The subject of this blog picks up from observations in our previous blog post in Part 1 of this study, concerning a triad of lunar eclipses on Hebrew Holy days in 5 BC, reflected in the chart below. This study will focus on the Total Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse of March 13th, 4 BC, which has long been erroneously held as the Eclipse marking Herod’s death. It was Dr. Ernest Martin who removed all doubt that this eclipse was the one Josephus said coincided with the death of Herod, and one of the main reasons was that in the year of this eclipse, it fell on Adar 15 on the Hebrew Calendar. From the time of Queen Esther [Esther 9:1-32] the 14th and 15th of Adar were set aside as festival days of Purim, [Esther 9:17-18], that celebrated the death of Haman with his family, and the overthrowing of his evil plot to destroy Israel. Although Purim was not one of the 3 main feasts that required the men of Israel to be in Jerusalem, Purim is a key feast for other reasons. More on this later.
In March, 5 BC, concurrent with the Blood Moon and according to some records again in April, 4 BC, a Comet with no tail, or a Nova, appeared first in Capricorn, the sign of Christ the coming Sacrifice, and later in Aquila the Eagle, one of Capricorn’s 3 decans and enemy of the Serpent. The Pisces conjunctions of 7/6 BC would have directed the Magi’s attention to Jerusalem, but this Nova in Capricorn 2 years later, during the Passover and Unleavened Bread feasts marked by Blood Moons, may also have confirmed for the Magi the General Sign of the Celestial Prelude. E.W. Bullinger references the popular belief regarding this general sign that was visible in and before the first century: “a traditional prophecy well known in the East, carefully preserved and handed down, that a new star would appear in this sign [Coma] when he whom it foretold, would be born.” 1
The activity in Figure 1 below sets the signs of 7-4 BC, ahead of the signs that began the following year marking the birth of Christ. Previously our focus mainly concerned the triple planetary union of Jupiter-Saturn in 7 BC, compared with the triple planetary Conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus 4 years later. In this study our focus is dialed into the intervening period of celestial signs in 5-4 BC, providing more detail leading to the birth of Christ. Part 1 of this study revealed these Blood Moons took place on the Spring and Fall feasts of the Hebrew Calendar, and the March 23rd Blood Moon Total Lunar eclipse fell on the evening of Passover on March 22nd-23rd starting the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Also in the Fall of that year, a 2nd Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse, opened the week of Tabernacle Feast, Sept. 15th. This was preceded by a Partial Solar Eclipse the evening of Sept. 1st that started the Feast of Trumpets on the 2nd of September, giving us a triad of Luni-Solar Eclipses on Hebrew Feast and holy days in 5 BC, also marked by Nova Capricornus, a notable set of Celestial Pageantry leading to Christ’s birth to be sure.
Figure 1. The Celestial Prelude of 7 to 4 BC
| BC Dates | Conjunction of Planets | Constellation |
| May 27th, 7 | Jupiter-Saturn | Pisces |
| Sept. 15th, 7 | Jupiter, Saturn; [ring cycle], Sun & Earth aligned. | Pisces |
| Oct. 5th, 7 | Jupiter-Saturn | Pisces |
| Dec. 1st , 7 | Jupiter-Saturn | Pisces |
| Feb. 25th 6 | Triangular massing of Jupiter, Saturn & Mars | Pisces |
| Mar. 5th , 6 | Jupiter-Mars | Pisces |
| Mar. 23rd, 5 |
Total Lunar Eclipse: [Unleavened Bread Feast] |
Virgo  |
| April 15-20, 6 | Lunar occultation | Series |
| Mar. 23rd 5 | Nova | Capricorn |
| Sept. 1st, 5 |
Partial Solar Eclipse: [Feast of Trumpets] |
 |
| Sept. 15th, 5 |
Total Lunar Eclipse: [Tabernacles Feast Week] |
Pisces |
| Mar. 13th 4 | Partial Lunar Eclipse: Purim |
Nova Aquila |
When we include the March 13th Blood Moon Total Lunar eclipse on Purim, to the eclipses of the previous year, we find a Tetrad of luni-solar eclipses on Hebrew Feast days leading to the birth of Christ. To my knowledge there has not been an Eclipse Tetrad linked with the birth of Christ previously, although there was a Blood Moon Tetrad linked with Christ’s Crucifixion in 32-33 AD. This crucifixion date would make Jesus 36+ years old instead of entering his 30th year to start his ministry, as scripture tells us. Once we adhere to the Jan. 9-10, 1 BC date for the eclipse marking Herod’s death, our crucifixion date in April, 28 AD is a precise fit with Christ opening his ministry over a year earlier in 27 AD. This reflects the “acceptable year of the Lord” as Jesus prophesied, [Lk. 4:19-22] as opposed to the 3 year ministry held by religious tradition. The lunar eclipse on Purim was also a potential factor in the Eclipse Tetrad of 2016.
