We know that the Mazzaroth, the constellations, tell the
story of the salvation of man. We also know that the Mazzaroth tells the story
of an enemy who is after humanity. We also know that the etymology of the names
of the stars in each constellation tells us the story of that particular constellation.
In every ancient language, Chaldean, Arabic, Egyptian, Hebrew, and Babylonian,
the star names all have the same basic meaning. If humanity has an enemy, one
of the first things he would do is to confuse the knowledge that was written in
the stars. Our enemy cannot change the stars, he cannot rearrange the heavens,
and he does not have creative power to make new stars. Once the information of
the star names was made known, all the enemy of humankind could do was to confuse
and distort the information, and to lead unsuspecting people into worshipping
the wrong things.
Today we have the knowledge to understand the power or lack
thereof that the planets and stars have over humanity. But in ancient times
people were led to believe that the planets and stars were the place of the
gods who caused chaos for earth. Some of that thought process might have come
about with good reason, as we know that the orbit of Mars was different in
ancient times, and caused natural disasters on the Earth when Mars came close
to earth. Ancient people even knew that the moons of mars rotate differently.
They knew one of the moons, which today we call Phobos, rises in the west,
while the other moon, which today we call Deimos, rises in the east. But
overall, in the last 2700 years, the planets have not influenced disasters on Earth.
We do know that the Moon influences our tides, and combined with a storm system
can cause flooding in coastal areas, but other than that there isn’t anything physical
that planets and stars influence on earth.
With that in mind, we can better understand the plight of
the Hebrews in Egypt and in the wilderness; and the way in which Yahweh took
care of all their needs as they were forced to rely on Him. Have you ever
wondered why there was a tree in the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve were not
supposed to eat from? It seems that Yahweh should not have given them a choice
and not put the tree with the forbidden fruit in the garden. By the same token,
Yahweh’s commandments to Moses were not to make images of beings in heaven, yet
Yahweh commissioned the images of the Cherubim for the mercy seat. This
eventually led to naming and worshiping of the cherubim on the mercy seat.
While this should never have happened, there seems to be an allowance for
humans to decide for themselves. And let’s understand this, the Israelites were
not intentionally evil, they were simply not educated. From the beginning of
humanity there is one who has distorted the ideas of Yahweh among men, and that
one continues to do so today. Yet, by having a choice to do what is right or
wrong, humans prove themselves in heaven and earth. Who we are is made known by
what we do or who we obey.
Ex 20:4You shall not make yourself any graven image [to
worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that
is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; AMP
Ex 25:17-22 And you shall make a mercy seat (a covering) of
pure gold, two cubits and a half long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And you shall make two cherubim (winged
angelic figures) of [solid] hammered gold on the two ends of the mercy
seat. 19 Make one cherub on each end,
making the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat, on the two ends of
it. 20 And the cherubim shall spread out
their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, facing each other
and looking down toward the mercy seat.
21 You shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark
you shall put the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] that I will give you. 22 There I will meet with you and, from above
the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the
Testimony, I will speak intimately with you of all which I will give you in
commandment to the Israelites. AMP
This seems contradictory except that God instructed the
people to make the image of the cherubim, God did not instruct the worship of
them. God would speak from between the cherubim. But God didn’t speak to just
anyone at that time. He spoke to those who were holy. When unholy men wanted to
speak to God, they didn’t get answers. Therefore they worshipped created things
rather than the creator. Solomon enlightens us.
Wisdom 13:1-4 Surely vain are all men by nature, who are
ignorant of God, and could not out of the good things that are seen know him
that is: neither by considering the works did they acknowledge the workmaster;2
But deemed either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars,
or the violent water, or the lights of heaven, to be the gods which govern the
world.3 With whose beauty if they being delighted took them to be gods; let
them know how much better the Lord of them is: for the first author of beauty
hath created them.4 But if they were astonished at their power and virtue, let
them understand by them, how much mightier he is that made them. KJV
Because people at that time were not knowledgeable
regarding science, it was easy to think that the elements were the
manifestations of the gods. As we learned last week, demons inhabited these man
made idols then enslaved man to the worship of them, when in reality man was
made to be over lords, judges, and gods to these beings. Just before his death
Stephen gives us a history lesson.
