Hebrew Roots Research by Lew White
Star Of Bethlehem?
Or Was It . . . . .
by LewWhite
The Vision
A very interesting question often asked which many people have pondered for
centuries:
“I have one question in response to your remark that the stars are not involved in the story of redemption.
The magi that came from the East were following a
star. The existence of this particular star indicated to them that that the
“Sovereign of the Yahudim” has been born Matt 2).
What is your understanding of this?”
Lew's
Reply:
As we try to understand the unusual movements of a star-like object seen by the Magi, we need to be aware of their background.
Who were the Magi, and what did they see?
The Hebrew word for the object is KAKOB.
In Scripture the word KAKOB may refer to the lights in the heavens we know to be other suns, but also may refer to heavenly beings known as angels, or malakim, or sons of Alahim. They witnessed the creation of the physical realm:
"Upon what were its foundations sunk? Or who laid its corner-stone when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Alahim shouted for joy?" Ayub / Job 38:6-7
Why were the Magi looking for a star, and how did
they know about its significance?
We need to embrace the concept that the “Magi” (magos, sorcerers, kashaph, or
generally “wise ones” chakkim)
from the land of Babel had
been impacted by the prophet Danial during Yahudah’s 70 years of captivity.
Danial’s status was legendary, as he was honored to become “chief of the Magi”
by the King of Babel, Nebuchanezzar. The Aramaic term RAB literally means
exalted one, or chief. The Magi, or chakkim,
held Danial in great eminence, because their lives and position in Babel would
have been swept
away without the activity of Yahuah within Danial for accurately
recalling and interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. Danial was EXALTED to become RAB (from which comes the term RABBI) in
the expressions chief
over the nobles and wise
ones:
Dan 2:48, 49: “Then
the sovereign made Danial great and gave him many great gifts, and made him
ruler over all the province of Babel, and
chief of the nobles, over all the wise
ones of Babel. And Danial asked of the sovereign, and he set Shadrak, Meyshak,
and Abed-Nego over the work of the province of Babel, and Danial in the gate of
the sovereign.”
These wise ones in Babel surely investigated the writings of Danial for generations, and gleaned from other inspired Writings that related to Danial’s dedication to the Alahim of Heaven and Earth, Yahuah.
The Prophecy
By studying the prophecies in the Scriptures, they knew a great King was to come, a Mashiak, also referred to as Shiloh (Genesis/Bereshith 49:10).
Numbers 24:14 reveals secrets concerning latter days, and while searching-out secrets from these texts, there is a prophecy to be discovered from Bilam involving a STAR that was to come out of the tribe of Yahudah, in Yisharal, Numbers 24:17:
“I see Him, but not now; I observe Him, but not near. A Star shall come out of YaAqob and a Sceptre shall rise out of Yisharal, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and shall destroy all the sons of Sheth." Numbers 24:17
Malakim (or angels) are referred to as stars (Job/Ayub 38:7), and are manifested with brilliant light on many occasions, such as their appearance to the shepherds the night Yahusha was born. Those shepherds were surrounded by the Kabod of Yahuah (Luke 2:9) which is the Shekinah, the Presence of Yahuah (research "theophany").
This radiant light was the SHEKINAH Kabod, the nesting-place of the Name of Yahuah. The star seen by the Magi was the physical manifestation of the Presence of the Name coming into the world of men as a man, and it guided them for approximately two years so they could bring their offerings to the newborn King, Yahusha. It was not a comet, planet, or a sun, since it moved, stopped, and “stood over” where the Child was. To them, and to any secular student of Ufology today, it would have been an unexplainable phenomenon. It was a prophesied sign, and they were selected to partake in its fulfillment.
What is even more
peculiar is that it seems the Magi were the only ones that could see it.
We know that Alisha could see what His servant could not (2Ki 6:17), and the
Sanhedrin could not perceive what Stephen could (Acts 7:56).
The star was a vision, a selective manifestation, seen only by the Magi.
Although they were Persian astrologers, their science did not predict this star, it was predicted only by the Word of Prophecy. Tradition calls this manifestation the star of Bethlehem, but Scripture states it was Yahusha’s star, a vision of the Almighty (Numbers 24:16).
You
will see this in the question they asked of Herod:
Mat 2:1, 2: “And Yahusha having been born in Beyth Lekem of Yahudah in the days of Herod the sovereign, see, Magi from the East came to Yerushalayim, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born Sovereign of the Yahudim? For we saw His star in the East and have come to do reverence to Him.’”
(In case some may be confused over direction, the meaning of “in the East” simply means they saw His star while they were in the East. From their vantage point, the star guided them in a western direction.
This is why the first sentence states they were Magi
from the East).
The manifestation of the Shekinah Kabod to the Magi had no relationship to any alignments with the zodiac (like Virgo), flocks of birds in flight, prognostication from bones, or any other kind of false wisdom.
Their knowledge of what to watch for came solely from the inspired texts written in Danial chapter 9, Bereshith/Genesis 49, and Bamidbar/Numbers 24. It did not have to be dark for them to see the star as it guided them.
The star was a heavenly messenger - the Shekinah - the dwelling-place of the Name of Yahuah.
Any light was as fire (AISH) in this period, as the tongues of fire that alighted on the heads of the first Natsarim, Acts 2. The Name indwelled them.
Another manifestation of the Name was the pillar of fire which guided and protected the children of Yisharal out of Mitsrayim, and it was also the “strong Arm” of Yahuah
manifesting His
Presence.
Exo 23:20, 21: “‘See,
I am sending a Messenger before you to guard you in the way and to bring you
into the place which I have prepared.
Be on guard before Him and obey His Voice.
Do not rebel against Him, for He is
not going to pardon your transgression, for My Name is in Him.’”
The Magi were not the first to be guided by the Shekinah Kabod. At the
appearing of Yahusha when He re-gathers His bride to Himself, the whole world
will see the
sign of the Son of Adam. It will appear to be like
lightning stretching from the east to the west out in deep space
along the equatorial region, since every eye will see Him coming.
Whatever many teachers may believe about the second-coming, the fact is
established from Yahusha’s Words that it will be after the distress
that He will send forth His messengers to gather us:
Mat 24:27-37:
“For as the
lightning
comes from the east and shines to the west, so also shall the coming of the Son
of Adam be. For wherever the dead body is, there the
eagles
shall be gathered together.
And immediately after the distress of those days the sun shall be darkened, and
the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and
the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
And then the sign of the Son of Adam shall appear in the heaven, and then all
the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Adam coming
on the clouds of the heaven with power and much esteem.
And He shall send His messengers with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the heavens
to the other.
And learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become
tender and puts forth leaves, you know that the summer is near.
So you also, when you see all these, know that He is near, at the doors.
Truly, I say to you, this generation shall by no means pass away until all this
takes place.
The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words shall by no means pass
away.
But concerning that day and the hour no one knows, not even the messengers of the heavens, but My Father only. And as the days of Noah, so also shall the coming of the Son of Adam be.”
Jas 5:7,8:
“So, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Master. See, the farmer waits
for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives
the early and latter rain. You too, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the
coming of the Master has drawn near.”
It was never the “star of Bethlehem.”
That was simply where it led the Magi.
It
was the star
of Yahusha.
What Was The Star Of Bethlehem?
A caravan of Babylonian magicians from the east described a star that apparently
could only be seen by them, evidenced by their statement "we have seen His star
(from) the east." (Mt. 2).
When they arrive in Yerushalem and speak to Herod, they announce what they saw.
A normal reaction would be, "show us this star." Instead of looking for the
star, Herod sends for the scribes to learn where the Mashiak would be born so he
could kill Him!
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