Author: Rene Fretz

My first interest in Biblical Astronomy was sparked during the study of the celestial signs surrounding the Birth of Christ in the late 70's and early 80's. This grew into a greater interest in Astronomy, resulting in numerous studies, clubs and activities as an amateur astronomer. Starting around 2003 I began working on the Try-God website, as a venue to publish my various articles and studies in Biblical Astronomy, which in the last 10 years, has garnered interest from an audience around the globe. With renewed effort and energy, we are expanding on our initial efforts with the website, for a more effective outreach to our growing audience.

The Celestial Prelude and the Birth and Return of Jesus Christ

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: ²And 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

As we have seen with both sets of heavenly signs surrounding the Birth of Christ and seemingly marking his victorious Return, the King Planet Jupiter as the Star of the Messiah, and Venus-the Bright and Morning Star are highly prominent in marking and bracketing the key signs in the dual-purpose of Revelation 12, with both the birth and return of Christ.

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

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The 70 weeks of Daniel 9 and the Acceptable Year of the Lord

The 70 weeks of Daniel 9 and the Acceptable Year of the Lord

This month’s blog post has multiple purposes. Firstly, I want to acknowledge and thank Rev. Jon Nessle who is a respected Christian minister and leader, and someone whom I have considered a mentor for over 20 years. The header for this blog post pertains to Bible Research Principles because Rev. Nessle has probably taught me more about true Biblical Research than just about anyone else in my life. This is the reason I’m so excited, honored and humbled to be invited by Jon to serve on the Board of Trustees of his new Christian Ministry called the Next Reformation Church.

Rev. Jon Nessle

Our Mission Statement is: To Research the Bible in order to discover the beliefs and practices of the Original First Century Christian Church and Teach those findings to individuals and other Churches in order that they may be put into Practice among Christian Believers world-wide so that their Fellowship with God, His Son Jesus Christ and fellow Christians be optimal.

More information will be forthcoming as our efforts coalesce, but until then we have a wealth of Biblical scholarship to draw upon to bless God’s people. Over the years Jon has published a number of books, articles and other research works, and has actively taught numerous Bible Research Seminars that he continues today. In one of his classes on Biblical Chronology he charted a timeline for the entire Old Testament, but as he relates; “he still had a problem with one passage in Daniel 9 pertaining to the 70 weeks.”1 In Vol. IV of his series on the Gospel Sermons of Jesus Christ, “The Path into Eternity,” he relates how chronologists like himself, could not fit Daniel’s 70 weeks with history or Scripture. Herein we find another purpose of this blog post, to show how Jon discovered and solved this ancient riddle, and the impact of its understanding for all Christianity. I will not presume to tell the story of how all this came about, as that is a story that only he can tell, which is found in the aforementioned Volume IV. A focus of this blog is to relate the Bible research keys he employed to unlock these fascinating truths that have remained hidden for centuries, which verify many of the foundation truths of Biblical Astronomy on the Try-God website and blog. As Jon tells it in Vol. IV;

“the key to understand this prophecy is to realize that it is an Introversion.” This is a type of Biblical structure which orders Scripture like poetry, except that Hebrew Scripture rhymes in concept, not in sounds. “Daniel 9:24 contains six items which form a symmetric structure. Therefore, the opposite categories can be used to explain their counter-parts.“2

Daniel 9:24-27
²⁴Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Jon continues: “There are six infinitives and phrases which are separated by “and’s.” This Figure of Speech is a Polysyndeton telling us that each of these items is important and merits consideration. As the A’s, B’s and C’s correspond, we can compare and contrast them to gain further insight.”3 The following is the structure of Introversion as seen in Dan. 9:24:

A. to finish the transgression,
B. and to make [seal] an end of sins,
C. and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
C. and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
B. and to seal up the vision and prophecy,
A. and to anoint the most Holy.4

“What does it mean to finish the Transgression? The answer is in the corresponding A.“5 One of the keys of Biblical research is to allow the Word of God to speak for itself. When we follow this principle, it removes the guess-work and private interpretation from the equation [2 Pet. 1:20-21]. “When was the most holy Messiah anointed? When he received the spirit when he was baptized. The Phenomenal voice from heaven indicated this was an Administration change.“6 John the Baptist was the last Prophet of the OT, and his baptism of Jesus anointed the key figure of the Christ Administration which ended the OT Law Administration. “So the Transgression that was finished was in the end of the Law Administration. The Baptism of Christ on Sunday, Shebat 20th, Feb. 16, 27 AD, was the beginning point of the 70 weeks. The “B” terms involve Jesus’ death and resurrection. God inserted a signal to make sure we saw the introversion with the repetition of the word seal, [chatham]. When Christ was raised from among the dead, that was the consummation of the ages as [Heb. 9:26] affirms.”7

