Revelation Of The Magi

“Astonishing, delightful, and theologically sophisticated.” —Marvin Meyer, Griset Professor of Religious Studies, Chapman University Theologian Brent Landau presents the ancient account of Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, the three “wise men” who journeyed to Bethlehem to greet the birth of Jesus. The Revelation of the Magi offers the first-ever English translation of an ancient Syriac manuscript written in the second to third century after the birth of Christ and safeguarded for generations in the Vatican Library. Following in the footsteps of Elaine Pagels and her exploration of the Gnostic Gospels, including the controversial Gospel of Judas, Landau delivers an invaluable source of information to a world interested in learning more about the Nativity and the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

"The perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth." — Robert J. Hutchinson, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible, The Dawn of Christianity, and Searching for Jesus. "Utterly refreshing and encouraging." — Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther "The best book I know about the Magi." — Sir Colin John Humphreys, Ph.D., author of The Mystery of the Last Supper Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the “wise men from the East” as pious legend. Matthew’s gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas crèche. For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously. But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy? In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod. In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world. The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors from the court of the Nabatean king at Petra, where the Hebrew messianic prophecies were well known. The “star” that inspired their journey was a particular planetary alignment—confirmed by computer models—that in the astrological lore of the time portended the birth of a Jewish king. The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod “and all Jerusalem with him” may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.

Although "Matthew's Gospel reveals little about the three wealthy visitors said to have presented gifts to the infant Jesus," the author presents the influence of the Magi in Christian society, in the machinations of monarchs and heads of republics, in relations with native Americans, and in the play of present day street children.--Jacket.

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.

John Shelby Spong, bestselling author and Episcopal bishop of Newark, NJ, challenges the doctrine of the virgin birth, tracing its development in the early Christian church and revealing its legacy in our contemporary attitudes toward women and female sexuality.

No other passages in Scripture have been more talked about in end time Bible prophecy than those dealing with the mark of the Beast. Revelation 13:18 adds to the horror by posing the Bible’s most mysterious riddle. It states: “Here is wisdom, Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.” In this Magi Report the riddle is decoded and examined phrase by phrase revealing the deep and seemingly hidden truths in Scripture, such as the frightening significance of being “numbered,” the meaning of 666, how the number will be counted and its shocking role. This commentary provides an overview of current technologies, which fit the prophetic forecasts along with showing how they will be implemented geopolitically. Quantum computing, D-Wave, nanotechnology, biotechnology, advances in DNA- genetic engineering, holograms, CERN, FAST, transhumanism, and more are highlighted along with their speculated role during the Tribulation. This report discloses the technologies that match the image and mark of the Beast along with what life will be like under the Antichrist’s police state and the accompanying Biblical references that support technology’s role. As the technologies have advanced they have helped to provide the full meaning of the prophetic forecasts that relate to technological developments. This report provides a detailed analysis of the mark of the Beast and its road to fulfillment along with the Tower of Babel path that technology is taking and the future discoveries that scientists are anticipating. The analysis reveals why taking the mark guarantees eternity in hell, why it is the unforgivable sin of blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, which is a sin Christians have pondered for centuries. Never before have we been so close to the start of the Tribulation that an expose like this could even been penned. The Magi Report name is adopted from the Biblical Magi who were analysts and learned men and women in the knowledge and disciplines of their day. At the time of Christ, Herod consulted the Magi who understood the prophetic predictions of the day when there were no living prophets. The Magi Report delivers careful analysis of Bible Prophecy’s forecasts in light of current events and provides status reports of recently fulfilled predictions, those that remain unfulfilled, geopolitical forecasts and fresh biblical insights.

This work stands among the most important publications in biblical studies over the past twenty-five years. Richard Bauckham, James Davila, and Alexander Panayotov’s new two-volume collection of Old Testament pseudepigrapha contains many previously unpublished and newly translated texts, complementing James Charlesworth’s Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and other earlier collections. Including virtually all known surviving pseudepigrapha written before the rise of Islam, this volume, among other things, presents the sacred legends and spiritual reflections of numerous long-dead authors whose works were lost, neglected, or suppressed for many centuries. Excellent English translations along with authoritative yet accessible introductions bring those ancient documents to life for readers today.