Acts 7:40-43 And they said to Aaron, Make us gods who shall
[be our leaders and] go before us; as for this Moses who led us forth from the
land of Egypt — we have no knowledge of what has happened to him. [Ex 32:1,23.]
41 And they [even] made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol
and made merry and exulted in the work of their [own] hands. [Ex 32:4,6.] 42
But God turned [away from them] and delivered them up to worship and serve the
host (stars) of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you
[really] offer to Me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the
wilderness (desert), O house of Israel? [Jer 19:13.] 43 [No!] You took up the
tent (the portable temple) of Moloch and carried it [with you], and the star of
the god Rephan, the images which you [yourselves] made that you might worship
them; and I will remove you [carrying you away into exile] beyond Babylon.
[Amos 5:25-27.] AMP
We seem to think that the Israelites were worshipping
Yahweh while enslaved in Egypt, but they were not. They had taken on the
worship of other gods, and brought that with them out of Egypt. Let’s look at
this section of Amos in both the King James and the Amplified.
Amos 5:26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch
and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. KJV
Amos 5:22-27 Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and
your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the
peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts. 23 Take away from Me the noise
of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps. 24 But let
justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing
stream. 25 Did you bring to Me sacrifices and cereal offerings during those
forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 [No] but [instead of
bringing Me the appointed sacrifices] you carried about the tent of your king
Sakkuth and Kaiwan [names for the gods of the planet Saturn], your images of
your star-god which you made for yourselves [and you will do so again]. 27
Therefore I will cause you to go into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord,
whose name is the God of hosts. [Acts 7:42,43.] AMP
What we see is that even in the wilderness the Israelites
didn’t keep to the commandments but instead named the two cherubim Moloch and Chiun, or Sakkuth and Kaiwan. They then brought what they
wanted for offerings (I don’t remember that from the movie The Ten Commandments.). Where did they bring these offerings? To
the tent that housed the two cherubim that sat upon the mercy seat, the Holy of
Holies. Moloch was the national deity of the Ammonites, the ones who helped
build the temple. Moloch or Molech or Milcom was the god that people passed
their seed through the fire. Chiun, also known as Rephan in Egypt, was also a
god of sacrificing children. Both Moloch and Chiun were named as gods of
planets. Moloch was Jupiter, and Chiun was Saturn. There is a twenty year cycle
when these two planets align in conjunction and look like one. Notice in Amos
5:26 the star (singular) of your elohim (gods). Every twenty years these two planets look like
one star. Ezekiel explains why Yahweh allowed this.
Ezek 20:23-26 Moreover, I lifted up My hand and swore to
them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the [heathen] nations
and disperse them in the countries, 24 Because they had not executed My
ordinances but had despised and rejected My statutes and had profaned My
Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. 25 Wherefore also I
gave them [over to] statutes that were not good and ordinances whereby they
should not live and could not have life, [Ps 81:12; Isa 66:4; Rom 1:21-25,28.]
26 And I [let them] pollute and make themselves unclean in their own offerings
[to their idols], in that they caused to pass through the fire all the
firstborn, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know,
understand, and realize that I am the Lord. [Lev 20:2-5.] AMP
Yahweh gave the Israelites the good and not good
statutes and ordinances. The choice of the trees to eat and not to eat from. It
is the same choice as to our worship, who do we worship? We know that during
their entire history the Israelites passed their children through the fire, and
even in some Jewish practices today candles are lit at the birth of a baby and
the child is waved over the flame. Who is behind this type of ritual? One more
history lesson before we answer that question.