“Once Jesus had arisen from among the dead, on May 1st, 28 AD, everything was sealed. The prophecies were fulfilled and all forthcoming spiritual events (the gathering together, resurrections, judgments, kingdom of heaven, New Heaven and Earth, and Eternity) would be a foregone conclusion. This constituted the end of the 70 weeks. Finally the “C” terms taken together must be the Day of Pentecost, June 20th, 28 AD when reconciliation became possible and everlasting righteousness for believers commenced.”8

Dan. 9:25 continues:

²⁵Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troubled times.

“The street and the wall is like the expression, Alpha and Omega, soup to nuts, from A to Z, that is its the entire thing. The two extremities represent the whole thing. All was rebuilt spiritually. Jesus definitely completed his work.”9 This has been area of confusion just as it was in Christ’s first Advent. People expected him to defeat the Romans and usher in the Kingdom of Heaven in short order, but due to the Jews rejection of Him as their Savior, it has been delayed, allowing the salvation for the Gentiles in the Age of Grace. As Jon states:”In context of the [70] weeks being enumerated, what was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem? It would have been the voice from Heaven when Jesus was baptized.”10 This not only opened the 70 weeks of Christ’s ministry to Israel, but also marked the spiritual transition of administrations from the OT Law to the Christ Administration. Jesus came to restore and build Jerusalem, but he had to do it for Israel first spiritually, [Jn. 2:19-21].

“Daniel refers to two time periods 7 weeks and 62 weeks. Were they successive or concurrent? It could be taken two ways if we try to match them to events that year. In 28 AD, Holy week did indeed start after 62 weeks, if we count beginning with Jesus’ Baptism and ending on the day of the voice from Heaven, Nisan 10th when the Passover Lamb was chosen. Then after that, the one week and the midst of the week in Dan. 9:27 fit. If we count the seven weeks concurrently from the Baptism, it brings us to the 10th of Nisan in 27 AD in Passover week that year, the date Jesus arrived in Jerusalem the first time, and when he also cleansed the Temple. So we discover that Jesus cleansed the Temple on the exact same date one year apart! That is why this 7 week period could be significant concurrently, identified with the first fulfillment of that prophecy.”11

John 2:18-22
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? [19] Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. ²⁰Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? ²¹But he spake of the temple of his body. ²²When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

Jesus’ use of “destroy this temple” in John 2:19, is worthy of a closer look. First, Jesus spoke the words of John 2:19 as he stood in the courts of the literal temple. The idea that Jesus made this statement in the temple, the center of spiritual and religious activity in Jerusalem, for the entire nation of Israel was not a coincidence, and contributed mightily to the impact of his words. Jesus did not refer alone to the literal temple, although it’s obvious reference to those present was at the top of their mind. This is evident in the Jew’s response to Jesus, of the 46 years it took to build the temple in verse 20. This is a temporal key that helps us to correlate the dates of these periods. According to research on the Try-God.com website and blog we have documented the birth of Christ on Sept. 11th, 3 BC. Since “Jesus was about 30 years old,” [Lk. 3:23] starting in 3 BC, 29 years hence from Tishri to Tishri brings us to the year 27.

As Jon reminds us: “Finally when we count the 46 years the Temple was under construction [John 2:20], we use Nisan to Nisan counting because this was a sacred matter. Herod started the construction between Nisan 1, 19 BC and Nisan 1, 18 BC. Counting inclusively to the 46th year gives the 46th year beginning Nisan 1, March 28th, 27 AD. This corresponds exactly to when Jesus visited Jerusalem.”12

The word ‘temple,’ by a figure of speech for implication, is used to represent the people or nation of Israel. The term ‘tabernacle‘ is often used of an individual’s (Jesus Christ’s) physical body (II Cor. 5:1,4, II Pet. 1:13-14). The word ‘temple‘ is also used to signify a group of people (I Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19, II Cor. 6:16, Eph. 2:21). When Jesus, referred to his body as the temple in John 2:19, he implied that his individual sacrifice for the nation of Israel, depicted his perfect sacrifice in their place, representing them as a group or body of people, the Church of the Bride. For the believing Jews his ministry embodied both the Passover Lamb and the High Priest, building his spiritual temple that he addressed that day in the Temple of stone. Also in cleansing the temple Jesus provided an essential service required for his perfect Passover sacrifice.

