From the May "Sky and Telescope" magazine... in late May, a fascinating conjunction of Mars Jupiter Venus will occur in the western sky.
They will make a perfect triangle May 27th of only 5 degrees across in the Constellation of Auriga the charioteer in the Greek, and the Shepherd in the Hebrew !!!! reminding me of the Trinity !!!
Acts_2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:. AURIGA (The Shepherd)
Safety for the redeemed in the day of wrath
31. Auriga (the Shepherd)
Here is presented to us the answer to the question, "Who may abide the day of His coming?"
"Behold, the Lord GOD (Adonai Jehovah) will come as a mighty one,
And His arm shall rule for Him:
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His recompense before Him.
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd,
He shall gather the lambs in His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And shall gently lead those that give suck."
Isaiah 40:10, 11, RV
This is exactly what is presented before us in this last section of the chapter, which tells of the coming judgment. We have had the picture of a mighty Bull rushing forth; then the fiery river of the Judge; and now we see a Great Shepherd. He is seated upon "the milky way," holding up on his left shoulder a she goat. .
ARATUS says,
"She is both large and bright, but they--the kids--
Shine somewhat feebly on Auriga's wrist."
Is not this the Great Shepherd gathering the lambs in His arm? and carrying them in His bosom? Is He not saying:
"I will save My flock,
And they shall no more be a prey."
Ezekiel 34:22
"And David my servant shal be king over them,
And they shall have one shepherd."
Ezekiel 37:24
"And they shall fear no more,
Nor be dismayed,
Neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD."
Jeremiah 23:4
AURIGA is from a Hebrew root which means a shepherd. It is a beautiful constellation of 66 stars; one of the 1st magnitude, two of the 2nd, nine of the 4th, etc.
The brightest star, (in the body of the goat), points her out as the prominent feature of the constellation, for its name Alioth (Hebrew) means a she goat. It is known by the modern Latin name Capella, which has the same meaning.
The next star, (in the shepherd's right arm), is called Menkilinon, and means the band, or chain of the goats, and points out the truth that they are never more to be lost again, but to be bound, with the bands of love, to the Shepherd for evermore.
The name of another star is Maaz, which means a flock of goats.
Can there be any mistake as to who this Shepherd is? for the bright star in his right foot is called El Nath (like another in ARIES), which means wounded or slain. This is He, then, who was once bruised or wounded in the heel. He is "the GOOD Shepherd," who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11), but He was "the GREAT Shepherd" brought again from the dead (Heb 13:20); and is now the CHIEF Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) seen in the day of His coming glory. Another star emphasises this truth, for it is named Aiyuk, which also means wounded in the foot.
The star marking the kids is called Gedi (Hebrew), kids.
In Latin, the word Auriga means a coachman or charioteer, the band in his right hand being taken as his reins. But the incongruity of a charioteer carrying a she-goat, and nursing two little kids, never struck them; nor did the fact that he has no chariot and no horses! When man blunders in the things of God, he does it thoroughly!
In the Zodiac of Denderah the same truth was revealed more than 4,000 years ago; but the Man, instead of carrying the sheep, is carrying a sceptre, and is called Trun, which means sceptre or power. But this is a strange sceptre, for at the top it has the head of a goat, and at the bottom, below the hand that holds it, it ends in a cross! With the Egyptians the cross was a sign of life. they knew nothing of "the death of the cross." Here, then, we see life and salvation for the sheep of His flock when He comes to reign and rule in judgment. The truth is precisely the same, though the presentation of it is somewhat varied.
The connected teaching of the two constellations, Eridanus and Auriga, is solemnly set forth in Malachi 4:1-3 (RV):
"Behold, the day cometh,
It burneth as a furnace;
And all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble:
And the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts,
That it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
BUT UNTO YOU that fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings;
And ye shall go forth and gambol as calves of the stall.
And ye shall tread down the wicked;
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
In the day that I do make (marg. do this), saith the LORD of hosts."
In Psalm 37 this day is repeatedly referred to, the day when "the wicked shall be cut off"; and it concludes by summarizing the same great truth (vv 38-40, RV):
"As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together;
The latter end of the wicked shall be cut off,
But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD:
He is their stronghold in the time of trouble,
And the LORD helpeth them, and rescueth them;
He rescueth them from the wicked and saveth them,
Because they have taken refuge in Him."
Oh, that all who read these pages may heed the solemn warning, and flee for refuge to Him who now, in this day of grace, is crying, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, O all ye ends of the earth" (Isa 45:22).
Lewis Brackett