Saturday, June 29, 2019

FOUNDATIONS - Part 14

The Ancient Zodiac and its Motions

Map of the Constellations by Johanne Gabriele Doppelmayr, 1730
(Click on image to view larger)

In God’s very first contact with humanity after our forebears sinned in the Garden of Eden, Yahweh began to disclose to them His plan for their deliverance. He spoke of a Seed coming forth from the woman who would crush the serpent’s head. In doing so, this deliverer would be wounded by the serpent. These words provide an example of symbolic speech. The Seed crushing the serpent’s head is an allusion to Christ destroying Satan’s authority and tyrannical rule over mankind.

Yahweh recognized an immediate need to set hope in the heart of fallen man lest he be overwhelmed with despair and fall further into depravity and the snare of the enemy. We learn in the 4th chapter of Genesis that Yahweh gave man further instruction regarding the role of a sacrificial and substitutionary offering. We read of Abel bringing of the firstlings of the flock to present as a burnt offering before Yahweh. This occurred 2,500 years before the covenant of the Law was delivered to Moses upon Mount Sinai, yet there is no Biblical record of Yahweh speaking to these earliest of our ancestors about sacrifices and offerings. Through the historical narrative alone, we understand that this divine knowledge was communicated to man. Similarly, in the 8th chapter of Genesis we read of Noah presenting offerings to God upon an altar.

Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Noah also understood the principle of offering, and presented sacrifices 1,000 years before the Law was given to Moses. Noah apprehended another truth of which no Biblical record exists of God having communicated it to man. He understood that only clean animals were suitable as offerings unto Yahweh. We don’t have a Biblical record of Yahweh identifying clean and unclean animals to man until the 11th chapter of Leviticus when the Law was delivered to Moses. However, it is possible for  Noah to have discovered the distinction between clean and unclean animals through observation of which animals came to the ark by sevens, and which ones by twos.

Genesis 7:2-3
You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth.

The way in which this commandment was presented to Noah seems to imply that the distinction between clean and unclean was already known. I do not believe it was by chance that Abel offered sheep of the flock to Yahweh upon the altar, rather than some unclean animal such as a pig. My purpose in sharing these things is to point out that there are things Yahweh communicated to early man of which no Biblical passage informs us. Four centuries before Yahweh delivered the covenant of the Law to Moses in the wilderness, it is recorded that God spoke to Isaac in the following manner:

Genesis 26:4-5
And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.

Abraham’s life is recorded for us in the book of Genesis, a book which has no record of Yahweh delivering “commandments,” “statutes,” and “laws” to mankind. What were these commandments, statutes, and laws? In what way did they differ from the commandments Yahweh delivered to Moses? The apostle Paul informs us that Abraham did not enter into a covenant of Law. His covenant with God was one of promise.

Galatians 3:16-18
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

Although God and Abraham did not enter into a covenant of Law, we are informed that Yahweh made known to Abraham certain of His statutes, commandments, and laws. We must conclude, therefore, that there were many things communicated to man by God for which we have no specific Biblical record. Of particular interest to our present study is the foreknowledge of the ministry of salvation and reconciliation that Yahweh appointed to His only begotten Son. That God communicated specific details of the salvific work of Christ can be deduced from the actions of the earliest descendants of Adam who offered sacrifices to God. These sacrifices foreshadowed the future perfect sacrifice of the Son of God.

Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous...

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It is discernible through the Scriptural comments about Abel’s offering that Yahweh had spoken to man about the principle of a substitutionary offering. By faith Abel was looking forward to that perfect sacrifice that Yahweh would one day provide as Yahshua, the Lamb of God, was offered up to atone for man’s sins. Even as Passover was delivered to Moses by God, and was to be observed annually until the Passover Lamb of God would be slain for the sins of the world, so too did men from the very earliest days offer up sacrifices to God, beginning with Abel. These had to be repeated annually as they were mere shadows of the perfect sacrifice to be realized in Christ.

Hebrews 10:1, 14
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near... For by one offering [Yahshua] has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

It is not through direct statement of the Scriptures that we are able to ascertain that Yahweh communicated to Adam and his descendants many things regarding the coming Messiah; the One who would bear the sins of the world and destroy the power of Satan. Rather, it is through a significant accumulation of details that we are informed of these facts. The preponderance of evidence points to the conclusion that Yahweh, at least in general terms, communicated to early mankind specific information about His plan for the redemption and restoration of humanity to divine fellowship.

