in honor of my parents Marian and Howard Johnson and my brother David Johnson

Transcription

1 in honor of my parents Marian and Howard Johnson and my brother David Johnson

2 Introducing Nameofthelord777 Ministry Short History and Focus Short History of our Ministry we are non denominational Self funded Ministry. We started in 2013 January with two branches one in Mandaue Cebu and the other in Palawan Philippines. We Seek to reach the Lost and edify the Saved through the PROMOTION OF BIBLE READING AND SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION. We also have a Bible Teaching Ministry with Practical Edifying You Tube Power point studies of Various Topics Relevant to the Bible and Christian Living. Our Emphasis is to prepare and alert the World s Christians to the imminent danger in our perilous End Times and the fact that all signs point to Tribulation and at its end the Rapture. Nameofthelord777 Ministry can be contacted in Philippines by cells / you can contact us easier by our Nameofthelord777@yahoo.com.

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4 Nameofthelord777 Ministry Astronomy and Jesus Study This is the short version for general public If you want to see the long version with many references and you tubes let us know via web page at Nameofthelord777.com

5 Stars and Orion Bible Scriptures Amos 5:8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name; Job 38:31 Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Job 9:9 Who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south

6 Psalm 147:4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Psalm 8:1-9 To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

7 Revelation 12:1-17 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,... Isaiah 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

8 2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Joel 3:15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. Psalm 29:6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. Psalm 8:3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, Genesis 1:1-31 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day....

9 Psalm 74:1-23 A Maskil of Asaph. O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs. They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees.... Psalm 19:1-14 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy....

10 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, John 2:1-25 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. And Jesus said to her, Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you.... Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?

11 Isaiah 34:7 Wild oxen shall fall with them, and young steers with the mighty bulls. Their land shall drink its fill of blood, and their soil shall be gorged with fat. Job 41:1-34 Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls?... Job 9:1-35 Then Job answered and said: Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded? he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,...

12 Revelation 20:2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 2 Timothy 3:1-7 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.... Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

13 Isaiah 47:13 You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you. Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. Psalm 92:10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. Psalm 22:21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! Psalm 18:8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.

14 Job 10:1-22 I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me. Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked? Have you eyes of flesh? Do you see as man sees? Are your days as the days of man, or your years as a man's years,... Deuteronomy 4:19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

15 Numbers 11:1-35 And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them. Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.... Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. Isaiah 38:13 I calmed myself until morning; like a lion he breaks all my bones; from day to night you bring me to an end.

16 Isaiah 30:7 Egypt's help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab who sits still. Psalm 104:26 There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. Psalm 8:8 The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. Job 40:21-23 Under the lotus plants he lies, in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh. For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the willows of the brook surround him. Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth. Job 39:9 Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger?

17 Job 38:32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Job 26:12 By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab. Job 26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. Job 26:7 He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing. Job 23:12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

18 Job 16:12 I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target; Numbers 23:22 God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. Genesis 1:21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

19 The Stars Tell the Redemption Story The wise men found guidance in the Star of Bethlehem, for they saw His star in the east, and came to worship Him. Let us establish the fact of a star-picture in the heavens, which was known to the writers of the Old Testament. "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" (PSALM 19:1-4). Further in this Psalm one sees the circuit through which the sun passes to clarify the heavenly lights. The Bible declares,"he telleth the number of the stars, he calleth them all by their names" (PSALM 147:4). In JOB 38 we read of the Pleiades - better known as the 'Seven Sisters'; Orion - 'The Pot'; Arcturus - 'The Bear'; and the Mazzaroth - an old Hebrew word translated as the 'Twelve Signs'.

20 The Greeks translate these twelve signs into the word 'Zodiakos', meaning 'circle', and from thence we have the word 'Zodiac'. The centre of the heaven is divided into 12 sections, and each year the sun passes through these twelve sections or 'signs'. This path through the stars in these signs is known as the ecliptic path. It is believed that the major stars in these twelve signs depict God's message of redemption to mankind, each sign having a Hebrew star name inspiring the picture story drawn on the heavens. Wonderful Message Before further explaining these signs and subsidiary stars, with their wonderful message, it is important to note the profound difference between astronomy and astrology. The term 'astro' means 'star' in both words. The term 'nomos' means 'a law or arrangement or plan', whereas the word 'logos' means a 'word' or 'doctrine'. It is from the study of astrology that the reading of the horoscope has developed. This word comes from the Greek hora meaning 'know' and skopein, to 'view'. It applies to observation of the hour of birth and the practice is to endeavour to tell a man's fortune by the position of stars at the time of his birth.

21 The Bible presents the wonders of the heavens as proof of a Creator and the details of the zodiac as a series of pictures giving details of the plan of the ages. The horoscope is a pseudo and vain attempt to transfer this story into individual prophecies, lucky days and personal direction. God has challenged the claims of the astrologers on numerous occasions. His warning to Israel as recorded in ISAIAH 47 speaks for itself: "Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them..." (ISAIAH 47:12-14). The practice of astrology and the reading of horoscopes is unreal and useless.

22 The Twelve Signs The twelve signs are fairly well known. They commence with Virgo, the Virgin, and conclude with Leo, the Lion; these two signs being associated directly with the birth and subsequent return of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Egyptian archives the sphinx is shown inserted as an asterisk between these two signs, thus dividing the circle and solving its own riddle of the 'woman and lion'. From here on each sign depicts some aspect of the Bible narrative: Virgo (the woman) with the branch lies amid 140 stars, with the sun taking 43 days to pass through this constellation. The brightest star in this sign is Tsemech (Hebrew) or Al Zimach (Arabic), meaning 'the branch'. The artist has drawn a woman and branch. ISAIAH 7:14 states, "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son...". There are three smaller constellations in each sign, also depicting similar aspects of the Bible story. Next is Libra, which in Hebrew is Mozanaim, meaning 'the Scales'. Note that our own Southern Cross is in this constellation.

23 Then comes Scorpio, which in Hebrew is Akrab, meaning the Scorpion' or 'stinging (conflicting) one'. In Arabic the word is translated as 'wounding him that cometh.' The Bible tells us that the "seed of the woman" would bruise the serpent's head. The sign Sagittarius, the Archer, depicts a disciple of the conquering Lord given us in REVELATION 6. The dragon, Draco, is shown as cast down in the same constellation. Next comes Capricornus, the Sin Goat. Our Lord was the scapegoat and we are His fish, a wonderful symbol of the redemption plan as written in the heavens. Aquarius, the Water Bearer, depicts the pouring on of water (See JOHN 7). One Hebrew star in this constellation, Deli, means 'water container', and another star, Saad, means 'one who goeth and returneth.'

24 Pisces is better known as Pisces Australis, the 'southern fish'. The Hebrew word simply means 'the fishes', and speaks no doubt of the great ingathering of revival and restoration as promised. Innumerable scriptures speak of all these terms. Andromeda, the 'chained woman', is also shown in this constellation, symbolising Israel as the woman still chained in unbelief. Aries, 'the Ram or Lamb', which in Hebrew is Teleh, is an obvious picture of the many times our Lord is presented both in the Old and New Testaments. Cassiopiea, 'the enthroned woman' is in this constellation and speaks of the restored and crowned Is-ra-el people of God. The sign for Taurus signifies 'the Bull'. The brightest star here is Al Debaran, meaning 'leader' or 'governor'. It is prophesied of Jesus in ISAIAH 9, "...and the government shall be upon his shoulders..." (ISAIAH 9:6).

