A watchman should observe and look for signs.
Christians anticipate Messiah's second coming while Jewish people believe it will be the first.
Seems we should al be looking up together.
In my Scripture studies, I found the Bible's imagery is amazing as it describes the design and wonders of the universe above that is seen in the Genesis account.
In my Scripture studies, I found the Bible's imagery is amazing as it describes the design and wonders of the universe above that is seen in the Genesis account.
I've learned too that we should look up knowing the Bible's promise that God's creation groans and labors for restoration.
This commentary is not the usual Scripture study. Instead, we'll look at some events in the vast universe above. The goal is simply to correlate what we have or will see above and connect with Psalms 19:1:
Psalms 91:5 teaches that faithful believers are not to be afraid of the terror (dreadful object) by night, or of the arrow that flies by day. With that verse in mind, I interrupt this commentary with an important update.
Update: December 7, 2015: Michael Shepherd gives a great view of Almighty God's design as he shows how The LORD has laid out and perfectly created the Solar System as a master clock.
My prayer today is that God will bless as you listen to His Holy Spirit so that you will seek to walk after Him in His word and may God bless you so that you know in your heart it is time to seek to help others that desperately need you to reach out and tell them about King Messiah!
Below is the balance of the original commentary.
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Be A Watchman!!
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Who designed the constellations and created its lights?
The "Star Breather" (see Psalms 33:6). Our God and Creator of course... so we need to pay attention to the cycle of His celestial signs that point us toward the appointed season to come:
Perhaps, if we would just believe our Creator when He tells us he placed the lights in the Heavens as signs for His appointed days and seasons, we might see that the imagery given in the graphic book of Revelation is an account that can be also be seen in God's design of Heaven - - because one role of the heavens is to reveal the glory of God and shows us His gospel plan of salvation.
If you do not have a star chart, you may interested in viewing the U.S. Navy Navigational Star Chart that includes many constellations.
We have to remember something too, Jesus-Yeshua often taught in parables.
So, if we seek to understand the Bible from front to back, Almighty God requires that we engage with His Word and start in the beginning.
As God's people, we are to reflect His light, we are supposed to be a light of the world, a beacon of light for the blazing sword of Almighty God. So, we must consider and know that an eclipse of the Sun only occurs in the day and it represents anything that blocks the light of God. Not only that, a lunar eclipse only occurs in the darkness at night and the moon represents the light of God's people that are to reflect God's light.
From this analogy, we might realize that the eclipse described in Matthew 24 portrays the truth in parable-like form. It will be a difficult time for God's people in exile before Messiah returns just as the words recorded by both Matthew and Luke portray:
Did you know that forty (40) is a big deal time marker in the Bible?
That means we should pay attention to something above about that timeline.
The year of 2017 will also mark 70 years from the U.N. declaration for establishing the state of Israel in November 1947. Amazingly, 2017 will also mark 1947 years from the destruction of the Temple in 70AD and it will mark 50 years from the liberation of Jerusalem in 1967, following the Six Day War.
Such an eclipse occurs only when the dark new moon aligns perfectly between the Earth and the Sun blocking most of the Sun's light. A solar eclipse can only take place at the exact phase of a dark new moon and as noted earlier, a new moon in the Hebrew Bible its called Rosh Kodesh.
Just up the road, it is an important season for a reason.
A solar eclipse occurs when only the moon blocks the sun by the moon’s surface. This is described perfectly in Matthew 24:29 by Yeshua of Nazareth: "the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light".
The Bible tells us to observe each Rosh Kodesh for good reason.
This commentary is not the usual Scripture study. Instead, we'll look at some events in the vast universe above. The goal is simply to correlate what we have or will see above and connect with Psalms 19:1:
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."In the beginning, the Bible tells us about God's timepiece:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. Genesis 1:14Signs for seasons, days and years we aren't supposed to ignore, because our Creator has a message for us. By the way, that word for "seasons" in Genesis 1:14 is not at all about spring, summer, fall or winter weather.
If you are asking what about the years? Well, the Bible tells us, the years are Shemittah and Jubilee years.
There are other references to signs in the Newer Testament. These sign posts reveal a connection to latter day distress of the nations:
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. Luke 21:25These verses do not say that distress will occur at the same time. Perhaps it will, but we should know something's up when we look up. Almighty God gave us signs and wonders so that we might see AND believe because for most of us it takes an eye opener, a big jolt to wake up.
Then said Jesus unto him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. John 4:48
That's why the heavens above can help us trust and believe the Bible.
The word of God is full of graphic imagery melding Almighty God’s spiritual truth and work with the physical realities of His creation handiwork, so we should search every word from the voice of God Almighty and be a watchman.
In the beginning, Genesis starts by telling us tells our Elohim God has given us heavenly signs for seasons.
What seasons?
The actual Hebrew word we call seasons is "moadim" מ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים and it means the appointments.
The word of God is full of graphic imagery melding Almighty God’s spiritual truth and work with the physical realities of His creation handiwork, so we should search every word from the voice of God Almighty and be a watchman.
In the beginning, Genesis starts by telling us tells our Elohim God has given us heavenly signs for seasons.
What seasons?
The actual Hebrew word we call seasons is "moadim" מ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים and it means the appointments.
When you add an appointment to your calendar, do you call it a season?
Nope.
The "moedim" are our Creator God's appointments and Leviticus 23 tells us they include the Feast Days of Passover, the week of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot Pentecost, Trumpets Day, Judgement Day and the week of Tabernacles.
Psalms 91:5 teaches that faithful believers are not to be afraid of the terror (dreadful object) by night, or of the arrow that flies by day. With that verse in mind, I interrupt this commentary with an important update.
Update: December 7, 2015: Michael Shepherd gives a great view of Almighty God's design as he shows how The LORD has laid out and perfectly created the Solar System as a master clock.
It has nothing to do with the dragon's deception of astrology. Signs in the heavens declare the The LORD's glory on Earth.
You'll see reference to Genesis 1:14 and Luke 21:25 as well as a unique and unusual constellation event described in the seemingly cryptic words of Revelation 12:1-17. The revelation scene is a sign detailed in the astronomy above for all to see in September 2017, just before the week of Tabernacles or Sukkot.
You'll see reference to Genesis 1:14 and Luke 21:25 as well as a unique and unusual constellation event described in the seemingly cryptic words of Revelation 12:1-17. The revelation scene is a sign detailed in the astronomy above for all to see in September 2017, just before the week of Tabernacles or Sukkot.
Is it a coincidence, or is this a potential warning sign about a Sukkot war story to come?
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head... And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The woman is Israel, the male child is Messiah. Matthew 1 and Luke 3 outline the family tree of Israel that leads to Yeshua.
To top it off, guess what there are two people groups described in the dragon's war. Jews and Christians, aka those who are known to:
1. Keep the commandments of God and those who are know to...
2. Hold to the testimony of Jesus
Revelation 13 notes the war will last 42 months.
To get a better handle on that you simply need to get in sync with God's calendar.
The week of Sukkot or Tabernacles is always in the middle of the 7th Biblical month known today as Tishrei, but in the Bible the month is called Ethanim, or simply put, the seventh month. Well, if the battle begins during Sukkot, it ends at Passover three and a half year's later in the middle of the 1st Biblical month now called Nisan, despite the fact the Bible calls it Abib.
Revelation 13 notes death and captivity or perhaps hostages.
"If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people."
Michael's YouTube video is called "God's Master Timepiece".
My prayer today is that God will bless as you listen to His Holy Spirit so that you will seek to walk after Him in His word and may God bless you so that you know in your heart it is time to seek to help others that desperately need you to reach out and tell them about King Messiah!
Below is the balance of the original commentary.
Who designed the constellations and created its lights?
The "Star Breather" (see Psalms 33:6). Our God and Creator of course... so we need to pay attention to the cycle of His celestial signs that point us toward the appointed season to come:
"There will be great signs in the heavens and then the SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN THE SKY"... Matthew 24:30I am just a humble watchman thinking there must be a reason we are to spend the evenings of The Feast of Tabernacles camping outside in booths in eyesight of the night sky above just as God instructed us to do.
And take note: the only thus saith The Lord you will read here is when Almighty God is quoted.
During the Autumn season, the dark fall sky is beautiful in the evening, it is crystal clear and when we look up we can see the glory and majesty of the planets, stars, constellations and the moon - all assigned in their exact place by God's voice in the beginning.
Regarding what we see when we look up every night, there have been a number of excellent books written about the amazing story of how the heavens reveal the glory of God and gospel of God story of redemption and salvation.
During the Autumn season, the dark fall sky is beautiful in the evening, it is crystal clear and when we look up we can see the glory and majesty of the planets, stars, constellations and the moon - all assigned in their exact place by God's voice in the beginning.
Regarding what we see when we look up every night, there have been a number of excellent books written about the amazing story of how the heavens reveal the glory of God and gospel of God story of redemption and salvation.
In Matthew 2, the back of the Bible tells us just a bit about this in the account of the star of Bethlehem. The astronomers, the Magi knew what they were looking for and they acted on it.
Yet, the gospel to be watched above has been deliberately poisoned and polluted, stolen by the deceiver by pagan divination, omens, astrology and lying horoscopes that attempt to predict one's personal future instead of the Creator’s amazing Gospel story for the whole planet.
Astrology is a grievous sin of theft. It is linked to the worship of the sun, moon, planets and the stars instead of the One True Almighty God of the Universe that created them to give glory to Him not us.
Yet, the gospel to be watched above has been deliberately poisoned and polluted, stolen by the deceiver by pagan divination, omens, astrology and lying horoscopes that attempt to predict one's personal future instead of the Creator’s amazing Gospel story for the whole planet.
Astrology is a grievous sin of theft. It is linked to the worship of the sun, moon, planets and the stars instead of the One True Almighty God of the Universe that created them to give glory to Him not us.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10Astrology is a lie from the deceiver, aka the serpent.
The lies steal truth, pervert it and open people up to the deception of the great imposter. Paul cites that satan is "the power of the air" (see Ephesians 2:2). There's a reason he said that.
Yet, like the two or more required witnesses of Torah, the good news of Messiah's coming can be seen in His creation and that's why Yeshua gave us His words in Matthew 24:30.
Yet, like the two or more required witnesses of Torah, the good news of Messiah's coming can be seen in His creation and that's why Yeshua gave us His words in Matthew 24:30.
In the synagogue Sabbath reading of Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech we find Moses twice mentions the two witnesses of heaven and earth twice:
He knew why God tells us:"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.""I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them."
Genesis 1:14: "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years"There is an inseparable link in God's word with the creation account in the beginning and in the end at the book most know as the Revelation of John, but the thing is, it's not John's revelation, it belongs to Yeshua.
Perhaps, if we would just believe our Creator when He tells us he placed the lights in the Heavens as signs for His appointed days and seasons, we might see that the imagery given in the graphic book of Revelation is an account that can be also be seen in God's design of Heaven - - because one role of the heavens is to reveal the glory of God and shows us His gospel plan of salvation.
If you do not have a star chart, you may interested in viewing the U.S. Navy Navigational Star Chart that includes many constellations.
The Apostle John's descriptions of several constellation images In Revelation are a big reason that the book of Revelation is so misunderstood and seemingly confusing. The thing is, we have to look up to understand it with a Hebrew mindset, not Greek thinking and certainly not astrology.
We have to remember something too, Jesus-Yeshua often taught in parables.
A parable by its definition is a word "image" a short story graphic illustrating an allegory that uses a few word pictures to "reveal" the depth of a thousand words of truth. A parable requires considerable thought, retrospect and understanding for people that will ponder them.
No speed reading allowed with a parable!
The book of Revelation provides a whole series of Hebrew "image" parables that weave in pictures from Heaven as well as the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings like road signs pointing to the end from the beginning.
Believe it or not, many of Revelation's signs follow constellation descriptions that have been there since creation.
No speed reading allowed with a parable!
The book of Revelation provides a whole series of Hebrew "image" parables that weave in pictures from Heaven as well as the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings like road signs pointing to the end from the beginning.
