What does the Bible say about the Three Wise Men? | Three Kings / Three Magi

Question, what does the Bible say about the three wise men, or magi? In this video I'll answer that question from a biblical perspective.

Afterwards I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around to the end. We assume that there were three wise men because of the three gifts that were given—gold, incense, and myrrh.

However, the Bible does not say that there were only three wise men. There could have been many more. Tradition says that there were three, and that their names were

Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. But since the Bible does not say, we have no way of knowing whether the tradition is accurate.

It is a common misconception that the wise men visited Jesus at the stable on the night of His birth.

In fact, the wise men came days, months, or possibly even years later. That is why

Matthew 2 verse 11 says the wise men visited and worshipped Jesus in a house, not at a stable.

We know that the magi were wise men from the East, most likely Persia or modern -day

Iran. This means that the wise men traveled 800 to 900 miles to see the

Christ Child. Most likely, the magi knew of the writings of the prophet Daniel, who in times past had been the chief of the court seers in Persia.

Daniel 9 verses 24–27 include a prophecy which gives a timeline for the birth of the

Messiah. Also, the magi may have been aware of the prophecy of Balaam, who was from the town of Pethor on the

Euphrates River near Persia. In Numbers 24 verse 17, Balaam's prophecy specifically mentions a star coming out of Jacob.

The wise men were guided to look for the King of the Jews by a miraculous stellar event, the Star of Bethlehem, which they called

His Star in Matthew 2 verse 2. They came to Jerusalem and asked concerning the birth of Christ, and they were directed to Bethlehem.

They followed God's guidance joyfully. When they arrived in Bethlehem, they gave costly gifts to Jesus and worshipped

Him. God warned them in a dream against returning to Herod, so, in defiance of the king, they left

Judah by another route. So, the magi were men who 1. read and believed

God's word 2. sought Jesus 3. recognized the worth of Christ 4.

humbled themselves to worship Jesus 5. obeyed God rather than men. They were truly wise men.

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