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Monday, September 10, 2012

The Night Sky When Jesus Was Born: What the Magi Saw, What We See



If we lived in the year 3 BC what would we have noticed in the night sky?  It is a good question, as there were no televisions, or artificial incandescent lights, the night sky would have stood out to us. Living in that time we would have known the difference between planets and stars, we also would have known all the constellations and the names of the stars.  It would have been a nightly event to see where the planets and constellations were, much like watching the nightly news in our time.  In those days some took this very seriously while others did not.  It would have been part of each cultures learning to some degree and those who kept this knowledge alive would have noticed some very significant things.  At this time in history some people east of Jerusalem were noticing in what constellations the planets were and that signaled something important to them.

The topic of Jesus’ birth is one that is surrounded with so much confusion.  Somehow we decided Jesus was born December 25th, and we’ve made huge cultural celebrations over this date.  What is more likely is that the date of December 25th (of 2 BC) could have been the date the Magi arrived to greet the King, Jesus.  As the Catholic Church observes the date of the Immaculate Conception at or around December 8th obviously can see that is either a very long or very short pregnancy.  But as research shows us, Jesus was in fact born during the time of the fall feasts, relating to our date September 11, of 3 BC.  This gives some legitimacy to the date of the Immaculate Conception.  As we understand from history, the people of the time did not recognize the year as 3 BC but as year 3758 in the Jewish calendar, or 4748 in the Assyrian calendar.  I have included a chart in the end notes on years related to various cultures. One thing we can see is that having a central dating system is convenient whether accurate or not, at least we can all point to the same year.   Also because cultures celebrated the start of a year or “New Year” at different times we have different ideas about the start of a new year.  Originally the New Year was Tishri 1, which occurs during the month of September, however Moses was told to observe, ceremonially, the New Year at Passover.   As we read the excerpt from Ernst L Martin’s book The Star of Bethlehem, the Star That Astonished the World, he gives descriptions of the night sky from the time of Jesus’ birth to the time the Magi arrived.

