“The Heavens are telling the Glory of God” – Psalm 19:1.
The SIGNS of the Zodiac
Foretell the Plan of God
What is the
Zodiac? Is it Biblical? Or of pagan origin?
What does
the Bible say about the “signs of the Zodiac”
and do they have any significance for us, today? Why
did David write, “The heavens DECLARE the glory of
God . . .
and night after night they display knowledge”?
Do the
constellations in the heavens give us an awesome
PREVIEW of
the Plan God is working out on earth below?
William
F. Dankenbring
Contrary to the sneers and rantings
of skeptics and the hooting of cynics, there are vital messages we can learn
from the stars! Amazing as it may sound,
we are talking about hidden “messages” in the stars – a message put there in
ancient times! This is not speaking of
the false claims of pagan astrologers and the artful mysticism of astrology,
which God condemns -- but rather a unique testimony and witness of the true plan
of God as revealed in the stars and constellations of the sky!
Over 2,000 years before the time of
Christ, God inspired the book of Job to be written, which mentions the signs of
the Zodiac, and gives the names of several stars and star groups, as being both
ancient and well known. This is not
speaking of astrology but in terms of divine revelation revealed through the
stars!
Job writes, under divine
inspiration, “He [God] is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the
constellations of the south” (Job 9:9)
Job also quotes God as declaring,
“Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?
Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons? Or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of heaven?” (Job
38:31-33, NIV). The King James version
has, instead of “constellations, “ the term
“Mazzaroth.” The marginal reading says,
“Or, the twelve signs.” This refers to
the signs of the Zodiac! God does not
condemn the signs or dividions of the night sky into twelve “signs,” but
mentions them as an accepted fact of reality.
Adam Clarke in his commentary, says of “Mazzaroth,” “This is generally
understood to mean the signs of the zodiac.”
Says the Critical-Experimental Commentary, “32.
Canst thou bring forth (into the sky) the signs of the Zodiac at
their respective seasons – the twelve lodgings [Mazzaloth in
the Hebrew, II Kings 23:5, being equivalent to Mazzaroth here – viz., stopping
places] in which the sun successively stays, or appears in the sky?”
Other signs of the Zodiac are referred
to by name in the Scriptures. The sign
of “Gemini,” or ‘The Twins,” is mentioned as the name of a ship in Acts
The Scriptures clearly are not
silent as to the existence of the Zodiac.
E.W. Bullinger, famed Biblical
commentator, knew this fundamental truth.
He wrote a fascinating book entitled Witness of the Stars. In this amazing book, Bullinger tells us
that the original Zodiac, mentioned in the book of Job, perhaps the oldest book
of the Bible, was the great sign given by God to preach the gospel in the
heavens.
Psalm 19 tells us more about this
mystery: “The heavens declare the glory
of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where
their voice is not hear” (vs.1-3). The first part of this Psalm clearly speaks
of the witness of the stars in the heavens and their testimony of the plan of
God (verses 1-6). This was the sole
witness to countless generations of God’s great Plan, before God prepared His
written Word to also bear testimony!
The second part of this Psalm speaks of the written Word of God --
His law (verses 7-14).
Says E. W. Bullinger,
“If we turn to
history and tradition, we are at once met with the fact that the
Twelve
Signs are the same, both as to the meaning of their names and as to
their order in all the ancient nations of the world. The Chinese, Chaldean
and Egyptian records go back to more than 2,000 years
B.C. Indeed, the
Zodiacs
in the temples of Denderah and Esneh, in
of Zodiacs still more ancient, which, from internal
evidence, must be placed
nearly 4,000 years B.C., when the summer solstice was in
Leo.
“Josephus
hands down to us what he gives as the traditions of his own nation,
corroborated by his reference to eight ancient Gentile
authorities, whose works
are lost. He says
that they all assert that ‘God gave the antediluvians such long
life that they might perfect those things which they had
invented in astronomy”
(Witness of the Stars, Bullinger, p.9).
Bullinger goes on:
“Ancient Persian
and Arabian traditions ascribe its invention to Adam, Seth,
and Enoch. Josephus
asserts that it originated in the family of Seth; and he
says that the children of Seth, and especially Adam, Seth,
and Enoch, that
their revelation might not be lost as to the coming
judgments of Water and
Fire,
made two pillars (one of brick, the other of stone), describing the whole
of the predictions of the stars upon them, and in case the
brick pillar should
be destroyed by the flood, the stone would preserve the
revelation” (p.10).
There is a wide difference between understanding the “signs
of the Zodiacc,” as they
refer to prophecy and God’s Plan, and the wicked practice of
“astrology.”
God condemns the practice of
astrology, no less than divining, sorcery, or looking into crystal balls or tea
leaves. God warns the daughter of
However, God’s Word plainly says the
stars in the sky were put there for a purpose.
Why did God create the stars in the
heavens in the first place? We read one
significant answer in Genesis, the first chapter. Moses wrote:
“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to
separate the day from the night, and let them serve as SIGNS to mark
seasons and days and years” (Genesis 1:14, NIV).
The word for “sign” here, in the
Hebrew, is owth, and means “a signal, as a flag, beacon, monument, omen,
prodigy, evidence,” etc.
Does God often send mysterious
“signs” in the heavens before He performs mighty works in the earth? What do the Scriptures say about this?
Jesus Christ Himself said, referring
to the days before His second coming:
“And there will be fearful sights and GREAT SIGNS from heaven” (Luke
Christ went on, “And there will be SIGNS
in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars . . .” (Luke 25).
Also speaking of His second coming,
to rule this world, and to deliver mankind from its greatest crisis in all
human history, Jesus foretold: “Immediately
after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon
will not give its light; the stars [meteors] will fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens will be shaken [an incredible cosmic quaking and shaking
-- see Hebrews 12:25-28; Hag.2:21-23]. Then
the SIGN of the Son of Man will APPEAR in heaven, and then all the tribes
of the earth will mourn, and they will SEE the Son of Man coming on the clouds
of heaven with power and glory” (Matt.24:29-30).
What will this great SIGN be?
"A Star Out of Jacob"
In the book of Numbers we read a
mysterious prophecy about the coming Messiah of Israel, the Redeemer and
Saviour of the world:
“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not
nigh: there shall
come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre
shall rise out of
and destroy all the children of Sheth” (Num.24:17).
All commentators see this as a
prophecy of the coming Messiah figure of
This prophecy is clearly Messianic. Isaiah speaks of this Messiah who comes as a
conquering king: “And he shall set up an
ensign [SIGN] for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of
But why is the Messiah associated
with a “star”? Why does the prophecy say
a star shall come “out of Jacob”? This
certainly means that the Messiah would be descended from Jacob. But why is He connected with a “star”? Why is He referred to in the prophecy as a
“star”?
