Biblical Astronomy: Signs in the Heavens

Biblical Astronomy: Signs in the Heavens

The mission of Biblical Astronomy is to study and research signs in the heavens that are relevant to Biblical prophecy and make the research available for others to study and consider.

"And God said let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and days, and years:"

GENESIS 1:14

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
   It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Psalm 19:1-6

If God made the stars, and they are for "signs" (Gen. 1:14), it is logical to ask, "What are the signs He is talking about?" The wise men (magi) from the east who visited the young child Jesus must have been very assured of the signs that they read in the heavens. They were convinced enough of the star they observed in the east to travel a great distance by camel. These wise men were priests from the country where Daniel and the children of Israel had been led captive. Their culture was schooled in the study of the stars. Daniel was made chief and master over all the wise men and astrologers of Babylon (Daniel 2:48 and 5:11). Daniel could have identified to these priests the promise of the coming Messiah to be born of the tribe of Judah, and out of the house of David.

Before we can understand the signs, or understand the picture that the Lord was trying to paint for us in the heavens from October - December 2012, we first need to understand the "characters" of the story. Here are the commonly held beliefs among Biblical astronomers as to what certain planets and constellations represent:

Mars

represents Michael, or war

Jupiter

represents the Father God

Constellations:

Virgo

represents the Bride of Christ, the woman who gave birth to the male child

Scorpio

The Conflict, the Serpent's coils, the struggle with the Enemy, the toiling Vanquisher of evil. The cleaving or wounding. The sting, the deadly wound.

Taurus

The coming Judge and Ruler. In Taurus, the picture is that of a Bull rushing forward with mighty energy and fierce wrath, his horns set so as to push his enemies, and pierce them through and destroy them. It is a prophecy of Messiah, the coming Judge and Ruler, and “Lord of all the earth.”

Draco

The Dragon constellation. The constellation of Draco the dragon has long been associated with the serpent who tempted Eve. It is referred to in Scripture. In Job 26:13 and Isaiah 27:1, it is called "the crooked serpent".

Stars

represent angels

Meteors/shooting stars

represent fallen angels

On October 7th, 2012, Draco (the Dragon constellation) was spitting out shooting stars (meteors). Revelation 12: 3-4, 7-9: “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red DRAGON with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. Then war broke out in heaven. MICHAEL and HIS ANGELS fought against the DRAGON, and the DRAGON and HIS ANGELS fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great DRAGON was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and HIS ANGELS WITH HIM.

So, we had the sign of the Dragon being cast down to the earth and bringing 1/3 of the stars along with him in the constellation of Draco, the Dragon. Michael is the angel in Revelation 12 that casts the dragon down. In Biblical astronomy, Mars represents war or the archangel Michael. Michael (represented by Mars) moved into the scorpion's territory on October 6, 2012, and then on Oct 7th we have the sign of the dragon being cast down to the earth.

Not only did we have the sign of the Dragon and his angels being cast down on the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles, but we also saw the DRAGON space capsule launched on the night of October 7, 2012. CNN reported that this was the start of a "NEW ERA". October 7, 2012, was the 7th day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Scriptures clearly pointed to that date as the Rapture of the Church. However, Haggai 2 teaches us that there is a second Feast of Tabernacles on Hanukkah if the first Feast of Tabernacles is unable to be kept. Haggai 2 points to the shaking of the heavens and the earth starting during the Feast of Hanukkah.

October 16, 2012 – The Sun (representing the Bright Morning Star, Jesus) was positioned right at the bottom of the birth canal in Virgo. The Moon was under the feet of Virgo, perfectly aligned with the stars in her feet. Saturn (representing Satan or the Dragon or Cronos, the god who eats his own children) was right next to the Sun, waiting to devour the baby as soon as it was born. Revelation 12:4-5; 13-17: “The DRAGON stood in front of the WOMAN who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. When the DRAGON saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the WOMAN who had given birth to the male child. The WOMAN was given the two wings of a great eagle, that she might FLY TO THE PLACE PREPARED FOR HER IN THE WILDERNESS, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”

So, right after this sign in the heavens, the Bible is telling us that the Bride of Christ will be taken to a place prepared for her by God, and that the dragon (Satan) will then go after the rest of the Christians on the earth that did not make the Rapture or those who accept Christ during the Tribulation period.

October 2012 – For the entire month, Jupiter (representing Father God) was in the constellation Taurus (the coming Judge and Ruler), right between the horns of the bull. In Taurus, the picture is that of a Bull rushing forward with mighty energy and fierce wrath, his horns set so as to push his enemies, and pierce them through and destroy them. It is a prophecy of Messiah, the coming Judge and Ruler, and “Lord of all the earth.”