Believe it or not, many of Revelation's signs follow constellation descriptions that have been there since creation.
The gospel of the Kingdom of God shown in the heavenly creation above is why it seems so difficult for many of us to comprehend John's vision because we aren't used to looking up. To top it off, most of us would not recognize the constellations n the first place.
Many of us cannot discern the difference of a waxing or waning moon much less understand that the Biblical calendar that governs God's appointments with mankind or understand what is described in Genesis 1:14.
The main reason is that deceptions of a fake reality, like astrology tend to make us shy away from God's voice in His astronomy.
Revelation is not astrology!!
Quite the opposite, its narrative provides graphic descriptions of heavenly images, signs marking times and seasons set forth by the voice of our unchanging Creator that begin in Genesis and are detailed further in God's Moedim appointment calendar described in Leviticus 23.
Not only that, there are navigation clues seen in the Feasts of The LORD which are governed by God's timepiece.
The main reason is that deceptions of a fake reality, like astrology tend to make us shy away from God's voice in His astronomy.
Revelation is not astrology!!
Quite the opposite, its narrative provides graphic descriptions of heavenly images, signs marking times and seasons set forth by the voice of our unchanging Creator that begin in Genesis and are detailed further in God's Moedim appointment calendar described in Leviticus 23.
Not only that, there are navigation clues seen in the Feasts of The LORD which are governed by God's timepiece.
Update March 9, 2024: A big time God calendar appointment is September 28th or Shabbat Saturday, the last Sabbath before Trumpets Day aka Yom Teruah arrives in 2024.
Interestingly, that day, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will make its closest approach to the Sun and as the comet passes during the synagogue Sabbath reading of Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech, it just so happens that's where we find Moses twice mentions a heaven and earth testimony:
"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses."
"I can speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to testify against them."
If it survives perihelion on October 12th, Comet C/2023 A3 will then pass closest to Earth at 0.48AU.
Oh, by the way that’s another Shabbat and its Yom Kippur when the final shofar blast sounds at the end of the day closing out the 10 days of Awe. The comet will exit constellation Virgo on September 28th and there's a very strong chance it may be naked eye visible a few days later in constellation Serpens Caput ("the heard of the serpent").
It should be potentially brighter than most stars at -1 or higher located 20° above West horizon Saturday evening after Yom Kippur wraps up. The binary start Sirius is the brightest star at 1.5- and no other comes close.
The "A" designation means Comet C/2023 A3 is not periodic, but a “sojourner” from the Oort Cloud, so it will be a first-time flyby event, but from what I read elsewhere it may not be ejected from our solar system.
Other interesting dates include the penumbral lunar eclipse March 25th, the day after Purim.
Then a partial lunar eclipse September 18th which is 14 days prior to the October 2nd (Elul 29) new moon of Yom Teruah and there's also an annual eclipse on the same day before the shofars start sounding on October 1st or Tishri 1.
Revelation is a graphic description of the season that leads up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement called the white throne judgment described in Revelation 20. If you're like me, you probably never realized that Revelation is about the Fall Feasts much less Yom Kippur.
So, if we seek to understand the Bible from front to back, Almighty God requires that we engage with His Word and start in the beginning.
To begin to do that requires that we also look up to the sky to see the times and seasons that God has set in line from Creation in His giant timepiece tracking the Biblically prophetic seasons!
The imagery in Revelation shows us how the appointed seasons of God integrate with the constellations established at creation. For example, God declared that Passover would begin in the first month on the 14th day of Nisan. Since the visible lunar cycle is about 28 days, the 14th day is always the beginning of a full moon.
The imagery in Revelation shows us how the appointed seasons of God integrate with the constellations established at creation. For example, God declared that Passover would begin in the first month on the 14th day of Nisan. Since the visible lunar cycle is about 28 days, the 14th day is always the beginning of a full moon.
-End of update-
Did you know the moon is a part of God's timepiece?
Have you ever considered that during that first Passover, that bright full moon provided light in the dark for the exodus journey through the night as they left Egypt?
In addition, keep in mind that a lunar eclipse only occurs during a full moon, so over the millennium cycles of time, certain Passover and Sukkot holy day nights have experienced a blood red eclipse as the Earth's shadow is cast against the lunar surface.
Have you ever considered that during that first Passover, that bright full moon provided light in the dark for the exodus journey through the night as they left Egypt?
In addition, keep in mind that a lunar eclipse only occurs during a full moon, so over the millennium cycles of time, certain Passover and Sukkot holy day nights have experienced a blood red eclipse as the Earth's shadow is cast against the lunar surface.
Those eclipses are red for a God reason.
The signs and images described in Revelation include both solar and lunar eclipses.
The signs and images described in Revelation include both solar and lunar eclipses.
A solar and lunar eclipse is described in the narrative of Revelation 6:12. They can't occur at the same time, that means the verse explains events will occur over time during the sixth seal.
We also see appointed eclipses described by Jesus-Yeshua that are recorded in Matthew 24:29.
We also see appointed eclipses described by Jesus-Yeshua that are recorded in Matthew 24:29.
Importantly, Yeshua tells us that at the time near great tribulation, there are to be significant astronomical events above our heads for all to see. These "signs" in the heavens will be visible to everyone if we just know to look for them like a watchman.
As God's people, we are to reflect His light, we are supposed to be a light of the world, a beacon of light for the blazing sword of Almighty God. So, we must consider and know that an eclipse of the Sun only occurs in the day and it represents anything that blocks the light of God. Not only that, a lunar eclipse only occurs in the darkness at night and the moon represents the light of God's people that are to reflect God's light.
From this analogy, we might realize that the eclipse described in Matthew 24 portrays the truth in parable-like form. It will be a difficult time for God's people in exile before Messiah returns just as the words recorded by both Matthew and Luke portray:
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" Matthew 24:29.
“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory.
But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21: 25-28Here's the thing, we must not be discouraged or fearful, the message is we are to be prepared with plenty of oil for our lamps to burn and shine God's light on a dark world.
Did you know that forty (40) is a big deal time marker in the Bible?
That means we should pay attention to something above about that timeline.
Following the Feast Day lunar eclipses that will begin in 2014 and be seen paired on consecutive Passover and Tabernacles holy days through 2015, North America will also witness a solar eclipse that will be centered over the United States on August 21, 2017. That eclipse will occur 40 months after the Passover red blood moon lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014.
I'm no prophet, but something's up.
The year of 2017 will also mark 70 years from the U.N. declaration for establishing the state of Israel in November 1947. Amazingly, 2017 will also mark 1947 years from the destruction of the Temple in 70AD and it will mark 50 years from the liberation of Jerusalem in 1967, following the Six Day War.
Seven years after that another war broke out on Yom Kippur in 1973.
Did you know seven years on God's clock is a Shemittah?
Perhaps, none of this has a Shemittah connection, but it just so happens that in November 1947, the U.N. General Assembly issued Resolution 181 recommending the creation of the independent Jewish State.
Perhaps, none of this has a Shemittah connection, but it just so happens that in November 1947, the U.N. General Assembly issued Resolution 181 recommending the creation of the independent Jewish State.
Six months later, Israel was born in a day on May 14, 1948 (see Isaiah 66:8 for the prophecy that has been fulfilled).
Here's a graphic view of the 2017 solar eclipse event from Dr. Andrew Sinclair at the UK Hydrographic Office.
There's another interesting thing about August 21, 2017 that sadly few Christians celebrate, it will be just one month before Trumpets Day, aka Yom Teruah.
The LORD's Fall Feasts begin with Trumpets Day in the 7th Biblical month with the first glimpse of the 'new moon'... always has, always will.
The Bible calls the monthly re-birth of the moon that points toward resurrection life any the term 'Rosh Kodesh' and the dark period when the moon is not seen before the new moon emerges in sight is the only time that a solar eclipse can occur.
So, since creation the arrival of the "Day of Trumpets" has been embedded into the design of Heaven's timepiece as a Rosh Kodesh day.
Because of that fact, you should continue with your own search of the Scriptures for verses that contain the word "trumpet" or "trumpets." I use Blue Letter Bible as a great resource, it is a wonderful online Bible tool with a built-in Hebrew interlinear tools and it also offers several translations and Bible dictionaries that are very helpful.
A key verse in the Torah that explicitly relates to Yom Teruah is found in Numbers 29:1 so let's see what it says:
Here's a graphic view of the 2017 solar eclipse event from Dr. Andrew Sinclair at the UK Hydrographic Office.
There's another interesting thing about August 21, 2017 that sadly few Christians celebrate, it will be just one month before Trumpets Day, aka Yom Teruah.
The LORD's Fall Feasts begin with Trumpets Day in the 7th Biblical month with the first glimpse of the 'new moon'... always has, always will.
The Bible calls the monthly re-birth of the moon that points toward resurrection life any the term 'Rosh Kodesh' and the dark period when the moon is not seen before the new moon emerges in sight is the only time that a solar eclipse can occur.
So, since creation the arrival of the "Day of Trumpets" has been embedded into the design of Heaven's timepiece as a Rosh Kodesh day.
Because of that fact, you should continue with your own search of the Scriptures for verses that contain the word "trumpet" or "trumpets." I use Blue Letter Bible as a great resource, it is a wonderful online Bible tool with a built-in Hebrew interlinear tools and it also offers several translations and Bible dictionaries that are very helpful.
A key verse in the Torah that explicitly relates to Yom Teruah is found in Numbers 29:1 so let's see what it says:
"And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you."Now, take a look at Numbers 10:10 and see how this verse also ties into Yom Teruah.
"Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God."Now try a search for the word "solemn" at Blue Letter Bible and you will notice that there are "solemn" assemblies on the Feast "Days."
Next, if you search for the word "gladness" you will see the word relates to "gladness" in celebrating the LORD's Feast "Days."
Gladness and celebration are a God key, after all these days are His. They are the Biblical set apart, holy days of The LORD (see 2 Chronicles 30:21-23).
On August 21, 2017 just before the Day of Trumpets, many people in America will see this rare total solar eclipse sweep across the center of our nation from Oregon to South Carolina as the eclipse darkens and divides the heart of our nation.
On August 21, 2017 just before the Day of Trumpets, many people in America will see this rare total solar eclipse sweep across the center of our nation from Oregon to South Carolina as the eclipse darkens and divides the heart of our nation.
The maximum point of the eclipse will take place near Hopkinsville, Kentucky at 1:25 PM CST.
Depending on where you are in 2017, for most Americans the three minute total eclipse will be seen at an angle as with any eclipse depending on your location unless you are right in the path.
Depending on where you are in 2017, for most Americans the three minute total eclipse will be seen at an angle as with any eclipse depending on your location unless you are right in the path.
The Sun will look much "like" a sickle in the clouds as the moon will appear to partially cover the star for about three hours. Yet, through the heartland of the nation, it will be a total eclipse that will darken the Sun from coast to coast.
It will be the first dark path dividing the breadth of the good 'ol USA since the full solar eclipse of June 8, 1918. In case you are wondering what was happening at that time in 1918, the WWI Battle of Belleau Wood began.
That battle lasted for three weeks as Americans fought the relentlessly crazed Germans and America experienced our first significant battlefield casualties of World War I as some 5,000 men of our 2nd Infantry Division were killed in the intense battle. By the end of the war some 16 million lost their lives in the battles that followed.
Shortly after that first battle, many more died from the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.
At Beleau, soldiers from all sides engaged in other military battles all around Europe and oddly that summer troops on both sides of the fighting began to succumb to a new deadly flu strain.
Troop losses from the epidemic quickly exceeded combat casualties, especially in the German army.
At Beleau, soldiers from all sides engaged in other military battles all around Europe and oddly that summer troops on both sides of the fighting began to succumb to a new deadly flu strain.
Troop losses from the epidemic quickly exceeded combat casualties, especially in the German army.