In cleansing the temple, Jesus was replacing the old way of worshiping God with a new way of coming to God through him. The old sacrificial offerings in the temple were replaced, because Jesus’ sacrifice paid the price that Israel never could. This opened a new life in Christ and new fellowship with the Heavenly Father. The old stone temple was to be replaced by a new temple which was Christ himself. The way of access to God was now opened after the resurrection and Day of Pentecost in 28 AD to all in the spiritual body of Christ, where God in Christ dwells among His people. This New Covenant, between God and his people was made available by the shedding of Christ’s sinless blood, and the destruction of his fleshly body.

In effect Jesus’ contrasted the physical Temple wherein he stood, to his own physical body, the embodiment of the true temple. Jesus Christ, the second Adam, is the consummate archetype, the finished model, and “chief cornerstone” not only for the nation of Israel as the Passover lamb and High Priest, but also for the Church of his spiritual Body, that began at Pentecost after his resurrection and ascension. As the paragon of humanity, Jesus illustrated the highest standards of living spiritual principles in the prophetic illustrations of his life and ministry. Certainly, God did not record the symbolic dimensions of the design of the Tabernacle or the Jerusalem Temple, wherein Jesus stood when he spoke the words of John 2:19, without purpose. This perspective of John 2:19, depicts a view of Jesus Christ prophesying in the Jerusalem Temple, representing this temple of stone and the bride of Israel in his physical body, that he laid down for Israel and all mankind in his perfect sacrifice at Golgotha.

Jesus himself was not aware of the full details of his statement to “destroy this temple,” as the prophecy in John 2:19, was by revelation from God. We see this also in reference to Jesus’ official opening of his ministry as an Evangelist in Luke 4:18-19. In John 2:19 Jesus was aware of the ramifications of his death and sacrifice for Israel followed by his resurrection, but was not aware of the Great Mystery related to the New Testament Church of his spiritual body, which the Heavenly Father kept secret until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul, [I Cor. 2:4-10]. This aspect of Christ’s ministry was not revealed until the New Birth became available on the subsequent Day of Pentecost, [Acts 2:1ff].

Dan. 9:26
²⁶And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Jon continues with his discourse on Dan. 9: “Verse 26 foretells that the Messiah will be cut off after the 62 weeks. Jesus died after the 62nd week. Then it says the people of a coming prince shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (Temple). That did happen in 70 AD and the prince was Titus who later became the Emperor of Rome. The end of the city did come with a flood, shahteph. It can mean a literal flood but it also is used figuratively of an invading army. After the siege of Jerusalem broke, the Romans rushed in destroyed the Temple and an abomination desolation did occur, the altar and temple were desecrated. Jesus predicted this in Matt. 24.”13

Matt. 24:1-2

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. ²And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

This prophecy accurately applies to what Jesus predicted with the Roman’s destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in the year 70, which was still future when Jesus declared it here in Matthew 24. But this prophecy is not to be confused with Matt. 24:14-15 in reference to the future temple that the Anti-Christ will desecrate.

Dan. 9:27a
²⁷And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,

“The one week was holy week from March 25th to May 1st in 28 AD. That was when the covenant was confirmed. The many is all of us that have been blessed thereby. Jesus was tortured, crucified, died and arose that week. In the middle of the week on a Wednesday, Jesus died at the same time the Passover Lamb was killed, and was the supreme sacrifice for sin as the book of Hebrews explained, and the daily sacrifices and the peoples offerings were no longer necessary.”14 Jon also notes that: “the 14th of Nisan fell on a Wednesday in the year that Jesus was crucified. That is the only way that the three days and three nights Jesus predicted he would be buried [Matt. 12:40], as well as other sequences involved will work out.”15

Dan. 9:27b
…and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

In Matt. 24:14-15 Jesus also prophesies about the future ‘abomination of desolation.’ “The Second Temple has never been rebuilt. Daniel predicted that this desolation would last even to the time of consummation. The Temple is supposed to exist again in the future. It shall be the same Temple that the Anti-Christ will occupy: [2 Thess. 2:4].” ¹⁶

