Biblical Astronomy of the Birth and Return of Christ
God marked the holy season of the birth of His only begotten son Jesus, from before the foundations of the world, according to His eternal omniscient foreknowledge, in concert with the celestial cycles He installed as He ordered the heavens in Creation. In this way His handiwork would show forth praise and worship of His wisdom, exhibited in the eternal purpose of His plan of the ages. As the Creator and God of the Heavens and Earth, our Heavenly Father saw fit to mark mankind’s long awaited deliverance, prophesied in the circle of the stars, marked by a 25,920 year celestial cycle recognizing the Sun’s retrograde motion through the zodiac at the vernal point, initiating the Age of Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. He also marked the celestial signs leading up to, and surrounding the birth of the Christ, the embodiment of the Morning Star, with a unique series of triple planetary unions, involving a triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn. The first of these is seen below in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction in Pisces, May 29th, 7 BC.1
This realization is a primary element in understanding the Biblical Astronomy of the Celestial Prelude of signs revealing the Birth of Christ.[read more] The other dates of this Jupiter-Saturn triple conjunction in Pisces are Oct. 1st and December 5th. These conjunctions are many times confused for the actual signs marking Christ’s birth, but they do not fit the pattern of celestial signs laid out in Rev. 12 below. As we will see however they are critical in setting the format for the Magi to identify the actual signs of Christ’s birth that occurred in 3-2 BC.
Rev. 12:1-2
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
In the prophecy of the “Great Wonder” in Rev. 12:1, the feet of the woman, Virgo are found at the intersection of the ecliptic and the Celestial Equator, also known as the autumnal equinox, one of the so-called four “pillars of heaven,” or the four Cardinal points. This celestial point was generally marked on the Hebrew calendar during the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot, that occurred later during Tishri, the 7th Month of their year. With the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, the end-time emphasis on the Lord’s Feasts has been brought home to us in no uncertain terms with multiple Blood Moons marking the Lord’s Feasts and Holy days on Israel’s Calendar. It is interesting to note that a great majority of Blood Moons that occurred in the current Age of Grace, over the last 2000 years are usually found near this part of the sky, close to Spica in Virgo. This gives a clue to the heavenly signs marking the 2nd coming of Christ, as we would expect them to follow the blueprint of signs marking Jesus’ Birth, within the added context of the Blood Moon Tetrads on the Lord’s Feasts. In this light, there were not only Blood Moon lunar eclipses taking place around the heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ in 3-2 BC, but the 12 Characteristics of the Celestial Prelude are also evident as the signs that helped the Magi identify the heavenly signs leading to the Great Wonder in Heaven, [Rev. 12].
Figure 2. Virgo at sunset Sept. 11th 3 BC seen from Jerusalem.
God also marked the coronation of His only begotten Son in the heavens with a triple conjunction of the King planet Jupiter with the King star Regulus in Leo during 3-2 BC, based on Jupiter’s retrograde motion. Thus, his birth on the key day of Tishri 1 in Hebrew timekeeping was foreordained by God, to fit the pattern of 7 primary Hebrew Feast and holy days of their sacred calendar, since before the foundations of the world. This critical date on the calendar of Israel perfectly synchronizes to mark Jesus’ birthday on Hebrew New Years Day, Tishri 1.
To help us grasp the critical importance of the feast of Tishri 1, the 7th month, we turn to the following reference from Alfred Edersheim:
“Just as age was reckoned from Tishri 1 to Tishri 1, so were the regnal years of Judean Kings. The blowing of trumpets of Rams Horns was also part of the coronation ceremony of these Judean Kings.” 2
Thus the start of Jesus’ reign as King of Kings is marked on his birthday of Tishri 1, the “Day of Trumpets.” The significance of the King’s Coronation tied to Rosh Hashannah, New Years Day and the head of Israel’s calendar, is that Jesus as the King of Kings presides over all temporal, civil and sacred matters as the King-High Priest of Israel. Thus it is fitting that a majority of Blood Moons would occur near this area in Virgo, symbolizing Israel, near its brightest star Spica-Al Zemach, marking the only begotten Son and offspring of God the Father. We can see the wisdom in understanding the dual significance of the Revelation 12 prophecy, as it not only applies to Jesus’ first appearance with his birth and sufferings, but also his victorious return in Glory. Almighty God has mirrored the heavenly signs marking the birth of Jesus Christ, 2000 years later in the Lunar light of the Blood Moon Tetrads and Israel’s gathering as a nation, to set the stage for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the Magi were able to identify the Star of Bethlehem based on the the 12 traits of the Celestial Prelude surrounding the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in 7 BC, so we can see their basis in the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad leading to the the repeat of the Rev. 12 signs on Sept. 23rd 2017. These twelve stellar pointers provided by the Hand of the Heavenly Father left no doubt as to the time of year, the specific day and even the time of day for the Magi to recognize the time frame of the birth of the only begotten Son of God. These details of the Celestial Prelude are unique to the Try-God.com and blog sites since we have detailed this account of the celestial setting marking the birth of Christ, it is fitting that we reconstruct the specifics of the solar and lunar eclipses leading up to the birth of Christ, for comparison with the modern Blood Moon Tetrads for end-times insight. The 12 characteristics of the Celestial Prelude are listed below:
12 Characteristics of the Celestial Prelude
• Jupiter was clearly marked as “his star.”