The Real Star of Bethlehem
While the spectacular astronomical signs in the 18 months from May 3 B.C.E. to December 2 B.C.E. would have caused wonderful interpretations by astrologers on behalf of Augustus and the Roman Empire, the Magi decided to go to Jerusalem with gifts to a newborn Jewish king. The Magi focused on Judaea and not Rome at this crucial time in history.
Let us look at some of the astrological and biblical factors that may have brought the Magi to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem. Since the New Testament says the Magi saw the “star”rising in the east, it would most naturally be called a “morning star.” The Book of Revelation has Jesus saying of himself, “I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” 1 The apostle Peter also mentioned that Jesus was symbolically associated with “the day star.” 2
The above verses refer to celestial bodies that were well known and recognized in the 1stcentury and they inspired symbolic messianic interpretation by early Christians. There were several prophecies in Isaiah which generally were interpreted as referring to the Messiah. One has definite astronomical overtones to it. Isaiah said, “The Gentiles shall come to thylight, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” 3 This prophecy could easily refer to the rising of some star. It would be particularly appropriate to a “morning” or “day” star. Luke, in his Gospel, referring to the celestial symbolism of Isaiah 60:3 which spoke of God as being“the daybreak [the rising] from on high that hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness.” 4
Astronomy and the New Testament
These references reveal that celestial bodies were symbolically important to the New Testament writers. We know that the generality of the world was then engrossed with such symbolic concepts. The rising of a star or planet just before sunrise was particularly significant in interpreting events relating to important people. And Luke in his Gospel refers to Jesus as a star which will bring great light to all the world.
With this in mind, let us recall from our first chapter that on morning of August 12, 3 B.C.E. (about an hour and twenty minutes before sunrise), Jupiter rose as a morning star in conjunction with Venus. How would astrologers or Magi have interpreted this union? Let us took at some of the generally accepted beliefs of astrologers who lived in the time of Augustus and Herod.
Jupiter was known astrologically as the Father of the Gods. The planet Jupiter symbolized this deity. And in early August 2 B.C.E. Jupiter had just left its vicinity near the Sun and conjoined with Venus. This could have been an indication of a coming birth. “Jupiter often was associated with the birth of kings and therefore called the King planet.” 5 And here was the King planet in conjunction with Venus. To the Chaldeans and the Magi, Venus was Ishtar, the Mother, the Goddess of Fertility. Thus Jupiter (the Father) was now in conjunction with Venus (the Mother). Could this have signified to astrologers that the birth of a new king was imminent?
This conjunction could have been a favorable sign because these two planets were known by astrologers as the Greater and the Lesser Good Fortunes of all the planets. And note this: while this conjunction was occurring, the Sun (the Supreme Father), the Moon (considered a Mother), and Mercury (the Messenger of the Gods) were located in the single constellation of Leo, the Lion. Christians called Jesus “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” 6 These primary bodies clustering in Leo while Jupiter and Venus were now in close union may reflect biblical significance. Note Olcott’s remarks about the sign of Leo,
“The Lion was the symbol of the Tribe of Judah, and the constellation appears in the Hebrew zodiac. ... The association of Leo with Judah arose from the fact that Leo was Judah’s natal sign. In the Bible there are frequent allusions to this connection between Leo and the tribe of Judah. Thus we read: ‘Judah is the Lion’s whelp,’ and again, ‘The Lion of the tribe of Judah.’” 7
The interesting astral relationships which occurred in the pre-dawn of August 12, 3 B.C.E. could well have signified to astrologers that some important royal event was soon to happen in the Jewish nation.
The King Planet and the King Star
Let us now look at the interesting heavenly relationships that developed between Jupiter (the King planet) and Regulus (the King star) in the year 3/2 B.C.E. There were three conjunctions in which both heavenly bodies seemed to be centering on each other (over an eight month period). It was as if Jupiter were homing in on Regulus, using it as an axis and directing earthly attention to it. This could have easily signified to astrologers that some royal event was to occur. While the Magi must have considered all three as having real importance, note especially the first of the three conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus on September 14, 3 B.C.E.
Here was Jupiter (the King planet), which had just united with Venus (the Mother) on August 12, 3 B.C.E., now joining itself with the King star Regulus (the star of the Jewish Messiah) in the zodiacal sign of Leo (the constellation of Judah), while the Sun (the Supreme Father or Ruler) was then located in Virgo (the Virgin). All of these features are reminiscent of biblical themes associated with the birth and personage of the Jewish Messiah. Recall that the Messiah was prophesied to be born of a virgin and to be the king of Judah. King Herod must have wondered about this initial display of Jupiter with Regulus.
The Outcome of these Astronomical Signs
Let us now look at some interesting biblical teaching which could suggest that what I am saying is true. It has long been recognized that the Magi arrived in Jerusalem some time after Jesus was born. 18 He had already been circumcised and presented in the temple forty days after birth. 19 When the Magi arrived the parents of Jesus were then living in a house, not a stable. 20 Jesus was also being called a paidion [ordinarily, child or toddler], not abrephos [infant]. One cannot press the meaning of these two terms too far, but there were ordinary differences between them that most contexts would acknowledge as showing distinction. After the Magi presented their gifts, they returned home by a different route. In response to this subterfuge, Herod slew the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years of age and younger. 21
Since it was often difficult for astrologers to interpret whether heavenly signs were indicating events associated with conception or birth, Herod no doubt maneuvered his strategy against the newborn child by taking both possibilities into account. He killed the children up to two years of age so he could include those both conceived and born within that period. Whatever the case, all these indications show that the Magi must have arrived in Bethlehem to present their gifts several months after the birth of Jesus.
This leads us to the final suggestion that could help us identify the “Star of Bethlehem.” The stellar body that played the most prominent role in the extraordinary year of 3/2 B.C.E. and the planet which figured in almost every celestial relationship was Jupiter. It could well be that Jupiter was “his star” that the Magi followed to Jerusalem, and finally to Bethlehem.
The Exact Day of Jesus’ Birth
The apostle John is presenting to his readers something of profound significance in a symbolic way. Revelation 12:1–3 shows a New Moon day that could only be observed from earth just after sunset, and the day was September 11th. This fits well with Luke’s description of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Recall that,
“there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over the flock by night ... and the angel said ... unto you is born this day [which began at sundown] in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
·         Luke 2:8–11
Jesus was born in early evening, and Revelation 12 shows it was a New Moon day.
What New Moon could this have been? The answer is most amazing. It is almost too amazing! September 11, 3 B.C.E. was Tishri One on the Jewish calendar. To Jewish people this would have been a very profound occasion indeed. Tishri One is none other than the Jewish New Year’s day (Rosh ha-Shanah, or as the Bible calls it, The Day of Trumpets ― Leviticus 23:23–26). It was an important annual holy day of the Jews (but not one of the three annual festivals that required all Palestinian Jews to be in Jerusalem).
What a significant day for the appearance of the Messiah to arrive on earth from the Jewish point of view! And remarkably, no other day of the year could astronomically fit Revelation 12:1–3. The apostle John is certainly showing forth an astronomical sign which answers precisely with the Jewish New Year Day. John would have realized the significance of this astronomical scene that he was describing.
In the next chapter I will show the symbolic and religious meaning of this New Year’s day as interpreted by the Jews (and consequently by the apostles and early Christians) as it relates to the Messiah and his kingship. The information may provide a better understanding why the early apostles of the 1st century, and many Jews and Gentiles, so quickly came to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Whatever the case, the historical evidence supports the nativity of Jesus in 3 B.C.E., at the beginning of a Roman census, and (if we use the astronomical indications of the Book of Revelation) his birth would have occurred just after sundown on September 11th, on Rosh ha-Shanah, the Day of Trumpets — the Jewish New Year Day for governmental affairs. There could hardly have been a better day in the ecclesiastical calendar of the Jews to introduce the Messiah to the world from a Jewish point of view; and no doubt this is what the apostle John clearly intended to show by the sign he recorded in Revelation 12.

