FOUNDATIONS - The Scroll of the Heavens

The twelve constellations of the zodiac are found in a narrow band that borders the path of the sun through the heavens. If a person envisions the heavens as being a giant sphere that surrounds the earth, the zodiac would be about 1/20th, or 18 degrees, of this globe, forming a belt around the earth. The Romans Cicero and Vitruvius referred to the zodiac as the Orbis Signiferus, or Circulus Signifer, meaning the Sign Bearing Circle. The shape of the zodiac, consisting of a narrow band wrapped around the earth lends itself well to comparison to a scroll, that ancient predecessor to the book.

Scrolls were frequently made of plant material such as papyrus, or of prepared animal skins (parchment and vellum). Inks and dyes were used to inscribe the scrolls with words and images to preserve and communicate messages to others. In contrast, the heavenly scroll is cut from the inky blackness of the heavens, and the message recorded upon it is written in lights. Like the Holy Scriptures, the stellar prophecy is not a dead, static communique. It is living, and ever revealing new truths.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active...

The scroll of the heaven is able to bring forth new revelations, timely messages pertaining to the appointed times (moedim) of Yahweh. At the right time the magi observed the star in the east announcing the birth of the Savior, the King of the Jews. The heavens are truly “living and active.” As David wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the starry skies are continuously pouring forth speech and revealing knowledge (Psalm 19).

There will always be some who, through fear of the corruptions of Satan, reject any possibility that Yahweh would choose to use the heavenly luminaries as a mode of communication to mankind. Nevertheless, the testimony of Scripture substantiates the truth of the heaven’s oracular role. Indeed, the prophets and apostles were inspired to compare the heavens to a scroll. What is a scroll, if not a medium of communication, and one chosen by Yahweh to record and convey divine truth? If Yahweh had not wanted His people to view the heavens as a form of divine communication, would He have deliberately chosen to compare the heavens to a scroll?

Isaiah 34:4
All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll...

“The host of heaven” is a reference to the stars. At some point in Yahweh’s plan of the ages the stars will dissolve like letters mysteriously disappearing from the pages of a book. Then the scroll itself will be rolled up. Undoubtedly, the purpose for this will be that the message of the heavens will have been fulfilled. The messenger role of the stars will be complete. The book will then be closed. In the book of Revelation the apostle John testified that this will occur at the time the sixth seal is opened.

Revelation 6:12-14
And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up...

With the return of Yahshua to establish His kingdom upon the earth, and the vanquishing of the adversary, Satan, the great dragon, the stellar prophecy will have been fulfilled. Fittingly, the message will be dissolved, and the scroll rolled up. That, however, will not be the end of stellar prophecy. The Scriptures foretell of a time when the heavens will be replaced and renewed. The first things will have passed away. The new creation will require a new message in the heavens. The heavens themselves will be replaced as a man changes his garments. The earth will be surrounded with new lights bearing a new message.

Hebrews 1:10-12
And [further], You, Lord, did lay the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain and continue permanently; they will all grow old and wear out like a garment. Like a mantle [thrown about one's self] You will roll them up, and they will be changed and replaced by others.
[Amplified Bible]

Psalms 102:25-26
At the beginning You existed and laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands. They shall perish, but You shall remain and endure; yes, all of them shall wear out and become old like a garment. Like clothing You shall change them, and they shall be changed and pass away.
[Amplified Bible]

Even as we are told that there will be a new earth that has no seas (for seas are typical of death), so too will the heavens be changed. If I am not mistaken, there will no longer be any constellations representing the serpent of old, or the great dragon. There will no longer be constellations showing forth the struggle between Christ and Satan. The conflict will be concluded. It will be a new age when every knee will bow before the Son of God, and every tongue confess His righteousness to the glory of God the Father.

At present, the heavens contain numerous signs depicting that rebellious adversary of all that is holy. How unfitting it would be to continue to observe these signs after Satan has been judged, bound, and cast into the lake of fire. No, these constellations must be dissolved. The scroll telling that story must be replaced by a new scroll telling a message of holiness and righteousness, and a kingdom of peace and justice.

Draco Must be Dissolved

Hydra Must be Dissolved

Serpens Must be Dissolved

A new age will require a new heaven where the stars tell a new message. No longer will there be a destroyer. No longer will there be death. No longer will there be a rebel to speak lies and arrogant words in defiance of Yahweh and His only begotten Son. The heavens will have new and glorious things to declare.

I Corinthians 2:9
Just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."

