The Blood Moon Tetrad and the Rev. 12 Heavenly Signs

Birth of Jesus Christ
Biblical Astronomy of the Birth and Return of Christ

The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 and the Rev. 12 Heavenly Signs  [Part I.]

A Primary theme of our work regarding the Biblical Astronomy surrounding the Birth and Second Coming of Christ is based on the idea of The Celestial Prelude. As we documented in our most recent Blog Post on The Blood Moon Tetrad and the Celestial Prelude, the heavenly signs over the last seven years of the BC era, recognized by the first Century Magi, not only allowed them to accurately discern the timing of the Birth of Jesus Christ, but they also set the pattern for an accurate end-time recognition of the heavenly signs marking the Second Coming of Christ. In this light, we have continued with a detailed comparison of heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ with those leading up to his glorious Return. This post carries on that theme. The accurate understanding of the Biblical Astronomy of these two most critical events in all human history, is based on the record in Revelation 12. To ascertain a proper Biblical perspective of this powerful Bible Prophecy, we must first allow that this record has a dual significance that applies in detail, both to the Birth and Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In previous Blog posts, we have referenced the “sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow,” [I Peter 1:11] as one perspective from which to understand the dual significance of the Biblical Astronomy of the Rev. 12 record. The Sufferings of Christ were endured in his perfect sacrifice for Israel and all mankind, in the Birth, life-ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. His glory we are close to witnessing as the heavenly signs that marked his first appearance on Earth, rewind to prepare us for his victorious Second Coming. As we have been documenting, the heavenly signs, and planetary conjunctions seen leading up to, and including the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, are setting the stage for the recapitulation of heavenly signs marking his glorious return. We can also understand the dual significance of this Rev. 12 record in light of the Ministry of Christ to Israel as the declaration of the King of Kings, which was rejected by Israel, resulting in the dispersion of the Jews during the Age of Grace, over the last 2000 years. The Second Coming of Christ represents the declaration of His Kingdom, when he sets up his Millennial Reign on Earth. As we have seen in the heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ, the Rev. 12 Great Wonder in Heaven” was witnessed in the Sept. 11th, 3 BC sign in Virgo, fulfilling this prophecy, as the Sun Clothed Virgo with the Moon under her feet. These are the primary elements of this celestial prophecy that unmistakably mark the birth of Christ. As we have maintained for many years, and in my DVD presentation on The Biblical Astronomy of the Birth of Christ, available in our Bookstore in the Right hand margin of this page, we have documented the details of this Rev. 12 record, along with very moments of Christ’s birth in the Biblical Astronomy, and historical records that narrow the time of his birth down to a period of about 10 minutes! The graphic in Figure 1. below, from the book  Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, has been utilized a number of times to depict this heavenly sign. A number of renown, professional astronomers agree with this, not the least among them being Dr. Earnest Martin.

Rev. 12:1-2 (Rev 12:1) And there appeared3700 a great3173 wonder4592in1722 heaven;3772 a woman1135 clothed with4016 the3588 sun,2246 and the3588 moon4582 under5270 her848 feet,4228 and upon1909 her848 head2776 a crown4735 of twelve1427 stars:792 (Rev 12:2) And she being with child2192, 1722, 1064 cried,2896 travailing in birth,5605 and pained928 to be delivered.

Figure 1. Revelation 12:1 sign. 1

Rev. 12 sign
Virgo Clothed with the Sun with Moon at her feet

 

There are a number of key elements beginning with this sign in Rev. 12:1, when viewed in the context of the Return of Christ that can qualify as a Biblical chronology in this record, once viewed in the context of the current Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. As a key Blood Moon prophecy from the book of Joel states:

[Joel 2:31]  “The Sun shall be turned to darkness and the Moon to Blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

As we have detailed in numerous posts on this Blog, the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses that have occurred on Hebrew Feast and holy days during the previous 7 Blood Moon Tetrads in the Age of Grace, culminating in the current eighth Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, represent a benchmark in the timeline leading to the Day of the Lord. Since we know that these heavenly signs will take place before the Second Coming of Christ, we can factor them into our comparison of heavenly signs leading us to the Lord’s Return. This is why we take note of not only the Blood Moon Tetrads, but all the Solar and Lunar Eclipses in the vicinity of the Tetrads, especially those marking the return of Israel to her homeland in 1949-50, and regaining Jerusalem in 1967-68, including the current 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad. The Solar and Lunar Eclipse/Feast dates of the current 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad are as follows:

img6

April 29th, 2014 Annular Solar Eclipse
October 23rd, 2014 Partial Solar Eclipse
March 20th, 2015, Total Solar Eclipse [Nisan 1]
Sept. 13th, 2015, Partial Solar Eclipse [Feast of Trumpets]
Sept. 15/16, 2015 Celestial Sphinx Sign [Rev. 12:1-2]
Sept. 23rd, 2015 Day of Atonement/50 Year Hebrew Jubilee
Sept. 28th, 2015 Super Blood Moon-Feast of Tabernacles