How was this famous prophecy fulfilled? According to the writers of the New
Testament, there was a “star” that was distinctly associated with the birth of
Jesus Christ -- that acted as a herald, and a beacon, of His impending birth. Matthew tells us the story:
“Now when Jesus
was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and
have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2).
The expression “in the east” in the King James Version is
not precisely correct. The literal term
in the Greek language is anatole and means “a rising of light,” “dawn,”
“dayspring,” “rising,” or by implication, “east.” Literally, they saw his “star rising.” The root word means to “cause to arise,”
“rise up.” They had seen this unique
star at its “rising,” a sidereal appearance, which they regarded as betokening
the birth of the Messianic King of the Jews.
The
Fulfillment of Prophecy
The word “star” in Scripture has
been abundantly proved to mean not only a literal “star,” but is also used of
“constellations,” “comets,” “meteors,” -- in short, it has the widest possible
application to the heavenly bodies.
The “wise men” were clearly
distinguished men, “magi,” who were learned and scholarly, especially in
astronomy, mathematics, the sciences and history. They were familiar with the Hebrew
prophets. They may have been descendants
of the “wise men” of
Notice the fact that the sudden appearance in Jerusalem of these impressive visitors from the east -- possibly Babylon, or Persia, or the Parthian empire -- had a powerful effect on the residents of Jerusalem, and especially on king Herod. The king himself was greatly disturbed to learn that there was another “king” whose birth had been predicted, who was to rule over the Jews.
“When Herod the
king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem
with
him. And when he had gathered all the
chief priests and scribes of the people
together,
he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
“And
they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea:
for thus it is written by the prophet,
And
thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of
Judah:
for
out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
“Then
Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently
what
time the star appeared. And he
sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search
diligently
for the young child: and when ye have
found him, bring me word again, that
I
may come and worship him.
“When they had heard the king, they departed; and,
lo, the star, which they saw in
the
east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child
was.
When
they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matt.2:3-10).
The wise men found the boy Yeshua, in a house, and
presented gifts to Him, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and then departed into
their own country, being warned in a dream not to return to Herod
(v.11-12). Joseph, the supposed father
of the child, was also warned in a dream to flee into Egypt, for Herod would
attempt to kill the infant (v.13). He
did so, and remained there until after the death of Herod, which occurred in
the spring of 4 B.C., just before Passover.
Herod, when he saw that the wise men had not returned, was exceedingly
angry:
“Then Herod,
when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth,
and
sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the
coasts
thereof,
from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently
inquired
of the wise men” (Matt.2:16).
Notice that originally Herod inquired as to the time when
the wise men first saw the “new star” in the heavens -- when it first appeared
in the night sky (Matt.2:7).
Apparently, they first saw it “two years” previously (verse 16). Was this celestial phenomenon the fulfillment
of the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24:17, the “star of Jacob”?
A Tri-Planetary Conjunction
Throughout the ages, rabbinical sages and scholars have
written about a certain type of “star” -- a tri-planetary conjunction -- that
they said would appear in the constellation of Pisces near the time of the
birth of the Messiah -- just before the time of His coming.
Dr. Alfred Edersheim, a famous Bible
scholar of the nineteenth century, points out that there is one illustrative
Jewish statement which, “though not astrological, is of the greatest
importance, although it seems to have been overlooked.” In his book The Life and Times of Jesus
the Messiah, Edersheim mentions the well known Jewish commentator
Abarbanel, who writes of the importance of the conjunction of Jupiter and
Saturn in the constellation of Pisces, in
his Commentary on the book of Daniel.
Says Edersheim:
“In his
Commentary on Daniel, that Rabbi laid it down, that the conjunction of
Jupiter
and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces betokened not only the most
important
events, but referred especially to Israel (for which he gives five mystic
reasons). He further argues that, as that conjunction
had taken place three years
before
the birth of Moses, which heralded the first deliverance of Israel, so it
would
also
precede the birth of the Messiah, and the final deliverance of Israel”
(p.211).
Edersheim points out that one of the smaller Midrashim, called
the “Messiah Haggadah” (Aggadoth Mashiach) begins as follows:
“A star shall
come out of Jacob. There is a
Boraita in the name of the Rabbis:
The
heptad in which the Son of David cometh -- in the first year there shall
not
be sufficient nourishment; in the second year the arrows of famine are
launched;
in the third, a great famine; in the fourth, neither famine nor
plenty;
in
the fifth, great abundance, and the Star shall rise forth from the
East, and this
is
the Star of the Messiah. And it will
shine from the East for fifteen days, and
if
it be prolonged, it will be for the good of Israel; in the sixth, sayings
(voices),
and
announcements (hearings); in the seventh wars, and at the close of the
seventh
Messiah
is to be expected” (quoted by Edersheim, p.211-212).
This “heptad,” or period of “seven,” could refer to the
seven years preceding the birth of Christ, and also to the time of the final
“WEEK” of years mentioned in Daniel 9:24-27 -- the final seven years leading up
to the second coming of the Messiah -- the final seven years of this present
age of misrule and misconduct. Notice
that at the end of this “week” of seven years, the Messiah was to be
“expected.” Many Jews and Rabbis
living during the time of Christ
expected the Messiah to come in the first part of the first century of
the present era!
Notice that the “star” of the
Messiah was predicted to rise in the East, in the fifth year -- that is, two or
three years before His coming. This
happened prior to the birth of Yeshua.
Edersheim goes on to discuss three
other ancient Jewish Midrashim, which are entitled “The Book of Elijah,”
“Chapters about the Messiah,” and “The Mysteries of R. Simon, the son of
Jochai” --
“where we read
that a Star in the East was to appear two years before the
birth
of the Messiah. The statement is
almost equally remarkable, whether it
represents
a tradition previous to the birth of Jesus, or originated after that
event. But two years before the birth of
Christ, which, as we have calculated,
took
place in . . . [year] 5 before the Christian era, brings us to the year 747
A.U.C.,
or
7 [years] before Christ [B.C.], in which such a Star should appear in the East.
“Did
such a Star, then, really appear in the East seven years before the Christian
era?
Astronomically
speaking, and without any reference to controversy, THERE CAN
BE
NO DOUBT THAT THE MOST REMARKABLE CONJUNCTION OF PLANETS
--
THAT OF JUPITER AND SATURN in the constellation of Pisces, which occurs
ONCE
IN 800 YEARS -- DID TAKE PLACE NO LESS THAN THREE TIMES in
the
year 747 A.U.C., or TWO YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST (in
May,
October, and December).