25 In this same constellation we have a cluster of stars called Pleiades, 'the congregation of the judge - or ruler', with its brightest star Al Cyone, meaning 'the centre'. Many astronomers believe this star to be the centre of the whole universe. Also in this constellation is Orion, which means 'the coming prince'. In Hebrew, Oarian, meaning 'light', and Hagat, 'the triumphant one'. Amos refers to Orion, which in Hebrew is Chesil, meaning 'the strong one - hero - giant'. In the right shoulder of Orion we find Betelgeuz 'the coming branch', and in his left foot Rigol, 'the foot that crusheth'. A star in his left shoulder, Bellatrix, means 'quietly coming', and in the belt of Orion the star Al Niyak, means 'the wounded one. Next is Gemini, the Twins. The Hebrew word is 'Thaumin' meaning 'unites'. Jesus the man, Christ the God, the unity of man and God provides our recommendation as sons of God also. We find the star Apollo here, meaning 'ruler' or 'judge'.

26 Cancer is derived from the Arabic words 'al sartan' and means 'one who holds or binds together.' One large star in the sign of Cancer is Acubene, which means in Hebrew 'the shelter' or 'hiding place'. Also in this constellation is Ursa Major, the 'great bear' recorded in JOB 9 and 38. Many other stars with Hebrew names are associated with this sign, and depict the lamb and the gathering of the sheep with the Lord. Finally we have Leo, the Lion. The end of the Zodiac circle. The riddle of the sphinx is solved with the head of the woman Virgo and the body of the lion Leo, which in Hebrew is Arieh. There are six Hebrew words for lion. This one means 'the lion that herds its prey.' Star of the first magnitude in this constellation is Denebola, meaning 'the Lord who cometh.' "Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book..." (REVELATION 5:5).

27 Our future is written in God's Word and declared in the heavens. Satan, as the master of illusion or delusion, still captivates the gullible. The present increase in the "occult", the ouija board, seances, and horoscopes, all side-track the unsuspecting and superstitious, and endeavour to replace the ideology of God with that of man. As an alternative to the wonderful "outpouring of the Holy Spirit" as shown in the Word of God and confirmed in the Zodiac, millions have now turned to the vanity of their own devices. Don't read your horoscope - read the Bible. This Christmas look for your Guiding Star to appear in your life. The Lord Jesus Christ is our own personal Star of Bethlehem, and as you place that star on top of that tree remember its true meaning, not its pagan godless alternative, but rather its message of hope and redemption. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the Day Star arise in your hearts" (2 PETER 1:19).

28 The Gospel in the Stars By J.R. Church on July 17, 2011 Long before men perverted the message of the constellations and established ancient idolatry, God named the stars and set them in the heavens for signs: 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 1:14). The book of Job predates the writing of Genesis. Though it is part of the Bible, it was written about a man who lived before Moses. Job had no written Bible. The Bible this ancient pilgrim read consisted of a series of constellations that appeared in the night skies high above the earth.

29 There are references to these constellations in the book of Job, along with an explanation of why they appear as they do in the heavens. Job 26 tells us that the crooked serpent is one of God s leading characters in this drama of the ages and that these constellations these pillars of heaven make up the parts of God s ways : The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. Lo, these are parts of his ways (Job 26:11,13-14). These verses explain that the constellations were devised to teach early man about God s plan for redemption. In the writings of his five famous books, Moses noted that the sun, moon, planets and stars were given for signs (Genesis 1:14).

30 In The Gospel in the Stars, Joseph Seiss wrote: For ages this whole field has been almost entirely left to a superstitious and idolatrous astrology, which has befouled a noble and divine science and done immeasurable damage to the souls of men. But we here find it claimed to be a sacred domain laid out of God in the original intent of Creation itself. Cicero, in translating the account of the constellations by Aratus, says, The signs are measured out, that in so many descriptions divine wisdom might appear. Dr. Adam Clarke says of the ancient Egyptians, They held the stars to be symbols of sacred things. It is well known that astronomy was the soul of the Egyptian religious system. The same is equally true of the Chaldeans and Assyrians. Albert Barnes once wrote: There can be no doubt that Job refers here to the constellations, and that the sense in the passage is, that the greatness and glory of God are seen by forming the beautiful and glorious constellations that adorn the sky.

31 The constellations were known and studied as far back as the earliest civilizations known to exist. The Sphinx that guards the Great Pyramid of Giza, with its woman s head and lion s body, testifies to the ancient existence of the constellations. The Zodiac is part of every ancient culture the Romans, Greeks, Babylonians and Egyptians. Yet, before them all, Job confirmed that God had garnished the heavens with pillars including the crooked serpent and that they represent the parts of his ways. The Characters in the Drama The serpent mentioned in Job 26:13 is one of the leading characters noted in Job s Mazzaroth (Zodiac). The various constellations that refer to the serpent are: Draco a dragon curled around the northern polar star and whose tail covers a third of the circle of the heavens. Cetus the Leviathan or sea dragon. Scorpio the seed of the serpent. Hydra the many-headed dragon, whose tail also covers a third of the ecliptic path of the sun.

32 The Hebrew term used for crooked actually refers to a fleeing serpent. Among the various serpent figures in the Zodiac, Hydra is the only one seen trying to get away from the lion, who pounces on his head; the bird, who eats his flesh; and the bowl of wrath being poured out upon him. Therefore, Hydra appears to be the fleeing serpent referred to in this most ancient of Old Testament books. Job knew about the story God had placed in the stars. It is the story of the conflict between the Seed of the woman (Virgo) and Scorpio, the seed of the serpent. The son of Virgo is none other than the Son of God, while Scorpio points to the Antichrist. Christ is depicted in the constellations in various ways. The first and last constellations tell the story of the Savior. They are Virgo who bears the Son of God and Leo the Conquering Lion who comes to destroy Hydra, the many-headed Dragon. The story begins in Bethlehem and ends with the King of kings returning to conquer the old serpent who brought such ruin to the human race.

33 Job does not give a detailed account of the Zodiac, but refers briefly to those constellations that deal with the final judgment. He is asked about certain objects in the constellation of Taurus. It is quite remarkable that the conversation lands on this particular series of stars and sidereal sidepieces in Taurus because this is the constellation that deals with the Day of the Lord. Note that God refers to a group of stars called the Pleiades and the constellation of Orion, both found in and around Taurus. Then Job refers to Arcturus (KJV), whose name in Hebrew is Ash bear, a clear reference to Ursa Major; and finally to the chambers of the south : Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number (Job 9:8-10)

34 Before we look at these, let us note one other passage that deals with these same constellations. Note that the ancient star chart is called by its Hebrew term, Mazzaroth, rather than the modern term, Zodiac: Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? (Job 38:31-33) This is a powerful statement that connects the last four constellations with a future designated time in which the mighty Orion returns to judge the world as seen in the four concluding constellations of Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo. These are the ordinances of heaven that, evidently, Job did not understand.

35 The seven stars of Pleiades may be a reference to the seven churches of Asia. In ancient Greek mythology, Pleiades were seven sisters loved by Orion. Their astronomical positions in relation to each other are similar to the various locations of the seven cities of ancient Asia. The sweet influences may be a reference to the impact Christianity has had upon the world over the past two millennia. The bands of Orion refers to the mighty belt of which he is invincibly girded, whose bands no one can loose. In the corrupted mythology of the Greeks, Orion walked on water; was stung in the heal by Scorpio; prepared a lake of fire for the god of fire; and out of love for the Pleiadic maiden, ridded the earth of all noxious beasts. Though corrupted, the original message is obvious. Christ displayed all of the attributes of Orion.