Through a similar accumulation of evidence we are made to understand that Yahweh taught to men the message of their coming redemption through the constellations of the heavens. There is no specific verse stating this fact, but there are numerous passages that inform us of the following:

Yahweh assigned to the stars a role to serve as signs, or oracles of divine truth. (Genesis 1:14, Psalm 19:1-4, Luke 21:11, 25, etc.)
Yahweh legitimizes a number of constellations in the Bible, as well as the collective zodiac (mazzaroth), by mentioning them by name. (Job 9:9, 38:31-32, Amos 5:8, etc.)
Yahweh states that He is the One who has assigned the stars to their courses and leads them forth in their seasons. (Job 38:31-33, Psalms 8:3, Isaiah 40:26, etc.)
Yahweh declared that He created the constellations. (Amos 5:8)
Yahweh used the stars to announce the birth of His Son to the magi. (Matthew 2:2, 9-10)
In the Book of Revelation we are given an example of Yahweh speaking prophetically through signs in the heavens in the form of constellations. (Revelation 12:1-17)

Added to this, we have the historical record that shows a tremendous consistency in describing the number of constellations and their figures. One of the earliest extant writers outside of the Bible to make mention of the constellations of the zodiac is Homer, the Greek author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. The date which Homer lived is disputed, with some placing him as early as the 12th century B.C., while others argue for a more recent date around the 8th century B.C.. In the Iliad is found the following passage describing Vulcan’s shield.

There shone the image of the master mind;
There earth, there heaven, there ocean he design'd;
The unwearied sun, the moon completely round;
The starry lights that heaven's high convex crown'd;
The Pleiads, Hyads, with the northern team;
And great Orion's more refulgent beam;
To which around the axle of the sky
The Bear revolving points his golden eye;
Still shines exalted in the ethereal plain,
Nor bathes his blazing forehead in the main...

Eudoxos, a Greek mathematician and astronomer (astronomy was considered to be part of Greek mathematics), received a detailed map of the constellations (a celestial sphere) in 400 B.C. from Egypt. Eudoxos was a student of Plato, and produced a number of important astronomical writings. 130 years later, Aratus, a Greek man of acknowledged poetic ability, was encouraged by the King of Macedonia to render Eudoxos’ work into poetic form. Aratus penned Phaenomena and Diosemeia (English - Phenomena and Divine Signs) in 270 B.C.. The work became widely popular. Although this writing is no longer extant, details of this writing were mentioned by the Greek writers Aratus and Hipparchus. The apostle Paul even made reference unto the poetry of Aratus when he gave a speech at the Areopagus in Athens.

Acts 17:28
“As even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’”

Aratus described the entire zodiac in his poetry, with all of its constellations (44 were named by Aratus, though 48 are more typical), making mention of the mythology that went along with each figure. Aratus’ zodiacal figures agree with Homer’s, being more complete. Herodotus, a Greek historian writing in the 5th century B.C. states that the Greeks received their zodiac from Egypt. In the introduction to John Lamb’s translation of Aratus’ Phaenomena and Diosemeia (published 1848), the author writes:

Herodotus states that they borrowed the names of their twelve gods, their religious ceremonies, and their geometry from Egypt; and from the same people they are said to have obtained the celestial sphere. At the same time it is not probable that the Egyptians were the inventors of it. There is nothing of an Egyptian character in the figures depicted upon it; nor can this people establish any claim to the invention, being never celebrated for their astronomical discoveries. Their talents and skill were directed to Geometry and Architecture, in which two sciences they greatly excelled. But there are two nations whose claim to the introduction of the celestial sphere rests upon such strong presumptive evidence that it is difficult to refuse to either the credit of the invention. These are the Assyrians and the Phenicians (sic)...

At an early period after the deluge that family of the human race which constituted the great Assyrian empire spread themselves over the central plain of Asia, founded large cities, among others Babylon, where they carried all the arts and sciences of civilized life to high perfection. We know that they excelled in the knowledge of astronomy; much of which they might derive from the antediluvian patriarchs through Noah and his immediate descendants.
[Source: Aratus’ - Phaenomena and Diosemeia, John Lamb, D.D.]

Here we have one who believes that Adam’s early descendants had knowledge of astronomy and of the constellations, this knowledge being carried forward to postdiluvian civilizations through Noah and his sons. Dr. Lamb shared his opinion of the development of the zodiac, its symbols and mythology along two separate lines, one Babylonian, and the other Phoenician.

From the early history of the human race, as recorded in the first ten chapters of Genesis, and the continued records of their own empire, they would form a picture-history, commencing with Adam and reaching to their own times. Such I conceive to have been the Assyrian or Babylonian sphere; and that from it are derived the human figures on our celestial globe. The other sphere, of which the signs or constellations were the figures of animals, was of Phenician (sic) origin. This people at an early period having migrated to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean became the first of maritime nations...

They soon became a populous and powerful people, and were most celebrated for their maritime skill and boldness, and for the advancement they made in arithmetic and astronomy. Their mariners would carefully observe the positions and motions of the heavenly bodies, and would figure them upon a celestial sphere. And in so doing, what plan would they more probably adopt than that of taking for the signs or constellations the images which distinguished and gave a name to their celebrated ships? The learned Bochart has clearly shewn that the word Pegasus is of Phenician (sic) origin: Pag or Pega, "a bridle," and Sus, "a horse," forming the word "Pegasus," " the bridled horse," no doubt the figure at the head, and the name of a ship. The body of this animal and of several others on the globe are cut in half, exactly representing the figure as it would appear on the head of a ship. Cetus, a whale, or great fish : a Dolphin : a Hydra, or seasnake: a Swan : a Ram : a Bull, are all such signs as ships would bear.
[Source: Ibid]

The notion that some of the signs of the zodiac were derived from the figureheads of ships is shared by other historians and authors. The major argument in support of this interesting idea is based upon the half-formed images of some of the constellations as they have historically been rendered. Such images might be observed on the prow of a sailing ship.

