The Three Wise Men -- Part 2

Many books and booklets attempt to prove the modern day identity of the lost tribes of the house of Israel. For most people, a more perfect understanding of their identity has little or no meaning; however, for those who understand the scriptural promises of national and spiritual inheritance God made to Abraham, the identity of those who are today the legal heirs of those promises is of vital importance!

Many religious groups have used the modern day identity of these missing tribes to increase the size of their congregations and their incomes. The most successful by far was a booklet written by Herbert W. Armstrong and published by the Worldwide Church of God; it was called “The United States and Britain in Prophecy.” Since the break up of the Worldwide Church and the scattering of its congregations, many of the hundreds of off-shoot groups have published their own version of this booklet.

It is my personal opinion that none of these publications, including the one originally published by the Worldwide Church, provide the comprehensive understanding of the lost tribes as it is recorded in the book written by Mr. J. H. Allen entitled: “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright.” To my mind, this is the original source of the information; information that was available long before Herbert Armstrong “revealed” it to the world. This book was first published in the year 1901.

J. H. Allen’s “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” is far more detailed, and far more informative, than any of the copies produced by any of the Churches that later used this important information so successfully. Even today Mr. Allen’s book is widely available at a very reasonable cost and is easily obtained directly from bookstores or over the internet. For those who are serious about their search for the truths and the mysteries of Almighty God, this book is invaluable!

Last week we tried to determine what the “wise men” were not. This week we must try to understand what they were -- or at least, what they may have been! However, if you have not made the effort to research the modern-day identity of the lost tribes of the house of Israel, the remainder of this work will have little or no meaning for you.

The format of this blogsite does not lend itself well to a full explanation of “the lost tribes,” I must therefore leave it up to you to do most of your own research -- or not! For those who would reject this knowledge without even trying to understand; you have my sympathy, even my pity. Events which are even now beginning to take place upon this Earth, and especially upon our English speaking peoples, will shock you into the realization that the information was there for you to find; yet you chose to ignore it!

For those who would learn more about the modern-day identity of the lost tribes of the house of Israel, I heartily recommend Mr. Allen’s book.

Who were the “Wise Men” that visited the Christ Child?

As mentioned last week, I believe that the birth of the Messiah was the single most important event since the creation of man. To believe that three obscure Oriental astrologers were chosen by Almighty God as the only men worthy to receive the heavenly sign which led them to this Christ child seems ludicrous to me!

The “spiritual purpose” for the birth of Jesus was that he should one day become “the lamb of God.” Jesus was born to become the sacrifice that would make it possible for man to once again be reconciled with God. This discussion concerning the “wise men” gives proof of the “temporal purpose” for the birth of Christ. He was born to rule -- and that rule must begin over the people of Israel! Jesus and His brethren will one day rule over all peoples and nations here upon this Earth; but before expanding the Kingdom of God to include all nations, they must first rule over the nations of Israel! It is therefore my belief that these “wise men” travelled from afar to pay homage to this newborn child -- who would one day be their king!

Jesus said in Matthew 15:24 “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And in Micah 5:2 we are told: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the One to be Ruler in Israel.” And Matthew 2:6 repeats the passage from Micah: “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.”

Until I am given compelling evidence to the contrary, I shall reject the teaching of nominal Christianity concerning the tradition of the three wise men. I shall believe that the identity of the lost sheep of the house of Israel has indeed been proven. I shall believe that at the time of the birth of Jesus these so called “lost tribes” were located in western and north-western Europe and the British Isles. I shall believe that to the leaders of these tribes God sent a messenger, or an angel, or a heavenly sign, letting them know that the birth of their future king would soon take place.

I believe that at least one emissary from each of the ten tribes of the house of Israel travelled to the Holy Land in order to pledge allegiance to their newborn king! But as it is with everything God wants men to do, the journey they undertook did not go without its share of problems. It is my belief that these emissaries travelled by way of Assyria and/or Babylon -- before they went to Jerusalem! In fact, I believe that the star, or the angel, led them there -- and probably left them there -- to be seen again only after their audience with King Herod!

There is so much that the reader should already know! For example, you should have already studied the scriptures which deal with the sins of the house of Israel and their eventual defeat at the hands of the Assyrians. The people of the house of Israel were removed from their homeland and were taken as captives to Assyria. From the land of Assyria, history and the Scriptures tell us they were assimilated into so many other nations that their own individual national identity became lost.

More than one hundred years after the defeat and dispersal of the house of Israel, the house of Judah also sinned against the LORD God of the Bible. The Empire of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar came against Judah and Jerusalem and defeated them. The people of the house of Judah were taken as captives to Babylon; and among the captives of Judah there was a young boy by the name of Daniel.

Daniel 1:17 “As for these four young men [i.e. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah] God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

Daniel became great in the household of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. This same Daniel is the author of the Old Testament book which bears his name. In the Book of Daniel there is a prophecy which has become known as: “The Seventy Week Prophecy of Daniel Nine.” It is my understanding that this prophecy gives a timeline which leads to the coming of the Messiah and to the beginning of his ministry. For those who have not yet researched the meaning of this prophecy, I strongly suggest that you do so.

The house of Judah was defeated by King Nebuchadnezzar more than one hundred years after the house of Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians! The book of Daniel was written many years after the house of Israel had been dispersed from Assyria to the lands which became their new home. Therefore, the dispersed peoples of the house of Israel would have had no opportunity to read the prophecies of Daniel!

IF the “wise men” were emissaries from the lost-tribes of Israel; and IF they travelled from the western parts of Europe; and IF the star led them to the area of Assyria and Babylon; then I believe it was because that is where they would find the writings of the prophet Daniel! That is where they would find the learned men of the house of Judah and the learned men of the Levitical priesthood. That is where those of the house of Israel would find the scriptures God had inspired to be written during the time they were far removed from their spiritual homeland.

I believe that the star which led them to Assyria and/or Babylon left them there. They would then have had to make their own way to Jerusalem according to that which they came to understand from the writings of Daniel. It may even be that a representative from each of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi joined those who had travelled from the western parts of Europe. I believe that these men, accompanied by many attendants, travelled to Jerusalem in search of the child that was born to rule over them. Following their audience with Herod they rejoiced when the star reappeared and they followed it directly to Bethlehem.

The seventy week prophecy of Daniel would have given these men an indication of the expected time for the beginning of the ministry of the Messiah; the learned men of Judah would have been able to explain to them that only when a man reached the age of thirty years could he begin his service in the temple. From these two pieces of information, the “wise men” would have been able to determine the approximate time for the birth of the Messiah.

Numbers 4:46-47 “All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers, from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry…”

Luke 3:21-23 “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, ‘You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.’ And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age...”

When the year marking the beginning of the ministry of the Messiah is known, it becomes an easy matter to figure back thirty years in order to reckon the year for His birth. The problem with this, (if we need another problem in this story) is that the only location mentioned in Daniel’s prophecy with regard to the Messiah is the Temple of God in Jerusalem. IF the “wise men” received this additional information in Assyria or Babylon, then the next place for them to go must be Jerusalem -- and they would arrive in Jerusalem “from the east”!

At this point, our next question might be: “Why did they not know about the scripture in Micah 5:2 ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth unto me someone that is to be a ruler in Israel?’”

When we look at this verse in hindsight we can see that it does indeed refer to the birth of Jesus. But try to look at it from the point of view of someone who knew little or nothing at all about Jesus, or about his birth, or about the place of his birth. This verse from Micah could refer to just about anyone or anything. It could even refer to the place from whence the Messiah would begin his ministry; thirty years after the time of his birth!

We know that when Herod questioned the chief priests and the scribes of the people, they told him that “Messiah” would be born in Bethlehem; but as far as the “wise men” were concerned, when they arrived in Jerusalem the location of his birth was as yet unknown.

We must also remember that the “wise men” had at some point in time lost sight of the star. It was only: “When they had heard the king [Herod], 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. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

Finally: I strongly believe the previous verse should read: “When they heard the king [Herod], they departed; and, lo, the star, which they [had seen] in the east, went before them…” It must be understood that in order to follow the star from Jerusalem to Bethlehem it must lead them towards the south, not towards the east!

Note: Recently I have made several references to the “Seventy Week Prophecy of Daniel Nine” without really trying to explain what it means -- or what it may mean. Next week, in keeping with the spirit of this blogsite, I shall try to place before you the way I have come to understand the “Seventy Week Prophecy of Daniel Nine” -- and why I believe it is as important as I do.