Also from Ernst L Martin’s book 101 Bible Secrets That Christians Don’t Know, he makes his point of Jesus’ birth on September 11, 3 BC, Between 6:15 PM and 7:45 PM Jerusalem time. 

The Exact Day of Christ’s Birth
Is it possible from biblical information to know the exact day (even the hour) when Christ was born of the Virgin Mary?
 
In the New Testament there are three places that speak about the period of the nativity of Jesus. One is about his birth when the shepherds gave gifts to him as recorded in the Gospel of Luke (2:1-20), a second description is recorded about the time the Magi (or Wise Men) gave gifts to Christ almost 15 months after his birth (Matthew 2:1-18), and the third is found in the Book of Revelation chapter 12. In the latter section there is astronomical evidence given by the apostle John that gives any astronomer (and one who has even a basic knowledge of the early Hebrew calendar that the Jews went by in the time of Jesus) some precise information that will allow anyone to calculate the birth of Christ to a precise day of the year, and indeed, to within an hour and a half of the time of his birth. Believe it or not, this is easy to demonstrate.
The key to the matter is John’s reference to the Sun and the Moon. To anyone living in the first century looking at this description from an astronomical point of view about this child to be born who would rule the earth with a rod of iron, they would be struck by clarity of the time period therein indicated. First, if the Sun is literal (and there is every reason to believe that John intended it that way), we are told that it is mid-bodied to a woman (that is, "clothing her") who is located in heaven. Indeed, the Moon is also located at the same time "under the feet" of this woman. Since John said that this was a "sign" – a "wonder" in the King James (Revelation 12:1), this is the same word which was used throughout the Greek world at the time to denote a "sign of the Zodiac." The only woman located in the Zodiacal circle is that of Virgo (and Christ was prophesied to be born of a Virgin).
For the Sun to be located in the sign of Virgo (and mid-bodied to her), this gives a date each year from about August 27th to September 15th. But the Moon travels over twelve times faster through the ecliptic (the circle of the Zodiac) and for it to be "under the feet" of the Virgo narrows the time to only one day in the year within the twenty day period mentioned above. In the year Christ was born the Moon could only be in that position on the evening of September 11th. And since John said that this "sign" could be seen in heaven, if one accepts this literally as referring to an astronomical description, this could only have been seen by an observer on earth between sunset (about 6:15 pm local time at Jerusalem) and moonset which was just about 7:45 pm. With this information, it thus becomes possible from the New Testament to date the very day Jesus was born, and to within an hour and a half of the event. This can be arrived at quite easily by any astronomer in a matter of minutes who has proper astronomical tables. [For detailed information on this interesting event, and proof which shows the year in which Jesus was born, read my 220 page book titled: "The Star that Astonished the World."]
101 Bible Secrets that Christians Do Not Know by Ernst L Martin http://www.askelm.com/secrets/sec031.htm

Now that we have bible programs and astronomy programs to aid us in our research, we can further our understanding as to what the Magi saw and what the meaning of this is to us today.  If we keep in mind that many times prophecy in the bible is foretelling that we cannot understand until after the events take place. Jesus said that he had to come and fulfill all the prophecies that were written about him in the bible. Yet the disciples didn’t understand completely.

Luke 18:31-34 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.KJV

He mentions to them a second time about the prophecies written about him but they still didn’t really understand.  All things concerning Jesus have an end.

Luke 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.KJV

Jesus in his resurrected body came and gave another testimony of himself, mentioning the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. 

Luke 24:44-49 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.48 And ye are witnesses of these things.49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.KJV

Now Jesus opens their understanding so that they could understand the scriptures.  The scriptures were written concerning Him but also the heavens were written concerning Him.  Where the planets were on the day of His birth told them a King was born to the Jews. This is what the Magi knew, that a Messiah was coming and they saw His star. They further rejoiced when they saw where all the planets were and what that means to them and us.

Matt 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.KJV

The first thing the Magi would have seen is that the Sun was in the constellation of Virgo. It was in the left forearm of the virgin, making an alignment with a few other planets. Virgo tells us that Jesus would be a righteous branch.  The Brightest star Al Zimach means the branch.  What this tells us from scripture is that he is righteous, a servant, and his name is “The Branch”.  From context it tells us he is a kingdom builder, and if we remember our previous blogs on the kingdom of God we see that that was Jesus’ message, to tell people that the kingdom of God was near, and that after Pentecost, the kingdom of God has come.