2 Kings 21:1-16 MANASSEH WAS twelve years old when he began
his fifty-five-year [wicked] reign in Jerusalem. His mother's name was
Hephzibah. 2 He [Hezekiah's son] did evil in the sight of the Lord, after the
[idolatrous] practices of the [heathen] nations whom the Lord cast out before
the Israelites. 3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his
father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as
did Ahab king of Israel, and worshiped all the [starry] hosts of the heavens
and served them! 4 And he built [heathen] altars in the house of the Lord, of
which the Lord said, In Jerusalem will I put My Name [and the pledge of My
presence]. 5 And he [good Hezekiah's son] built altars for all the hosts of the
heavens in the two courts of the house of the Lord! 6 And he made his son pass
through the fire and burned him as an offering [to Molech]; he practiced
soothsaying and augury, and dealt with mediums and wizards! He did much
wickedness in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 7 He made a graven
image of [the goddess] Asherah and set it in the house, AMP
At one time, Hezekiah had cleaned up the temple and
Jerusalem, and held a Passover in the second month. Yet Manasseh did the
opposite, bringing back all the idols, and was the one that was purported to have
sawn Isaiah in half. Manasseh put up altars, and worshipped the starry hosts of
the heavens and served them. Didn’t Manasseh put these idols up? Why was he
serving them? He built these altars in the temple. Manasseh made altars for the
hosts of the heavens in the two courts of the temple. Oh boy, that is not a
small matter. Remember when the presence of the glory of God came at the
dedication of the temple? Now the glory of God is sharing the temple with demon
deities. We studied this previously that from the time the kingdom split to the
time the glory left the temple in Ezekiel was over three hundred years. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/passover-male-prostitution-in-temple.html
We have to adjust our thinking to understand that from the
time of the flood through our present day the entire lifespan of man is given over
to make choices as to who to follow. Yahweh was known by Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, and they served Yahweh. Others did as well, but Yahweh doesn’t beat
people into loving him, nor does he beat people for not following him. He gives
blessings so that one will want to know Him, and if that one turns away, that
individual receives what he receives from demons and fallen created beings.
Sometimes demons and the fallen cherub can give humans temporary good things,
but they cannot give anything life giving, nor can they give eternal life.
As we can see then, the Israelites were steeped in idolatry
even at the time of the exodus, but Yahweh was holding true to his faithful
followers even if the majority of people didn’t care to follow him. Now look
for a moment at the followers of God and the non-followers of God; how many
line up on each side? That is interesting isn’t it? Sometimes the spin doctors
of our culture make it seem like there were very few non-followers of Yahweh
when the opposite is true. The entire plan was to bring a group of the
descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob out of bondage from a nation that was
in bondage to demonic gods. Yahweh had told Moses that he would make him a god,
Elohim, to Pharaoh, Exodus 7:1. Moses
would be an Elohim and Aaron would be his prophet. That means that Yahweh would
use Moses as a god with more power and authority than the gods of Egypt as we
studied last week.
One being in particular seems to have fooled people the
most because he looks like light. We have misused a word, which is a title, as
his name, but just like we have misused Elohim as a name not a title, I think
the same spiritual being is behind it. We mistakenly named him Lucifer, but he
is simply the satan.
Isaiah 14:12 How have you fallen from heaven, O, Night
Star* in the morning? How have you fallen to earth, O, despoiler of nations?
*14:12 Lit. Aramaic: "Eileel."
“Night star in the morning” is interesting as we can only
see stars at night when it is dark. The night star in the morning is the last
planet we typically see before the dawn. The word Lucifer is Latin meaning “light
bearer”, but that is a title that describes him rather than is truly a name.
Prior to the Latin, the Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew did not translate this as a
name. Let’s look at the Amplified and the Amplified Bible’s notes.
Isa 14:12 How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer
and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you
who weakened and laid low the nations [O blasphemous, satanic king of Babylon!]
AMP
14:12 n The
Hebrew for this expression — "light-bringer" or "shining
one" — is translated "Lucifer" in The Latin Vulgate, and is thus
translated in the King James Version. But because of the association of that
name with Satan, it is not now used in this and other translations. Some
students feel that the application of the name Lucifer to Satan, in spite of
the long and confident teaching to that effect, is erroneous. The application
of the name to Satan has existed since the
third century A.D., and is based on the supposition that Luke 10:18 is
an explanation of Isa 14:12, which many authorities believe is not true.
