The 2015 Triple Conjunction of Jupiter-Venus and the Birth of Christ and his Kingdom
The heavens are alive this Summer and Fall with exciting news of the Messiah’s Coming Reign and the vanquishing of evil from the face of the Earth. At the end of June we will see the first of three Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions in Leo, that will take place before the end of fall. The first union of these two brightest planets is being compared to their fantastic conjunction on June 17th 2 BC, which is referred to by many as the Star of Bethlehem. It is no mistake that these heavenly signs are so prominent as the final Blood Moon of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 wraps up in September. As the conclusion of this notable and unique Blood Moon Tetrad is upon us, we cross a key temporal threshold related to the warning from Joel’s Blood Moon Prophecy;
Joel 2:30-32 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
As we approach the last few months of final Blood Moon Tetrad for the next 500+ years, we are not losing sight of the added Blood Moons over the next few years set to occur apart from Hebrew Feast and holy days, since they are also noteworthy in the context of these heavenly signs of the end times. The truth of the matter is that the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, taking place on Hebrew Feast and Holy days is really calling attention to the planetary conjunctions and heavenly signs following the pattern of signs set forth surrounding the birth of Christ, which are appearing again as a Prelude to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are specifically pointing out these planetary conjunctions in this context, especially those that align or compare with the heavenly signs surrounding the Birth of Christ, following the principles of the Celestial Prelude. As the record from Joel 2 tells us about the signs taking place leading up to the Great and Notable Day of the Lord-the Victorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ, first God wants us to know that His comfort in these perilous times is available, as we turn away from the darkness of this world, and turn unto Him. Who ever calls on the name of the Lord will be Saved! Verse 30 also refers to Mount Zion; [Joel 2:1] the heights of the fortress within Jerusalem where God protects His faithful Remnant. This is the ultimate victory and Great Hope of the Ages, as we stand at the threshold of Christ’s Return where he will establish his absolute reign as King of Kings. Psalm 110 informs us of more details concerning the Lord’s Great Day, and final victory over evil.
Figure 1. Super Blood Moon on Sept. 28th will be visible from Jerusalem.
Blood Moon Over Jerusalem
Announcement of the Messiah’s Reign
A Psalm of David.
110:1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
As King David wrote these inspired words from God, Who was prophetically addressing David’s Lord, [Jesus Christ], to sit at the Heavenly Father’s own right hand [Eph. 2:6-7], so we as the spiritual body of his Church can enjoy the same bird’s eye view of Creation, with his enemies under our feet; [Eph. 1:19-23]. God has sent us the Rod of His strength, embodied in Christ Jesus, out of Zion to rule over our enemies!
The Hebrew word for “rod” here [H4294–mattah], is a scepter of rulership, authority, and judgment. It is also used of a branch or staff linked with the tribal authority of each of the 12 tribes of Israel.1 The word for “rule” here is [H7287-radah], meaning to tread down as crushing grapes with one’s feet or in a winepress; [Rev.19:15]. It is used of exercising dominion, to subdue, subjugate, prevail or reign.2 We can see this authority exercised by Christ in verses 5-6 below where; “He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6 He shall judge among the nations…”
There is also an interesting Talmudic idiom associated with this word, connected with the idea of taking bread out of an oven.3 This idiom is one for birth, that has survived into the modern day as; “she has a bun in the oven.” We have already seen references to this in Rev. 12 with the Birth and Second Coming of Christ where, the King of Kings was declared, and his everlasting Kingdom of righteousness will be established shortly. Rev. 12:5 says the “woman brought forth a man-child to rule” or shepherd the nations with a rod of iron,” which compares closely to this record in Psalm 110.
3 Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. 4 The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” [Heb. 7]
Ps. 110:4 provides another critical aspect of the Lord’s ministry to Israel and all Mankind; as High Priest. In the Temple at Jerusalem as in the Tabernacle, the High Priest would always carry out a special sacrifice once a year in the Holy of the Holies, at the Ark of the Covenant, to cover the sins of Israel on the Day of Atonement. Since the blood of bulls and goats could never satisfy the requirements of man’s complete redemption, a more perfect sacrifice was needed, which Jesus Christ fulfilled as the Passover Lamb and the High Priest, not of Aaron’s Priesthood, but after the everlasting priesthood of Melchizedek. This Priest–King of Righteousness, embodied in the king planet Jupiter, called the Zedek planet, the Hebrew word for “righteousness,” symbolized the Messiah, Jesus Christ as the Righteous King. Genesis 49:8-10 tells us this scepter is from Leo the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The brightest star in Leo, the Lion, the royal tribe out of Jacob’s progeny, is Regulus, meaning “king,“ in Hebrew–Melech. Thus the Jupiter-Regulus triple coronation in 3-2 BC, at the birth of Christ not only crowned the King of righteousness, but also formed the dual elements of the title “Melchizedek,” also reflected in the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Venus in Leo, as these two brightest planets are aligned with Regulus in the Summer and Fall of 2015. Here we find two of the three callings of Christ as Prophet, Priest and King.