Yahweh in His foresight and wisdom chose to use the heavens to communicate a prophetic message to be read universally of all men. Knowing the wickedness humanity would succumb to, and the great evil they would accomplish if they remained as one, He foresaw the need to separate man into languages, and kindred and tribes. The confusion of the speech of man at the tower of Babel was taken into account before this present creation was formed. The starry host speak a language of symbols understandable to all nations of men. The message of the stars is not conveyed through Greek, or Hebrew, or Russian, or English, or Spanish, or Mandarin, or any of the hundreds of languages of men. It is communicated through symbols.

I remember as a child hearing some adults speaking of the constellations. I was shown the Big and Little Dippers (Some readers may recognize the Dipper by the name “the Plough”). They reminded me of the dot-to-dot puzzles I was familiar with in my childhood. In my mind I could imagine a line between the stars and see how they looked like a dipper. I found it confusing later on when I heard adults speak of other constellations. I specifically recall someone pointing out to me the constellation Orion. They directed my attention to the three bright stars in Orion’s belt. I expected that the other stars in this constellation would form the outline of a man. I was sadly disappointed. I learned that none of the figures of the zodiac are readily apparent from the stars which comprise them. There seems to be no visual relationship at all to the characters of the zodiac and the stars associated with them. There may be a star in the foot of one figure, a cluster of stars in the shoulder of another, but none of the stars form what I as a child had imagined to be dot-to-dot figures in the sky.

Dot-to-Dot - NOT!

Any person looking up at the canopy of the sky would be hard pressed to find in the stars images of a virgin, a lion, a scorpion, a bull, a man pouring water from a vase, two fish, or any of the other figures associated with the constellations. The stars do not lend themselves naturally to such images. This makes it all the more remarkable that there is such a profound harmony among ancient and modern civilizations as to the number and identification of the zodiacal figures. This great correspondence serves as evidence of the extreme antiquity of the zodiac, and proof that it arose from a common source before mankind was scattered upon the face of the earth.

Some questions pertinent to our present study are:

• How old are the constellations of the zodiac?
• Who appointed the constellations, attached figures to them, named them, and assigned specific stars to them?
• Did the design of the constellations originate with man, with angels, or with God?

The opinions set forth in answer to these questions are manifold. More than a few trace the origin of the zodiac back to Adam and his descendants. Frances Rolleston shares the following thoughts.

In whatever obscurity the origin of the emblems of astronomy may appear to be enveloped in the traditions of the nations where they are preserved, no such doubts hang over that of the science itself. It has always and every where (sic) been traced back to the earliest race of man. The Hebrews, Chaldeans, Persians, and Arabs imputed its invention to Adam, Seth, and Enoch...

The learned Jew Josephus, who, living at the time of the destruction of the Temple by Titus, refers for his authorities to ancient writers whose names alone remain to us. He attributes the invention of the science to "the family of Seth the son of Adam," when, the life of man then extending to near a thousand years, they were enabled to ascertain from actual observation the return of the heavenly bodies to the same positions in cycles and periods, which in after ages it has required the labour of successive generations to verify.

Adam, divinely led to give names to what he saw, must have had such for the sun and moon, and probably for the planets whose movements would attract his notice. Those celestial splendours shone in the far-off and inaccessible heaven, the abode or the path to the abode of his Creator and Redeemer, whence Divine instruction and yet more Divine mercy had descended upon him. Thither his eyes would reverently and most habitually turn: the starry world on high would be, if not the first, the most absorbing object of his contemplation; and astronomy would naturally be, as tradition declares, the earliest study, the first science of mankind. Seth, the son of his consolation and heir of his promises, the traditional father of astronomy, is said to have commenced its arrangement with that of the twelve signs...

Enoch, his descendant, with whom he was long contemporary, is said by tradition to have given names to the stars: the further development of prophecy that appears among the constellations annexed to the signs, above and below them, may then be referred to him. "The family of Seth" thus devised, carried on, and completed this great work, which remains to us an unchanged memorial of their piety, their intellect, and the revelation which they were endeavouring to perpetuate...
[Frances Rolleston, Mazzaroth]

Such are the traditions that have come down to us today. Josephus shared these opinions 2,000 years ago, and these ideas greatly pre-dated him. Yet attributing to Adam, Seth, and their descendants the development of primitive astronomy is not the same as proving the matter. Josephus shared many things in his histories that were nothing more than Jewish fables. We will not find authoritative answers to the questions we seek in the histories and writings of man. The most reputable of the ancient historians and scribes admit that the zodiac is found in the most ancient records of man, but there is no record of what people, or individual, originated it.