"Lucifer," the light-bringer, is the Latin equivalent of the Greek
word "Phosphoros," which is used as a title of Christ in 2 Peter 1:19
and corresponds to the name "radiant and brilliant Morning Star" in
Rev 22:16, a name Jesus called Himself. This passage here in Isa 14:13 clearly applies
to the king of Babylon. AMP
The Amplified Bible notes seem to indicate that satan was
described with a word that was descriptive of Jesus. We know satan wanted to be
like the most high, but his light is not the same. Satan was simply attempting
to steal the function of Yahweh, as the bringer of light and dispeller of
darkness. Here is the AP Polyglot translation.
Isaiah 14:12G4459O howG1601[3fellG15374from
out ofG3588 5theG37726heaven
G35881the G2193.12 morning
star] --G3588the
oneG4404 [2 by morningG3931rising];G4937[7was
broken G1519 8untoG35889 the G1093 10earthG35881the
oneG6492 sendingG43143 toG39564all G35885the G1484 6nations].
The one we call Lucifer was known as a planet, the morning star, or the planet Venus. Moloch was represented by Jupiter and Chiun was represented by Saturn, and satan is represented by Venus. The ancient people understood that certain things in the heavens influenced things on earth; if they worshipped and offered their children in the fire, Moloch would be appeased and give them good things. So instead of looking to the Creator they named stars and planets after demons and became enslaved to them.
Isa 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, Day Star, son
of the Dawn! How you have been thrown down to earth, you who laid low the
nation! ISV
Notice it says the day star, weakened nations, the word for
nations is goyim which is translated inconsistently. Goyim means nations or
tribes but many people would try to attach it in a derogatory way as gentiles. All
people are goyim, nations, and the
morning star was a despoiler of all nations. The devil didn’t simply break
non-Jewish nations, he broke all nations, including Jewish ones. Not all goyim
are descended from Jacob/Israel, but all nations, tribes, and people were laid
low. http://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2013/12/gentiles-all-jews-are-goyim-multitudes.html
It would seem that satan wanted to be known as the one who
dispels darkness, just as the planet Venus shines in the morning announcing the
end of the night. This seems as if the people who were worshipping Venus were
worshipping the god who ends darkness. This could have been satan’s dominant
function prior to his fall in the beginning. Yet instead of being a light to
guide and strengthen the nations, he was a guide that led the nations astray. Let’s
compare this to something Jesus said to the overcomer.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star. KJV
Jesus seems to be quoting something Daniel prophesied.
Dan 12:3 And the teachers and those who are wise shall
shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to
righteousness (to uprightness and right standing with God) [shall give forth
light] like the stars forever and ever. [Matt 13:43.] AMP
Today we don’t shine like the brightness of the firmament
because we have physical bodies that became corruptible in the garden. The
righteous can spiritually shine a little now because Jesus who is the morning
star is in our hearts and we can reflect his glory. But at the end of the
millennial reign all those who are wise and teach righteousness will shine for
ages and ages.
2 Peter 1:19 And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer
still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a
dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and
the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts. AMP
While satan was the morning star, Jesus is the bright or radiant
morning star. Whatever satan was as a star that dispels darkness, the overcomer
will be a star that dispels darkness as well. Remember, not only were humans to
be Elohim with authority over angels, humans will also take over the position
satan once had.
Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you
these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the
bright [2986] and morning [3720] star [792].KJV
We notice this idea as well in Job, the sons of Elohim sang
when the stars were made.
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together and all the
sons of God shouted for joy? AMP
Job 38:7 G3753WhenG1096[2came
to passG7981 the stars],G134[3praisedG14734meG54566a
great voiceG31735withG39561allG322my
angels].G1473
Job 38:7 When the stars were made, all my angels
praised me with a loud voice
The Hebrew adds the word morning which does not occur in the Greek texts. The answer to this
discrepancy is in the context. Let’s read Young’ translation.
