This speaks so powerfully of God's grace and desire for all to know Him. Thank you for filling in the context of the struggle between the Parthenians and Rome, and the cultural understanding of the word "East" as woven through Scripture. So many connections!
So how do I see this myself ,and really what do I need to see from the Bible for myself . And since this is about the birth (Christmas) what do you really think about Christmas trees and presents is this not told in the Bible to not cut a tree down and decorate with silver and gold
Hi Linda, thanks for sharing your thoughts. One of the themes of Jesus's life was his willingness to spend time with the most unlikely people. It's telling that Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (Canaanites & Moabites) show up in the genealogy, and, of course, he's known as a "friend of sinners" who's willing to share table with many people his religious community wouldn't have approved of, and I think that's part of what we're seeing with the Magi.
@@WalkingTheText I respect that and it's a good point but in my gut, I dont think so. He came in on a donkey to Jerusalem and lay in a manger yet these were rich and specific...astrologists maybe..this would fit in with the pagan christianity that my research has lead me to conclude 🥺
@@lindamckeown3198 Significant difference between a pagan using astrological aspects to influence and control their circumstances and God declaring His glory through the sun moon and stars (Ps. 19.1-4). The heavens, metaphorically, produce speech, knowledge, and words. The book of Daniel says that he was appointed over all the wise men of Babylon whom he previously rescued (ch. 1). Daniel received the 70 weeks prophecy in ch.9 where the Messiah both appears and is "cut off" from this life setting up an interregnum between His two appearances. Daniel may have understood the end of the 69 weeks conjoined with a universal prophecy (God spoke through the pagan prophet Balaam to the Moabites) that a "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel" (Num. 24.17 NIV). There may have been a recurring pattern of signs in the heavens that Daniel transmitted to these Magi who were scholars and kept records. Just as "many people became Jews" after the deliverance in Esther, probably some of these Magi in Daniel converted to the True God also. The times of the Gentiles (see Dan. 2 &7) started at the Babylonian Captivity and terminates with Christ's return. It need not be unusual that God revealed the Messiah's first appearance through members of greater humanity instead of the Jews since He is God of all. Jesus, by almost universal acclaim, is historically acknowledged and genealogically verified as a human and thus a redeemer, not only of the Jews, but humanity.
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This speaks so powerfully of God's grace and desire for all to know Him. Thank you for filling in the context of the struggle between the Parthenians and Rome, and the cultural understanding of the word "East" as woven through Scripture. So many connections!
Thanks for following along with us Jackie!
❤
So how do I see this myself ,and really what do I need to see from the Bible for myself . And since this is about the birth (Christmas) what do you really think about Christmas trees and presents is this not told in the Bible to not cut a tree down and decorate with silver and gold
I see it so differently in that I find it utterly alarming that magi would be near the Messiah. Makes me think Mithras, Horus, occult.
Hi Linda, thanks for sharing your thoughts. One of the themes of Jesus's life was his willingness to spend time with the most unlikely people. It's telling that Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (Canaanites & Moabites) show up in the genealogy, and, of course, he's known as a "friend of sinners" who's willing to share table with many people his religious community wouldn't have approved of, and I think that's part of what we're seeing with the Magi.
@@WalkingTheText I respect that and it's a good point but in my gut, I dont think so. He came in on a donkey to Jerusalem and lay in a manger yet these were rich and specific...astrologists maybe..this would fit in with the pagan christianity that my research has lead me to conclude 🥺
@@lindamckeown3198 Significant difference between a pagan using astrological aspects to influence and control their circumstances and God declaring His glory through the sun moon and stars (Ps. 19.1-4). The heavens, metaphorically, produce speech, knowledge, and words.
The book of Daniel says that he was appointed over all the wise men of Babylon whom he previously rescued (ch. 1). Daniel received the 70 weeks prophecy in ch.9 where the Messiah both appears and is "cut off" from this life setting up an interregnum between His two appearances. Daniel may have understood the end of the 69 weeks conjoined with a universal prophecy (God spoke through the pagan prophet Balaam to the Moabites) that a "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel" (Num. 24.17 NIV). There may have been a recurring pattern of signs in the heavens that Daniel transmitted to these Magi who were scholars and kept records. Just as "many people became Jews" after the deliverance in Esther, probably some of these Magi in Daniel converted to the True God also.
The times of the Gentiles (see Dan. 2 &7) started at the Babylonian Captivity and terminates with Christ's return. It need not be unusual that God revealed the Messiah's first appearance through members of greater humanity instead of the Jews since He is God of all. Jesus, by almost universal acclaim, is historically acknowledged and genealogically verified as a human and thus a redeemer, not only of the Jews, but humanity.