The Partial Solar Eclipse on September 13th at the Feast of Trumpets this Fall is the next heavenly sign in the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, before the fourth and Final Super-Blood Moon on the Feast of Tabernacles, Sept. 28th, 2015. Between these signs marking the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles this September, we have the Day of Atonement on Sept. 23rd, 2015. This day opens the 50-year Hebrew Jubilee, year 5776 on the Hebrew Calendar! Technically, the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 does not completed until the 28th, but the fact that this initiates a special Jubilee 7year Sabbatical period, alerts us to the synchronicity in God’s timing of these events. This Day of Atonement/Hebrew Jubilee is also critical being exactly 2 years prior to the Sept. 23rd, 2017Great Wonder in Virgo,” [Rev. 12: 1-2], but the Day of Atonement in 2017 is not till Sept. 30th.

As we compare this to the heavenly signs of The Celestial Prelude, there was a key planetary alignment and a Blood Moon both in Pisces, exactly two years apart on Sept. 15th 7 BC and the same date in 5 BC. These heavenly signs not only directed the Magi’s attention to the sign Virgoclothed with the Sun, but also the lunar eclipse on September 15th of 5 BC, establishing that the Magi should be watchful of lunar activity marking Christ’s birth. This framed the 42 minute period between Sunset and Moon-set on the only day of the year when Virgo “was clothed with the Sun and the Moon at her feet, as prescribed in Rev. 12:1. Thus it is quite significant leading up to the Return of Christ that another two year period from the Day of Atonement: 9-23-2015 to the Rev. 12:1 sign on 9-23-2017, is being marked in the heavens, as at the Birth of Christ. Just as Jupiter was recognizedby the Magi as “His Star” [Matt. 2:2] at the birth of Christ, so Jupiter the King Planet is actually being “birthed” during the two weeks leading up to this sign ofthe Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet,” on 9-23-2017. As we can see, the parallels between the Celestial Prelude of the Birth of Christ and his glorious Return are eye-opening!

Below we can see the Figure 2 graphic from the Stellarium Astronomy Program, depicting the celestial sign from 9-23-2017. Virgo is “Crowned with 12 stars,circled in red in Leo. This “crowning of Virgo” including the 3 planets; Mercury, Mars, and Venus, aligned with the king star Regulus in Leo, is fitting since Leo is the royal sign of Judah that forms the crown of 12 stars over Virgo’s head as part of the Rev. 12 sign, fulfilling Rev. 12:3 in one sense. It is fulfilled in another sense as explained below when considered from the view of the Celestial Sphinx. Also marked in Figure 2, is the king planet Jupiter being “birthed,” near Spica [Al Zimach] of Virgo, clad in the Sun with the Moon at her feet. An important note related to the Celestial Sphinx, is that as dated above, we find an added Rev. 12:1 sign on Sept. 15/16th, 2015, with the Sun in Virgo and the Moon at her feet, while Venus is in Leo from June through October of 2015 in a triple conjunction with Jupiter. Thus we see the king Planet Jupiter, in a celestial dance with the Venus-the Bright and Morning Star, leading up to the “birthing of Jupiter” in Virgo, in 2017. This seems to reflect the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus in 3-2 BC, marking the birth of Christ as Jupiter the king planet crowned Regulus the King star and brightest star in Leo, which started 3 days after the Rev. 12 sign in Virgo on Sept. 11th, of 3 BC, also a sign of the Celestial Sphinx.

Figure 2. Sept. 23rd 2017- Virgo Clothed with the Sun and Crowned with 12 Stars. 2

Virgo Clothed in the Sun and the Moon at her Feet

(Rev 12:3) And there appeared3700 another243 wonder4592 in1722 heaven;3772 and behold2400 a great3173 red4450 dragon,1404 having2192 seven2033 heads2776 and2532 ten1176 horns,2768 and2532 seven2033 crowns1238 upon1909 his848 heads.