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch [6780], and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.KJV
Zech 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH [6780].KJV
Zech 6:12-13 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.KJV

Branch  OT:6780 tsemach (tseh'-makh); from OT:6779; a sprout (usually concrete), literal or figurative: KJV - branch, bud, that which (where) grew (upon), spring (-ing).
OT:6779 tsamach (tsaw-makh'); a primitive root; to sprout (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative): KJV - bear, bring forth, (cause to, make to) bud (forth), (cause to, make to) grow (again, up), (cause to) spring (forth, up).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)hem both.KJV

What we now know is that he came once, and he will come again and rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.  Another star is called Zavijaveh, meaning the gloriously beautiful as in Isaiah 4:2
Isa 4:2 In that day shall the branch [6780] of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.KJV

Al Mureddin, another star means who shall come down or who shall have dominion, Psalm 72:8
Ps 72:1 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.KJV

The next thing they would have noticed is that the Moon, just a sliver of it, was also in the constellation of Virgo. Incidentally the Jews would have been looking outside for the start of the sliver, crescent of the moon, to signify the start of Rosh Hashanah.  I find it interesting that God actually made the Jews spend time outside to figure out the start of the fall feasts, which would mean that they were outside looking at the sky when Jesus was born.  Two people had to attest to seeing the sliver of the new moon. Remember that no man knows the day or the hour.  Yet they did not look at any other planets like the Magi did.  Remember Revelation 12 where it says that the moon was at her feet? This is where the moon was, at the foot of the constellation of Virgo. Remember the shepherds were outside with the herds and they saw the angel announcing Jesus’ birth. 

Luke 2:8-20 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.KJV

The moon does a few different things on the earth, one of which is causing the tides to rise and recede.  There is a pushing and pulling or a wrestling regarding this aspect of Jesus’ life.  Also the moon reflects the sun, we only see it because the sun shines on it.  Other planets have moons and we can only see them because the sun causes a reflection on them.  Because the moon was only a sliver it would indicate to us that people would only see a small portion of who he really was.  They couldn’t know everything about him until he was resurrected; therefore his time on earth he was only reflecting a small portion of himself.  What people saw was not a big neon sign, but in contrast a small candle.  He came as a man, looking like a man not an eternal being who came from heaven to rescue us, the Son of the Most High God. That is the aspect of believing in him by faith, rather than believing while seeing it all.  This also tells us why it was so hard for religious people to believe on him. 

The planet Mercury was also aligning in Virgo.  Venus, Mercury, the Sun, and Moon all align on the left side of Virgo. Mercury was in the upper arm of the constellation. Mercury represents the message he would speak, as we already noted, his message was the kingdom was coming.  Venus also aligning in Virgo represents his love, which was for us, laying down his life was the ultimate passion to set us free. 

Mars as we looked at a while back and noted from the book The Mars Earth Wars by Patton and Winsor, in ancient times Mars was on a different elliptical orbit which caused cataclysmic disasters on earth.  Ancients viewed this planet with fear and dread, thinking of it as a warring planet.  At the time of Jesus’ birth Mars was in the constellation of Capricorn.  Capricorn represents the scapegoat that is killed to atone for sin and the fish represents the people he redeems.  Mars was in the heart of the goat, symbolizing the war he would endure by laying down his life for us, taking on all our sins.  This was also his passion for us. 

Ceres is a remnant of a planet that was destroyed, and it represents areas where we are broken. Also Ceres is thought of as Lucifer’s planet, a place of pride, known as Rahab in the bible, as we have previously seen.   However for Jesus he would not have been prideful, but he was pierced and bruised for us.  This planet is in Leo in the ribcage of the lion. Leo is the lion of the tribe of Judah, known as Messiah’s consummated triumph.   The ancients might not have realized that this would be the place the Messiah would be pierced.  From hindsight we can see it clearly. The triumph was sealed when he was pierced. 

John 19:33-37 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.KJV

The planet Jupiter is in the heart to the lion, Leo.  Leo’s brightest star is Regulus as Ernst L Martin noted previously.  This star in the heart of the lion means treading under foot.  Another star Denebola means the Judge or Lord who cometh.  The star Al Giebha means the exaltation and the star Zosma means shining forth.  We might wonder how well Jacob knew the stars and he prophesied to his sons.

Gen 49:8-10 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.KJV

The planet Saturn is in the right horn of Taurus. As the seventh planet (including Ceres) it represents a divine and, in Jesus’ case, spiritually perfect mission. The bull is the sacrifice animal, Jesus was the sacrifice, that was his mission. By fulfilling his mission he becomes the judge or ruler who comes to judge with judgment and mercy.  Taurus was the constellation ascribed to Joseph, Ephraim representing ten thousands (the church) and the thousands of Manasseh (Israel). The Lord returns with ten thousands of his saints executing judgment, and we know that Jesus comes to Judge Jerusalem, (Parousia). His perfect sacrifice makes him the judge who judges.

