In just a few days, you can witness a rare event in the night sky that has not been seen in almost eight centuries.
The two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will line up on December 21 to create what is sometimes called the “Christmas Star.”
When the planets line up on the day that marks the beginning of the winter solstice, they will appear to form a double planet. It is a rare event that has not been seen since the Middle Ages, according to Rick Larson in the documentary “Star of Bethlehem”. But in reality, the planets will be almost non-existent. It will look like this only for spectators on Earth.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
“What is happening on December 21, no matter how beautiful, is not the star of Bethlehem,” Larson told CBN News.
Larson did a lot of research on this subject, tracking the actual celestial movements of the planets and stars up to the time of Christ. “The star of Bethlehem is a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus,” he explains. “The conjunction, which means a reunion, was so close that they stacked practically like a figure 8 and did not hide their mutual brilliance, and the result was the brightest star anyone had ever seen in their lives.”
Theories about the “Star of Bethlehem”
As reported by CBN News, although there have been many theories about the identity of the biblical star in Bethlehem that emerged at the birth of Christ, a combination of historical research, astronomical perspective, and biblical understanding came together to present a plausible explanation that is both miraculous and understandable.
As Larson points out, this theory states that the planet Jupiter is part of that star. In the ancient world, all celestial bodies were considered “stars.”
The Magi or the three sages were most likely Babylonian counselors who used the stars to guide their ruler. Why would God guide astrologers, of all men, to the King of Kings? This example, according to some writers, was the first human work of Christ for unbelievers.
Who exactly were the magicians?
But who were these mysterious sages? An ancient Jewish writer Philo talks about them.
Larson, an expert on the Bible Star in Bethlehem, once told CBN News that Philo “describes a certain school of magicians, calls it the Eastern school, and these magicians praise them. He says that these guys have understood the natural order and are able to explain the natural order to others. And they were, after Philo, probably what we could call proto-scientists. ”
Early church historians have given a date from about 3 BC. for the birth of Christ, although other scholars say 7 BC. due to what appears to be a misunderstanding of King Herod’s death between these two dates.
Larson explains what the magicians probably saw five astronomical conjunctions that took place over a period of time, from August 3 BC. until June 2 BC. When one planet passes over another and, as seen from Earth, it aligns – that would have been of great significance to these astrological advisers.
We now know what these conjunctions meant to these Magi as they would have observed from their distant land. The conjunctions involved the constellation Leo Leo, the planet Venus, the planet Jupiter and the star Regulus.
To the Babylonians, the lion represents Israel. Venus was motherhood. Jupiter represented paternity or kingdom. And Regulus symbolized royalty.
Put them together in the Babylonian mentality and what do you get? A clear and repeated message that a great king had been born in Israel.
Why December 25?
Larson used computerized astronomical instruments to track the convergence of these celestial signs involving Jupiter, Venus, Leo, and Regulus until they occurred.
“Nine months after the first conjunction – nine months – the gestation period of a man. We see that Jupiter and Venus come together to form the brightest star he has ever seen,” Larson said.
This would have been in the middle of June of the year 2 BC. – again next to Regulus in Leo. Finally, Larson follows everything until a conclusion on December 25, in 2 BC.
“Of course, they didn’t use our calendar – you know December 25th didn’t mean anything to them. They never heard of December, but for us it could be a sign and it’s interesting that the gifts took place on December 25th.” he said.
The heavens declare the glory of God
With today’s telescopes, the greatness of the sky is more visible than ever. However, even with the naked eye, the psalmist proclaimed “the heavens declare the glory of God.”
How can he do that? Could the Star of Bethlehem be an example in the proclamation of the Messiah? Or is this some kind of wrong astrology?
“The Bible falls extremely hard on astrology. Reverence for the stars, the idea that the stars order your life or guide you, or anything else – did you know it was a murderous crime in the Old Testament?” Larson said.
But the Bible also says that God made signs in heaven. Maybe the Star of Bethlehem was like a thermometer.
“A thermometer can tell you if it’s hot or cold, but it can’t make you hot or cold – because it’s not an active agent. The stars are like that. According to the Bible, they can tell you things; they can be signs of greater power.” “From God up. But they can’t make you do anything, burn gas balls, you know,” Larson said.
The Romans thought the star was about them – instead, the king announced
Of course, the Romans who ruled most of the known world at the time believed that the star was about them and even put the star on one of their coins with an image of Caesar Augustus, which is how impressive the star was. A kind of Star of Rome, rather than the Star of Bethlehem. And that’s probably what made the Magi travel to Israel.
While the dying Augustus has long gone down in history, Jesus is revered by millions around the world as Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Eternal One who created the heavens and the signs of His own coming – who said that one day -he would come back too.
So the Magi went in search of this baby king in the Jewish capital, Jerusalem, and the Jews sent him to Bethlehem, a place from which the Jewish scriptures prophesied that a king would come. The rest is history.
Editor’s note: CBN News has been reporting for years on the true biblical star of Bethlehem. Much of the material in this story was originally researched and written by Gailon Totheroh almost two decades ago.