The word “appeared” [G3700]3 in verse 3, refers to a detailed gaze of fascination, noting its structure as something to be wondered at. This second “wonder in heaven,” is a celestial sign like the previous verse, since the same Greek word [G4592-semeion] is used in both instances, but referring to a different class of heavenly sign, a circumpolar called Draco the Dragon set by the Creator at the northern Celestial Pole [Job 26:13]. This is the first of 13 uses of “dragon” in Revelation, indicative of the disorderly and rebellious nature of the fiery Red Dragon. We find here the seven fold order of the Dragon’s spirit kingdom referenced in the Dragon’s 7 heads along with the 7 crowns upon his 7 heads. These 7 heads imply 7 ruling [unclean spirits-daimon; Rev. 16: 13-14] who embody a leading aspect of the Dragon’s power over his spiritual kingdom, as he opposes the Kingdom of God in Christ. During the heavenly sign of 9-23-2017, shown in Figure 2 above there is a notable conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in Ophiuchus, once the Moon moves beyond Virgo’s feet. The sign Ophiuchus is depicted in Part II. of this post in Figure 7, in his struggle with the head and tail of the Serpent Serpens, divided by the man OphiuchusSerpens is also depicted in Figure 7 with the 7 stars of Corona the Crown sign over its head as the “god of this world,” symbolizing not only the authority handed over to the serpent in Adam’s fall, but also the authority of the 7 ruling spirits above. Serpens is also uniquely marked with 7 stars in its head -neck segment held by Ophiuchus, matching the description of the heavenly sign in Rev. 12:3. Thus the union of the Moon with Saturn in Ophiuchus as part of the great Rev. 12 heavenly sign on 9-23-2017, unmistakably identifies the crowned Serpent Serpens with its prominent head and tail, as this 2nd “wonder in heaven,” in verse 3 above.

(Rev. 12:4) And his848 tail3769 drew4951 the3588 third part5154 of the3588 stars792 of heaven,3772 and did cast906 them846 to1519 the3588 earth:1093 and the3588 dragon1404 stood2476 before1799 the3588 woman1135 which was ready3195 to be delivered,5088 for to2443 devour2719 her848 child5043 as soon as3752 it was born.

This verse [Rev. 12:4] also relates directly back to the first prophecy of the promised seed in Gen. 3:15, where the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head, while the serpent’s seed bruises the man’s heel. As the dragon’s head directs the spirit realm in his tail, the desired acts of persecution and destruction against the woman’s seed are carried out by the serpent’s seed-those who follow the Way of Cain [Jude 1:11], in open rebellion against the true God. This revealed the overriding purpose of the serpent at Christ’s birth, devouring the Promised Seed of the Woman, as soon as he was born. We saw an example of this in the actions of the serpent’s seed-King Herod, who murdered all the male children around Bethlehem under age 2, in an effort to devour the infant Jesus, as soon as he was born. Having failed at this, the enemy turned his attention to the persecution of Israel and the Christian believers as the Second Coming of Christ grows nearer. We can see this ever increasing JudeoChristian persecution in today’s headlines, as the great Day of the Lord quickly approaches.

Figure 3. fromApian”s Astronomicum Caesareum,” [Ingolstadt 1540 AD] The Dragon’s alternating head & tail. 4

head tail of the dragon

As seen in Figure 3: the graphic above, there is an ancient connection in Mythology and Astrology, with dragon and the lunar cycle, seen here in the lunar Node; the point where the Moon crosses over the ecliptic, was also called the dragon’s head and tail, dictating the periods of the eclipse cycle, according to the phi ratio. The Eclipse limits for both solar and lunar eclipses are dictated by a 6 degree range within 12.5° to 18.5° of the lunar Node, wherein a New Moon or Full Moon takes place. The average period of 173.333 days between eclipses, is seen as the Sun links with a lunar Node when two of these 173.333 day-periods elapse, giving us an eclipse year of 346.62 days, 18.6 days short of the solar year of 365.242. This reveals an aspect of the phi ratio because 18.618 x 18.618=346.62 telling us that the eclipse year relates to the overall luni-solar cycle via the phi ratio of 1.618. This link between the head and tail of the dragon and the eclipse cycle of the luni-solar year, establishes the importance of not only the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, but also the related Blood Moon Lunar and Solar eclipses during this period.

Since the 6 degree range of the lunar Node was formerly tied to Draco at the northern Celestial Pole, it indicates the time before the dragon throws down his spirit realm in verse 4. However, after the dragon itself is struck down, in verses 8-9, its head and tail would be transferred from the polar regions, down to the ecliptic, where Serpens and the Hydra are located. This powerful figure of dragon casting down his 1/3 of the stars of heaven, [fallen angels] to the Earth, was symbolically depicted as a literal Meteor shower from the Constellation Dracoduring the time of Christ’s birth. For a deeper look into this topic, please review our website article: “Introduction to the Jupiter-Regulus Conjunctions.” As we approach the Second Coming of Christ, this section of Scripture takes on a new perspective in reference to the War in Heaven.