This conjunction is admitted by all astronomers.
It
was not only extraordinary, but presented the most brilliant spectacle in
the
night
sky, such as could not but attract the attention of all who watched the
sidereal
heavens.
. . . In the year following, that is, in 748 A.U.C., another planet, Mars,
joined
this conjunction. The merit of first
discovering these facts -- of which it is
unnecessary
here to present the literary history --
belongs to the great Kepler . . .”
(p.212-213).
E. W. Bullinger also writes about this amazing mysterious conjunction:
“It ought also
to be noted that in the preceding year there were three conjunctions
of
the planets Jupiter and Saturn, at the end of May and October, and at the
beginning
of
December. Kepler (1571-1631) was the
first to point this out, and his calculations
have
been confirmed by the highest authorities.
These conjunctions occurred in the
sign
of PISCES: and this sign, according to
all the ancient Jewish authorities (Josephus,
Abarbanel,
Eliezer, and others), has special reference to Israel. The conjunction of
Jupiter
and Saturn, they hold, always marked the occurrence of some event favorable
to Israel; while Kepler,
calculating backwards, found that this astronomical pheno- menon always coincided with SOME GREAT HISTORICAL CRISIS, viz.: the
Revelation to Adam, the birth of Enoch, the Revelation to Noah, the
birth of Moses, the birth of Cyrus,the birth of Christ, the
birth of Charlemagne, and the birth of Luther” (The Witness of
the Stars, p.39).
Edersheim continues discussing the
discovery of this conjunction by the great astronomer Johannes Kepler
(1571-1630 A.D.). Kepler discovered the
three laws of planetary motion, which later formed an indispensable part of Sir
Isaac Newton's discovery of the law of universal gravitation. Edersheim writes of Kepler, saying:
“Kepler, who was led to the discovery by
observing a similar conjunction in 1603-4,
also
noticed, that when the three planets came into conjunction, A NEW, EXTRA-
ORDINARY,
BRILLIANT, and peculiarly coloured EVANESCENT STAR was visible
between
Jupiter and Saturn, and
he suggested that a similar star had appeared under
the
same circumstances in the conjunction preceding the Nativity” (Life and
Times of
Jesus
the Messiah, p.213).
The fact that there was such a conjunction,which created a
fleeting, temporary, "evanescent star" at that time, is certainly
amazing!
Incredibly, such a “star” really
burst into temporary existence in the very year Christ was born, 4 B.C., and
in the VERY MONTH! Yeshua Moshiach
was born in 4 B.C., in the month of February.
(For the proof of this statement, write for our free article, “When Was
Jesus Christ Really Born?”).
This
very “star” was seen and born witness to by the astronomical tables of the
ancient Chinese. Says Alfred
Edersheim:
“In the astronomical tables of the Chinese
-- to whose general trustworthiness
so
high an authority as Humboldt bears testimony -- the appearance of an
evanescent
star was noted. Pingre and others
have designated it as a comet,
and
calculated its first appearance IN FEBRUARY 750 A.U.C.[which is the
year
4 B.C.!!!], which is just the time when the Magi would, in all probability,
LEAVE
JERUSALEM FOR BETHLEHEM, since this would have preceeded
the
death of Herod, which took place in March 750.”
Edersheim adds this very important observation. Notice!
“Moreover, it has been astronomically
ascertained, that such a sidereal apparition,
WOULD
BE VISIBLE TO THOSE WHO LEFT JERUSALEM, and that it would
POINT
-- almost seem to GO BEFORE -- in the direction of, and STAND OVER,
BETHLEHEM. Such, impartially stated, are the facts of the case -- and here
the
subject
must, in the present state of our information, be left” (Edersheim, The Life
and
Times of Jesus the Messiah, book II, page 213).
The wise men saw an evanescent star at its rising, or
appearance, in the east, two or three years before the birth of Christ, in 7
B.C. They then arranged to go to
Jerusalem, to find out from the Jewish authorities more information about the
birth of the “king of the Jews,” which they believed the heavenly sign
predicted. Then, after being informed
that an ancient Biblical prophecy foretold His birth in Bethlehem, they
left the presence of Herod and the Jewish authorities, to go to Bethlehem, in
search of the newborn king. At this time
they saw another sidereal apparition in the heavens! Matthew tells us:
“When they had heard the king, they
departed; and lo, the STAR which they had
seen
in the east, WENT BEFORE THEM, till it came and stood over where the
young
child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy”
(Matt.2:9-10).
How incredible! This very “evanescent star” -- which the
Magi saw over Bethlehem, about four miles south of Jerusalem -- was also
witnessed and verified by Chinese astronomers in China -- thousands of miles to
the east -- in the very month of February, 4 B.C. -- the very month in which
Jesus Christ was most likely born!
Also, about a year and eight months
after Yeshua’s birth -- on the night of Rosh Hashanah, September 11, 3 B.C. –
the planet Jupiter went into conjunction with the star Regulus, the brightest
star lying at the heart of and between the front and back feet of Leo the lion. Jupiter crossed in front of Regulus, till
about December 1, and then went into retrograde motion, and returned passing
over the star again, going in the opposite direction, on February 17, 2 B.C. It continued for about 40 days. Then it
reversed itself once again, and passed over the star Regulus for the third
time, going into conjunction with Regulus on May 8, 2 B.C.
The number “three” is an interesting
number, in Scripture – it signifies “finality,” “decision,” the “signature of
God,” as if to show that indeed the divine royal king had been born,
with the royal heart of the lion, and as the prophesy said, “from
between his feet” (Gen.49:10) -- from between the feet of Leo -- the very one
who would later, at the conclusion of His ministry, “bind His donkey to the
vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine” (Gen.49:11; compare
Matt.21:1-9; Luke 19:29-38).
Occurring soon after the birth of
Jesus Christ, this amazing conjunction was indeed a clear “sign” that Jesus
Christ -- Yeshua the Nazarene -- was the Messiah, the royal king prophesied to
come out of the tribe of Judah, the “lion” tribe of Israel!
On his deathbed, Jacob gave an
amazing prophecy about the coming Messiah.
He declared:
“Judah is a
lion’s whelp [Leo, the lion!]; from the
prey, my son, you are gone
up. He bows down, he lies down as a LION; and as a LION who shall arouse
him? The SCEPTER [royal symbol of kingship --
margin] shall not depart from
JUDAH,
nor a lawgiver from BETWEEN HIS FEET, until Shiloh [Christ] comes;
and to Him shall
be the obedience of the people. . . .” (Gen.49:9-10, NKJV).
