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In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
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This is the third of the three optional Gospel readings that can be read aloud by a priest on the second Sunday after Christmas, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. If chosen, it will follow an Old Testament reading from Jeremiah, where the prophet wrote: “I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty”. That will be followed by a singing of Psalm 84, where David wrote: “The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; by the side of your altars, Yahweh of hosts, my King and welohay.” That pair will precede a reading from Ephesians, where Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.”
I imagine the only reason this reading is optional on the second Sunday after Christmas is smaller churches that cannot afford a full-time priest will not be having an Epiphany service, which comes up on Thursday in 2022 (always January 6th). Because this Gospel selection is the only one for the Epiphany service, it can be read in advance. Still, in the quote here, stated after the words “written by the prophet,” they come from Micah, which was the Old Testament reading choice for the fourth Sunday of Advent, two Sundays prior. So, a little before and a little after and voilà – Matthew 2:1-12 is read today.
It was this specific reading that opened my eyes (divinely inspired to “behold!”) to the truth that is the Christmas story. It is my personal history that I was led to learn astrology in my younger years, to the point of being qualified to work professionally as an astrologer [something I never did, nor desired to do]. With that personal knowledge, I can understand what chickenshits and fraidy-cats run away from, peeing themselves while making a cross (those of Catholicism only), while praying, “Save me God from this evil.”
By knowing astrology, I was finally allowed to see the “star” [a word that appears in the singular number four times here in Matthew 2, five times in John’s Apocalypse, and twice in 1 Corinthians] as the “sun” – the only “star” in our “solar” system. The word “Magi” [written only in the lower-case, as “magoi, magous, magōn (2x), magon, and magos – the first two in this story, the next two in the story of Herod slaughtering the innocents of Bethlehem, and the last two in Acts, where the word is translated as “magician”] must be read [in the lower-case] as “astrologers.” It was in late November 2016 that it finally dawned on me (having long known this story and having long been knowledgeable in astrology) to connect the two. Doing that allowing me to see the truth. It led to me (eventually, in September 2019) publishing a book entitled The Star of Bethlehem: The Timing of the Life of Jesus.
When the two are put together this reading simply says astrologers from the east [Persia] had used the sun as the central point in their routine of producing forecasting charts, which they would have done in order to advise the King of Persia about coming trends, based on the known placements of the planets [at that time only the visible: two luminaries, five planets] and how astrologers would read those future placements. For divine “magi” [lower-case spelling] or holy “astrologers" to travel west to Jerusalem, they would have had to have received approval by the Persian king. That says their caravan would have been rather large, with an accompaniment of security, orderlies, animal caretakers, and the astrologers. That trip would have only been approved because of the phenomenal display [the alignment of the celestial orbs] made on an astrological chart.
From the cover of my book. The red triangle actually forms a cross, upside down, but looks like a tabernacle this way.
Add to that the “magi” had some knowledge of a prophesied birth of a “Messiah” – the “king of the Jews” – one can grasp how they would have been part of the Jewish remnant freed from Babylon, who remained to assist their Persian liberators. That would make them all be priests, as Jews – call them early Kabbalists – who were not kept outside of the divine ‘loop,’ meaning they most likely would have bee assisted by angelic guidance, which informed them the chart they saw [well in advance of the time when it would appear in the heavens] was of a most holy birth. They would not arrive in Jerusalem (after traveling a month or so), get an audience with Herod and ask to see the newborn child that was the king of the Jews, simply because they followed some light in the night sky that was a one-time thing [that does not sway atheists to believe the story]. The Magi knew well in advance when a most fabulous birth would occur.
One must realize Herod did not know these people from squat. They, therefore, received no preferential treatment, as to when they could see Herod; but it would be essential that strangers arrive carrying with them some form of a ‘letter or marque,’ explaining, “I, the King of Persia, have sent these priestly ambassadors to see you with my approval. Please show them your highest respect.”
In verse two, the capitalized word “Pou” becomes a divinely elevated word of question that asks “Where” or “In what place,” leading this divine place to be relative to “the one being” or “the one existing” (from “estin” – third-person singular of “I am”), who is “this having been born.” This says the divine elevation makes it most important for these holy men from the east travel to be “Where” a newborn “is,” knowing that the birth was so special he was known beforehand to be coming as “the ruler” or “the king” of all known to be “Jewish.” By asking about one “having been born,” the “astrologers” had cast an event chart that was then seen as a “natal chart,” meaning a ”birth chart” of such an important child.