When we compare the 1/3 of the stars [G792-aster]3 of heaven being cast down in Rev. 12:4 as opposed to verse 9, we find that the dragon throws 1/3 of his angels down in verse 4, but in verse 9 the dragon itself is cast out to the earth and an undisclosed number of his angels are cast out with him. The casting out in verse 4 is an action of the Serpent’s will, as these fallen angel’s are under his authority, being dragged in his tail. But in verse 9 the dragon has no choice, being thrust down with his angels. Also the War in heaven that initiates both the dragon and his angels being cast out of heaven does not take place until verse 7. Thus it appears that the first casting down of 1/3 of the fallen stars in verse 4, occurred at the birth of Christ, signified by the Eta-Draconid meteor shower that took place during Sept. 11th, 3 BC, but the second casting out of the dragon is still future.

R.H. Allen adds that; “the conclusion of the verse [Rev. 12:4] “did cast them to the earth,” would show a possible reference to meteors.”5 This is the earliest reference in print I have found that ties a Meteor shower to this section of Revelation 12. This Meteor shower that originates from the tail of Draco, the dragon, is linked to its parent comet, known today as the Giacobini-Zinner Comet. Traditionally comets have been viewed as omens of disaster, perhaps another ironic twist from the Heavenly Father to mark the fall of the archaic Morning Star with a heavenly sign pointing out his own disastrous end, at the birth of the Ascending Morning Star Jesus Christ. As we can see, a dual perspective of this record in Rev. 12 based on it applications to both the Birth and Return of the Lord Jesus Christ, opens up some aspects of these truths that have gotten little or no attention to date. Part II of this post will look into more of these details as they come to the surface.

This concludes Part I of this post, we will follow-up with Part II later this week.

 

Footnotes

1.  Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, American Christian Press [picture credit]
2.  Stellarium Astronomy Program, Virgo clothed with the Sun and the Moon at her feet; 9-23-2017.
3. Strong’s Concordance, [G3700, G4592, G792], James Strong.
4. Apian”s Astronomicum Caesareum, [Ingolstadt 1540 AD]
5. Star Names their Lore and Meaning, R.H. Allen

 

 

 


 

Pi Day-March 14th, 2015 [3.14159]

NaturalLaw

Pi Day 2015 [3.14159]

To commemorate Pi Day,  March 14th, 2015 we are recognizing the Creator’s usage of Pi in the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple. 2015 holds a special Pi Day, since 3.14.15 is a once in a century event! We are happy to recognize this day by calling attention to the Creator’s application of the Pi ratio in some of the sacred furniture found within the inner and outer Temple/Tabernacle Courts. A portion of the material presented below is reprinted from my website study on “Pi in the Sky” @ try-god.com; [read more]. In a recent two Part Blog post, we discussed the Eastern Light through the Temple/Tabernacle, [read more] as an east-west axis line, where the people of Israel approached God in worship, a theme we will pick up in this study also. The first element on this line of access utilizing the Pi ratio is the round Brass Laver at the entrance to the inner court of the Tabernacle/ TempleI Kings 7 below provides the descriptive details of this “molten sea.

Figure 1. The Brasen Laver of Solomon’s Temple

The Molten Sea

The Brass Laver in the Outer Court I Kings 7:23-30 23And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 24And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 26And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. 27And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. 28And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 29And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. 30And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had under-setters: under the laver were under-setters molten, at the side of every addition.