What was unique about the Jubilee Year of 2016 is that either Purim or Passover fell on March 23rd, depending on if Adar 2 was included or not. This is the most recent time that a Lunar Eclipse could have occurred on Purim, although as a Penumbral lunar eclipse, the entire lunar surface was not eclipsed. It fell 120 days after the Super Blood Moon of Sept. 28, 2015. Specifically, Purim began Wednesday evening on the Hebrew Calendar, March 23, 2016 continuing through Thursday night, March 24th. It was also the first full Moon after the Spring Equinox. We have pointed out in previous blogs how this Eclipse Tetrad with a Purim Eclipse in 2016 matched exactly with the tetrad of luni-solar eclipses marking the Roman’s destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, seen below.
As in the eclipse tetrad leading to the birth of Christ in 3 BC, there was not only a Partial Lunar Eclipse on Purim, March 4th, 71 AD, but also a Rev. 12 sign in both cases. In Fig.2 we can see the Rev. 12 sign in Virgo, marking the birth of Christ.
Figure 2. Revelation 12 sign of Christ’s birth on Sept. 11th, 3 BC. 2
The following summary from our Biblical Blood Moon Calendar post, shows the signs marking the 70 AD Roman’s Temple Destruction as Jesus Prophesied. It is fitting that Jesus prophesied about the 70′ Temple Destruction in [Matt. 24:2], marked by this Luni-solar eclipse tetrad, while another eclipse tetrad is found leading to his hirth. This provides another example of the Celestial Gospel supporting and confirming God’s written and incarnate Word.
Figure 3. Comparison of Luni-Solar Eclipses in 69-71 AD with 2016.
Solar & Lunar Eclipses from 69-71 AD. 2016 Solar & Lunar Eclipses omitting Adar 2:
Partial Lunar Sukkot 10/18/69
Total Solar Nisan 1 3/30/70 Total Solar Eclipse 3/9/2016 on Nisan 1
Penum lunar Passover 4/14/70 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Passover 3/23/2016/ Nisan 14
Annular Solar Rosh Hash 9/23/70 Annular Solar Eclipse 9/3/2016/Trumpets Feast
Penum lunar Sukkot 10/08/70 Penum Lunar Eclipse 9/16/Sukkot/9-16 to 9/23/16
Partial Lunar Purim 3/4/71
A comparison of Solar and Lunar signs between 70 AD and 2016 is truly remarkable! Also, the Purim lunar eclipse in 71′ was the last Lunar Eclipse on Purim we can find in the intervening period, after 4 BC, leading to the birth of Christ. The intriguing parallel here is that these Solar and Lunar signs marked the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70′, but in the 2016 tetrad we are looking for the return of a Third Jerusalem Temple as the next logical step to fulfill Biblical Prophecy following up to Israel’s reclamation of Jerusalem marked by the 1967-68′ Blood Moon Tetrad, in the 6-day War with Egypt. Thus we see the importance of these Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 5-4 BC and 2016 as they align with the only other Soli-lunar eclipses on Hebrew Feasts that include a Purim Eclipse over the last 2000 years! We must also be mindful that the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-15 and the 2016 eclipse tetrad lead the way to the replay of the Rev. 12 sign on Sept. 23rd of 2017. this leads to three pairings of eclipse tetrads including Purim eclipses, leading to 3 separate Rev. 12 signs in history!