Figure 2. Christ the High Priest
In this light we can understand Balaam’s great prophecy in Numbers 24, below where the star, also identified with the scepter, is coming out of Jacob.
Num. 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh, there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
“Star out of Jacob and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel“- Star = [H3556-kowkab],4 Figuratively an illustrious Prince who is the star rising out of Jacob, holding the scepter as ruler over Israel. We notice the figure of speech utilized in this verse regarding the authority of the sceptre held by the Prince. This “star” linked with the sceptre rising out of Israel, is a celestial reference to the sign of Leo the Lion with specific implications first for it’s brightest luminary, Regulus the king star, the brightest star on the ecliptic also known as the “heart of the Lion.” The King’s sceptre is the symbol of his power over the heathens and those who oppose his purposes, as he will rule over them with unbending authority or a “rod of iron,” [Ps. 2, Rev. 19:15].
Regulus was known by the ancients as the fixed king star that is linked with this scepter. This fulfills Jacob’s prophecy, that one holding this scepter would arise out of Judah according to Gen. 49. Secondly, the regal authority of this star is established in the king planet–Jupiter, whose authority as we have just seen, was symbolized by Leo the Lion, of the tribe of Judah that provided the regal stock from which the kingly line of Israel arose, first in King David, and ultimately in Jesus Christ from the “root of David” [Rev. 5:5]. The triple planetary Conjunction of the king planet-Jupiter, with the king star-Regulus in
Leo from 3-2 BC, thus aligns with the prophecy of Genesis 49: 8-10, showing the maturation of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Balaam’s revelation here in Numbers 24:17 provides the Scriptural basis for the connection between the “star of Jacob” [Regulus] and the “Sceptre-Jupiter,” to the advent of Christ the King, who came forth out of Jacob’s genealogical line. Thus we can see maturation of the Lion from cub to the full prowess of the reigning King in the dual elements of Rev. 12, as they apply both his birth and sufferings, to the full glory and authority of his Kingship, as he establishes his kingdom on earth.
The complete details of the correlation between the triple Conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus in 3-2 BC, and the record in Gen. 49, is available on the DVD of “The Biblical Astronomy of the Birth of Christ,” through our bookstore. This unique teaching provides the in-depth teaching on the celestial pageantry of the birth of Christ, along with the history of the Magi and numerous related Biblical Astronomy topics for those who want a deeper look.
An evident and recurring dual theme in Rev. 12 is not only the birth of the King of Kings, but also the birth of his kingdom of everlasting righteousness. Thus we can see clear reference to this kingdom, in the authority of he who rules with a rod of iron, symbolized in the king’s scepter-Jupiter. In our previous post [The Blood Moon Tetrad and the Rev. 12 Heavenly Signs [Part II.] we noted how Jupiter is being “birthed” in Virgo, in the time leading up to the Rev. 12 sign on September 23rd, 2017, exiting Virgo’s womb area after 42 weeks in retrograde, a period well within the expected time for human gestation. This fits with the connotations of the Hebrew word for “rule” noted above in Psalm 110:2, linked with the Talmud’s birth idiom. As this emphasis was evident in the heavens in 3-2 BC, at the birth of Christ, so we see the triple Conjunction of Jupiter-Venus set to take place in 2015, all in Leo, the first of which we can see forming in the heavens at the writing of this post. The key element of these Jupiter-Venus unions is their alignment with Regulus on the ecliptic in Leo this summer, carrying not only the original import of Regulus‘ triple coronation, by Jupiter the king planet, but Venus the Bright and Morning Star is added also [Rev. 2:27-28]. The planetary symbolism of these conjunctions depict Jupiter-the King planet uniting with Venus-the Bright and Morning Star, aligned with Regulus in Leo the Lion of Judah, [Rev. 5:5], over the next four months.
