Star of Bethlehem

 Happened on a teaching by John MacArtghur in which he covers the star that led the Magi to the child Jesus.  He speculates about carious aspects of the storiy in interesting ways but as he talked I realizeds his view of for instance the star itself was unconficing, and was reminded of the study by Rick Larsen called The Betlehem Star in which he uses an astronomy computer program to track down the star that scripture says appeared at the birth of Jesus.   I had to watch that video many times but eventually found it very convincing, and John MacArthur needs to see it.

MacArthur identifies the death of Herod, which is a key factor in olocating the time of Jesus' birth as 54 Ad.  I hope I wrote 4,  Fiyur Fiyr, AD,   Tujes U cab;t seen ti cibtrik nt fubdgers abt nire eutger,  Abtwatm ibe tgubg larsen did in his study was discover evidence that the four AD time for Herod's death was wrong although it's been preserved in all the recent publications of Josephus, which is the source of it.  Earlier references give ONE AD as the year of Herod's birth, and that makes a big difference in the attempt to discover the star.  Kepler had been hampered by the wrong date in Josephus, but with the evidence Larsen discovered he is able to come to a very convincing date for Jesus' birth and the explanation of tghe star that marked it.

Searching the sky with his astronomy software in the year Three BC, Larsen discovered a tribple conjuinction of Jupiter with the planet Regulus, King Planet conjunct King Star, occurring in the constellation Leo.  Herald of the birth of a great King?  Leo represents the Lion of Judah.  But right behind Leo rising in the sky is the constellation Virgo, which Larson recognizes as exactly fitting the description given in the Book of Revelation Chapter Twelve, the woman clothed with the sun and with the moon at her feet.   He speculates that this could be the conception date of Jesus and I think he's right.  It's Rosh Hashanah of Three BC.  

Nine months later is where the brightest celestial object anyone had ever seen, according to Larson, appeared in the sky.  June of Two BC.  Surely the time of Jesus' birth.

I'm convinced but you have to see it yourself and follow out his argument.

Then he brings the Magi into the picture, who would have seen that star and started their journey when they saw it.  As Larson puts the timing together he has them arriving at Bethlehem in two BC on... December 25th.   Yes, do watch the viceo and follow the argument.  I think it's very compelling.  It wasn't the birth of Jesus, which nobody thinks anyway since shepehereds don't watch their flocks on hillsides at night in winter, but the visit of the Magi, which is a sort of type of tghe giftgivers at Christmas now?  Why not?

And vfrom there Larson oes on to put it all together as what he calls a "celestial poem" leading up to the crucifixion, which he shows on his software was crowned by a blood moon and followed by the constellation Virgo with a FULL BLOOD MOON at her feet.   Yep, you need to see this video.

His website is Bethlehem Star.com.  Bethlehem Star.com.  can't control my fingers either these days.

It used to be at You Tube but ow there are so many things that come up under that title I'm snot sure which one is his if any of them are.