The 70 weeks enumerated in Dan. 9 refer to the period from Jesus’ Baptism to Pentecost in the year 28. “But the Acceptable year of the Lord actually ran from Pentecost 27 to Pentecost 28 AD. We know this to be true because when Jesus read from the scrolls at his home synagogue in Nazareth, he read from Isa. 61. The Jews had set up a 3 year cycle to read from the OT, and Isa. 61 was read the Sabbath before Pentecost in the 2nd year of the cycle.”17

Understanding the relationship between the 70 weeks in Dan. 9 and the acceptable year of the Lord, with the six elements of Dan. 9:24 all concerning the Messiah is a central key in unlocking the truth of the length of the Lord’s ministry. As we allow the structural symmetry of the introversion in Dan. 9:26 to speak, the momentous truths of his Wednesday, mid-week crucifixion, and his Saturday-Sabbath Resurrection are established! These truths confirm the “Star of Bethlehem” research of his Sept. 11th 3, BC Birth, taking us to 27 AD when Jesus was about 30, [29] years old. The following timeline charts the majors events, many of which are covered in the study.

Ministry	Time	Event	Dates	Bible	Dan. 9:24
Jesus Christ-Righteous	40 days	Baptism	Nisan 1 Feb. 16 -March 28th, 27 AD	Jn. 1:29-33	Anoint most holy [A’s]
Jesus Christ-Evangelist	3 mon.	Opened Ministry	Nisan/ 14th-21^st 27 AD	Jn. 1:35-51	1^st Temple Cleansing
Jesus Christ-Apostle	3 mon.	Pentecost- Tishri 10 transfigured	Sivan 7th-6/1/27	Lk. 4:17-21	Accepted year begins
Jesus Christ-High Priest	6 mon.	Tishri 10-Nisan 10	Tishri 1st- 9/20/27	Mk. 9:2-10	2^nd Temple Cleansing	Jesus 30 years old
Jesus Christ Passover	7 days	Nisan 10- Resurrection	Nisan 8th-4/22/28	Jn. 12:28-30	Resurrection sealed [B’s]
Jesus Christ-Firstborn	40 days	Resurrection-Ascension	Nisan 17th-5/1/28 to 6/10/28	Ps. 2:6-8, I Cor. 15:20-23
Jesus Christ-Ascended	10 days	Ascension- Pentecost	Sivan 8th-6/11 to 6/20/28	Mk. 16:15-19	Reconciled righteous [C’s]

After Jesus’ temptation, in the 3 months following his anointing by John the Baptist who identified him as the Lamb of God, Jesus opened his ministry to Israel as an Apostle, by quoting [Isa. 61:1-2] as it is recorded in Luke 4 below.

Luke 4:16-21

¹⁶And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. ¹⁷And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, ¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. ²⁰And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

It is truly time to take Jesus at his Word! Are you in need of healing? Jesus has already made you whole. Are you depressed or blinded by the crushing oppression of this dark and perverse world? Are you a captive to the slavery of sin in any of its forms? Jesus has already set you free! He has thrown open the prison doors and released us from the mental and spiritual shackles of this world, by opening our eyes to the enlightened vision and power in his Name. As we turn our eyes upon Jesus and take unto us every aspect of his deliverance, we can stand in the true spiritual freedom that he brings, conquering the fearful snares of this world.

Footnotes

1. The Path into Eternity, p. 471 Jon O. Nessle
2. Ibid, p.475
3. Ibid. p. 476
4. ”
5. ”
6. ”
7. Ibid. p. 477
8. Ibid. p. 478
9. ”
10. Ibid. p. 479
11. Ibid. p. 481
12. Ibid. p. 494
13. Ibid. p. 483
14. Ibid. p. 484
15. Ibid. p. 489
16. Ibid. p. 484-485
17. Ibid. p. 485

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The Biblical Astronomy of Pi Day, 3-14-2017

NaturalLaw
The Biblical Astronomy of Pi Day, 3-14-2017

As we recognize Pi Day on 3-14-2017, its a great reminder to realize how the Creator utilized this famous mathematical proportion of Pi in Scripture and practically in the construction of His Temple and Tabernacle, which are patterns for the heavenly versions of the Creator’s dwelling place!