36 Taurus, depicted in the heavens as a raging bull, means the Coming Judge. Over a century ago, Joseph Seiss titled his chapter on Taurus as The Day of the Lord. The twelve major constellations, beginning with Virgo and ending with Leo, are divided into three groups of four constellations each. The first four, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius, present the First Advent of Christ. The next four, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries, tell the story of the Church Age. The final four, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and Leo, tell of the Second Advent of Christ Like Job, however, we must admit ignorance when it comes to the question that God put to the ancient pilgrim: Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? (Job 38:33). We can only speculate. We know very little about these ordinances of heaven.

37 The Biblical View of the Constellations David wrote, The heavens declare the glory of God Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. Obviously, there is a message in the heavens that we need to understand. For centuries, astrologers have been prognosticating the future, using the zodiac and its series of planets, stars and constellations. Where did they get the idea for such a thing? What is Astrology? And, what possible connection does it have with the Bible? We are reminded that astrology is a wicked and perverted religion. It was the idolatry of the Old Testament, and should rightly be regarded as satanic. Long before astrology was developed, however, there was an ancient astronomy that dealt with an altogether different message. Students of Eschatology need to understand that message. It is the original prophecy of the First and Second Advents of the Messiah.

38 If Christians could only understand the original prophetic message given in the ancient names of the stars and constellations, no one would become ignorantly involved with astrology. The truth would indeed set men free from that ancient idolatry. According to Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of the first century, Seth, the son of Adam, invented that peculiar sort of wisdom which is concerned with the heavenly bodies and their order ( Antiquities, Book I, Chapter 2, Paragraph 3). Long before the development of astrology, God placed His intriguing message in the constellations. Every pagan religion throughout history is nothing more than a perversion of that original story. During the days of the Tower of Babel, wicked men perverted God s original message and made the constellations to mean something quite different from that which God intended.

39 According to Genesis 1:14, God created the sun, moon, planets, and stars for four basic reasons three of which, were to give the human race a method by which to measure time. For example, the days of our week are named after the sun, moon, and five planets. Though the stars were basically stationary, these seven ancient wanderers were not. They moved through the heavens with precision. Sunday was named for the sun; Monday was named for the moon; Tuesday derived its name from an ancient Anglo-Saxon word for Mars; Wednesday, or Woden s day, was named for the planet Mercury; Thursday, or Thor s day, was named for Jupiter; Friday derived its name from an Anglo-Saxon word for Venus; And Saturday was named for Saturn. There are twelve major constellations from which are derived the months in a year. The sun enters a different constellation each month. The moon was made to revolve for the counting of those months. In fact, the word month is a derivative from the term moon.

40 The stars were originally divided into 48 constellations 12 major constellations, with 36 decans or sidereal sidepieces. Furthermore, the stars were given certain names, many of which have survived throughout the course of history. In Psalm 147:4, we are told that God named the stars: He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. And again in Isaiah 40:26, the prophet wrote: Lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number; He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. When David wrote, night unto night sheweth knowledge (Psalm 19:2), he must have been referring to meanings of the names of the stars. Though most people in our generation are not aware of those ancient names, David and his contemporaries were. In his native language of Hebrew, the names of the stars were commonly used in messianic prophecies.

41 Kenneth C. Flemming, in his book God s Voice in the Stars, wrote, God Himself is responsible for the names of the stars. He did not entrust this task to Adam, as He did in the giving of names to animals. During the first 2,500 years of human history, before writing became widespread, these signs in the night sky were of particular importance. They declared the glory of God as seen in the coming of the Savior (page 23). Where to Begin? Since the great constellations tell the Gospel story, we must determine where our study should begin. In the idolatrous religion of astrology, the first constellation is considered to be Aries. Idolatry, however, is diametrically opposite to God s great message of salvation. Therefore, the beginning constellation should be 180 degrees opposite from Aries. The Gospel in the stars begins with Virgo, the virgin and ends with Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

42 The ancient Egyptians designated the beginning of the heavenly series with Virgo when they constructed the sphinx, which stands to the east of the great pyramid of Giza. It shows a woman s head on the body of a lion indicating that the ancient star chart began with the virgin and ended with the lion. Prophetically, Virgo represents the First Coming of Christ, and Leo points to the Second Coming. The message begins at Bethlehem, and concludes with the return of Christ! Act One of Three Acts The story is divided into a three-act play. The first four major constellations and their sidepieces constitute Act One, and ends with Draco losing his lofty position in the northern polar region. Act Two covers the story found in Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Aries, and ends with Cetus (the sea monster) rising out of the sea. Act Three tells the story of Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo, and concludes with Hydra (the many headed serpent) being destroyed.

43 The ancient star chart revolves around the story of the dispensation of Grace. There is nothing in the Zodiac about the Creation, Flood, Law, tabernacle, or temple. There is nothing in the stars to represent the great dispensations that preceded Bethlehem. The whole message woven throughout the ancient constellations gives us the dispensation of Grace. Act One tells about the Savior s First Advent; Act Two covers the Church Age; and Act Three gives us His Second Coming. Virgo The constellation, Virgo, was given to represent God s promise in Genesis 3:15. It was in Eden that God spoke to the beguiling serpent: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel. The fact that the constellation is called a virgin reminds us of Isaiah 7:14: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name, Immanuel.

44 The picture of Virgo is that of a woman with a shock of wheat in her left hand and a branch in her right hand. The brightest star in the constellation is located in the seed of the wheat. The star is called Spica, a Latin word meaning the branch. Along with the branch in her right hand, we are reminded of Isaiah 4:2: In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious. In the Old Testament, our Savior is called a rod of the stem of Jesse a root out of dry ground. And Zechariah called Him the Branch. There are three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of Virgo, making a total of four constellations. There is Coma the Virgin with her newborn son; Boötes the great harvestman; and Centaurus the archer.

45 Coma The word Coma means the desired, for the child in the lap of his mother represents the desired one, the desire of women, the desire of all nations the long awaited Messiah. Isaiah offers another scripture that identifies this child. He wrote: Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Yes, the virgin of Isaiah 7:14 bears a son, Immanuel God is with us!

46 Centaurus In the ancient star chart, the Centaur is pictured as being half human and half horse. That, however, is not the original concept of the constellation. The name Centaurus simply means, two natures. Obviously, it referred to the fact that since the Seed of the woman was virgin born, he was not the seed of man. His two natures, then, represent a combination of humanity and deity. He is God clothed in human flesh and, therefore, can rightly be called Immanuel, which means God is with us. In Genesis 15, the story is given of Abraham and the covenant made by God with him. Genesis 15:5: And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward the heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be.

47 The message written in the stars refers to the seed of Abraham. The telling of the stars and the numbering of the stars presents a prophetic message of the coming Savior of the world. Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of that great message. Virgo and her attending sidereal sidepieces represent the beginning of an adventure to destroy the seed of the serpent and to rescue the human race. In the 12th chapter of Revelation she is seen clothed in the sun with the moon under her feet, giving birth to the Messiah. This tells us that His birth was on Rosh Hashanah, a time when the constellation Virgo is hidden by the sun and the new moon appears beneath her feet! Virgo represents both the house of Israel and Mary.

48 Libra The next major constellation is Libra. There are two ancient stories that emerge from this constellation. The first rendering of Libra was that of a lamp indicative of the servant lamp in the menorah. Scorpio is shown in some ancient drawings as trying to seize the lamp. The lamp denotes the nature of the seed of the woman, being positioned just beneath the feet of Virgo. Scorpio wants the lamp for himself. Scorpio, as we shall see, represents the seed of the serpent. It is the first representation of the conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

49 In other cultures, Libra was depicted as a set of scales. Libra represented the condition of the human race after the fall of Adam. Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting (Dan. 5:27). The sign of Libra has been associated with justice and order throughout the centuries. For that reason, the symbol has often been used on buildings housing courts of law and justice. This was the message given to Belshazzar, king of Babylon. In Daniel 5:27, Belshazzar failed to satisfy the righteous demands of God: Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting. Is that not also descriptive of the human race? We are all guilty before the great Judge.