Among those who attribute primeval astronomy to Adam and his descendants, there are those who suggest that God taught the forebears of our race the precepts of the stars. Others suggest that Adam and his progeny developed the science on their own, denying a divine origin. I would argue for a divine origination of the constellations and their symbols, and in doing so I would look to the Scriptures themselves for proof of the matter.

II Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

I believe there is sufficient evidence contained in the Scriptures to demonstrate that Yahweh is the originator of the twelve constellations of the zodiac in their original form and significations, and that He taught this knowledge to the earliest men. Let us begin by revisiting the first chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 1:14-18
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for appointed times, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; the stars also. And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

These words describe the work of God on the 4th day of the re-creation of the earth. As previously shared, the work of day four was NOT the creation of the heavenly lights, but rather their arrangement. On day one of creation Yahweh said “Let there be light” and there was light. We are told from day one God separated the light from the darkness and there was evening and morning. There had to have been lights in the heavens, especially the light of the sun, in order for their to be day and night, light and darkness.

What we find occurring on day four of the creation is the ordering of the lights in the heavens. Although the English word “made” appears in the text, the Hebrew word from which it is translated bears a wide range of meanings. Following is Strong’s Definition of this Hebrew word.

asah (aw-saw'); a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):
KJV - accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy,  certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck,  displease, do, (ready) dress (-ed), (put in) execute (-ion), exercise, fashion,  feast, [fighting-] man,  finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great,  hinder, hold ([a feast]),  indeed,  be industrious,  journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer,  officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, practice, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite,  sacrifice, serve, set, shew,  sin, spend,  surely, take,  thoroughly, trim,  very,  vex, be [war-] rior, work (-man), yield, use.

The translators of the KJV Bible have rendered this single Hebrew word in dozens of ways. In speaking of day four of the re-creation of the earth, they could have used the words “furnished,” “provided,” “fitted,” or “arranged” in place of the word “made.” This would have been in keeping with the parallel statement, “God placed them in the expanse of the heavens...” Having determined that the stars should be used for signs, and to announce appointed times, it was necessary for Yahweh to arrange the heavens in an orderly fashion. Yahweh established a plan of the ages before He ever began the work of day one. He determined the course of creation, its works, its ages, and its conclusion.

Acts 15:18
Known from the ages to God are all His works...
[Young’s Literal Translation]

Ephesians 3:10-11
That there might be made known now to the principalities and the authorities in the heavens, through the assembly, the manifold wisdom of God, according to a plan of the ages, which He made in Christ Yahshua our Lord...

Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God...
[Young’s Literal Translation]

Isaiah 46:9-11
“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying,'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure...' Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”

Yahweh’s plan of the ages has moved inexorably forward to its fulfillment. It cannot be sped up, or slowed down. No one can resist the omnipotence of Yahweh’s might. Before the stars were set in place to mark the appointed times of the Creator, the divine plan had been established. Everything was assigned a proper time.

Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven...

Was it merely poetic inclination that inspired Solomon to connect the words “appointed time” with the words “under heaven”? I do not believe so. I am persuaded that this wisest of all kings understood well the purpose of the starry heavens. He recognized their role to mark the appointed times (moedim) of Yahweh. At the appointed time a child was born to a virgin in the tribe of Judah, a descendant of David. At the appointed time the star appeared in the heavens announcing that the King of the Jews had been born. This star had been set in motion 4,000 years earlier on the 4th day of creation. It appeared at a specific place in the heavens, at the precise moment of Yahweh’s choosing, to coincide with events in Yahweh’s plan of the ages.

Matthew 2:1-2
Now after Yahshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.”

The magi announced that they had seen “His star!” This was a specific star. It was a prophetic star declaring a message of divine importance. It was appointed to shine forth at a specific year and month and day and hour. The magi understood the language of the heavens. They were educated in the meaning of the constellations. If Yahweh were not the author of these symbols, how would they have discerned correctly the heavenly prophecy?

Yahweh IS the author of the constellations and the significations that they bear. He testified on day four of creation “let them be for signs, and for appointed times.” If they are to be used as signs, Yahweh must not only arrange the stars and lead them forth in perfect coordination upon their courses through the heavens, but He must communicate to man an understanding of the symbolic language of the heavens.

In a remarkable passage in the book of Job, Yahweh mentions that it is He who directs the motion of the constellations.

Job 38:31-33
“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion? Can you bring out Mazzaroth (literally, “the constellations”) in its season? Or can you guide Arcturus with his sons? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?”