Here, it should be realized that “magi,” who were descended from Jewish ancestry and customs, arrived in Jerusalem with an expectation that King Herod also employed astrologers. Those would have then also foreseen this miraculous celestial arrangement in advance; and, the magi would have expected Herod to have known of this birth coming beforehand, just as they knew. This means they arrived with expectations that such a birth would have been praised and most welcome.
Following their question, we then read the magi having been received as I am these days, when I tell a stranger, “The star of Bethlehem is the sun.” Obviously, Herod was busy reading the letter or marque and listening to the magi, until he looked up and asked, “What makes you fellows think this?” To that the astrologers would have then explained, “for we observed his star at its rising.”
The literal translation of the Greek here says, “we perceived [from “eidomen”] indeed of him this star in the east.” In that, the “perception” that those astrologers “saw,” that “indeed” was “of him" – a newborn ruler of the Jewish people. That was based on “this” (which they might have then held out to Herod), with “this” (from “ton”) being a natal chart cast. A natal chart tells an astrologer the basic character traits expected to be found in the native [with the same alignments also able to be projected upon an event, which is called an electional chart]. A natal chart depends on the time of birth, the place of birth, and the date of birth; and, by knowing that basic data a chart can be cast, based on the sun's position, with all the other orbs then plotted in relationship to the sun … on that specific day, place, and time. All originates because the daily motion of the sun – it moves about one degree each day, so a year can be forecast daily – with the “star” or “sun” being the anchor to which all the other orbs are aligned. This is what is basically called “sun sign astrology” today, where all people are designated to be the astrological sign that is relative to where the sun was on the day they were born.
When they explained they saw the star “in the east,” that simply means they cast the chart in Persia; but they would have seen the same basic arrangement of planets and luminaries with basic coordinates for a central location in Persia [even Babylon]. From that first-run chart, they then recognized [divinely assisted to see] the chart was not forecasting an event for Persia, but a global event coming. Seeing the alignments as those more pertinent to a natal chart, they would have deduced the alignments predicted a birth of a most special child. Persia having no prophecies of divine births expected made Judea a good bet, since the same alignments were also the same there [time of birth adjusted accordingly].
Again with divine inspiration helping them, they would have then set the coordinates for Jerusalem [central for Judea]. The planetary-luminary positions would remain the same, as long as the time was adjusted to a place further west. That updated chart, based on Jerusalem as the place of birth, would have been what they held out for Herod to see. That work producing the chart would have been all done “in the east.”
They did not follow a star by night, as absolutely nothing is written that says that. Shear stupidity would lead one to believe anyone traveled by night, when that is when people fall into pits and die. When verse nine says the magi left the king and saw [“behold!”] “the star they saw in the east,” well golly gee, it was daytime, so they saw the sun. They saw the sun in the same elevated position they had forecast the natal chart to be, when the sun was high overhead.
We then read in verse three how Herod reacted, after hearing who the magi had come visiting to see, with Luke writing “he was troubled” (from “etarachthē”). This means that he had read a letter signed by a real king – Xerxes I – who was not a puppet king of a Roman emperor, but an emperor himself. Xerxes, as a king, was a smart dude, with lots of other smart dudes advising him. An idiot would not finance a caravan to Jerusalem (800 miles, 1600 round-trip traveling requires lots of supplies and advance planning). The magi had been approved by Xerxes to venture to Jerusalem for the purpose of “worshiping” or “giving reverence to” [from “proskynēsai”] a holy birth. The expectation was [divinely assisted] then that the chart they had seen was of the one who had been prophesied to come, quite some time before (seven hundred years). That was the huge gulp that appeared in Herod's throat; and, that was “troubling” for Herod to hear holy men saying to him, "The time has arrived."
When the translation by the NRSV says “When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him,” this is confusing. It makes readers ask, “How would all Jerusalem know about a private audience between some foreign dignitaries and the King of Judea? How could that meeting be news that could possible spread so fast? Did some herald go to a tower and proclaim, “The Messiah has been born … news at 11:00”?
No.
This means “Jerusalem” has to be read as the meaning behind the name, with the capitalization divinely elevating the meaning to a level of Yahweh. When the name is known to mean “Teaching Peace,” what is said is this: Not only did the king show visible signs of being “troubled,” but in addition to his showing signs of not knowing what to say (stammering, sweating profusely, coughing, etc.), the ”whole” of Herod’s soul – that which “Teaches Peace” inwardly, keeping true kings from ever being shaken, knowing God is on their side – that soul presence was whispering to Herod, “This is not good for those who are false shepherds of My people, Herod ole boy.”
