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what did the wise men follow to find jesus

by Prof. Reese Pacocha Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

What did the wise men follow to find Jesus? The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears only in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew where "wise men from the East" (Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem. The star leads them to Jesus' home in the town, where they worship him and give him gifts.

Magi, singular Magus, also called Wise Men, in Christian tradition, the noble pilgrims “from the East” who followed a miraculous guiding star to Bethlehem, where they paid homage to the infant Jesus as king of the Jews (Matthew 2:1–12).

Full Answer

How did the wise men find Jesus and Mary?

Click to see full answer. Besides, how did the wise men find Jesus? When the Wise Men found Jesus and Mary, they would have been living in a normal house, probably in Bethlehem or Jerusalem, because by this time Jesus would have been aged between one and two. Then they gave their gifts to him.

Where did the wise men come from in the Bible?

The Roman Emperor Augustus said it was safer to be Herod’s pig than his son. Matthew calls the visitors “Magi” (wise men) and they may well have been astrologers, following the sign of a special star in the sky. They probably came from Persia.

How long did it take for the wise men to visit Jesus?

The wise men arrived about one to two years after Jesus’ birth. One year is probably a better estimate since the wise men needed time to travel from the east to find Jesus. Jesus was in a house when the wise men visited Him. God wanted these wise men to visit Jesus.

Where was Jesus born according to the Wise Men?

After the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, they asked where Jesus was to be born. Here is the answer they received. In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, “AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER, WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.”

Where did the wise men find Jesus?

Keeping this in view, how did the wise men find Jesus? When the Wise Men found Jesus and Mary, they would have been living in a normal house, probably in Bethlehem or Jerusalem, because by this time Jesus would have been aged between one and two. Then they gave their gifts to him.

Where does the Star of Bethlehem appear?

The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears only in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew where "wise men from the East" (Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem. The star leads them to Jesus' home in the town, where they worship him and give him gifts. Click to see full answer. Keeping this in view, how did the wise men ...

How many wise men were there in the Bible?

How many “wise men” were there? The Bible does not say, and traditions about their number vary. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Eastern tradition sets the number of Magi at 12, but Western tradition sets their number at three, probably based on the three gifts of ‘gold, frankincense, and myrrh’ ( Matthew 2:11) presented to the infant.”.

What does the Bible say about the three wise men?

Contrary to popular Christmas tradition, the Bible does not use the terms “three wise men” or “three kings” to describe the travelers who went to see Jesus after his birth. ( Matthew 2:1) Instead, the Gospel writer Matthew used the Greek word ma’goi to describe those who visited Jesus.

What does the Bible say about Herod?

The Bible says: “Herod, seeing that he had been outwitted by the astrologers, flew into a great rage, and he sent out and had all the boys in Bethlehem and in all its districts killed, from two years of age and under, according to the time that he had carefully ascertained from the astrologers.”.

What does Matthew 2:9 mean?

Matthew 2:9. The appearance of the “star” set in motion events that threatened the life of Jesus and resulted in the murder of innocent children. When the astrologers left Bethlehem, God warned them not to return to Herod.—. Matthew 2:12.

What were the names of the wise men?

According to The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “attempts to name them (e.g., Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar ) rest upon legends.”.

Where did the Astrologers go?

Only then did the astrologers go to Bethlehem. The Bible says: “After they had heard the king, they went their way, and look! the star they had seen when they were in the East went ahead of them until it came to a stop above where the young child was.”—. Matthew 2:9.

Who was the first to direct the astrologers to Bethlehem?

For we saw his star when we were in the East, and we have come to do obeisance to him.’”—. Matthew 2:1, 2. King Herod, not the “star,” was the first to direct the astrologers to Bethlehem. When he heard of a rival “king of the Jews,” Herod investigated where the promised Christ was to be born.

What does the Bible say about the wise men?

Immediately, the Bible says, “they bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11). As Christmas approaches this year, I pray that you will be like those wise men—seeking Jesus with your whole heart, and then by faith committing your life to Him. He is the greatest gift you will ever receive.

Where did the camels come from in the Bible?

A: The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly where they came from; it only tells us that they were from a country to the east of Israel (where Jesus was born). Nor does it tell us if they rode camels—although they probably did, since they would have had to cross long sections of desert to reach their destination.

What does Isaiah 9:6 mean?

They may, for example, have known of the prophet Isaiah’s words: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6). What is certain, however, is that God revealed to them that the long-awaited Messiah had now been born, and they were determined to find Him and honor Him.

How many wise men are there in the Bible?

It should be noted that the Bible doesn’t say there were three wise men or magi. It says there were three kinds of gifts; gold, kings/royalty; frankincense (prayers): the myrrh was used as an embalming oil). There may have been more kings or wise men (likely), and this must have required a caravan of up to 60 camels or more (soldiers, servants, ...

Why did Joseph and Mary escape to Egypt?

In God’s sovereignty, these gifts probably proved useful in Joseph and Mary’s flight to Egypt, paying for their expenses, and this escape was made necessary because Herod ordered the execution of all male children, two and under in or near Bethlehem.

How many years is the seventh week in Daniel 9?

Then in Daniel 9:27, the seventh week is mentioned (490 years in all). Each week is a prophetic week; each week worth seven years. This means that the seventy weeks of Daniel 9 equal 490 prophetic years (bringing us up to the time of Calvary), so even after hundreds of years, Daniel’s prophecy of the coming Messiah could have been known to ...