Figure 2. The Tabernacle of Moses Layout

Hebrew Tabernacle layout
Tabernacle of Israel Layout

As we consider the Biblical usage of words related to how the pi ratio is revealed in Scripture, we will gain insight into the divine perspective of the Creator’s viewpoint on Pi, and His Intelligent Design of Creation. Anytime we can adopt the view of the Almighty through the truths He has shared with us in His matchless Word, it always speaks volumes to those of us who are paying attention. The Hebrew word for “line” of thirty cubits, in verse 23 is “qav” [*H6957]. The word carries the primary meaning of a measuring cord, a ruler, or standard of measure. We are also familiar with this concept by another term known as a “canon.” On the surface the Bible gives the basic mathematical value of pi here as 3, but the deeper truths of God’s Word lie below the surface, for those who have the heart and will to look for them. It is noteworthy that the first place where the pi ratio is applied by God in the Tabernacle and Hebrew Temple is in connection with the semi-circular Brass Laver in I Kings 7:23. Let’s take a look at some other places where this Hebrew word “qav” shows up. In the 38th chapter of Job, God is discussing the foundations of the Earth. The question in verse 5 asks:Who hath laid the measures thereof, if you know? Or who hath stretched the line upon it?” The obvious Biblical answer to these questions is the Creator. In light of the usage of “qav” in I Kings 7:23, God’s exercise of Pi as a standard ruler or measure in laying and measuring the spherical dimensions and foundations of our planet, recorded in the book of Job, the oldest book of the Biblical Canon is enlightening. This is especially the case when we consider the context of Job 38, which deals with a series of questions about various elements of Creation, that only God Almighty could answer. The Intelligent Design specifications of the planet Earth would easily fall into this category, as to how the Earth’s spherical dimensions and temporal order fit into the celestial context of Creation. We can see the sense of this clarified even more in our next reference to the Hebrew word “qav.”

Figure 3. Planet Earth

earth creation

In Psalm 19, The heavens declare the glory of GodVerse 4 says, “Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He hath set a tabernacle for the sun.” Once again the Hebrew word for “line” here is qav. Let me ask you, what is the heavenly or celestial line that is a tabernacle, or provides the houses of the sun? The only sensible answer is the ecliptic! This is quite logical when we consider that the Israelites, during their 40-year sojourn in the Sinai wilderness were led by God, seen as a pillar of cloud during the day, and one of fire by night. The pillars dwelt over the Holy of the Holies in their Tabernacle, signifying the Creator’s personal presence among His people. When they camped during the evenings, Numbers 2 tells us they camped in the order of the tribes as it matched the order of the course of the sun on the ecliptic, (east, south, west, north). Israel’s twelve tribes, as we are aware by now, also matched up with the twelve signs of the zodiac in their God-ordained significance, before they were corrupted in heathen Astrology and mythology. This tribal order is also found in the twelve jewels of the High Priest’s breastplate, [Ex. 28:15-21]. Thus the celestial gospel originally related the story of the coming redeemer of mankind, that God wrote in the stars before He ever committed it to His Written Word. These are the words of Ps. 19:4 that have gone out through all the earth, unto the end of the world. This application of the Pi (the mathematical relation of the diameter of a circle to its circumference) by God, in reference to the circular ecliptic is certainly intriguing in light of the Sun’s apparent 360-degree path through its 12 houses of the zodiac, as viewed from Earth. In this light we should also be aware of the earlier context of I Kings 7.

Figure 4. 12 Signs of the Zodiac on the Ecliptic

Ecliptic with the 12 Signs

The next aspect of the Temple layout relating to the Pi ratio concerns the two huge Brass Pillars at the entrance to the Hebrew Temple. These are described also in I Kings 7:13-15 below. 1 Ki 7:13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. [14] He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work. [15] For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about. The word for “line” in verse 15 above is not qav, as it is in verse 23, but it does indicate a line for measuring, thus a closer look at these brass pillars is still called for. As we know, Pi has long been considered a transcendental number, or constant of mathematics (3.14159….), linking a straight diameter to a curved circumference. The French archaeologist and mathematician Charles Funk-Hellet points out that:   “Solomon had Hiram contribute to building a temple whose brass columns were 18 cubits high, and 12 cubits around. In other words, one cubit equaled the twelfth part of the circumference of the arc of 30 degrees, or pi/6. By subtracting the circumference from the height, they obtained 6 cubits in a straight line, which was equal to 1/2 circumference, or the exact value of pi; so that 1000 years before Christ the Hebrews knew that a cubit was a mathematical entity dependent on the circumference, and were able to resolve pi to four points of decimal.” 2 (emphasis mine)

Funk-Hellet’s observation that: “By subtracting the circumference from the height, they obtained 6 cubits in a straight line, which was equal to 1/2 circumference, or the exact value of pi/6.3 is worth remembering when we come to the subject of the celestial symbolism of the Menorah, and its application of pi, building on what we have found here. Funk-Hellet goes on to say that: “the Biblical cubit is equal to the Egyptian Royal cubit, which was incorporated into the Temple at Jerusalem as pi/6, or 523.6 millimeters. Using one unit of measure as the radius of a circle, the ancients found the trigonometric value of 30 degrees to be pi/6, (which divided the full circumference of the circle into 12 equal parts) and was the value of the royal cubit, or .5236 of the unit used: 3.1416/6 = .52364 (parenthesis & emphasis mine)