Figure 4. Rev.12 Sign; 9/23/17 [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet]. 3
A Penumbral Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on the Feast of Purim, taking place during a Hebrew Jubilee Year, should also get our attention for a number of reasons.
One can not help, but be struck by the unique and rare occurrence of the 2014-15 Eclipse Tetrad of four Blood Moons during the Shemitah of Shemitah’s, and now the Jubilee comes with yet another Lunar eclipse on Purim, forming a Quintet of lunar eclipses on Hebrew Holidays from 2014-2016. The 70 AD destruction of the Jerusalem Temple marked the removal of God from His Temple in stages, and the dispersion of the Jews among the Gentile Nations. This 2016 Lunar Eclipse on Purim, may testify as another indicator towards the appearance a New Temple on the Mount, as part of the coming treaty allowing modern Israel the Restoration of Temple sacrifices in Jerusalem, previously marked by an Eclipse Tetrad in 69-71 AD, when those sacrifices were last enacted, [Dan. 9:24-27].
The 69-70 AD solar and lunar eclipses marking the Roman’s destruction of the Temple are reflected in the solar and lunar eclipses of 2016, leading to the 2017 rewind of the Great Wonder of Rev. 12:1-2. Amazingly, another version of this Rev. 12 celestial wonder occurred on August 27th, in 70 AD, in between the 4/14/70 Passover Lunar Eclipse, and the 9/23/70 Rosh Hashanah Solar Eclipse!
Figure 5. The Rev. 12 sign on August 27th, 70 AD: With a Jupiter-Venus union. 4
In this version of the Rev. 12 sign, the woman-Virgo has a crown of 12 stars, with Jupiter and Venus in such close union they appear to merge into one star just as they did in 2 BC, except this time in the lower rear paw of Leo. The Sun is clothing Virgo and the Moon near her feet. The planets Jupiter and Venus are also aligned with Mercury-Gabriel and the King Star Regulus in Leo. What is extraordinary with this version of the Rev. 12 Sign is that it occurs in the center of the luni-solar eclipse tetrad on Hebrew Feast and holy days marking the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD.
Purim is a story of both deliverance and a sudden destruction. Purim is a Hebrew holiday and has been incorporated much like Hanukkah into the list of Feasts that have been added to the 7 major Feasts of Jehovah.
The meaning of the Feast of Purim is disclosed only in the Bible’s book of Esther. The beginning of the Book of Esther starts off with a 6-month feast of the King. As Purim amazingly aligns with a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, when we consider the context of Hebrew Calendar and the Eclipse series of 2014-2016 what is the message we can glean from these Purim lunar eclipses, linking the Rev. 12 signs at the birth and potential return of Christ? The record of the history and origin of the Purim Feast in the Book of Esther, is significant today for a number of reasons. Even as the evil Haman was bent on his genocidal plan against Israel in the ancient Persian Empire, so today there is a group of Islamic and world powers conspiring to “wipe Israel off the map.” Purim is prophetic in relation to the deliverance of God’s People from those enemies that seek to destroy the heritage of the Almighty, and Redeemer’s bl0od-line. The Purim feast also celebrates the death of Haman, an Amalekite from the tribe of Edom and his 10 sons [Esth. 3:10, 9:24].
Biblical record of Esther not only shows the history of the Feast of Purim, but also reveals elements of how the Heavenly Father saved His people, exhibiting His undying Love and protection of Israel. God Saved His people not only so they could enjoy His blessing on their lives, but also so He could return them to the Promised Land of Israel and their Holy city-Jerusalem. We can see this long-standing purpose of God because after nearly 2000 years of being dispersed among the Gentile Nations, in 1948-50 Israel was reformed as a nation-state, also marked by a Blood Moon Tetrad, and the Jews have been returning to their homeland ever since. There is also another overriding purpose found in Esther, and that is the preservation of the Christ-line. Numerous times in history the enemy attempted to wipe the Hebrews from the face of the Earth as he knew they would bear man’s Redeemer. The serpent usually executes these purges through his evil earthly spiritual seed, of which Haman the Edomite was a prime candidate. During the birth of Moses, the Egyptians killed the male Hebrew infants for this purpose. During the time of Christ’s birth, Herod who also descended from Edomite ancestry, had the male infants murdered around Bethlehem, for the same reason.