The bizarre and deadly flu spread all around the world and lasted a year, killing an estimated 40-50 million people, and some before the untreatable flu pandemic suddenly vanished as quickly as it had arrived by damaging lung tissue heavy with fluid and hemorrhages.
America struggled with the pandemic until 1920 and struggled to bury the 675,000 dead on our shores.
Globally, that flu bug was a beast. It infected 500 million and killed more than the bubonic plague did in a century...
According to History.com: "Did you know? During the flu pandemic of 1918, the New York City health commissioner tried to slow the transmission of the flu by ordering businesses to open and close on staggered shifts to avoid overcrowding on the subways."
Stanford University's website tells us more about the disaster:
What does any of this bad period of pandemic history have to do with anything after the coming 2017 solar eclipse?
Globally, that flu bug was a beast. It infected 500 million and killed more than the bubonic plague did in a century...
Stanford University's website tells us more about the disaster:
"The effect of the influenza epidemic was so severe that the average life span in the US was depressed by 10 years. The influenza virus had a profound virulence, with a mortality rate at 2.5% compared to the previous influenza epidemics, which were less than 0.1%. The death rate for 15 to 34-year-olds of influenza and pneumonia were 20 times higher in 1918 than in previous years (Taubenberger). People were struck with illness on the street and died rapid deaths.
One anectode shared of 1918 was of four women playing bridge together late into the night. Overnight, three of the women died from influenza (Hoagg). Others told stories of people on their way to work suddenly developing the flu and dying within hours (Henig). One physician writes that patients with seemingly ordinary influenza would rapidly "develop the most viscous type of pneumonia that has ever been seen" and later when cyanosis appeared in the patients, "it is simply a struggle for air until they suffocate," (Grist, 1979). Another physician recalls that the influenza patients "died struggling to clear their airways of a blood-tinged froth that sometimes gushed from their nose and mouth," (Starr, 1976). The physicians of the time were helpless against this powerful agent of influenza."That pandemic lasted almost 36 months from January 1918 to December 1920, and it infected a third of the world's population at the time.
What does any of this bad period of pandemic history have to do with anything after the coming 2017 solar eclipse?
I pray nothing at all.
Other eclipses are coming to America.
NASA shows that eclipses will crisscross America on August 21, 2017 (full), June 10, 2021 (annular), October 14, 2023 (annular) and April 8, 2024 (full) and that there are seven years between the first and last full solar eclipse.
Should we take take note? Seven has been a big deal in the Bible since the beginning.
It may be noteworthy that the timing of the 2017 eclipse will occur two weeks to the day after Tu B'Av on August 7th. Regrettably, few Christians seem to know much if anything about Tu B'Av but they should.
The Jewish Talmud records the history of that day all the way back to the Temple times of Jerusalem.
Not only that, Tu B'Av marks the beginning day of the grape harvest.
Believe it or not, Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Bible, the day of atonements marks the end of this annual grape harvest that starts on Tu B'Av.
The Talmud describes that on both Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur in ancient times, dressed in white... unmarried virgin girls of Jerusalem went out to the vineyards according to the Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta'anit 30b-31a.
If you have read the New Testament, the facts about Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur should cast a stark reminder of the parable of the ten virgins.
Believe it or not, Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Bible, the day of atonements marks the end of this annual grape harvest that starts on Tu B'Av.
The Talmud describes that on both Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur in ancient times, dressed in white... unmarried virgin girls of Jerusalem went out to the vineyards according to the Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta'anit 30b-31a.
If you have read the New Testament, the facts about Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur should cast a stark reminder of the parable of the ten virgins.
Consider the timing of the harvest and the sickle described in the book of Revelation. As you read the words of Revelation, take note as Revelation tells us John looked up at a cloud:
And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto 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 that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And 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, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Revelation 14:14-19It is a Biblical fact that Y-H-V-H Elohim God gives us signs in heaven, so we better pay attention.
The Father does not do this to allow us to try to predict the future, but to validate what He has given us to know about Him.
So, let's look up at the heavenly signs.
Before we look, consider the Psalm that tells us that with each new moon, aka each Rosh Kodesh we are to welcome the day with a trumpet.
So, let's look up at the heavenly signs.
Before we look, consider the Psalm that tells us that with each new moon, aka each Rosh Kodesh we are to welcome the day with a trumpet.
"Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day." Psalm 81:3the Bible tells us the Feast Days begin with Passover in the first Biblical month. Today we call it Nisan, seven months later, the month of Tishrei arrives with the Feast Day called the Day of Trumpets.
So, if I'm reading it right, it seems that between Nisan and Tishrei, 7 trumpets are to be sounded according to the Psalm.
In the book of Revelation, the sign in chapter 12 comes right after the conclusion of the angel (actually messenger) blowing the seventh trumpet.
On September 23, 2017 the heavens above will appear to mimic John's vision described in Revelation 12:1-2 as the moon falls below the feet of the constellation Virgo while Jupiter's nine month double retrograde within the constellation concludes.
In the book of Revelation, the sign in chapter 12 comes right after the conclusion of the angel (actually messenger) blowing the seventh trumpet.
On September 23, 2017 the heavens above will appear to mimic John's vision described in Revelation 12:1-2 as the moon falls below the feet of the constellation Virgo while Jupiter's nine month double retrograde within the constellation concludes.
Interestingly, this will occur over 3 1/2 years or a time, times, and half a time after the much talked about Passover-Tabernacles red blood moon tetrad that will begin on April 15, 2014.
Notably, Virgo in Hebrew is "Bethulah" which means, "a virgin". This constellation represents the virgin holding a branch and an ear of corn; symbolically a harvest. The great sign described by the Apostle John portrays birth:
There's a lot to be seen in the Bethulah constellation we now call Virgo.
Notably, Virgo in Hebrew is "Bethulah" which means, "a virgin". This constellation represents the virgin holding a branch and an ear of corn; symbolically a harvest. The great sign described by the Apostle John portrays birth:
"Now a great sign appeared in heaven:John provides a graphic look above our heads in the first of the twelve constellations that track the annual ecliptic path of the Sun across the sky.
A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth."
There's a lot to be seen in the Bethulah constellation we now call Virgo.
It will be in the 7th Biblical month. September 23, 2017 is Tishri 3 and the Fast Day of Gedaliah, a Jewish fast lamenting the murder of the governor of Judah whose death occurred near the time of the destruction of the First Temple by Nebuchadnezzar when the Babylonian King sieged Jerusalem in 587 BC.
There is some debate as to the exact year the event occurred, but it is recorded in 2 Kings 25:25–26:
Leo represents the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and as noted it is the 12th major constellation along the solar elliptic. The action above will be comprised of nine primary fixed stars and three wandering stars (planets) will appear 'like' a garland of the 12 stars described in Revelation 12.
There is some debate as to the exact year the event occurred, but it is recorded in 2 Kings 25:25–26:
"But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mitzpah. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans."In 2017, the Tishri 3 the moon will be below the feet of the first of the 12 constellations along the elliptic plane. There above the head of Virgo (Bethulah) we will see three planets: Mercury, Venus and Mars aligning above Virgo with the crown of the nine bright stars of the constellation Leo (Ari), the 12th constellation.
Leo represents the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and as noted it is the 12th major constellation along the solar elliptic. The action above will be comprised of nine primary fixed stars and three wandering stars (planets) will appear 'like' a garland of the 12 stars described in Revelation 12.
At that time in space, Jupiter the wandering "King" star will appear to remain in the belly of Virgo during its 9 month retrograde movement within the constellation. If we use our imagination, it will be as if Jupiter is remaining 'like' a child in the womb...
The star breather, our Creator spoke the stars and planets in their place on creation day four:
Using one's imagination, this nine month scene might just point us to the imagery of the birth of a new man. Perhaps Jeremiah wrote of this time just as we see in chapter 31 when the prophet wrote:
"At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people."
December 13, 2017 will be the first day of Hanukkah
Jupiter will be visible much like a great sign
in Heaven for everyone on the planet to see.
Interestingly, the big planet enters the constellation Virgo about every 12 years on its long orbit path around the Sun as it passes though each of the 12 elliptic constellations, but in 2017 Jupiter will reach the belly of Virgo as if it is "about to be born" and it just so happens the moon's position is some 1260 days from the April 15, 2014 Passover red blood moon eclipse that will kick off the consecutive Passover-Tabernacles Feast day eclipses to be seen in bth 2014 and 2015 at Passover and Tabernacles each year.
Why consider 1,260 days? Well, there are seven references to the timeframe, two in Daniel and five in Revelation.
Like all Scripture, the book of Revelation requires a second witness and John has one with the prophet Micah who wrote of the event some 800 years before John recorded his visions. It is very important to take notice just what Micah says about Messiah:
Perhaps Micah is referencing the same vision that John saw in the heavens when he states what will occur after the sign of Messiah above:
"Then the remnant of His brethren
shall return to the children of Israel."
What will bring about this restoration of families known as Ephraim and Judah?
Will it be a time of trouble just as Joseph's brothers experienced long ago when they were reunited with Joseph during seven-year famine?
Daniel notes at the end of the 1,260 days, the scattering of the power, the hand יָד of the people is finished. What does this mean?
The star breather, our Creator spoke the stars and planets in their place on creation day four:
"And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so." Genesis 1:14-15Once the nine month retrograde motion of Jupiter ends, the great planet leaves the constellation Virgo as if "birthed." It will be clear when the wandering great star leaves the constellation Virgo by December 13, 2017.
Using one's imagination, this nine month scene might just point us to the imagery of the birth of a new man. Perhaps Jeremiah wrote of this time just as we see in chapter 31 when the prophet wrote:
"At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people."
Interestingly, the big planet enters the constellation Virgo about every 12 years on its long orbit path around the Sun as it passes though each of the 12 elliptic constellations, but in 2017 Jupiter will reach the belly of Virgo as if it is "about to be born" and it just so happens the moon's position is some 1260 days from the April 15, 2014 Passover red blood moon eclipse that will kick off the consecutive Passover-Tabernacles Feast day eclipses to be seen in bth 2014 and 2015 at Passover and Tabernacles each year.
Why consider 1,260 days? Well, there are seven references to the timeframe, two in Daniel and five in Revelation.
Like all Scripture, the book of Revelation requires a second witness and John has one with the prophet Micah who wrote of the event some 800 years before John recorded his visions. It is very important to take notice just what Micah says about Messiah:
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel
Whose goings forth are from old,
From everlasting.
Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethrenIf you believe the Bible, whether you believe the Messiah is arriving for the first or second trip, you need to know Micah's words are just and true and the remnant will return but it's not a rapture ride.
shall return to the children of Israel."
Micah 5:2-3
Perhaps Micah is referencing the same vision that John saw in the heavens when he states what will occur after the sign of Messiah above:
What will bring about this restoration of families known as Ephraim and Judah?
Will it be a time of trouble just as Joseph's brothers experienced long ago when they were reunited with Joseph during seven-year famine?
Daniel notes at the end of the 1,260 days, the scattering of the power, the hand יָד of the people is finished. What does this mean?
Could it be a reference to a time of trouble that Daniel 12:1 describes "such as never been since there was a nation until that time"?
Even Daniel did not know, so he tells us: "I heard, but I did not understand."
Was the 'One' he saw, the man clothed in linen that was pointing both a raised right hand and s left hand up toward heaven?
Even Daniel did not know, so he tells us: "I heard, but I did not understand."
Was the 'One' he saw, the man clothed in linen that was pointing both a raised right hand and s left hand up toward heaven?
Could he have possibly been pointing at constellation Virgo, the location of the Revelation 12 constellation sign?
The Passover blood moon eclipse of April 15, 2014 will occur
next to the star Spica, the "alpha star" of Virgo.
Jesus aka Yeshua is the "seed" of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15 and according to The Gospel in The Stars book, the word Spica in Hebrew is "Zerah" and it means “seed.”
"And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering נָפַץ of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished." Daniel 12:7I don't know. But get this...
Jesus aka Yeshua is the "seed" of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15 and according to The Gospel in The Stars book, the word Spica in Hebrew is "Zerah" and it means “seed.”
