3 days of light. The Christmas star...

[yotoman]

I was reading the Ensign and scriptures this past week and I started thinking about how the Nephite people had like 3 days of light or whatever. And then the people in Jersulsalem had a bright star. Was the whole earth lite up?

Also, at Christ's death the Nephite people were in darkness for three days? Is that right? What about the people in Jersusalem?

If someone could explain this to me maybe I can better understand it. Thanks!

[deseretgov]

I thought it was only one night of light in the Americas.

[Wingnut]

One day and one night as if it were one day.

[Vort]

I was reading the Ensign and scriptures this past week and I started thinking about how the Nephite people had like 3 days of light or whatever. And then the people in Jersulsalem had a bright star. Was the whole earth lite up?

Also, at Christ's death the Nephite people were in darkness for three days? Is that right? What about the people in Jersusalem?

If someone could explain this to me maybe I can better understand it. Thanks!

Not three days. It was a day, a night, and a day as if it were one day. So that's approximately 36 hours of continuous light. Clearly, the whole earth was not lit up, since the Bible mentions nothing about this sign. It was apparently only for the Nephites.

At Christ's death, the more wicked part of the people in the Nephite civilization were destroyed, and the survivors endured three days of darkness. Nothing like this is recorded to have happened in Jerusalem.

[Hemidakota]

Three hours of darkness was seen and felt in the middle-east. There is symbolic meaning behind the numerical three.

[rameumptom]

The 3 days of darkness was probably due to volcanic eruptions in the area of the Nephites. It would have blotted out the sun for several days, and prevented fires from being started.

[yotoman]

Interesting...okay. Well, I mean...anything is possible with the Lord, but I just wanted to get things straight. So:

1 full day of light for Nephites

1 star in the East for Jerusalem

3 days of darkness for the Nephites at Christ's death

3 hours of darkness for Jersusalem

Is there anything else I need to know?

[Traveler]

I have posted before that I believe the star of Bethlehem was a star that went supernova about 600 to 650 light years from earth. Such an event so defined would create a “New” star that would be seen during the day – in fact it could be as bright as our sun.

The energy and radiation reaching the earth could easily cause our ozone to fluoresce in the same manner as a fluorescent light bulb. This would not be as noticeable during the day with the sun shining but as night approached one could observe the sun going down and there would still be light as if it were day. Another interesting fact is that the light from the ozone would not create any shadows.

The star would lose in intensity and the fluorescent effect would subside yet the remaining star would still be observed in the night sky – capable of guiding someone that knew the meaning of the sign.

Was the star of Bethlehem a supernova? - I think it likely was but should I find a better explanation; I would consider it. But I have found none.

The Traveler

[yotoman]

Well, not all things that happen will have a scientific meaning. The flood...God did that. Of course, God does everything.

[deseretgov]

I have posted before that I believe the star of Bethlehem was a star that went supernova about 600 to 650 light years from earth. Such an event so defined would create a “New” star that would be seen during the day – in fact it could be as bright as our sun.

The energy and radiation reaching the earth could easily cause our ozone to fluoresce in the same manner as a fluorescent light bulb. This would not be as noticeable during the day with the sun shining but as night approached one could observe the sun going down and there would still be light as if it were day. Another interesting fact is that the light from the ozone would not create any shadows.

The star would lose in intensity and the fluorescent effect would subside yet the remaining star would still be observed in the night sky – capable of guiding someone that knew the meaning of the sign.

Was the star of Bethlehem a supernova? - I think it likely was but should I find a better explanation; I would consider it. But I have found none.

The Traveler

I'd like to think it was a supernova or something but the scriptures do say the star moved and then stopped over the place where Jesus was born. If it would have been a supernova it wouldn't have been able to stop over the place where Jesus was.

Well, not all things that happen will have a scientific meaning. The flood...God did that. Of course, God does everything.

But everything must happen in the physical world and interact with phycial things such as atoms. So some form of scientific principles MUST apply to EVERYTHING God does. It may be science that we do not yet understand but it is science none the less.

Our science, as advanced as we may think it is, isn't even a fraction of a fraction of one percent of all the things in the universe.

Edited December 8, 2009 by deseretgov

[Traveler]

I'd like to think it was a supernova or something but the scriptures do say the star moved and then stopped over the place where Jesus was born. If it would have been a supernova it wouldn't have been able to stop over the place where Jesus was.

......

Have you ever charted a course by the stars? All stars "appear" to move except those on the axis of rotation.

The Traveler

[deseretgov]

Have you ever charted a course by the stars? All stars "appear" to move except those on the axis of rotation.

The Traveler

I've photographed star trails. So I've seen the evidence of the "movement" of the stars. But I've never seen a star "move" and then stop over a certain location.

For a "star" to mark a location in such a manner it would have to be directly overhead the location and only go up to a certain height. The higher it got the greater the area would be that could call that object "overhead." If it truely was a star then it would only guide to the place of the place of Christ's birth from a certain angle. If an observer followed the path of the star and reached the place of Christ's birth, but then continued walking the star would no longer appear to be over the location. In fact, upon reaching the location the star would not appear to be over the location but would be in the distant sky.

[Hemidakota]

Good point Deseretgov. This subject is very intriguing since explanation on how could a star of such magnitude even provide a beam of light, whether it was daytime or nighttime stay focus on the same spot is not very clear.

Or was it a planet or multi-planets in some form of alignment?

[deseretgov]

I think I'm leaning towards it being more related to the "Pillar of Fire" phenomenon. Of course that still doesn't explain the night of no darkness in the Americas.

[Traveler]

I've photographed star trails. So I've seen the evidence of the "movement" of the stars. But I've never seen a star "move" and then stop over a certain location.

For a "star" to mark a location in such a manner it would have to be directly overhead the location and only go up to a certain height. The higher it got the greater the area would be that could call that object "overhead." If it truely was a star then it would only guide to the place of the place of Christ's birth from a certain angle. If an observer followed the path of the star and reached the place of Christ's birth, but then continued walking the star would no longer appear to be over the location. In fact, upon reaching the location the star would not appear to be over the location but would be in the distant sky.

I am thinking you are "reading" a lot into scripture that was not meant to be understood as you are making it out. Reason I think this way? Because the "wise" men from the east and no one else on the planet understood the significance of the star to be guided by it.

It would appear that what-ever gave them this understanding has been lost. It is not in scripture and outside of the religion of Zoroasterism there is no such ancient or modern wisdom.

The Traveler

[lattelady]

I lean toward that star-movement being a miracle of God. :) Really.

[Traveler]

I lean toward that star-movement being a miracle of God. :) Really.

I do not believe that there is even a single star that moves in the night sky that is not a miracle of G-d. I also believe that understanding the science of it all is also a miracle of G-d.

The Traveler