Though Orthodox Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah, they are still looking for a Messiah and an upcoming celestial event has excited some orthodox Jews because they believe it is a sign of the Messiah’s imminent arrival.

A celestial event called a Nova involving the collision of two stars will soon be taking place.

According to Larry Molnar, a professor of Astronomy at Calvin College in Michigan, this collision will be so bright that for six months it will be visible to the human eye on earth.

In 2013, Molnar and one of his students noticed that two stars in the Cygnus Constellation were getting brighter. They realized their orbits were shrinking and they were now on a collision course.

Based on earlier observations, Molnar expects the two will collide sometime in 2022.

Breaking Israel News (BIN) cited an explanation of the event that Molnar provided in a video:

“[The collision] will release as much energy as the sun releases in its entire lifetime … When the two finally collide, it will create a new star, a red nova. The star’s brightness will increase ten-thousandfold, making it one of the brightest points in the heavens for six months, after which it will fade and remain as a smaller dot in the sky. It will be the first time in history that the creation of a new star will be visible with the naked eye.”

BIN also said that some orthodox Jewish Jews — such as Rabbi Yosef Berger who works out of a synagogue associated with King David’s tomb on Jerusalem’s Mt. Zion — are pointing to a prophecy by the prophet Balaam suggesting this event may mark the coming of the Jewish Messiah.

“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth. (Numbers 24:17 NASV)

Balaam was a controversial figure in the Old Testament. Though most believe he was a gentile, he was also considered a prophet. When King Barak of Moab offered Balaam money to curse Israel during a battle between the new nations, the prophet refused saying he could only say the words that God was giving him.

In the end, Balaam spoke a blessing over Israel.

However, Balaam eventually gave King Balak a strategy to defeat Israel telling him to entice Israel into sexual sin and have them eat meat sacrificed to Baal. This strategy proved effective as God judged Israel with a plague.

For those who accept Jesus as the Messiah, Balaam’s prophecy was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus when the star of Bethlehem guided the magi to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-4).

Though Molnar believes this celestial event is probably the first time in human history such a Nova will be seen from earth, Dr. F. J. Tipler a mathematics and physics professor at Tulane University is not convinced. He released a paper stating the star of Bethlehem involved a similar supernova in the Andromeda Galaxy.

What is even more curious about this upcoming collision is that it actually took place over 1,800 years ago and the light of this impact is just starting to arrive at earth today.

But does the formation of this new star have implications for Christians?

Perhaps.

It was only after the coming of Jesus, did people realize that the prophecies about the Messiah involved two different appearances. In the first, Jesus came to provide a sacrifice for sin, but there is also a second coming, when Jesus returns to judge the world.

Similar to the first, should we expect a star announcing Christ’s second coming? Jesus did say that a sign will appear in the sky prior to His return:

³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30 NASV)

It is uncertain what this sign will involve.

Then there is an odd passage in the Book of Revelation that speaks of the spirit of Balaam making an appearance in the end times. In the first three chapters of Revelation, John gives prophecies to the seven churches of Asia. Because of the prophetic overtones of this vision, many suspect these warnings are for the church in the end times.

To the church of Pergamum, John wrote:

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. (Revelation 2:14 NASV)

Perhaps it is all just a coincidence?

Sources:

• A new star to appear in night sky, heralding Balaam’s prophecy of Messiah: Breaking Israel News
• 2 stars colliding ignites excitement over Messiah’s arrival: Wnd.com
• Astronomy prof, student predict explosion that will change the night sky: Calvin College
• The Star of Bethlehem: A Type Ia/Ic Supernova in the Andromedia Galaxy: F.J. Tipler