Constellation Pegasus


















Constellation Taurus

During the time of Paul’s arrest and transfer to Rome as a prisoner, ships traditionally had figureheads adorning the prow. Luke describes one such emblem in the book of Acts.

Acts 28:11
And at the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

Alexandria was an Egyptian city, but it was Greek in culture, being founded by, and named after, the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great. “The Twin Brothers” is an apparent reference to Castor and Pollux who are depicted in the constellation Gemini, often referred to as “the Twins.” This Biblical narrative demonstrates credibly that zodiacal images were found on the prow of ships, but it does not resolve the question of which came first. Was the Phoenician zodiac derived from the images on their ships, or did the Phoenicians decorate their ships with much more ancient images found in their zodiac? Certainly, in the case of the ship that Paul and Luke sailed upon, the ship was adorned with the image of a zodiacal figure of much greater antiquity.

An argument against the ship’s figurehead theory is that many of the images of creatures in the zodiac are full body in their depiction, not being cut in half as one would expect on a ship’s prow. Regardless of what alterations may have been made by the Phoenicians to their zodiac, the more ancient one is certainly the Babylonian. Before the Phoenicians were ever settled along the shores of Syria and Canaan, their ancestors were gathered with all other men in the plains of Shinar at ancient Babel. There all men were of one tongue, and one purpose. There they had the knowledge of the constellations, so that when God scattered them they carried this science with them to all parts of the earth. This explains the great similarity in the zodiac found among scattered people of different tongues. Frances Rolleston, in the opening chapter of her book Mazzaroth, relates the great antiquity of the constellatons of the zodiac.

Now that the hieroglyphics of Egypt are interpreted, and the characters of Babylon and Assyria deciphered, should those far more ancient and more widely diffused, the primitive hieroglyphics of the whole human race, be neglected? Those, the great enigma of ages, transmitting far more important intelligence, shall they not seem worthy of investigation?...

These signs were known among all nations and in all ages. From the almost antediluvian chronologies of China, India, and Egypt, to the traditions of the recently discovered islands of the South Sea, traces of them are discerned, most clearly among the most ancient and earliest civilized nations. In the remains of Assyria they are recognized; in those of Egypt they are perfectly preserved; in those of Etruria and Mexico they are traceable.

This wide diffusion indicates a common origin, both of the race of man and of the symbols of astronomy...

The earliest positive evidence of the primeval existence of the signs is in the Chinese annals, where it is said that the Emperor Yao, 2317 years before the Christian era, divided the twelve signs of the zodiac by the twenty-eight mansions of the moon: but it is not said that he invented them. The Chinese national emblem of the dragon appears to be the dragon of the sphere, which was at that time the polar constellation, the brightest star in the dragon's head having been the pole-star in the antediluvian ages.

The Signs are next alluded to by the patriarch Jacob, who in his dying blessing was held by the ancient Hebrews to have spoken of them as the appointed cognizances of his twelve sons, and as such they were borne on the standards of Israel in the wilderness.

The Egyptians, on whose early monuments the signs are found, acknowledged that they derived their astronomy from the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans attributed their science to Oannes, supposed to be Noah. The Arabs and Brahmins, among whom astronomy was early cultivated, seem to have derived it from Abraham, through Ishmael and the children of Keturah. The Greeks supposed their imperfect knowledge of the subject came through the Egyptians and the Chaldeans. The Romans are thought to have received through the Etrurians the names of the signs still in use among the European nations. The Etrurians are considered to have derived them, with their other arts and sciences, from Assyria. The early Greek poet Hesiod is said to have made use of Assyrian records. He mentions some of the constellations by the names they now bear...

A later Greek poet, Aratus, described the constellations such as we now have them, and by equivalent names. He gave neither history nor conjecture as to their date, their meaning, nor their origin. They were to him, as to us, of immemorial antiquity. Cicero, in translating from Aratus, says, "The signs are measured out, that in so many descriptions Divine wisdom might appear:" but he does not say in what manner. No attempt is made by any of these writers to explain the figures, or to assign any inventor to them... None of these earlier writers allude to any tradition concerning the meanings of the names and emblems of the constellations, nor as to where, when, or by whom they were originated.
[Frances Rolleston, Mazzaroth]

There is a very interesting book that can be read freely online, or downloaded, written in the year 1876 by George Smith, an archaeologist who was employed by the Department of Oriental Antiquities at the British Museum. The book is titled The Chaldean Account of Genesis. It describes a series of ancient Assyrian tablets that Smith was instrumental in discovering, cataloguing, and translating. Found among the ruins of the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh were tens of thousands of fragments of clay tablets that were used as the writing material of the day. George Smith estimates that in the Royal Library at Nineveh there must have been about 10,000 complete tablets, though they no longer remain whole. The Assyrians would write upon the soft clay tablets and then fire them in a kiln to harden them. This rendered these writings relatively impervious to decay, though the media they were scribed upon was fragile. At this same site The Epic of Gilgamesh was found. It is considered the world’s first truly great work of literature. The first surviving edition of The Epic of Gilgamesh, a Babylonian version, is dated to the 18th century B.C.. The Epic of Gilgamesh includes an account of the flood of Noah.