Yahweh gives names to several of the constellations of the heavens in this passage. Although there is some dispute among Bible scholars as to what constellations these Hebrew words refer to, we can deduce from the passage that they were well known to Job. Job lived 4,000 years ago, approximately 2,000 years after Adam was created. The manner in which Yahweh specifically names constellations, and speaks of being the One who has established their courses through the heavens, serves as compelling evidence that He is the originator of these starry symbols.

16th Century Woodcut of the Zodiacal Signs

What is meant by the question “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?” The word “ordinance” is translated from the Hebrew word “chuqqah” which means an ordinance or statute. It speaks of that which has been established by God as law. What is being communicated by Yahweh is that there is an assigned course for the stars of the heavens from which they cannot deviate. Of course Job could not answer affirmatively to the question God posted to him, for to be able to know the ordinances of the heavens Job would have to know the future. It is not given to man to know the specific hour and day of the appointed times of Yahweh.

Acts 1:6-7
And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority...”

Yahweh then asked Job another rhetorical question, “Can you set their dominion over the earth?” In what way do the stars hold dominion over the earth? To hold dominion over something is to rule over it. In Genesis chapter one we read that God said, “God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; the stars also.” The dominion of the stars is in this sense: they are given for signs and seasons to announce the appointed times for specific works of Yahweh among the creation. What the stars announce cannot be resisted, for they declare the will of God. What He has appointed the stars to speak will be fulfilled. The stars are one form of Yahweh’s voice. No word of God will fall to the ground empty.

Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

If the heavens declare a thing, it must come to pass. The stars are moved by the power of Yahweh. They are instruments of His dominion. Though Satan and all the angels in league with him should seek to thwart a work of God, they must fail absolutely. They have not the power to forestall a work of God so much as a second. Many times Satan sought to abort the promise of the Seed of the Woman from coming forth, the One who was prophesied to crush his head. When Cain slew Abel, Satan was attempting to cut off the promised Seed, but he failed. When the devil inspired Pharaoh to kill all the males born to the captive Israelites he was attempting to cut off the promised Seed. When the great adversary induced Herod to murder all the male children three years old and younger in the vicinity of Bethlehem, he was seeking to cut off the promised Seed.

Satan was fighting against the heavens, for the heavens were declaring that the appointed time was at hand. The King of the Jews had been born. Neither Herod, nor Satan, nor any created thing, could overrule the will of God. Yahweh’s plan would stand. Throughout the life and ministry of the Messiah, Satan sought to destroy His life. He stirred up the Jewish rulers and people of Israel against the Son of God. In their jealousy and blind ambition they sought to kill Him time and again. From the announcement of His ministry in Nazareth, Satan sought to kill the promised Seed. The people of Nazareth, provoked at the words of Yahshua, took Him to the brow of the hill upon which the city was built, intending to cast Him down to His death, but Yahweh intervened and He walked through their midst escaping their deadly intent. Time and again Yahweh escaped from their hands, awaiting the hour appointed where He would lay His life down freely.

John 10:17-18
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."

The authority of the stars in the heavens is expressed in another passage of Scripture. In the book of Judges we read the story of Barak and Deborah and their victory over the armies of the Canaanites. Yahweh wrought a mighty victory for the people of Israel that day. It was so complete that not a single man was left alive of the army of Sisera. In commemoration of the magnificent victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise in which we find the following words:

Judges 5:20
The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera.

Repeatedly in the Bible we read of the stars having assigned “courses.” What is meant by this is that Yahweh has established the circuit of the stars in the heavens. These circuits bring certain stars and constellations into key alignments that announce the will of God, some part of His divine plan of the ages. On this day the stars foretold the victory of Israel and the destruction of her enemies. By a figure of speech it could be said that “The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera.”

Unless Yahweh had established the course of the heavenly luminaries, and had ascribed to them a form of symbolic speech, a speech that was communicated through figures and various alignments, eclipses, and conjunctions, man would be unable to understand the stellar prophecy. The Scriptures reveal that the people of God, at least some of them, did indeed understand this heavenly speech. In other Bible passages we find Yahweh making mention of the constellations.

Job 9:5-9
It is God who... commands the sun not to shine, and sets a seal upon the stars; Who alone stretches out the heavens, and tramples down the waves of the sea; Who makes Arcturus (Osh), Orion (Kesil), and the Pleiades (Kimah), and the chambers (constellations?) of the south...

In chapter 41 of Job Yahweh describes Leviathan. The description is of a fire breathing dragon. Some would suppose that this is a description of some dangerous beast alive at the time of Job. Whether or not there is truth to this, it should be considered that the description is illustrative of a number of heavenly constellations, including Hydra the sea monster and Draco the dragon. Isaiah the prophet also mentions the constellations of the heavens.

