Bible Discussion Thread

Was the star that led the wise men to Jesus ever an Old Testament prediction?

The Old Testament doesn't provide any clear reference to a star to be seen over Bethlehem. These 'wise men' or magi from Eastern lands were observers of the starry kingdom, & even though they may have used their art for dubious purposes, there was suddenly an observance that appeared to them that was out of sync with the placement of the heavenly bodies at that time of the year. And it was not only different in that way but also of increased intensity (maybe similar to the recent alignment of two planets) which prompted their travel into that direction.

Now, they would have to travel a great distance, even if it was on animals, so it's possible that at the first appearance of this special star they commenced their move. And in the providence of God, their arrival at baby Jesus' crib, an animal's feeding trough, coincided with His birth. But the question: how did these magi even know that this babe was to become "the King of the Jews"? We're not told this: it could have been a prophecy (as in Micah 5:2) that reached them, or some other belief in that part of the world expecting a ruler-ship to happen in Israel. But they immediately responded to that heavenly phenomenon.

Just my thoughts to guide you, but can't be verified from the Scriptures.