These applications of the Pi Ratio in the Bible, provide insights into the Creator’s Intelligent Design of His Creation, so that man would see the fingerprints of the Almighty embedded in the Natural Laws of the Universe, and the Mathematics of Astronomy, reflecting the same Pi ratio evident in the construction of the Great Pyramid.

What a great way to honor God and His Omnipotent Power and Wisdom as He illustrates the beauty of His Hand in operation in His Created Works…

This study is based on a study I posted on [try-god.com] over 15 years ago regarding the usage of the pi ratio in the Bible. The Hebrew word for “line” of thirty cubits, in 1Kgs. 7: 23 is “qav” [*H6957]. The word carries the primary meaning of a measuring cord, a ruler, or standard of measure in this case for circumference. 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 as 3, but the surface is for the neophytes. The deeper truths of God’s Word lie below the surface, for those who have the heart and will to look for them. There are also clues in the text indicating potential mathematical truths hidden under wraps.

The letters of the Hebrew alphabet also have numeric value. As Jochen Katz points out: “we can take the ratio of (the gematria value of “qav“) in its unusual word form (having three letters), to the regular word form with two letters which is 111/106.“¹² The q is valued a 100; and the v is a value of 6; thus, the normal spelling yields a numerical value of 106. The addition of the h, with a value of 5, increases the numerical value to 111. This equals a ratio of 111/106, or 31.41509433962, which is the essential pi value with the decimal moved one space to the left. Derived another way, the value of this ratio (1.047198) when multiplied by the Bible’s basic value of pi; (3) gives the result of 3.1415, or pi accurate to five digits. This formula is revealing because it employs the computation of a ratio hidden in the number values of the Hebrew language, yielding a higher degree of mathematical accuracy for the pi ratio, than its surface value of 3. This information is helpful when we consider the application of pi in the Great Pyramid, and in light of the other Biblical uses of the word “qav,” that we covered in the study referenced above. This sub-surface meaning of how pi is used in the Bible again stretches the envelope of the historical awareness of the scientific sophistication in the ancient world. Since this expertise is revealed as an aspect of the dimensions of the sacred furniture of the Temple and Tabernacle, it makes sense that God’s knowledge of these matters would far exceed human knowledge. This is exactly what Isaiah tells us:

Isa. 55:8-9
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Only when we allow the Word of God to have its rightful say, are we allowed glimpses of His glory. We have seen that God’s use of Pi relating to the measures of our planet, the ecliptic, the “pattern of the tabernacle” [Heb. 8:5, Exod 25:9, 40] and the temple in Jerusalem, including the sacred geometry of the Menorah, revealing the Creator’s Omniscient wisdom and His Intelligent Design of Creation, far above any historical application of pi by man. Those who play with the surface values and external truths of the Scriptures in an effort to disprove it are doomed to fail. Only those who recognize God for Who He is, and give His Word the proper respect due it’s unique position in the history of literature, will even begin to see the wonders of His glory.

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Lunar Eclipses and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

History of Biblical Astronomy

Lunar Eclipses and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

In this February 2017 blog post, we are featuring notable lunar eclipse activity on Feb. 10-11 in Leo, near Regulus, and Feb. 26th, in Pisces. On the eve of February 10-11, 2017, the full moon falls under the penumbral shadow of planet Earth. This penumbral lunar eclipse will be best seen from Northern Europe and Africa. Only a two hours following this lunar eclipse, Comet 45P makes it closest approach to Earth, about 7.4 million miles away according to NASA.1 We covered this comet back in our November 2016 blog, which has been visible after sunset the past couple of months. In the graphic below the comet’s path is traced through Hercules Feb. 9th-11th, Corona the Northern Crown Feb. 12th, and Bootes on Valentine’s Day.

Figure 1. Path of Comet 45P [Sky and Telescope; Feb. 2017] 2
A Longer, Deeper Arc
About two weeks later the New Moon will eclipse the sun in an annular solar eclipse on February 26th. This event is highlighted by a narrow ring of sunlight surrounding the perimeter of the New Moon, primarily visible in southern South America, and South Africa.