Also, of special notice in October 2012, was that the constellations representing the Eagle and the Swan could be seen throughout the month of October. The Eagle of course reminds us that we are being given Eagle’s wings to fly to a place prepared for us where we will be protected. The Swan, as seen in the picture, forms the shape of a cross, and spreads its wings to fly. The Church is getting ready to fly away.

November 2012: The next sign we see in the heavens is a solar and lunar eclipse, where the sun and moon are darkened. There is a solar eclipse taking place on November 12, 2012, and a lunar eclipse on November 28, 2012. The next day, November 29th, the UN is scheduled to vote on Palestinian statehood. This is the 15th day of Kislev. In the book of Maccabees, we can see that the event that led up to the abomination taking place on the 25th of Kislev, took place on the 15th of Kislev. The abomination was first set up on Kislev 15th, when Antiochus desecrated the altar and established a law that on the 25th of every month, the altar should be used for such abominable sacrifices. It was on the 25th of Kislev, when a Jew came to the altar and tried to obey the new law that Judas Maccabees killed him and all of Anticohus' guards and men and then they fled to the mountains. The following Sabbath, Antiochus' soldiers reached Jerusalem and killed 1000 Jews who refused to defend themselves because it was a Sabbath and they thought they could not fight back on the Sabbath. So Maccabees men made a pact that from then on, they would fight back, even if it was a Sabbath.

The first abomination was set up on Kislev 15, which is this coming November 29, 2012. This was the date that "started" everything in motion back in Judas Maccabees' time, Kislev 15.

Maccabees 1:

⁵⁴ On the fifteenth day of Chislev in the year 145 the king built the appalling abomination on top of the altar of burnt offering; and altars were built in the surrounding towns of Judah
⁵⁵ and incense offered at the doors of houses and in the streets.
⁵⁶ Any books of the Law that came to light were torn up and burned.
⁵⁷ Whenever anyone was discovered possessing a copy of the covenant or practising the Law, the king's decree sentenced him to death.
⁵⁸ Month after month they took harsh action against any offenders they discovered in the towns of Israel.
⁵⁹ On the twenty-fifth day of each month, sacrifice was offered on the altar erected on top of the altar of burnt offering.
⁶⁰ Women who had had their children circumcised were put to death according to the edict
⁶¹ with their babies hung round their necks, and the members of their household and those who had performed the circumcision were executed with them.
⁶² Yet there were many in Israel who stood firm and found the courage to refuse unclean food.
⁶³ They chose death rather than contamination by such fare or profanation of the holy covenant, and they were executed.
⁶⁴ It was a truly dreadful retribution that visited Israel.

Maccabees 2:

²³ As he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required.

²⁴ When Mattathias saw this, he was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar.

²⁵ At the same time he killed the king's commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar.

²⁶ In his zeal for the Law he acted as Phinehas had against Zimri son of Salu.

²⁷ Then Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, 'Let everyone who has any zeal for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.'

²⁸ Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.

²⁹ Many people who were concerned for virtue and justice went down to the desert and stayed there,

³⁰ taking with them their sons, their wives and their cattle, so oppressive had their sufferings become.

³¹ Word was brought to the royal officials and forces stationed in Jerusalem, in the City of David, that those who had repudiated the king's edict had gone down to the hiding places in the desert.

³² A strong detachment went after them, and when it came up with them ranged itself against them in battle formation, preparing to attack them on the Sabbath day,

³³ and said, 'Enough of this! Come out and do as the king orders and you will be spared.'

³⁴ The others, however, replied, 'We refuse to come out, and we will not obey the king's orders and profane the Sabbath day.'

³⁵ The royal forces at once went into action,

³⁶ but the others offered no opposition; not a stone was thrown, there was no barricading of the hiding places.

³⁷ They only said, 'Let us all die innocent; let heaven and earth bear witness that you are massacring us with no pretence of justice.'

³⁸ The attack was pressed home on the Sabbath itself, and they were slaughtered, with their wives and children and cattle, to the number of one thousand persons.

³⁹ When the news reached Mattathias and his friends, they mourned them bitterly

⁴⁰ and said to one another, 'If we all do as our brothers have done, and refuse to fight the gentiles for our lives and institutions, they will only destroy us the sooner from the earth.'

⁴¹ So then and there they came to this decision, 'If anyone attacks us on the Sabbath day, whoever he may be, we shall resist him; we must not all be killed, as our brothers were in the hiding places.'

Maccabees 4

Judas and his brothers then said, 'Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and dedicate it.'

³⁷ So they marshalled the whole army, and went up to Mount Zion.