50 There are two main stars in the sign of Libra, which tell the story of the prophecy. In one side of the scales, there is a star called Zuben Al Genubi. It means the price which is deficient. Undoubtedly, it points to the price which man might attempt to pay for redemption. There is no way one can obtain salvation through good works for the price is deficient. On the other side of the scales, however, there is a star called Zuben Al Chemali, meaning the price which covers. It is a picture of the price paid by Christ for the redemption of the sinner. The constellation, Libra, is attended by three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of the price of redemption.

51 Crux The Southern Cross The first of the three constellations related to Libra is a group of stars in the form of the Southern Cross. The ancient title is Crux. In the northern hemisphere, we cannot see the Southern Cross. It lies below the southern horizon. In the ancient star charts, by the way, the south always represented hell, and the north represented heaven. The constellation reveals the price that was paid by the seed of the woman in order to redeem mankind.

52 Lupus The second constellation related to Libra is known as Lupus, but the Latins called it Victima the victim. The seed of the woman became the victim upon the cross and, in so doing, became the price that covers.

53 Corona Borealis The third constellation in Libra is called Corona Borealis the Northern Crown. It is a beautiful semi-circle of a half dozen stars located in the northern hemisphere. The story of Libra is this man is a sinner. We are weighed in the balances of God s justice and are found wanting. The seed of the woman, however, came to become a victim to pay the price for our sins. He died as a substitute upon the Southern Cross that He might gain for us the Northern Crown.

54 Scorpio The third great constellation is Scorpio. It represents a scorpion, though in some early cultures, he is depicted as a dragon or serpent. As we said earlier, in the 7th century B.C., he is shown trying to seize the lamp. Scorpio wants to be the light of the world. In other cultures, Scorpio is seen trying to sting the heel of the mighty Ophiuchus, who is seen in the ancient star charts wrestling with a great snake, called Serpens.

55 While the Scorpion is trying to wound the heel of Ophiuchus, the head of Scorpio is being wounded. It is said that the word, Scorpio, means the Lawless One, and as such, represents the seed of the serpent the Antichrist. The star in the heart of Scorpio is called Anteres. When seen in the nighttime sky, it gives the appearance of a deep red color and means, the wounding. While Ophiuchus is crushing the head of Scorpio, he is seen binding the serpent, who is trying to gain the northern crown. There are three sidereal sidepieces to the constellation Scorpio Serpens, Ophiuchus, and Hercules. These help to tell the story of the conflict seen in Scorpio.

56 Serpens The serpent (Serpens) represents Satan, who has tried to usurp the throne of God. He is seen trying to grab the Northern Crown. He cannot do so, however, because he is being held back by Ophiuchus.

57 Ophiuchus Ophiuchus is obviously a view of Christ who, though His heel is bruised in the conflict, succeeds in bruising the head of the Lawless One. In his hands he holds Serpens, keeping him from obtaining the Northern Crown.

58 Hercules The other hero character is Hercules. He can be seen in the star chart beating a many-headed snake with his club. The snake is shown in the branches of a tree most likely the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Hercules is another picture of the great Redeemer.

59 Kenneth C. Fleming, in his book God s Voice in the Stars, wrote that the sign of Virgo pointed to Christ as the sign of the promised Seed of the woman; the sign of Libra showed the price He paid to secure man s redemption; and the sign of Scorpio presented the conflict He had to endure. These celestial prophecies were given in the beginning, and were confirmed and expanded in Scripture. Finally, they were fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ. Scorpio, who represents the Lawless One, is pictured as the seed of the serpent. In an ancient Egyptian Zodiac, the sign of Scorpio was represented as a monster serpent called Python. It not only represented the great conflict fought at Calvary, but also seems to have prophetic implications concerning the end-time when the Antichrist shall arise

60 Sagittarius The fourth great constellation is called Sagittarius, appearing in the form of a centaur half human, half horse. It is the same concept as was given in the story of Virgo. Centarus, one of the sidereal sidepieces in Virgo, represented the two natures of the Redeemer His deity and humanity. In Sagittarius, He is both triumphant and victorious. Though He appears in the form of a Centaur, we are reminded that our Savior will return some day, riding upon a flying white horse. The main actor in the constellation is the Archer. The Centaur, or God-man, has a great bow in his hand, with the arrow aimed at the heart of Scorpio, the enemy. Sagittarius, like the other major constellations, has three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story.

61 Lyra First, there is Lyra. This star group is pictured as a harp and refers to the praise so deserved by Sagittarius. The brightest star in the constellation is called Vega. It means, He shall be exalted. It directs our attention to the praise from the harp. In Revelation 5:9,13, we are told that the host of heaven will sing a new song saying, Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation (v. 9). The host of heaven will sing, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever (v. 13).

62 Ara Further to the south from Sagittarius is its second sidereal sidepiece an altar called Ara. The altar is seen upside down, with its fire poured out over the South Pole called the regions of outer darkness. Here begins a cloud of stars, which runs throughout the heavens. Today, it is called the Milky Way, but in some ancient star charts, it was referred to as the lake of fire. The word Ara, name of the upturned altar means, it is finished. There is no more sacrifice for sin.

63 Draco The concluding constellation, which forms a sidereal sidepiece to the great Sagittarius is Draco the dragon. This staging of the dragon concludes the first act in the prophetic drama. Draco is a long winding constellation made up of stars, which wrap around the northernmost part of the hemisphere. It covers one-third of the circumference and reminds us of Revelation 12:3,4: And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads.

64 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven. Some 4,700 years ago, the great dragon star, Thuban, was in fact the polar star. Over the centuries, however, Draco has fallen from his lofty position and has been replaced by Polaris kicked out of heaven because he tried to usurp the throne of God. The message seen in the ancient star chart tells a story quite different from that which astrology would have us believe. Those who would try to prognosticate the future, by use of a horoscope, are actually perverting God s original message given in the constellations. Satan did not invent the zodiac. In fact, it is my opinion that Satan is incapable of inventing anything. He has only perverted what God originally created. God made and named the great constellations and their stars. And the meanings of their names represent the message of redemption from Virgo, corresponding with His birth at Bethlehem, to Leo, corresponding with His return as the lion of the tribe of Judah to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

65 Act Two Act Two of the great drama is presented through the constellations of Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries. These signs, together with their constellations, explain not so much the person of the Redeemer, but the results of his redeeming work, particularly in relation to the people who are redeemed. Capricorn The curtain rises with a very unlikely actor on the stage. It is a goat with the tail of a fish. This strange monstrosity presents a magnificent message when we understand that the goat represents the sacrificial

66 animal used on the Day of Atonement and the fish represents that body of believers who have received life out of the death of the great sacrifice. Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial goat and believers are represented by the fish. In some ancient star charts, the goat appears to be dying with its head bowed and its leg folded, while the fish tail is living and vigorous. There are two stars in the head of the goat that tell the story. Daneb Algedi, which means the sacrifice comes, and Dabih, which means the sacrifice slain. Note that from the dying goat comes a living fish. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that Christ is the head of the Church while, in turn, the Church represents the body of Christ thus the head of a goat and body of a fish. When Jesus appointed His first disciples in Matthew 4:19, He said, I will make you fishers of men.

