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NASB | Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king (Herod the Great), magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, |
Bible Question: Why would God give special revelation concerning Christ's birth to astrologers- the Magi in Matthew 2:1,2? Tradition tells us that these three were Kings. We might loosely associate them today to specialists in Astronomy, since they gained knowledge by observing the movement and positions of stars. I do not believe that the Magi were occultic seers or sorcerers in the sense that today's astrologers often are. "We Three Kings" is a very popular hymn that is sung around Christmas. I wonder why God would give special revelation to astrologers (the Magi).. |
Bible Answer: There are several books out that explore the concept that the Zodiac is an ancient form of the gospel beginning with Virgo the virgin and ending with Leo the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. They have some interesting points. Satan has attempted to corrupt and twist all that God has designed. It could very well be that modern astrology is his attempt to mask yet another form of the gospel. If this is the case, we know that Daniel was placed in charge of the magi and could have briefed them on this "gospel in the stars" enough to cause them to take such an industrious journey to look for a "King of the Jews". There are also several books addressing what exactly the star was. They are plausible explanations; however, ultimately a star that you can follow a distance of a few miles must be something more than a star. I have found that when I percieve an impropriety with scripture it usually means I have filtered the text with a cultural filter. Things that today are associated with evil, may have a more nobel origin. |