This post is the fifth and last in a series on the “Waters Above the Firmament.” It also explains why the Adoration of the Magi in Matthew 2 is (unexpectedly) related to the Waters above the Firmament.

The first post in this series explained how “the deep” is a very ODD term to use to describe the flood, and yet it is the term that Genesis uses.

The second post described how “the deep” is used in a very complex way in Genesis 49:5 and in other places in the Bible to refer to God’s work in creation, both in the creation of the world and in the creation of new life.

The third post describes how the parting of the Red Sea in the Exodus is seen as a divine event, with the “waters” of the Sea (yam) being equated with the “waters” of the Deep (tehom), and the metaphors that jump out from the scriptures when you keep this special meaning of the word in mind.

This fourth post was about how this analogy in the Exodus is repeated in Joshua 3 with the crossing of the Jordan, which adds INCREDIBLE specificity to a real-life metaphor of God’s work.

This fifth and final post is about how the “Waters above the Firmament” are actually related to the visit of the Magi, described in Matthew 2, and Isaiah 43 and 44, which references the Magi.

I am CONFIDENT that you have never heard this, and boy are you in for a treat when you get it.

A Brief Tangent Regarding “Blot Out” (machah)

Before we move on, I’d like to explain one final word that hasn’t gotten enough attention in our previous posts. That is a word translated as “blot out.”

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:5-7)

This word is used two more times to refer to what God is going to do in the flood. This word “blot out” (machah) means “to wipe, wipe out.” But there is a metaphorical meaning to it as well. You can see it in other places where the word “blot out” is used elsewhere, where it is associated with writing and erasing:

But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. (Exodus 32:32-33)

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. (Psalm 69:28)

In these passages, we can see that there is a connection between “books” and “blotting out,” because it means TO ERASE. And that definition of “wipe out” is literally how people were required to “erase” things in the days before pencils and erasers. To wipe something out, you needed to pour water on the leather or papyrus and then literally scrub it out.

That is what God said he did to THE ENTIRE WORLD in the flood with the Waters above the Firmament. That’s another picture that we need to know about the way the “Waters above the Firmament” interact with the world.

But now moving on to the subject of this post.

A Strange Passage in Isaiah

The following passage comes from the book of Isaiah. It was written in the 700s BC. This is what it says:

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters (mayim), I will be with you;
    and through the rivers (nahar), they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
    Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my eyes,
    and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
    peoples in exchange for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you;
    I will bring your offspring from the east,
    and from the west I will gather you.
I will say to the north, Give up,
    and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the end of the earth,
everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”

Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
    who are deaf, yet have ears!
All the nations gather together,
    and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
    and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
    and let them hear and say, It is true.
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the Lord,
    and besides me there is no savior.
I declared and saved and proclaimed,
    when there was no strange god among you;
    and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
Also henceforth I am he;
    there is none who can deliver from my hand;
    I work, and who can turn it back?”

Thus says the Lord,
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
    and bring them all down as fugitives,
    even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    the Creator of Israel, your King.”

Thus says the Lord,
    who makes a way in the sea (yam),
    a path in the mighty waters (mayim),
who brings forth chariot and horse,
    army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
    they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
“Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers (nahar) in the desert.
The wild beasts will honor me,
    the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water (mayim) in the wilderness,
    rivers (nahar) in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
    the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.

“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
    but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
    or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
    or wearied you with frankincense.
You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
    or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
    you have wearied me with your iniquities.

“I, I am he
    who blots out (machah) your transgressions for my own sake,
    and I will not remember your sins.
Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;
    set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
Your first father sinned,
    and your mediators transgressed against me.
Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
    and deliver Jacob to utter destruction
    and Israel to reviling.

“But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
    Israel whom I have chosen!
Thus says the Lord who made you,
    who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
    Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water (mayim) on the thirsty land,
    and streams (nazal) on the dry ground (yabbashah);
I will pour my Spirit (ruach) upon your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants.
They shall spring up among the grass
    like willows by flowing streams (mayim).
This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’
    another will call on the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
    and name himself by the name of Israel.”

In this passage, we can see that there are several allusions to the Exodus. There are also allusions to the crossing of the Jordan.

• We see that the Lord makes a way “in the sea” (yam) just like he did in the Exodus.
• We see the “chariot and horse, army and warrior” that are “extinguished,” just like they were at the parting of the Red Sea.
• We see that God reminds Israel that they shall pass through “rivers” just like they did at the Jordan.
• They will pass through “the waters” just like they did in the Exodus and at the Jordan.

Therefore, this poetic passage is invoking allusions of parallel existence of the “Waters Above the Firmament” with the bodies of water down here on Earth.

