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 Blood Moon Tetrad and the Rev. 12 Heavenly Signs

Birth of Jesus Christ — Biblical Astronomy of the Birth and Return of Christ

The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 and the Rev. 12 Heavenly Signs [Part I.]

A Primary theme of our work regarding the Biblical Astronomy surrounding the Birth and Second Coming of Christ is based on the idea of The Celestial Prelude. As we documented in our most recent Blog Post on The Blood Moon Tetrad and the Celestial Prelude, the heavenly signs over the last seven years of the BC era, recognized by the first Century Magi, not only allowed them to accurately discern the timing of the Birth of Jesus Christ, but they also set the pattern for an accurate end-time recognition of the heavenly signs marking the Second Coming of Christ. In this light, we have continued with a detailed comparison of heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ with those leading up to his glorious Return. This post carries on that theme. The accurate understanding of the Biblical Astronomy of these two most critical events in all human history, is based on the record in Revelation 12. To ascertain a proper Biblical perspective of this powerful Bible Prophecy, we must first allow that this record has a dual significance that applies in detail, both to the Birth and Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. In previous Blog posts, we have referenced the “sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow,” [I Peter 1:11] as one perspective from which to understand the dual significance of the Biblical Astronomy of the Rev. 12 record. The Sufferings of Christ were endured in his perfect sacrifice for Israel and all mankind, in the Birth, life-ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. His glory we are close to witnessing as the heavenly signs that marked his first appearance on Earth, rewind to prepare us for his victorious Second Coming. As we have been documenting, the heavenly signs, and planetary conjunctions seen leading up to, and including the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, are setting the stage for the recapitulation of heavenly signs marking his glorious return. We can also understand the dual significance of this Rev. 12 record in light of the Ministry of Christ to Israel as the declaration of the King of Kings, which was rejected by Israel, resulting in the dispersion of the Jews during the Age of Grace, over the last 2000 years. The Second Coming of Christ represents the declaration of His Kingdom, when he sets up his Millennial Reign on Earth. As we have seen in the heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ, the Rev. 12 “Great Wonder in Heaven” was witnessed in the Sept. 11th, 3 BC sign in Virgo, fulfilling this prophecy, as the Sun Clothed Virgo with the Moon under her feet. These are the primary elements of this celestial prophecy that unmistakably mark the birth of Christ. As we have maintained for many years, and in my DVD presentation on The Biblical Astronomy of the Birth of Christ, available in our Bookstore in the Right hand margin of this page, we have documented the details of this Rev. 12 record, along with very moments of Christ’s birth in the Biblical Astronomy, and historical records that narrow the time of his birth down to a period of about 10 minutes! The graphic in Figure 1. below, from the book Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, has been utilized a number of times to depict this heavenly sign. A number of renown, professional astronomers agree with this, not the least among them being Dr. Earnest Martin.

Rev. 12:1-2 (Rev 12:1) And there appeared³⁷⁰⁰ a great³¹⁷³ wonder⁴⁵⁹²in¹⁷²² heaven;³⁷⁷² a woman¹¹³⁵ clothed with⁴⁰¹⁶ the³⁵⁸⁸ sun,²²⁴⁶ and the³⁵⁸⁸ moon⁴⁵⁸² under⁵²⁷⁰ her⁸⁴⁸ feet,⁴²²⁸ and upon¹⁹⁰⁹ her⁸⁴⁸ head²⁷⁷⁶ a crown⁴⁷³⁵ of twelve¹⁴²⁷ stars:⁷⁹²(Rev 12:2) And she being with child^{2192, 1722, 1064} cried,²⁸⁹⁶ travailing in birth,⁵⁶⁰⁵ and pained⁹²⁸ to be delivered.

Figure 1. Revelation 12:1 sign. 1

Rev. 12 sign — Virgo Clothed with the Sun with Moon at her feet

There are a number of key elements beginning with this sign in Rev. 12:1, when viewed in the context of the Return of Christ that can qualify as a Biblical chronology in this record, once viewed in the context of the current Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. As a key Blood Moon prophecy from the book of Joel states:

[Joel 2:31] “The Sun shall be turned to darkness and the Moon to Blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

As we have detailed in numerous posts on this Blog, the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses that have occurred on Hebrew Feast and holy days during the previous 7 Blood Moon Tetrads in the Age of Grace, culminating in the current eighth Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, represent a benchmark in the timeline leading to the Day of the Lord. Since we know that these heavenly signs will take place before the Second Coming of Christ, we can factor them into our comparison of heavenly signs leading us to the Lord’s Return. This is why we take note of not only the Blood Moon Tetrads, but all the Solar and Lunar Eclipses in the vicinity of the Tetrads, especially those marking the return of Israel to her homeland in 1949-50, and regaining Jerusalem in 1967-68, including the current 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad. The Solar and Lunar Eclipse/Feast dates of the current 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad are as follows:

April 29th, 2014 Annular Solar Eclipse
October 23rd, 2014 Partial Solar Eclipse
March 20th, 2015, Total Solar Eclipse [Nisan 1]
Sept. 13th, 2015, Partial Solar Eclipse [Feast of Trumpets]
Sept. 15/16, 2015 Celestial Sphinx Sign [Rev. 12:1-2]
Sept. 23rd, 2015 Day of Atonement/50 Year Hebrew Jubilee
Sept. 28th, 2015 Super Blood Moon-Feast of Tabernacles

The Partial Solar Eclipse on September 13th at the Feast of Trumpets this Fall is the next heavenly sign in the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, before the fourth and Final Super-Blood Moon on the Feast of Tabernacles, Sept. 28th, 2015. Between these signs marking the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles this September, we have the Day of Atonement on Sept. 23rd, 2015. This day opens the 50-year Hebrew Jubilee, year 5776 on the Hebrew Calendar! Technically, the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 does not completed until the 28th, but the fact that this initiates a special Jubilee 7–year Sabbatical period, alerts us to the synchronicity in God’s timing of these events. This Day of Atonement/Hebrew Jubilee is also critical being exactly 2 years prior to the Sept. 23rd, 2017 “Great Wonder in Virgo,” [Rev. 12: 1-2], but the Day of Atonement in 2017 is not till Sept. 30th.