Because the astrologers had asked Herod “Where” or “In what place” they could visit the one who was symbolized by the natal chart they had cast (probably a year prior), the nervousness of Herod kept him from openly admitting he was a false shepherd, so he refused to say, “Gee, guys, I have no clue where that would be. Are you sure it is relative to Jewish prophecy?”
Instead, Herod called for his scribes (meaning he had no court astrologers to rely on … much like every branch of denominations associated with the Western Christian Church today). When the scholars arrived, smart as scribes are (because they memorize so well), Herod asked them to remind him “Where” the Messiah was prophesied to be born. They [maybe having been given a ‘heads up,’ so they checked some notes beforehand] immediately quoted Micah 5:2.
After they came and made that announcement, the magi most likely asked, “How do we get there from here? Our caravan is camped just down the road.” With directions given, Herod then emptied the room. A public meeting, with recorders and other state representatives present, such as historians normally assigned to be present for all meeting held in the palace of Jerusalem, the room was cleared for a “private” or “secret” continuation of this meeting. It was then that Herod asked, “What time did you use to calculate this birth chart?”
In the Greek text written, the word “ēkribōsen” is rooted in the word “akriboo,” which means “exact, precise,” implying “I learn carefully, inquire with exactness.” (Strong’s) From that, the word “ascertain” can be used, where the point of secrecy is now Herod knowing that the “exact time” of a natal chart is key to duplicating such a chart, so one with less expertise than a divine astrologer could mishandle the symbolic meaning seen in an astrological chart.
In this light, one must realize that Yahweh created astrology – per Enoch – so it is a tool to be used by divine priests. Just as a hammer is designed to be used in construction, the same tool can be misused as an implement of destruction. Evil is as evil does. In the same way, Yahweh created Adam to become the minister of truth on earth; but, because Adam and Eve gave birth to Cain, who would beget every evil form of religion known to mankind (after being banished), fearing astrology would be akin to fearing religion because of Cain. It is not the tool, but the divinity of the tool user [and that demands angelic guidance]. All of this means the secret question by Herod would not be something shared by the magi, because such information would make it possible for one untrained in divine tools to harm a native – at any time in that native’s life.
In verse eight, where we read Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem, there is nothing that says they gave him the birth time. In modern times, that information is deemed client-astrologer privilege, thus confidentiality is the expectation and Jesus was not yet anointed by the magi, so he was still not a public figure. I doubt they would have told Herod anything more than, "Bring us your court astrologers and we will let them look at the chart." That would have been when Herod admitted, “Dang! We had cutbacks recently and did away with the astrologers.” Thus, divine astrologers did not divulge anything more than necessary.
When Herod told the astrologers to go find the Messiah in Bethlehem and then come back and tell him where he can be found … so he could go pay his respects too … this says two things. First, it says Herod was not fully believing this story told to him by strangers, despite the cold chill that ran down his spine when he lost his cool and became frightened with news of a divine king having been born. Had Herod fully believed the magi, he would have made immediate arrangements to accompany the magi to Bethlehem, where his presence would garner immediate attention and force the locals to point to any newborns there. Second, Herod was trying to make it seem to the magi that this kind of stuff happened all the time around there. There were plenty of zealots running around Judea claiming to be the Messiah, none newborns. To believe them all would mean Judea would be led by insanity. That would make Herod poopoo the power of astrology, which he would have used to sew the seed into the minds of the magi that suggested to them, “We need to prove to this Roman puppet that we know what we’re talking about.” Herod would use that lack of concern as motivation to have them running back to Herod, after they actually found a newborn who fit their natal chart expectations, telling him, "I told you so!"
Because the trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem is going south, the east would have been to their left side. When we read, “went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was,” that means it was still morning; so, as they traveled south “the sun” slowly rose higher in the sky. By the time they reached Bethlehem, it would have been high overhead.
In verse ten, where it is written: “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy,” the reality is nothing says “stopped.” The sun [a fixed star] always appears to be moving because the earth is always turning. However, if the astrologers reached Bethlehem and then recast a chart for that specific event of arrival, such that they “stopped the sun” for the purpose of casting an on-the-spot electional chart, they would have found that the changes made to the birth chart would make the adjusted chart more remarkable. Knowing they had arrived late - after the birthdate - the adjusted chart would say if they were still good on the timing or too late. Therefore, the new astrological revelation would have led them to have “rejoiced joyfully greatly and exceedingly.” In other words, they would not only be saying, “Wow!” they would have been dancing wildly in the street, just as when David led the Ark of the Covenant into his city. This new emotional outlet says they were even more convinced that they were at the right place, at the right time.
