Messiah’s Star: Rediscover the Star of all times… Mt. Zion Lutheran Church Lucas, Ohio

Preface to the Star “Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Note it. Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead He set before your eyes the things He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that? What, heaven and earth shout to you, ‘God made me!’” (St. Augustine, ) “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” (Albert Einstein, 1954)

Some Astronomy Facts The planets, or wandering stars, move around the sun in the same direction and same plane as Earth, much like bits of coca float around the top of hot chocolate as it is stirred. Because some planets are further away from the sun than Earth, they sometimes appear to stop and then move backwards against the field of fixed stars as Earth moves past them, much like a car appears to move backward when you pass it on the highway. Sometimes these planets, or wandering stars, appear to be close to each other. When this happens we term the closeness a conjunction.

Conjunctions A conjunction is when two or more heavenly bodies (planets, stars, the moon) appear to be close together when viewed in the morning, evening or night skies, from Earth. This is due to the position of Earth and the various heavenly bodies in their orbit around the sun (Sol). These bodies are actually very far apart.

7 Lights in the Sky? To the naked eye, the sky contains seven lights that move against the fixed background of stars. These are Sol (our sun), Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Saturn was considered the 7 th light in the sky because it moves the slowest. Saturn also got a nickname as the Jewish Protectorate in the ancient world since the Jewish nation had a fixation on the number 7.

Psalm 19: 1-4 (RSV) The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

Jupiter Often referred to as the King planet Leo The constellation for the lion, associated with King David & the tribe of Judah MarsOften referred to as the god of war Mercury Often referred to as God’s messenger Regulus Often referred to as the King star Saturn Often referred to as the Jewish protectorate Sol (sun) Often referred to as the Father Venus Often referred to as the mother planet Virgo The constellation for the virgin “Symbols” in the Star of Bethlehem

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 20 May, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Mercury-Saturn (every 32 years) The First Announcement of Gabriel (Mercury--God’s messenger) to Zachariah (Saturn--Jewish Protectorate); Luke 1:5-12, June, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Venus-Saturn (every 7 years) A Betrothal (?) of Joseph (Saturn--Jewish Protectorate) to Mary (Venus--Mother); Luke 1:27 12 August, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Jupiter-Venus (every 12 years) Star’s 1st observation; Matthew 2:2; Isaiah 60:3, II Peter 1:19, and Revelation 22:16

Nisan 1 start of Jewish new year Passover Festival of Weeks

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 19 May, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Mercury-Saturn (every 32 years) The First Announcement of Gabriel (Mercury--God’s messenger) to Zachariah (Saturn--Jewish Protectorate); Luke 1:5-12, June, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Venus-Saturn (every 7 years) A Betrothal (?) of Joseph (Saturn--Jewish Protectorate) to Mary (Venus--Mother); Luke 1:27 12 August, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Jupiter-Venus (every 12 years) Star’s 1st observation; Matthew 2:2; Isaiah 60:3, II Peter 1:19, and Revelation 22:16

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 19 May, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Mercury-Saturn (every 32 years) The First Announcement of Gabriel (Mercury--God’s messenger) to Zachariah (Saturn--Jewish Protectorate); Luke 1:5-12, June, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Venus-Saturn (every 7 years) A Betrothal (?) of Joseph (Saturn--Jewish Protectorate) to Mary (Venus--Mother); Luke 1:27 12 August, 3 BC, morning conjunction of Jupiter-Venus (every 12 years) Star’s 1st observation; Matthew 2:2; Isaiah 60:3, II Peter 1:19, and Revelation 22:16

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 31 August, 3 BC, morning Mercury-Venus (every 6 years) The Second Announcement of Gabriel (Mercury--God’s messenger), this time to Mary (Venus--Mother); Luke 1: September, 3 BC, evening, Sun clothes Virgo; with a crescent moon (every year) Conception of Jesus; Constellation Virgo (Mary) is clothed by the Sun (Father); Luke 1:34-35 and Revelations 12: September, 3 BC and 17 February, 2 BC and 8 May 2 BC, triple conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus in Leo (every 33 years) Jesus in the Womb; Jupiter (King planet) is in conjunction with Regulus (King star)

