Month: September 2016

 

The  Biblical Astronomy of the Tishri 1 Annular Solar Eclipse, 9-1-2016

A prominent Annular Solar eclipse will cover a great majority of the Sun in Virgo on Thursday, September 1, 2016. The entire event will last for about 6 hours with primary visibility across central Africa and aspects of the Middle East to the Indian Ocean. This is the third celestial sign in 2016 that takes place on a Hebrew feast or holy day. We had a Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1/March 9th, 2016 followed by a Passover Penumbral Lunar eclipse on March 23rd, 2016, making this year the third consecutive year with Luni-Solar Eclipses on major appointed times of the Lord. The Sept. 1, 2016 Annular Solar Eclipse occurred on Tishri 1,-Hebrew New Years Day, and the Anniversary of Creation. The last Lunar Eclipse this year on a holy day–Sukkot, in Israel takes place on Sept. 16th, 2016. This follows a rule that a Solar Eclipse always occurs in the proximty of couple of weeks of any Lunar Eclipse. As with the March 9th, Total Solar Eclipse in 2016, came 15 days before the March 23rd Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The same rule is upheld with the Annular Solar Eclipse on September 1st prior to the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse  of September 16, 2016.

The period between the last Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on Sept 28th, 2015 and the Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1/ March 9th, 2016, is a unique time frame because there are usually 6 months from Tishri to Nisan except when a 13th month leap-year is added making 7 months. This occurs 7 times during the 19-year inter-calation of the Hebrew Calendar, linking the Appointed times of the Lord in Nisan with those of Tishri.

Since these notable heavenly signs are taking place in consecutive years exactly 2 years prior to the signs of Sept. 2017, it is instructive to recall what happened leading up to the Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on Sukkot-Sept. 28th, 2015. On Sept. 13th there was a Partial Solar Eclipse on the Feast of Trumpets. In the days after this time frame of Sept. 14-15, 2015 falling on Mon-Tues, the 3rd day of the week fits with the timing of the Cana Wedding feast [Jn 2:1]. The third day is considered a special day for marriage according to Hebrew tradition since the 3rd day of Creation was called “good” by God twice as established in [Gen. 1:10-12]. This annular solar eclipse on 9-1-2016, is also called a “Wedding Ring Eclipse” because the Latin root for annular is “annulus,” meaning a little ring, is seen in the image below, as a thin ring of sunlight outlining the New Moon silhouette. This provides a direct link to the imagery of the Lord’s Wedding Feast.

Annular Solar Eclipse 2016 – Bing images 3

Joel 2:15-17 refers to Tishri 10, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement [consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly] as the day the Lord emerges from his Heavenly Bridal chamber With His Saints and returns to earth with his assembled spiritual body [Rev. 19]. Tishri 10 was also when the Jubilee year was proclaimed following [7 x 7] sabbatical cycles, as we have seen in 2016/5776. This period from Tishri 10/9-23-15 to Nisan 10/March 18th 2016 is thus linked, Nisan 10 also being when the Passover Lambs were selected, [Ex. 12:3, Jn. 1:29, 36].

With the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 aligning with Hebrew Feast and holy days like Passover and Sukkot over the last three years, we have seen the restoration of the nation of Israel, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, leading into the 50-yr Jubilee cycle in 2016, gives us plenty of reasons to be watchful for the Lord’s Return according to this confluence of sacred timing. The timeline of the restoration of Israel in stages coincides with the Messiah himself completing this restoration by establishing his Messianic Kingdom. The heavenly sign that most resembles this is the Birthing of Jupiter in Virgo’s womb in Sept. of 2017! As we see these prophetic events aligning with the Hebrew Feasts and holy days, and we ponder [Matt. 25:1-13], the Parable of 10 Virgins, Jesus told us; we “do not know the day or the hour,” thus nobody can pinpoint the Lord’s return to a specific day.

However, when we realize that there is only one holy day on the Hebrew Calendar marking the New Moon that conforms to this pattern of Rosh Hashanah, as described in the heavenly sign of Rev. 12, fulfilling the events of Tishri 1 on the birth of Christ, then it becomes clearer that the dual significance of this prophecy accounts also for the events linked to the victorious Return of the Lord. The re-appearance of Christ on a specific day is unknown just as the appearance of the New Moon was, until confirmed by the Two Witnesses, which is why there is a two day period allowed for this holy day in Hebrew Tradition. The New Moon festival falls on the Feast of Trumpets, and Rosh Hashanah is also linked to the Judgement of the World and the King’s Coronation, all during the fall harvest, which also fits the imagery of the Lord gathering his church very well.

During this Feast of Trumpets, the trumpet was used when kings were crowned (1 Kings 1:34,39), and Rev 5:10 says, “And hast made us unto our God, kings and priests: and we shall reign on (over) the earth.”

Virgo at Sunset on September 11th 3 BC, marking Christ’s Birth.