As we compare this to the heavenly signs of The Celestial Prelude, there was a key planetary alignment and a Blood Moon both in Pisces, exactly two years apart on Sept. 15th 7 BC and the same date in 5 BC. These heavenly signs not only directed the Magi’s attention to the sign Virgo, clothed with the Sun, but also the lunar eclipse on September 15th of 5 BC, establishing that the Magi should be watchful of lunar activity marking Christ’s birth. 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 and the Moon at her feet, as prescribed in Rev. 12:1. Thus it is quite significant leading up to the Return of Christ that another two year period from the Day of Atonement: 9-23-2015 to the Rev. 12:1 sign on 9-23-2017, is being marked in the heavens, as at the Birth of Christ. Just as Jupiter was recognizedby the Magi as “His Star” [Matt. 2:2] at the birth of Christ, so Jupiter the King Planet is actually being “birthed” during the two weeks leading up to this sign of “the Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet,” on 9-23-2017. As we can see, the parallels between the Celestial Prelude of the Birth of Christ and his glorious Return are eye-opening!

Below we can see the Figure 2 graphic from the Stellarium Astronomy Program, depicting the celestial sign from 9-23-2017. Virgo is “Crowned with 12 stars,” circled in red in Leo. This “crowning of Virgo” including the 3 planets; Mercury, Mars, and Venus, aligned with the king star Regulus in Leo, is fitting since Leo is the royal sign of Judah that forms the crown of 12 stars over Virgo’s head as part of the Rev. 12 sign, fulfilling Rev. 12:3 in one sense. It is fulfilled in another sense as explained below when considered from the view of the Celestial Sphinx. Also marked in Figure 2, is the king planet Jupiter being “birthed,” near Spica [Al Zimach] of Virgo, clad in the Sun with the Moon at her feet. An important note related to the Celestial Sphinx, is that as dated above, we find an added Rev. 12:1 sign on Sept. 15/16th, 2015, with the Sun in Virgo and the Moon at her feet, while Venus is in Leo from June through October of 2015 in a triple conjunction with Jupiter. Thus we see the king Planet Jupiter, in a celestial dance with the Venus-the Bright and Morning Star, leading up to the “birthing of Jupiter” in Virgo, in 2017. This seems to reflect the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus in 3-2 BC, marking the birth of Christ as Jupiter the king planet crowned Regulus the King star and brightest star in Leo, which started 3 days after the Rev. 12 sign in Virgo on Sept. 11th, of 3 BC, also a sign of the Celestial Sphinx.

Figure 2. Sept. 23rd 2017- Virgo Clothed with the Sun and Crowned with 12 Stars. 2

Virgo Clothed in the Sun and the Moon at her Feet

(Rev 12:3) And there appeared³⁷⁰⁰ another²⁴³ wonder⁴⁵⁹² in¹⁷²² heaven;³⁷⁷² and behold²⁴⁰⁰ a great³¹⁷³ red⁴⁴⁵⁰ dragon,¹⁴⁰⁴ having²¹⁹² seven²⁰³³ heads²⁷⁷⁶ and²⁵³² ten¹¹⁷⁶ horns,²⁷⁶⁸ and²⁵³² seven²⁰³³ crowns¹²³⁸ upon¹⁹⁰⁹ his⁸⁴⁸ heads.

The word “appeared” [G3700]3 in verse 3, refers to a detailed gaze of fascination, noting its structure as something to be wondered at. This second “wonder in heaven,” is a celestial sign like the previous verse, since the same Greek word [G4592-semeion] is used in both instances, but referring to a different class of heavenly sign, a circumpolar called Draco the Dragon set by the Creator at the northern Celestial Pole [Job 26:13]. This is the first of 13 uses of “dragon” in Revelation, indicative of the disorderly and rebellious nature of the fiery Red Dragon. We find here the seven fold order of the Dragon’s spirit kingdom referenced in the Dragon’s 7 heads along with the 7 crowns upon his 7 heads. These 7 heads imply 7 ruling [unclean spirits-daimon; Rev. 16: 13-14] who embody a leading aspect of the Dragon’s power over his spiritual kingdom, as he opposes the Kingdom of God in Christ. During the heavenly sign of 9-23-2017, shown in Figure 2 above there is a notable conjunction of the Moon and Saturn in Ophiuchus, once the Moon moves beyond Virgo’s feet. The sign Ophiuchus is depicted in Part II. of this post in Figure 7, in his struggle with the head and tail of the Serpent Serpens, divided by the man Ophiuchus. Serpens is also depicted in Figure 7 with the 7 stars of Corona the Crown sign over its head as the “god of this world,” symbolizing not only the authority handed over to the serpent in Adam’s fall, but also the authority of the 7 ruling spirits above. Serpens is also uniquely marked with 7 stars in its head -neck segment held by Ophiuchus, matching the description of the heavenly sign in Rev. 12:3. Thus the union of the Moon with Saturn in Ophiuchus as part of the great Rev. 12 heavenly sign on 9-23-2017, unmistakably identifies the crowned Serpent Serpens with its prominent head and tail, as this 2nd “wonder in heaven,” in verse 3 above.