Isaiah 13:10
For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light.

Isaiah is writing these words under direct inspiration of Yahweh. One might well ask, “If the constellations were of pagan origin, or were some vain creation of man’s imagination, why does Yahweh make mention of them?” Everything else in this verse is a creation of Yahweh. The passage mentions “the stars of the heavens,” “the sun,” and “the moon.” Should we not expect that the fourth thing mentioned in this verse, “the constellations,” are also a creation of Yahweh?

The prophet Amos declared God to have “made” (or arranged) the constellations.

Amos 5:8
He made the Pleiades (Kimah) and Orion (Kesil)... Yahweh is His name.

Amos does not say that Yahweh made the stars and that man subsequently made the constellations. The prophet gives direct attribution of the constellations to the Creator. A very plain statement on this matter is found in the book of Job.

Job 26:13
By his spirit he hath garnished (adorned) the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
KJV

The crooked serpent is a well known constellation in the heavens and is found among all ancient zodiacs. Draco is the constellation likely being referred to here. Is this not significant evidence pointing to Yahweh as being the originator of the constellations? We are told that Yahweh’s Spirit has garnished, adorned, or decorated the heavens. In other words, the Spirit of God established the heavenly signs among which is found “the crooked serpent.”

One of the greatest pieces of evidence found in Scripture that supports the conclusion that Yahweh not only acknowledges the constellations, but is the originator of them and the messages they declare, is found in the 12th chapter of Revelation.

Revelation 12:1-3
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

The clear parallels to the images presented here and known constellations and heavenly bodies is unmistakable. The constellation Hydra is often depicted as a seven headed dragon.

Centuries before the book of Revelation was written the Greeks spoke of Heracles, and the Romans of Hercules, slaying the multi-headed Hydra. This was considered the second of the twelve labors of Heracles/Hercules. These myths had a direct correspondence with the constellations in the heavens. In a very real sense, Greek and Roman mythology was astral mythology. Their stories were recorded in the constellations. The myths were corruptions of the original message that Yahweh set in the heavens.

Even as the serpent, the dragon, and even the seven headed dragon, have their figures in the heavens, so too does the woman who gives birth to the man-child of Revelation 12. Some have identified her as Virgo, others as Andromeda who is chained at the edge of the sea to be sacrificed to Cetus, a great sea monster. In a subtle link to the Revelation account, Andromeda’s savior, Perseus is wearing winged sandals that give him the ability to fly, a gift from Hermes. Thus wings play a part in delivering the woman from the monster.

Andromeda Delivered from the Monster

Once again we see that the divine figure in the heavens has been corrupted into a vain myth. Yet, there is ample evidence provided that Yahweh has set this sign in the heavens and that the sun, moon, and stars are the instruments He has chosen to tell His story. We see a tremendous correspondence between this passage from the last book of the Bible and the statement observed in the first chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 1:14
“Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens..., and let them be for signs...”

Revelation 12:1
And a great sign appeared in heaven...

The apostle Paul aptly described the corruption that occurred to the divine testimony when he wrote to the Christians in Rome.

Romans 1:20-23
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Some in seeking an explanation for this passage declare that the complexity, vastness, and wisdom manifested in the creation all point back to a divine Creator. While this is true, there is much more intimated through these words of the apostle. The creation shows forth the glory of the Creator in very specific ways. In this same book Paul quotes from the 19th Psalm.

Romans 10:16-18
However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

Whose voice has gone out into all the earth? It is the voice of the stars!

Psalms 19:1-4
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.

Is there not a parallel between the words “The heavens are telling of the glory of God,” and “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen”? Accepting that Paul included the stars and heavens as part of the creation that he said was displaying the knowledge of God, we can make some correlation between his succeeding statements and the constellations of the heavens.

Paul stated that mankind “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” The constellations display the conflict between Satan and the Son of God. Satan is observed in many images. He is Draco the dragon, Serpens in the hands of Ophiuchus, Cetus seeking to destroy the virgin Andromeda, Hydra, the seven headed dragon, Scorpio with the sting in its tail wounding the heel of Orion, etc.. Yahshua, the only begotten Son of God is depicted in constellations that bear the names of various men of myth: Hercules, Orion, Ophiuchus, Perseus, Bootes, etc., as well as some animals; Leo the lion, Ares the ram.

Truly it can be said that men became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened. They exchanged the glory of God for images “in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” These images became the objects of man’s worship. From ancient days men have worshiped those images they saw in the heavens; dragons, serpents, bulls, and various images of animals and men.

