Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
This past Monday night, a celestial event visible to most of the world, the ‘Great Conjunction’ of Jupiter and Saturn, took place. Scientists say the convergence last took place in 1226. The conjunction of the two planets had the appearance of an exceptionally bright star, hence the nickname ‘Bethlehem Star.’
A few years ago, National Geographic published an article describing a real celestial event that took place at the time of Jesus’s birth. This reminded me of Risto Santala’s explanation in his book, “The Messiah in the New Testament in the Light of Rabbinical Writings.” He wrote about a conjunction of major planets that could have led the wise men from the east to Israel.
Santala reports that in 1603, Johannes Kepler observed a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces; he observed a “new, particularly brilliant and strangely colored star between Jupiter and Saturn, which soon faded.” Kepler suggested that the Star of Bethlehem could have been such an event. Later, Alfred Edersheim wrote, “There can be no doubt that the most remarkable conjunction of planets — that of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces, which occurs only once in 800 years — did take place no less than three times in the year 747 A.U.C., or two years before the birth of Christ (in May, October, and December). This conjunction is admitted by all astronomers.”
Santala writes, “The constellations of the zodiac were generally identified with different nations, Pisces, for example, is considered the patron constellation of Syria and Palestine, and the revealer of the End Times. Saturn was associated with Palestine in Babylonian astrology, whereas Jupiter was the royal planet, foreshadowing a political Golden Age. Thus, when Jupiter conjoined with Saturn in Pisces, it was obvious that the Ruler of the End Times had been born in Palestine.”
Whether or not this was the “star” the wise men saw is debatable, but it strongly suggests that a real and significant celestial event did take place roughly at the time of the birth of Jesus. As millions around the world are celebrating His birth this week, we ought to remember that one purpose for which God created the stars was “for signs.” [Genesis 1:14]
But you also are a sign…a sign of His birth and His life. Whether you realize it or not, you are also a living, breathing announcement of Messiah and His light. And this holiday season, with the spiritual darkness so rapidly increasing, your calling and destiny is to SHINE!…to shine like the stars in a darkening world, exactly in the same way that His coming to Bethlehem was announced, “a star out of Jacob”…What a destiny! Let us pray that as the season closes and the new year turns, we, His people, will be filled with the oil of his Spirit which will fuel this shining…even right up till the moment He comes, blazing back into this world…Hallelujah!
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
More Devotions
The first man was called “Ah-dom”, we know him as “Adam”. The word used for “man”, as in “mankind”, in Genesis 1, is also the same word – “Ah-dom”. “Ah-dom” is rooted in the three Hebrew letters, aleph-dalet-mem, and one of the Hebrew words for earth is “Adamah”, which contains the same three letters, however it ends with the Hebrew letter “hay”. “Adamah” means “red earth”, or “red clay”, and this word points to the natural earth elements, the “earth dust” that composed Adam’s body, and the body of every human being since. “Man” is “ah-dom”, in a very real sense, “clay”.
There are two kinds of birds that roam the desert: vultures and hummingbirds. The vulture thrives on a diet of rotting meat. He flies overhead searching for traces of leftover carcasses from slow-footed critters eaten by wild animals who’ve already had their fill.
In Biblical Hebrew, the verb tenses are not like our “past”, “present”, and “future” – there are only two: “perfect” and “imperfect”. The “imperfect” tense is that which is not yet, not done, or not completed. The “perfect” is that which is done, complete and finished.
In 2nd Samuel Chapter 9 we read of the story of King David and Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of the first king of Israel, King Saul. After Jonathan’s death, David went forth to show kindness to Saul’s house. Mephibosheth had become lame at the young age of five — he had lived his entire life as a cripple.
Let’s consider Daniel for a moment. Here is one of the great rulers of the Persian empire, in charge of the King’s affairs and of the affairs of the entire government. If anyone is really busy — it’s Daniel! But in spite of all this responsibility, he makes it a point to set himself apart from the world and pray three times a day.
The burglar froze in place, allowing the woman to call the police and report the burglary calmly. When the police arrived and detained the man, the officer curiously asked him, “Why did you stop when she cited scripture?” The burglar, still shaken, replied, “Scripture? I thought she said she had an ax and two .38s!”
We’ve been serving in full-time ministry for over 25 years now, and throughout that journey, we’ve certainly experienced our share of trials and tribulations. Sometimes in life, we ask, “Lord, will this ever end?” And if you haven’t noticed, the challenges often don’t stop. But here’s the encouraging part: with every faith-testing moment, our spiritual endurance grows, our character is refined, and our trust in God deepens.