(Rev. 12:4) And his⁸⁴⁸ tail³⁷⁶⁹ drew⁴⁹⁵¹ the³⁵⁸⁸ third part⁵¹⁵⁴ of the³⁵⁸⁸ stars⁷⁹² of heaven,³⁷⁷² and did cast⁹⁰⁶ them⁸⁴⁶ to¹⁵¹⁹ the³⁵⁸⁸ earth:¹⁰⁹³ and the³⁵⁸⁸ dragon¹⁴⁰⁴ stood²⁴⁷⁶ before¹⁷⁹⁹ the³⁵⁸⁸ woman¹¹³⁵ which was ready³¹⁹⁵ to be delivered,⁵⁰⁸⁸ for to²⁴⁴³ devour²⁷¹⁹ her⁸⁴⁸ child⁵⁰⁴³ as soon as³⁷⁵² it was born.

This verse [Rev. 12:4] also relates directly back to the first prophecy of the promised seed in Gen. 3:15, where the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head, while the serpent’s seed bruises the man’s heel. As the dragon’s head directs the spirit realm in his tail, the desired acts of persecution and destruction against the woman’s seed are carried out by the serpent’s seed-those who follow the Way of Cain [Jude 1:11], in open rebellion against the true God. This revealed the overriding purpose of the serpent at Christ’s birth, devouring the Promised Seed of the Woman, as soon as he was born. We saw an example of this in the actions of the serpent’s seed-King Herod, who murdered all the male children around Bethlehem under age 2, in an effort to devour the infant Jesus, as soon as he was born. Having failed at this, the enemy turned his attention to the persecution of Israel and the Christian believers as the Second Coming of Christ grows nearer. We can see this ever increasing Judeo–Christian persecution in today’s headlines, as the great Day of the Lord quickly approaches.

Figure 3. from “Apian”s Astronomicum Caesareum,” [Ingolstadt 1540 AD] The Dragon’s alternating head & tail. 4

head tail of the dragon

As seen in Figure 3: the graphic above, there is an ancient connection in Mythology and Astrology, with dragon and the lunar cycle, seen here in the lunar Node; the point where the Moon crosses over the ecliptic, was also called the dragon’s head and tail, dictating the periods of the eclipse cycle, according to the phi ratio. The Eclipse limits for both solar and lunar eclipses are dictated by a 6 degree range within 12.5° to 18.5° of the lunar Node, wherein a New Moon or Full Moon takes place. The average period of 173.333 days between eclipses, is seen as the Sun links with a lunar Node when two of these 173.333 day-periods elapse, giving us an eclipse year of 346.62 days, 18.6 days short of the solar year of 365.242. This reveals an aspect of the phi ratio because 18.618 x 18.618=346.62 telling us that the eclipse year relates to the overall luni-solar cycle via the phi ratio of 1.618. This link between the head and tail of the dragon and the eclipse cycle of the luni-solar year, establishes the importance of not only the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, but also the related Blood Moon Lunar and Solar eclipses during this period.

Since the 6 degree range of the lunar Node was formerly tied to Draco at the northern Celestial Pole, it indicates the time before the dragon throws down his spirit realm in verse 4. However, after the dragon itself is struck down, in verses 8-9, its head and tail would be transferred from the polar regions, down to the ecliptic, where Serpens and the Hydra are located. This powerful figure of dragon casting down his 1/3 of the stars of heaven, [fallen angels] to the Earth, was symbolically depicted as a literal Meteor shower from the Constellation Draco, during the time of Christ’s birth. For a deeper look into this topic, please review our website article: “Introduction to the Jupiter-Regulus Conjunctions.” As we approach the Second Coming of Christ, this section of Scripture takes on a new perspective in reference to the War in Heaven.

When we compare the 1/3 of the stars [G792-aster]3 of heaven being cast down in Rev. 12:4 as opposed to verse 9, we find that the dragon throws 1/3 of his angels down in verse 4, but in verse 9 the dragon itself is cast out to the earth and an undisclosed number of his angels are cast out with him. The casting out in verse 4 is an action of the Serpent’s will, as these fallen angel’s are under his authority, being dragged in his tail. But in verse 9 the dragon has no choice, being thrust down with his angels. Also the War in heaven that initiates both the dragon and his angels being cast out of heaven does not take place until verse 7. Thus it appears that the first casting down of 1/3 of the fallen stars in verse 4, occurred at the birth of Christ, signified by the Eta-Draconid meteor shower that took place during Sept. 11th, 3 BC, but the second casting out of the dragon is still future.

R.H. Allen adds that; “the conclusion of the verse [Rev. 12:4] “did cast them to the earth,” would show a possible reference to meteors.”⁵ This is the earliest reference in print I have found that ties a Meteor shower to this section of Revelation 12. This Meteor shower that originates from the tail of Draco, the dragon, is linked to its parent comet, known today as the Giacobini-Zinner Comet. Traditionally comets have been viewed as omens of dis–aster, perhaps another ironic twist from the Heavenly Father to mark the fall of the archaic Morning Star with a heavenly sign pointing out his own disastrous end, at the birth of the Ascending Morning Star Jesus Christ. As we can see, a dual perspective of this record in Rev. 12 based on it applications to both the Birth and Return of the Lord Jesus Christ, opens up some aspects of these truths that have gotten little or no attention to date. Part II of this post will look into more of these details as they come to the surface.

This concludes Part I of this post, we will follow-up with Part II later this week.

