Christmas Star

The sky on December 21, 2020 will display a wonder first identified over 2,000 years ago.

'Skywatchers are in for an end-of-year treat. What has become known popularly as the “Christmas Star” is an especially vibrant planetary conjunction easily visible in the evening sky over the next two weeks as the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn come together, culminating on the night of Dec. 21.

In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the night sky, discovering the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that same year, Galileo also discovered a strange oval surrounding Saturn, which later observations determined to be its rings. These discoveries changed how people understood the far reaches of our solar system.

Thirteen years later, in 1623, the solar system’s two giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, traveled together across the sky. Jupiter caught up to and passed Saturn, in an astronomical event known as a “Great Conjunction.”

“You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium,” said Henry Throop, astronomer in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “From our vantage point, we’ll be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21.”

The planets regularly appear to pass each other in the solar system, with the positions of Jupiter and Saturn being aligned in the sky about once every 20 years.

What makes this year’s spectacle so rare, then? It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will for 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this “great conjunction.”' https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn

Over 2000 years ago in more significant conjunction of these two planets appeared in the sky. Dr. Michael S Heiser in his book ‘Reversing Herman' describes it this way: Their occurrence together is not rare, though there were only a handful of dates real-time that can accommodate the events of the New Testament chronology the birth of Jesus. Those dates narrowed to one day once other astrological events have occurred at the same time, are added to the celestial profile. One is after events is the leading candidate for explaining the blueprint of the star seen by the manager in Matthew 2.

The constellation directly above the heads of Virgo in the zodiac is Leo the lion the lion is the symbol associated with the tribe of Judah, from which the Vassallo would come. The Association rose from Genesis 49:9-10, where Jacob blessed him, referring to in leonine fifth terms while professing would come from Judah’s lineage. The lion King Association it is confirmed Revelation 5:5: ‘and one of the elders said to me,’ weep know more; I of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals’” the constellation Leo, then, was a royal constellation Jewish astro-theologians.

The constellation of Leo was also important Gentile astrology. It was the chief warhead sign of the zodiac and had special importance astrological circulars. Leo was considered a royal constellation since it was dominated by the star Regulus which was known by the astronomers as the “King Star.”

The status of Regulus is important because on one of the possible dates for the Messiah’s birth he came into conjunction with Jupiter. As the largest planet, Jupiter was considered the King Planet in Astro theological thinking of the first century. As a result the constellation Leo, messianic signs of the lion of Judah to the Jew who read the heavens, had to conjoined signs of a royal birth within it.

This combination of astronomical signs produces a unique set of circumstances that can only be accounted for by one data (and in point of fact, a 90-minute window on that date). The date as we will see momentarily, as dramatic significant Jewish calendar according to these signs in the heavens the date of Jesus birth was September 11, 3, BC.

Jupiter is also important because it is the best explanation for the star whose movement was tracked by the Magi. Jupiter is well known for retrograde motion, the appearance of back and forth in the night sky. Jupiter’s first conjunction with Regulus began on September 14, 3 BC and continued through September 11, 3 BC. On December 1, 3 BC Jupiter stopped its normal course through the fixed stars and began its annual retrogression of backward motion. In doing so, once again heading toward the star Regulus. Then on February 17, 2 BC and two were reunited. Jupiter continued on his motion still in retrograde another 40 days and then it reverted to its normal motion through the stars. The timing is right as the Magi embarked on their journey in a year or so after Jesus was actually born.”

So, on the evening of December 21, 2020, we will be able to see in the night sky the star the Maji saw announcing Jesus' birth.

Matthew 2:1-2 (KJV) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Jesus in response to the disciple’s questions about the end of days responded:

Luke 21:25 (KJV) And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;