When the Israelites formed a calf of gold in the wilderness and said, “This is the god that brought us up out of Egypt,” they were imitating the vain manner of worship they had observed in that nation. They had become futile in their speculations, and darkened in their understanding. This behavior has been observed in all nations, for “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

Dragon Parade

In yet another passage we are told that Yahweh uses the heavenly luminaries to convey information to mankind.

Luke 21:7-27
And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And He said... “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars and upon the earth... men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Once more we are told that the stars and other heavenly bodies are employed as “signs” to announce the works of God and His appointed times. One of the landmark events in the ages of creation is the return of Christ to subdue the dragon and establish His rule over the earth. Such an important event will be announced and attended with signs in the heavens. There has been much written in recent years about a series of blood moons and solar eclipses that will occur on the Feast Days of Yahweh, culminating in the year 2017. Some believe these signs are announcing the Great Tribulation, being a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel.

Joel 2:29-31
“I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of Yahweh comes.”

Despite the substantial amount of Scriptural evidence that Yahweh created the stars and other heavenly luminaries to serve as “signs” to be read and understood by man, there are many Christians who reject completely this Biblical concept. While looking at reviews online for Frances Rolleston’s book Mazzaroth, I came across the following testimony.

The essence of astrology is that there is "meaning" in the stars, e.g. that when Jupiter is in Leo, it means something. Other forms of divination presume to find meaning in other things in nature, e.g. that the arrangement of tea leaves or chicken entrails or the lines in one's palm have some esoteric meaning. These "Gospel in the Stars" books presume to find Biblical meaning in the constellations.
[Source: Jay Ryan - Mazzaroth book review on Amazon]

This rejection of stellar prophecy, lumping it together with unlawful forms of divination such as reading tea leaves and chicken entrails, and performing palm readings, reveals the subtlety of Satan. Not only has the devil provided a corrupt and counterfeit form of stellar prophecy that is recognized by the word “astrology” today, but he has been successful in convincing many Christians that the constellations and heavenly messages ordained by Yahweh are to be avoided. What a coup d’etat Satan has performed. He has co-opted the heavens as his own message board while effectually blinding the majority of the body of Christ to its legitimate divine function.

One major distinguishing characteristic between Satan’s counterfeit astrology and Yahweh’s stellar prophecy is who it serves. Pagan astrology is largely self-serving. It is employed by people who want to know when the best time is to start a business venture, to pursue a romantic relationship, or to go to war against an enemy. Satanic imitations of the ways of God are always corrupted, being infused with the Lucifer’s own self-seeking nature. This covering cherub was not content with the lofty position Yahweh had appointed to him. Filled with selfish ambition he desired to ascend higher.

Isaiah 14:13-14
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

People who practice astrology and consult horoscopes are looking for some advantage in life. They want to ascend. They desire to be assured of success, and to avoid suffering and defeat, by consulting with the stars. They are not content to lay their lives in God’s hands, trusting Him to choose for them the experiences that are best suited for their maturing as children of God. They have decided for themselves what experiences they want in life. Astrology becomes a means for them to achieve their personal desires. This selfish aspect of astrology is revealed in the following passage of Scripture.

Isaiah 47:12-13
“Stand now with your enchantments and the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth - perhaps you will be able to profit, perhaps you will prevail. You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from what shall come upon you.”

Note the words, “perhaps you will be able to profit, perhaps you will prevail.” All of the forbidden occult practices named in these verses are utilized by men and women for personal profit, that they might prevail in their desires. In contrast, the speech Yahweh utters through the starry host declares His will and purposes. The constellations and sun and moon are used to reveal God’s plans to humanity.

We see in these two distinct practices (the divine original and the Satanic counterfeit) a foundational difference in the mindset of the practitioners. Those who look to the heavens to know what Yahweh is speaking, do so that they might walk wisely, understanding the hour they live in and the purposes of God that are appointed for the day in which they live. Christ admonished the Jews to study the signs God set before them that they might recognize the purposes of God to be accomplished in their time.

Matthew 16:2-3
He answered and said to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”

Luke 19:41-44
And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Not heeding the signs Yahweh provided of the work He would accomplish in the hour in which they lived, the Jewish rulers and people failed to respond in a manner that would result in peace between them and God. They rejected the long promised Messiah, and crucified the Lord of glory, though the Scriptures, the angels, and the stars of the heaven all announced His appearing. Consequently their city was destroyed, their role as priests of God to the nations was taken away from them, and they fell to their oppressors.

It is needful that the people of God today pay heed to the signs of the times. It is not a time to focus upon the pursuit of material goods, worldly riches, and pleasures. These things must shortly pass away. The heavens declare this fact, as do the Scriptures.