67 Sagitta There are three sidereal sidepieces that help to tell the story of Capricorn. First, there is a small but ancient constellation called Sagitta the arrow of God s judgment against sin. It represents that which pierced the Son of God when He became the sacrifice for the sins of the world. It depicts the instrument of divine justice on Christ who took the place of guilty man. The Psalmist wrote of it in Psalm 38:2, Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. Job spoke of a similar thing when he lamented, The arrows of the almighty are within me (Job 6:4). Every born again believer can appreciate with deep feeling that He was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5).

68 Aquila The second sidereal sidepiece is Aquila the falling eagle. The ancient names for the stars in the constellation tell the obvious story. There is a star in the falling eagle called Al Okal, which means wounded in the heel. Furthermore, the eagle is one of the symbols of Christ in the Bible. For instance, in Exodus 19:4, God spoke to Moses and the children of Israel saying, I bear you on eagle s wings, and brought you unto myself. Kenneth C. Fleming, in his book God s Voice in the Stars, put it this way: The eagle seen in this constellation is consistent with what we have noted in the whole sign of Capricorn. The slain goat of the sin offering is followed by the arrow of God s judgment and the pierced and falling eagle.

69 Delphinus The third sidereal sidepiece is a constellation called Delphinus. It represents a dolphin, springing out of water. It is the picture of resurrection. Our Savior died to rise again. Furthermore, the dolphin is another creature born of water and, may I add, water is a type of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. The resurrected dolphin represents eternal life given to all who believe.

70 Aquarius The next major constellation following Capricorn is Aquarius the great water bearer. Our Savior identified Himself as the fulfillment of Aquarius in John 4:14. He said, Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

71 Furthermore, we can see its fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out upon believers. That is the message to be found in Aquarius. Throughout the Bible, water has been symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The prophet Joel described it when he wrote, And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28). The Apostle Peter repeated the message on the Day of Pentecost when he explained the rushing mighty wind and the tongues like as of fire that sat upon each of them. Yes, the message in the constellation Aquarius found its ultimate fulfillment through the Day of Pentecost\

72 Piscis Austrinus The water bearer can be seen pouring out his water upon Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish the first of the sidereal sidepieces. The fish, again, represents that which was born of water and of the spirit that great body of believers down through the ages.

73 Cygnus The second sidereal sidepiece in the constellation Aquarius is called Cygnus the Swan of the Northern Cross. The constellation reveals a beautiful swan flying across the heavens, but the stars form the shape of a cross. It implies the message of going to and fro throughout the earth bearing the sign of the cross.

74 Pegasus The third sidereal sidepiece is a flying white horse named Pegasus. Its message is that of the returning Christ. Revelation 19 reveals the beautiful story: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

75 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:11-13). This is the message to be found in Pegasus. Please note, the dispensation begins with the pouring out of His Spirit upon all flesh as seen by the great water bearer. The constellation Pisces Austrinus represents that vast throng of believers who have received the water of life. During this dispensation, it is our responsibility to go to and fro throughout the earth bearing the sign of the cross as can be seen in the constellation Cygnus. Finally, the dispensation will end with the return of Jesus Christ in power and great glory on the back of a flying white horse as seen by the constellation Pegasus.

76 In the shoulder of Pegasus there is a bright star called Markab. It means returning from afar. For more than 2,500 years the world was without a written revelation from God. The question is, Did God leave Himself without a witness? We are told in the Scriptures that He did not. In Romans 1:19, it is written, That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. But how was God known? How were His invisible things His plans, His purposes, and His councils known since the creation of the world? We are given the answer in Roman 10:18. Having stated in verse 17 that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, He asks, But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily. And we may ask, How have they heard? The answer follows; Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world (Romans 10:18).

77 What words? What instructions? Whose message? There is only one answer and that is the heavens! Long before there was a written Bible, there was a message written in the stars. Romans 10:18 refers to that message. It is a passage quoted from Psalm 19, the first part of which is occupied with the revelation of God written in the stars, and the latter part of the chapter with the revelation of God written in the word. This is the simple explanation of the beautiful Psalm 19:1-2: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

78 Pisces In the ancient Mazzaroth, Pisces is shown as two fish with their tails tied together by a band. The constellation with its sidereal sidepieces represents a vast body of believers who have received the water of life down through the centuries. There are two fish, one horizontal and the other vertical. We should note that Pisces was the symbol of Israel and adopted by early Christianity. It is entirely possible that the horizontal fish represents Israel, the earthly Chosen People, while the vertical fish represents a heavenly people. The symbol of Christianity has always been the fish. The disciples became the first fishers of men and following them are the great soul winners of history.

79 In John 21, our Savior stood on the shore of Galilee early in the morning to inquire of the disciples if they had caught any fish. At His request, they pitched their nets on the other side of the ship and brought to shore 153 fish. The story appears to be a prophetic indication of Gentile Christianity gathered during the dispensation of Grace. The Band Pisces is represented by two fish that are bound together with an attending sidereal sidepiece called the Band. Note that the band is connected to the neck of Cetus, the sea monster. Believers are bound to this world system, awaiting the day when our Savior (as seen in Aries) will come to break the bands and set us free.

80 Andromeda The second sidereal sidepiece to the constellation Pisces is Andromeda the chained woman. It is the view of a woman with fetters upon her wrists and ankles. Andromeda means, the assembly. She is fastened down so that she is unable to rise. It is the same picture as is given by the fettered fish. She represents that vast assembly of believers the Bride of Christ. We await the coming of our bridegroom to break the fetters and set us free.

81 Cepheus The third sidereal sidepiece is Cepheus the crowned king. Cepheus is the figure of a glorious king wearing his royal robe and having on his head a crown of stars. On his right shoulder shines a star called Al Deramin meaning, the quickly returning. In the middle of the constellation shines the star Al Phirk, which means the redeemer. In the left knee is still another star called Al Rai, which means the shepherd. The word Cepheus means the royal branch, the king. Pisces, then, with its three sidereal sidepieces tells the story of the Bride of Christ bound in the chains of diversity, awaiting that day when the King, our great Bridegroom, will come to set us free and take us home.

82 Aries The whole story, however, cannot be found in Pisces alone. The next major constellation is Aries, which, along with its sidereal sidepieces, must be considered in order to fully understand the message found in Pisces. The band that holds the two fish together is attached to the neck of Cetus, the sea monster. At the same time, however, the leg of Aries appears to break the bands. Elnath, the brightest star in the constellation means the wounded, or slain. The name Aries means chief or head.

83 Andromeda, the chained woman in the constellation Pisces, is set free by Perseus, a sidereal sidepiece to Aries. Andromeda then becomes Cassiopeia, the enthroned queen in the constellation Aries, who is married to Cepheus, the enthroned king in the constellation Pisces. Aries is the fourth major sign in Act Two of the great drama. The four major constellations of Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries, give a picture of the blessings of salvation. Capricorn represents Christ, the sacrificial head of the Church. Aquarius represents Christ who pours out His Spirit upon all who believe. Pisces represents that vast body of believers who receive the Water of Life, and Aries represents Christ as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.

84 Cassiopeia The first sidereal sidepiece to Aries is Cassiopeia, pictured as a woman sitting upon a throne. With her left hand she is fixing her hair and with her right hand she adjusts her robes. She seems to be making herself ready for her upcoming marriage to King Cepheus who sits nearby upon his throne. She is the Andromeda whose chains have been broken to set her free.

85 Perseus The second sidereal sidepiece is Perseus. He is pictured as a strong soldier with a helmet on his head and a great sword in his right hand. In his left hand he carries the head of Medusa (his adversary) dripping with blood. Medusa means the trodden under foot. The principal star in its head is called Al Ghoul meaning, the evil spirit. Another star is called Rosh Satan meaning, the head of Satan. Each hair in the head of Satan is shown as a snake. The whole picture is that of Satan being wounded in his head. Perseus is a picture of Christ, the great hero who comes to Andromeda, breaks her chains and sets her free. The word Perseus means the breaker. This is the same word used by Micah, the prophet, when referring to the future Messiah: The breaker is come up before them and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them (Micah 2:13).