• Jupiter was involved in a triple planetary Conjunction.
• Jupiter was involved in a series of planetary conjunctions.
• Jupiter’s retrograde motion would play a key role.
• Jupiter’s triple union was followed by a massing of planets.
• This massing of planets was followed by a Mars Conjunction.
• The Jupiter-Mars Conjunction was followed by a series of lunar occultations, and total “Blood Moon” lunar eclipses.
• This series of conjunctions would last about two years.
• The annual twenty days when the Sun is in Virgo would be a key.
• The September 15th alignment of Jupiter, Saturn the Earth and Sun in 7 BC that occurred in the evening at sunset, directed the Magi’s attention to the end of the 20-day period when Virgo was “clothed with the Sun.”
• The lunar eclipse on September 15th of 5 BC established that the Magi should be watchful of lunar activity during this time. 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 with the Moon under her feet.”
• The September 15th Heliacal Rising of Jupiter and Saturn foreshadowed the Heliacal Setting of the star Spica, between the setting Sun and Moon in Virgo, identifying a key 30-minute period when the birth of Christ took place.
Starting on the 1st trait of this list, the Star of Bethlehem [Jupiter] the King Planet that the Magi followed to Jerusalem and the birth of Christ, it is Jupiter again that is birthed from Virgo’s Womb on Sept. 9th 2017, after spending 42 weeks-the normal time of human gestation in her womb due to Jupiter’s retrograde motion. This speaks to the 2nd and 4th traits that Jupiter’s Retrograde motion would be a key as it was for the Magi in identifying the triple planetary conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus beginning 3 days after the birth of Christ-the 2nd trait of the Celestial Prelude.
The third trait refers to a Jupiter’s involvement in a series of Planetary Conjunctions. We find this manifested at the birth of Christ in a dazzling Jupiter-Venus conjunction in Leo on June 17th of 2 BC. It was two Jupiter-Venus conjunctions that actually bracketed the great majority of heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ in 3 and 1 BC. The 1st Jupiter-Venus Conjunction marking the birth of Christ took place on August 31st 3 BC, in Leo with the last one occurring on August 21st 1 BC, in Virgo. Here we find an interesting variation on a Celestial Sphinx sign highlighting planetary conjunctions of Jupiter-Venus, that took place during the first fulfillment the Rev. 12:1-2 prophecy relating to the sufferings of Christ in his ministry as the Passover Lamb. This alerts us that we should look for similar Celestial Sphinx signs as a precursor to the Lord’s Second Coming. The fact that there were also two Venus-Mars conjunctions framing the central Jupiter-Venus union between March 31st, and Dec. 9th, 2 BC, marking the birth of Christ, sets a precedent that we find in like fashion leading up to the Lord’s glorious Second Coming. This refers to the sixth trait of the Celestial Prelude. In this light, it is with great interest that we noted two Venus-Mars unions in 2015, that 3 Jupiter-Venus unions occurred in Leo, followed by Jupiter-Venus unions in Virgo in both 2016 and 2017. The initial Triple conjunction of Jupiter-Venus starting on July 1st, 2015 was all over the newscasts, and current events, being compared to the brilliant June 17th Jupiter-Venus planetary conjunction in 2 BC, 9 months after the birth of Christ. This is one of many indicators of the popularity of the Blood Moons in the public eye, as Blood Moon mania grabbed the headlines of many major media outlets. The resemblance of these current heavenly signs, to the birth signs of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, were noted in detail as public “end times awareness” shot off the charts.