Clay Tablet Fragments From Nineveh

If you begin to look into the ancient history of astronomy, you will find the terms Chaldean, Babylonian, and Assyrian mentioned frequently, for they are arguably the most ancient societies in which evidence exists of the knowledge of astronomy or astrology. All three of these nations existed in what is referred to as “the Fertile Crescent” which includes the land lying between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This area is also called “the cradle of civilization.”




If you look closely you will see that the city of Babel, or Babylon, lies on the border of Babylonia and Chaldea. There was much interchange of culture and information between all three of these nations.  Babylonia pre-dates Assyria, and the Assyrians acknowledge having received much of their knowledge of history and astronomy from the Babylonians. Because the Chaldeans became the dominant influence in Babylonia, and Babylonia had such an influence upon Assyria, one will often find the term Chaldean used to describe any of the cultures or peoples of these three nations. This seems to be the manner in which George Smith is employing the term, for the tablets he found were Assyrian, but he speaks of them as Chaldean.

Bible students will recall that the ten northern tribes of Israel were taken captive into Assyria. This occurred in 722 B.C. during the reign of the Assyrian king Sargon II. In 597 B.C. Judah was conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and this began the first of three deportations to that nation, the last of which occurred in 582 B.C..

The Bible informs us that Babel was among the first of the great cities established after the flood of Noah. Ham was one of the three sons of Noah that went aboard the ark, along with his wife. Ham had a son named Cush, and Cush in turn was the father of Nimrod who was the founder of Babel.

Genesis 10:10-12
And the beginning of [Nimrod’s] kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

The date estimated for the founding of Babel is around 2300 B.C., approximately two centuries after the flood of Noah. At that time Noah and his sons would still have been alive as the Bible tells us that Noah lived 350 years after the flood, dying at an age of 950 years. The Genesis account in the Bible further informs us that Shem was 98 years of age when the flood ended and he lived 502 years after the flood, living to 600 years of age (Genesis 11:10-11). Shem was the father of the Shemites (Semites, or Semitic people), and a forebear of Abraham, thus his genealogy is carefully recorded. We are not told how long his brothers Ham and Japheth lived, but it can be assumed that they enjoyed a similar lifespan. Thus we see that the founding of Babel by Nimrod overlapped the lives of Noah and his sons. Any pre-flood knowledge they may have had of divine astronomy would certainly have been passed down to their descendants, eventually to be found at Babel.

The tablets of The Chaldean Account of Genesis parallel the Biblical book of Genesis in numerous areas. They begin with a lengthy description of the creation of the heavens and the earth, culminating in the creation of man. They include a narrative of the rebellion of a celestial being that corresponds to Satan, and the resulting war in heaven. They speak of man’s fall, and a terrible curse that results. The building of the tower of Babel is also noted on the Chaldean tablets. Although these events parallel the account of Genesis in the Bible, they depart from the Scriptural narrative in significant ways. There is evidence of much corruption and vanity entering into the tale, though the basic events remain recognizable.

The dates of the Assyrian Genesis tablets can be confidently dated to the reign of Assurbanipul who rose to power in 670 B.C.. However, these library copies of the Assyrian Genesis account were merely replicas of much older writings whose date of origin is very difficult to establish. George Smith shares that the Assyrian language remained unchanged for more than a thousand years which makes it difficult to establish a date for the original writing. What can be confidently asserted is that in the time between the flood of Noah in approximately 2500 B.C., and the copying of these tablets over 1,800 years later, sufficient time had elapsed for many corruptions to enter into the Assyrian stories. Sound doctrine devolved into myths and fables. Although the events of history and Biblical parallels can be discerned in a general sense, the narratives include many spurious additions and alterations by man.

My purpose in mentioning The Chaldean Account of Genesis is that on tablet five of the series the constellations are mentioned and their creation is ascribed to God. Following is a translation of a portion of the tablet performed by George Smith.

Fifth Tablet of Creation Legend
1. It was delightful, all that was fixed by the great gods.
2. Stars, their appearance [in figures] of animals he arranged.
3. To fix the year through the observation of their constellations,
4. twelve months (or signs) of stars in three rows he arranged,
5. from the day when the year commences unto the close.
6. He marked the positions of the wandering stars (planets) to shine in their courses,
7. that they may not do injury, and may not trouble any one...