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87 Cetus The final sidereal sidepiece to Aries is Cetus, the great enemy subdued and bound. Cetus is the largest of all the constellations in the sky. It lies to the south of the ecliptic, which places him on the hell side of the starry heavens rather than on the heaven side, for God sits in the sides of the north.

88 There is a star in the neck of the monster called Mira. It means rebel and fits very well the character of the constellation picturing Satan as the enemy and first rebel against God. The brightest star in the head is called Menkar. It means the bound or chained enemy. He is that Leviathan rising out of the sea in Revelation 13. Just as we are freed from this world system by a pre-tribulation rapture and resurrection, Cetus rises to establish the kingdom of the Antichrist. Cetus, the sea monster, concludes Act Two of our three-act drama by being bound and chained. In Act One, our Savior is seen saving us from the penalty of sin. In Act Two, He can be seen saving us from the power of sin. As we shall see next month, Act Three will show the Savior saving us from the presence of sin.

89 Taurus The sign of Taurus opens Act Three, showing us the coming of the Judge of all the earth. Taurus is pictured as a raging bull, coming furiously. Only the front half of the bull is depicted in the constellation. Where the back end of the bull would normally be drawn stands the constellation Aries, the Lamb as if the bull is coming out of Aires. It is a magnificent picture of Christ who came the first time as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, but will return one day bringing judgment upon the wicked.

90 Taurus is unlike domestic bulls. It was probably an animal that is now extinct a ferocious relative of domestic cattle, called Rimu in the Hebrew Scriptures. Rimu is translated unicorn in the King James Version of the Bible and was thought to be a mythological, one-horned creature. However, it was more likely a large wild ox. Famous for its size and ferocity, it may have survived until the times of the Roman Ceasars, but is now extinct. The wild bull, or Rimu, was a symbol of power and rule. Balaam, described the power of Jehovah on behalf of Israel in Numbers 23:22 when he said, God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn (Rimu). Taurus is the sign of coming judgment. It is the day of vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:20). It is a day of wrath (Rom. 2:5) from which we shall be delivered for God hath not appointed us to wrath (I Thes. 5:9). Taurus means governer, captain, or leader. In the shoulder of Taurus is a group of stars known as the Pleiades, meaning congregation of the judge.

91 Auriga One of three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of Taurus, is the constellation Auriga. It is the picture of the Great Shepherd. He sits calmly above the rushing bull, holding a mother goat that has just given birth to a pair of kids in his lap. In the heart of the goat is a brilliant star called Capella, meaning she goat. A small triangle of stars near Capella is called Haedi, meaning the kids, and marks the two offspring of the mother goat in the lap of Auriga. It is an ancient picture of the great shepherd protecting his people from the day of wrath. There is a bright star in the foot of the shepherd called Elnath, meaning the wounded. It reminds us that the coming Judge is the one who was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5). Elnath reminds us that our Savior was to be wounded in the heel, as predicted in Genesis 3:15.

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93 Orion The second sidereal sidepiece is Orion, which is said to be the most spectacular and wonderful sight in the night sky. Orion is pictured as a mighty hunter with a club in his right hand. In his left hand, he holds the skin of a lion that he has killed. Orion is mentioned twice in the book of Job and once in the prophecy of Amos. Orion means coming forth as light. The brightest star in the constellation is Betelgeuse, meaning the coming of the branch. Another star in his foot is Rigel, meaning the foot that crushes. In the shoulder of the constellation is a star called Bellatrix, meaning quickly coming. In his leg is a star called Saiph meaning, bruised. Again, as in every other case, we are reminded of Christ crushing the head of the seed of the serpent. Orion is obviously a picture of Christ coming in power and great glory.

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95 Eridanus The third sidereal sidepiece is Eridanus, the river of fire, flowing from the raised foot of Orion. It represents the method by which Christ will crush the head of the seed of the serpent. Josephus tells us that Adam received a prophecy that God would destroy the world twice once with water and once with fire. Eridanus represents the judgment of fire. It runs across the heavens toward the south. In the river are several named stars: Archernar means the afterpart of the river; Cursa means bent down; and Zourac means flowing. This is a magnificent prophetic message found in the constellation Taurus. It opens the final act in this great drama of the ages flowing out upon a starlit stage the panarama of the night sky.

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97 Gemini The next major constellation is Gemini. In the star chart, it is pictured as a pair of twin boys. However, in the ancient Denderah Zodiac of Egypt, it was depicted as a man and a woman. In the coptic language, Gemini was called Pi-mahi, meaning the united. I believe it represents the Savior and His bride. There are two stars, which mark the heads of the two people in Gemini Castor and Pollux. These are Latin names. You may recall in Acts 28:11, the Apostle Paul traveled on a ship, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. Castor means ruler or judge and Pollux means who comes to suffer. Again, we are reminded of the suffering Savior who will come one day to be united with His bride. He is destined to rule over the Earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.

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99 Canis Major Like the other major constellations there are three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of Gemini. The first is Canis Major. It is depicted as a large dog and should be considered along with the second sidereal sidepiece, Canis Minor a small dog. Over the centuries, these two constellations lost their original significance. The Greeks supposed them to be the hunting dogs of Orion when, in fact, the names of the stars in Canis Major and Canis Minor reveal that they were not originally dogs at all, but pictures of the Prince of Peace and Redeemer of the world. The most significant star Canis Major is Sirius the brightest star in the entire heavens. It is only nine light years away, making it one of Earth s nearest neighbors among the millions of stars. Sirius is the most glorious star in the sky, meaning the Prince. It is the root word from which we derive the title, Sir.

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101 Canis Minor Canis Minor is represented as a lesser dog. It is a small group of stars just south of Gemini. Though the original meaning of Canis Minor has long since been obscured, we can easily determine its original meaning through the bright star Procyon, meaning Redeemer or Savior. That is the true meaning of the constellation. Long ago, the Egyptians called it Sebak, meaning the conquering or victorious. Both Canis Major and Canis Minor help to tell the story of the coming conquering Redeemer.

102 Lepus The third sidereal sidepiece is Lepus. In the star chart it is depicted as a rabbit, but in the most ancient zodiacs, it was a snake. It is located just below Orion, the glorious prince who crushes the head of Lepus, the serpent. There is a star in Orion s raised foot called Rigel, meaning the foot that crushes.

103 The brightest star in Lepus is Arneb, meaning the enemy of him who comes. There is another star called Nihal, meaning the mad and another star Sulya, meaning the deceiver. Yes, the major constellation Gemini, along with its sidereal sidepieces represents the coming Bridegroom as Prince of Peace, Savior, and Redeemer who will conquer the enemy trodden underfoot. He is coming to rapture the saints, thus keeping us from going through the Tribulation Period. In Luke 21:25, Jesus said that the last days would be characterized by signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars. One day, our Savior will come to carry out those great prophecies found in the stars. When God created the heavens, He gave the stars certain names, the meanings of which tell the story of God s great plan of the ages. God gave this story to Adam and his offspring. According to Flavius Josephus, Seth, the son of Adam, invented that peculiar science which deals with the heavenly bodies and their order.