Deut 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.KJV

Jude 14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.KJV

Matt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.KJV

Coming NT:3952 parousia (par-oo-see'-ah); from the present participle of NT:3918; a being near, i.e. advent (often, return; specifically, of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by implication) physically, aspect: KJV - coming, presence.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

Uranus is a planet that represents heaven, and it appears in the constellation of Pisces, in the band behind the southern fish.  As we have studied Pisces we remember Jesus brings both groups of those who believe by faith before he came and after he was resurrected, together into heaven.  This is what he accomplished for those who believed he would come and for those who believed he came.

Neptune is in the constellation of Ophiuchus, in the claw of Scorpio where Ophiuchus’ is stepping on the scorpion.  Neptune by definition reflects the deep, or the deep things of earth.  Here the wounding of Jesus’ heel is portrayed. Here is the mystery from Genesis 3, how perfect this appears in the heavens at the time of Jesus’ birth.  The mystery revealed at the time of his birth but not realized until his resurrection. 

The last celestial body to look at is Pluto.  While Pluto has been demoted from being a planet it still holds some symbolic significance.  Pluto is smaller than some other bodies which were not called planets and therefore the dilemma for scientists was to classify all those bodies larger than Pluto as planets or declassify Pluto as a planet.  The interesting thing for a rainy day study would be to catalogue those other bodies larger than Pluto, and where they were on the day of Jesus’ birth.  In any event I’m including it here as what we see is Pluto in the shin of Virgo.  While this does not add to the planetary alignment in Virgo it is an added body in Virgo and on that day it speaks a loud message.  By definition Pluto means hell, or hades.  Jesus we are told went down to hell to witness to the imprisoned spirits. He preached the kingdom and then took those who believed out of hell and into paradise, as we read from the Acts of Pilate, aka The Book of Nicodemus. 

Today Jews tell us that they don’t believe Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Messiah.  I think we see he did, but they forgot that his story was in the heavens and that other cultures read his story in the heavens and believed.  While I find the arguments to why Jews don’t believe Jesus is the Messiah refutable, I believe the blindness is due to the gentiles coming in.  I believe that they have missed the entire millennial reign, and at that time they will know Him as Messiah. The evidence Christians have is the internal change of the Holy Spirit which happens on the inside of a person.  As we have studied from the heavens Jesus’ story we see the Sheepfold and the Fish being brought in together.  We don’t have to wait for the millennial reign of Christ to know if he is the Messiah we can know now.  The etymology of star names witnesses to Hebrews as well as Arabians.  If these groups would read the star names in their native language, they might find the things they contend against are instead substantiated. We have another constellation to look at, Aquarius.


End Notes
Article on why Jews don’t believe in Jesus as Messiah
 
 My chart of the evening Jesus was born
Sun
Virgo
in left forearm
doer gatherer into the Kingdom of God
Moon
Virgo
crescent, foot of the woman
not made known to everyone, slight reflection we only had a glimpse of him
Mercury
Virgo
left upper arm
banded message on his arm
Venus
Virgo
left shoulder
walked in love
Mars
Capricorn
in the heart of the goat
scapegoat
Ceres
Leo
in the belly of the lion ribcage
where Jesus was pierced
Jupiter
Leo
heart of lion
ruled by his heart
Saturn
Taurus
right horn
Judgment reading R-L or Mercy reading L-R
Uranus
Pisces
the band behind the fish
giving the earth a heavenly destiny through redemption
Neptune
Ophiuchus
in the claw of Scorpio
the devil bruises his heel  but Ophiuchus will crush him
Pluto
Virgo
right shin
would have to go into hell setting captives bringing believers into the kingdom free hell at his feet

The Star That Astonished the World by Ernst L Martin

Comparison of year dates
1 BC in other calendars
1 BC
4750
3760–3761
1 BC    

Mazzaroth by Frances Rolleston: http://philologos.org/__eb-mazzaroth/
Prophecies corresponding in word or type with the figures and the names
VIRGO 
THE WOMAN, BEARING THE BRANCH
Texts where the word or its root is used in this sense in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Roots
Isa 11:1 
Jer 23:5
 
Jer 33:15
Hebrew name, Bethulah, a virgin, Arab., branch
Gen 24:16
hltb
Zech 3:8
Arabic, Sunbula, who bears
carry
Isa 46:4
lbs
Zech 6:12
  — Sunbul, ear of corn
Job 24:24
lb#

Syriac, Bethulto, as Bethulah
Psa 80:15
Copt., Aspolia, station of the desired, the branch
Zech 4:12
lb#

Greek, Parthenos, the virgin. Sept. Isa 7:14
Isa 7:14 
Micah 5:3
Latin, Virgo, the virgin, Virga, branch. Vulg. Isa 11:1
Isa 5:24
xrp

Monday, September 3, 2012

The Free Gift and Our Hero: Jesus Bringing Salvation Written in the Stars




How many of us remember fairy tales, where a strong, upright hero rescues one in need and in distress who just happens to be the heir of a kingdom.  That example is not far from our spiritual life story. Somehow an enemy came in kidnapping humanity into a world of evil, but a Supernatural King came disguised in regular human form, rescuing all who would ask, bringing a free gift so that anyone and everyone can live eternally in the kingdom of the King.  We have such a hero and he was told of in the stars. Many legends and myths were written about him but the truth lies in the original names of the stars.  We have an enemy who has distorted the words of humans but who cannot change the stars. 