Yeshua calls Himself the Alpha and Omega. Coincidence with Genesis? I think so.
We are never to assume to seek prophecy by the Sun, moon, the stars or the back pages of a newspaper horoscope page... But we can watch and remember God provides signs in Heaven because He said so.
We are never to assume to seek prophecy by the Sun, moon, the stars or the back pages of a newspaper horoscope page... But we can watch and remember God provides signs in Heaven because He said so.
The Father shares them with us so that we can know He is our timeless, all-knowing Creator that aligned all Creation for His purposes and He uses Heaven to show us His glory.
In John's day, the Promised Land was experiencing an oppressive dark time of tribulation before Yeshua-Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to bring the light of God into the world.
Today, we are seeing darkness across the planet before His return and there's a focus in Jerusalem as some Palestinians declare they want to wipe out the Jewish people. So many of us do not understand this and we call the Jewish people the occupiers.
In John's day, the Promised Land was experiencing an oppressive dark time of tribulation before Yeshua-Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to bring the light of God into the world.
Today, we are seeing darkness across the planet before His return and there's a focus in Jerusalem as some Palestinians declare they want to wipe out the Jewish people. So many of us do not understand this and we call the Jewish people the occupiers.
But, if we just look up, perhaps it's not so hard to understand the conflict in the Middle East is about dark vs. light and Koran vs. the Bible as Christian's look for Messiah's second return and the Jewish people look for the first trip.
The good news is we both worship the same God and believe the same Bible as we both pray and wait for the Messiah!
Elohim God told Moses repeatedly to build the Tabernacle like the design shown to him atop the mountain (see Exodus 25:9, Exodus 25:40, Exodus 26:30 and Exodus 27:8). This is because the Tabernacle on Earth was to be "a reflection" of God's Tabernacle in Heaven that He "pitched" in Creation (see 2Chronicles 6:18; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 8:2).
King David described the heavenly Tabernacle in this Psalm that's about the elliptical plane of our solar system time clock:
The heavenly patterns above teach us that our Creator is the only source of true light and truth to this fallen world.
The good news is we both worship the same God and believe the same Bible as we both pray and wait for the Messiah!
Elohim God told Moses repeatedly to build the Tabernacle like the design shown to him atop the mountain (see Exodus 25:9, Exodus 25:40, Exodus 26:30 and Exodus 27:8). This is because the Tabernacle on Earth was to be "a reflection" of God's Tabernacle in Heaven that He "pitched" in Creation (see 2Chronicles 6:18; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 8:2).
King David described the heavenly Tabernacle in this Psalm that's about the elliptical plane of our solar system time clock:
"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. [There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which [is] as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, [and] rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth [is] from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof." Psalms 19:2-6The heavens represent the Tabernacle pattern shown to Moses.
The heavenly patterns above teach us that our Creator is the only source of true light and truth to this fallen world.
The sky, our protective upper atmosphere functions much like the veil that protected people from the Shekinah Glory presence of our Creator God.
At the return of Messiah, the heavens will be opened and only the righteous covered in the atonement blood of God's sacrifice will survive in the end:
"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." Revelation 19:11
"And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the LORD God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD has spoken it. Isaiah 25:7-8As the Priest King in the order of Melchizedek, Messiah Yeshua is the veil that will protect the Saints that do the commandments of God and keep the faith of Messiah. That's what revelation says.
If we follow God's instruction in the Torah faith of Messiah, He will stand between us and the glory of God in a repeat of the pattern shown as the Levites protected the congregation of Israel in Numbers 1:53:
"But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony."There aren't just constellation images above in Revelation. A mega quake is a repeating theme to hit the planet.
So, the protection of the Saints that keep the commandments of God is very critical. Time to open your Bible.
Sadly, The LORD's holy days don't line up with some church calendars.
Those that follow God's instruction to spend time in a tent during the week of Tabernacles instead of a shopping mall would be protected from a devastating global quake.
After all, it's pretty hard for a building to collapse and fall on you and your loved ones if you're in a tent in the backyard like God commanded!
Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as bloodAs already noted above, the plain sense of the word is that the darkened Sun and Moon described in the book of Matthew points to an eclipse.
Revelation 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Revelation 11:13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Revelation 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Such an eclipse occurs only when the dark new moon aligns perfectly between the Earth and the Sun blocking most of the Sun's light. A solar eclipse can only take place at the exact phase of a dark new moon and as noted earlier, a new moon in the Hebrew Bible its called Rosh Kodesh.
Just up the road, it is an important season for a reason.
A solar eclipse occurs when only the moon blocks the sun by the moon’s surface. This is described perfectly in Matthew 24:29 by Yeshua of Nazareth: "the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light".
The Bible tells us to observe each Rosh Kodesh for good reason.
Yeshua’s words of a coming Solar eclipse are no coincidence. It may not be the Trumpets Day solar eclipse of 2017, but there will be an eclipse 'one day' that will mark His word and "the day of The LORD" will arrive.
August 2017 may not be "the one" but remember, God is the Creator, the designer and the plans are all His. A database calculating some 7,000 Rosh Kodesh eclipses can be checked at NASA.
The events that will follow "the" Jesus eclipse when it does finally come are mind boggling because a fall harvest of souls will begin...
First of all, Yeshua came in Biblical day four, 4,000 years after Adam. Remember, a day on God's clock is a thousand years on mankind's timetable.
Second, it just so happens that the sun's 864,000-mile diameter is fully 400 times greater than that of our Moon, which measures just 2,160 miles in diameter. According to Universe Today, during an eclipse, "The Moon looks the same size as the Sun - This is an amazing coincidence from our perspective here on Earth as the Moon and the Sun look the same size in the sky. Of course, the Sun is much much bigger than the Moon. The Sun happens to be 400 times larger than the Moon, but it’s also 400 times further away."
The earth's circumference is about 24,000 miles at the equator and a day lasts 24 hours so the earth's spin rate is 1,000 miles per hour.
Thanks to the three fundamental laws of planetary motion discovered by Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician and astronomer that built on the ideas of a sun-centered Solar System from Polish astronomer Nicolai Copernicus, we know that the Earth and all planets travel about the sun in elliptical orbits. In the early 1600's Kepler gave the precise mathematical formulas that are still used in NASA's computer calculations today.
Long before a keen awareness of super novae, Kepler used his published laws of planetary motion to attempt to determine planetary conjunctions as he believed they would allow him to date the Star of Bethlehem.
The earth is traveling around the Sun at some 66,600 miles per hour or 18 miles/second which is fast enough to cover the planet's diameter in seven minutes, and the distance to the Moon in just four hours. That's fast.
As we discern these facts, we must think about the words of Messiah Yeshua as He spoke of the "signs" to be seen in the heavens. What Jesus taught about 2,000 years ago is becoming evident today and a key reference is in the imagery given in the words of the "Lord's Prayer"...
Consider this for a minute, the sun refers to the light and true word of God and the moon reflects its light surrounded in darkness. This is a heavenly metaphor, a reference to those people that reflect the light of Messiah in a world full of darkness.
In the end, many fall, they will fade away, they will fade like the moon as they are darkened by the strong delusion and shadow of the deceiver, the prince of the darkness of earth and the father of all lies.
Like an astronomer he describes the sights he viewed with the descriptions of the ancient Mazzaroth, the very constellations set "above" our planet Earth by its Creator. This starts out in Revelation 1:7 and there is a constant imagery of the constellation stars given in the narrative. In Revelation 1:20 we also see the reappearance of "the cloud" that is first described in Exodus 13:21. Just look for yourself, Revelation 14:14-16 tells much more about the cloud of glory:
The star of Bethlehem was so significant it brought the Magi, the wise men of the east, possibly the Medes (perhaps predecessors to today's Kurds) to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as they worshiped our LORD as King of the Universe.
They followed a sign. Perhaps it was a planetary conjuction, perhaps a comet, or a supernova or both. A comet like a supernova generally only stays in eyesight for a few weeks or months. No astronomer today knows but perhaps it was the super nova explosion of Messier 51. In the timeframe of 5BC-4BC this spiral galaxy shown above Israel in the N-NW sky from sunset to about 9PM during the Feast of Tabernacles. We do not know when the star went super nova but here's an un-retouched photo from the Hubble Space Telescope of the center core of the remnant of the Messier 51 nova as it appears today.
Plainly, the Bible tells us there will also be signs in the heavens before Yeshua's return.
That is what Jesus and the book of Revelation tells us. So, its about time to look at this.
However, like the gifts of the Magi, when He returns, He will be the one bringing the gifts (check it out for yourself in Revelation 22:12).
I realize Biblical astronomy may be difficult for some to consider because of the lies and deception of astrology, so we must pray for the Spirit of God to help us discern God's word. As a primer, I'd encourage you to listen to the insights from this short broadcast from Chuck Missler of Koinonia House.
And remember, Yeshua's instruction in Luke 21:27 is to "look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh". This is real world advice straight from the Bible.
If you "look up" you will even see that some of the many constellations, the signs that John described when he looked and beheld the constellation we now call Virgo the "woman" and Draco, "the dragon".
These are "seen" in Revelation 12:15-16 Ursa Major is "the bear" of Revelation 13:2 Libra "the balances" is the weighting scales of Revelation 6:5 and Ara "the altar" is described in Revelation 8:3 Aquila the "eagle" is noted in Revelation 12:14 and the twins of Gemini, "the two witnesses" are seen within Revelation 11:3 and Aries "the lamb" of Revelation 4:6 are there above us every single night in plain sight if we just "look up". Even the "sickle" of Orion described in Revelation 14:14-16 is there in the sky.
Crux cross or the Hebrew "Tav" or Omega of Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:13 is above in the heavens. Fornax the "furnace", the lake of fire described in Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10, Revelation 20:14 and Revelation 20:15 is above our heads. The last of the 12 major elliptic constellations is Leo the Lion of the Tribe of Judah as seen in Revelation 5:5.
The symbols of creation go on and on in the Bible. Consider the cloud that God first described to Noah? You know the one with the rainbow shown in the prophecy of Genesis 9:14 "... when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud." It is repeated in Revelation 4:3 "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne..."
Due to the deceiver's rigorous work in astrology, most of us gloss over the words of John, not realizing that he describes as the constellations of God's creation. Most of us think of the creatures that John describes as heavenly "angels" only, but that is not all that John describes when he writes:
Understandably, many people shy and run away from considering the fact that God says He made the stars "for signs and seasons" and that's understandable due to damage from the deceiver. But when you read Matthew 24 it is easy to see that God declares the end from the beginning as shown in Isaiah 46:10.
I believe the thing God wants us to know today is that He designed and aligned the stars, the comets, the Moon and the Sun for His "signs" to be seen.
We need to also know God set His appointed times at creation, they are His "Feasts" and thank The LORD and praise God the Jewish people have kept them over the centuries. How do we know they are God's appointments?
Because of the Hebrew word (Strong's 4150) used in Genesis 1:14. The word is mow'ed. It means appointed time, set time. It's not really about spring, summer, fall or winter. It's about the appointments that God has made for mankind. They are about redemption.
Incredibly, "mow'ed" is also translated as congregation in some places as in:
Yet, if you think about it - due to our reservation and a warranted concern about astrology, we can see that the deceiver has accomplished his goal, his lie. Why? Because we simply ignore learning more about God's sovereignty in His word, His creation and His heavenly revelation.
We must now realize the deceiver has worked very hard on this and that reason alone should show us the importance of what God has said from the very beginning.
But what else do we need to know about the "great signs in heaven" that the Bible tells us about?
As with most spiritual lies, astrology began in Babylon.
So I repeat again... this commentary is in no way about the pollution of astrology, but it is about how we must consider God's signs and the coming season on earth.
Did you know that the earliest known record of astronomy is the Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa? It was compiled in Babylon around 1700 BC and is reported to have been made during the reign of King Sargon of Akkad. It's about the ancient astronomical observations of Venus. Yes, the name is Sargon and yes it is the same name found in Isaiah 20:1.