This is where there needs to be a pause in the story, so one can reflect on everything that led to this point of great celebration. There is reason for the magi recasting an electional chart.
1. The date of the natal chart had already passed. The magi knew a specific birth date and would have arrived to Jerusalem in time for that date; but they had not planned for it being festival time there. Due to Jerusalem being overwhelmed with pilgrims, all the places they could find a room were overflowing. So, non-Jews from the east would have been stopped by Roman guards, telling them the city was too packed for state visits, causing them to wait outside the city, until the festival was over and the pilgrims had left town.
2. Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem only because Joseph had to register for the demanded census ordered by Rome. When they arrived (Mary riding on a donkey), Joseph stabled the donkey and off they went to the registration place. After registering (no child yet born) Mary’s water broke. Because of the influx of pilgrims, there were no rooms available for Mary to give birth in, privately. Because Joseph had paid to stable his donkey, that became their place to stay, so Mary would not deliver a baby out in the open. Midwives would have been called to attend to Mary, with Joseph standing outside the cave where the stable was, telling local menfolk, “My brother lives in Emmaus. His name is Cleopas. If he comes looking for us, tell him where we are.”
3. This means the festival was Shavuot, which is the Fiftieth Day [Pentecost] in the counting of the Omer, which began the second day of the Passover festival. After the morning of Shavuot, everything would be over and the pilgrims would clear out. After the linens were changed, Mary and Jesus would have been appropriately moved from the cave stable, into a nearby room that was now freed up. This means Jesus was born on the day before Shavuot, which would later be the day he ascended (after death and resurrection). [Jesus was born and ascended on the same day of the year! Only Yahweh would make a long-range plan like that!!!] The magi would have arrived during the height of the festival gathering, thus kept out of Jerusalem until the day after Shavuot.
4. This means the magi recast a chart for two days after their original cast date. While the sun had moved two degrees, with Mercury and Venus moving about the same, the Moon would have moved about twenty-four degrees. It was the Moon’s movement that made it become conjunct with Mars and the Ascendant [rising sign] that would have greatly excited them. The Moon reflects the Mother; and, Mars reflects the Son. The delay meant they arrived at a time that symbolized the Son and the Mother as one, all part of the grander configuration that led them to seek a holy birth in the first place.
When this element of the magi finding Jesus two days after he was born is realized, the concept of Epiphany being after twelve days – the Twelve Days of Christmas – with their arrival being thirteen days later is accurate only as a statement that the magi arrived after the birth of Jesus. Astrologically, thirteen days is almost half a month [symbolizing the time it takes a new moon to change into a full moon]; and, there would be greater movement of planets during that length of time, with the Moon making half a revolution through the signs of the zodiac in that timeframe. So, a recast chart would not be anything to cheer about at that late date. Two days after was still quite significant.
This is further realized when one knows Joseph and Mary were not permanent residents of Bethlehem. The move to a room in a “house” would be soon after one became available, and only necessary for about a day. In that amount of time, Joseph’s relatives would have arrived to assist with a cart (if necessary) or other transportation needs, in order to get Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus back where they belonged. Had the magi been held up longer [Yahweh would not have allowed that to happen], then their coming to Jerusalem would have been for naught. That tight window of opportunity would play into Herod waiting a year before ordering all two-year olds killed; because, if the magi had arrived well after the birth time, then they might have given up and left town, not coming back to see Herod and admit, "We missed him."
The purpose of the magi coming was to anoint Jesus as Yahweh’s promised Son. This would not be as a “king,” but as a high priest to the Tabernacle. Just as “gold,” “frankincense” and “myrrh” were elements involved in the ceremonial garb of a high priest, the magi’s gifts would have been more probably a tiny crown and a little robe, with incense burned and oils besmeared on his forehead. The magi were then sent by Yahweh [just like Gabriel made his announcements to many], for that purpose of officially letting it be known that Jesus was indeed His Son.