These planetary unions will be followed with added Jupiter-Venus unions occurring in Virgo in 2016-17. This Triple Conjunction of Jupiter-Venus, the two brightest stars in the heavens after the Sun and Moon, is notable especially with the addition of Mercury, leading up to their planetary alignment with Regulus in Leo, forming the Crown of Virgo in the repeat of the Rev. 12:1-2; “Great Wonder in Heaven” on Sept. 23rd 2017. The following list dates not only the Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Leo during the transition from the Hebrew Sabbatical year to the Jubilee year of 2015-16, but other notable planetary conjunctions and heavenly signs in Virgo and Leo during this period:
June 30th- July 1, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus]
July 17th, 2015 [Venus-Regulus]
July 31st, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus]
August 5th 2015 [Venus-Mercury in Leo]
August 6th, 2015 [Regulus-Jupiter-Mercury in Leo]
August 7th [Jupiter-Mercury in Leo]
August 7th [Mercury-Regulus in Leo]
August 11th 2015 [Jupiter-Regulus in Leo]
August 29th 2015 [Venus-Mars]
Sept. 13th 2015 [Partial Solar Eclipse]
Sept. 17th 2015 [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet]
Sept. 17th 2015 [Mercury-Spica in Virgo]
Sept. 21st 2015 [Hebrew Jubilee Year opens on the Day of Atonement]
Sept. 28th 2015 [Final Super Blood Moon, Feast of Trumpets]
October 8th, 2015 [Venus-Regulus in Leo]
October 17th-18th, 2015 [Jupiter-Mars in Leo]
October 21st, 2015 [Orionids Meteor Peak]
October 25-26th, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus]
October 28th, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus, Mars unite in a 1 degree triangular massing] in 2016.
October 29th, 2015 [Mercury -Spica in Virgo]
Nov. 2-3rd, 2015 [Venus-Mars]
We can see from this list that the sky is thick with heavenly signs leading up to and including the Final Super Blood Moon of the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad.
As there were 3 Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions marking the birth of Christ in 3-2 BC, so this triple union of Jupiter-Venus aligned with Regulus in Leo, reflects a similar spiritual light in 2015. In fact the Rev. 12 heavenly sign: the [Sun clothing Virgo with the Crescent Moon at her feet] on September 17th, 2015 is announced by Mercury-Gabriel located just outside the womb area of Virgo above Spica/Al Zimach, 2 years in advance of the repeat of the Great Wonder in Heaven, on Sept. 23rd 2017! However, there will be more heavenly signs involving Jupiter-Venus after this, leading up to the birthing of Jupiter in retrograde motion in Virgo. As we compare Jupiter’s retrograde in 2017, with Jupiter’s movements at the birth of Christ, we find some interesting correlations. First, it was the planet Jupiter that led the Magi to Jerusalem in search of the Promised seed. In [Matt. 2:2,9] the Magi saw Jupiter [his star in the east; G395-Anatole] meaning “in the rising.”5 Jupiter’s annual activities including its retrograde motion, began according to Dr. Earnest Martin, on December 25 in 2 BC Martin states:
“Jupiter arrived at its ordinary time for retrogression and it became stationary among the stars. But this time something unusual happened. In 2 BC as viewed from Jerusalem, Jupiter came to its normal stationary position directly over Bethlehem on December 25th…not only that, the planet assumed its stationary position while in the middle of the Constellation of Virgo, the Virgin.“ 6 Thus, according to Martin, the same astronomical movement that initiated Jupiter’s 3 Conjunctions with Regulus, its annual retrogression, or retrograde motion would have caused Jupiter to stand still in the heavens for about six days near the intersection of the ecliptic and the Meridian mid-body in Virgo. This occurred in week of the celebration of the Feast of Dedication in December of 2 BC.
Also recall the relationship between the cycles of the Sun and Jupiter, and that it was the Sun, mid-bodied in Virgo for the 20-day period, in 3 BC from August 27th to September 15th, marking the birth of Christ. Martin goes on to say that: “on December 25th, 2 BC at the ordinary time for the Magi’s pre-dawn observations, Jupiter would have been seen in Meridian position (directly over Bethlehem) at an elevation of 68 degrees above the southern horizon. This precise position would show the planet shining directly down on Bethlehem while it was stationary among the stars.” 7
Martin’s assertion that Jupiter began its retrograde motion on December 25th, 2 BC, agrees with research by V.P. Wierwille regarding the beginning of the Feast of Dedication, that year from 12-22 to 29. Wierwille, also points out that; As the Magi left Jerusalem, they saw Jupiter on its nightly course. Looking south they saw it high in the sky, nearing its apex on the Meridian of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.8 As, the king planet-Jupiter was mid-body in Virgo, even as the Sun was during the birth of Christ, mirroring the movement of the light of the world, while clearly marking the birthplace of the King of the Jews for the Magi. These were key celestial indicators for the Magi, who would have seen the spiritual import of “his star” Jupiter, in Virgo’s mid-section during December in 2 BC, directly over Bethlehem, showing the birthplace of the King of Kings, who would inherit David’s throne.
