Originally published December 1, 1988

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Even the Christmas story, sung and recited at this time of year, becomes the victim of the increasingly popular kingdom/dominion/reconstruction teachings we have discussed in recent months.1 Take, for example, the story of the wise men (the Bible doesn’t say there were “three”). Having seen a new star, which they understood signaled the birth of a promised king of Israel, they journeyed to Jerusalem—not because the star led them there (as Christmas songs and stories erroneously say), but because that was where they logically expected a Jewish king to be born. We don't know how they were alerted to watch for the star, but it could have been because of an oral account of Balaam’s prophecy (Numbers 24:17) handed down among Eastern magi.