It is such a blessing to receive a gift.  There are many types of gifts and when God gives a gift it is a gift that we have no way of obtaining ourselves.  Sometimes people give homemade or store bought gifts, while sometimes people give physical gifts such as blood or organ donations.  But the gifts that God gives us come from Him, and we have no way of obtaining His gifts ourselves.  We can’t buy them, or work for them, nor can we earn them. All we can do is ask for them.  And by simply shedding the hardness of our hearts we can have the greatest gifts of all.

Here are a few words translated gift/s, there are a few more which would make for a great in-depth study, but for our purposes we will only search a few.

Gifts:
NT:1431 dorea (do-reh-ah'); from NT:1435; a gratuity: KJV - gift.
NT:1432 dorean (do-reh-an'); accusative case of NT:1431 as adverb; gratuitously (literally or figuratively): KJV - without a cause, freely, for naught, in vain.
NT:1433 doreomai (do-reh'-om-ahee); middle voice from NT:1435; to bestow gratuitously: KJV - give.
NT:1434 dorema (do'-ray-mah); from NT:1433; a bestowment: KJV - gift.
NT:1435 doron (do'-ron); a present; specially, a sacrifice: KJV - gift, offering.
NT:5483 charizomai (khar-id'-zom-ahee); middle voice from NT:5485; to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue: KJV - deliver, (frankly) forgive, (freely) give, grant.
NT:5486 charisma (khar'-is-mah); from NT:5483; a (divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance (from danger or passion); (specifically) a (spiritual) endowment, i.e. (subjectively) religious qualification, or (objectively) miraculous faculty: KJV - (free) gift.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

Let’s look at some verses on gifts. One aspect of the gift is that it is free, another is the clothing of the Holy Spirit, and another is a pardon or deliverance. 

John 4:8  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift [1431]of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.KJV

Here Jesus tells the woman at the well if she knew the gift of God and who is speaking to her, she would instead ask Him for living water, not physical water.  This woman could have asked for water that is alive from Jesus rather than listening to Jesus ask her for physical water, that would be if she knew the gift of God.  What is the gift of God?

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift [1431] of the Holy Ghost.39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.KJV

Peter says to:
1.     Repent;
2.     Be baptized
a.     in the name of Jesus Christ
b.    for the remission of sins
Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Spirit is given as a gift if we so desire, and Jesus said we need to repent.

Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.KJV

Luke 24:46-49 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.48 And ye are witnesses of these things.49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. KJV

Jesus says he came to call sinners to repent and that we are to preach repentance and remission of sins.  Then they were to wait to be clothed with power from on high, the gift of the Holy Spirit. The other aspect we need to look at is the role of baptism. Looking at Romans, Paul tells us that baptism is the association of dying to sin and then living into a new life.  I’ve posted both the KJV and The Message as The Message is clearer and more descriptive.  This section of scripture blesses me as God made a way, by public display, to show that we are no longer slaves to sin.

Rom 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.KJV

Rom 6:1-14 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? 2 I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? 3 Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace — a new life in a new land!   That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. 4 When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. 5 Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country.   6-7 Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life — no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: 8 If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. 9 We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. 10 When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. 11 From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did.    12 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. 13 Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time — remember, you've been raised from the dead! — into God's way of doing things. 14 Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Baptize NT:907 baptizo (bap-tid'-zo); from a derivative of NT:911; to immerse, submerge; to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the N. T.) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism: KJV - Baptist, baptize, wash.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

I know there are some groups who do not believe in baptizing with water, and yet the bible clearly does not do away with water baptism, but also includes the baptism of the Holy Ghost as in Acts 11:16. Immersion in water can either precede or proceed the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Both baptisms are included in the word of God and each has a specific purpose.  Yet Peter first says the gift is given to us when we repent and are water baptized but then Peter at the house of Cornelius saw the gift of the Holy Ghost given first, after they believed, then they were water baptized.

Acts 10:44-48 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift [1431] of the Holy Ghost.46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.KJV

What we see Paul dealing with next are the people who did not have the gift of the Holy Ghost and only knew of John’s baptism of repentance. After the day of Pentecost, people were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s experience was to tell people of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, he said he wasn’t called to do baptisms but to teach. Here he taught about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
 
Acts 19:2-7 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.7 And all the men were about twelve.KJV

These people were baptized in John’s baptism, a baptism for repentance.  Then they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  All they did was believe and they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, but first they publicly demonstrated their renouncing of sin in the name of Jesus Christ.  That shows humility and meekness to receive forgiveness from God. That is a free gift in and of itself but then they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Coming back to the gift we receive, Paul explains that this is a free gift.