Figure 5. Solomon’s Temple with Brass Pillars at the Entrance

The Two Brass Pillars Jachin and Boaz
Brass Pillars at the Entrance of Solomon’s Temple

In effect, we have an architectural representation of the twelve-fold division of the heavens preserved in the dimensions of the Temple’s Brass columns, all based on the mathematical standard Pi, long before most modern scientists imagined the ancients knew anything about Pi at this level of accuracy. This provides more evidence showing the Creator’s perfect wisdom and Nature’s Great Geometer, at work in the dimensions of His Temple, as an illustration of heavenly realities [Heb. 8:5], which He gave to King David by revelation. Also symbolically contained in the dimensions of the Temple’s brass columns, is a figure of 12 calendar months of 30 days, totaling the 360 days of their year, a calendar also used going all the way back to Noah’s time, in the context of the 360-degrees of the ecliptic. This reveals the true origin of the 12 – 30° segments of the ecliptic, as a standard celestial measure, and also reveals the Pi ratio at the root of the Hebrew Calendar matching the 360 degrees of the circle with the 360 days of the year on the Calendar of the Biblical Patriarchs. And since Noah was already 600 years old when the Bible records the details of this luni-solar calendar in Genesis 7, it also implies that it was used by the earlier Biblical Patriarchs prior to the flood, and centuries before history and human science thought this level of sophisticated astronomical timekeeping was in use. For more information on Noah’s Calendar, [read more]. As we find in the above Biblical uses of the Hebrew word “qav,” God’s application of the Pi concept far exceeds any previous application in human history. Views based on scientific Materialism will never account fully for the realities of God’s Creation. Only from the Creator’s viewpoint in His Word, and the Works of His Hands, do these applications of pi make sense. Only He could apply pi to the ecliptic and the dimensions of our planet, a concept which is borne out in much greater detail, in how pi is symbolically and architecturally applied, not only in the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple, but also in the Great Pyramid. Since the pattern shown to Moses for the Tabernacle was by divine revelation, just as the pattern of the Temple was shown to King David, these men of God did not calculate the blueprints for these sacred edifices, or their related measurements, by scientific trial and error. Thus they didn’t need to wait on the Greeks, like Archimedes, generally considered the greatest of ancient scientists, to rediscover them or to apply them in divine architecture. Although Archimedes is to be commended for his application of the pi proportion, respectfully it pales in comparison to what we find in the Biblical uses of “qav” relating to pi. For example, the third piece of furniture utilizing pi in the Tabernacle is the Menorah. Since it is located in the Inner Court or Holy Place, it is closer to the Holiest of All, the throne-room and dwelling place of God. When we consider the Menorah or candlestick we are primarily concerned with the original model exhibited in the Tabernacle of Israel. Later, in the Temple there were 10 candlesticks utilized in a different manner than at first. In (Figure 6.) below we see the first candlestick, or Menorah in the form of what James Strong has called a “stylized tree.” Strong gives his own description of Exodus 25:33 quoted below: 

Ex. 25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.” 

Strong’s geometric synopsis of this verse states:

It will be perceived that each section of the semicircles of which these lines are the radii is composed of two members: the shank (a plain tube) and the bulb (or swell), and that each has a third part or base (a circular double flange, as a means of connection, hence an actual joint) only where it is united to a different kind of piece; i.e., at the bottom and top of the central shaft and of the six arms, including the intersections of the shaft with the arms.”5  [emphasis mine] 

