The Biblical record definitely fixes the fact that
Herod, then ruler in Jerusalem, was a wicked man, under the influence of
Satan.
[152]"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod
the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his
star in the east, and are come to worship him." (Matthew 2:1,2) Be it
noted that these wise men went directly to Herod, a representative of
Satan. If the star guiding them was sent by the Lord Jehovah, why would
he guide them to Herod, a representative of Satan, and a mortal enemy of
the babe Jesus? If the sole purpose of the star was to guide these men
to the place of Jesus' birth there was no need for them to go to Herod
at all. The reasonable answer, then, is that Satan had prepared a great
conspiracy with the object of destroying the babe. A conspiracy is a
design to commit a wrongful act in which two or more join in committing
the act or some part of it. Sometimes persons are involved in a
conspiracy and participate without knowing the real purpose of the one
who forms the conspiracy. Such may have been the case with these wise
men; but without doubt Satan had formed and directed it.
[153]When these wise men came into the presence of Herod, he was
troubled, because he feared the new king would interfere with his reign;
and he "gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people [the
seed of Satan and also his representatives--John 8:44] together and
demanded of them where Christ should be born"--in other words he
demanded to know where the babe Jesus could be found.
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