104 Cancer The eleventh constellation is Cancer. It is depicted as a crab and denotes that which is born of water. This reminds us of New Testament Christianity whose symbol is that of a fish, for we have been born of water a type of the Holy Spirit. The crab has an unusual feature. Periodically, it sheds its outer skin and comes forth with what appears to be new life. The symbol represents Resurrection of those New Testament saints, who are a part of the Rapture and accompany the translated living saints to heaven.

105 According to E. W. Bullinger, in his book, The Witness of the Stars, the sign of Cancer was represented in an ancient Egyptian Zodiac as a scarab beetle, but the implication was the same. In ancient Egypt, the scarab would crawl under a rock. Later, the beetle would break open the shell of its body and emerge as a beautiful winged creature to fly away. Again, the implication is that of Resurrection. According to Kenneth C. Fleming, in his book God s Voice in the Stars the word Cancer comes from a root word meaning to hold or encircle. For that reason, Fleming believes the constellation refers to an ancient eastern inn where the animals were kept for safety. In another ancient Zodiac the constellation was called Klaria, meaning cattle-folds. If this is the meaning of Cancer, then it is a picture of heaven where the Shepherd keeps His sheep! That is still in keeping with the overall concept of the Resurrection and Rapture.

106 There are several stars in Cancer. The brightest star is Tegmine, meaning holding; another star, Acubene, means sheltering or hiding place; Ma Alaph means assembled thousands; Al Himarean means the kids or lambs; and a cluster of stars in the middle of the constellation, Praesepe, means multitude. It is a beautiful view of that day when we shall be transported into heaven to stand before our Savior. In my Father s house are many mansions, said Jesus. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3). What a magnificent promise!

107 Ursa Minor There are three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of Cancer. The first attending constellation is Ursa Minor, known today as the Little Dipper. Before the constellation became a dipper, it was referred to as a bear. However, the bear does not appear at all in the old Zodiacs of Chaldea, Persia, Egypt, or India. Long before the constellation became a bear, it was pictured as a sheepfold. It represents heaven, the place where the Great Shepherd keeps His sheep.

108 There are seven bright stars in Ursa Minor, but a total of 24, which make up the complete constellation. The seven stars remind us of the seven lamps of fire which burn before the throne of God, and the 24 stars remind us of the 24 elders in Revelation 4, which are seated around the throne of God. The most significant star in Ursa Minor is Polaris. It is called the North Star, and we are reminded of Isaiah 14:13, which indicated that heaven was pictured in the sides of the north. This does not mean that heaven revolves above the North Pole. It simply means that in the ancient constellations the north represented heaven, while the south represented hell. The Greeks called Ursa Minor by the name Arcas, from which we get words like arctic in English. Arcas means bear, but the root meaning is the stronghold of the saved. There is a star in the constellation called Kochab, meaning waiting for the coming; another star, Alkaid, means the assembled; and yet another, Alpherkdain, means the redeemed assembly.

109 Ursa Major Another sidereal sidepiece is Ursa Major, which, along with Ursa Minor, seems to tell the same story. Though it is depicted as the Big Dipper, it orginally referred to the assembled flock. As in the case of Ursa Minor, there are also seven bright stars, which make up the constellation of Ursa Major. The brightest star is Dubeh, meaning herd or flock; Merach means the flock purchased; Phaeda means visited, guarded, or numbered; and Benet Naish means the daughters of the assembly. It is a magnificent view of the vast assembly of believers who are reserved in heaven today awaiting the resurrection. Both Ursa Major and Ursa Minor compliment the constellation Cancer by representing the great sheepfold in heaven where the Shepherd keeps redeemed believers.

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111 Argo The third sidereal sidepiece to Cancer is a ship called Argo. It was the celebrated ship of the Argonauts. According to Greek mythology, its captain, Jason, recovered the Golden Fleece from the serpent. To do so, of course, he had to fight both a dragon and a giant. From the ancient mythological story we can glean the true meaning of the old ship Zion thus sailing along. I think it represents Heaven s clouds possibly the celestial transportation vehicles for resurrected and translated saints. Jason could have been an ancient story of the Redeemer; the Golden Fleece is a symbol of eternal life; the dragon is symbolic of Satan; and the giant could represent the largest of all earthly wars Armageddon. Of the stars in the constellation, the brightest is Canopus, meaning the possession of him who comes. Another star, Sephina, means the multitude. They appear to represent the ship of our salvation. Such is the story to be found in the great constellation of Cancer.

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113 Leo Now we come to the end of the circle. We began with Virgo, the virgin, and we shall end with Leo, the lion. No one who has followed our study can doubt that we have here the solving of the riddle in the Sphinx, for its head is Virgo, and its body is Leo. In Leo we reach the end of the revelation as inspired in the Word of God. The constellation is depicted as a great lion pouncing upon its prey. It is a magnificent view of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, so beautifully described in Revelation 5:5. When our Savior came the first time, He came as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world (John 1:29). But when He comes the second time, He shall come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah to establish His kingdom upon the Earth.

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115 Hydra Like the other major constellations, there are three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of Leo. The first is Hydra the many-headed serpent. It is a huge constellation extending approximately one-third the distance around the circle of the heavens, reminding us that Satan s tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven (Rev. 12:4). Hydra means, he is abhorred! It is composed of 60 stars a multiple of the number six. The idea with Hydra is that when one cuts off its head, two grow back in its place. He is the great red dragon known as Satan.

116 Crater The second sidereal sidepiece is called Crater and is represented as a cup, bowl, or vial of God s wrath being poured out upon Hydra. I think it is significant that the constellation is made up of 13 stars, the number of ill omen. It reminds us of the story in Revelation 15 and 16 where seven angels take up vials of wrath and pour them out upon the kingdom of the Antichrist.

117 Corvus Finally, the third sidereal sidepiece is Corvus. It is the view of a bird eating the flesh of Hydra. We are reminded of that day when the birds will come to eat the flesh of the slain on the battlefields of Armageddon. Leo, the lion, is seen jumping on Hydra ripping, tearing, and destroying him. Here is the conclusion of the whole matter. Here is the final triumph of the Son of God and the consummated victory of the Seed of the woman over the seed of the serpent. So, there you have it. The constellations were named by our great Creator, and prepared to tell the story of redemption for fallen humanity. The message was given to Seth, the son of Adam. For 2,500 years, before the writing of Genesis, those early civilizations were able to study the message of God s love and redemption. That is the message of those mysterious signs in the heavens.

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119 THE MEANING OF THE ORION CONSTELLATION, Featuring Betelgeuse and Rigel, Star Symbols for Christ

120 Since the constellation Orion is most prominent in the night time sky in the winter months in northern latitudes, I thought it would be fun to feature a short article about it and its most prominent stars, one of which is the red giant star called Betelgeuse. As shown in the photo graphic, Betelgeuse marks the right shoulder of the male figure envisioned by the Messianic constellation Orion, which represents Yahshua our Messiah as the Prince of princes who conquered death and the devil for us. His supremacy over evil is seen in the star marking his left foot named Rigel, which is crushing the head of the serpent beneath his feet. Betelgeuse is a massive star that is red in color supposedly because it may be nearing the end of its life span. However, allegorically, its red color suggests that it symbolizes a blood sacrifice, and that is what our Messiah Yahshua was for us! The right shoulder of a man signifies his strengths or triumphs, while his left shoulder allegorically is tied to his weaknesses or sorrows. This is also true of the right and left hands. In Orion, the right shoulder and hand signify The Coming Branch. This is an allusion to Yahshua our Messiah as the Righteous Branch out of Seth and Jesse. As such, the star Betelgeuse is tied to the star called Spica or The Branch in the sign of Virgo the Virgin - a symbol for Yahshua s Jewish mother Miriam, as well as His grafted-in Gentile Bride.