How different is the attitude of those who consult horoscopes, making personal plans based on charts drawn up that look to the position of the stars at the hour of their birth? Their soul determines the goals they seek. They merely look to the stars to inform them of the most auspicious time to pursue their personal ambitions. The astrology of Satan appeals to the flesh and soul of man, while the stellar prophecy of Yahweh speaks to man’s spirit.

Like the enchantments and sorceries that Isaiah mentions, astrology is a form of manipulation. Its goal is to use the creation, other people, and even God Himself, for one’s personal profit. By aligning their actions with the stars, men and women believe they might somehow induce the creation (and by extension, the Creator) to do their bidding and to accomplish their pleasure. Like witchcraft, Luciferian astrology begins with man at the center and seeks to bring about man’s will on the earth. All that is divine and originates from Yahweh begins with God at the center. Christians should look to the testimony of the heavens to know what Yahweh has determined to do in their day, that they might align themselves with His will and desires.

In the book Dragon Flood, I shared that the construction of all of the government buildings in Washington, D.C., began with a Masonic cornerstone laying ceremony where grain and oil were offered to Baal. Before any of these ceremonies took place, a horoscope was cast to determine the most auspicious time to lay the cornerstone. It was believed that the influences of the heavens could be drawn upon to insure the success of the labor that men were entering into. Following is an excerpt from the book Dragon Flood.
---
David Ovason in his insightful and exceptionally well documented book The Secret Architecture of Our Nation’s Capital has demonstrated quite convincingly that Washington, D.C. was designed as a Masonic city. Ovason is writing from the viewpoint of a man much learned in the esoteric rites and symbols of ancient mysteries. Ovason is an teacher of astrology by trade, understanding the ancient practice of casting horoscopes to determine auspicious days in which nation’s would begin new works. His understanding of arcane lore is revealed in his book...

In his book on the secret architecture of Washington, D.C., Ovason explains the significance of casting a horoscope to determine the optimal time for beginning various works such as laying the cornerstone for important national buildings. Ovason writes the following:

The formal laying of a cornerstone was no new thing, even in America. It was already a ritual sanctified by Masonic tradition, a throwback to an age when it was believed that all human activities were overseen by the gods. In essence, the cornerstone ceremonial was designed not only to gain the approval of the spiritual beings, but also to ensure that these were content that the building was being brought into the world at the right time. That is one reason why it was commonplace for those designing cornerstone rituals to examine the time of the ceremonial in the light of astrology.
[Source: David Ovason, The Secret Architecture of Our Nation’s Capital]

Although Ovason has discovered none of the horoscopes that were cast to determine the dates on which events took place in the Nation’s Capital, he has examined the dates and times and drawn up the horoscopes himself. His conclusion is that “We must assume that whoever was directing the planning of Washington, D.C... had a considerable knowledge of astrology...”

Ovason goes on to explain, “The building of the federal city began formally April 15, 1791, when a number of Masons gathered together in Alexandria. Their purpose was the enacting of a Masonic ceremonial laying of the first marker stone for the new city, which would soon be called Washington.”

The architect chosen to design the White House was James Hoban. David Ovason writes, “The date when Hoban became a Mason is not on record, but in the year following the laying of the cornerstone for the President’s House he would become Worshipful Master of Georgetown Lodge No. 9.”

On October 13, 1792, the Freemasons held a cornerstone laying ceremony for the President’s House, later to be called the White House. The following quotation from the Charleston City Gazette, November 15, 1792 provides an eyewitness account of the ceremony.

“On Saturday the 13th inst. The first stone was laid in the south-west corner of the president’s house, in the city of Washington, by the Free Masons of Georgetown and its vicinity, who assembled on the occasion. The procession was formed at the Fountain Inn, Georgetown... The ceremony was performed by brother Casaneva, master of the lodge, who delivered an oration well adapted to the occasion.”

Ovason describes the horoscope drawn up for the day the Masonic cornerstone ceremony for the President’s House was laid.

“In the arch of the skies on the day the foundation stone for the White House was laid, there was a most interesting conjunction. Shortly before noon, the moon had entered the same degree as the Dragon’s Head (a node of the moon). Both planet and node were in 23 degrees of Virgo...”

Although Virgo has great relevance for the Federal city, I want to focus on the Dragon’s Head, which is referred to by the Latin name Caput draconis. Ovason points out that the Latin Caput, meaning “head,” is the root of the English words capital, and capitol.

