EPIPHANY AND THE MAGI

The beginning of the new year is not the end of the holiday season in Sweden. No, the Swedes also get to take off work on Epiphany – January 6 - just a few short days after the end of the Christmas break. Lucky Scandinavians. Sweden is one of the very few countries that gives public honor to Epiphany, and many Christians these days don't even know what this holiday - celebrated 12 days after Christmas - is all about.

Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi who traveled across the known world to pay homage to the young King of the Jews. They came out of more than mere curiosity. While we don't know the exact date of their arrival, their journey must have begun months, perhaps years before they reached Mary and Joseph's new home in Bethlehem. They also brought with them gifts that bore powerful prophetic significance; gold reflected the kingship of Jesus the Messiah; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment that signified Jesus' death.

The Magi also hold the honor of being the first gentiles known to have come to worship Jesus. The Messiah was born in Bethlehem to the Jewish people, but He came to be the Savior and Lord of all nations.

The 12 Days of Christmas:
Straight No Chaser, the men's acapella group at Indiana University, does a unique and entertaining version of The 12 Days of Christmas that has been all the rage on Youtube for a couple of years now. What many people don't realize is that the 12 Days of Christmas actually begin at Christmas. During centuries past, these were 12 days of celebration that were filled with feasting and gift-giving until the Twelfth Night – the evening of January 5th - the day before Epiphany.

The Magi:
The ancient Magi were a hereditary priesthood of the Medes credited with profound and extraordinary religious knowledge. After some Magi, who had been attached to the Median court, proved to be expert in the interpretation of dreams, Darius the Great established them over the state religion of Persia. (Contrary to popular belief, the Magi were not originally followers of Zoroaster. That all came later.)

It was in this dual capacity whereby civil and political counsel was invested with religious authority, that the Magi became the supreme priestly caste of the Persian Empire, and continued to be prominent during the subsequent Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods.

The Role of Daniel:
One of the titles given to Daniel was Rab-mag (Dan 4:9; 5:11), the Chief of the Magi. His unusual career included being a principal administrator in two world empires: the Babylonian and the subsequent Persian Empire. When Darius appointed him, a Jew, over the previously hereditary Median priesthood, the resulting repercussions resulted in the plots leading to the lion's den (Dan 6). Daniel apparently entrusted a messianic vision (to be announced in due time by a "star") to a secret sect of the Magi for its eventual fulfillment. But first, let's cover some historical background.

The Political Background:
Since the days of Daniel, the fortunes of both the Persian and the Jewish nations had been closely intertwined. Both nations had, in their turn, fallen under Seleucid domination in the wake of Alexander's conquests. Subsequently both had regained their independence: the Jews under Maccabean leadership, and the Persians as the dominating ruling group within the Parthian Empire.

It was at this time that the Magi, in their dual priestly and governmental office, composed the upper house of the Council of the Megistanes ("magistrates") whose duties included the absolute choice and election of the king of the realm. It was therefore a group of Persian-Parthian "king makers" who entered Jerusalem in the latter days of the reign of Herod. Herod's reaction was understandably one of fear when one considers the background of Roman-Parthian rivalry that prevailed during his lifetime.

Theophany:
Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany with another focus; Christ's baptism by John the Baptist. Epiphany, which means "to manifest" or "to show" in Greek, is often also called Theophany by the Eastern Church, because it is Christ's presentation to the world as the Son of God.

As John the Baptist said:
"He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." -John 1:33-34

All these traditions and celebrations point to a very important truth - that the Son of God came to Earth. The God of the Universe sends both the wise and the meek of the earth to worship Him. May we continue to worship and serve Him every day of this new year and present to him the gifts, not of frankincense and myrrh, but the living sacrifice of our lives - to use for His awesome will.