Despite all the problems with the lies of "astrology" we never want to ignore the precision of our Creator's astronomy, it is a key part of Almighty God's creation and His plan.
There are marvelous books written about the Biblical and prophetic truth of the constellations that can be explored by everyone, they include:
"Mazzaroth" by Frances Rolleston written in 1863. It is no longer in copyright so Mazzaroth is available online for all to see at the "Google Books" website.
Another excellent book to obtain is E.W. Bullinger's 1892 classic "Witness of the Stars" as pastor Bullinger expanded on the concepts put forth by Rolleston's Mazzaroth, which is the Hebrew name for "the constellations."
We can also find the truth in Joseph Augustus Seiss’ book "The Gospel in The Stars" among other excellent books including The Astronomy of The Bible by E. Walter Maunder written in 1908.
These wonderful books have all been inspired by Genesis 1:14-15 and the fact is that Scripture confirms the existence of the gospel message in the stars by God's design the constellations and the timing of the planetary orbits.
In fact, Psalm 19:1-6 is a prophecy that references the recent signs in the heavens. The signs in the constellations speak of Messiah's return. And again the Psalm states: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the Sun. Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof”.
The constellations have long been misunderstood.
The United States Naval Observatory, which serves as the official source of time for the U.S. Department of Defense and the United States maintains an online copy of The Celestial Atlas by Alexander Jamieson. This atlas of the heavens published London in 1822 has illustrations of the constellations in a series of maps. Sure the pagan names are attached rather than the Hebrew names of the Mazzaroth, but when you study and research them you can see the truth through the lies as you view the virgin and the lamb of God, the lion of Judah, the slayer of the serpent.
NASA now gives us this news that everyone could see...
You see, the Biblical calendar is important.
It is why we must all sync up with our Creator and His feast days that are set by the heavens like a timepiece. After all, if you carefully read the book of Job you will find that God named all the stars and constellation Himself.
This is REALLY important!
There is a reason God told Job what He did and that is why well written and Biblically thoughtful resource books on Biblical astronomy can be so helpful. They not only reveal the Hebrew names and Biblical meanings for the stars and their constellations, but some of them explain how their Hebrew words tell the Gospel of The Kingdom story in the stars for everyone to see, if we just look.
The first constellation we see in the night sky begins with Virgo - the virgin, and it is the obvious starting point for God’s Gospel story.
Since antiquity, this constellation "sign" is represented by a picture of a woman with an olive branch in her right hand and a sheaf of wheat in the left. Virgo means ‘a virgin’; but the ancient Hebrew name of the constellation is Bethulah. As you can see, the deceiver has polluted the names too by hiding their meaning. Some of this information can be verified from an article from Hebrew Nation Radio
Isaiah 7:14 says: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son”.
Pictured here at 1 PM Jerusalem time as it was seen in the City of God on Yom Teruah, the "Day of Trumpets" of September 29, 2011 is a view of Virgo, the virgin constellation described in Revelation. The image was made using my “Starry Nights Pro”, an astronomy software with the sunlight turned off to more easily demonstrate that there is an incredible message here if we just look.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. Genesis 1:14-15
The Bible says: Seasons and years... these are the Feast Days that provide signs from the stars silently speaking through the season of the appointed Feast Days of our Creator. In the fall season, these Feast Days are Yom Teruah, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. The alignment of the sun, the earth and the moon on every Trumpets Day looks just like the graphic image below. The alignments are all precisely the same as the moon moves in its orbit like a dial on a clock just as God commanded them. They are unchanging, just like God. Many may not consider it but His Biblical calendar is seen within the alignment of His creation. We see this in Scripture as the order of the new moon because that is our perspective while looking up...
You can view this on any Feast Day by the tool provided at the page titled God's Timepiece.
This year (2011) the fall or autumn stars appear to "repeat a story" in a prophetic revelation of Scripture as seen from Revelation 12:1-2. The constellation Virgo can be considered within the message of the Gospel of the stars as the bride representing the faithful remnant saints, those who love Jesus-Yeshua and keep his instructions and His commandments. (See Revelation 14:12)
The sighting of the first new moon was not seen in daytime Jerusalem on September 26, 2011 due to the moon's extremely close proximity to the sun, but thanks to NASA's technology we know it was there thus defining the 1st day of the seventh month, known as Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets. On the 29th this year, we see the constellation Virgo with the moon under her feet, clothed in the Sun, and "pregnant" with Venus (a.k.a. the "bright morning star"). And to top it off, as if a precious rare jewel on the dress of Virgo we can also see the newly found Comet Elenin in September 2011. Is it a coincidence that this never before seen comet crosses the constellation Virgo on this very day? The faint, but popular Comet Elenin has been the speculation of many ridiculous claims, but at least those got many to look up at the dim beacon of light as it passed by.
We should notice that the Psalms 19 message says that: “day” utters speech. This shows us that the message, that the speech of Revelation 12 and the signs in the sky will be “seen in the day”, not necessarily only in the night sky! So, you have to be looking in the day too, searching and seeking, just like the word of God says.
There is something we must all know. It is that God is (1) omnipotent (all powerful), (2) omniscient (all knowing), and (3) omnipresent (always present). He was, is and will be.
Our Creator set the orbital mechanics and knows every alignment of His planets and stars at each point in time as He put them in a perfect, precise mathematical unison. Einstein studied this and NASA now gives us an interesting commentary on the space-time vortex around our planet.
But wait...
We have already mentioned it, but remember what happens on Passover day in 2015, just 3 and 1/2 years from now? From a fascinating 2014-2015 Feast Day teaching by Pastor Mark Biltz that was developed following Pastor Biltz' study of NASA's mathematically calculated eclipse charts, Biltz alerted the watchmen of the world that a series of total blood red lunar eclipses will begin on Passover evening 2014.
Paul of Tarsus in his letter to the Romans gives us insight on faith. In saying, "faith comes from hearing," he reveals a key element to gaining faith, it comes from listening to God, so when He says “signs”… we must pay attention.
The coming Feast Day eclipses of 2014-2015 are important - but there is more. A preview of sorts...
ARE YOU READY for the day that will arrive one day?
Update: August 5, 2013 In February 2013, the world saw a small 50 foot asteroid explode in a fireball in the skies above the Ural mountains of Russia's Chelyabinsk region. It was the largest known asteroid explosion since 1908. IBoth were over Russia, and this one got the world's attention as astronomers focused all thier attention on another asteroid, a large one that was flying by Earth at the same time.
Before the Russian event, NASA told us that we would see record setting asteroid 2012 DA14 flyby on February 15, 2013, it was expected to be the closest flyby ever recorded. Astro physicists around the globe promised that asteroid 2012 DA14 would not hit Earth and it did not, but another did - the same day!
God has made the solar system to work His timepiece not ours, so we need to pay attention to its times and seasons.
Before asteroid 2012 DA14 was to flyby we were told:
Discovered just four days after Rosh Hashanah (the Day of Trumpets) in Russia on September 21, 2012, Comet ISON, officially known as C/2012 S1 could be coming into the view of unaided eyesight around November 2013. The NASA Comet ISON Observing Campaign will be keeping an eye on the event. According to astronomers it could be brightest comet ever witnessed, that is of course if it makes it past its violent journey around the Sun. Although it may be torn apart by the sun's gravity, it could survivie and glow brighter than the moon during the Festival of the Dedication, the "Festival of Lights" in which Messiah Yeshua walked in Solomon's porch according to John 10:22-23 and taught of the "Shema" when He said... "I and the Father are one".
The week of Hanukkah will begin on November 28, 2013 which is the 25th day of Kislev. It lasts eight days until December 5th 2013. The week prior, Comet ISON will graze the Sun as it tries to make its loop around our star on November 28th at about 12:45PM CST. Americans should be able to remember that day... because it will be Thanksgiving Day, but more importantly, it's the first day of Hanukkah and the world may get a chance to witness Comet ISON's tail that has a possible chance to be blowtorched across the sky if it survives the Sun's chromosphere encounter.
Perhaps, we will see noting at all and this is just a way to get our attention... toward Heaven.
No matter what happens to the comet as it flies around the Sun on Kislev 25, whether it survives or not, the Bible tells us that the day before is very important in history as Haggai received his prophecy about a coming shaking.
God promised Haggai that one day: "I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations."
No one is sure Ison will survive. Check out the Hubble Space Telescope's legacy photo archive. Notice the coma appears to be oddly shaped and if you darken the image with the online tools, the comet seems to be broken into three parts. That might very well cause it demise, but despite that, we may still have a chance for the Earth's orbital plane to intersect directly with comet's incoming path.
When I first heard of the big comet's discovery, I quickly ran an update to my "Starry Night" astronomy software so that I could track the newly found comet's trajectory path and coordinates. From what I can tell, it shows that if it survives, during its anticipated peak brightness period in 2013, Comet ISON, as viewed from Earth will appear to pass through eight (8) constellations. Interestingly, in the Bible, the number eight marks the beginning of something. That might be worth considering.
According to what I found, the journey story through the constellation path of Comet ISON when viewed from Earth is amazing. Here's the thing... Regarding what we see when we look up every night, there have been a number of excellent books written about the amazing story of how the heavens reveal the Gospel story of redemption and salvation.
In Matthew 2, the Bible tells us about this in the account of the Star of Bethlehem. The storyline is imporatnat and the astronomers of the day, the Magi, knew what they were looking for and they acted on it. To help you out here is an interesting video link about the star described in Matthew's account.
Yet, the gospel to be seen above has been deliberately poisoned and polluted, stolen by the deceiver, the thief of truth and the originator of all pagan tradition, divination and omen. He started a lie that now manifests as astrology. That's astrology not astronomy.
Satan through his deception and lies of mythology and horoscopes has led people to believe that one's life and personality is somehow governed by the alignment of the constellations and that these signs can guide a person's daily decisions and even predict the future. These lies are found in practically every newspaper printed each day on the horoscope page. I'd rather call it a "horror-scope" because astrology is from Satan, the deceiver who seeks to separate you from God with lies. His goal is to destroy the Creator’s amazing creation witness to the good news of the Gospel that God has placed above in Heaven since creation.
Astrology is a personal sin that is linked to idolatry and the worship of the sun, moon, planets and the stars instead of the One, the Almighty God of the Universe that created these to show us His glory. The disciple John tells us what Jesus taught:
Although it may no longer be visible to the unaided eye as Comet ISON moves further away from the Sun, its path declares a story through the signs in the sky (see Genesis 1:4). The appearance of this newly found giant comet reminded me of the record of the Jewish historian Josephus in book VI, chapter 5 of his account of The Wars Of The Jews. Here this great historian described the following account of another comet that arrived before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Josephus recounts a heavenly "sign" that was ignored by those "without eyes or minds to consider" it at the time:
It reminds me too of the prophecies of Balaam. Here's why: Balaam was hired to curse Israel but God intervened and instead Balaam blessed them. Balaam was given two signs for the first and second coming of the Messiah! The first was a star.
We all know of the Star of Bethlehem, so consider Balaam's words and what they might mean in Numbers 24:17:
Whiston believed that the comet of 1682 had literally grazed the earth after the fall of Eden, triggering Noah's Flood in 2346 BC the the year of God's first judgment by water.
The historical archive of Immanuel Velikovsky’s unpublished writings, VArchive.org tells us:
Coincidentally, just as ISON intersects with our orbital plane, we will experience a Hybrid eclipse of the Sun that will span across the globe from the U.S. to the Middle East. According to NASA, seven hybrid eclipses have occurred in the last 2,000 years.
Below, is a graphic representation of the Earth's orbital trajectory intersection with ISON's orbit path on January 14, 2013 from SolarSystemScope that can be viewed interactively. Below is a day by day video representation prepared for the Goddard Space Flight Center by INOVE:
To learn more about Comet Ison's orbital path, you may want to also visit the website of Seiichi Yoshida. Of course, comets don’t always live up to expectations. Comet ISON might break up into fragments, as the 'much-hyped' Comet Elenin did around August 2011.