Later this Summer an August 7th, a partial lunar eclipse will be seen from the eastern hemisphere. Then a much anticipated total solar eclipse over the United States on August 21st will take place. In light of the significance of this solar and lunar eclipse activity in 2017, it is key to realize it’s links to Biblical prophecy. This may seem like a redundant statement considering the amount of published material posted on this blog about the Blood Moon Tetrads, however there is a big assumption many have made here which should not be overlooked. Most recent Blood Moon literature has focused on end-times prophecy due to Joel’s Prophecy [Joel 2:28-32]. People have assumed that his prophecies applied only to 20th-21st century end-times, especially where Joel refers to the “Sun turning to darkness and the Moon turning to Blood,” while ignoring the context of his prophecy which refers to God “pouring out His spirit on all flesh.”

Image result for day of pentecost images

As the Apostle Peter quoted this prophecy from Joel in Acts 2:16-21, from his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, or the Birthday of the Church in 28 AD, he specifically refers to the events of this awesome day as the fulfilling of Joel’s prophecy with the words “this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel,” [Acts 2:16]. The 12 Apostles spoke in tongues for the first time in history, even as the rest of the 3000+ believers did-exhibiting the signal that they were born again, re-establishing the holy spirit connection with the Heavenly Father that was lost in the Garden of Eden. Through the finished work of the Messiah, and the salvation wholeness provided by the perfect sacrifice of the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the believers of the First Century Church and all those since have been rescued from the enemy.

There were 7 weeks of counting, that linked Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread with Pentecost. At the time of the first Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, Israel left the bondage of Egypt. A major transition point during the Exodus was the giving of the Law at Sinai, to which Pentecost became linked. As Passover is embodied in Jesus Christ, it symbolizes not only Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, but the Church’s Exodus from death and bondage to the OT Law. The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, marked the Passover feasts of both these years in the last Blood Moon Tetrad that will not be seen again on Hebrew feasts or holy days, for the next 500 years! Christ’s redeeming work led to Pentecost in 28 AD, when the new birth first became available, and the gift of holy spirit was poured out as Joel predicted [Joel 2:28-31], opening a new spiritual administration, the Age of Grace. Jesus Christ was resurrected at the first harvest during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as the first-fruits from the dead. At Pentecost in 28 AD, the believers were made a harvest, manifesting the first-fruits of the holy spirit as they spoke in tongues for the first time; [Rom. 8:23]. Believer’s in the age of Grace having the first-fruits of the spirit, meet Christ in the air in his victorious return for his Saints, gathering us together, [I Thess. 4:14-17]. Christians during the current end times are warned by a series of Blood Moon Tetrads, among other heavenly signs, in the last days prior to our gathering together unto the Lord. The final, and complete harvest will be at the return of Christ with his Saints, when the enemies of God are vanquished, and the remnant of believers are resurrected. God’s Word describes this as the harvest at the end of the world.³ [Matt. 13:38-39]

But this was not the only part of Joel’s prophecy that was fulfilled. The references to the heavenly signs of the Sun and Moon were also fulfilled-since they were quoted by Peter in Acts 2, but the question is when? I believe the subtle error many have fallen into in all the Blood Moon media hype we have witnessed over the past few years, is related to the fact that people have only viewed Joel’s references to the Sun and Moon in a modern end-time context, instead of realizing the possibility of a dual fulfillment of these verses. This means that these heavenly signs at the start of the Age of Grace, seen here in the days of Christ’s suffering leading to the day of Pentecost, would be confirmed at the end of this age, which we are seeing in our day. This is the focus of February’s blog post. Obviously, our Biblical Blood Moon Calendar provides a historical context for the Blood Moon Tetrads, but this is separate from Joel’s Biblical prophetic context. So where do we look for the fulfillment of these heavenly signs in the local time frame of Peter’s Sermon on the day of Pentecost? One place to start is the events of Christ’s crucifixion where he finished the work to complete the salvation of humanity in the previous feasts of Unleavened Bread and Passover.

Luke 23:44-47 NIV
⁴⁴It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. ⁴⁷The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

These events were also prophesied in Amos 8:

Amos 8:8-10 NIV

⁸“Will not the land tremble for this,
    and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
    it will be stirred up and then sink
    like the river of Egypt.

⁹“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,
“I will make the sun go down at noon
and darken the earth in broad daylight.

¹⁰I will turn your religious festivals into
mourning and all your singing into weeping.
I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave
your heads. I will make that time like
mourning for an only son and the
end of it like a bitter day.