The following dates witnessed Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Leo in the Hebrew Jubilee year of 2015-2016:
June 30th, 2015
August 25th, 2015
October 26th, 2015
The following dates saw Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Virgo in 2016-with only Nov. 2017 remaining:
July 27th, 2016
Feb. 26th, 2017
Nov. 13th, 2017
The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 was foreshadowed by lunar eclipses leading to the birth of Christ, which we find in the 7th trait of the Celestial Prelude. The Jupiter-Saturn triple Conjunctions in 7 BC, highlighted by a planetary alignment on Sept. 15th 7 BC, initiated a pattern of heavenly signs that reappeared in September of 5 BC with a pair of eclipses. This embodies the 10th trait of the Celestial Prelude. On 9-5-5 BC there was a partial Solar eclipse, with a Total Lunar eclipse following 10 days later on 9-15-5 BC. These heavenly signs exactly 2 years apart, enlightened the Magi that they should be on the lookout for heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ, in the next 2-year period in September of 3 BC– the 8th trait of the Celestial Prelude. Since September marked Hebrew New Year’s Holy day, of Rosh Hashanah starting the seventh month of Tishri, on September 11th, the Magi would have been on notice with their eyes riveted to the heavens for the signs denoting the coming of the prophesied King of the Jews. As stated in the 11th trait of the Celestial Prelude, the lunar activity in 5 BC tipped off the Magi to be watchful of lunar activity during this time, two years later in 3 BC. 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 with the Moon under her feet,” [Rev. 12:1]. This period in mid-September towards the end of the annual 20-day time-frame when the “Sun was clothing Virgo,” was also marked by the first of 3 unions of Jupiter and Regulus in 3-2 BC, three days after the birth of Christ. [Gen. 49:9-10]
Relating to this, 2015 saw some eye-popping heavenly signs taking place between the Partial Solar Eclipse on the Feast of Trumpets and the final Super Blood Moon on the Tabernacle Feast of Sept. 28th, 2015. On Sept. 17th the Sun appears in Virgo 20 days clothing the stellar woman symbolizing Israel with the Moon at her feet as seen in [Rev. 12]. This is the ninth trait of the Celestial Prelude. With all that we have seen regarding the ministry of Christ as it embodies in the 7 feasts of Israel emphasized in the Blood Moon Tetrad, as we combine the narrative of the birth signs of Jesus Christ from [Rev. 12], relating the story of his victorious Second Coming, the dual significance of the prophecy in [Rev. 12] becomes apparent.
August 29th 2015 [Venus-Mars]
Sept. 13th 2015 [Partial Solar Eclipse-Rosh Hashanah]
Sept. 17th 2015 [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet]
Sept. 17th 2015 [Mercury-Spica in Virgo]
Sept. 23rd, 2015 [Hebrew Jubilee Year opens on the Day of Atonement]
Sept. 28th 2015 [Final Super Blood Moon, Feast of Trumpets]
September 17th, 2015 was a key date above since it marked not only the Rev. 12 sign of the Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet, but also the first of two Mercury-Spica conjunctions in Virgo, the 2nd one on October 29th. The September 23rd sign from Rev. 12, takes place two years before the Great Wonder of Rev. 12 rewinds in the heavens on Sept. 23rd, 2017, just as at the birth of Christ-the 8th trait of the Celestial Prelude. This was emphasized with the two Mercury-Spica unions in Virgo, within a 6-week period. As Mercury-Gabriel, the messenger arch-angel announces the apparent nearness of the Lord Jesus Christ, returning FOR his Saints. The setting star Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, displays the birth time of the Promised Seed–Jesus Christ in his four-fold ministry as King, Son of Man, Servant and Son of God, as seen in the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
There was also a 1 degree Triangular massing of Jupiter-Venus, and Mars in Leo on October 28th, 2015, which is preceded earlier in the month with a planetary alignment with Regulus in Leo, [see Figure 1 below]. This is significant first because it refers to the planetary massing of the 5th trait of the Celestial Prelude, but also due to the resemblance again of the Rev. 12 heavenly sign, with the Woman–Virgo crowned with 12 stars, consisting of the 9 fixed stars in Leo, combined with the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mars, forming the Crown of 12 stars over Virgo’s head. This alignment sets the stage for the Feast of Tabernacles week, marked by the Super Blood Moon of Sept. 28th. A very similar planetary alignment will be seen again in Sept. 2017, [Figure 2.] involving the same players except Mercury will replace Jupiter in Leo, since Jupiter will be birthed in Virgo. This serves as key celestial foreshadowing 2 years prior to this birthing of Jupiter in Virgo, the rewind of the Rev. 12:1-2 wonder in heaven, 12th trait of the Celestial Prelude.
Figure 1. Planetary Alignment in Leo, October 3rd, 2015. 3
As there were 3 Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions marking the Rev. 12 birth signs of Christ in 3-2 BC, so this triple alignment of Jupiter-Mars, & Venus in Leo with Regulus, reflects a similar spiritual light in the context of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014–2015. 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 alongside Virgo’s womb, united with Spica/Al Zimach on this day, 2 years ahead of the rewind of the Great Wonder in Heaven, on Sept. 23rd 2017, seen below.