Figure 6. The Hebrew Menorah 6

central shaft and of the six arms


  When we apply what we have already seen in the Biblical teaching of the Sun’s dual symbolism, to the Menorah, it takes on a new light, associating the Sun not only with the solar system, but also the circular zodiac. The Menorah structure shows its central shaft as the foundation of the candle, since it holds the main light as the candle centerpiece. All the branches of the candlestick are attached to the central shaft, even as they obtain their light from the main candle. This pattern is mirrored in the solar system as the planets and moons do not generate their own light, but reflect the light of the Sun, as they orbit around it. We find not only the solar system order reflected here but also that of the ecliptic with 12 Constellations. This is evident in the Menorah’s semi-circular pattern based on pi. By expanding on Strong’s analysis of the Menorah this comes to light. In Strong’s smaller geometric model of the Menorah, we note bulbs on the six branches of the candlestick that are projections of the central bulb, where all the radiating geometric lines of the central light emanate. These projections of the central light on the six branches, (five naked eye planets and the Moon) depict how these luminaries reflect the Sun’s light in their individual orbits upon the Earth. This system reflects the temporal periods and orbits of each planet in our solar system, in relation to the Sun’s light. This is revealed first in the context of the mathematics of the base 60 standard, a primary trait of the Creator’s celestial order. Strong’s emphasis above on the geometric design of the Menorah, exhibits the Hebrew zodiac as in Genesis 49, with Jacob’s prophesies over his twelve sons. We should see that these lines noted by Strong as “the radii of the semi-circle,” reflecting the symbolic light of the world, if extended into a complete circle, the radii would divide it into 12 equal parts of 360 degrees of the circle according to pi. We can be safe in making this conceptual leap in the implied design of the Menorah, because we have just seen this pattern in the Temple pillars: Jachin and Boaz. This marks the Menorah as a complete symbolic piece of furniture in the Temple and Tabernacle, acting as a celestial symbol of the structure of both our solar system and the zodiac. It is complete because it is the third aspect we have observed utilizing pi measures, following on the great Brazen Sea and the Temple pillars. These aspects of The Celestial Symbolism of the Temple and Tabernacle; [read more] utilize pi to depict the Hebrew Calendar of 12 months of 30 days in the sacred 360-day year utilized by Noah. But the Menorah goes beyond this, embracing the planets in a heliocentric model of the ancient solar system, long before the Greek Aristarchus of Samos proposed it in the second century BC. The Menorah’s [read more] implicit use of the pi ratio incorporates the previous usage of this principle in the Brasen Sea and the Temple pillars, while adding the symbolism of the heliocentric solar system to these previous applications, all incorporated into a single model. According to conventional history, the idea of a heliocentric “universe” or solar system, originated with the ancient Greeks, specifically Aristarchus of Samos as mentioned above. This idea however, did not catch on in a big way until Copernicus, who while reviewing some of Aristarchus’ ideas seized upon this concept and ran with it. He did this at his own peril due to the prevailing worldview of the time, especially that of the Roman Catholic Church, based on a geocentric view of the solar system espoused by Ptolemy, which held sway in intellectual and religious circles for over 1500 years. In the Figure 7. graphic below from Harmonica Macrocosmica [A. Cellarius, Amsterdam 1660] depicts a Sun-centered Copernican view of the cosmos.

Figure 7. Heliocentric Solar System 7

harmonica macrocosmica

This aspect of pi as it applies to Biblical cosmology will show the idea of a heliocentric “universe” predating the 2nd Century BC and Aristarchus, by at least 1300 years, and its genuine roots are found in the Old Testament Scriptures. Our present tour through the Hebrew Taberncale/Temple not only reveals this, but even deeper truths as the Menorah’s complete symbolic nature is revealed, leading to the holiest of all with the Ark of the Covenant, and the Holy Names of God. The pi ratio in I Kings 7, should also be considered with any practical application of pi in King Solomon’s day. On this subject there is information concerning a practical approximation of pi in the ancient world, based on septenary units of measure. In some ancient traditions, the relation of the Diameter to the Circumference, embodied in pi, symbolized the names of God; Elohim and Jehovah. With Elohim, the Creator representing the Circumference, of the curved line – the totality of His Creation, and in Jehovah, the straight line Diameter, or God in relationship to His Creation, thus pi embodies some geometrical expressions of the Almighty. We find the basic elements of the concept of “squaring the circle” in the Circle’s diameter inscribed in the circumference of a surrounding Sphere inside a Cube, in I Kings 7:30 above, contained in the square base containing the circular brasen sea. This principle has survived through the centuries in the domed sacred architecture of many temples and churches, where the circular dome is surrounded by a square building. We should take note that the Holy of the holies, containing the Ark of the Covenant, was a perfect cube, contained within a double-square ground-plan of the Hebrew Tabernacle. This provided the divine foundation of many practices in the “sacred geometry” of the secular world. The practical approximation of pi in the ancient world of sacred architecture, has preserved this concept of the Creator God in relation to His Creation, in a systematic application of principles of sacred geometry, based on septenary units of measure. According to Stechini, in this system the; “circumference was considered 22/7 of the diameter; this approximation of pi rendered (3 1/7, or 3.142857) is still in use today as an adequate approximation in many problems of engineering.” 8   As Beckmann points out, “Archimedes started with a hexagon and progressively doubling the number of sides he arrived at a polygon of 96 sides, which yielded pi as 3 1/7, or 3.142857.” 9

