The Star of Glory

It may seem strange to discuss the birth of Jesus and the journey of the wise men in January, after we have already celebrated Christmas. Some of you may have already taken down the tree, and packed away the decorations. You may have already packed away the manger scenes. But in many churches January 6th is celebrated as the Epiphany – the “manifestation” or the “showing forth” of Jesus in fulfillment of the prophecies of his birth. The birth of Christ is celebrated at this time along with the adoration of the magi and thus the manifestation of God’s Glory to the Gentiles.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ”In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:

" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

Matthew 2:1-12

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

These gentile magi – wise men - were probably Persian astrologers, priests of Zoroastrianism looking for the birth of the coming redeemer of the world, the Sosiosh of their religion, whom they had identified as the King of the Jews.

These Persian astrologers had anticipated the coming of a great leader, from the land of Israel. And this was a common expectation of the time. The Jewish historian, Josephus, as well the Roman historians Suetonius and Tacitus describe the whole of the east as living in great expectation of one who would come from Judea “to attain universal empire” and to “possess the dominion”.

They came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is he that was born King of the Jews? We have seen his star.” Theses gentile astrologers may have been aware of the prophecy of the messiah’s birth by yet another gentile, Balaam, who said:

I see him - but not in the present.

I perceive him – but not close at hand:

a star is emerging from Jacob,

a scepter is rising from Israel…

Numbers 24:17

But this also accords with the Persian idea of a fravashi – that is the stellar counterpart to a great man. When a new great leader was born on earth, a new brilliant star would appear in the heavens. The magi had observed and followed the star that betokened the birth of the great leader from Judea, the one who would attain a universal kingdom – the king of the Jews.

There has been through the centuries much speculation about the nature of this “star.” The Greek word aster is commonly translated in the New Testament as star, but is used frequently in other Greek writings to describe other shining object, which is helpful because the star that the magi followed didn’t act very much like a normal star. It moved across the sky – like you would expect, but then it disappeared from their sight, so that the magi had to stop and ask for directions in Jerusalem, and it also stopped over a particular place. Natural stars don’t behave like this.

Nearly every kind of cosmic phenomenon has been suggested to explain the nature of this star; everything from meteors, meteor showers, and comets to eclipses of the sun or moon, supernovas, and bolides (super large meteors that can generate as much light as the full moon).

Stellar conjunctions, and planetary conjunctions, have also been proposed as the explanation for the star. In the 17th century German astronomer, Johannes Kepler observed the triple conjunction of the planets: Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. Working backwards he calculated mathematically that the same kind of triple conjunction of these planets would have occurred in the year 7 B.C. which would have been about the right time for the birth of Christ, but there is some question as to how this conjunction of planets would have guided the wise men to Bethlehem, and how it would halt over the place where the child was.

Other less scientific explanations have been proposed through the years. Some Eastern Orthodox traditions describe the star as a specially created planet (like the specially ordained fish that swallowed Jonah) that was put into place by God bearing a picture (an icon) of Mary and Jesus, or of Jesus holding a cross.

Gregory of Tours in the 6th century AD said that the star was an angel that tumbled out of heaven and landed in a well in Bethlehem. He further said that the angel was still there and could be observed by passers-by.

More recently, author Barry H. Downing in the book entitled The Bible and Flying Saucers explained the star as a “space vehicle answering the description of modern UFOs” with a “star-like beacon” to lead the wise men, sent by beings from another world to “deliberately draw attention to the birth of Christ” But as much as I’ve always liked the X-Files, I don’t find this to be a very plausible or compelling explanation.

Instead I’d like us to search the scriptures to see if we can’t find a more biblical explanation. And to start, I’d like for us to look back to the book of Exodus.

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

This pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night guided the Israelites as they left the slavery of Egypt. They followed it out of Egypt and to Mt. Sinai where it settled over the mountain. It was the Glory of God and to the people it looked like a devouring fire on the mountain-top. (Ex. 24:17) Later, after they had constructed the tabernacle, the Glory of God, this fiery presence of God, filled the tent. (40:34 – 35)

The Glory cloud / fire, the Glory of God, is also called the Shekinah. This is the transliteration of a Hebrew word not found in the Bible but used in many Jewish writings to speak of God’s presence. The term means, “that which dwells.” It is often used in combination with Glory to speak of the presence of God’s Shekinah Glory.

It was this same cloud by day, fire by night that the Israelites followed to the land of Canaan. Whenever the Glory cloud rose from the tabernacle, the Israelites broke camp and followed. When the Glory cloud halted, there the Israelites pitched camp. (Numbers 9: 17 – 23)

When Solomon built his temple in Jerusalem we are told that, “fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the Glory of YHWH filled the temple The priests could not enter because the Glory of YHWH filled the temple. When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the Glory of YHWH resting on the Temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the earth, worshipping and praising YWHW with ‘For he is good, for his faithful love lasts forever!’”

