WHO WERE THE MAGI OR WISE MEN WHO VISITED JESUS? A Bit of History and Culture by Gloria
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus records that the Magi were priests of the Medes and Persians, a people who occupied the land where Iran is today. They lived in Babylon and Mesopotamia during much of the Old Testament Bible era. The Magi were experts in Astronomy. They were considered scholars of their time. They served as scientist, mathematicians, philosophers, doctors, and legal authorities of their culture. Our word Magistrate comes from the word Magi. They were also in the Bible called Magic practicing priests, the ones who interpret dreams.
This brings us then to the book of Daniel in the bible. (Remember the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den, that Daniel) Daniel was a Jew, Chosen by God. He and many other Jews were taken captive by the Babylonians in the year 605 BC during King Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. The Lord gave the King a Dream and only Daniel could interpret it by the power of God. So the King set Daniel in charge of all the Magi. Since Daniel worshiped the one true God he would have taught them the Holy Scriptures of the coming Messiah. In the Bible at Daniel 2: 46-49 it says “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king placed Daniel in a high position. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego of the Jewish Nation, administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
Daniel would have taught these Magi to look for a Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to come into the world.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'” Micah 5:2 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 1 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Significance of the Gifts! Gold has been a symbol of Royalty from earliest times. Frankincense was expensive fragrant oil used with special significance in Old Testament worship; it was often sprinkled on the lambs offered at the temple. Myrrh (an unusual gift for a newborn king as it was a substance used in embalming the dead or mixed with wine had an anesthetic effect. John 19:39 When Jesus hung on the cross he was offered Myrrh and wine mixture to drink, but refused. Mark 15:23 It is likely that just as God guided the magi to Jesus, He also guided them in the selection of gifts. So that the gifts they brought would testify to the new King’s Royalty, His Deity, and His death on behalf of humanity.
The book of Daniel has more to the story. To research go to Google and enter King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream…there are many web sites on the subject.
This dream foretold the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire and who would take over…it also foretold our future right now and how the governments of the world will try to over though the Kingdom of Heaven ending in a 7 year Tribulation and the battle of Armageddon. The book of Daniel and the book of Revelation educate us on this subject.
The reason Jesus was born…Read below! First of all He was God born as a baby to grow up among us.. He was born as Savior, King, Lord, to save the world and all those who call upon His name. In the fight for the Kingdom of Heaven, who’s side do you want to be on!
Wise men still seek him today.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”[Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God Luke 2:8-11
Glory in the Highest … Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of angelic heavenly host praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
John 1:1 14… The Eternal Word…1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Word Becomes Flesh 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Revelation 19: 13 – 19 Christ on a White Horse 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 1: Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End says the Lord “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
We pray you have a divine encounter with the Living God, the one born Savior, King, Lord of All, Christ Jesus.. The one who was, who is and who is to come back very soon for us. I pray that the Lord give you divine revelation knowledge wisdom and understanding of who He is as God and Lord and that your hearts bow in repentance to our magnificent God bringing you into His saving grace for Salvation to your soul. Amen! So be it!
Philippians 2:8-12 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