Figure 2. Rev.12 Sign [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet]. 4
Another key with the final Super Blood Moon is that it takes place after the Hebrew 50-year Jubilee opened on the Day of Atonement on Sept. 23rd, 2015. This is noteworthy since the Super Blood Moon was the first Blood Moon of the 2014-2015 Tetrad that was visible in Jerusalem, as the city of God was liberated by Israel for the first time in nearly 2000 years in the preceding Jubilee year of 1967, also marked by the previous Blood Moon Tetrad of 1967-68.
As the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad of the end days are centered between the saddest days on the Hebrew Calendar, the days of Av in 2010-11 and 2018-19, they commemorate the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple on two key occasions in their history, one of which we have highlighted below, with the 69-70 AD solar and lunar eclipses, marking the Roman Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. It is also noteworthy that the triple conjunctions of Jupiter-Regulus marking Christ’s birth, synchronize here since the next one did not recur till 69/70AD, leading directly to the Roman’s destroying of the Jerusalem Temple prophesied by Christ. By putting these birth signs of Christ together with the Temple’s destruction, it recalls Jesus’ words in [Jn 2:19-20] where the Temple’s destruction referred to the “temple of his body.” Since Jesus Christ spiritually embodied the replacement of the Temple for both Messianic and Gentile Christians communing with the Heavenly Father in the Age of Grace, the Jerusalem Temple on the Mount will not be seen again until the daily sacrifices return prior to Jesus’ 2nd Coming. The eclipses marking the Roman’s destruction of the Temple correlate to solar and lunar eclipses during the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 leading to the rewind of the Great Wonder of Rev. 12:1-2, as seen in the chart below. These Solar and Lunar eclipses surrounding the Rev. 12 Sign took place on the following Hebrew Feast and Holy days:
10-18-69 Partial Lunar Eclipse on the Feast of Tabernacles.
3-30-70 Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1. [as seen 3-20-2015]
4-14-70 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse at Passover. [like 2014 Passover Blood Moon]
9-23-70 Annular Solar Eclipse on Rosh Hashanah.
[1947 years before 9-23-2017]
These solar and lunar eclipses marking the Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple not only link to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, but based on the recognition of ripe Barley in Israel in spring of 2016 two more Lunar Eclipse events were added after the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. Although the two added Lunar Eclipses on Hebrew Feast and Holy Days after the 4 Blood Moons do make a highly unique event including 6 Lunar Eclipses from 2014-2016, the added 2016 events do not qualify as “Blood Moons.” That being said, all 6 of these qualify as Lunar Eclipses in 3 consecutive years on Hebrew Feast days, from 2014-2016! As we consider the import of these Penumbral Lunar Eclipses in 2016, we must point out the parallel to the Penumbral Lunar Eclipses of 70 AD marking the Romans destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem seen below.
The following summary from our Biblical Blood Moon Calendar post, shows the 70 AD Roman Temple Destruction as Jesus Prophesied.
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 Passover Eclipse 3/23/2016
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
Its interesting to note with a ripe Barley determination made in time for the Total Solar Eclipse on March 9th, 2016 it also falls on Nisan 1, even as above with the total solar eclipse on 3/30/70 AD. The ripe Barley also provides the link to the other Hebrew feasts in 2016. This link with the Solar and Lunar eclipses between 70 AD and 2016 is truly remarkable as a follow up to the correlation of 2014, as there are no Blood Moons among either set of Hebrew feasts! The fascinating parallel here is that these Solar and Lunar signs marked the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, while today 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.
As this rewind of heavenly signs marking Christ Jesus’ first appearance on earth occur in the context of the latest Blood Moon Tetrad, the celestial warnings of the Second Coming are undeniable to those with eyes to see and ears to hear. All these heavenly signs seem to point towards the September 23rd, 2017 date, when we will witness the returning heavenly signs of 9/11/3 BC marking the birth of Christ. These returning signs from [Rev. 12:1-2], will replay in a climax of these celestial announcements even as the Magi witnessed and shared the Joy of the Lord’s first Advent. What an awesome privilege we have to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Are you ready?
Footnotes
1. Jupiter-Saturn conjunction graphic from Starry Nite Pro Software.
2. The Temple, Alfred Edershiem
3. Sky and Telescope Magazine Graphic 10-3-2015 sign in Leo
4. Stellarium Software graphic of 9-23-17 Sign in Virgo
Comment on Facebook Group
To those of you interested in commenting on this post please go to our Facebook Group Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bibleastronomy