If these statements are consistent with the rest of the information on these ancient tablets, we may conclude that the basic facts are true, but the details have suffered corruption due to the vanity of man’s thoughts. The tablets substantiate the fact that ancient civilizations believed that God was the creator of the constellations, passing the knowledge of them on to man. We also observe that the early Assyrians embraced a zodiac of twelve signs, while also having two additional groups of twelve constellations, making thirty-six in all.

I believe it is credible from both the Biblical and historical evidence to suggest that the constellations of the zodiac were originated by Yahweh, but through time, due to the darkness of man’s understanding and a tendency for vain speculations, the original identity of the constellations, and the message they conveyed, became corrupted. Nevertheless, there is still visible in what remains to this day shadows from which the original can be reconstructed, however imperfectly. This is what Christian scholars and writers such as Frances Rolleston, Joseph Seiss, E.W. Bullinger, Ken Fleming, E. Raymond Capt, J. Preston Eby, and others have labored to do.

(Dr. D. James Kennedy published a book on this subject in 1989 titled The Real Meaning of the Zodiac. I have not read it as it appears to be an entry level book on this subject designed for mass appeal. It likely provides a good summary of this subject, while not being a scholarly treatise. Chuck Missler has also authored a book on this subject, Signs in the Heavens, which is available as a Kindle e-book. Missler’s teaching also exists in tape format and he has numerous videos on this topic available on YouTube. Chuck Missler adds some interesting thoughts and information that are not mentioned by the other authors listed. For example he suggests that if the star names of a constellation are read in the order of their magnitude of brightness they form a message. He compares it to reading an acrostic.)

In the next chapter I will present a summation of the teachings of these authors in the following manner: Using the starting and ending points indicated by the symbol of the Great Sphinx, I will begin with Virgo and end with Leo. The twelve major constellations that lie along the plane of the ecliptic (the sun’s apparent path through the heavens) will be addressed in order, along with a brief account of the three minor constellations (decans) that are related to each of them, for a total of 48 constellations. For those unfamiliar with the connection between the Sphinx and the zodiac, I provide the following information.

The oldest complete depiction of the zodiac is found in the temple complex in Denderah, Egypt. On the ceiling of a chapel devoted to Osiris, the Egyptian sun god, is found the famous Denderah Planisphere, or Zodiac.

Depiction of Denderah Planisphere
(Note: The outer figures of the zodiac with their English names have been added for identification purposes, not being part of the temple ceiling in Denderah.)

Not far from Denderah is another ancient temple site in the town of Esne. At that location there is a zodiac displayed in a different form.












Esne Zodiac

Familiar images of the modern zodiac are readily apparent in these ancient depictions. One can easily see a lion (Leo), a virgin (Virgo) a scarab (the crab of Cancer), a bull (Taurus), a ram (Aries), two fish (Pisces), the twins (Gemini), a set of scales (Libra), a scorpion (Scorpio, or Scorpius), a centaur with a bow and arrow (Sagittarius), a half ram and half fish creature (Capricorn), and a man pouring out water from a vase (Aquarius). Although the creation of these reliefs depicting the zodiac are dated to about 2,000 years ago, it is estimated that the star arrangements of the Denederah Planisphere show the sky as it appeared more than 2,000 years earlier. Thus, it is believed by many to be a copy of a zodiac that was originally drawn 4,000 years ago which would place it close to the time after the flood of Noah.

Observe the image highlighted in red in the image of the zodiac from Esne. This is a figure of the Sphinx. It lies between the symbols for Virgo and Leo. It is understood by many archaeoastronomers (archaeologists who study the ancient star lore of past civilizations) that the Sphinx serves as a key pointing to the beginning and ending points of the zodiac. If a person were to turn back the clock to 4,000 B.C. (the approximate time of Adam’s creation) at the time of the Summer Solstice, they would find that “this solstice took place where the junction of Leo and Virgo is marked by the bright star Denebola” (a name meaning “The Lord who comes quickly”) - Frances Rolleston, Mazzaroth.

What better way to denote the entire panoply of heavenly figures than with the image of the Sphinx? This imaginary creature has the head of a woman signifying the Virgin who would one day give birth to humanity’s redeemer. The Sphinx’s hind parts are the image of a Lion signifying the Lion of the tribe of Judah come back to reign upon the earth. Thus, the entire heavenly testimony, the glorious work of God, is represented in the image of the Sphinx.

Sphinx

An argument could be put forth that the zodiac should start in Aries, for from antiquity Aries appears in lists as the first of the constellations. It is worthy of a short digression to make mention of the concept of astrological ages.

Most people have heard of the Age of Aquarius. It was popularized in the 1960s in the rock musical Hair which opened with the song Aquarius. Unfortunately, this has caused many Christians to associate any discussion of astrological ages with New Age religion and the hippie culture. A concept that relates to astrological ages is axial precession, or precession of the equinoxes. I will attempt to describe this in as simple a manner as possible.