But then we also get a strange invocation of a different group of people.

Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
    who are deaf, yet have ears!
All the nations gather together,
    and the peoples assemble.
. . .
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
    and let them hear and say, It is true.
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor shall there be any after me.
. . .
I declared and saved and proclaimed,
    when there was no strange god among you;
    and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
(Isaiah 43:8-12)

These “witnesses” seem to be “blind” yet have eyes. They seem to be “deaf” yet have ears. Who are these people? Additionally, we see that these people seem to be equated with Babylon and “the Chaldeans.” This is the strangest part of the passage:

Thus says the Lord,
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
    and bring them all down as fugitives,
    even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    the Creator of Israel, your King.”

This passage is very, VERY strange. You can figure out the reason it is strange from the following map:

Do you notice the funny thing about Babylon? It is LANDLOCKED!!! Why on Earth would the all-knowing God, (or even the prophet Isaiah, for that matter), claim that the land-locked nation of Babylon REJOICES in “ships”?

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!?

DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW BOATS WORK!?

WHY DOESN’T ANYBODY ELSE NOTICE THIS!?

The Mention of the Magi in Isaiah

It is a little known fact that the Magi are actually being invoked in this passage. In fact, they are invoked many places in Isaiah. You just didn’t notice. It involves some word study.

The following account is given of the Magi in the second chapter of Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men (μάγοι) from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
(Matthew 2:1-12)

Now, in the ESV, the people who visit Jerusalem, Herod, and then Jesus are in Greek called μάγοι or “Magi.” This isn’t an “incorrect” translation, but I do not like the translation. The reason I do not like the translation is because the “wise men” are μάγοι and μάγοι is a proper noun.

The Magi are identified in this following passage from the Histories of Herodotus, who wrote about the Persian Invasions of Greek around 450 BC. This is what he says about the group that formed to create the “Medes”:

Deioces, then, united the Median nation, and no other, and ruled it. The Median tribes are these — the Busae, the Paretaceni, the Struchates, the Arizanti, the Budii, the Magi: so many are their tribes.
(Herodotus, Histories 1.101.1)

And as you can see by going to the Greek text of that link, not only is this “tribe of the Medes” the same in English, it’s also the same in Greek:

Δηιόκης μέν νυν τὸ Μηδικὸν ἔθνος συνέστρεψε μοῦνον καὶ τούτου ἦρξε· ἔστι δὲ Μήδων τοσάδε γένεα, Βοῦσαι Παρητακηνοὶ Στρούχατες Ἀριζαντοὶ Βούδιοι Μάγοι. γένεα μὲν δὴ Μήδων ἐστὶ τοσάδε.
(Herodotus, Histories 1.101.1, Greek)

The Magi certainly are “wise men” to the King of Kings in the Persian Empire, but we should understand that “μάγοι” is not some generic term for “wise men.” That term would be something like σοφοὺς (sophous). These are SPECIFIC wise men. And they show up ALL OVER the place in ancient literature.

For instance, in 44 BC, Cicero even mentions them as people who interpret dreams, in a dialogue on the benefits and pitfalls of divination:

Why need I bring forth from Dinon’s Persian annals the dreams of that famous prince, Cyrus, and their interpretations by the magi? But take this instance: Once upon a time Cyrus dreamed that the sun was at his feet. Three times, so Dinon writes, he vainly tried to grasp it and each time it turned away, escaped him, and finally disappeared. He was told by the magi, who are classed as wise and learned men among the Persians, that his grasping for the sun three times portended that he would reign for thirty years. And thus it happened; for he lived to his seventieth year, having begun to reign at forty. (Cicero, On Divination, 1.23.46)

Among the Persians the augurs and diviners are the magi, who assemble regularly in a sacred place for practice and consultation, just as formerly you augurs used to do on the Nones. Indeed, no one can become king of the Persians until he has learned the theory and the practice of the magi. (Cicero, On Divination, 1.41.90)

Cicero also gives us a hint of what the word “Chaldeans” means by the time things roll around to 44 BC when he was writing, rather than 700ish BC, when Isaiah was writing:

Now I am aware of no people, however refined and learned or however savage and ignorant, which does not think that signs are given of future events, and that certain persons can recognize those signs and foretell events before they occur. First of all — to seek authority from the most distant sources — the Assyrians, on account of the vast plains inhabited by them, and because of the open and unobstructed view of the heavens presented to them on every side, took observations of the paths and movements of the stars, and, having made note of them, transmitted to posterity what significance they had for each person. And in that same nation the Chaldeans — a name which they derived not from their art but their race — have, it is thought, by means of long-continued observation of the constellations, perfected a science which enables them to foretell what any man’s lot will be and for what fate he was born. (Cicero, On Divination, 1.1.2)

That’s an important clue, because “Chaldeans” used to be a particular NATION of people, living where the city of Babylon was. But by the time Cicero is writing this here, the name “Chaldean” had changed in its meaning and now meant anyone who happened to watch the stars in the way that the old ethnic Chaldeans originally figured out.