³⁸ There they found the sanctuary deserted, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt down, and vegetation growing in the courts as it might in a wood or on some mountain, while the storerooms were in ruins.
³⁹ They tore their garments and mourned bitterly, putting dust on their heads.
⁴⁰ They prostrated themselves on the ground, and when the trumpets gave the signal they cried aloud to Heaven.
⁴¹ Judas then ordered his men to keep the Citadel garrison engaged until he had purified the sanctuary.
⁴² Next, he selected priests who were blameless and zealous for the Law
⁴³ to purify the sanctuary and remove the stones of the 'Pollution' to some unclean place.
⁴⁴ They discussed what should be done about the altar of burnt offering which had been profaned,
⁴⁵ and very properly decided to pull it down, rather than later be embarrassed about it since it had been defiled by the gentiles. They therefore demolished it
⁴⁶ and deposited the stones in a suitable place on the hill of the Dwelling to await the appearance of a prophet who should give a ruling about them.
⁴⁷ They took unhewn stones, as the Law prescribed, and built a new altar on the lines of the old one.
⁴⁸ They restored the Holy Place and the interior of the Dwelling, and purified the courts.
⁴⁹ They made new sacred vessels, and brought the lamp-stand, the altar of incense, and the table into the Temple.
⁵⁰ They burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lamp-stand, and these shone inside the Temple.
⁵¹ They placed the loaves on the table and hung the curtains and completed all the tasks they had undertaken.
⁵² On the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, Chislev, in the year 148 they rose at dawn
⁵³ and offered a lawful sacrifice on the new altar of burnt offering which they had made.
⁵⁴ The altar was dedicated, to the sound of hymns, zithers, lyres and cymbals, at the same time of year and on the same day on which the gentiles had originally profaned it.
⁵⁵ The whole people fell prostrate in adoration and then praised Heaven who had granted them success.
⁵⁶ For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar, joyfully offering burnt offerings, communion and thanksgiving sacrifices.
⁵⁷ They ornamented the front of the Temple with crowns and bosses of gold, renovated the gates and storerooms, providing the latter with doors.
⁵⁸ There was no end to the rejoicing among the people, since the disgrace inflicted by the gentiles had been effaced.
⁵⁹ Judas, with his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel, made it a law that the days of the dedication of the altar should be celebrated yearly at the proper season, for eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, with rejoicing and gladness.
⁶⁰ They then proceeded to build high walls with strong towers round Mount Zion, to prevent the gentiles from coming and riding roughshod over it as in the past.

Isaiah 24: The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is violently shaken...The moon will be dismayed, the sun ashamed; (solar and lunar eclipse Nov 2012) for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders—with great glory.

Isaiah 13:9-11 See, the day of the Lord is coming - a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger - to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light (solar and lunar eclipse Nov 2012). I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

December 2012: GEMINI, CASTOR AND POLLUX: the last sign?

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/radiant-point-for-geminid-meteor-shower

The 2012 Geminid shower comes on strong around December 12 and 13 every year. In a moon-free sky, you could possibly see as many as 50 meteors per hour in the wee hours after midnight. Fortunately, the new moon guarantees dark skies for the peak nights of the December 2012 Geminid shower. If the forecast holds, the Geminids will be falling most richly on the night of December 13, though the nights of December 12 and 14 should also be good. Generally, the most Geminids fall the wee hours after midnight, from about 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. local time. In other words, the morning of December 14 will probably be best for watching this year’s 2012 Geminid shower.

And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. Acts 28:11

December 14-15, 2012, is the first day of the fourth month counting from Trumpets. Paul mentions in Acts 28:11 that AFTER 3 MONTHS, they DEPARTED ON A SHIP and the sign of the ship was Castor and Pollux. I know what you are thinking. What does this have to do with the Rapture? Well, Castor and Pollux are the twin heads of the constellation of Gemini. Right on December 14, 2012, we have the best time for watching a meteor shower in the constellation of Gemini. People everywhere will be “lifting up their heads” to watch the meteor shower. Jesus told us when we see all these signs of His return, to “lift up our heads, because our redemption was drawing near.” Could this be a clue from the Lord that when we look up to the sky to watch a meteor shower in the constellation of Gemini, whose twin heads are Castor and Pollux, that this is the time of His coming to get His Bride, on the 7 ^th day of the Feast of Hanukkah? This just happens to be the first day of the fourth month since the Jewish New Year began on the Feast of Trumpets. Paul says – “AFTER THREE MONTHS we DEPARTED ON A SHIP”. Could this ship be a UFO on the first day of the fourth month of the Jewish New Year when people are lifting up their heads to the constellation where Castor and Pullox are located? Jesus told us that there would be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. We just had a solar and lunar eclipse take place in November 2012. That was a sign in the sun and moon. Then we have another sign in the stars pointing right to December 14/15, 2012, the 7th day of Hanukkah.