Notice this remarkable passage! It refers to the tribe of JUDAH, from which
Christ sprang (Hebrews 7:14). The
sceptre, kingship, belongs to Judah. The
kingship is fulfilled in Yeshua Ha Moshiach -- Jesus the Christ, the Anointed
One of God (Luke 1:32).
Now notice, further: Christ is also the great Lawgiver, “between
his feet,” that is, the feet of Leo -- Judah.
The star Regulus (which means regal, royal, or kingship) lies between
the feet of Leo, the lion, of the constellation Leo! The Hebrew expression “between his feet” is
literally reglaiv -- very similar to the Latin
word, “Regulus.”
Regulus is known as the “king
star.” Writes J. R. Church in Prophecy
in the News:
“Oddly enough,
the sceptre represented by Regulus is a sickle! Regulus is located
at
the beginning of the handle in a sickle that resides in the head of Leo! Is this
sickle
the royal sceptre in Jacob’s prophecy?
“Jupiter
was also connected with royalty. It was
known as the royal planet or the
king
planet. Its movement may have held some
special significance to the Maji as
Jupiter,
the king planet moved into the first of its three conjunctions with Regulus,
the king star,
between the feet of Leo. Circling above
Regulus, Jupiter seemed to draw
a
crown -- as if to signify the arrival of the divine King” (“A Rare Conjunction
of
Planets
Is Set for May 2000,” Prophecy in the News, J. R. Church, Dec.1999).
This third conjunction took place on May 8. Soon after, on July 17, another remarkable
conjunction took place -- between Venus and Jupiter -- also between the front
and hind feet of Leo the lion. Venus
represents the “mother,” and Jupiter the “king.” Was this also an allusion to the fact that
Mary had given birth to Christ the king?
Soon after the birth of Christ,
Simeon, a wise and devout man of Israel, prophesied to Mary, “Behold, this
Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a SIGN
which shall be spoken against” (Luke 2:34).
Clearly, when God speaks of “signs”
in the heavens, and connects them with prophecies in His Word, often involving
the coming of the Messiah, then we ought to take heed! This is not astrological nonsense – this is God’s
divine plan written in the stars!
The Message in the Stars to Our
Generation
E. W. Bullinger relates that the 12 signs or constellations
of the Zodiac are divided up into three parts, with four signs in each. The first part deals with the first coming of
the Messiah -- Virgo (the Virgin), Libra (Judgment), Scorpio (the Serpent), and
Sagittarius (the Archer). Christ was born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect
life, and gave His life on the stake, thus judging Satan the serpent, and
replacing Him as future ruler of this world.
Satan (Scorpio) opposed Him at every turn, but Christ emerged victorious
(Sagittarius).
The second grouping of
constellations deals with the age of the Church, from Christ to the present --
these Zodiacal signs are Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries. It begins with Capricorn, the atoning
sacrifice (a sacrificial goat -- chosen by the Lord -- see Lev.16:8-9 --
representing Christ), beginning the Church age.
Aquarius, the Water-bearer, pictures
a Man -- the Church -- with a bountiful supply of water (God’s Holy Spirit),
being poured out.
The sign of Pisces, again, is the
sign of God’s people -- Israel. It
pictures a teeming multitude of fish -- a bountiful number -- again, picturing
the descendants of Abraham. But it also
pictures the Church, which is “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). The Hebrew name is dagim, “the
fishes,” which is closely connected to "multitudes" (Gen.48:26), in
the sense that fishes grow into a multitude.
This section of the Zodiac finishes
with Aries, the Ram, or Lamb).
Eliyahu Kitov, in The Book of Our Heritage: The Jewish Year and Its Days of Significance, states: “God likewise chose not to give the Torah in Nisan or in Iyar, for the mazal – astrological sign – of Nisan is a lamb and the sign of Iyar is an ox” (vol.3, page 794).
Bullinger in Witness of the Stars points out, “Owing to the precession of the equinoxes, the sun, at the time of the Exodus, had receded into the sign of Aries, which then marked the Spring Equinox” (page 106). The sign of Aries is “a ram, or lamb, full of vigour and life” (p.105). The Hebrew name is Taleh, the lamb. The Arabic name is Al Hamal, the sheep, gentle, merciful. The Syriac name is Amroo, as in the Syriac New Testament in John 1:29 – “Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”
As Bullinger shows, the sign of Aries and its star constellations all picture the Lamb of God being crucified. The ancient Akkadian name for the sign was Bara-ziggar, where Bar meant “altar” or “sacrifice” and ziggar meant “righteousness,” so the full name meant “sacrifice of righteousness.” The chief star in the sign of Aries, in the forehead of the lamb, is named El Nath, or El Natik, which means “wounded, slain.” The second chief star, in the left horn, is called Al Sheratan, meaning “the bruised, the wounded.” The star next to it is called Mesartim, “the bound.”
As Bullinger says, “How is it there is no conflicting voice? How is it that all the stars unite in one harmonious voice in testifying of the Lamb of God, slain, and bruised, but yet living for evermore, singing together, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing’ (Rev.5:12)?” (Witness of the Stars, p.106).
In the very year of the crucifixion, the sun stood in the heavens at the very spot marked by the star El Nath, the wounded, pierced, or slain, and the star Al Sheratan, the bruised or wounded! Says Bullinger: “God so ordained ‘the times and seasons’ that during the noon-day darkness the sun was seen near those stars which had spoken for so many centuries of this bruising of the Woman’s Seed – the Lamb of God.”
Bullinger continues: “Was this design? Or was it chance? It is far easier to believe the former. It makes a smaller demand upon our faith; yes, we are compelled to believe that He who created the sun and the stars ‘for signs and for cycles,’ ordained also the times and the seasons, and it is He who tells us that ‘when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son’ (Gal.4:4), and that ‘in due time Christ died for the ungodly’ (Rom.5:6)” (page 107).
The Hebrew year begins with Nisan, the first month of Spring, at the new moon nearest to the spring equinox. The sign of Aries is the lamb or ram, which begins with the spring equinox. The signs of the Zodiac, from most ancient times, begin with the sign of Aries, the lamb, in the Spring, and continue, twelve signs for the twelve months (in general). Says Bullinger, “They have been known amongst all nations, and in all ages, thus proving their common origin from one source” (p.16). In later times, the twelve signs were identified with the twelve sons of Jacob. Joseph sees the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to himself (Jacob, Leah, and his eleven brothers, Gen.37:9). It is more than probable that each of the twelve tribes bore one of these signs in its emblem or standard, as ancient Jewish sources relate. Joseph was the ox or bull (Taurus), Judah was the lion (Leo), Dan was the Scorpion, Levi was the Scales of Justice (Libra), Reuben was the Man (Aquarius), and Gad was the Ram (Aries).
