✨ “His Star” ✨

Harsh solar wind and radiation slammed into the amalgamation of ice and rock creating a nebulous expansion.  This outgassing ionized under the onslaught of plasma and began to radiate.  Further illumination progressed as light waves danced through and reflected off the escaping matter.  The resultant ethereal glow emphasized the subject’s other-worldly origins.  The nucleus of the alien visitor had entered the outer limits of our solar system nearly two hundred years earlier.  Now, within the inner reaches, proximity to the sun was awakening the icy stranger.  Increasing gravitational forces and heat were causing tenuous reactions that brought about a dramatic display.  As if shocked back to life after flat lining, the traveler from afar exploded out of it’s comatose state.  Released debris trailed off for thousands of miles.  An ionic trail of plasma streamed off even further leaving a large cloud of light dispersing fragments stretching hundreds of thousands of miles long.  The enormous tail of dust and vapor swept behind into the cold nothingness of space.  On an elliptical journey from the cosmos, the speedy traveler had reached a blistering 150,000 miles per hour as it closed the distance to the sun.  With it’s large coma and tail, the interstellar migrant could no longer remain hidden in the vast expanses and star littered galaxy called the Milky Way.  It’s voyage was witnessed by human eyes in the distant land of Persia.  The coma enshrouded nomad first appeared to observant wise men as a smudge of light in the constellation of Pisces.  In time, it eclipsed even the brightest of stars.  It was no longer just a ball of ice drifting in the Oort Cloud beyond detection.  Hurtling through our inner solar system, the comet was now a fulfillment of prophecy.  It would become known as the Star of Bethlehem or Messiah’s Star - “His Star”.

Really???

I don’t think so, for the primary reason that comets, as solar system interlopers, carry the triple “D” connotation.  That is to say, they are commonly recognized and associated with “Death”, “Doom”, and “Despair”.  That is not an appropriate indicator considering the “good news” that would bring great joy to all people.  In reference to “His Star”, I would expect a more rapturous alternative.

How about another story of “His Star” to offer a completely different perspective?

Based on handed-down knowledge from ancestral Magi, soothsayers, and old manuscripts, there was a foretelling of this grand occurrence.  Daniel, an early administrative leader of the Babylonian wise men, had recorded much of what was to come.  Even predating the Babylonian wise men in Daniel’s time, a unique individual, a soothsayer of sorts, provided a glint of inference to this extraordinary event.  The individual was named Balaam.  He was enlisted by the king of Moab to curse the Israelites.  Yet, despite repeated attempts to do so, Balaam only spoke what God allowed him to speak.  Despite offerings of handsome rewards by the king, Balaam would not curse but, instead, cast blessings upon the Israelites.  Within those failed-cursing attempts, a prophecy presented itself as Balaam uttered, “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.” (Numbers 24:17 NIV)

With knowledge of Balaam’s prophecy of old and the wise teachings of Daniel, who prophesied about the coming Messiah, as well, the Babylonian Magi anticipated a forthcoming sign.  Being accomplished astronomers, they looked for it in the heavens, and patiently waited.  They were confident that it would be easily identifiable.  They were not mistaken.  The sign appeared in the constellation of Leo, the Lion.

“How apropos”, the wise men exclaimed in rapt fascination.  Intently, they watched as the Star of the Messiah vividly shone in the East.  Brighter than all the other stars, there could be no better sign to indicate the birth of a royal King in the lineage of Judah.  For it had been declared by Jacob and written in manuscripts that his son, Judah was like a young lion.  Hence forth, the tribe of Judah had held prominence with kings like David and Solomon.  Now, at long last, a new Lion was born; the Lion of Judah.  Even Messianic prophecy had declared, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the One to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.” (Genesis 49:10 NLT)

“Truly, this is the sign!  We must prepare for the journey to Jerusalem to honor the new born king of the Jews,” stated one awe-struck magus.

Another nodded.  “The journey will be long.  There is no time to waste.”

“We will honor the One with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,” excitedly exclaimed another.

They all agreed with smiles and nods.

Little did the Magi know that there was even more symbolism to be found in the rising star they declared as the sign.  Appropriately, the planet of Jupiter, king of planets, had aligned with Venus, the planet of mothers, in the constellation of Leo.  Soon, thereafter, king Jupiter aligned with the king star, Regulus, in the constellation of Leo.  This successive alignment, or conjunction of Jupiter, Venus, and Regulus, had created a significant and breathtaking light in the heavens two months in a row to announce the arrival of the King of kings to this world.

This conjunction process was not complete.  Nine months later, enough time for the Magi to complete their journey to Jerusalem and for a mother to complete a period of pregnancy, another alignment occurred.  King Jupiter aligned with Venus one more time to create a spectacular “star” in the constellation of Leo again.

Upon arrival in Jerusalem, expecting to see and worship the new born King, the wise men were told of another prophecy:

“”But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:6 NIV) (Ref. Micah 5:2)

Turning their eyes towards Bethlehem, the wise men were overjoyed.  Greeting them from afar and shining like a diamond, the Star of Bethlehem rose into the sky.  it was “His Star”.  It beckoned them onward until it hung still over the locale of the Messiah child.

Unbeknownst to the Magi, the Star of Bethlehem was king planet Jupiter going into retrograde.  Nevertheless, the fact that it sparkled vibrantly out of the constellation of Virgo, the virgin made them wonder, indeed!

Really?

There is much debate over what “His Star” or the Star of Bethlehem really was.  The “experts” cannot agree.  The arguments rage.  There has been an inordinate amount of time spent by very smart and talented individuals trying to define the Star of Bethlehem.  I, myself, will not pretend to offer an explanation.  I have no expertise in any of the arenas.  However, in the little research that I performed, I did find a common theme that seemed to be missed by many.  It was simply the lack of perspective or understanding regarding who Jesus really was and IS.  The Star of Bethlehem or “His Star” signified the arrival of the greatest gift to mankind that God could offer; His One and only Son!

In Hebrews it is written, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:3 NLT)

The babe that lay in that manger in Bethlehem now holds the universe in His hand.  He sustains everything by His command.  He was and is; therefore He brackets all of time.  With that in mind, it is incomprehensible to think that we, as humans, could even begin to understand all that God orchestrated in the heavens and here on earth to signal the birth of His One and Only Son.

Whether “His Star” was a comet, a super novae, a heliacal rising, a rare succession of conjunctions, or a manifestation of the Shekinah Glory, the arrival of Jesus was THE event to eclipse all other events throughout the universe.  I believe, “His Star” would have been appropriately and proportionately arranged and/or created.  As the gifts from the wise men foreshadowed; Jesus is our King (gold), Priest (frankincense), and Deliverer (myrrh).

Merry CHRISTmas!