AN old prophecy about The Star of Jacob has gone viral on TikTok after one user claimed that it had returned to the night sky.
Teenage TikToker Jacob Rutkowski claimed in a video that the Star of Jacob had led the Three Wise Men to the birth of Jesus in the Bible, but the exact nature of the star has been debated
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However, the prophecy has divided opinions and puzzled experts across TikTok.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Star of Jacob.
Why is the Star of Jacob trending?
An asteroid named 2024 PT5 entered Earth’s orbit on October 5, 2024, and many people on TikTok have claimed that this could be the Star of Jacob.
Videos of the celestial body with Bible verses accompanying them have been going viral on the platform.
Read more on TikTok trends
The star’s relation to Jesus has made some influencers speculate that Jesus’ return might be sooner than some Christians think.
Is the Star of Jacob a literal star?
A TikToker named @the.bible.teacher replied to the viral video and said that he believes the Star of Jacob is not a literal star.
He quoted from the Bible and said: “Numbers 24:17: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.
“A star is emerging from Jacob; a scepter is rising from Israel, and it smashes the brow of Moab and the foundation of all the sons of Seth.”
The Bible Teacher interpreted this to mean that a “true and righteous king” will appear, not a star.
He told TikTokers joining in on the trend to “chilaxify”, a combination of “chill” and “relax”.
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What is the story of the Star of Jacob?
The story of the Star of Jacob is centered on Balak, the King of Moab, who calls upon Balaam, the son of a soothsayer named Beor.
Balak wanted Balaam to curse the Hebrews that were crossing the Plains of Moab (modern day-Jordan).
However, Balaam saw that Yahweh, the God of Israel, was travelling with the tribe and decided to bless them instead.
A non-Hebrew prophet was then asked by Yahweh to give the tribe a prophecy surrounding the Messiah’s birth.
It was said that the star would emerge in Israel and would have royal qualities, as suggested by “scepter” in the prophecy.
The star that the three wise men followed to find Jesus is usually referred to as the Star of Bethlehem, though some Christian experts suggest the star is Jesus himself.