Job 38:7 In the singing together of stars of morning, And
all sons of God shout for joy, YLT
The context is the creation of Genesis 1:1. Yahweh, Aleph
Tav, speaks out of the whirlwind about how he created the heavens and earth,
and that the stars eliminated the darkness on the earth; that is the birth of
the morning. Keep in mind that the earth became formless, void, and dark, not
the heavens in Genesis 1:2. Therefore when the stars were made, the sons of
Elohim rejoiced. Something chaotic occurred that caused the earth to become
formless, void, and dark. Is this when the light bringer, the day star and son
of the morning fell causing darkness all over the earth?
We see the usage of references to the heavens by Jesus as a
reason for us to look upward. The story is written above and we can know our
authority by the star pictures. The constellations are not connect-the-dots pictures,
they are pictures made up by the names of the stars. And as we looked at
something Jesus said last week regarding our authority, he gave us a picture to
understand it. It may be that Jesus understood that in the end times we would
lack star knowledge, but the people of his day knew and understood the picture
he was giving them.
Luke 10:19 Behold! I have given you authority and power [as
magistrates, super human potentates] to trample upon serpents and scorpions,
and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the
enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. AMP
As we looked at last week, we have delegated influence over
spiritual beings. These spiritual beings are known of in the heavens. The
constellation picture of Ophiuchus is the picture Jesus was giving us. Ophiuchus
was most likely the primary constellation, but someone distorted that knowledge
to give the scorpion the primary constellation, making Ophiuchus a decan of
Scorpio. The sun only moves through the claw of Scorpio for six days, that is a
prophetic picture of the reign of satan, six thousand years. The rest of the
month, about seventeen days the sun is in Ophiuchus. With computer technology,
we can see accurately when and where the sun is located along the ecliptic.
Astrology uses outdated charts that the Babylonians used, so astrology is an
inaccurate interpretation of Astronomy.
The picture Jesus gives us is of a strong man who is
stepping on a scorpion with his left foot and holding a serpent with both
hands, keeping it from stealing a crown. Genesis 3:15 says that the coming
Messiah would crush satan’s head and yet satan would bruise the Messiah’s heel.
Notice this constellation picture is of double conflict. There are enemies on
two fronts, but the man is victorious. That is the picture Jesus wanted you to
have of who you are and what power you have over the devil.
It’s time to stop sniveling and to stomp really hard on the back of that
scorpion.
With this in mind, we studied a while back that early
cultures hated the spring equinox because all five monsters in the sky were
visible. It was a time of great superstition. This is what the early ancients
were steeped in from the time of Babylon through the wilderness, and even
throughout their time in the Promised Land. When Jesus came he spoke their
language, giving them heavenly pictures of their destiny. How else could they
understand what he was saying? Jesus said that if they overcome they would be
given the morning star. He himself is the Bright and Morning Star, and Jesus’
people who spread the good news of the kingdom, are given superhuman authority
over the demonic realm just like Ophiuchus. This doesn’t mean there would be no
conflict by opposing forces, but that we could be victorious over those
spiritual enemies.
Today, the names of the demons’ change but the worship is
still the same and the gods that are worshipped have stories as to why they
must be worshipped. Jeremiah buried the Ark of the Covenant in a cave because
he was so distraught over what the Israelites were doing, worshipping the
cherubim, according to 2 Maccabees.
2 Macc 2:4-7 It was also contained in the same writing,
that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to
go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where Moses climbed up, and
saw the heritage of God.5 And when Jeremy came thither, he found an hollow
cave, wherein he laid the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense,
and so stopped the door.6 And some of those that followed him came to mark the
way, but they could not find it.7 Which when Jeremy perceived, he blamed them,
saying, As for that place, it shall be unknown until the time that God gather
his people again together, and receive them unto mercy. KJV
Because the cherubim were being worshipped, Yahweh had
Jeremiah hide the Ark of the Covenant. Many people worshipped strange and odd
gods, including altars to the stars and planets in the temple. We have to get
the image in our minds correct. The temple was to be a place of worship to
Yahweh but was used for worship to many strange gods. God gives humans choices
and we are the ones who are responsible for the choices we make. Yahweh gives
us the good and the not good statutes, just like the trees in the garden. But
the Apostle Paul tells us something interesting; that satan has servants that
are ministers of righteousness. We will explore that next week.