The four chief signs, which marked the four sides of the camp of Israel in the wilderness also mark the four quarters of the Zodiac. They are the same four forms which describe the cherubim around God’s Throne – the faces of the lion, the ox, the eagle, and a man (see Ezekiel 1:10, 10:14-21). In this case, the Eagle was substituted for the Scorpion.
These ancient star-pictures of the Zodiac proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God – from the birth of the Messiah, in the sign of Aries, the Lamb, to the second coming of the Messiah as King of kings and Lord of lords at the end of this age, in the sign of Leo, the Lion. The entire Zodiac reveals the Plan of God through the Ages. The sign of Aries the “Lamb” pictures Yeshua’s first coming as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev.13:8).
The constellation Andromeda, also
found in Aries, shows a chained woman -- a picture of the Church itself in
prison, in bondage at the end of this age.
In Hebrew, her name is Sirra, “the chained,” and Persea, “the
stretched out” (Bullinger,
p.101). In this sign we also see
Cassiopeia, the woman, only this time she is enthroned -- delivered -- and
preparing for her Husband, the Redeemer.
This constellation, which also pictures the Church, was called by the
ancients, “the daughter of splendor.”
Psalm 45 speaks of this Heavenly
Groom and His Bride, or Queen. We read:
“You are fairer
than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore
God
has blessed You forever. Gird Your sword
upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
with
Your glory and Your majesty . . . .
“At
Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. Listen, O daughter,
consider
and incline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father’s
house;
so the King will greatly desire your beauty; because He is your Lord,
worship
Him. . . . The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her
clothing
is woven with gold. She shall be brought
to the King in robes of many
colors;
the virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. . .”
(Psa.45:2-14).
The Messiah is coming soon, and it behooves the Church to “make herself ready” (Rev.19:7-9). Perseus, the “Breaker,” our Redeemer, in this sign of the Zodiac, defeats Cetus, the sea monster (Satan).
Taurus,
Gemini, and Leo
Now we come to the third and last
division of the Zodiac. Bullinger tells
us:
“In this Third
and Last Book we come to the concluding portion of the Heavenly
Revelation. Its subject is Redemption completed, and
consummated in triumph.
No
more sorrow, suffering, or conflict; no more bruising the head of the Redeemer.
We
have now done with the prophecies of ‘the sufferings of Christ,’ and have
come
to those that relate to ‘the glory that should follow’” (Bullinger, p.119).
The Third Book consists of the signs of Taurus, the Bull,
Gemini (the Twins), Cancer (the Crab) -- but actually the Hebrew meaning of
this sign is “to hold or bind together” -- see Gen.49:11, the word “binding” --
and the final and most powerful sign, Leo, the Lion.
In the month of May, 2000, all five
of the visible planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were lined
up in the sky. Venus and Jupiter had a
conjunction May 17, and Venus and Saturn eight hours later, on May 18, and 10
days later Jupiter and Saturn. This
occurred in the “sign of Taurus,” the Bull.
“So what?”, one may ask. What does this prove? Maybe nothing, in the eyes of a skeptic. But to one who believes in the prophecies of
the Bible, this was very interesting in view of what occurred that year!
Was this unique planetary alignment a SIGN in
the heavens?
First, let’s notice the meaning of
Taurus. In May of 2000, this “sign”
figured prominently in the heavens.
Taurus is the sign of the “Bull.”
It is the sign of the tribe of Joseph!
In the year 2000, George Bush was elected president of the United
States, the descendants of the birthright tribe of “Ephraim,” the youngest son
of Joseph (see Gen.48). Ephraim was
given a “double-blessing” and was to become mighty militarily and in population
and natural resources (Gen.49:22-26).
After the terrorist attacks on
September 11 (9-11) 2001, George Bush led the free nations of the world to root
out the terrorist conspirators in Afghanistan, and then, in 2003, followed up
by rooting out the tyranny of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The heavenly signs which occurred in May of
2000 introduced this “time” – the time of the “Bull” – the tribe of Joseph –
that is, the two brother tribes descended from Joseph – Ephraim and
Manasseh! It was the Americans
(Ephraim) together with the British (Manasseh) who led the fight against
terrorism and terrorist states, following the heavenly signs in May, 2000!
E. W. Bullinger says that the sign
of Taurus pictures a bull, rushing forth with mighty energy and fury, his horns
set so as to push his enemies and pierce them through, and destroy them. This symbolizes the tribes of Joseph! Moses wrote of Joseph’s seed, or descendants:
“In majesty, he
is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox.
With
them he will GORE THE NATIONS, even those at the END of the
Earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;
such are the thousands of
Manasseh”
(Deuteronomy 33:13-16, esp. v.17).
Shortly after the “sign” of the
amazing conjunction of planets in May, 2000, George Bush became president of
the United States and as a ‘king’ led the “coalition of the willing” to
conquest in Afghanistan and Iraq, thus defining his presidency as one of power
and mighty strength, who is not afraid to use it in the service of freedom and
liberty.
Joseph was a “TYPE” of the Messiah –
Jesus Christ who is coming as a mighty warrior, to crush His enemies and to
judge the earth (Rev.19:11-15). God
spoke of Joseph, a type of Christ: “His
glory is like a firstborn bull, and his horns like the horns of a wild ox;
together with them he shall push the peoples to the ends of the earth”
(Deu.33:16-17).
Jeremiah describes the scene in
these similar terms:
“A noise will
come to the ends of the earth -- for the LORD has a controversy
with
all nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who
are
wicked to the sword, says the LORD. Thus
says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold,
disaster
will go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised
up
from the farthest parts of the earth. And
at that day the slain of the LORD
shall
be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall
not
be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground’”
(Jeremiah
25:31-33, NKJV).
In the neck of the Bull (Taurus) are
the “seven sisters,” the stars known as Pleiades. This word means “the congregation of the
judge” or “ruler.” The brightest of them
is in Arabic, Al Cyone, and means “the center.”
Could this picture the Bull tribes
of Ephraim and Manasseh riding to victory and dominating the world
politically? At the present time, no one
could deny that the United States is the “center” of the world stage, and
everything revolves around the United States.
In a spiritual sense, however, this
could picture the end-time branch of the true Church of God, which is the
outstanding church of love and obedience (Rev.3:8-10), which will rule with
Christ from the Temple, as “pillars” at the center of God’s government (see
Rev.3:11-12). They will indeed be “at
the center” of all things, as judges and kings under Christ (Rev.5:10).