Few of us saw Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) in the Spring of 2013 but it is interesting to note as well. PanSTARRS became brightest right around mid-March 2013, two weeks before Passover. Interestingly, regarding PanSTARRS, March 15th is known as the date on the Roman calendar in 44 B.C. when Julius Caesar was murdered.
PanStarrs first appeared at the East horizon above the heart of the constellation Andromeda on Passover March 25, 2013 in the Jerusalem morning sky around 6:00AM just about an hour before sunrise. In the US, PanStarrs arrived on Passover March 26, 2013 at 5:40AM. In the ancient Hebrew Mazzaroth, Andromeda represents the suffering and afflicted.
And these are not the only Comets on the horizon. According to a Space.com report:
NASA predicts a total lunar eclipse will occur eleven days earlier on the 8th of October 2014 and will cast a shadow over the globe on the first day of Tabernacles. This red moon eclipse will be the second in a sequence of four consecutive lunar eclipse events following the Passover eclipse expected on April 15, 2014.
It's time to pay attention to the warnings of Joel and Peter as well. You can read them now in Joel 2:30-31 and Acts 2:19-20. As you consider their words, you can track the details of the coming eclipses of the Moon and the Sun at the U.S. Navy Observatory.
Down the road there are more to come.
It means we need to know "Who is the One Called Jesus.
Shalom.
August 2017 may not be "the one" but remember, God is the Creator, the designer and the plans are all His. A database calculating some 7,000 Rosh Kodesh eclipses can be checked at NASA.
The events that will follow "the" Jesus eclipse when it does finally come are mind boggling because a fall harvest of souls will begin...
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:30-31In a unique way, the eclipse pattern that is tied to the return of Messiah is not so mysterious when your put your science hat on and study the Bible. For starters, notice the four winds. The number four points to Messiah throughout Scripture.
First of all, Yeshua came in Biblical day four, 4,000 years after Adam. Remember, a day on God's clock is a thousand years on mankind's timetable.
Second, it just so happens that the sun's 864,000-mile diameter is fully 400 times greater than that of our Moon, which measures just 2,160 miles in diameter. According to Universe Today, during an eclipse, "The Moon looks the same size as the Sun - This is an amazing coincidence from our perspective here on Earth as the Moon and the Sun look the same size in the sky. Of course, the Sun is much much bigger than the Moon. The Sun happens to be 400 times larger than the Moon, but it’s also 400 times further away."
The earth's circumference is about 24,000 miles at the equator and a day lasts 24 hours so the earth's spin rate is 1,000 miles per hour.
Thanks to the three fundamental laws of planetary motion discovered by Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician and astronomer that built on the ideas of a sun-centered Solar System from Polish astronomer Nicolai Copernicus, we know that the Earth and all planets travel about the sun in elliptical orbits. In the early 1600's Kepler gave the precise mathematical formulas that are still used in NASA's computer calculations today.
Long before a keen awareness of super novae, Kepler used his published laws of planetary motion to attempt to determine planetary conjunctions as he believed they would allow him to date the Star of Bethlehem.
The earth is traveling around the Sun at some 66,600 miles per hour or 18 miles/second which is fast enough to cover the planet's diameter in seven minutes, and the distance to the Moon in just four hours. That's fast.
As we discern these facts, we must think about the words of Messiah Yeshua as He spoke of the "signs" to be seen in the heavens. What Jesus taught about 2,000 years ago is becoming evident today and a key reference is in the imagery given in the words of the "Lord's Prayer"...
"Thy will be done in earth, as in heaven."What this really says is... first heaven, then earth. Genesis says "signs" first then "seasons"... Do you see the connection that Messiah makes with His appointed days?
Consider this for a minute, the sun refers to the light and true word of God and the moon reflects its light surrounded in darkness. This is a heavenly metaphor, a reference to those people that reflect the light of Messiah in a world full of darkness.
In the end, many fall, they will fade away, they will fade like the moon as they are darkened by the strong delusion and shadow of the deceiver, the prince of the darkness of earth and the father of all lies.
Let me say right now that I am not declaring anything in this study as an absolute. There is NO 'thus saith The Lord' here. Instead, I am describing what might be understood, considered and weighed in the scales of truth and light. I am always open to the correction and reproof of Scripture. That is the purpose of all of God's word.If you stop take notice of the imagery of Revelation, you will see that John was a star gazer.
Like an astronomer he describes the sights he viewed with the descriptions of the ancient Mazzaroth, the very constellations set "above" our planet Earth by its Creator. This starts out in Revelation 1:7 and there is a constant imagery of the constellation stars given in the narrative. In Revelation 1:20 we also see the reappearance of "the cloud" that is first described in Exodus 13:21. Just look for yourself, Revelation 14:14-16 tells much more about the cloud of glory:
"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sat like unto 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 that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped."When Messiah first came in the flesh, there was none other than a great sign in the heavens.
The star of Bethlehem was so significant it brought the Magi, the wise men of the east, possibly the Medes (perhaps predecessors to today's Kurds) to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as they worshiped our LORD as King of the Universe.
They followed a sign. Perhaps it was a planetary conjuction, perhaps a comet, or a supernova or both. A comet like a supernova generally only stays in eyesight for a few weeks or months. No astronomer today knows but perhaps it was the super nova explosion of Messier 51. In the timeframe of 5BC-4BC this spiral galaxy shown above Israel in the N-NW sky from sunset to about 9PM during the Feast of Tabernacles. We do not know when the star went super nova but here's an un-retouched photo from the Hubble Space Telescope of the center core of the remnant of the Messier 51 nova as it appears today.
Plainly, the Bible tells us there will also be signs in the heavens before Yeshua's return.
That is what Jesus and the book of Revelation tells us. So, its about time to look at this.
However, like the gifts of the Magi, when He returns, He will be the one bringing the gifts (check it out for yourself in Revelation 22:12).
I realize Biblical astronomy may be difficult for some to consider because of the lies and deception of astrology, so we must pray for the Spirit of God to help us discern God's word. As a primer, I'd encourage you to listen to the insights from this short broadcast from Chuck Missler of Koinonia House.
And remember, Yeshua's instruction in Luke 21:27 is to "look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh". This is real world advice straight from the Bible.
If you "look up" you will even see that some of the many constellations, the signs that John described when he looked and beheld the constellation we now call Virgo the "woman" and Draco, "the dragon".
These are "seen" in Revelation 12:15-16 Ursa Major is "the bear" of Revelation 13:2 Libra "the balances" is the weighting scales of Revelation 6:5 and Ara "the altar" is described in Revelation 8:3 Aquila the "eagle" is noted in Revelation 12:14 and the twins of Gemini, "the two witnesses" are seen within Revelation 11:3 and Aries "the lamb" of Revelation 4:6 are there above us every single night in plain sight if we just "look up". Even the "sickle" of Orion described in Revelation 14:14-16 is there in the sky.
Crux cross or the Hebrew "Tav" or Omega of Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:13 is above in the heavens. Fornax the "furnace", the lake of fire described in Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10, Revelation 20:14 and Revelation 20:15 is above our heads. The last of the 12 major elliptic constellations is Leo the Lion of the Tribe of Judah as seen in Revelation 5:5.
The symbols of creation go on and on in the Bible. Consider the cloud that God first described to Noah? You know the one with the rainbow shown in the prophecy of Genesis 9:14 "... when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud." It is repeated in Revelation 4:3 "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne..."
Due to the deceiver's rigorous work in astrology, most of us gloss over the words of John, not realizing that he describes as the constellations of God's creation. Most of us think of the creatures that John describes as heavenly "angels" only, but that is not all that John describes when he writes:
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Revelation 5:13Because of the deception of astrology, for many today, it is hard to even consider the mighty signs and wonders of the Universe that God has promised to show us from above as the "speak" to us of God's majestic plan of salvation.
Understandably, many people shy and run away from considering the fact that God says He made the stars "for signs and seasons" and that's understandable due to damage from the deceiver. But when you read Matthew 24 it is easy to see that God declares the end from the beginning as shown in Isaiah 46:10.
I believe the thing God wants us to know today is that He designed and aligned the stars, the comets, the Moon and the Sun for His "signs" to be seen.
We need to also know God set His appointed times at creation, they are His "Feasts" and thank The LORD and praise God the Jewish people have kept them over the centuries. How do we know they are God's appointments?
Because of the Hebrew word (Strong's 4150) used in Genesis 1:14. The word is mow'ed. It means appointed time, set time. It's not really about spring, summer, fall or winter. It's about the appointments that God has made for mankind. They are about redemption.
Incredibly, "mow'ed" is also translated as congregation in some places as in:
Numbers 16:18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the "congregation" (appointed time) with Moses and Aaron.Imagine that, the appointment is at the tabernacle, the place designed for the appointed times with God present.
Yet, if you think about it - due to our reservation and a warranted concern about astrology, we can see that the deceiver has accomplished his goal, his lie. Why? Because we simply ignore learning more about God's sovereignty in His word, His creation and His heavenly revelation.
We must now realize the deceiver has worked very hard on this and that reason alone should show us the importance of what God has said from the very beginning.
But what else do we need to know about the "great signs in heaven" that the Bible tells us about?
As with most spiritual lies, astrology began in Babylon.
So I repeat again... this commentary is in no way about the pollution of astrology, but it is about how we must consider God's signs and the coming season on earth.
Did you know that the earliest known record of astronomy is the Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa? It was compiled in Babylon around 1700 BC and is reported to have been made during the reign of King Sargon of Akkad. It's about the ancient astronomical observations of Venus. Yes, the name is Sargon and yes it is the same name found in Isaiah 20:1.
Despite all the problems with the lies of "astrology" we never want to ignore the precision of our Creator's astronomy, it is a key part of Almighty God's creation and His plan.
There are marvelous books written about the Biblical and prophetic truth of the constellations that can be explored by everyone, they include:
"Mazzaroth" by Frances Rolleston written in 1863. It is no longer in copyright so Mazzaroth is available online for all to see at the "Google Books" website.
Another excellent book to obtain is E.W. Bullinger's 1892 classic "Witness of the Stars" as pastor Bullinger expanded on the concepts put forth by Rolleston's Mazzaroth, which is the Hebrew name for "the constellations."
We can also find the truth in Joseph Augustus Seiss’ book "The Gospel in The Stars" among other excellent books including The Astronomy of The Bible by E. Walter Maunder written in 1908.
These wonderful books have all been inspired by Genesis 1:14-15 and the fact is that Scripture confirms the existence of the gospel message in the stars by God's design the constellations and the timing of the planetary orbits.
In fact, Psalm 19:1-6 is a prophecy that references the recent signs in the heavens. The signs in the constellations speak of Messiah's return. And again the Psalm states: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the Sun. Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof”.
The constellations have long been misunderstood.
The United States Naval Observatory, which serves as the official source of time for the U.S. Department of Defense and the United States maintains an online copy of The Celestial Atlas by Alexander Jamieson. This atlas of the heavens published London in 1822 has illustrations of the constellations in a series of maps. Sure the pagan names are attached rather than the Hebrew names of the Mazzaroth, but when you study and research them you can see the truth through the lies as you view the virgin and the lamb of God, the lion of Judah, the slayer of the serpent.
NASA now gives us this news that everyone could see...
"March 21, 2008: A powerful gamma ray burst detected March 19th by NASA's Swift satellite has shattered the record for the most distant object that could be seen with the naked eye.That explosion occurred two days before Purim, by no coincidence that day that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman in the Persian Empire (today's Iran).
"It was a whopper," says Swift principal investigator Neil Gehrels of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "This blows away every gamma ray burst we've seen so far."
Swift's Burst Alert Telescope picked up the burst at 2:12 a.m. EDT on March 19, 2008, and pinpointed the coordinates in the constellation Bootes. Telescopes in space and on the ground quickly moved to observe the afterglow. The burst was named GRB 080319B and registered between 5 and 6 on the visual magnitude scale used by astronomers. (A magnitude 6 star is the dimmest visible to the human eye; magnitude 5 is almost three times brighter.)"