Virgo is at her zenith, or the highest point in the sky during the early evening at the start of the Wheat harvest, during the Feast of Pentecost. Virgo is also setting in the early evening Western skies of the latter harvest, during the Feast of Tabernacles. This is exactly how we find Virgo on the eve of September 11th, in 3 BC!⁴⁰ Recall that this time of year was when the Sun was clothing Virgo, giving us a beautiful link to Boaz-a descendant of the genealogical Christ line, spreading his cloak over Ruth, as a figurative sign of his acceptance and protection of her. Even as the Sun of Righteousness and the light of the world, also viewed as the Bridegroom [Ps. 19:5], was clothing his Bride-Israel, a figure of the marriage supper of the Lamb, so this was foreshadowed in Boaz redeeming his kinswoman Ruth! This Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur during the Feast of Tabernacles, while the latter harvest relates to the 14th day of this seventh month of Tishri.

Also, when the Gentile Ruth came to Bethlehem, the birthplace of both David and Jesus and was allowed by God’s Grace, to share in the Lord’s royal genealogy, she was a forerunner of the Gentile Magi who came to Bethlehem as the first Gentiles to recognize the promised seed. Remember that it was his star-Jupiter in Virgo that led the Magi to Bethlehem, following their meeting with Herod.

This information gives us a panoramic view of the Biblical harvest feasts in light of the celestial events surrounding the birth of Christ. We can see that these harvest feasts were originally addressed to Israel in the OT, there are significant applications of these feasts to the Church of Grace. As we recognize Jesus Christ and his fulfillment of the Scriptures, both written in the heavens and in God’s Word, our understanding of the majesty of God’s communication to man, is enlightened in the supernatural heights God has called us to.

Tishri 1 on the Hebrew calendar was also the seventh New Moon, the beginning of the seventh or sabbatical month. According to the reckoning of Israel’s calendar, each month began at the time of the New Moon. Ps. 104:19 says, “He appointed the moon for seasons.” The words translated “month” means “moon” or “New Moon,” showing a relationship between the month and the moon or the period of lunation.” Additionally, the Passover was always at the full moon, since the first month always began with a New Moon, by the eighteenth of Nisan (the time of the Passover in 28 AD, the year Jesus was crucified and resurrected), the Moon would be between full and three-quarters full.⁴¹

From this example of the lunar-solar relationship inherent in the Hebrew calendar, we can see how Christ is the centerpiece of Creation, fulfilling every aspect of the Old Testament Law. He also embodies every aspect of the Hebrew Calendar and the numerical Symmetry elemental to these noted celestial cycles. These cycles are fundamental to the pattern unfolding God’s sacred order of space-time, the seasons and cycles of life.

Psa 81:3 says, “BLOW UP THE TRUMPET IN THE NEW MOON, in the time appointed, ON OUR SOLEMN FEAST DAY.” This refers to the Feast of Trumpets; the only feast day that falls on the New Moon.

The Messianic Jews consider the month of Elul as preparation for a wedding. They expect the gates of heaven to open at the Last Trump, on Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets, Tishri 1.

TWO TRUMPETS OF SILVER

In Num 10:2-4 (KJV), the Lord told Moses to “Make thee TWO TRUMPETS of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for THE CALLING OF THE ASSEMBLY, and for the JOURNEYING OF THE CAMPS. 3 And when they shall blow with them [both], ALL THE ASSEMBLY shall assemble themselves to thee at the door (symbol of a gathering, Rev 3:8) of the tabernacle of the congregation. 4 And if they blow but with ONE TRUMPET, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel shall gather themselves unto thee.”

Its interesting to see what the Talmud says in; Rosh HaShanah l6b: “The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah.” In context this does not necessarily refer to the Lord gathering His Church but the resurrection of the just versus the unjust, [Lk. 14:14, Acts 24:15]. It is a major key in understanding these prophetic events of the end-times that these “resurrections” are not confused with one another. The reference below on the Rosh Hashanah Feast helps us get a perspective on aligning the various aspects of this key holy day. This is one of many references that are suggested for future study.

In “Rosh HaShanah,” (“Chapter 7, The Season of Teshuvah,” Eddie Chumney comments on his breakdown of the various themes of Rosh Hashanah:

“Rosh HaShanah: Names, Themes, and Idioms

1. Teshuvah (repentance)
2. Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
3. Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast (Feast of Trumpets)
4. Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment)
5. HaMelech (the Coronation of the Messiah)
6. Yom HaZikkaron (the Day of Remembrance or memorial)
7. The time of Jacob’s (Ya’akov) trouble (the birth-pangs of the Messiah, Chevlai shel Mashiach)
8. The opening of the gates
9. Kiddushin/Nesu’in (the wedding ceremony)
10. The resurrection of the dead (rapture, natza1)
11. The last trump (shofar)
12. Yom Hakeseh (the hidden day)
THE RAPTURE MAY BE ON TRUMPETS, THE HEAD OF THE YEAR
“The ultimate shout is the “gathering together” (natzal) in [I Thess. 4:16-17, II Thess. 2:1]”