Axial Precession

Every 24 hours the earth rotates completely upon its central axis. This is illustrated by the white arrows above. The earth’s axis, however, does not remain stationary. As the earth rotates it acts much like a spinning top that wobbles. Imagine that the red line at the top of the image above is the axis of a spinning top. As the top itself is spinning very quickly, the axis point is making circuits in space. We can see this occurring with our naked eye when we spin a toy top, or a gyroscope, on a table. However, the wobble of the earth’s axis is very slow. It takes approximately 26,000 years for the axis of the earth to make one complete circuit. This astronomical time period is referred to as a “Great Year,” a term attributed to the Greek philosopher and mathematician Plato.

The following video illustrates these concepts.

http://youtu.be/9n04SEzuvXo

It is interesting to note that in 13,000 years the tilt of the earth in relation to the sun will be the exact opposite of what it is now. That means that for countries in the northern hemisphere, summertime will be wintertime in 13,000 years, and vice versa for countries in the southern hemisphere.

Every 72 years the earth’s axis moves 1̊ (one degree) along the circle of its wobble. This movement is backwards in relation to the constellations of the zodiac. Rather than progressing in the order in which the sun travels through the constellations (Aries - Taurus - Gemini - Cancer - Leo - Virgo - Libra - Scorpio - Sagitarrius - Capricorn - Aquarius - Pisces), the wobble of the earth’s axis is moving in the reverse direction.

If the Great Year is divided up into twelve equal parts to correspond to the twelve constellations of the zodiac, we would find that the earth would be in each constellation for approximately 2,100 years. In rough measure, every two millennia the earth would enter into a new astrological age. This movement through the constellations is well illustrated in the following video. Note that there is an error in this video at the 0:48 second mark. It should list Aries as being 2,000 B.C. rather than 1,000 B.C.. You will note that all the other constellations are spaced equally at 2,000 years apart.

http://youtu.be/qlVgEoZDjok

The dividing up of the constellations into twelve equal parts, each comprising 30̊ along the circle of the sun’s apparent motion through the heavens, is an invention of the Greeks. If one looks at the constellations it is evident that they do not each occupy the same amount of space in the heavens. Some constellations are spread out much further than others. There is also some overlap of the constellations. This makes it difficult to ascribe definite boundaries to the constellations, and to state definitively when the sun has moved from one constellation to the next.

From a prophetic standpoint, this lack of uniformity and the presence of overlap among some constellations, can be viewed as being divinely inspired in order to convey heavenly knowledge. Yahweh has not divided the ages of mankind, or the periods of history, up into neat, uniform segments. There is a great variation in the span of time appointed to the various works and dealings of Yahweh. Some works of God overlap other works. We see evidence of this as the age of Law that began with Moses at Mount Sinai gave way to the age of grace and life in the Spirit that commenced with the resurrection of Christ and the sending forth of the Spirit to indwell man. The apostle Paul speaks of this transition as being progressive, and not clearly delineated.

Hebrews 8:13
When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

The words “becoming obsolete,” “growing old,” and “ready to disappear,” indicate an ongoing process. The removal of the old covenant has significant overlap with the institution of a new covenant (not in an individual application, but in a corporate application). In one sense, the beginning of the new covenant can be clearly fixed to the hour in which Christ’s blood was shed on the cross. The blood of the Son of God sealed the new covenant.

Hebrews 9:16-18
For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

Though the new covenant was inaugurated by the blood of Christ, not all men have at this time entered into the covenant. A firstfruits company have entered in, and in time all others will follow. The kingdom of Christ will grow until it fills the whole earth like the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, in practice, we see that there is some overlap of the works of God. This is shown in the constellations of the heavens, for they do not all have neatly defined boundaries.

In 1922 the International Astronomical Union set forth proposed standards to define the boundaries of the constellations of the heavens. We cannot accept these boundaries that have been determined by man to be the same as those determined by God. Nevertheless, we see in these boundaries that the constellations each vary in size. The sun remains in each of the twelve constellations for an unequal amount of time. Using the IAU’s boundaries, we find that the sun abides in each house, or constellation, for the following length of time. (Note that the IAU recognizes Ophiuchus as the 13th constellation of the zodiac.)

What this table reveals is that the section of the heavens each constellation occupies varies widely. From a low of 6.52 days and 6.5 degrees in Scorpio to a high of 44.51 days and 43.9 degrees in Virgo, the sun’s occupancy in Virgo (signifying the bringing forth of the sons of God) is nearly seven times that of its residency in Scorpio (signifying Satan stinging the heel of the man).

Many have attempted to determine the borders of astrological ages by measuring the boundaries of the constellations, but this is an exercise fraught with a great lack of precision. Depictions of the constellations vary. In many accounts there are constellations that share the same stars. The judgment of men pertaining to the boundaries of zodiacal figures varies. Some, like the Greeks, have approached the matter scientifically and assigned to each of the twelve main constellations an equal distance of thirty degrees in the heavens, and an equal number of days. Others have looked to the images themselves to determine how much time to allot. As a student of the Scriptures, recognizing Yahweh as the Author of the constellations, I believe a more accurate means to determine the bounds of the constellations, and the ages they signify, is to compare them to the Biblical narrative. Here we find a remarkable correspondence with the astrological ages and Yahweh’s dealing with mankind.