Rom 5:15-21 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift [5483]. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift[1431] by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift[1434]: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift[5486] is of many offences unto justification.17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift [1431]of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one {the free gift [9999]} came upon all men unto justification of life.19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.KJV

This free gift is a pardon, or a rescue, given freely to all who ask.  This free deliverance is given because of what Jesus did for us, dying on a cross.  The law came so that sin would increase or super abound, so that grace could exceedingly or super abound, and that is freely given. (In verse 18 the words the free gift are not in the text, it was probably added by translators to refer back to the context.)

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift [1435] of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. KJV

Paul tells us we are saved by having faith, and this is a gift that God gives us, we cannot earn or work for this, otherwise we could boast about how much we know, or how good we’ve been.  We could even make up more religious rules and laws deciding with our own human intellect that we have to do certain things and thereby obtain a better place in heaven.  This is a gift, so we cannot have pride in ourselves being able to do it. Everyone can have salvation; we all have grace to have faith which saves us. 

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift[5486], even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.KJV

Everyone who has received this deliverance should then minister to others telling others how easy it is to receive.  That is our charge. But how did we get this free gift? We got it by our super hero coming to save us.  We’ve looked at Ophiuchus, Orion, and Bootes (Arcturus) as representing aspects of Jesus as our Hero. And now we need to read The Witness of the Stars, by E. W. Bullinger where we have the hero Hercules.


HERCULES (The Mighty Man). The Mighty Vanquisher.

Here the mighty one, who occupies a large portion of the heavens, is seen bending on one knee, with his right heel lifted up as if it had been wounded, while his left foot is set directly over the head of the great dragon. In his right hand he wields a great club, and in his left hand he grasps a triple-headed monster (Cerberus}. And he has the skin of a lion, which he has slain, thrown around him.*

In the Zodiac of Denderah we have a human figure, likewise with a club. His name is Bau, which means who cometh, and is evidently intended for Him who cometh to crush the serpents head, and " destroy the works of the devil."

In Arabic he is called Al Giscale, the strong one.

There are 113 stars in this constellation. Seven are of the 3rd magnitude, seventeen of the 4th, etc.

The brightest star, a (in his head), is named Ras al Gethi, and means the head of him who bruises.

The next, /3 (in the right arm-pit), is named Kornephoms, and means the branch, kneeling.

The star K (in the right elbow) is called Marsic, the wounding.

The star x (in the upper part of the left arm) is named Ma asyn, the sin-offering.

While 01 (in the lower part of the right arm) is Caiam, or Guiam, punishing; and in Arabic, treading under foot.


Thus does everything in the picture combine to set forth the mighty works of this stronger than the strong man armed!

We can easily see how the perversion of the truth by the Greeks came about, and how, when the true foreshadowings of this Mighty One had been lost, the many fables were invented to supply their place. The wiser sort of Greeks knew this perfectly well. ARISTOTLE (in his Metaphysics, x. 8) admits, with regard to Greek mythology, that religion and philosophy had been lost, and that much had been " added after the mythical style," while much had come down, and " may have been preserved to our times as the remains of ancient wisdom." Religion, such as it was (POLYBIUS confesses), was recognised as a "necessary means to political ends." NEANDER says that it was "the fragments of a tradition, which transmitted the knowledge of divine things possessed in the earliest times."


"Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; The young- lion and the dragon shalt Thou trample under foot." (Ps. xci. 13.)

Here we see one of the star names as the sin offering. We also see the head of Him who bruises, which is what Jesus did to satan.  How wonderful is it that at Denderah the picture of the future Messiah was created, and then Jesus came and fulfilled those very things. And from The Gospel in the Stars by Joseph Seiss:
 
HERCULES
Phoenicians worshipped this man five generations before the times of the Greeks, and honored him as representing a saviour. Smith and Sayce trace the legend of him in Chaldea four thousand vears ago. On the atlases he is called Hercules. So the Romans called him, but the Greeks called him Herakles, whom they worshipped and honored as the greatest of all their hero-gods, principally on account of his twelve great labors. 

A Picture of Christ. Stripped of its foul heathenisms and admixtures, we can easily trace throughout the myth all the outlines of the astronomic picture, and that picture anticipating the sublime work of the Virgin's Son, as depicted by the prophets and recorded in the Gospel, even the battering and vanquishing of Satan and all the powers of darkness. Christ is the God-begotten man. He it is that comes against the roaring satanic "lion" who "goeth about seeking whom he may devour." He it is that came into the world to strike off the heads of the great Serpent, lurking in the bogs to ravage and destroy. He it is who comes forth to free the world of all its monsters and hellish pests, and purge it of its vast uncleanness. He it is who had it laid upon Him to fight and slay the Dragon, and thus recover access to the fruits of the Tree of Life, though having to bear the whole weight of a guilty world in making the grand achievement. And He it is who "descended into hell," before whom the spirits of the under-world cowered; to whose power the king of perdition yielded ; and who grasped the struggling triple-headed dragon-dog in charge of the infernal gates, and bore him off, " leading captivity captive." Wounded He was in the dreadful encounter — wounded in His heel, wounded unto death, yet living still; suffering also from the poisoned garment of others' sins, mounting the funeral-pyre to die of His own accord amid fires undue to Him, and thence ascending amid the clouds to immortal honor in heaven, with his foot for ever on the head of the foe. 
 