Figure 3. Christ the King of Kings
The retrograde motion of Jupiter the king planet in 3-2 BC marking the birth of Christ, compared to the birthing of Jupiter in Virgo’s womb in 2016-2017, marking the establishing of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is truly remarkable! We have front row seats to witness this ultimate transition of power that will wipe out the enemy, and trample the wicked under the soles of our feet as Malachi states in prophecy below.
Malachi 4:2-3
2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts
As Numbers 24:27 above is the prophecy of the Star-Scepter to arise out of Israel, so II Peter 1:19 foretells the completion of this prophecy.
II Peter 1:19
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,[a] which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts;
It appears that “the day dawning” here may represent the first Advent of Christ, with the Morning Star rising in your hearts, as the Second Advent or the victorious Return of our Lord and Savior. Interestingly, the Greek word for “rises” here is [G393-anatello] related to [G395-anatole] that we referenced above in connection to [Matt. 2:2,9] when the Magi saw “His star in the east” or in rising.
As the first advent of Christ during his sufferings and ministry to Israel, embody the Spring Feasts of Passover through Pentecost, so the Fall Feasts relate to the Second Coming of Christ. These feasts are designed by Almighty God for man to live in unity with Him and His purposes. It is not God’s desire that we live under the OT Law, but in our realization that Christ has fulfilled the Law, we must grasp the spiritual unity that God has called us to enjoy with Him, as the ultimate purpose behind these OT Feasts and Holy days, [Col. 2:16-17]. Even as the Blood Moon Tetrads have reminded us of the Creator’s original heavenly order in coordination with the Israel’s Feasts, the desired result is that we turn to God and away from the world, since God’s desire is that “All Men are saved and come unto a knowledge of the truth… ” Our spiritual unity with God is a daily walk, not by the 5 senses, but according to the gift of Holy Spirit that God made available in the New Birth on the Day of Pentecost in 28 AD. The final result of Christ’s birth and ministry to Israel and all mankind was witnessed in this New Birth first seen at the Day of Pentecost. Even so, the final result of the Second Coming of Christ will be the establishment of his Millennial Kingdom as he rests on his completed works, on the Davidic Throne, [Isa. 9:6-7]. The Second Coming of Christ links to the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, when Christ returns first, FOR his Saints [I Thess. 4:16-17], marked by “the Archangel’s voice and Trump of God,” and then WITH his Saints [Rev. 19:14], when we will know him even as we are known. This ultimate victory over the adversary and his brood will usher in the everlasting Jubilee Celebration of the Ages, providing a rest to God’s people and the earth. In this spiritual pattern of events on the calendar of Biblical feasts we find that Pentecost, the apex of Christ’s first advent, foreshadows the year of Jubilee, the apex of his Second Advent. We can also see this pattern comparing the days on this Biblical calendar foreshadowing years. As Pentecost is counted 50 days from Passover, totaling seven weeks and a day, so the 50-year Jubilee is seven sabbatical year cycles, with an added year of Jubilee. This is of particular interest as we enter the transition from the Hebrew Sabbatical year to the 50th Jubilee year, embarking on the Fall season of 2015-16; year 5776 on the Hebrew Calendar. This Jubilee is marked not only the by the [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet] on Sept. 17th, 2015, 2 years in advance of the Rev. 12 “Great Wonder” on Sept. 23rd, 2017, but it also will be the 50th year since Jerusalem was recaptured by Israel in the 6-day War, marked by the previous Blood Moon Tetrad of 1967-68. With the conclusion of the current Blood Moon Tetrad this September, the next 2 years could represent a final warning prior to the Return of Christ.
To properly prepare for the Second Coming of Christ, we must renounce the sin of broken fellowship with God vertically, and our fellow-man horizontally. This unity in fellowship with God and Man is embodied in the Feast of Atonement or Yom Kippur, which is a prerequisite for the Lord’s victorious Return to break the Adversary’s chains of bondage, and effect our release from captivity, as seen in the Year of Jubilee. In the Lord’s Great Day of ultimate victory, all the rebellious and wicked men will be utterly crushed under the feet of the righteous, [Ps.2:9].
We can no longer afford to put off righting the course of our lives, now is the time to get our houses straight in preparation for the Lord’s Victorious Visitation…
Are you ready?
Footnotes
1. Strong’s Concordance, James Strong
a. H4294-mattah
b. H7287-radah
c. IBID
d. H3556-kowkab
e. G395-Anatole
2. The Star that Astonished the World, Dr. Earnest Martin
3. IBID
4. Jesus Christ our Promised Seed, VP Wierwille
5. Strong’s Concordance, James Strong [G393-Anatello]