Footnotes

1. Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, American Christian Press [picture credit]
2. Stellarium Astronomy Program, Virgo clothed with the Sun and the Moon at her feet; 9-23-2017.
3. Strong’s Concordance, [G3700, G4592, G792], James Strong.
4. Apian”s Astronomicum Caesareum, [Ingolstadt 1540 AD]
5. Star Names their Lore and Meaning, R.H. Allen

The Blood Moon Tetrad and The Celestial Prelude

The Blood Moon Tetrad and the Celestial Prelude

Our thesis since the first printing of the articles on The Celestial Prelude 12 years ago is based on heavenly signs leading up to the First Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, relating to the idea that the Magi witnessed a previous pattern of signs in the heavens, allowing them to recognize the signs marking the birth of Christ, when they appeared. The Heavenly Father laid out a pattern of specific heavenly signs so that He could keep His Wise Men informed about critical events concerning His Purposes with the Promised Seed. If our approach adheres to the principles exhibited in the pathway blazed by the First Century Magi, staying faithful to these Principles of Biblical Astronomy that they learned from the Prophet Daniel, then perhaps it would not be presumptuous of others to desire similar success in discerning the heavenly signs leading up to the Second Coming of Christ, even as the Magi did at his birth.

As we consider the historical context that produced the Magi, and the ancient Babylonian astronomical traditions that influenced them, we take note of the case of the Babylonian Zodiac. A key part of this history includes how the 12 main signs of the Babylonian zodiac, each of 30 degrees in the 360 degree circle of the ecliptic, was transmitted to ancient Greece. Many scholars are not certain, as to the process by which this occurred, thus its engaging to realize that both the ancient Greeks and Babylonians came under the rule of the Persian empire governedby Cyrus the Great in 539 BC. It was during the rule of Darius I, “the Mede” that the Prophet Daniel presided over the Royal Court of Astronomers. Drawing on the rich astronomical traditions of the Biblical Patriarchs combined with the famous astronomical expertise of the Persian Magi, Daniel’s potent influence convinced Darius’ high Court of Royal Astronomers to adopt salient principles of Biblical Astronomy. Also key aspects of Zoroastrianism agreed with the Biblical standard practiced by the Hebrews, carried on by the Magi. These Persian astronomers of the king’s court, generally consisted of two main categories, first those following in the astronomical tradition taught by Daniel, as their leader and Rab-Mage. Secondly, those who followed the astrological influences of “Magic” and the occult, strenuously forbidden in the Hebrew Scriptures. As a result, the Magi following the Scriptural tenets, knew of the Coming Promised Seed based on the pattern and Prelude of heavenly signs that identified the Messiah when he appeared on the scene. The Magi were also familiar with Daniel’s prophecy concerning the 70 weeks judged on Jerusalem relating to the coming Messiah, [Dan. 9:2, 24-27]. Daniel’s influence had the added effect of preserving the astronomical truths of the Promised Seed, contained in the form of the zodiacal narrative, which God entrusted in the most capable hands of the time.

In the Summary of the Celestial Prelude, the 12 key elements [see below] that the Magi recognized in the Jupiter-Saturn triple conjunction of 7-6 BC, were posted that had a direct application in helping them understand the heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ in 3-2 BC. The triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in 7-6 BC which the Magi were best acquainted with, is covered in my article on The Specific Signs @ [www.try-god.com]. Doctor Earnest Martin agrees as he states in his writings: “The year 3/2BC was certainly an extraordinary one for visible astronomical exhibitions, as there was no year similar to it for many years on either side (a foretaste had occurred back in 7 BC, as Jupiter and Saturn had come into conjunction on 3 occasions: May 26, October 3, and December 1, and this was followed in early 6 BC with a close triangulation with Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. This occurred when the planets were in Pisces.”1 [emphasis mine]

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 a total lunar eclipse.
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 second 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 Moonset on the only day of the year when Virgo “was clothed with the Sun and the moon at her feet.” [Rev. 12:1-2]
The September 15th Heliacal Rising of Jupiter and Saturn foreshadowed the Heliacal Setting of Spica, located between the setting Sun and Moon in Virgo, identifying a 30-minute period when the birth of Christ happened.

As was noted above, Lunar activity, especially Lunar Eclipses were a key element in the heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ. Not only do lunar eclipses frame all the heavenly signs of the birth of Christ between 5-1 BC, but the actual birth of Christ was framed between Sunset and Moonset on September 11th 3 BC as stated specifically in the 11th key above. The first key noted above was that the King Planet Jupiter was involved in a triple planetary conjunction, that the Magi understood as the Jupiter-Regulus triple conjunction of 3-2 BC, in Leo.

Figure A. Leo the Lion

The major signs marking the birth of Christ on September 11th 3 BC, are not only sealed with this triple union of Jupiter-Regulus in Leo, but also by 3 Jupiter-Venus conjunctions, with the primary one in Leo on June 17th the next year. In addition, the great majority of heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ were bracketed by 2 Jupiter-Venus unions in 3 and 1 BC. The first 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 conjunctions of Jupiter-Venus, that took place following the 1st fulfillment the Rev. 12: 1-2 prophecy relating to the sufferings of Christ in his ministry as the Passover Lamb, to redeem Israel and all mankind. This alerts us that we might look for like Celestial Sphinx signs as a precursor to the Lord’s Second Coming. The fact that there were also 2 Venus-Mars unions 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 also in 2015, before the glory of the Lord’s Second Coming. In this light, it is with great interest that we discover between the 2 Venus-Mars conjunctions of 2015, 3 Jupiter-Venus unions will occur in Leo, followed by Jupiter-Venus unions in Virgo, in both 2016 and 2017. As we view the heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ from 3 to 1 BC below, we will point out a series of parallels between these signs, and the current period marked by the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. By focusing on the specific planetary conjunctions that set the pattern in marking the birth of Christ and looking for these signs repeating in the modern context of the Blood Moons, we follow the Magi’s example, that should lead us to the victorious Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Heavenly Signs of 3 BC to 1 BC

