A Star from Jacob
WHAT THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES SAY…
Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 28:14)
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult. (Numbers 24:17)
WHAT THE RABBINIC WRITINGS SAY…
A STAR shall proceed out of Jacob, and there shall come a SCEPTRE in Israel. The KING Messiah is here spoken of as a STAR. (Rabbi Lieva of Prague)
When a king shall arise out of Jacob and the Messiah be anointed from Israel, He will slay the princes of Moab, and reign over all the children of man. (Targum Onkelos)
Our rabbis have a tradition that in the week in which the Messiah will be born there will be a bright STAR in the east , which is "THE STAR OF THE Messiah." (Pesikta Sotarta fol. 58. c.1)
WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS…
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ " Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found [Him,] bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. (Matthew 2:1-9)
I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." (Revelation 22:16)
