Gold is a symbol of divinity and is mentioned throughout the Bible. Gold is the symbolism of showing the wealth of our goods and materials. Why the Magi gave the infant Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh is a question to ponder about. This article dives into the symbolism of the three gifts. We must, instead, imagine the gifts as offerings of foreign dignitaries. A closer ⦠Match the gifts the wise men gave to baby Jesus with their purpose. Gold for a king. Myrrh being commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a valuable. In giving the infant Jesus gold and frankincense, the Magi evoke Isaiah 60:3, 6 in which Gentile nations bring these gifts to the God of Israel (see also Tobit 13:11, Psalms 72:10-15). And Gold, frankincense, and Myrrh have all appeared in the Bible before. gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.â Matthew 2:11 6 New Era Why did the Wise Men bring these gifts to the Christ child? It is the last day of the Christian festival known as The Epiphany, which celebrates the day three wise men, or three kings arrived at a stable in Bethlehem guided by a star. Here is the spiritual symbolism of these three gifts based on their roles in the Bible and on Swedenborg's explanation of them as found in the Bible: Pagan idols were often made from gold and the Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:10-17). The use of myrrh in embalming has also been associated with the death of Jesus. Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh â The Gifts of the Wise Men for Today. While gold is fairly obviously explained, frankincense, and particularly myrrh, are more obscure. Myrrh: It is the gift for one who is to die; myrrh was used to embalm the bodies of the dead. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Gold was the characteristic material in the Holy of Holies. gold, frankincense, and myrrh.â (Matthew 2:11) With gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the Magi reveal Christâs identity and mission: Gold signifies the royal majesty of Jesus, revealing Him as King. For Christians, the smoke is a pleasant offering to God, a symbol for religious thought, prayer, and the meditation of loving themselves and towards God. Frankincense and Myrrh Frankincense come from a variety of trees, found in ⦠The gift of gold to the Christ child was symbolic of His divinityâGod in flesh. Gold does not rust under the same circumstances as other metals, it is extremely stable and attractive. Surprisingly, this type of gift-giving was a ⦠Myrrh Symbolizes a feminine and nurturing essence, or energy, which is linked with the earth. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. See the previous section for who gave which. In some magical traditions, myrrh is incorporated into workings to break hexes and curses, or for protection against magical and psychic attack. I recently tried to find frankincense and myrrh to buy and they are really expensive. Why did the Wise Men bring these gifts to the Christ child? The wise men who came to worship the baby Jesus famously brought with them the very first material Christmas gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. SYMBOLISM IN THE GIFTS OF THE MAGI. Gold. Symbolism of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Frankincense is the dried sap of the Boswellian trees that grow in the region around the Gulf of Aden, which is the body of water between the Horn of Africa (Somalia) and the Middle East (Yemen and Oman). Gold is always a welcome gift, but the resins from the Boswellia and Commiphora trees ⦠A2A thanks It was the gifts of the Three Wise Men who had traveled great distances to pay homage to the Babe Lying in a Manger. They honored the King of the Jews in a way that fit their nationality. While itâs impossible to know exactly what the wise men intended when they brought these gifts, historical context allows for some guesses. Maybe the three wise men located him through following a star, but it doesn't mean they knew that the Romans would kill him thirty years later. In the bible, the Gospel of Matthew states that Jesus was presented with gold, frankincense and myrrh by the three wise men. Frankincense , when lit, burns with a steady flame for an extended time. These gifts had special properties as well as symbolic meaning. The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by William Sydney Porter -- otherwise known as O. Henry. Frankincense was burned as an offering to God, so frankincense was for his divinity, and myrrh was used in ointments to anoint the dead -- so this was a foreshadowing of what was to come. While the symbolism of these three gifts is often highlighted more today, the gifts were both practical and generous. As Gold represents the untarnishable, the uncorruptible, and the Gold Frankincense and Myrrh Allegory : In the story of the first Christmas, the Magi, or three wise men, are said to have offered the newborn Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold: Gold represents value.It is a gift suitable for a king. Although myrrh may have these uses, it was probably not what the Magi intended it to mean. They both come from trees, from the sap of certain trees, which hardens into the resin which we recognise, in incense for example. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.â (Matthew 2:11, NIV) Regardless of when they brought their gifts, we canât help but love the symbolism and the depth of truth found in this story. However, do you know of the spiritual significance and symbolism behind the gifts to baby Jesus? And while these different things occur in different places in the OT, they only occur together in one place, The Temple and Tabernacle. Gold Gold is an all-time treasured substance and has high reverence not only in the mortal world, but also in the heavenly abode. The wise men offered gold, the equivalent of giving money to the family of a newborn, an important practical need for a young, new family. 30:23-33). Frankincense and myrrh are more easily understood. These were wise men who had a revelation that a coming Messiah was about to be born. What gifts did the wise men present to Jesus? The wise men themselves undoubtedly considered gold, frankincense, and myrrh to be spiritually significant gifts for "the one who has been born king of the Jews" (Matthew 2:1-2). In this sweet tale, a young married couple doesn't have much money to buy each other Christmas gifts, so they have to get creative -- and sacrifice a lot. In addition, myrrh is an oil that was used to consecrate levitical priests and the wilderness tabernacle, the forerunner to the temple in Jerusalem (Ex. Just as diplomats from other countries often bring gifts representing their cultures, these magi brought the products specific to theirs. Gold can be primarily obtained by mining it from the earth or panning it out of rivers in tiny flakes. Gold was usually mined while frankincense and myrrh were taken from tree sap or resin that only grows in arid regions with morning mist as water. That brings us to the topic of this article: the gifts of the magi, or wise men. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an ⦠ââ¦when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. 0. 166. Myrrh Myrrh is also a dried resin from Arabia and northern Africa (from thorny shrubs and trees of the genus Commiphora) used in perfumes, incense, and medi-cines for thousands of years. The gold is of course, not real gold. Frankincense is an incense used for worship, revealing Him as God. Epiphany: Gold, Frankincense Myrrh â Three Wise Men or Kings January 6 is the climax of the twelve days of Christmas in the Christian calendar.