May 19th, 3 Before Christ	Mercury-Saturn	Taurus
June 12th, 3 “	Venus-Saturn	Taurus
Aug. 31st, 3 “	Jupiter-Venus	Leo
Sept. 9-12, 3 “	Eta-Draconid Meteor Showers [Rev. 12:1-4]	Draco
Sept. 14th, 3 “	Jupiter-Regulus	Leo
Feb. 17th, 2 “	Jupiter-Regulus	Leo
March 31st, 2 “	Triangular massing of Venus, Mars* & Saturn*	Taurus
May 8th, 2 “	Jupiter-Regulus	Leo
June 17th, 2 “	Jupiter-Venus	Leo
Aug. 27th, 2 Massing of Planets	Jupiter, Venus, Mars & Mercury	Leo
Aug. 28th, 2 Before Christ	Alignment of Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Sun & Moon	Leo
Dec. 9th, 2 “	*Venus-Mars*	Scorpius
Dec. 25th, 2 “	“Star of Bethlehem”	Virgo
Jan. 9th, 1 Total Lunar Eclipse	Blood Moon in Gemini-Herod’s Death
Aug. 21st, 1 Before Christ	Jupiter-Venus	Virgo

As we summarize the heavenly signs in the chart above in comparison to the signs of 2014-2016, we highlight the following points of interest:

There are 3 Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions set to take place in 2015, all in Leo, with additional Jupiter-Venus unions occurring in Virgo in 2016-17. Jupiter-the King Planet unites with Venus-the Bright and Morning Star, in Leo the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, [Rev. 5:5]. The following dates depict Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Leo during the Hebrew Sabbatical/Jubilee year of 2015:

June 30th- July 1, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus]
July 31st, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus]
October 25-26th, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus]
October 28th, 2015 [Jupiter-Venus, Mars unite in a 1 degree triangular massing]

The 3 Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions marking the birth of Christ in the above chart compare to the three Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions of 2015, however there were additional heavenly signs involving Jupiter–Venus marking his birth. On August 27th and 28th reflected in the chart above and the graphic below, there was a massing of planets including Jupiter-Venus, followed by a planetary alignment of Jupiter, Venus, Mars, with the Sun and Moon. This planetary alignment in Leo, along with the September 11th signs markingthe birth of Christ [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet] will be repeated again on September 23rd, 2017!!

**August 27th Massing of Planets in Leo**

Once Again Dr. Martin describes this birth event of the Messiah:

“On 27 August, 2 BC, the planet Mars, which had played no active part in the conjunctions, “caught up” with Jupiter and formed a very close union (Mars travels faster in its motion through the stars than Jupiter and overtakes it in a little over 2 years). At this conjunction the two were only 0.09 degrees from each other. Such nearness is not an ordinary occurrence. Besides this, there was also a convergence of Venus and Mercury into the same part of the sky as Jupiter and Mars. This means that four major planets were all positioned around one another in an exceptional longitudinal relationship. An assemblage of planets in such close proximity to one another is called in astrological circles a massing of the planets. And look at the close association they had to each other. The longitude of Jupiter was 142.6 degrees, Mars 142.64, Venus 141.67, and Mercury 143.71. This would have been an interesting sight to behold, but the visible effect would have been diminished because of the rays of dawn, since the four planets were only 8 degrees ahead of the Sun.“2 [emphasis mine]

This Massing of Planets is mirrored on October 28th, 2015 as Mars joins Jupiter and Venus in a 1 degree triangular massing of planets. Also, just as there were two sets of Triple planetary conjunctions marking Christ’s birth, [Jupiter-Regulus/Jupiter-Venus] so, there are two sets of Triple planetary conjunctions [Jupiter-Venus/Mercury-Venus] during the two years of the Blood Moon Tetrad in 2014-2015. The following dates reflect 3 Venus-Mercury planetary unions of 2014. Here Mercury-Gabriel, the Messenger Arch-angel is unified three times with Venus-announcing Jesus Christ the Bright and Morning Star.

Venus-Mercury Conjunctions of 2014

Jan. 7th, 2014 [1 year prior to central Blood Moon Tetrad date of 2014-2015]
October 17th, 2014
Dec. 30th, 2014

Not only do these three Mercury-Venus unions set the stage for the Jupiter-Venus conjunctions of 2015-2017, but the first union of Mercury-Venus falls 1 year before to the center date of all the celestial activity linked to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. In other words, the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 falls in between two lunar triples, on the Days of Av, starting Dec. 21st, 2010 and finishing Jan. 21st, 2019. As we consider also that the first Blood Moon of this Tetrad on April 15th, 2014, with the last Blood Moon on Sept. 28th, 2015, the mid-date between these Blood Moons is also January 5th, 2015! This depicts not only the rarity of this Blood Moon Tetrad, but also its precision, from two mathematical views. As these Blood Moons 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 heavenly signs, marking the Romans Destruction of their Temple. In the original work on The Celestial Prelude, I did not include a reference to Mercury-Venus conjunctions in the chart above, but in his book, The Birth of Christ Recalculated, Ernest Martin states; “On the morning of September 1, Venus and Mercury came into conjunction only .35 degrees apart...”3

Dr. Martin goes on to tell us how this Mercury-Venus conjunction set the stage for the Jupiter-Venus conjunctions around the birth of Christ, highlighted by their spectacular June 17th union:

