Daniel's 70 x7s in Daniel 9 has been mis applied for I believe political reasons.
The 70 7s was the amount of time the jews had to fulfill God's plan.
We are being told we still have a 7 year period coming.
If you look at Daniel 9 you can see that the final 7 years started when Jesus was Bapized and ended when Peter saw the vision of the sheet fill of all kinds of animals. From that vision Peter knew that the gospel was for everyone
Acts 10:9-16
The gospel was always for all people. The jews were God's representatives for the time allotted.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew or Greek. We are all One in Christ.
I like your point that the Magi represented Gentiles
There is no just thing as a "chosen" people. We are all saved by grace. All means all. There is no other way accept Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 spells it out.
Anything else is a lie.
The Excerpta Latina Barbari composed in Alexandria, calls them Bithisarea, Melichior and Gathaspa or as we know them, Balthasar, Melchior and Caspar. Two centuries earlier a Syrian writer named them Hormizdah, King of Persia, Yazdegerd, King of Saba and Perozadh, King of Sheba. In contrast, Syriac Christians named the Magi, Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas. Ethiopian Christians called them Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater, while the Armenians said they were named, Kagpha, Badadakharida and Badadilma. (from Mystery of the Magi ch.3)
It's interesting because the three magi are a large part of the Biblical canon, but they also seem to be related to "idolatry" where the Israelites worshipped them as kings and the priests wanted them to stop doing that. This is probably where the idea of "Moloch" and "Baal" evil gods come from. Baal was just the king of Tyre. Moloch was just the king of Persia. Malech roughly means "my messenger" or "king". In the case of Ezra who delivered them from Babylon to Israel and helped write the Torah, it means something more like "my deliverer".
Another interesting note is the name Hormizdah / Hormisdas / Hor, which relates to Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrian, or Hermes in Greek. There was also "Thrice Great Hermes" (Hermes Trismegistus) which seems to also point at the three magi.
Finally the origin of the saying "Biblical canon" seems to refer to the word Canaan (Cain) where it all started. Like the Wedding in Cana being "Biblical canon".
You’re reply made me want to understand why the wise men are also referred to as Magi and if I was misunderstanding the story. What I found is in the Greek text Matthew uses the word Magi which was translated as wise men in English. Thanks again!
The Magi, who weren’t Jews, represented Gentiles, their visit signified God’s grace wasn’t limited to the Jewish people, but extended to all people.
Thanks for pointing that out, TSearch.
Years of Sunday School, etc, and it never occurred to me that the Magi were (among other things) a symbol of God's embrace of ALL humanity, regardless of race, religion, country of origin, or whatnot.
I've always known that Christianity was open to everyone who believed (a term I hear differently than most people do; for instance, when Jesus says "little ones which believe in me" in Matthew 18:6 I hear "little ones who still have love for others", enabling even those people who never even HEARD of Him to be His disciples), but this detail with the Magi escaped my notice.
"For I (Paul) am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile"
Daniel's 70 x7s in Daniel 9 has been mis applied for I believe political reasons. The 70 7s was the amount of time the jews had to fulfill God's plan. We are being told we still have a 7 year period coming. If you look at Daniel 9 you can see that the final 7 years started when Jesus was Bapized and ended when Peter saw the vision of the sheet fill of all kinds of animals. From that vision Peter knew that the gospel was for everyone
Acts 10:9-16 The gospel was always for all people. The jews were God's representatives for the time allotted. Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew or Greek. We are all One in Christ.
I like your point that the Magi represented Gentiles
Did you know that Daniel had been appointed as the leader of the Magi? Wonder who told them about the coming king.
Isiah 66:21 prophesies that God will choose from the Gentiles and even make some priests.
Acts 15:14 says "Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles."
Call me crazy, but it sounds like the Gentiles are God's chosen people too.
There is no just thing as a "chosen" people. We are all saved by grace. All means all. There is no other way accept Jesus. Galatians 3:28 spells it out. Anything else is a lie.
Exactly. We are just as chosen as the chosen ones.
The three magi were historical figures, aka the "three kings":
Belshazzar, son of Nabonidas (Babylonian)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belshazzar
Caspar / Gaspar / Gastaphar / Gonodphores (Parthian)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondophares
Melchior probably Malachi / Ezra (Babylon):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra
Chalking the door means writing their initials "CMB":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalking_the_door
It's interesting because the three magi are a large part of the Biblical canon, but they also seem to be related to "idolatry" where the Israelites worshipped them as kings and the priests wanted them to stop doing that. This is probably where the idea of "Moloch" and "Baal" evil gods come from. Baal was just the king of Tyre. Moloch was just the king of Persia. Malech roughly means "my messenger" or "king". In the case of Ezra who delivered them from Babylon to Israel and helped write the Torah, it means something more like "my deliverer".
Another interesting note is the name Hormizdah / Hormisdas / Hor, which relates to Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrian, or Hermes in Greek. There was also "Thrice Great Hermes" (Hermes Trismegistus) which seems to also point at the three magi.
Finally the origin of the saying "Biblical canon" seems to refer to the word Canaan (Cain) where it all started. Like the Wedding in Cana being "Biblical canon".
Bible mentions three gifts NOT the magi!
Thank you.
You’re reply made me want to understand why the wise men are also referred to as Magi and if I was misunderstanding the story. What I found is in the Greek text Matthew uses the word Magi which was translated as wise men in English. Thanks again!
Thanks for pointing that out, TSearch.
Years of Sunday School, etc, and it never occurred to me that the Magi were (among other things) a symbol of God's embrace of ALL humanity, regardless of race, religion, country of origin, or whatnot.
I've always known that Christianity was open to everyone who believed (a term I hear differently than most people do; for instance, when Jesus says "little ones which believe in me" in Matthew 18:6 I hear "little ones who still have love for others", enabling even those people who never even HEARD of Him to be His disciples), but this detail with the Magi escaped my notice.
I only learned that a short time ago and wanted to share.
— Romans 1:16