Image result for earthquake images @ Christ's crucifixion

This prophecy in Amos 8 is interesting because it includes four key elements present in the Crucifixion Darkness Gospel records. Verse 8 refers to the land trembling-or an earthquake, verse 9 states; the sun would darken at noon and darken the earth during daylight. Verse 10 refers to religious festivals-like Passover which Jesus fulfilled as the Passover Lamb sacrifice, and the end of the verse tells of mourning for an only Son-another reference to the death of Christ. These details confirm the fulfillment of this Messianic prophecy from Amos, during Christ’s crucifixion events at Golgotha in 28 AD.

The scope of Christ’s Crucifixion is world wide and universal for without Christ, all the world sits in darkness. He took all our sins to the cross making atonement for our forgiveness, and reconciliation to the Father. The darkness marking Christ’s crucifixion reinforced and symbolized the impact of the crucifixion, as the sins of men were cast upon the only begotten, sinless Son of God. Since the Son of God embodies the Sun as the light of the world, even as the Sun itself was darkened for three hours. So we see the stain and shadow of sin obscuring the Light of the World for three hours, on the day of Christ’s death. Matthew’s gospel provides more details.

Matthew 27: 45-46 NIV
⁴⁵From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

In Matt. 27:45 above Joel’s Prophecy concerning the “Sun turning to darkness” would very well have been fulfilled here. All the requirements are fulfilled even though the cause for the darkness remains a mystery, perhaps beyond the ken of human science to explain. As was referenced in a previous blog, the cause for this darkness is often assumed to be the result of a Solar eclipse. In fact, the NEB, Moffat’s 20th Century New Testament, uses this term.4 Here many have all fallen into an obvious error. The Crucifixion at Passover, required a Full Moon, yet there cannot be an eclipse of the Sun at a Full Moon. Furthermore, the darkness is said to have continued for three hours, but the maximum time a Solar eclipse will last is about 7.5 minutes. Whatever the cause of the mysterious darkness, it certainly was not a Solar eclipse. Man always wants to discount the super-natural by providing scientific explanations whether they fit or not, as this example shows, further illustrated below.

Image result for https://blood moon over crucifixion images

This could also be the case with the Moon turning to blood as we will see presently. Whatever obstructed the sunlight from Earth’s view, whether irregular conditions of the atmosphere or supernatural causes may also have caused a Blood Red Moon. Thus any need to link Christ’s crucifixion date with a potential Blood Moon lunar eclipse evaporates. More on this later, first though lets take a closer look at the earthquake that took place.

Matt. 27:50-54
⁵⁰And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. ⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵²and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. ⁵⁴When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Only Matthew includes the earthquake [Amos 8:8] at the time the Veil in the Temple was rent; while Mark and Luke don’t cite the earthquake, or graves opening and the raising of the dead from their tombs, [Matt. 27:52 -53]. We know from Scripture [I Thess. 4:15-17, I Cor. 15:51-52] that God has resurrected no one to eternal life yet—except Christ. There is also uncertainty concerning the veracity of these two verses in [Matt. 27:52-53] due to numerous instances this section of [Matt. 27] is omitted by the Ante-Nicene Church Fathers, when they quoted [Matt. 27], casting a long shadow of doubt on these verses. However, if included it could only fit with God’s Word [I Cor. 15:22-23] if those raised from the grave were like Lazarus, to live out their natural lives thereafter. Those raised could not precede Christ in resurrection as the first fruits from the dead.

Figure 2. The Temple and Golgotha

Image result for https://jerusalem temple crucifixion images

The timing of the opening of the Holy of Holies with the death of Jesus the High Priest points to the way of access back to the Almighty being opened not only for Israel, but ultimately all mankind resulting from the spiritual rebirth that Jesus made available. As far as physical and scientific evidence for the earthquake at the crucifixion of Christ goes, the following link records a widespread earthquake around Jerusalem in the year 31. Geological evidence is centered on this year with an accuracy of +/-5 years, covering 26-36 AD. This reference that the force of this earthquake was “sufficiently energetic to deform the sediments at Ein Gedi but not energetic enough to produce a still extant and extra-biblical historical record,” shows the geological evidence narrowing the earthquake activity between the years 26-36, but it is not possible to pinpoint an earthquake at the crucifixion of Christ using this geological data alone. Thus we are more dependent upon historical and Scriptural accounts to narrow down the accuracy of the accuracy of this record. 5