The importance of relating pi to septenary units is obvious in a Biblical light when we consider God’s abundant use of the number 7 in His ordering of Creation, including the Menorah. Some of this evidence is covered in our website essay on the Calendar of the Israel, [read more]. This ratio of 22/7 is also intriguing because it expresses the ratio between the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, in relation to its seven vowels. This is a supporting factor in the idea that the roots of writing and the first alphabet originate in the Celestial Gospel. As the first “written” revelation to mankind, the stars in this gospel were named and numbered by God [Ps. 147:4]. The divine message of the coming redeemer and the means God chose to deliver it, thus provide the sacred foundation of all language and mathematics. As the divine original source of this wisdom, the witness of the stars was above reproach. The pi ratio expressed as 22/7, reflects this perfection of the celestial gospel, in at least the mathematicalgeometrical and linguistic contexts. Let’s now consider a final point linked with septenary measuring units.  This note from Keil and Delitzsch’ Commentary on I Kings 7:23 below, adds support to the application of pi relating to septenary units as seen in the brazen sea above, [3.142857] and the ancient knowledge of its use in Israel, via revelation from God, in the dimensions of the Tabernacle, Temple and its sacred furniture. “The brazen sea (cf. 2Ch. 4:2-5). – “He made the molten sea – a water-basin called יָם (mare) on account of its size – ten cubits from the one upper rim to the other,” i.e., in diameter measured from the upper rim to the one opposite to it, “rounded all round, and five cubits its (external) height, and a line of thirty cubits encircled it round about,” i.e., it was thirty cubits in circumference. The Chethib קוה is to be read קָוֶה here and in Zech. 1:16 and Jer. 31:39, for which the Keri has קָו in all these passages. קָוֶה or קָו means a line for measuring, which is expressed in 1Ki. 7:15 by חוּט. The relation of the diameter to the circumference is expressed in whole numbers which come very near to the mathematical proportions. The more exact proportions would be as 7 to 22, or 113 to 355.”10  [emphasis mine]

Figure 8. The Ark of the Covenant

Ark of the Covenant
Ark of the Covenant

The septenary relation to pi uncovers the link between the pi and phi ratios, through the popular Fibonacci Series. This is interesting when we consider that the dimensions of Ark of the Covenant conform to the phi standard, in the holiest of all. Since the lid or “mercy seat” of the Ark represents the Creator’s Throne, we not only find the geometric application of the Names of God: Jehovah/Elohim in practice by the Nation of Israel, as they worship the Almighty according to the tenets of Scripture, but the measures of the Ark are based on a 1×2 rectangle [Ex. 25:10] that perfectly conforms the phi ratio as seen in the Coffer of the Kings Chamber in the Great Pyramid. This link between phi and pi makes it possible to obtain pi without the need for measuring! This is illustrated in the following quote from Livio Stechini: “It is possible to use the Fibonacci Series to obtain an accurate relation for the diameter of the circle to its circumference, without recourse to pi. In the Fibonnacci series of 21, 34, 55, if 21 is taken as the diameter of a circle, its circumference will be 55 x 6/5 = 66, accurate to the one thousandth part, giving the Great Pyramid value of pi as 22/7 = 3.142857. Higher numbers in the fibonacci series provide increasingly finer values in whole numbers accurate to one ten-thousandth part. Prolonging the series to 80, 144, 233, 377, 610… a diameter of 144 (4 x 576) gives a circumference of 377 x 6/5 or a pi value of 3.1415. A diameter of 233= a circumference of 610 x 6/5 or a pi value of 3.1416…”11

Since the phi principle inherent in the Fibonacci Series is the basis of the precepts of geometric growth life throughout the plant and animal kingdoms of life evident in the Creator’s Four Kingdoms of Life, [read more] this principle of mathematics is elevated above that of pi. As the Creator and ultimate Source of Life, the Almighty  has led us on this path of spiritual discovery paved with the principles of geometric and mathematical truth revealed in God’s Word. This is the geometric progression we have just witnessed in our pi journey through the Tabernacle/ Temple of Israel, on this day memorializing Pi.

Footnotes

1. Strong’s Concordance, James Strong, notes on [H6957]
2.  Secrets of the Great Pyramid,  Peter Thompkins, p. 263
3. IBID p. 16.
4. IBID
5. The Tabernacle of Israel, James Strong
6. IBID [picture credit]
7. Harmonica Macrocosmica, Amsterdam, 1660
8. Secrets of the Great Pyramid,  Peter Thompkins,
9. A History of Pi, Petr Beckmann. p. 64
10. KEIL & DELITSCH Commentary on I Kings 7:23.
11. Secrets of the Great Pyramid,  Peter Thompkins, p. 97 fn