This is one of the reasons why we have noted the link between lunar eclipses and the activity of the serpent’s seed in history and mythology. The link here seems to relate to the idea that the adversary is parasitic in nature, and the Moon as the lesser light ruling the night, does not generate its own light, but only reflects the sunlight or else periodically eclipses it. It seems while the Moon occults the Sun-light the enemy is encouraged to carry out its purposes contrary to the true God, as witnessed above.
The graphic below shows an astronomical disc from Apian’s Astronomicum Ceasareum (1540 AD). It illustrates the ascending and descending lunar Nodes (dragon’s head & tail), in calendrical calculation of solar and lunar eclipses.
Figure 6. Apian’s Astronomicum Ceasareum (1540 AD) 5
Lunar eclipses are a result of the activities of the Moon in monthly ascending and descending nodes, that always lie opposite one another on the ecliptic. Eclipses coincide with the Moon’s orbit intersecting the ecliptic. Solar and Lunar eclipses only occur when the Full or New Moon is within a six degree range of the lunar Node. The line connecting these nodes, the two “dragon points” where the Moon crosses the ecliptic, is called the “Line of Nodes.” The motion of this mythic line generates the 18.618-year eclipse cycle, but the Moon does not return to the same spot in the sky until it has gone through three of these cycles, totaling just under 56 years. This is called “precession of the nodes.”6 The golden section influence or phi ratio math seems apparent here, as in the saros, because during the 18.618-year eclipse cycle, the Line of Nodes recedes in the “precession of the nodes“19.618 days each year. The ancients conceived of the lunar nodes as a large celestial dragon. An apt example of this is found in old Arabian astronomy, where the two aspects of the Draconic Month were known as the Head and Tail of the Dragon.
As we see the efforts of Haman to exterminate the nation of Israel along these lines. The setting for Esther was ancient Persia-modern-day Iran. Even as Daniel who also served under this 2nd world Empire following Babylon from their capital city of Susa, Queen Esther decided to stand up for the nation of Israel against Haman’s evil plot, she received favor from her King and Husband Xerxes I. Esther enjoyed the favor of the King’s Sceptre when she risked her life by entering the conference of the King. It is interesting that; Biblically “a Sceptre can also be symbolic of a person!” In Numbers, we read;
(Numbers 24:17)”I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Seth.”
That Sceptre embodied the prophesied return of the Promised Seed, who came first over 1,900 years ago, and by his sacrifice provided redemption for all mankind. All who believe in Him, and follow Him, have a pathway back to God, who alone is able to deliver them from blood-thirsty hatred of those today, like Haman seeking the genocide of Israel. Our website study on the General Sign of the Celestial Prelude covers the significance of this Numbers 24 record regarding the Sceptre, in the context of the heavenly signs surrounding the birth of Christ. The heavenly birth signs for Christ as seen in Rev. 12, appeared again in 2017, with a prominent role for Jupiter, the King Planet and Royal Sceptre of the King of Kings.
For Messianic Jews and modern day Christians, we anticipate with great hope our embodiment in the spiritual Church of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as we partake in the sceptre of his righteous authority and everlasting victory over the evil darkness of this world.
A Most Joyous Holiday Season for 2018 to all my readers…
God Bless!
Footnotes
1. Witness of the Stars, E. W. Bullinger
2. Picture Credit, Jesus Christ our Promised Seed, American Christian Press
3. Picture credit, Stellarium Software graphic of 9-23-17 Sign in Virgo.
4. Picture Credit, Stellarium Astronomical Software on Aug. 27th, 70 AD
5. Apian’s Astronomicum Ceasareum (1540 AD)
6. Star Names, their Lore and Meaning, R.H. Allen, p. 208.