Says Bullinger, “The Syriac name for
the Pleiades is Succoth, which means booths” (p.121). “Booths” remind us of the “temporary dwelling
huts” used by the Israelites as they came out of Egypt under God’s sovereign
protection. They also remind us of the
“festival of booths” or “tabernacles,” celebrated every fall – the harvest festival
which all nations will observe after the coming of the Messiah (Zech.14:14-16).
In the constellation Taurus lies the
constellation of Orion, “The Coming Prince.”
Orion is the most brilliant of all the constellations. His name, in the Denderah Zodiac, is Ha-ga-t,
meaning “this is he who triumphs.”
Says Bullinger, “Orion was anciently spelt Oarion, from the
Hebrew root, which means light. So
that Orion means coming forth as light” (p.125). The constellation of Orion is mentioned in
Job 9:9, 38:31, and Amos 5:8. The Hebrew
word for this constellation is Chesil, which means “a strong one, a
hero, or giant.”
This,
of course, refers to Jesus Christ – the Messianic king who will conquer His
enemies and establish the Kingdom of God (Rev.17:14-16; 19:11-17). But in typology, since this sign
occurs in the Zodiacal sign of Taurus, the Bull, it could also be a reference
pointing to the conquests of George W. Bush and the nations led by the United
States and Great Britain! At this very
moment “light” and freedom are being brought to Afghanistan and Iraq, despite
vicious opposition by terrorists and fanatics!
In the eyes of the world, the United States and its president have
behaved as “a strong one, a hero,” or as a “giant” in world power – striving to
do good!
Issuing forth from the feet of Orion
-- picturing Christ the Messiah returning in power -- is “Eridanus” -- meaning
“the river of the Judge.” This sign is
an immense constellation, consisting of 84 stars, running in a serpentine
(river-like) course, bending, and twisting down, down, down, till it is out of
sight. It speaks of judgment and of
fire. It is a fiery river. It is interesting that when Christ returns,
and fights against the armies that oppose Him outside the city of Jerusalem, He
will trample them like grapes in a winepress, “outside the city, and blood came
out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred
furlongs” (Rev.14:20). That is, a
distance of 184 miles -- a river of blood flowing from the Kidron valley, or
Valley of Jehoshaphat (“Valley of Judgment” -- see Joel 3:12-14), down to the
Dead Sea, and thence to the Gulf of Aqaba.
Gemini -- the “Twins”
Gemini,
the next sign in the Zodiac, pictures “the Twins.” But who are these twins, so depicted in the
night sky? The old Coptic name was Pi-Mahi,
meaning the united, as in brotherhood. Not necessarily being born at the same time,
but united as brothers in brotherhood.
The Hebrew name is Thaumim, which literally means “united.” The root is used in Exodus 26:24, “They shall
be coupled [literally, “doubled”] together at the bottom and they shall be
coupled [“doubled”] together at the top by one ring.”
Who, then, does Gemini picture? Again, since prophecy is often dual in
nature, this could picture the brothers – Ephraim and Manasseh – being united
in this end-time generation. This is the
most important “brotherhood” in world history.
Said Sir Winston Churchill of this strong Anglo-Saxon alliance, as he
stood before a joint session of both houses of the U.S. Congress, December 26,
1941, shortly after Pearl Harbor:
“Twice in a single generation
the catastrophe of world war has fallen upon us;
twice in our lifetime has
the long arm of fate reached across the ocean to bring the
United States into the forefront of the battle. . .
. Prodigious hammer-strokes have been needed to bring us together again,
or if you will allow me to use other language,
I will say that he must indeed have a blind soul
who cannot see that some great
purpose and design is being worked out here below, of which we have the
honour
to be the faithful servants. It is not given to us
to peer into the mysteries of the future. Still I avow my hope and faith, sure
and inviolate, that in the days to come the British
and American peoples will for their own safety and
for the good of all, walk together
side by side in majesty, in justice and in peace.”
God has indeed used our peoples during this “end-time” generation to preserve Peace in the world, to defeat the forces of tyranny, despotism, and wickedness. And, under President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair, He has continued to do so during the 21st century!
The hand of God ought to be obvious for students of history in the amazing victories of the American-British led democracies against fascist powers during the 20th century, and the early years of the 21st century. As Winston Churchill stated, during World War II, “I will say that he must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that some great purpose and design is being worked out here below, of which we have the honor to be the faithful servants.”
In anti-type, of course, this
“prophecy” of the sign of “Gemini” speaks of the union of the “Bridegroom” and
the “Bride” of Christ – the Church of God!
These two shall become ONE in perfect unity and harmony (Gen.2:24), at
the coming of the Messiah. As Paul
wrote, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (I
Cor.6:17). “For we, though many, are ONE
BREAD and ONE BODY; for we all partake of that one bread [Christ -- John 6:48]”
(I Cor.10:17).
Gemini, the Twins, then pictures
Christ and the Church! As God’s true
people, we are come to “the general assembly of the church of the firstborn
[first-fruits!] who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to
the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb.12:22-23).
John tells us in the book of
Revelation, about this strong spiritual Union:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God
Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be
glad and give him glory! For the wedding
of the Lamb has come, and his BRIDE has made herself ready” (Rev.19:6-7).
Interestingly, it appears that at
one time, eons ago, a cherub by the name of Lucifer (“light bringer”) was
created, perhaps about the same time as the Logos, or the Word of God (see
Ezek.28:12-14). Both the one known as
Lucifer, who became Satan, and the One known as the Logos, who became Christ,
were at one time “created” by the Omnipotent Father. Christ Himself acknowledged that He was “the
beginning of the creation of God” (Rev.3:18), and was the “firstborn of all
creation” (Col.l:18) – indicating that in the beginning He, too, was created by
the Father! So, at one time, both
Lucifer and the Word were “bright morning stars” – that is similar in rank and
glory! (compare Isaiah 14:12 and Rev.22:16).
In other words, Lucifer, the
“anointed cherub that covered” the throne of God (Ezek.28:14), was also “the
seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezek.28:12). He was like a Gemini “twin” of the
Logos, (not an “identical” twin but more of a “fraternal” twin), and had the potential,
at least, to become a member of the God family – a literal “son of God,”
even as the Logos was. Potentially, it
is possible that he could have qualified – if he had remained faithful and
loyal and obedient – to become a “third” member of the Godhead! But he rebelled! He sinned!