“After the Sept. 1 meeting with Mercury, Venus journeyed back into the light of the Sun, emerging in the West as an evening star about 20 December, 3 BC, and when this happened, an observer would have noticed the planet just after sunset moving progressively higher in the sky (going more easterly) with each succeeding day. This movement placed Venus on a collision course with Jupiter which was moving westward. At the period when Venus had just passed its easternmost elongation from the Sun (the farthest east of the Sun that Venus ever reaches) on 17 June, 2 BC, the two planets “collided”. They were only 0.04 degrees away from each other. This was a most uncommon occurrence. To an observer on Earth, the luminosity that each planet displayed made them look like one gigantic star. It was as if Venus had stretched herself as far eastward as she was able, in order to join with Jupiter as he reached westward to meet her. This conjunction occurred at the exact time of the full Moon. The whole of the evening sky was being illumined from the east by the full light of the Moon, while the western quarter was being adorned with the Jupiter/Venus conjunction. Professor D.C. Morton, Senior Research Astronomer at Princeton University, said this conjunction of 17 June, 2BC, was a notable astronomical event [ZPEB, vol. I, pg. 398]. Such closeness had not been witnessed in generations. Roger W. Sinnott, writing in the astronomical journal Sky and Telescope, December, 1968, ppgs. 384-386, referred to this conjunction as a brilliant “double star” which finally gave the appearance of fusing together into a single “star” as the planets drew nearer the western horizon. He said that only the sharpest of eyes would have been able to split them and that the twinkling caused by the unsteady horizon atmosphere would have blended them into one gigantic “star” for almost all viewers. “The fusion of two planets would have been a rare and awe-inspiring event” [pg. 386]. Here were the 2 brightest planets in the heavens merging together. This was happening at the period when Venus was approaching her time of greatest brilliance.”4 [emphasis mine]

The following dates, depict similar Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Virgo in 2016-2017:

July 27th, 2016
Aug. 26-27th, 2016 [Jupiter enters Virgo]
Feb. 26th, 2017
Sept. 23rd, 2017 [Virgo clothed with the Sun/Moon @ feet]-Rev. 12:1-2
Nov. 13th, 2017

These two brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter – teamed up to provide the closest planetary conjunction of 2014, and it was the closest Venus- Jupiter conjunction until August 27, 2016, noted above. In the eastern dawn, starting mid-August, these 2 dazzlingly-brilliant planets moved closest together around August 18, 2014. The King Planet and the Bright and Morning Star were only about 1/3 degree apart. This notable Venus- Jupiter union was the only one of 2014, which took place between the first two Blood Moons of the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad. Interestingly we will see a 2nd Jupiter-Venus union of this Blood Moon Tetrad, on July 1, 2015, between the 3rd and 4th Blood Moons of our 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad. The first Jupiter-Venus union associated with the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 took place in the Beehive cluster in the Sign of Cancer, the Crab on August 18th, 2014. Since there is no Hebrew word for “crab” we know this is not the original star picture in the Hebrew Mazzaroth for this Zodiacal Sign. There are two prominent stars in this sign called the Northern and Southern Asses, linked to the Hebrew Tribe Issachar, as seen in Genesis 49.

Jupiter and Venus buzz the Beehive — **August 18th, 2014 Jupiter-Venus conjunction in Beehive Cluster of Cancer**

[Gen. 49:9-12]. ⁹Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? ¹⁰The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. ¹¹Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. ¹²His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.

The Beehive Star cluster or nebulae in the sign Cancer, also known as Praesepe, means “multitude or offspring, indicating the redeemed coming into their place of eternal rest.”5 This is an obvious indicator of the return of Christ leading his faithful to their everlasting peaceful rest in the Lord. These modern heavenly signs of the Celestial Sphinx are manifesting before our eyes in the last days leading to the victorious Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, informing us in no uncertain terms that the end is near. Dr. Martin provides some fascinating details shedding light on the rewind of the heavenly signs marking the Lord’s Second Coming.

“While Jupiter was on its westward journey to link up with Venus for the spectacular 17 June, 2BC reunion, Jupiter was showing some displays of its own. Just 33 days after the first Jupiter/ Venus conjunction (12 August, 3BC), an observer would have seen Jupiter come into juxtaposition with Regulus (the principal star in the constellation of Leo, a star of the 1st magnitude). The conjunction occurred on 14 September, 3BC, and viewed from the Earth the two celestial bodies were 0.67 degrees apart. After that, Jupiter proceeded on his normal course through the heavens, and on 1 December, 3BC, the planet stopped its motion through the fixed stars to begin its annual retrogression. In doing so, it headed once again towards the star Regulus. On the 17th of February, 2BC, the two were reunited (1.19 degrees apart). Jupiter was again side by side with the star, the two bodies being 1.06 degrees from each other (for Jupiter to unite with Regulus 3 times in 1 year is not common. It occurred 12 years earlier in 15/14BC, and before that in 86/85BC. It was not to recur until 69/70AD). After this 3rd conjunction with Regulus, Jupiter continued moving westward for 40 days (in an apparent sense) to reunite with Venus in the rare conjunction of 17 June, 2BC.”7

As we compare these heavenly signs around the birth of Christ with the current signs of the Blood Moon Tetrad leading to 2017, we note that even as Jupiter moves in its annual retrograde motion entering Virgo in August 26-27 2016, for a total of 294 days, taking us into 2017, it only spends 40 days in Virgo’s mid-section, symbolizing the birthing of the Messianic Kingdom. Jupiter marks its entrance into Virgo with the second Jupiter-Venus union of 2016. This is worthy of our attention indicating a key event with the King Planet-Jupiter related to his virgin Bride–Virgo/Israel leading to his glorious Second Coming. This alerts us to be watchful of the Sun Clothing Virgo leading us directly to the signs of 9-23-2017! Dr. Martin also mentioned that triple conjunctions of Jupiter-Regulus were uncommon, since the next one did not recur till 69/70 AD. As we may recall, this lead to the Roman’s destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem, prophesied by Christ. Although there were no Blood Moons during this period, there were Lunar and Solar Eclipses taking place on the following Hebrew Feast and Holy days:

10-18-69 there was a Partial Lunar Eclipse on the Feast of Tabernacles.
3-30-70 there was a Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1. [as we saw on 3-20-2015]
4-14-70 there was a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse at Passover. [similar to 2014 Passover Blood Moon]
9-23-70 there was an Annular Solar Eclipse on Rosh Hashanah. [1947 years before the 9-23-2017 sign to the day!]

