The Nativity Scene

We read in Luke Chapter 2 that the reason Joseph and Mary, who was pregnant, traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the first place was because Augustus Caesar decided to have a census taken of all the people in his dominion.  Each man went to the city of his clan to be registered. Joseph was of the house of Ephrath (Bethlehem), least among the clans of Judah.  During their time in Bethlehem is when Mary gave birth.  Because of the census underway there were many people in town and all the usual lodging places were booked up, so she ended up laying her newborn son in a manger.  A Messenger of Yahweh appeared to the shepherds who were out that night watching over their flocks and told them about the birth of the Savior and where to find him.  The sign they were told to look for was that they would find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.  The Messenger went back up to heaven and the shepherds made haste to get to town to see this thing they were told about.  About two years go by before the 'wise men' from the east show up.

 

By reading Matthew Chapter 2 we learn of the Magi who came from the east to Jerusalem.  They ask: 

"Where is he who has been born the king of the Yehudeans? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

The Magi were astrologers/astronomers from Babylon. This class of men were originally taught by Daniel during the time of the exile and that knowledge had been passed down.  These Magi were believers in Yahweh and were aware of the prophecies telling of the birth of His Son, so when they saw 'the star' they recognized 'the sign' and traveled following this sign, bringing gifts worthy of a king, and to bring the good news back to their homeland.  Scripture does not tell us how many of these magi made the journey.

 

There are many prophecies in the Old Testament in regards to the Son of the Creator, and here are a couple that the Magi recognized: The Star and the territory of Judah.

The prophecy of Balaam, Numbers 24:

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.

A star will come forth from Jacob (Israel),

and a scepter (king) will arise from Israel.

The prophecy in Micah 5:

And you, Bethlehem of Ephrath, least among the clans of Judah, 

from you one shall come forth to rule Israel for Me

Hence they began their journey from their homeland traveling west towards Jerusalem, following 'the star' to their destination: Bethlehem.

 

Herod wasn't too pleased to hear about a king being born since he was the king.  He gathered all the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem and was asking the people where this Anointed One would be born.  They let him know it would be in Bethlehem, quoting prophecy. Afterwards he secretly met with the Magi and learned when the star first appeared to them. He let them continue to Bethlehem but asked them to carefully inquire about the boy and come back and tell him where he was. Herod lied and told them he, too, would go and worship him. During this time 'the star' was not visible but reappeared and led the Magi to Bethlehem. It stopped and was above the house where the boy was. They entered the house and saw the boy with Maryam, his mother. They rejoiced and worshipped him and offered their gifts of gold, myrrh and incense.

The magi traveled from 'the east', the area of Babylon (in modern day Iraq) and that would be around 1,000 miles east of Jerusalem. They stopped in Jerusalem asking about the 'king', and then they traveled southward, another 7 miles or so, to Bethlehem. The 'star' they had been following showed up again after their time in Jerusalem, and led them south to Bethlehem where it stopped over the house where Mary, Joseph and their boy were staying.

As for Herod finding out when the Magi first saw the 'star' (that time not precisely recorded in Scriptures) we follow the clue when Herod ordered all boys in Bethlehem and its surrounding area be killed who were two years of age and younger; he wasn't taking any chances.  This tells us the Magi first saw this star two years before they arrived in Jerusalem which means Yahshua was near two years old by the time they came to Bethlehem.  After the Magi left Bethlehem, Yahweh told Joseph in a dream to get up and take the boy and his mother to Egypt because of Herod's plan to kill the boy.  Joseph got up and fled with his family that night.

We often read in Scriptures of situations that do not fit what we know of the world (physical realm), so we must be careful not to carry our own imagination and assumptions into what is written. The 'star' seen by the Magi was a sign given by Yah (spiritual realm). What they had learned from Daniel was becoming a reality and they traveled to bear witness to this 'king' and bring the good news back to their homeland. After first seeing 'the star' they made plans and prepared for the journey, to follow the star by faith and see the boy who would become a future king.

Note: None of this describes a planetary conjunction.

 

A little research on 'stars':

•Revelation 1:20 says those particular stars are angels

•Revelation 9:1 says a star falls from heaven and is given a key

•In Matthew 2:2 the magi ask about 'the king' because they saw 'his star' rise

•In Job 38:7 we read the morning stars sing together and the angels shout for joy

 

The star that rose when Yahshua was born was an angel, a Messenger sent by Yahweh. It was the unmistakable sign the magi were waiting for.  It appeared, disappeared and returned again for the magi to see and follow.  The shepherds in the field did not see a star but an angel told them a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes would be found in a manger, that was their sign.

There was no drummer boy, no three kings; there were no three wise men nor any angels hanging around the manger when the shepherds came to witness the event.

FYI: "We Three Kings", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas hymn that was penned by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. He was the pastor of a Church in Pennsylvania, and composed the hymn for a pageant in New York City.