And even more sure, we have the writings of Pliny the Elder, who absolutely HATES the Magi, thinking of them as despicable liars. Note what he says about the continuing existence of this group of “Magi” in the time he is writing, around 70 AD:

To the east of this place is the fortress of Passagarda [Peresepolis], held by the Magi, at which spot is the tomb of Cyrus (Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 6.29)

That is the same ethnic group of people that Herodotus and Cicero mention, but he then moves on to those who follow the general arts of the Magi, which he refers to as “Magicas,” where we get our word “Magician”:

In former parts of this work, I have had occasion more than. once, when the subject demanded it, to refute the impostures of the magic art, and it is now my intention to continue still further my exposure thereof. Indeed, there are few subjects on which more might be profitably said, were it only that, being, as it is, the most deceptive of all known arts, it has exercised the greatest influence in every country and in nearly every age.
. . .
That it first originated in medicine, no one entertains a doubt; or that, under the plausible guise of promoting health, it insinuated itself among mankind, as a higher and more holy branch of the medical art. Then, in the next place, to promises the most seductive and the most flattering, it has added all the resources of religion, a subject upon which, at the present day, man is still entirely in the dark. Last of all, to complete its universal sway, it has incorporated with itself the astrological art; there being no man who is not desirous to know his future destiny, or who is not ready to believe that this knowledge may with the greatest certainty be obtained, by observing the face of the heavens. The senses of men being thus enthralled by a three-fold bond, the art of magic has attained an influence so mighty, that at the present day even, it holds sway throughout a great part of the world, and rules the kings of kings in the East. (Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 30.1.1)

Pliny the Elder wrote that around 70 AD.

Therefore, we have an ancient document that speaks DIRECTLY TO MATTHEW’S GOSPEL, which also mentions the Magi. We can see these “Magi” first mentioned around 450 BC, then again (both “Magi” and “Chaldeans”) much closer to the birth of Christ around 44 BC. Then we have yet another ancient source explicitly mentioning the Magi and their art (which is the same art as the Chaldeans) in 70 AD.

Therefore, we can say something with a great deal of confidence about the “μάγοι” of Matthew 2: They are astrologers.

Explaining the “Ships in Which They Rejoice”

Here’s the funny thing about this and how it relates to Isaiah 43. Remember that we said that Babylon was land-locked, and therefore, they did not “rejoice” in any ships. This is true. But it is NOT true when you take it metaphorically.

Remember the importance of the “Waters above the Firmament.” Remember that Isaiah 43 and 44 continually invoke the old places where the Waters above the Firmament” are made parallel to the seas, rivers, and waters below the firmament. We have our breakdown of this picture here:

Unlike the modern and “scientific” understanding of “the expanse” up there as “empty space,” an ancient human would have seen what is “up there” as WATER.

But what are the things that “navigate” the waters of the heavens? That would be the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets.

What group of people “rejoice” in the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets? The Chaldeans, who invented the arts of both astronomy and astrology.

And who are Chaldeans? The Magi.

Do you see where this is going? Oh! But it gets better.

The Real-Life Parallel of the Magi to the Old Testament

There is a strange coincidence that happens in the Old Testament when Solomon’s Temple is being built. We get an episode that happened when Solomon was trying to get the materials for the construction of the first temple. This is what we read in 1 Kings:

King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants, seamen who were familiar with the sea (yam), together with the servants of Solomon. And they went to Ophir and brought from there gold, 420 talents, and they brought it to King Solomon.
(1 Kings 9:26-28)

That King Hiram was the king of Tyre. He is NOT a Jew. But Tyre was famed for its control of the seas and their ships and all that. Solomon builds ships that cross the SAME BODY OF WATER that Moses equated with “the deep” (tehom), piloted by gentile sailors, to come bring GOLD for the temple.

In the gospel of Matthew we find that gentile Magi, who are famed for their knowledge of the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets, to bring GOLD because of what they saw IN THE WATERS ABOVE THE FIRMAMENT.

And remember what Isaiah said about God bringing the Chaldeans down “in the ships in which they rejoice”? Well look back at Matthew 2:

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

That literally happened over six centuries after that was written.

Oh but wait, there’s more.

“Here I am”

We should also note that in Isaiah, God says he will bring down the Chaldeans like captives in the ships in which they rejoice.

