by JW Answers 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
To be of guidance, the light has to be rotating with the earth over the spot where the goodies are found. High enough to be over the horizon as seen from the starting point of the journey. No star rotates with the earth.
They came from the east, so they would not see a sun-up but only sun downs looking for the "star"
The whole story is fake news, bollocks.
Miracles have a funny way to always occur in story books, never when ready to be put to reality checks.
Yup, just another Myth, but interesting. It is possible the story is based upon a real event, if not it is a really weird one to pop into a Gospel.
I should imagine that some " wise men", maybe Zoroastrians ?, turned up in sufficient numbers, many more than 3, with a story about a "new King" , and this rattled Herod, so, assuming this part is true, the murderous old bugger then slaughtered The Innocents.
We will never know for sure I guess. What we do know is that the Gospels were never written as either Truth or History, they are Myth and Legend, and 99% Fiction.
I think jw answers has a list of things to do. One is to post on this site in order to "educate". This poster never answers so I'll assume he just checks off a box for "stuck a video on ExJw forum"
Thanks Stillin ,
Jan
"This poster never answers so I'll assume he just checks off a box for "stuck a video on ExJw forum"
LOL
JWA - is counting time
I posted some commentary research on this topic here. The commentary's rendering of Matthew 2:2 sheds a very different light on why/how the Magi showed up in Jerusalem. It makes much more sense (to me at least).
The only miraculous part about the "star" is when it leads the Magi from Herod's palace to Bethlehem. But it does not lead the Magi to Jerusalem. The 'rising star' indicates to them that "the king of the Jews" was born. Thus, they show up in Jerusalem hoping to find him.
The reading of meaning into 'rising stars' was not unknown among such Magian priests. That they might have ideas about a 'Jewish king' may go back to Jewish influence from previous generations. (Dan 2:47-48)
Hey Roddy,
According to the passage (Mt chap 2) the Magi unexpectedly provoke Hero who ends up causing Joseph & company to flee to Egypt. Which then results in their return from Egypt. All of which Matthew sees as a fulfillment of a divine pattern destined to be fulfilled in Jesus. ("Out of Egypt I called my son.") Even the mayhem caused by Herod is seen by Matthew as having been foretold. (The quote in Mt 2:18 is from Jeremiah in 38:15 LXX. & 31:15)
The Magi also unexpectedly fund the whole adventure (a la the queen of Sheba, who sets up a pattern of faith shown by gentiles).
To say that the Magi were used by God, well, in a sense they were used, just like Balaam was used in the book of Numbers. In Numbers chapters 22-25 Balaam was 'used' by God only after he began his trip for selfish purposes. Matthew chapter 2 only shows the Magi being "used" by God after their having been summoned by Herod. In the account, they did not go straight to Herod. Nor does Matthew say that the star led them to Herod. Rather, Herod hears of the commotion that the Magi unintentionally caused and then summoned them to find out about it. (Mt 2:3, 7) Herod then shows his intention to kill the child and God intervenes. I don't see anything unexpected in that.
As for the Magi going to Jerusalem first, well, that would be the expected place to go if they were searching for "the king of the Jews," would it not? So, there was nothing sinister in them going there in the first place. They went to the place one would naturally expect to find a "king of the Jews."
The whole affair in Matthew chapter 2 is also recognized by many commentaries as a pattern in the whole book of Matthew where Gentiles show unexpected faith, but Jews (in general) show a surprising lack of it. So part of Mathew's purpose of including the account in chapter 2 is a larger theme woven into the whole book.
It did not necessarily have to be God that "used" them initially. In the account it was only after Herod summoned them that God is spoken of as intervening to protect them (Joseph and family, that is). That would naturally be expected if Jesus was actually God's Son and God had a further purpose for him on earth, would it not?
Anyways, that is my take on it. The WT take on the account assumes that the Magi were being used by Satan from the get go, and that the Magi went straight to Herod and that the star led them there. None of which the account in Matthew actually says. My take attempts to avoid all those false assumptions.
But, as they say, "Your mileage may vary."
I’ve always wondered why Josephus, who absolutely detested Herod, never mentioned the fact of his edict that all boys under two should be murdered. In ancient Israel the Cheif priest was far more important a personage than some half Edomite king and had Herod tried to murder Jewish boys (and children were an inheritance from god to the Jews) I don’t believe the priests would have tolerated such behaviour for a minute. The people, too, would not have accepted a Jewish king killing Jewish boys. It just doesn’t seem possible. Even for Herod the great.
