A familiar Christmas icon, the
reality of a new and bright star shining over the stable where Jesus was born
wasn’t questioned for almost 2000 years.
It is as much a part of the Nativity as shepherds, wise men, and angels.
But in recent years, “scholars,” in their search for the so-called “historical
Jesus,” have begun to question the reality of the star just as they question so
many other things about Christ’s life. I quote:
“Many Christians see the star as a miraculous sign of the birth of the
Christ (or Messiah). Some theologians
claimed that the star fulfilled a prophecy known as the “Star Prophecy” [Numbers 24:17] . . . Prominent scholars question the historical
accuracy of the story and argue that the star was a fiction created by the
author of the Gospel of Matthew.”[1]
Testimonies from scripture:
From Numbers (Old Testament): I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold
him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre[2]
shall rise out of Israel . . . (Numbers
24:17).
From Helaman (Book of Mormon): And behold, there shall a new star arise,
such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you (Helaman 14:5).
From Matthew (New Testament):
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa
in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen
his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2: 1-2).
From 3 Nephi (Book of Mormon):
And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word (3 Nephi 1: 21).
In addition to the star, the Book
of Mormon tells that there was a day, a night, and a day so bright that it was
as one day (Helaman 14: 3-4). Luke implies that light in his story of the
shepherds, when he wrote of glory all around them insomuch that it frightened
them (Luke 2: 9).
Even such a seemingly insignificant thing as the star is reinforced as reality through the testimony of the Book of Mormon. By the way, somewhat recent astronomical evidence seems to propose a confluence of Jupiter and Venus (two of our solar system's brightest planets)as the origin of the star If those appeared closely together, along with a very bright star or stars, on the day it first appeared, it would have lighted the night as day. Such a conjunction did occur in the spring of 2 B.C. [3]
[2] Sceptre written with a capital letter always
referred to the promised Messiah who would be King of the Jews.
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