Others have noted an unusual correspondence between the astrological ages and major events and dispensations in the Bible. Even the unregenerate have commented on this correspondence. The authors of the book Hamlet’s Mill believed that all of the world’s religious teachings (they referred to them as myths, including the teachings of the Bible) arose as attempts to explain the motions of the heavens. I can well imagine the “aha!” moment that the authors had when they discerned there was a very profound correspondence between the precession of the equinoxes through the constellations of the zodiac and the stories recorded in the Bible. Yet, approaching this subject from the perspective of unbelievers, they were unable to countenance the thought that these correspondences were the result of divine design. Instead, they imagined the Bible to be a book of myths that arose as attempts to convey knowledge about the motions of the heavens.

Sir William Drummund was another unbeliever who viewed the Hebrew Scriptures as something other than divine revelation. He wrote Oedipus Judaicus - Allegory in the Old Testament in the year 1811. Drummund believed the Hebrew Scriptures to be disguised astronomical records.

Drummund makes his case that at the time of Abraham, the Amorites first recorded the shift from the Age of Taurus to the Age of Aries as represented by the year commencing with the Ram (Aries) rather than the bull (Taurus). The Book of Joshua indicates that by the time of Moses the equinoxes had already shifted from Taurus to Aries as Moses had ordained that the civil year should commence with the month of Nisan (Aries) rather than the month of Taurus. The feast of the Passover is probably a celebration of the Age of Aries with the Paschal Lamb representative of Aries, traditionally associated with the symbol of the ram or sheep.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrological_age]

There are nearly as many schemes for calculating the beginning and end dates for astrological ages as there are astrologers and astronomers. Anyone can make a fair estimation of the ages in a general sense simply by study of the precession of the equinoxes, but setting precise dates is difficult for those who do not factor in the testimony of the Bible nor allow for divine direction of the stars. The Wikipedia article on Astrological Ages cites three different calculations for the beginning and end dates of the Age of Aries. Using the Greek method of allotting to each constellation 30 degrees along the plane of the ecliptic, two astrologers proposed the following dates.

Neil Mann interpretation: began in ca. 2150 BC and ended in ca. 1 AD.
Patrick Burlingame interpretation: began in ca. BC 2006 and ended in ca. BC 6.
[Source: Ibid]

Using the alternate method of using the constellation itself to set its boundaries, the following dates are set forth.

Shephard Simpson interpretation: began ca. 1875 BC to ca. 100 AD.
[Source: Ibid]

What is evident in each of these views is that the age of Aries began after the flood of Noah, and ended at the beginning of the Christian era. I would suggest that postdiluvian men, with their tremendous focus upon the heavens, are responsible for establishing Aries as first in the list of zodiacal constellations. The reason their lists begin with Aries is because the earth after the flood entered the Age of Aries.

Sir William Drummund, who was cited earlier, proposed that the Age of Aries began in the days of Abraham. Abraham was born somewhere around the year 2,000 B.C.. This places his birth near the beginning of common estimates for the beginning of the Age of Aries. There is a remarkable event that occurs in Abraham’s life where a ram plays a significant role. After the birth of Isaac, when this son of Abraham is a youth, Yahweh instructs Abraham to take Isaac to a certain mountain and offer him there upon an altar as a sacrifice. This was an exceptional test of Abraham’s obedience to God. This event is recorded for us in the 22nd chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 22:7-14
And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there, and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh Will Provide.

The image of the ram in the drawing looks very similar to depictions of the constellation Aries.













Without a doubt, this act of Abraham constitutes a great landmark in Yahweh’s dealing with humanity. It is an event worthy of being testified to in the heavens even as it has received significant space in the Bible. Because of Abraham’s fear of Yahweh and faith in His goodness, it was promised to Abraham on that day that God would make his descendants His personal possession.

Genesis 22:15-18
Then the angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Centering upon this event, a new nation was born. It would be a nation of priests who would be Yahweh’s own peculiar people. They would be entrusted with the oracles of God. From the seed of Abraham would come the Law and the prophets. Four hundred and thirty years later the first Passover would be observed, and the cental feature of the Passover would be a male lamb which would serve as a substitutionary sacrifice for mankind. The ram, therefore, is a most fitting image of this dispensation of God. The age would culminate in the sacrifice of the Son of God, who after the pattern of Abraham and Isaac, was offered up as a sacrifice by His Father. These two sacrifices represent the beginning and end dates of the Age of Aries.

As remarkable as this is, there is much more. The Age of Aries gave way to the Age of Pisces. Pisces is symbolized by two fish. Fish are featured prominently in the Gospels as a symbol for man, particularly for those who are called to be disciples of Christ. When Christ set forth to begin His earthly ministry He started by calling twelve men to be His disciples (later to become apostles). The most common occupation among these men was that of a fishermen.