As this rewind of heavenly signs marking Christ Jesus’ first appearance on earth occur in the context of the current 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 pointed towards September 23rd, 2017, when we will see the Rev. 12 heavenly signs of 9/11/3BC marking the birth of Christ. These signs from [Rev. 12:1-2], that mark the Returning Lord, will replay in a climax of these celestial announcements as they re-appear before our eyes. We will take a closer look at the upcoming heavenly signs of September 23rd, 2017 in a post soon to follow. We are not predicting a specific date for the Lord’s return, but God would not have seeded the heavens with all these awesome signs, if He did not want us to be aware of the signs of the times. Prepare yourself and your loved ones as the end approaches.

Footnotes

1. The Birth of Christ Recalculated, Ernest Martin
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger
6. Picture Credit for M44 Beehive Cluster; Chris Marriott’s SkyMap
7. The Birth of Christ Recalculated, Ernest Martin

Biblical Evidence of The Blood Moon Tetrads on Hebrew Feasts

Try-God.com

Joel- The Blood Moon Prophet

Isaiah 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders will be glory

Since the summer of 2014 we have posted multiple articles on the significance of Blood Moon Tetrads over the last 200 centuries during the Age of Grace. We have made references to the Joel’s Prophecies concerning the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar eclipses on Hebrew feast and Holy days, but in order to understand the scope of these prophecies, we need to take a closer look at the Biblical context of Joel’s Prophecies. A study of the four main Biblical usages of the Hebrew word [moed- H4150], will supply and establish the missing Biblical evidence of the Blood Moon Tetrads on Hebrew Feasts. We will also consider how some prophecies from Isaiah, as above relate to this study. With this in mind, lets begin by considering the second chapter of Joel to see what God’s Word can tell us, since the Scripture always defines its own terms in how individual words are utilized within the Word of Truth, on any given subject addressed.

Joel 2 (KJV)

1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

The first verse of Joel 2 sets the context for the Blood Moon Prophecy later in the chapter. Zion represents God’s Holy Mountain, and God dwelling among His people in these last days, and forever. This refers to both Judeans and Gentiles who are followers of Christ, starting with Israel in the OT. God is clearly SOUNDING the ALARM in His Holy Mountain becausethe Day of the Lord, the long awaited Day of the Second Coming of Christ is “nigh at hand.” This sets the context and the tone for the Blood Moon Prophecies following in Joel 2 & 3.

A primary key to the entire Blood Moon dialogue is found in a basic section of Scripture relevant to Biblical Astronomy, in Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:14-16
¹⁴Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; ¹⁵and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. ¹⁶Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.

For a more detailed Biblical Astronomy discussion of the verses please refer to the Introduction of The Calendar of the Biblical Patriarchs.

Pastor Mark Biltz was one to point out that the word for “seasons” in verse 14 is [moed- H4150] in an appointed time or season. It has specific Biblical references to Hebrew feast and holy days; [Levi. 23:2-4, 37 & 44], or the seven primary feasts on the Hebrew Calendar. The heavenly signs involving the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses on Hebrew feast days, is a primary defining aspect of Blood Moon Tetrads in the last 2000 years of the Age of Grace. This Genesis record lays a foundation for Biblical Astronomy, and although we have seen many media references in the hoopla over the Blood Moon mania, to Joel’s Prophecies of the “Moon turning to blood,” we have not seen specific Biblical evidence of Blood Moons on Hebrew Feasts days! This is probably one reason why the majority of headlines associated with Blood Moons end in question marks or vague predictions, instead of exclamation points! God says what He means, and means what He says in His Word, and the integrity of Scripture is beyond reproach, so we just need to ascertain what His Word says and do it.

Since this is a basis of the idea for Blood Moons relating to Israel, we need to be clear on this point, removing any conjecture linked to the Blood Moon Phenomena. A deeper view of the context of Joel’s “Blood Moon Prophecy” will show us what we are looking for. The Hebrew word for “seasons” has 4 different Biblical usages, the first one as an appointed time or season, is evident and the most popular, since it provides a direct link to Hebrew feasts. According to Gesenius,1 this word is also used in reference to not only the assembly, but also the place of assembly. In the OT, this is the place God chose to reveal himself to His people, the Tabernacle of Congregation for example; [Exod. 27:21, 33:7, 11, 40:22-24, Num. 7:89] was this place, as Moses lead Israel in the Exodus through the wilderness. Later when a permanent Temple was built in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, this became the central point of Hebrew spiritual life. Isaiah provides more detail on this;

Isaiah 33:20
Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.

Diagram of Herod Temple — Jerusalem and Mount Zion

The reference above in Isa. 33:20 speaks to Zion in the same breath as the appointed festivals, referring Feast and Holy days on the Hebrew Calendar, linking the place of feasts with the feasts themselves. This seems obvious on the surface, but when we realize the context, of Joel 2 and his Blood Moon Prophecies in the next few verses, we can see the direct links between the Blood Moons on the Hebrew Feasts which set these Blood Moon Tetrads apart from Blood Moons that don’t take place on these feasts, over the last 200 centuries. There are hundreds of Blood Moons to chose from in the Age of Grace, but only a relative few coinciding with Hebrew Feast and Holy days.

[Joel 2:1] provides the setting of the trumpet blast in “Mountain of God’s Habitation,” the location of the Holy Temple, so that Joel is Sounding the Alarm for the Day of the Lord in Zion, telling us God is starting with the faithful of Israel, His nearest and dearest so to speak, letting us know that the trumpet blast in Mount Zion is not to be ignored, but must be heeded with urgency. God has many more people on earth than those of Israel, as many have come to God through Christ, and those who believe His Word will heed the warnings, but the truth isn’t for everyone. There are generally four reasons that trumpets were blown in Israel [Num. 10:1-10]. One was a call to war, which fits with the armies coming to surround Jerusalem leading to a final battle in Joel 2:2-9. Another was for a call to assembly as seen in the following verses from Joel 2 below.

