Opus 2022-349: Advent Calendar: Day 17, The End Is Near

Behind today’s door is a little star.  It obviously represents the Star of Bethlehem.

We are told in King James Version language that the wise men followed the star.  The wise men were a group of men who studied astronomy, astrology and natural science.   The Greek word for this is magos from which we get magi.  It is the astrology part that comes into play here.  It is common among cultures to think that the objects in the heavens influence life on earth.  The advanced civilizations east of Israel were no exceptions.

Years ago I read a book by Taylor Caldwell.  I can’t remember if it was the one about Paul or the one about Luke, but in the opening chapters she goes through all of the indicators that astrologers and sooth sayers were coming up with that something was going to happen and it was going to happen in Israel.  You can’t always tell when an author is making things up whole clothe or adapting what they find.  I got the feeling that Caldwell had done her homework and what she was recounting was historically accurate.  It would seem that there were spiritual forces moving to tell those who followed such things that a king was coming to Israelp.

Spooky.  

God does give warnings and indicators.  One of the common discussions today is the return of Christ.  One of the big roadblocks in the past was the existence of the nation of Israel.  That is in place.  The next big problem is the temple being rebuilt.  There are all kinds of rumors and gossip about that.  Who knows?  Maybe we will be around to see the end times unfold.

Merry Christmas, maybe the last time.

homo unius libri