Matthew 4:18-22
And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him. And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. And they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

The Gospels record numerous miracles involving fish. On one occasion Yahshua took what little food could be found among a vast multitude of people, and multiplied it to feed the masses. All the food at hand was five barley loaves and two small fish.

John 6:9-13
“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” Yahshua said, ‘Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Yahshua therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost.”  And so they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.

Two fish to feed a multitude. Is it coincidence that the God who made the heavens, who calls the stars by name, who formed the constellations, has set before us an image of two fish?

On two occasions, once at the beginning of His ministry, and once at the end, Yahshua performed a miracle by filling the nets of His disciples with fish. The occupation of these men foretold of their spiritual calling as fishers of men. Yahshua would draw to His disciples those men and women chosen for salvation. On another occasion Yahshua instructed Peter to cast a hook into the water and the first fish he caught would have a coin in its mouth to pay the poll tax. The fish has become a symbol firmly associated with Christianity. How fitting that the Age of Pisces should commence as the Lamb of God was offering up His life on the cross at calvary. As the disciples went forth on the Day of Pentecost to fulfill the great commission, to make disciples of all nations, they began fulfilling the type of being fishers of men. At this moment the Age of Pisces began.

We are now 2,000 years into the Age of Pisces. This age is coming to an end, and the Age of Aquarius, the Water Pourer, is about to begin.

The Age of Aquarius will begin with the inauguration of the millennial reign of Christ upon the earth. Regarding this age, we are informed of the following by the prophets Isaiah and Habakkuk.

Isaiah 11:9
“They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea.”

Habakkuk 2:14
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.”

We previously read the testimony of David in the Psalms who said, “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” (Psalms 19:1-2).

Here is a heavenly symbol depicting the very act of pouring forth the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh upon the earth. What a remarkable testimony Yahweh has set in the heavens. With precision He has caused the movements of the heavens to show forth His plan of the ages. With exact timing the precession of the equinoxes are leading us from one age to another to correspond with the works of God.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws    

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com    

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

She's Home

I had promised the bloggers that I would tell them when my daughter Kristin made any big leaps across the pond. Well, she was here for 12 days, having come home from Poland. I was able to loan her my car while she was here, and it was the first time she had driven a car since being in Poland. Poland is a much healthier country and it is possible to go anywhere over there either by walking, riding a bus or a train, or flying. The cost of transportation is very cheap as well.

I have asked my daughter to write up a small report of some of the people she saw while over here. She has obliged, and following is her report.

--------------------------------------------------------------

It’s hard to believe I’ve been in Poland for almost a year now (I came in July). It’s been a wonderful time, with a lot of stretching experiences, a lot of breaking, and a lot of opportunities for growth. I can see how God has faithfully ordered my steps, and I feel very grateful for the people He has allowed me to build relationships with here.

The beginning of June I was able to spend almost 2 weeks in Georgia. Some of my closest friends (Nick and Nicole) got married, and I was a bridesmaid in their wedding. My time in Georgia was rich with lots of time spent with friends and family. It was really good to reconnect with people, and I even managed to squeeze in some extra stuff like a Girls Camp Day that I helped to organize for girls from our small town, some time at the lake, and lots of coffee dates.

Thanks so much to everyone who has prayed for me over the past year. Poland is a beautiful country with a lot of special people, but also a lot of need. The culture is strongly Catholic, but many people are simply culturally religious, having many personal questions and doubts about faith, and most don’t understand the personal relationship the Father desires to have with them. There is a strong focus on Mary, and Jesus is often overlooked. I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to share parts of my testimony with some students, and feel privileged to have their friendship. I’ve also been greatly encouraged and challenged by the Polish believers, and love hearing the stories of how God is changing lives in this side of the world.

Here are some photos from my time in Georgia:

Me with Nick and Nicole
(Click on any picture to view larger)

























My dear friend MaryAnn had a baby while I was in GA. This is when I visited her and her husband David at the hospital to meet their new baby girl.



















This young lady (Erica) has a heart of gold. She’s been unusually sensitive to the things of the Lord from a young age, and I had the privilege of playing music together with her for the first time at our Girls Camp Day.

























A group photo from Girls Camp.



















A group of friends I had the honor of spending the evening with.



















A picture of the bridal party at Nick & Nicole’s wedding.

















---------------------------------------------

She’s Back in Poland

Kristin had a wonderful surprise in going back to Poland. One of her friends went with her. This has allowed her to not miss her home too much, and it was a great opportunity for her friend to see Poland. Her friend knows the people that Kristin is serving with, so it was a great time for her to show up unannounced and surprise her friends. I suppose it will be another year before I get to hug my daughter. Until then I will content myself with visiting on Skype.

May you be blessed,

Joseph Herrin

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws    

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com    

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063

Monday, June 24, 2019

FOUNDATIONS - Part 13

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 will 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. Obviously 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, “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 the Son of God 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, Aries 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 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.."
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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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