He grew violent, and disqualfied himself from any such consideration by
the Father! Instead, he became filled with pride, anger, rebellion, lust and
violence (Ezek.28:15-18). He sought to
steal the throne of God, and seize it forcibly (Isaiah 14:12-14). His fate is
to be destroyed forever (Ezek.28:18-19; Isa.14:12-15; Heb.2:14;
Rev.20:10). For a greater, more
penetrating discussion of this subject, write for our articles, “Did God Create
a Devil?”, “The Origin of Lucifer and the Logos,” “Was Christ Created?”, and “The Gemini Factor -- Who Created Lucifer
and the Logos?” – and “Satan’s Fate – Will He Be Tormented Forever?”
It will instead be the CHURCH of
God, those called of God during this present age of mankind, before the return
of the Messiah, who are called the “Firstfruits” (Rev.14:1-6z0, who will have
this wonderful opportunity, and who will become the Bride of Christ – and as
such, the “third member” of the divine “Trinity” of God!
The Church will join God the Father,
and Christ, the Son of God, and collectively, together, will be His Bride --
spiritual Israel -- the Bride of Christ and “Israel of God” (Gal.6:16).
The next constellation in the sign
of Leo is Cancer, the “Crab,” but this sign is not really a crab at all. The Arabic name is Al Sartan, or “who
binds” or “holds,” and may derive from the Hebrew “to bind together"
(Gen.49:11). The Hebrew word for
“binding” in this verse is awsar, a primitive root meaning “to yoke, or
hitch; by analogy, to fasten in any sense; bind, fast, harness, gird, hold,
keep, make ready, prepare, prison, put in bonds, set in array, tie.” It signifies “binding” or “holding
together.” The Syriac Sartano means
the same thing. The Greek name Karkinos,
meaning holding or encircling.
The Latin “Cancer” has the same meaning. (The crab, with its claws, seems to
“encircle” its prey.)
In the ancient Denderah Zodiac, this
constellation is represented as a “scarab” or “sacred beetle,” used by the
ancients as an identifying sign or seal of its owner. It was also a symbol of the resurrection, to
the ancient Egyptians. The Denderah name
is Klaria, or “the cattle-folds.”
This sign is connected to the tribe
of Issachar. Two stars in this
constellation are Asellus Boreas, meaning “the northern Ass,” and Asellus Australis,
meaning “the southern Ass.” The
tribal standard of Issachar was two asses.
Jacob said of his son Issachar, “Issachar is a strong ass, couching down
among the sheep-folds” (Gen.49:11). Thus
this sign pictures Christ as encircling and protecting His Flock, and
holding them safe and secure from the predatory actions of Satan and his
coterie of agents.
Moses wrote of God’s love for His
people, His flock: “He found him in a
desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him,
He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over
its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings,
so the LORD alone led him” (Deut.32:10-12).
Moses continued the same theme in
Psalm 91: “He who dwells in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. . . . He
shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge”
(Psa.91:1-4). During the soon-coming
time of Great Tribulation and the “Day
of the Lord,” when the world overflows with violence and destruction, Jesus
Christ will protect and securely safeguard His beloved servants, His beloved
flock (see Rev.12:14-17; 3:10; Luke 21:36)
-- those who sincerely love Him, follow Him, obey Him and trust in Him!
The
Sign of Leo
The sign of Leo is the final sign of
the Zodiac. Leo, of course, pictures the
“Lion.” Who is the “lion” of
Scripture? We read in Revelation,
chapter 5, speaking of Christ: “Do not
weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Rev.5:5).
Christ the Redeemer as a great lion,
will destroy all His enemies and put them under His feet. Christ is, in Scripture, the “Lion of the
tribe of Judah.” The Hebrew name for
“Leo” is Arieh, which means “the Lion.”
There are six Hebrew words for “lion,” and Arieh is used of the
Lion hunting down its prey. The
name of the Jewish Prime Minister of Israel, Ari-el Sharon, means “Lion
of God.” The Syriac name is Aryo, ‘the
rending lion,” and the Arabic is Al Asad, and both mean a lion coming
vehemently, leaping forth as a flame!
The brightest star, on the ecliptic,
marks the heart of the Lion. It is the
star Regulus, which means “treading under foot.” It is the word from which we get “regal,”
“royal,” “regulate,” or “rule.” Another
star in the lion’s mane is Denebola, “the Judge” or “Lord who cometh.” On the back of the lion is Al Giebha, “the
exaltation,” and another is Minchir al Asad, “the punishing or tearing of
the lion.” Another is Deneb
Aleced, “the judge cometh who seizes.”
Still another is Al Dafera,”"the enemy put down.”
Clearly,
the Zodiac in the night sky reveals the awesome Plan of God! The sign of Leo pictures in vivid reality
Christ the rampant Lion, the returning Conqueror, the King of kings and Lord of
lords (Rev.17:14; 19:16).
In a prophecy of Christ, Jacob
declared, “Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the tender plant, my son, thou art
gone up, having couched thou liest as a lion, and as a whelp; who shall stir
him up?” (Gen.49:9, Septuagint).
Balaam also prophesied of this
rampant lion: “There shall come a man
out of his [Jacob’s] seed, and he shall rule over many nations. . . God led him
out of Egypt; he has as it were the glory of a unicorn: he shall consume the
nations of his enemies, and he shall drain their marrow, and with his darts he
shall shoot through the enemy. He lay
down, he rested as a LION, and as a young lion; who shall stir him up? they that bless thee are blessed and they
that curse thee are cursed” (Numbers 24:7-9, LXX). Solomon wrote of the “lion’s whelp, stronger
than all other beasts, which turns not away, nor fears any beast” (Proverbs
30:31, LXX).
In the sign of Leo, are other
constellations. Hydra, the Serpent,
represents the old serpent -- Satan the devil -- destroyed. Hydra is pictured as the female serpent, the
mother and author of all evil (mother “Babylon,” “Queen of heaven,” Lucifer --
compare Ezek.28:17). Hydra has the
significance also of “he that is abhorred.”
It is a long, serpentine constellation, extending over 100 degrees from
east to west, under the Virgin, the Lion, and the Crab. The brightest star in the heart of the
serpent is called Al Phard, “the separated,” or “put away.” Another is called Al Dreian, “the
abhorred.” Still another is Minchar
al Sugia, “the piercing of the deceiver.”
Another constellation in Leo is “Crater,”
or “The Cup.” What does it refer
to?
“For in the hand of the LORD there
is a cup, and the wine is red; it is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down”
(Psa.75:8, NKJV).
John tells us in the book of
Revelation about this cup of the Lord which the nations shall drink. It is the cup of “the wine of the wrath of
God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation”
(Rev.14:9-10). “And great Babylon was
remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of
His wrath” Rev.16:19). “Render to her just as she rendered to you,
and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has
mixed, mix double for her” (Rev.18:6).