It is noteworthy that the Masonic cornerstone laying ceremony for the President’s House took place at a moment when the influence of the Dragon’s Head is observed in the heavens. The Dragon’s Head’s influence is seen again the following year. On September 6, 1793, the first Federal Masonic Lodge in the nation is formed. This is Federal Lodge No. 15, and James Hoban, the architect of the White House, is appointed as Worshipful Master. Ovason writes, “One presumes that the Lodge had been formed precisely to ensure that a Federal group would attend the cornerstone ceremony (for the Capitol building), which had been widely advertised in Maryland and Columbia.”

(Note that the year 1793 is also the 18th year of American independence, 18 being 6+6+6.)

Symbol for Dragon’s Head and Tail - Nodes of the Moon

Ovason drew up a horoscope for the date on which this Federal Lodge was granted its charter. He states:

“I imagine that the petition must have been presented shortly after teatime, when the Moon was still in Virgo. That meant that the chart had three planets (Sun, Moon, and Mercury) in Virgo, along with the Dragon’s Head, the Caput draconis.”

Even as we observed that “the headquarters of the American revolution” was a building called the Green Dragon Tavern, we find that the influence of the dragon continues to have great significance in the founding of the nation’s capital city, its chief buildings, and the first Federal Lodge of Freemasonry.

The laying of the Capitol building cornerstone was a major event, widely publicized, and attended by a great crowd of people. According to Ovason and other sources, the event included the roasting of a 500 pound ox. This is reminiscent of ancient sacrifices to Baal.

I Kings 18:25
So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god...”

Once more Ovason provides insight into the horoscope cast for the date of the Capitol building dedication.

“Shortly before midday, Jupiter was rising in Scorpio (Jupiter also was rising on the day that the first marker stone was ceremonially placed in the capital city.)... In the Capitol chart, however, there is emphasis on Virgo which, with good reason, we have begun to expect in horoscopes relating to the federal city. The Sun and Mercury are in Virgo, as is the Dragon’s Head.”

Skipping forward some 55 years we arrive at the date in which the cornerstone for the Washington Monument was laid, July 4, 1848. Ovason provides the following insight.

“As I have indicated, probably one reason why the Masons chose to lay the stone in the afternoon was because they wished to allow the all-important Virgo to become operative in the chart. Shortly before lunchtime on that day, the Moon went into Virgo.

In fact, there was another Virgoan influence in this chart which might be missed by someone not familiar with the workings of astrology. The all-important Dragon’s Head in the 1848 chart is in 25 degrees of Virgo.

Remarkably, during the morning of September 18, 1793, when the Capitol building was founded, the Sun was also passing through this same degree of Virgo. This could scarcely be accidental - it must have been arranged for astrological reasons by the Masons. Both placings - and hence, both charts - point to something of profound importance.

According to medieval Arab astrologers (who excelled in star lore), this degree had a particular importance: it marked that point in the zodiac where the Moon was thought to promote the greatest happiness and well being. We must presume, then, that the intention behind the choice of moment was that this beneficial influence would be transmitted into Washington, D.C.”

Summarizing this astrological information, the Dragon’s Head is a node of the Moon. The Moon represented in the figure of the Dragon’s Head was exerting its greatest influence at precisely the moment of the cornerstone ceremonies for the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Thus the influence of the Dragon’s Head was transmitted into Washington, D.C..
[End Excerpt]

Freemasonry is a Luciferian institution, as is the astrology practiced by these men who were leaders in the establishment of Washington, D.C.. Clearly, the influence of Caput Draconis, the Dragon’s Head, was desired that its influence, or power, might be infused into the “Caput” (Capital) of America. What these men practiced was an unlawful form of divination. It is similar to sorcery and witchcraft. They were seeking to insure that their labors to create a new Luciferian government would be successful and prevail. Nevertheless, the hour will come when Yahshua will return to bind the great dragon, and to bring all nations into subjection to His righteous rule. Satan’s counterfeit employment of the stars is therefore, like himself, lying and deceitful. It promises things it cannot guarantee. America may have a place of ascendancy at this moment, but it will not last. Like Babylon, Rome, or the capital cities of many other former nations and empires, Washington, D.C., will be cast down into the dust and abased.

Those who look to the stars as a means to secure the success of their own works must surely fail. This is the message of Yahweh spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from what shall come upon you.” Christians who look to the stars to discern the speech of God must not do so for selfish reasons. The only proper motive is to be informed of the will of God that we might walk wisely before Him in the days in which we live. To employ the witness of the stars for selfish motives is akin to the action of those who would use the Scriptures as a means to financial and material gain. Their error will be revealed in due time.

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