"No other known object or type of explosion could be seen by the naked eye at such an immense distance," says Swift science team member Stephen Holland of Goddard. "If someone just happened to be looking at the right place at the right time, they saw the most distant object ever seen by human eyes without optical aid."
"GRB 080319B's afterglow was 2.5 million times more luminous than the most luminous supernova ever recorded, making it the most intrinsically bright object ever observed by humans in the universe."
You see, the Biblical calendar is important.
It is why we must all sync up with our Creator and His feast days that are set by the heavens like a timepiece. After all, if you carefully read the book of Job you will find that God named all the stars and constellation Himself.
This is REALLY important!
There is a reason God told Job what He did and that is why well written and Biblically thoughtful resource books on Biblical astronomy can be so helpful. They not only reveal the Hebrew names and Biblical meanings for the stars and their constellations, but some of them explain how their Hebrew words tell the Gospel of The Kingdom story in the stars for everyone to see, if we just look.
The first constellation we see in the night sky begins with Virgo - the virgin, and it is the obvious starting point for God’s Gospel story.
Since antiquity, this constellation "sign" is represented by a picture of a woman with an olive branch in her right hand and a sheaf of wheat in the left. Virgo means ‘a virgin’; but the ancient Hebrew name of the constellation is Bethulah. As you can see, the deceiver has polluted the names too by hiding their meaning. Some of this information can be verified from an article from Hebrew Nation Radio
Isaiah 7:14 says: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son”.
Pictured here at 1 PM Jerusalem time as it was seen in the City of God on Yom Teruah, the "Day of Trumpets" of September 29, 2011 is a view of Virgo, the virgin constellation described in Revelation. The image was made using my “Starry Nights Pro”, an astronomy software with the sunlight turned off to more easily demonstrate that there is an incredible message here if we just look.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. Genesis 1:14-15
The Bible says: Seasons and years... these are the Feast Days that provide signs from the stars silently speaking through the season of the appointed Feast Days of our Creator. In the fall season, these Feast Days are Yom Teruah, the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. The alignment of the sun, the earth and the moon on every Trumpets Day looks just like the graphic image below. The alignments are all precisely the same as the moon moves in its orbit like a dial on a clock just as God commanded them. They are unchanging, just like God. Many may not consider it but His Biblical calendar is seen within the alignment of His creation. We see this in Scripture as the order of the new moon because that is our perspective while looking up...
You can view this on any Feast Day by the tool provided at the page titled God's Timepiece.
This year (2011) the fall or autumn stars appear to "repeat a story" in a prophetic revelation of Scripture as seen from Revelation 12:1-2. The constellation Virgo can be considered within the message of the Gospel of the stars as the bride representing the faithful remnant saints, those who love Jesus-Yeshua and keep his instructions and His commandments. (See Revelation 14:12)
The sighting of the first new moon was not seen in daytime Jerusalem on September 26, 2011 due to the moon's extremely close proximity to the sun, but thanks to NASA's technology we know it was there thus defining the 1st day of the seventh month, known as Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets. On the 29th this year, we see the constellation Virgo with the moon under her feet, clothed in the Sun, and "pregnant" with Venus (a.k.a. the "bright morning star"). And to top it off, as if a precious rare jewel on the dress of Virgo we can also see the newly found Comet Elenin in September 2011. Is it a coincidence that this never before seen comet crosses the constellation Virgo on this very day? The faint, but popular Comet Elenin has been the speculation of many ridiculous claims, but at least those got many to look up at the dim beacon of light as it passed by.
We should notice that the Psalms 19 message says that: “day” utters speech. This shows us that the message, that the speech of Revelation 12 and the signs in the sky will be “seen in the day”, not necessarily only in the night sky! So, you have to be looking in the day too, searching and seeking, just like the word of God says.
There is something we must all know. It is that God is (1) omnipotent (all powerful), (2) omniscient (all knowing), and (3) omnipresent (always present). He was, is and will be.
Our Creator set the orbital mechanics and knows every alignment of His planets and stars at each point in time as He put them in a perfect, precise mathematical unison. Einstein studied this and NASA now gives us an interesting commentary on the space-time vortex around our planet.
But wait...
We have already mentioned it, but remember what happens on Passover day in 2015, just 3 and 1/2 years from now? From a fascinating 2014-2015 Feast Day teaching by Pastor Mark Biltz that was developed following Pastor Biltz' study of NASA's mathematically calculated eclipse charts, Biltz alerted the watchmen of the world that a series of total blood red lunar eclipses will begin on Passover evening 2014.
Below are the four consecutive Feast Day total lunar eclipses he identified form the NASA charts that are coming with these signs in the skies.
- April 14, 2014 Pesach (Passover) Lunar Eclipse
- October 8, 2014 Sukkot (Feast Of Tabernacles) Lunar Eclipse
- April 3, 2015 Pesach (Passover) Lunar Eclipse
- September 27, 2015 Sukkot (Feast Of Tabernacles) Lunar Eclipse
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. [There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which [is] as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, [and] rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth [is] from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Luke 21:25-28 tells us the end time admonition of Messiah:
"Look up - your redemption is drawing near..."
It's time to be a watchman.
We might just consider that Isaiah 45:12 provides a suitable conclusion as to how the timing of heavenly events are managed as the great prophet records God’s voice on the matter:Luke 21:25-28 tells us the end time admonition of Messiah:
"Look up - your redemption is drawing near..."
It's time to be a watchman.
“... I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded”OK, let's review the names of the 12 Constellations that a a part of the host. This is not astrology, it astronomy. The 12 Mazzaroth graphically sequence to declare the Kingdom Gospel:
1) VIRGO. The prophecy of the promised seed, the Redeemer from the virgin.Again, I pray you might see this commentary is not about astrology in any way. Astronomy is a lie and a corruption of God's message. Astronomy is about creation, so it is time to align with God’s handiwork and His instruction of faith for His appointed Feast Days and His Sabbaths, not man’s traditions or imaginations!
o COMA. (the desired). The Messiah desired of all nations.
o CENTAURUS (with two natures). The despised sin-offering from the sinless.
2) LIBRA. The Redeemer's atoning work in judgment of sin.
o CRUX. The Cross endured.
o LUPUS. The Victim slain.
o CORONA. The Crown bestowed.
3) SCORPIO. The Redeemer's conflict.
o SERPENS. Assaulting the man's heel.
o OPHIUCHUS. The man grasping the serpent.
o HERCULES. The mighty man victorious.
4) SAGITTARIUS. The Redeemer's triumph.
o LYRA. Praise prepared for the Conqueror.
o ARA. Fire prepared for His enemies.
o DRACO. The dragon cast down.
5) CAPRICORNUS. The result of the Redeemer's sufferings.
o SAGITTA. The arrow of God sent forth.
o AQUILA. The smitten One falling.
o DELPHINUS. The dead One rising again.
6) AQUARIUS. The Blessings assured.
o PISCIS AUSTRALIS. The blessings bestowed.
o PEGASUS. The blessings quickly coming.
o CYGNUS. The Blesser surely returning.
7) PISCES. The Blessings in abeyance.
o THE BAND. The great enemy, "Cetus."
o ANDROMEDA. The redeemed in bondage.
o CEPHEUS. The Deliverer coming to loosen.
8) ARIES. The Blessings consummated.
o CASSIOPEIA. The captive delivered.
o CETUS. The great enemy bound.
o PERSEUS. The "Breaker" delivering.
9) TAURUS. Messiah coming to rule.
o ORION. The Redeemer breaking forth as Light.
o ERIDANUS. Wrath breaking forth as a flood.
o AURIGA. Safety for His redeemed in the day of wrath.
10) GEMINI Messiah as Prince of princes.
o LEPUS. The enemy trodden under foot.
o CANIS MAJOR. The coming glorious Prince.
o CANIS MINOR. The exalted Redeemer.
11) CANCER. Messiah's redeemed possessions.
o URSA MINOR. The lesser sheepfold.
o URSA MAJOR. The fold and the flock.
o ARGO. The pilgrim's arrival at home.
12) LEO. Messiah's consummated triumph.
o HYDRA. The old serpent destroyed.
o CRATER. The cup of wrath poured put.
o CORVUS. The birds of prey devouring.
Paul of Tarsus in his letter to the Romans gives us insight on faith. In saying, "faith comes from hearing," he reveals a key element to gaining faith, it comes from listening to God, so when He says “signs”… we must pay attention.
The coming Feast Day eclipses of 2014-2015 are important - but there is more. A preview of sorts...
In May 2012, we will be looking at the moon and the fire of the sun engulfing it during the annular solar eclipse on Day 43 of the Omer count (May 20th), just one week (seven days) before Pentecost/Shavuot. Any astronomy software program can show us that it occurs in the constellation Taurus at the location of the “heart” of the constellation during the peak of the eclipse.
Well, God describes the seven stars of Pleiades to Job as the “sweet influences”. But why? I think it’s because those assemblies represented by the seven stars in Messiah’s hand are blessed by Him to proclaim His gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth before His return.
And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn... Matthew 24:30I have wondered for a ling time what this sign could be. While it may appear as lightning, perhaps it is something like a high speed asteroid streaking across the sky. A big one called Apophis is due to make a close flyby 2,000 years after Passover 30AD, it's approach will be just after Passover 2029 on the 13th day of the Omer count, April 13, 2029. Then seven, yes seven years later, it arrives once again on April 13, 2036, this time just as Passover concludes days earlier.
ARE YOU READY for the day that will arrive one day?
"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21:27We are to look for these appointed signs. The heavenly bodies that are a part of our solar system transit through the constellations described by John in Revelation. They may well be a part of the shaking in the heavens that Luke describes.
“There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” Luke 21:11
“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” Luke 21:25-26
Update: August 5, 2013 In February 2013, the world saw a small 50 foot asteroid explode in a fireball in the skies above the Ural mountains of Russia's Chelyabinsk region. It was the largest known asteroid explosion since 1908. IBoth were over Russia, and this one got the world's attention as astronomers focused all thier attention on another asteroid, a large one that was flying by Earth at the same time.
Before the Russian event, NASA told us that we would see record setting asteroid 2012 DA14 flyby on February 15, 2013, it was expected to be the closest flyby ever recorded. Astro physicists around the globe promised that asteroid 2012 DA14 would not hit Earth and it did not, but another did - the same day!
God has made the solar system to work His timepiece not ours, so we need to pay attention to its times and seasons.
Before asteroid 2012 DA14 was to flyby we were told:
"This is a record-setting close approach," says Don Yeomans of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at JPL. "Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, we've never seen an object this big get so close to Earth."Now, we may have a much bigger sight coming our way during the day and the timing may be significant for any Bible student or scholar.
Discovered just four days after Rosh Hashanah (the Day of Trumpets) in Russia on September 21, 2012, Comet ISON, officially known as C/2012 S1 could be coming into the view of unaided eyesight around November 2013. The NASA Comet ISON Observing Campaign will be keeping an eye on the event. According to astronomers it could be brightest comet ever witnessed, that is of course if it makes it past its violent journey around the Sun. Although it may be torn apart by the sun's gravity, it could survivie and glow brighter than the moon during the Festival of the Dedication, the "Festival of Lights" in which Messiah Yeshua walked in Solomon's porch according to John 10:22-23 and taught of the "Shema" when He said... "I and the Father are one".
The week of Hanukkah will begin on November 28, 2013 which is the 25th day of Kislev. It lasts eight days until December 5th 2013. The week prior, Comet ISON will graze the Sun as it tries to make its loop around our star on November 28th at about 12:45PM CST. Americans should be able to remember that day... because it will be Thanksgiving Day, but more importantly, it's the first day of Hanukkah and the world may get a chance to witness Comet ISON's tail that has a possible chance to be blowtorched across the sky if it survives the Sun's chromosphere encounter.
Perhaps, we will see noting at all and this is just a way to get our attention... toward Heaven.