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 31 August, 3 BC, morning Mercury-Venus (every 6 years) The Second Announcement of Gabriel (Mercury--God’s messenger), this time to Mary (Venus--Mother); Luke 1: September, 3 BC, evening, Sun clothes Virgo; with a crescent moon (every year) Conception of Jesus; Constellation Virgo (Mary) is clothed by the Sun (Father); Luke 1:34-35 and Revelations 12: September, 3 BC and 17 February, 2 BC and 8 May 2 BC, triple conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus in Leo (every 33 years) Jesus in the Womb; Jupiter (King planet) is in conjunction with Regulus (King star)

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 31 August, 3 BC, morning Mercury-Venus (every 6 years) The Second Announcement of Gabriel (Mercury--God’s messenger), this time to Mary (Venus--Mother); Luke 1: September, 3 BC, evening, Sun clothes Virgo; with a crescent moon (every year) Conception of Jesus; Constellation Virgo (Mary) is clothed by the Sun (Father); Luke 1:34-35 and Revelations 12: September, 3 BC and 17 February, 2 BC and 8 May 2 BC, triple conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus in Leo (every 33 years) Jesus in the Womb; Jupiter (King planet) is in conjunction with Regulus (King star)

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 17 June, 2 BC, evening, Jupiter-Venus in Leo, full moon (every 12 years) Jesus is born; Jupiter (King) in conjunction with Venus (Mother); Luke 2: August, 2 BC, morning, Jupiter-Mars-Venus-Mercury (every 78 years) Visit (?) of the Magi in Jerusalem; conjunction of Mars (war), Jupiter (King), Venus (Mother), and Mercury (Messenger) 25 December, 2 BC, morning, Jupiter is “found” & stops in Virgo (every 12 years) A star is lost and found; Magi visit Jesus; Matthew 2:9-12

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 17 June, 2 BC, evening, Jupiter-Venus in Leo, full moon (every 12 years) Jesus is born; Jupiter (King) in conjunction with Venus (Mother); Luke 2: August, 2 BC, morning, Jupiter-Mars-Mercury (every 78 years) Visit (?) of the Magi in Jerusalem; conjunction of Mars (war), Jupiter (King), and Mercury (Messenger) 25 December, 2 BC, morning, Jupiter is “found” & stops in Virgo (every 12 years) A star is lost and found; Magi visit Jesus; Matthew 2:9-12

Events in the Star of Bethlehem 17 June, 2 BC, evening, Jupiter-Venus in Leo, full moon (every 12 years) Jesus is born; Jupiter (King) in conjunction with Venus (Mother); Luke 2: August, 2 BC, morning, Jupiter-Mars-Venus-Mercury (every 78 years) Visit (?) of the Magi in Jerusalem; conjunction of Mars (war), Jupiter (King), Venus (Mother), and Mercury (Messenger) 25 December, 2 BC, morning, Jupiter is “found” & stops in Virgo (every 12 years) A star is lost and found; Magi visit Jesus; Matthew 2:9-12

So How Often… …Might this particular combination of conjunctions occur? Perhaps once in 4 billion years. This approximate determination of odds is a straightforward calculation based on the individual occurrences of events.

Summary Jesus was born on what would have been June 17 th of 2 BC. His birth occurred on the night of a full moon in the east, and a Jupiter-Venus conjunction in the west. This conjunction was the brightest “star” anyone has ever seen before or since. His birth was 40 weeks to the day later than conception on September 11 th 3 BC, which was during the high Jewish holidays (Day of Trumpets & Day of Atonement). His birth was preceded by 7 other conjunctions, several in the Bible, and was followed by another conjunction and the visit of wise men on what would have been December 25 th, 2 BC, or otherwise, the first Christmas.