What did Gabriel tell Daniel?

We know from Scripture that Daniel was a man of prayer, and he naturally wanted to know when things would be restored, so Gabriel answered Daniel’s prayer (2 weeks later) and told Daniel not only where and when the Messiah would come, but when He would be killed (Dan. 9:25-26). The magi or wise men recognized the fact that Daniel’s point ...

What does Daniel chapter 9 mean?

One such writing may have been Daniel chapter 9 where Daniel refers to the appearance of the Messiah, and goes into very specific detail about the timing of the Anointed One’s appearance (Dan 9:21-26). We know from Scripture that Daniel was a man of prayer, and he naturally wanted to know when things would be restored, ...

Why were the magi monotheistic?

They were monotheistic, believing in the existence of only one god. Because of Daniel’s great wisdom, and because he had successfully pleaded for the lives of the wise men who had failed to interpret the king’s dream (Dan. 2:24), Daniel came to be highly regarded among the magi (saving many of their lives!), so we’d certainly expect ...

Where was Jesus born in the Old Testament?

Bethlehem was a small town six miles from Jerusalem. It was the hometown of King David. It is therefore significant that Jesus was born there as the Jews were expecting the Messiah, as prophesied in the Old Testament, to come from David’s birth place. Matthew always likes to remind his readers whenever these prophecies have been fulfilled.

Where was Jesus born?

Jesus was born in Bethlehem when Herod was king of Judea. Some men who studied the stars came from the east to Jerusalem and asked “Where is the Baby born to be the king of the Jews?” They had seen his star in the east and come to worship him.

What did Herod ask the visitors to do in Bethlehem?

They told him Bethlehem had been predicted in prophecy. Herod asked the visitors to let him know exactly where the child was, so he too could worship him. They followed the star until it stopped over the place where the child lay. They worshipped him and brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

What does the Old Testament say about kings?

Some traditions refer to the Magi as kings. The Old Testament describes kings who bring their gifts to a great ruler (Psalm 72:10-11) and that kings would come to give honour to God’s light in Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:3). The idea of kings probably comes from these verses.

What does gold represent in the Bible?

Gold – this is a precious metal and represents royalty. It emphasises Jesus’ role as ruler over the kingdom of God. Gold represents the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense – this is resin from a tree, burned for its smell during temple worship (and still used in some churches today).

Where did the wise men come after Jesus?

The wise men arrived long after Jesus’ birth. Here is a portion of the Christmas story from the gospel of Matthew. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying . . . Matthew 2:1 (NASB)

Why did the wise men never visit Jesus?

Because he had been told by the wise men that they had been following the star for about two years. This reveals that the wise men never visited Jesus while He was in the manger at the inn.

What is the story of Herod being tricked by the magi?

The answer is given in Matthew 2:16. Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi. Matthew 2:16 (NASB)

How long did it take for the wise men to arrive?

Therefore, the wise men arrived about one to two years after Jesus’ birth. One year is probably a better estimate since the wise men needed time to travel from the east to find Jesus. But Matthew is clear that Jesus was in a house by the time the wise men arrived. God wanted these wise men to visit Jesus.

Where did the wise men arrive?

Wise Men Arrive In Jerusalem. After the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, they asked where Jesus was to be born. Here is the answer they received. In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, “AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER, ...

Who was the King of the wise men in Matthew 2:5-6?

Matthew 2:5-6 (NASB) This disturbed King Herod who secretly met with the wise men. We are told that Herod asked the wise men how long ago the star had appeared and then told them that Jesus could be found in Bethlehem. So the wise men left for Bethlehem and as they went, the star they had been following reappeared again.

Is Jesus in a house?

Matthew 2:11 (NASB) Notice that we are told Jesus is now in a house. The Greek word that is translated as house is oikia. It simply means house or home. But Jesus was born at an inn, in the area set aside for animals. and not in a house.

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A Comet Overhead?

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Bright comets do appear in the sky from time to time and have been described as “hanging over” particular cities or lands. Matthew wrote that the Star of Bethlehem stayed over Bethlehem. Halley’s comet was visible in the region in 12 BC. Presumably it would have been bright enough to be described as a star. Scholars …
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A Gathering of Planets?

  • Astronomers believe that the Star of Bethlehem was a conjunction, or gathering of planets in the night sky. In 6 B.C. ancient texts describe a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Since planets orbit the sun at different speeds and distances, they occasionally seem to approach each other closely. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) preferred this view. However, multiple planets do not look like a si…
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A Heliacal Rising

  • Astrology of the time didn’t focus on the stars themselves. Ancient astronomers knew that stars remained fix in the night sky. Instead, astrology focused on astronomical events, such as the last appearance of a particular star before sunrise. In addition, it looked for the conjunctions of stars and planets. One clue is buried in the verse itself, where “in the east” could also be interpreted a…
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A Supernova?

  • What if they saw a Supernova? These appear in the sky as “new stars” and are sometimes brighter than even Venus or Jupiter in the night sky. This would match the Biblical description, and might have been interpreted as a good omen. Chinese and Korean astronomers noted the appearance of a nova in 5 BC, which would be around the right time frame. On the other hand, this Nova wasn’t …
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