No matter what happens to the comet as it flies around the Sun on Kislev 25, whether it survives or not, the Bible tells us that the day before is very important in history as Haggai received his prophecy about a coming shaking.
God promised Haggai that one day: "I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations."
The Word of the LORD came the second time to Haggai in the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots, and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother. In that day, says the LORD of Hosts, will I take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of Hosts.” Haggai 2:20-23The comet may not survive after Kislev 25, the chances are slim, but there may be more than meets the eye here... When you view the NASA Stereo Science Center orbit diagram you can see the comet's projected orbit path and it tells a hidden story. Check out the comet's orbit diagram for yourself... and keep this in mind as you view ISON's path:
No one is sure Ison will survive. Check out the Hubble Space Telescope's legacy photo archive. Notice the coma appears to be oddly shaped and if you darken the image with the online tools, the comet seems to be broken into three parts. That might very well cause it demise, but despite that, we may still have a chance for the Earth's orbital plane to intersect directly with comet's incoming path.
When I first heard of the big comet's discovery, I quickly ran an update to my "Starry Night" astronomy software so that I could track the newly found comet's trajectory path and coordinates. From what I can tell, it shows that if it survives, during its anticipated peak brightness period in 2013, Comet ISON, as viewed from Earth will appear to pass through eight (8) constellations. Interestingly, in the Bible, the number eight marks the beginning of something. That might be worth considering.
According to what I found, the journey story through the constellation path of Comet ISON when viewed from Earth is amazing. Here's the thing... Regarding what we see when we look up every night, there have been a number of excellent books written about the amazing story of how the heavens reveal the Gospel story of redemption and salvation.
In Matthew 2, the Bible tells us about this in the account of the Star of Bethlehem. The storyline is imporatnat and the astronomers of the day, the Magi, knew what they were looking for and they acted on it. To help you out here is an interesting video link about the star described in Matthew's account.
Yet, the gospel to be seen above has been deliberately poisoned and polluted, stolen by the deceiver, the thief of truth and the originator of all pagan tradition, divination and omen. He started a lie that now manifests as astrology. That's astrology not astronomy.
Satan through his deception and lies of mythology and horoscopes has led people to believe that one's life and personality is somehow governed by the alignment of the constellations and that these signs can guide a person's daily decisions and even predict the future. These lies are found in practically every newspaper printed each day on the horoscope page. I'd rather call it a "horror-scope" because astrology is from Satan, the deceiver who seeks to separate you from God with lies. His goal is to destroy the Creator’s amazing creation witness to the good news of the Gospel that God has placed above in Heaven since creation.
Astrology is a personal sin that is linked to idolatry and the worship of the sun, moon, planets and the stars instead of the One, the Almighty God of the Universe that created these to show us His glory. The disciple John tells us what Jesus taught:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10The Holman Bible translation cites Paul from Ephesians 2:2 describing Satan as "the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient". There's a reason Holman says that. Yet, just like the two or more witnesses that are required by Torah, the good news of Messiah's coming can be seen in His creation in Heaven and Earth. That is why the Word of God tells us:
Genesis 1:14: "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years"With that in mind, consider the story line of the comet's path through the constellations that declare the gospel:
1) The comet's tail will appear like a "scepter" held by Leo (the Lion) from October 4th-November 3rd as it brightens. First, it will pass by the great star Regulus then the planet Mars as it moves on to...This is an amazing 'potential' eight (8) constellation journey. Eight has a very special meaning in Scripture. Do you see the imagery in the storyboard through the signs in the skies? If not, read the names of the constellations in the order of its orbit path once again and consider the Gospel message given through the name sequence of each constellation.
2) Virgo (the Virgin) during the day where it will pass by the star Spica and Saturn as it enters this constellation on November 4th and departs November 24th.
3) ISON will move down and tip by the (balance scales) of Libra on November 24-26 and it may look just like a sword by the time it cuts through...
4) Scorpio (the Redeemer’s conflict) on November 27-29. The comet should finally be visible to the unaided eye for a few days at sunrise before it approaches very close to the Sun on November 28, 2013 when it reaches perihelion. If it survives, it may appear to cut through...
5) The center of the constellation Drago, slicing through the serpent on the last day of the Festival of Lights - Hanukkah December 5, 2013. This could be the best time to see the bright light of the comet as it should be visible all though the night sky from sundown to sunrise...
6) Next it moves through the constellation Corona Borealis (the crown) as it flies past its brightest star Alphecca (Astarte) before it's scepter-like tail cuts through...
7) The center of Draco (the Dragon) on December 29th to 31st during the mid-day hours as seen from Jerusalem. On January 1, 2014 Comet ISON will then cross over the...
8) Gemini (The Twins) and remain there vanishing out of eyesight just after the Earth passes through it's former path to the Sun on or about January 14, 2014.
Although it may no longer be visible to the unaided eye as Comet ISON moves further away from the Sun, its path declares a story through the signs in the sky (see Genesis 1:4). The appearance of this newly found giant comet reminded me of the record of the Jewish historian Josephus in book VI, chapter 5 of his account of The Wars Of The Jews. Here this great historian described the following account of another comet that arrived before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Josephus recounts a heavenly "sign" that was ignored by those "without eyes or minds to consider" it at the time:
"Thus were the miserable people persuaded by these deceivers, and such as belied God himself; while they did not attend nor give credit to the signs that were so evident, and did so plainly foretell their future desolation, but, like men infatuated, without either eyes to see or minds to consider, did not regard the denunciations that God made to them.Comet ISON and the story shown in the path it will take across heaven is amazing even if it does not survive its journey around the sun.
Thus there was a star resembling a sword, which stood over the city, and a comet, that continued a whole year."
It reminds me too of the prophecies of Balaam. Here's why: Balaam was hired to curse Israel but God intervened and instead Balaam blessed them. Balaam was given two signs for the first and second coming of the Messiah! The first was a star.
We all know of the Star of Bethlehem, so consider Balaam's words and what they might mean in Numbers 24:17:
"I see him but not now; I behold him but not near. A star shall come forth from Jacob."The second is the scepter of Israel:
"A scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth."Gale E. Christiansond writes in her book, Edwin Hubble: Mariner of the Nebulae, a brief note about the Comet of 1680. Edwin Hubble, for whom our largest space telescope is named, poked fun of William Whiston, a student of Isaac Newton and Newton's successor as professor of mathematics at Cambridge University.
Whiston believed that the comet of 1682 had literally grazed the earth after the fall of Eden, triggering Noah's Flood in 2346 BC the the year of God's first judgment by water.
The historical archive of Immanuel Velikovsky’s unpublished writings, VArchive.org tells us:
"The author whom Whiston names as his source was J. Hevelius, whose Cometographia was published in 1668. Apparently Whiston did not go further back to the sources of Hevelius: to Abraham Rockenbach (15 -16 ), Seth Calvisius (1556-1615), Henricus Ecstormius, Christopher Helvicus (1581-1617) and David Herlicius (1557-1636). Abraham Rockenbach was a scholar of the late Renaissance, a man of broad interests, already evident from that fact that he occupied both, the chair of Greek and of Mathematics at the University of Frankfurt, and later taught law and became Dean of the Philosophical College at that University. In 1602 he published a short treatise in Latin, De cometis tractatus novus methodicus, and in it he had the following entry concerning the Deluge:If you have not heard of Velikovsky, consider this: it was one of his published works that Einstein had sitting on his study desk at the time of his passing in 1955.
In the year of the creation of the world 1656, after Noah had attained the age of 600 years, three days before the death of Methusalem, a comet appeared in the constellation Pisces, was seen by the entire world as it traversed the twelve signs of the zodiac in the space of a month; on the sixteenth of April it again disappeared. After this, the Deluge immediately followed, in which all creatures which live on earth and creep on the ground were drowned, with the exception of Noah and the rest of the creatures that had gone with him into the ark. About these things is written in Genesis, chapter 7.Rockenbach lived and wrote nearly a hundred years before Whiston. What were Rockenbach’s sources? He did not let us know. He referred to them at the beginning of his treatise, claiming that it was based on information ex probatissimis & antiquissimis veterum scriptoribus—"from the most trustworthy and the most ancient of the early writers. We have already had occasion to quote from Rockenbach in connection with the comet that shone during the Exodus.”
Coincidentally, just as ISON intersects with our orbital plane, we will experience a Hybrid eclipse of the Sun that will span across the globe from the U.S. to the Middle East. According to NASA, seven hybrid eclipses have occurred in the last 2,000 years.
Below, is a graphic representation of the Earth's orbital trajectory intersection with ISON's orbit path on January 14, 2013 from SolarSystemScope that can be viewed interactively. Below is a day by day video representation prepared for the Goddard Space Flight Center by INOVE:
To learn more about Comet Ison's orbital path, you may want to also visit the website of Seiichi Yoshida. Of course, comets don’t always live up to expectations. Comet ISON might break up into fragments, as the 'much-hyped' Comet Elenin did around August 2011.
Few of us saw Comet C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) in the Spring of 2013 but it is interesting to note as well. PanSTARRS became brightest right around mid-March 2013, two weeks before Passover. Interestingly, regarding PanSTARRS, March 15th is known as the date on the Roman calendar in 44 B.C. when Julius Caesar was murdered.
PanStarrs first appeared at the East horizon above the heart of the constellation Andromeda on Passover March 25, 2013 in the Jerusalem morning sky around 6:00AM just about an hour before sunrise. In the US, PanStarrs arrived on Passover March 26, 2013 at 5:40AM. In the ancient Hebrew Mazzaroth, Andromeda represents the suffering and afflicted.
And these are not the only Comets on the horizon. According to a Space.com report:
"A newfound comet is apparently on course to have an exceedingly close call with the planet Mars in October 2014, and there is a chance — albeit small — that the comet may even collide with the red planet.Could a Comet Hit Mars in 2014?
The new comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) was discovered Jan. 3 by the Scottish-Australian astronomer Robert H. McNaught, a prolific observer of both comets and asteroids who has 74 comet discoveries to his name."
"C/2013 A1 was discovered by ace comet-hunter Robert McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia, on Jan. 3. When the discovery was made, astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona looked back over their observations to find "prerecovery" images of the comet dating back to Dec. 8, 2012. These observations placed the orbital trajectory of comet C/2013 A1 through Mars orbit on Oct. 19, 2014."It just so happens that October 19th 2014 is four days after the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
NASA predicts a total lunar eclipse will occur eleven days earlier on the 8th of October 2014 and will cast a shadow over the globe on the first day of Tabernacles. This red moon eclipse will be the second in a sequence of four consecutive lunar eclipse events following the Passover eclipse expected on April 15, 2014.
It's time to pay attention to the warnings of Joel and Peter as well. You can read them now in Joel 2:30-31 and Acts 2:19-20. As you consider their words, you can track the details of the coming eclipses of the Moon and the Sun at the U.S. Navy Observatory.
Down the road there are more to come.
What does this all mean?
It's time for you to repent and return to God's voice, return to hear and do His word and walk in the faith of His Kingdom path so that you can ready your lamp for your coming assignment.
It means we need to know "Who is the One Called Jesus.
Consider a prayer: Please, God guide me by your Spirit as to what I should hear and do.
It's time to repent and return to God's voice, return to hear and do His words and walk in the faith of His Kingdom path so that you can ready your lamp for your assignment.
Stretch out your hand, and take from the tree of life, and live forever.
Open a Bible, read it, listen to God's voice and do Yeshua's teaching about the forever jots and tittles.
You can learn how the things which are written in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Psalms are concerning Messiah and you can teach others to live life like Jesus, it's love in God's way:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:16-17
Today is the time, open your eyes if you're dead in your own valley of dry bones.
Look up and you'll recognize Messiah from Abraham's promise passed on to Isaac and Jacob as written by Moses in the Torah. You can see Him too in the Prophets and the Writings.
Repent and walk your Emmaus Road with Messiah. Study the Scriptures He taught every Sabbath that are filled with doing life God's way in the Kingdom, and tell others about Him. Be a gatekeeper until the house is complete.
Shalom.