the Jews" would be born, they may have know this prophecy, plus another that tells us what the Messiah will teach: