Belated Thoughts on Epiphany

Crossposted from Theopolis.

Like Yahweh’s advent in Old Testament times, Jesus’ advent is announced with an array of signs, one of which is a star. That star, however, isn’t merely an arrow on a map pointing to the place of Jesus’ birth; it’s a pointer to Jesus’ identity and status.

Stars teem with symbolism. They occupy a liminal position in God’s creation. They are points of contact between heaven and earth, reflecting the authority of the realm above on the earth below (Gen. 1.16). Hence, when rulers fight on earth, their battle is depicted as a battle between stars (Judg. 5.20). And, when rulers are deposed, stars fall from the heavens (Isa. 14.12–13), which leaves a dark sky/vacuum in their wake (Ezek. 32.2–10).

Stars also blend the heavenly and the earthly in other ways. They are windows into a heavenly realm of light, and yet they are part of space and time, and burn brightly. Angels can thus be described as ‘stars’ (Job 38.7)—creatures of great glory, and flaming fires (Psa. 104.4), and yet tangible and human in appearance.

The advent of Jesus is not, therefore, simply signified by the appearance of a star; it is the appearance of a star, on earth. Jesus is heaven’s glory, manifest on earth in human form. In him, heaven and earth combine, and will be united in and through his reign.

Jesus’ advent is also associated with stars in other ways. Almost two thousands years before Jesus’ birth, Joseph had a dream in which Israel’s eleven stars bowed down before him. At the time, the dream aroused envy in Israel’s patriarchs. Angered by the idea that a man like Joseph would rule over them, they sought to kill him, which resulted in Joseph’s exile to Egypt.

Similar events unfold at the outset of Matthew’s gospel, though with a twist. Another favoured son is born. The idea that he will reign in Israel provokes fear in Israel’s king (Herod), who seeks to eliminate his rival. And so a different Joseph is given a dream, a son is subsequently exiled to Egypt (and thereby preserved), and, upon that Son’s glorification, the brothers who once rejected him worship him.

Jesus is thus the Joseph-like star of the Old Testament. Just as Abraham’s star-like descendants find their fulfilment in one seed, so they find their fulfilment in one star. Indeed, the only grammatically singular reference to a star in the Old Testament (the ‘star-god’ of Amos 5.26 not included) occurs in relation to the rise of Israel’s Messiah. A star would arise from Jacob, Balaam said, which would be associated with power and great authority (‘a sceptre’). That star would dethrone Edom—a nation which is said to have raised itself up to the stars (Obad. 1.4)—, just as Jesus’ appearance resulted in the fall of the Edomite star, Herod.

Jesus’ role as the star of Jacob is also notable for other reasons. Stars do not generally appear in isolation; they appear alongside other stars. And so it is with Jesus.

Jesus arises at the end of Israel’s night. As he appears, angelic stars shine out in the night sky (Luke 2.8–11). Meanwhile, nations are attracted to his light, and kingly stars to the dawn of his rise (Isa. 60.2–3), with gold and frankincense from afar (Isa. 60.6). And then, as Jesus begins his ministry, the lesser light who previously ruled the night (John the Baptist) fades away in order to give place to the heavenly Day-Star (Luke 1.78, John 1.8–9, etc.).

Before we finish, a further OT incident deserves our attention. Consider the main ingredients of Matthew 2: wise men arrive from afar; a manic king is troubled by a divine message; his advisors are summoned and set a riddle; and a massacre is commissioned. What might these events remind us of? An obvious answer is the scene described in Daniel 2, with Nebuchadnezzar played by Herod. Jesus’ arrival is thus depicted in Daniel-esque terms, like the falling of a stone that sets an avalanche in motion. Cracks will soon start to appear in the Roman/Gentile colossus; the endangered Daniel/Jesus will outlive the manic Herod; Herod’s successor will be struck down as he refuses to give God glory (Dan. 5, Acts 12); and the Gentile colossus will topple while Jesus and his people go from strength to strength. The road for them will not be easy, but they will ultimately shine ‘like the brightness of the sky and stars above’ to ‘turn many to righteousness’ (Dan. 12.3).