There is no character in mythology around which great and wondrous incidents crowd so thickly as around Herakles, and there is no character in the history of the world upon whom so much of interest and sublime achievement centres as upon Jesus Christ, the true Deliverer. With Him was the wielding of power unknown to any other man. To kill Him and to be rid of Him has ever been the intensest wish of all the Dragon brood, from the time Herod sought the young child's life even unto this present. With all sorts of ill and wrong was He smitten while He lived, and plotted against in all the ages by the jealous, obstinate, and quarrelsome goddess of false wisdom and serpentine intrigue against the will and word of Heaven. Even the sensual and disgusting loves of Herakles were but heathen and carnal perversions of the devotion to the interest and redemption of man which ever glows in the Saviour's breast and shines in all His varied works. And as Herakles and all his tremendous labors were totally inexplicable on any motives perceptible to ordinary reason, so is Christ the everlasting mystery, incomprehensible and unconstruable, in His life, deeds, or institutes, to all who fail to accept and believe in Him as verily the God- man, come, and still coming, to work the works given Him to do, through suffering, toil, and sacrifice to deliver an afflicted world — come, and still coming, to beat down Satan and spoil all the principalities and powers of evil. 

The Chaldeans worshipped the coming savior four thousand years ago.  That is astonishing.  They watched the stars and saw that a savior was going to come.  I find it interesting that a “heathen” people were eager for the messiah.  Today we think that no one in the ancient world cared about being rescued but yet we see that they very much did.  If we remember our history, Noah, Shem, and Abraham all came out of Chaldea and taught the Chaldeans. These people looked ahead to a savior, which means they are just as saved by their faith as anyone else believing the Messiah would come in the pre-Christ times. These people who believed were not necessarily Sethites, they could have been Japethites and Hamites as well. If we remember our study on Pisces Jesus brought both the people looking forward to His coming together with those who look back to His time on earth, and made one body.  What we see from history is that before there was an Israelite nation there were believers anticipating the Messiah. After the Israelite nation rejected the Messiah, the door was open to all peoples again.  During the time of the Israelites, not all Israelites believed the Messiah would come; some even thought the word of God was broken so that when he did come they did not believe on Him. 

If we look at the devil’s pattern of distortion we see first that the nations had the knowledge of a coming Messiah, so the devil simply expounded on the stories, telling people they were about other gods and their lives from other planets.  Once people thought these stories in the heavens were about gods and their wars, the devil distorted things further by turning them into religious figures to be worshipped.  Then things were further distorted by the devil influencing people to add alcohol, drugs, and sexual immorality to their gatherings.  Therefore today we see these mythological stories as simply made up religions that are defiled. But if we weed out the garbage, digging back to the original truths, we can see our hero Messiah, and His story.   

The Magi, who were taught by Daniel, were looking at the sky anticipating his coming and they saw the birth announcement in the heavens, what did they see? To see our hero in a broader perspective we next need to look at what the heavens say about His birth.

End notes:

Mazzaroth, the Constellations, by Frances Rolleston

Column 1 Prophecies corresponding in word or type with the figures and the names.
Column 2 Names of the Figure.
Column 3 Texts where the word or its root is used in this sense in the Hebrew Bible.
Column 4 Related scripture
Column 5 Hebrew Roots.



Third Decan
HERCULES,
A human figure kneeling on one knee, holding a branch,
the other foot over the head of Draco

Names of the Figure

Arab., El Giscale, the strong
wounded
Psa 24:8
z(
Isa 53:5
hlx
Heb., Marsic, the wounding. (Sept. and Vulg.)
sword
Psa 42:10
hcr
Gen 3:15
  — Caiam, punishing (Arab., treading under foot)
chastening
Job 5:17
hky
Isa 53
  — Ma'asym, the sin-offering
Isa 53:10
M#)

  — b Kornephorus, the branch, kneeling
kneeling
Judg 7:5
(rk
boughs
Lev 23:40
xrp
Arab., a Ras al Gethi, head of him who bruises
press
Lam 1:15
tg
Hagg 2:7
  — Ras al Awa, head of the desired
Isa 26:8
hw)

  — Al Rai, who bruises, breaks
Psa 2:9
(r
Gr., Engonasin, who kneels. Sept. Judges 7:5
goeth
Job 34:8
xr)
Lat., Hercules, who cometh to labour, to suffer
Isa 53:3,4
hlh
Lat., Hercules, the strong
strength
2 Sam 22:40
lhy