When the last verse tells of the magi being warned in a dream, not to go back to Jerusalem and tell Herod anything, this divine warning needs to be seen as either collectively [all magi – and no number states how many there were, although the plural number is clear], or individually [where one who was shown a divine warning, who then told the others], this is another clarification that the magi were not hippy-dippy astrologers, like those found on the Internet today. They were priests first and foremost, who served Yahweh first and foremost; and, from that divine connection they were able to utilize a tool created by Yahweh, to lead others divinely. Therefore, they were not without prior experience in receiving divine dreams; so, they left Bethlehem via another route.
Relative to this departure and the story of Luke that tells of the slaughter of the innocent children in Bethlehem [a deed that was not recorded historically as documented proof to Scripture], that murder was selective and most likely secretly incorporated. Because there was no urgency for Joseph to take his family to Egypt, allowing for the bris for Jesus (circumcision and official naming) and the dedication in the Temple in Jerusalem after forty days, it was not like Herod was breathlessly waiting for the magi to return and report on their findings. As an important [and ego-driven] man, with lots to be in charge of as king, it is likely that a year passed before Herod realized the magi might have found what they were seeking [or not] and then purposefully did not return to tell him. A year later, perhaps, some court recorder could have reminded Herod procedurally: “On this date last year you met with astrologers from Persia …” and then Herod would have recalled the meeting. That would be well after Joseph had moved his wife and child to Egypt, to begin his training as a carpenter.
Here, it should be seen that Joseph is identified as a "righteous man," which means he should be seen as an Essene priest. Mary's uncle [a relative of some kind], Zechariah, was also an Essene priest. As such, their responsibilities were to the temple on Mount Carmel, not the Temple of Jerusalem [Herod's Temple]. With the birth of John later bringing attention to him by the sons of Herod the Great, it is likely his birthdate and registration would have been checked, to see if a decree from Herod would cover someone like John (thought to be the Messiah). Because John was not born when the magi appeared before Herod and not in Bethlehem, he was spared that judgment. Jesus, however, could have been targeted as the son of an Essene priest, who had indeed registered in Bethlehem at the time covered by Herod's order. By Joseph going to Egypt to learn a craft [he wasn't a very good carpenter], and going yearly to Jerusalem for the Passover [not something Essene priests did], his change of 'profession' made it less likely to see Jesus as people saw John.
The report of the magi having not returned to report to Herod, as privately agreed, coming a year later would then be why Herod ordered the murder of two-year old males. It means a reminder led him to send his ‘secret police’ to investigate how many children were born in Bethlehem that were two years of age. Registration records reporting new births could have assisted their search. That means Herod did not get the time of Jesus' birth from the magi; so, Herod was quickly figuring how old a Messiah could be, based on a year before the magi arriving, until then when he remembered. Not knowing when the magi first saw the star means he could have 'covered all the bases' by thinking they might have arrived to worship a one-year old male child. To reduce the number murdered (and keep locals from mounting a campaign against him) Herod would have ordered the deaths [some forms of accidents?] for all two-year old males in Bethlehem specifically; again, relying on census records [which says Joseph registered before Mary gave birth to Jesus, so at the time of registration it was just him and wife]. Because Mary had not delivered Jesus before Joseph registered for the census, Joseph was not listed as the father of a baby born there, at that time. This also plays into how old Jesus was when he began his ministry.
When Mary, the mother of Jesus told Luke that Jesus was “about thirty” when his ministry began, the Greek word translated as “about” is “hōsei.” That word translates as “as it were” or “as though,” which is a truthful way of saying Jesus was not actually thirty, but he was officially “about thirty.” No mother will forget her child' birthdate. Mary knew how old Jesus was; but her information to Luke was the truth, just not the total truth. This would mean that after Joseph was told to return to Nazareth, he then later registered Jesus as his son [adopted legally], perhaps in a follow-up census [the one Mary recalled who was in charge of what, at that time]. When asked the age of Jesus, the person might have guessed Joseph had a new child at that time of registration, or he would have come registered Jesus sooner. Thus, a clerical misunderstanding could have made the records state that Jesus was almost thirty, when in reality he was years older [up to four].
All of this is explained in my book The Star of Bethlehem: The Timing of the Life of Jesus.” All of this is possible to see when the cataracts that keep Scripture from being clearly understood are removed. The Christmas stories, as repeatedly told on television and other media, which are then echoed by morons that know nothing about the Word … but [like the scribes] they can memorize the hell out of Scripture … means a fairy tale is celebrated [not the truth]. The true and deep meaning always falls to the wayside. It is like astrology being thrown out because Christians fear everything, when they should only fear Yahweh.