1964 Christmas Star of Bethlehem 5¢ Canada

Christmas Star of Bethlehem Canada 5¢ 1964

1964 Christmas Star of Bethlehem 5¢ Canada 

Text:           5¢ Canada Post  Christmas  1964 Noel

Condition:    Ø = used/cancelled

Title:   Christmas  1964

Face value:     5

Stamp Currency:         cent

Country/area:                     Canada

Year:   1964-10-14

Set:     1964  Christmas 

Stamp number in set:           1

Basic colour:      Blue

Exact colour:      

Usage:                           Definitive

Type:               Stamp

Theme:           Christmas , Religion

Stamp subject:   Christmas  1964

NVPH number:                     

Michel number:         CA 380

Yvert number:                         360a

Scott number:                         435

Stanley Gibbons number:   

Printing office:          

Perforation:    L 12

Size:                20 x 17           

Watermark:    

Paper:            

Printing:             Recess

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I. Star of Bethlehem Background

Many theories have been espoused to explain the “Star of Bethlehem” which identified the child Jesus as mentioned in Matthew 2: 1-12:

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 when it rose and have come to worship him.

II. Larsen’s Theory of the Bethlehem Star

In 3/2 BC, Jupiter’s retrograde wandering would have called for our magus’ full attention. After Jupiter and Regulus had their kingly encounter, Jupiter continued on its path through the star field. But then it entered retrograde. It “changed its mind” and headed back to Regulus for a second conjunction. After this second pass it reversed course again for yet a third rendezvous with Regulus, a triple conjunction. A triple pass like this is more rare. Over a period of months, our watching magus would have seen the Planet of Kings dance out a halo above the Star of Kings. A coronation.

By the following June, Jupiter had finished crowning Regulus. The Planet of Kings traveled on through the star field toward another spectacular rendezvous, this time with Venus, the Mother Planet. This conjunction was so close and so bright that it is today displayed in hundreds of planetaria around the world by scientists who may know nothing of the Messiah. They do it because what Jupiter did makes such a great planetarium show. Jupiter appeared to join Venus. The planets could not be distinguished with the naked eye. If our magus had had a telescope, he could have seen that the planets sat one atop the other, like a figure eight. Each contributed its full brightness to what became the most brilliant star our man had ever seen. Jupiter completed this step of the starry dance as it was setting in the west. That evening, our Babylonian magus would have seen the spectacle of his career while facing toward Judea.

III. The Three Wise Men—Daniel’s Magi?

Basically, the cult of the Magussaeans was a combination of heretical Zoroastrianism and Babylonian astrology. When Cyrus the Great conquered the great city of Babylon in the sixth century BC, the Magi came into contact with the teachings of the city’s astrologers, known as Chaldeans. According to Diodorus of Sicily, a Greek historian of 80 to 20 BC, and author of a universal history, Bibliotheca historica:

...being assigned to the service of the gods they spend their entire life in study, their greatest renown being in the field of astrology. But they occupy themselves largely with soothsaying as well, making predictions about future events, and in some cases by purifications, in others by sacrifices, and in others by some other charms they attempt to effect the averting of evil things and the fulfillment of the good. They are also skilled in the soothsaying by the flight of birds, and they give out interpretations of both dreams and portents. They also show marked ability in making divinations from the observations of the entrails of animals, deeming that in this branch they are eminently successful.

In addition, the sixth century BC is also known in Jewish history as the Exile, when their entire population was located in the city, having been removed to there by Nebuchadnezzar, at the beginning of the century, after he had destroyed Jerusalem. Having become substantial citizens, with some achieving minor administrative posts, it is possible the Jews also contributed to this development. In fact, in the Book of Daniel, Chapter 2:48, Daniel is made chief of the “wise men” of Babylon, that is of the Magi or Chaldeans. In any case, scholars have certainly recognized that the later teachings referred to collectively as the esoteric Kabbalah, seem to have been a combination of Magian and Chaldean lore. Astrology was not a component of mainstream Zoroastrianism, and those who incorporated its concepts into their version of the faith seem to have been regarded as heretical.

IV. Jewish Star Signs—Heavenly Astronomy

Some significant truths from the Bible indicate a relationship between the constellation of stars and God’s early prophetic revelation of the gospel to man. Long before written records were in use, the prophetic outline of the great plan of redemption was signified in the star groups and in the names of individual stars.

Conclusion

Believers can rest assured in revelation and that there is a strong connection between creation and God. He sometimes uses heavenly bodies to send a message to His people. This is stated in Psalm 19:1-4:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through the earth

But whatever one believes explains such phenomenon as the Star of Bethlehem, Christmas is worthy of celebration for its message of God coming down to earth as man to save all mankind. And this can never change.