121 Meanwhile, the left shoulder of Orion is dominated by a bright star called Bellatrix, which in Latin is the feminine form or verb of the noun Bellator, meaning Warrior. In Semitic languages, this star can also be interpreted to mean quickly coming. So, taking both meanings into consideration, Orion is The Warrior Who is Coming Quickly, just as it says of Yahshua in Scripture: Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. - Revelation 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. - Revelation 22:7 And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. - Revelation 22:12 He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Adonai Yahshua)! - Revelation 22:20

122 Knowing how much God loves each of us sinners, it is perfectly fitting that Christ s role as a warrior that will come to judge everyone by their works, and to slay the wicked one day soon is associated with the left shoulder denoting sorrow. This shows that Yahshua will take no joy in killing the wicked, but will do it in sorrow as an expression of God s righteous anger and perfect judgment. So, though Yahshua extends God s mercy to those who love God and His Son, the wicked who reject Christ will perish forever in Hell, and Yahshua will be their judge and executioner. This is why it is important for all believers to accept Yahshua as their Messiah, humble themselves before God, and ask for His forgiveness while striving to live righteously. As a left handed person who has had her share of weakness and sorrow, I sometimes wonder if left-handed people are born with a propensity to attract the negative things in life. If so, this can be either a blessing or a curse depending on the way you view your place in the cosmos and the purpose of your life. I have vacillated between both views, but as my spiritual maturity grows, so does my ability to see sorrow and misfortune as a blessing in disguise. Remember that without sorrow, we would never understand what a gift joy truly is, and without misfortune, we would never know how blessed we are when better times arrive!

123 Another interesting feature of the Orion Constellation is the Horsehead Nebula. It is just south of Al Nitak, the brightest star in Orion s Belt. Al Nitak means The Wounded One, or The Slain One in Arabic. Al Nitak is also connected to the Great Pyramid at Giza, which is a symbol for Yahshua as our atonement sacrifice, as well as a symbol of those redeemed by His shed blood - the Bride of Christ, and those who dwell in the New Jerusalem.

124 Due to these associations, the Horsehead Nebula could be envisioned as being connected to the constellation Pegasus near Pisces as the white horse that Yahshua will ride when He returns with His holy angels and His saints at the Battle of Armageddon. Also, the fact that the Horsehead Nebula is a small part of a larger nebula that is primarily reddish in color suggests the coming judgment of the wicked, where the blood of those slain will form a lake-sized pool (1600 furlongs = 200 miles!) that will reach up to the height of a horse s bridle, as it says in Revelation 14:20: And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. To share more truth about this beautiful constellation, here is an excerpt from my book The Language of God in the Universe, which is available as a paperback, PDF E-Book, or Kindle book at my POEM Web Site and at Amazon.com. This entire 400-page book teaches about the meaning of the Gospel in the Stars, and this small portion talks about the lovely meaning of Orion and its principle stars:

125 From page 93: There is a star in Orion s right shoulder named Betelgeuse, and it is one of the most massive stars in our galaxy. It is considered to be 700 times larger than our own Sun! Its name, Betelgeuse, means The Branch Coming. Many proponents of the Gospel in the Stars believe that the star named Betelgeuse represents the Righteous Branch that would come through the line of Seth: Yahshua. It is therefore fitting that Betelgeuse appears in Orion - the constellation that represents our Savior as our resurrected Redeemer. The name Orion means He who comes forth as light. This appellation can apply to Christ in His role as Messiah. A star in Orion s foot also marks this constellation as a representation of the Messiah to Come, the Desired of All Nations (Haggai 2:7). This star is Rigel, meaning The Foot That Crushes. In the heavens, the constellation of Orion is seen as a warrior with one foot over the head of the serpent represented by the constellation erroneously called Lepus, the Hare. As the Seed of the Woman designated by Virgo, Yahshua finally and fatally crushed the head of the Serpent called Satan when He died for our sins, and then rose from the dead.

126 When He comes as a conquering King, Yahshua will crush the Serpent that is Satan forever! The idea that Orion represents Yahshua as a conquering King dressed in the trappings of a mummy is further exemplified by Orion s place in the Mazzaroth as the first decan of Taurus. This is because the Zodiac sign of Taurus the Bull represents a raging bull charging forward to crush the wicked during the outpouring of God s Wrath in the Tribulation. As a decan of Taurus, Orion is a fitting representation of Yahshua as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords spoken of in Revelation (Revelation 17:14 and 19:16). The one or two Raptures that make up Part Two of the First Resurrection will partly precede this time of trouble. Part Three of the First Resurrection - the raising up of the martyrs for the faith - will occur at the end of the Tribulation - just after Yahshua returns in Glory. See The Language of God in Prophecy for a closer look at the Two-Rapture theory and the idea that the First Resurrection has three defined stages.

127 From Pages 327 and 328: Myths surrounding the constellation of Orion abound everywhere, perhaps because it appears in the sky above the Earth s equator, and is therefore visible from every inhabited place in the world. Like Taurus, when Orion rises, Scorpio always sets. As a result, these two constellations are never in the sky at the same time! This is symbolic of the fact that light cannot exist with darkness, and holiness cannot abide the presence of evil. The Orion constellation was once falsely associated with Nimrod, the king of the first apostate world empire after the Great Flood. This may be when Orion s image was changed from that of a conquering warrior king into the mighty hunter that alluded to Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh (Gen. 10:9). As one who falsely saw himself as Orion, Nimrod was just one of a long line of Antichrists who have vied for the power and glory promised to the true Messiah depicted in Orion.

128 As mentioned under the preceding description of Taurus, Orion is clearly connected to the patriarch Joseph as the prince among his brothers (Gen. 49:26). In Book Two, the details of Joseph s life and character are shown to prefigure Christ s own in many ways. In addition, as told to me by Gary Hazle via a revelation given to him by God, the hourglass shape of Orion may depict the cup, or chalice that Christ drank from at the Last Supper, which was a Passover meal. In addition, the star forming the horns of Taurus, if extended down to the V-shaped star cluster called the Hyades in Taurus face, may depict the V-shaped tear that forms when a loaf of unleavened bread is torn apart at Passover! Since Taurus is the sign that shows God s blessings on the Gentiles and the Tribe of Joseph, it is fitting that it should clearly show how the Gentiles, and the Tribe of Joseph are to be blessed by God! Orion shows that the strength of the blessings to be poured out on the Gentile nations is dependant on their faithfulness to the New Covenant sealed with Christ s own precious body and blood. Orion is therefore a triumphant, powerful sign showing the power of God to save the Gentiles and the whole world, and to offer them salvation from sin, death, and the schemes of the Devil.

129 Gary Hazle s revelation concerning Orion also suggests that Orion, as a representation of the patriarch Joseph, could depict the cup that Joseph drank from and divined God s Will with (Genesis 44:5,15). Though some people suggest that Joseph sinned when he used this cup by foretelling the future, the cup may have been used like the water, or wine-filled glasses or bowls used by the Magi to gaze at the stars, and discern the heavenly signs showing God s unchanging Will. However, though Orion depicts Joseph, it ultimately pictures Yahshua as both our Risen Savior and conquering King coming in power at the end of the Great Tribulation. As such, Orion compliments the meaning of Taurus, which is Grace to the Gentiles, and protection from the pouring out of God s Wrath by His ministering angels during the Great Tribulation. This connection will become even clearer when we study the second decan of Taurus - Eridanus, the River flowing out from under Orion s feet. ~

130 Marks Portion of Astronomy Study

131 Jesus and the Stars

132 Jesus and the Stars

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153 View of Eastern Sky Perspective

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156 View of Eastern Sky Perspective