Finally, there is the constellation
of Corvus, “The Raven,” a type of all the birds of prey which will feast on the
bodies and corpses of the wicked, sprawled over the face of the earth, after
the furious battles of the “Day of the Lord.”
Most of them will lie around Jerusalem, becoming a river of blood
(Rev.14:20) as high as a horse’s bridle.
This constellation is Her-na, in
the Denderah Zodiac, meaning Her, “the enemy,” and na, “breaking
up” or “failing.” The scene pictures the
breaking up of the enemy, the final defeat and judgment of Satan and all those
who resist and fight against the returning Christ. A star in the right wing is Al Goreb, “The
Raven,” in Arabic, from the Hebrew Oreb, “The Raven.” Another star is Minchar al Gorab, meaning
“the Raven tearing to pieces.”
We read of this amazing scene in
Revelation 19: “Then I saw an angel
standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the
birds that fly in the midst of heaven, 'Come and gather together for the supper
of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains,
the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and
the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great” (Rev.19:17-18). “And all the birds were filled with their
flesh” (verse 21).
Notice! All these ancient stars and constellations in
the Zodiac portray the awesome PLAN OF GOD as it is being revealed and
foretold! The “signs” of the Zodiac, and
their constellations, all depict significant events in Biblical prophecy --
especially prophecy important for these “latter days”!
The Signs and the Seasons
In May, 2000, we saw Saturn entering
the sign of Taurus, the Bull. Seven
years later, we will see in 2007 A.D. the planet Saturn entering the sign of
Leo, the Lion. Saturn will enter the sign of Leo, the Lion, and move
through to a conjunction with Regulus, the king star, between the feet of Leo,
as the Hebrew calendar approaches Rosh Hashanah (about September 12, 2007).
Doe this have future significance?
Writes J. R. Church:
“Over the
next SEVEN YEARS, from 2000 to 2007, Saturn will travel through the
constellations
that tell the story of the WRATH OF GOD being poured out upon
an
unbelieving world. That would be Taurus,
the coming Judge; Gemini, which
in
ancient zodiacs tells the story of the Bridegroom and his bride; Cancer, the
symbol
of resurrection; and Leo, the lion pouncing on Hydra, a many-headed
serpent. These constellations along with their
sidereal sidepieces tell the story
of
the second advent of Jesus Christ” (Prophecy in the News, Dec.1999).
Saturn, in ancient mythology, was known as the Reaper. He carried a sickle with him, and harvested
the earth. He was also known as the
“Grim Reaper.”
When Christ returns, He will carry a
sickle, with which He will harvest the grapes of the earth -- the blood of the
wicked. He will be the “Reaper”!
John writes: “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud,
and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden
crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to
Him who sat on the cloud, Thrust in Your sickle, and reap: for the time has
come for You to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. So he who sat on the cloud thrust in His
sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped” (Rev.14:14-16).
John goes on: “Then another angel came out of the temple
which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar,
who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud voice to him who had the sharp
sickle, saying, ‘Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the cluster of the
vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.’ So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth
and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of
the wrath of God” (Rev.14:17-19).
The One with the sickle, who will
harvest the earth, is Jesus Christ -- Leo the Lion, the “Lion of the tribe of
Judah”!
Saturn is always shown with a
sickle. Regulus, the king star, also is
located at the beginning of the handle of a sickle which starts at the mouth
of Leo, the point of the sickle protruding from the Lion’s mouth. This heavenly scene therefore pictures
Christ, who will reap the harvest of the earth! The sickle is His very own sickle, or
sword, which He uses to cut down the wicked!
“And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should
strike the nations. And He Himself will
rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself
treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”
(Rev.19:15).
He will be “revealed from heaven in
blazing fire with His powerful angels.
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of
our Lord Jesus. They will be punished
with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and
from the majesty of His power on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy
people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed” (II Thess.1:7-10,
NIV).
The Jewish people call the planet
“Saturn” by the name of Shabbatai, relating to the seventh day Sabbath,
or Day of Rest. Saturn, therefore,
portrays the “Rest.” It is the Messianic
planet, as the Messiah will bring “rest” to the world from all its weary toil
and backbreaking labor. Saturn pictures
Christ the Messiah. Christ is our true
“Sabbath Rest.” He came to give us
“rest” (Matt.11:28-29). It is through
Him that we can “enter into rest” (Heb.4:1-8).
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God” (verse 9).
Saturn therefore pictures Christ,
and it also pictures the Sabbath Day, or the Great Sabbath -- the Millennial
Sabbath of Rest of 1,000 years (Heb.4:4-9; Rev.20:4-6).
Around August 29, 2007, the planet Saturn will be
proceeding toward a conjunction with Regulus, the king star, between the feet
and at the heart of Leo, the Lion. It
will be near its conjunction as the Jewish new year begins with Rosh Hashanah
on September 12, 2007.
Will that sequence POINT TO the “end of the story”—the
wrath of God and of Christ the Messiah being poured out on a wicked world,
leading up to His Second Coming? Will
God’s Plan then be fulfilled? Will that
pinpoint the final “HEPTAD” or seven years of this pulsating, throbbing, pain-ridden,
sin-filled, wicked age?
The apostle John writes in a
mysterious prophecy:
“The angel
whom I saw standing on the sea and on the
land raised
up his hand to heaven and swore by Him
who lives
forever and ever, who created heaven and the
things that
are in it, the earth and the things that are in
it, that there should be delay no longer.
“But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel,
when he is
about to sound, the mystery of God would be
finished, as he declared to His servants the prophets”
(Revelation
10:5-7, NKJV).
In other words, when the seventh
angel sounds, and blows his trumpet, there will be no more time before the
Messiah returns. That will be it! The Finale!
D-Day!
Exactly when the Messiah will come,
we are not given to know. Yeshua
declared, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of
heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man”
(Matt.24:36-37, NRSV).
We do not know the exact date. But surely, now is the time to WATCH!
“Look at the fig tree
and all the trees. When they sprout
leaves, you
can see for yourselves
and know that summer is near. Even so,
when
you see these things
happening, you know that the kingdom of God
is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will
certainly not pass away
until all these things
have happened. Heaven and earth will
pass away, but
my words will never pass away.
“Be careful, or your
hearts will be weighed down with dissipation,
drunkenness and the
anxieties of life, and that day will close on you
unexpectedly like a
trap. For it will come upon all those
who live on
the face of the whole
earth.
“Be always on the
watch, and pray that you may be able to escape
all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to
stand before
the Son of Man” (Luke
21:29-36, NIV).
“Now
when these things BEGIN to happen, LOOK UP and LIFT UP
your heads, because your
REDEMPTION draws near” (Luke 21:28).