Christmas is almost here and it's time to discuss the Watchtower belief that the star of Bethlehem was, in fact, Satan leading the Magi from the East to Jesus so that King Herod can kill him. I never understood why they believe this as there is no scriptural evidence to suggest the star was anything more than a celestial beacon by God.
WTBTS: Star of Bethlehem = Satan
by sacolton 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
JWoods
Maybe it is an outgrowth of their Anti-Christmas sentiments. Certainly, one could reason, if this important detail were the true case, then the gospel accounts of the birth of the Christ would have recorded it! Instead, one finds that the three wise men are a positive characterization of the nativity - showing honor for the Christ.
Herod is the bad guy in the bible, not the Magi. Bible says the star was for the Magi, not for the King of Jerusalem.
Typical twisted human logic by Brooklyn. About like the Michael was Jesus idea...
Maybe someone could tell us when the WT first began teaching this flight of fantasy? Betcha it came about right along with the denunciation of the celebration of Christmas.
-
isaacaustin
long post keeps getting cut off...edited below in two parts
-
isaacaustin
long post keeps getting cut off...edited below in 2 parts
-
isaacaustin
Matthew 2:1-23
</form>1 After Jesus had been born in Beth´le·hem of Ju·de´a in the days of Herod the king, look! astrologers from eastern parts came to Jerusalem, 2 saying: “Where is the one born king of the Jews? For we saw his star [when we were] in the east, and we have come to do him obeisance.”
Hmm, they saw his star while they were in the east. Logic would say that the King of the Jews would be born in Jerusalem. But nowhere does this text state that the star led them to Jerusalem. A JW assumes that since that is what they are told....
3 At hearing this King Herod was agitated, and all Jerusalem along with him; 4 and on gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said to him: “In Beth´le·hem of Ju·de´a; for this is how it has been written through the prophet, 6 ‘And you, O Beth´le·hem of the land of Judah, are by no means the most insignificant [city] among the governors of Judah; for out of you will come forth a governing one, who will shepherd my people, Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the astrologers and carefully ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearing; 8 and, when sending them to Beth´le·hem, he said: “Go make a careful search for the young child, and when YOU have found it report back to me, that I too may go and do it obeisance.” 9 When 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.
So now the star actually leads them directly to Jesus. Why is this significant?
-
isaacaustin
continued, (for some reason my post keeps getting cut off)
10 On seeing the star they rejoiced very much indeed. 11 And when they went into the house they saw the young child with Mary its mother, and, falling down, they did obeisance to it. They also opened their treasures and presented it with gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
So the star led these wise men directly to the child and they gift the family with expensive gifts. Wonder if this fact will become important?
12 However, because they were given divine warning in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another way.
These wise men fear God and listened to his voice.
13 After they had withdrawn, look! Jehovah’s angel appeared in a dream to Joseph, saying: “Get up, take the young child and its mother and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I give you word; for Herod is about to search for the young child to destroy it.” 14 So he got up and took along the young child and its mother by night and withdrew into Egypt, 15 and he stayed there until the decease of Herod, for that to be fulfilled which was spoken by Jehovah through his prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
If the star was Satan's star why did he not simply lead herod himself to Jesus- as Herod would have killed Jesus instead of financing his family's journey? Why did the star not lead the wise men to Jesus until AFTER they had departed from herod? The wise men were sent by God to provide Jesus' family with the financial means to journey to Egypt to fulfil an OT prophecy.
-
JWoods
Makes you wonder if something deeper is going on here - I have long thought that the Witnesses have a sort of Freudian love/hate thing going on with the whole concept of Jesus, and particularly with the deity/equality of Jesus with their precious "Jehovah" image -
This would go a long way to explaining such things as Michael was Jesus, the Arianism concept of Jesus as a sort of demi-god, the notion that the 144,000 is practically the bridelike co-equal of Jesus as mediators of the new covenant, the knee-jerk reaction to force the Jehovah name into the new testament, etc.
A religion claiming to be Christian who are not particularly big enthusiasts of Christ. Sort of like the Muslims, in fact, - who claim that Christ was indeed a profit but not as great as Allah.
-
Bangalore
Maybe because Astrology is connected to pagan and Occult practices.
Bangalore
-
JWoods
Maybe because Astrology is connected to pagan and Occult practices.
Maybe so - but then, why would Numerology be perfectly OK with the Witnesses?
-
isaacaustin
exactly JWoods, and how about the fact that according to the way 1914 was contrived pyrmidology led to 1914, corroberated by the Bible.