When it comes to the Magi’s Star that I have discovered in actual recorded astronomy, I can assure you that the star actually led them RIGHT TO THE DOORSTEP OF THE HOUSE OF MARY, JOSEPH, AND JESUS. But that would take too long to describe. But I’ll just confirm what you always expected, which is that this star doesn’t just lead them to Bethlehem specifically, but to the actual HOME of Jesus:

After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.
(Matthew 2:9-11)

Did you know that this was actually prophesied by Isaiah, too? Look at what he says in Isaiah 65:

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
    I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, “Here I am, here I am,”
    to a nation that was not called by my name.
(Isaiah 65:1)

That “nation that was not called by my name” is THE MAGI. They are pagan astrologers of the Medes, Persians, and at this time, the King of the Parthian Empire.

But by God literally said “Here I am, here I am” to the Magi.

But wait! …..there’s myrrh!

Water in the Wilderness

There’s another funny thing in that passage of Isaiah. Do you notice how it mentions FRANKINCENSE??? Isn’t that weird? Do you notice how it says that God did not burden “Israel” with frankincense. But who did he burden with frankincense? He burdened “the Magi” with it.

Christ has done it by pouring his Spirit (ruach) out on ALL PEOPLE, not only the sons of Jacob. It is not only the clean animals that praise the Lord with sacrifice, but instead:

Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.
The wild beasts will honor me,
    the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water (mayim) in the wilderness,
    rivers (nahar) in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
    the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise
(Isaiah 43:18-21)

These “wild beasts” and “jackals” and “ostriches” are poetic references to the gentile Magi, who came to Jesus to praise him.

The “New Thing” That God is Doing

In Isaiah 43 and 44, we also read that God is doing a “new thing.” To understand what this “new thing” is, we need to look back at the word “blot out” or machah, which appears twice in Isaiah:

I, I am he
    who blots out (machah) your transgressions for my own sake,
    and I will not remember your sins.
(Isaiah 43:25)

Remember these things, O Jacob,
    and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
    O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have blotted out (machah) your transgressions like a cloud
    and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.
(Isaiah 44:21-22)

In Genesis, God saw that the world was wicked, so he “blotted out” (machah) all of the wicked. We know from the story that it was deserved, because:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

Then, the Lord gave his people commandments and rules to live by. If they followed these laws, they would be blessed and they would prosper. If they did not, then they would be “blotted out,” just like the generation of Noah and the evil Canaanites were literally “blotted out” and erased from under heaven:

Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.
(Deuteronomy 29:18-20)

But here is the New Thing that the Lord is doing:

I, I am he
    who blots out (machah) your transgressions for my own sake,
    and I will not remember your sins.
(Isaiah 43:25)

Just as entire civilizations were “blotted out” and erased in the flood, now it is ONLY THE TRANSGRESSIONS that are blotted out.

In this New Thing, God has traveled across the Waters above the Firmament, and he is redeeming his people who would not obey. He is calling them back. He will redeem them by BAPTIZING them with water, rather than the justice that was dispensed before by BLOTTING THEM OUT with water.

And the announcement of this was done through THE STARS, which were seen BY THE MAGI, who then came to Jerusalem and announced that one had been born King of the Jews, and that they (in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy centuries before) had come to SERVE him.

Conclusion

So, that concludes this series on the Waters Above the Firmament. I hope it was enjoyable to you. If a church or group out there would like me to speak on it, I’d be happy to travel and present (or give a presentation over Zoom or Skype).

However, as I’ve said before, this “Waters Above the Firmament” thing is just a side-project. I got into it because I got into this subject of Isaiah 43, and I got into Isaiah 43 because I was researching the Magi.

What I have done in my REAL project is that I have actually FOUND the Magi’s Star. I’ve found the astronomical event that is the Magi’s Star (both the “star in the East” and the “Star of Bethlehem”) in ACTUAL history. I have looked into the rules of ancient astrology (no, I don’t believe in that stuff, but it’s clear that the Magi did believe in it, and therefore, it is relevant), and I even know what motivated them to go to Jerusalem. I can prove it all: historically, chronologically, astronomically, and scripturally, but I need help. I need connections with people who can help me polish my significant research into something that is fashioned for acceptance in the academic field.

If you or anyone you know would be interested in helping me or seeing what I have, shoot me an email at mrcalebjones at gmail dot com. I’d also be happy to speak to a church or Bible study on the topic, too. Like, totally serious. If you’re curious and would like to hear me talk, I’d happily share. If you pay me for it, then I’ll DEFINITELY share. This is going to be my thing. It’s a big deal. You won’t want to miss it.