The producer of a new documentary film about the Bethlehem Star says he believes science and technology can affirm the reliability of Scripture and can be a powerful tool to draw skeptics into the church.
The movie, God of Heaven and Earth, will be in theaters Nov. 5-6 and offers a compelling case for how the Wise Men followed astronomical events in the sky to travel hundreds of miles from the East to worship the Christchild. Incredibly -- according to the theory -- those events culminated in Jupiter “stopping” over Bethlehem on Dec. 25, 2 B.C. The star described in Scripture would have involved Jupiter and Venus in conjunction, which would have been the brightest “star” anyone had seen, the film says.
The movie also examines the events surrounding Christ’s crucifixion, including the earthquake. Scientists have found evidence for a quake in 33 A.D. Matthew 27, verses 51 and 54, each describe an earthquake that took place when Jesus died.
“I want people to walk away going, ‘God's Word is true,’” film producer Elliott Wallach of Edify Films told Christian Headlines. “Even if it's something so big and fantastic [as the star], the Bible can handle the scrutiny. … It's one of the most important things I've ever done.”
A Bethlehem Star that involved natural events is no less miraculous than what is often depicted in paintings or in Hollywood movies, Wallach said.
“The Wise Men had to feel like the whole universe was moved just for them -- particularly when the star is hanging over Bethlehem,” he said.
The data behind the earthquake, he added, is convincing.
“The only other earthquake prior to that, it's like 32 B.C. and another one like 320 A.D,” he said. “If you're going to take the Bible at its word, you have one earthquake to choose from.”
Wallach wants the film to impact individuals who love science and history but are skeptical of matters of faith. He himself was like that at one point, he said.
“I wanted to know what was true not because I was raised that way, not because it was comfortable, not because it's something that was expected of me -- I wanted it to be based on science and facts,” he said. “So having a film like this -- for somebody else that might be seeking in the same way, it appeals to me more than anything I can say.”
The film is the first installment in Thinking Man Film’s “Bible Cinema Roadshow,” which has a goal of bringing a Bible-themed film to theaters each month for the next year.
God of Heaven and Earth - Long Trailer from Thinking Man Films on Vimeo.
Photo Courtesy: Thinking Man Films. Used with permission.
Video Courtesy: Thinking Man Films.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
