STAR OF WONDER

Text: Revelation 12:1-5

12 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

1. Signs In Heaven (Rev. 12:1-5)

• These verses point us to a story that is being played out in the heavens.
• The story in the stars is symbolic of realities on earth.

1) What are the realities on earth?

• 1] Woman -

  Reveal Answer

  2] A male child -

  Reveal Answer

  3] A dragon -

  Reveal Answer

2) What are the symbols?

• 1] The woman - the constellation

  Reveal Answer
  (which means virgin). (v. 1)

  2] The sun and moon

  • The reference to the woman being clothed in the sun and her feet on the moon deals with Virgo’s position reference to the sun and moon.

  3] The dragon - the constellation

  Reveal Answer
  (v. 3)

  4] The stars represent - demonic angels that chose to follow Lucifer (Satan) in his rebellion. (v. 4)

  • The stars that fall to earth are meteors of a massive meteor shower.

  5] The child

  • We are left after reading this text to wonder about the child. What was it that played the role of the child being born in the heavens?

2. The Christmas Star (Mt. 2:1-12)

2 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,
2 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.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

1) The Christmas Star

the birth of the Messiah (v. 2)

• Where is he? We have seen his star in the east (i.e. rising on the eastern horizon).
• The heliacal rising of a star occurs annually when it briefly becomes visible above the eastern horizon at dawn just before sunrise, after it has spent a season behind the sun rendering it invisible.

2) The Christmas Star convinced the magi to come and worship the newborn king (v. 2; cf. v. 9)

• Where is he? We’ve seen His star. And we have come to worship Him.

3) The Christmas Star

the magi to Israel/Jerusalem (v. 1)

4) The Christmas Star troubled Herod and all Jerusalem (vv. 3-8)

5) The Christmas Star

to the location of the Messiah (vv. 9-11)

3. The Star And The Child

• What was this star? The Christmas Star? It was most likely a great comet.

• The wise men saw the star in the heavens and were convinced that with astronomical data and biblical prophecy the Messiah was at that very moment being born.

• What did they see?

• They see Virgo

  Reveal Answer
  with child (the Christmas Star). They witness the star move through and exit her womb. It looks like Virgo (the Virgin) has had a child.

• At the very time the wise men are witnessing this celestial event, Mary is giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.

What did the wise men do?

1) They

the King (Mt. 2:1, 2)

2) They

for the King (Mt. 2:11)

3) The

to the King to be saved by Him (Mt. 2:11)

Bottom line: The Christmas Star’s message was seek Jesus, surrender to Jesus, and submit to and be saved by Jesus.