(2 Chron. 7:1 – 3)

The Shekinah Glory – the fiery cloud – was the visible symbol of God’s presence among the people. It was this fiery presence that Moses observed in the burning bush. When the Israelites fled from Egypt they followed this pillar of fire during the night. When they camped in the wilderness, the fire hovered over the tabernacle at the center of the camp. The people camped around the tabernacle and dwelt in the light of God’s presence. When the Glory cloud moved, the people followed the brilliance of his presence. When they finally settled in the Promised Land God’s Glory resided with them at the temple.

The fiery cloud guided them towards safety out of Egypt and through the wilderness into the Promised Land. The Shekinah cloud also protected the Israelites from their enemies. When the armies of the Pharaoh pursued them to the Sea of Reeds, the Glory cloud moved from their front and took position behind them. It came between the army of the Egyptians and the Israelites (Ex. 14: 19 – 24)

But…

But because of their sin and disobedience and their rejection of the covenant God had made with them, that cloud of fire, the Glory of God was removed from amongst them.

The prophet Ezekiel observed as the Glory of YHWH came out over the temple threshold and rose from the center of the city and halted over the mountain to the east of the city. (Ezekiel 11:22-23) The Glory of God was abandoning the city. The city of Jerusalem had been polluted by the crimes and sins of the people and so God was removing His presence from among them. It came out of the temple, over the city, to the Mount of Olives, and hovered there, as if loath to completely abandon the city.

A Midrash ascribed to the 3rd century AD. Rabbi Johanan expresses this as follows: “For three and a half years the Presence [Shekinah] tarried on the Mount of Olives, proclaiming thrice daily, ‘Return wayward sons’ (Jer. 3:22). When it saw they would not repent, it flew away, saying ‘I will go back to my [heavenly] place till they realize their guilt; in their distress they will seek me and beg for my favor’” (Hos. 5:15)

And that was it. The Glory of God was removed and the city along with the temple was destroyed, and the people were sent into exile. That was the last time in the pages of the Old Testament that the Glory of God – that Shekinah cloud of fire was observed. God removed His presence from amongst the people.

Now God did promise that the Glory would return. When the exiles returned from Babylon and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem Zerubbabel was promised that the temple would one day the Temple would be filled with Glory, “A little while now, and I shall shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I shall shake all the nations, and the treasures of the nations shall flow in, and I shall fill this Temple with Glory.” (Haggai 2:6 – 7)

Meanwhile, the Shekinah presence of God was removed from the people. But not everything was lost. All was not in despair for Ezekiel had received a vision of the return of the Glory of God. “… and I saw the Glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his Glory.” Ezekiel 43:2.

I propose that the star that lead the magi was not a UFO, or a comet or even a spectacular planetary conjunction, but that it was the Glory of God- the Shekinah presence that lead the magi.

Ezekiel said, “…and I saw the Glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his Glory.”

 Ezekiel 43:2.

During the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east…

Isaiah prophesied

“Arise, shine out, for your light has come

and the Glory of YHWH has risen on you.

Look! though night still covers the earth

and darkness the peoples,

on you YHWH is rising

and over you his Glory can be seen.

The nations will come to your light

and kings to your dawning brightness."

(Isa. 60: 1 – 3)

Where is the one born king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising.

This star and its fiery light guided the magi from their home in the East to Israel to find the newborn King who would attain a universal kingdom. They followed the star in the same way the Israelites followed the pillar of fire by night.

The star that the magi followed led them to another star – the bright morning star Jesus Christ - 2 Peter 1:19 Rev. 22:16.

And just as the Israelites were protected from their enemies by the presence of God, the wise men too were protected from the evil of King Herod, being warned in a dream not to return the same way they had come.

This unearthly light – the Shekinah presence – had retuned from its heavenly place as the star to guide the magi to the infant Jesus Christ whose name was Immanuel “God with us”(Isa. 7:14)– the incarnation of God’s Glory. It was this epiphany, or manifestation of God’s Glory to mankind that we celebrate today.

God sent his Glory again, his Shekinah Glory in the person of Jesus to dwell among us. Just as the Glory cloud inhabited the camp with the Israelites in the wilderness and the city of Jerusalem at the temple – Jesus inhabited the camp with us. He “tabernacled” here among us and we saw his Glory, the Glory that he has from the Father as the only son of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Jesus, our Emmanuel brings us into the presence of God, into the Glory of the Father. “Look, here God lives among human beings. He will make his home among them; they will be his people, and he will be their God, God-with-them.” Rev. 21:3

O star of wonder star of night,

star with royal beauty bright,

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light.

--John H. Hopkins jr.

The star – the Glory of God – led the wise men to Jesus, the incarnate Glory of God; the bright morning star. Jesus as the star, as the Glory of God guides us to the presence of the Father. We must do as the magi did, we must follow the star.

As with gladness men of old

did the guiding star behold,

as with joy they hailed its light

leading onward, beaming bright;

so most gracious Lord may we

ever more be lead to thee.

--William Chatterton Dix