In support of this while analyzing earthquake activity in the region, geologist Jefferson Williams of Supersonic Geophysical and colleagues Markus Schwab and Achim Brauer of the German Research Center for Geo-sciences studied three cores from the beach of the Ein Gedi Spa adjacent to the Dead Sea. Varves, which are annual layers of deposition in the sediments, reveal that at least two major earthquakes affected the core: a widespread earthquake in 31 BC, and a seismic event that happened sometime between the years 26 and 36. The latter period occurred during “the years when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea and when the earthquake of the Gospel of Matthew is historically constrained.” Although its not possible to prove which day an earthquake took place during this time from geological data alone, it seems possible using a combination of historical, geologic and scriptural data could disprove a 33 AD crucifixion date, while supporting a 28 AD date.

There has been a sway current of opinion in support of the April 3rd, 33 AD crucifixion date, I believe for at least two key reasons. First because of the Blood Moon that occurs here that could explain the “moon turning to blood” from Joel’s prophecy. Next because this fits in the time frame of Pilate’s rule from 26-36, and can conform to some of the other evidence and clues agreeing with a traditional 3+ year ministry of Christ. Part 2 of this study will show conclusively that the length of Christ’s ministry was 70 weeks-fitting into “the acceptable year of the Lord” [singular] that Jesus referenced when he opened his ministry in Luke 4, at his home Synagogue in Nazareth. The following Biblical evidence disproves any possibility of a 33 crucifixion date.

A key sticking point to the accurate determination of the day Jesus was crucified always seems to start with the proper understanding of the weekly Sabbaths versus a High Sabbath. This is precisely why scholars have landed on “Good Friday,” which cannot be true because it contradicts the 3 days and 3 nights that Jesus was in the heart of the earth [Matt. 12:40]. There is no possible way to squeeze 3 full days and nights in the time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday Morning! The key to avoid the error of those holding the crucifixion on “Good Friday,” is in separating the ANNUAL feast days, that were also Sabbath days, called HIGH holy days, from the weekly Sabbaths. These High Holy days also took precedence over the weekly Sabbaths, which is the origin of the tradition of a Friday crucifixion, because those holding to this idea have considered only a weekly Sabbath during Passover week. But, God’s Word shows a clear distinction in John 19:31 that this particular Sabbath/Annual feast day was Not a Weekly Sabbath day. In other words this particular Sabbath day-called a High Day, was the Feast of the first day of Unleavened Bread, Not the weekly Sabbath. John 19:31 also says that the Scribes and Pharisees did not want to crucify Jesus on this particular SABBATH day during a High Feast day of Unleavened Bread, where no manual labor was permitted.

John 19:31
³¹The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Figure 3. Jesus’ 3 Days and Nights in the Tomb

The chart above shows that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, Nisan 14 when the Passover Lamb was normally chosen for sacrifice by the priests. Three days and nights later Jesus arose on Saturday the normal Sabbath day in Hebrew reckoning, not Sun-day when the heathens worshiped the Sun-god. Also according to the US Naval Observatory the only years between 26-36 AD where Passover fell on a Wednesday, was in the years 28 and 31. 7

The first Passover Jesus attended, in [Jn. 2:13-23] where he cleansed the temple the first time, is separate from the following year of his crucifixion. Obviously this “acceptable year of the Lord,” is 5 years short of the traditional dating of Christ’s crucifixion, prior to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 32-33 AD. Again scholars have stressed the crucifixion in 33 due to fitting with the Blood Moon that satisfies Joel’s Prophecy, but this approach of using the Blood Moon Tetrad to set the crucifixion day of Christ is not consistent with the truth of the Scripture narrative on this subject. Thus with all these historical and Biblical time markers in agreement established on Biblical truth, a strong case is presented against traditional crucifixion dates in 32-33, with a 3-year ministry of Jesus Christ.

Part 2 of this study will show the Biblical keys verifying the 70 weeks of the “Acceptable year of the Lord,” exploding the myth of the ministry of Jesus Christ in excess of 3 years.

Footnotes

1. Approach to Earth of Comet 45P, NASA
2. Sky and Telescope Feb. 10th 2017, Path of Comet 45P/H-M-P [Picture credit]
3. Previous blog post
4. Moffat’s 20th Century New Testament [Matt. 27:45-46]
5. [http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00206814.2011.639996]
6. Beyondtoday.tv [picture credit] Figure 3.
7. US Naval Observatory [http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/passover_dates.htm]

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