Joel 2:15-16
¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: ¹⁶Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

Isa. 33:20 also tells us to Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals! The Hebrew for appointed festivals here is [moed- H4150], showing the same direct link to the Hebrew Feast days, proving the context for Sounding the Alarm in Zion-the place of assembly for God’s people, on the 7 sacred feasts. The nation of Israel even as the Church of God must be a sanctified congregation as Joel 2:15 states, because the pure holiness of our Heavenly Father requires a pure and holy people for Him to dwell in their midst. These feasts like Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement, to mention a few, are the holy days marked by Blood Moon Tetrads of the Age of Grace, prophesied not only by Joel, but also by the Apostle Peter in his Sermon on the Day of Pentecost opening the Age of Grace, [Acts 2:19-20]. Our post on the Biblical Blood Moon Calendar summarizes the Blood Moon Tetrads over the last 2000 years. Joel’s Prophecy in [Joel 2:28] below, was also fulfilled on this long sought after Day of Pentecost when God’s people first spoke in tongues.

Joel 2:28
²⁸And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: ²⁹And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Isa. 33:20 goes on to reference Jerusalem, reclaimed by Israel in 1967 for the first time in nearly 2000 years, in the 6-day war with Egypt-marked by the Blood Moon Tetrad of 1967-68. In the context of this Jerusalem reference, we find the “tent” or place of the congregation where the Temple of God will be rebuilt in the end-times, on Mount Zion, the Mountain of God’s Habitation.

In verses 2-9 of Joel 2, the armies who gather themselves against Israel in the last days are starting to materialize, and the preliminary aspects for this battle are being set on the world stage as we speak. The political pacts forming the armies surrounding Israel in these verses, are being formed as a result of current international alliances in the news. Verse 10 below not only provides a reference to the Sun, Moon and Stars wherein Israel keeps its Calendar, but it also references the darkening of the Sun and Moon leading up to the specific warning of the Blood Moon prophecy later in this chapter, [Joel 2:31].

Joel 2:10
¹⁰The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

Verse 10 prophesies of the darkening of the Sun and Moon as we are seeing with the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar eclipses in the current Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. Verse 11 states the time of these heavenly signs is part of the final warning in the run-up to the Day of the Lord, and the end time battles that accompany the Return of Christ. We have already noted 2 of the Biblical usages of [moed-H4150] in this article, and the third will nail down direct Biblical evidence of the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses on the Hebrew feast and holy days, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Not only are the Lord’s Feasts emphasized in the assembly of God’s people, along with the Place of the Assembly-like the Tabernacle of the Congregation, but also the annual nature of these feast days take place in recurring prophetic years, as another important Biblical usage of moed.

A great example of this is the recent March 20th, Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1. As the opening of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew Calendar, along with Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets divides their calendar in half according to the sacred and civil years. Since we have the darkening of the Sun on both sacred feast days during the Blood Moon Tetrad in 2015, we find the annual nature of these feasts marked by these prophesied heavenly signs between the Blood Moons. The prophetic aspect of the Hebrew Calendar is unique among all timekeeping systems in history, because Almighty God has spun the celestial bodies in their orbits according to His sacred timing, Who sees the end from the beginning. Even as heavenly signs marked the first appearance of Christ on Earth, that came in 2 phases, even so the heavens will announce the Second Coming of Christ. He will return first FOR His Saints, followed in the Second Phase when Christ Returns WITH His Saints. We must keep these phases straight in relation to the heavenly signs marking the general period of His Return. As the Second Coming of Christ grows nearer, the persecution of the enemy becomes more intense.

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily.

Christ is returning Quickly – Bing images

Image result for christ returning to the earth with his saints graphics

Joel 2:11-13, 23-27
¹¹And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executes his word: for the Day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Those of us with true spiritual strength know that this strength is not of us, but it resides in the completed works of what Christ was accomplished in destroying the works of the devil, [I John 3:8]. As we stand on the Rock Solid foundation of Christ in us, each believer can rest assured that no weapon the enemy brings against us will prevail, until the great and wonderful day, now fast approaching when Jesus Christ returns to put down the enemy and his minions for all time.

¹²Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

God’s Will is that all should be saved and come unto a knowledge of the truth, and as the days grow shorter to the Second Coming of Christ, the Heavenly Father is pleading for all people to repent of their evil ways, and turn their hearts unto Him, our merciful and most loving Almighty God, Who is waiting with open arms to forgive us our sins and make us whole in Jesus Christ.

¹³And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. ¹⁴Who knows if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

When our hearts turn completely to God with nothing held back, He showers His abundance upon us in every category of Life, that He is the Master of- the Author of Life. This is the true basis of Joy and rejoicing in our Heavenly Father, as we turn everything over to Him, He gives us more than we could ever ask or think; [Eph. 3:20].

²³Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. ²⁴And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. ²⁵And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. ²⁶And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. ²⁷And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

Blood Moon over Jerusalem

Psalm 104:¹⁹He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knows his going down.

As the Psalmist tells us above; The Almighty is the One Who appointed the Moon for Seasons! The Hebrew word for appointed [asah-H6213] is used of God’s creative activity, but is also used of Man in keeping the Passover [Ex.12:48], and man’s faithfulness, [Gen. 32:11]. God set the Moon in its synchronized orbit around the earth to to mark the “seasons” [moed-H4150], or the feasts of His Sacred Calendar. These prominent heavenly signs are ingrained into Hebrew timekeeping practices for thousands of years going back in the OT. This sets the groundwork for the Blood Moons since the lunar cycle has been tied to Hebrew Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles since their inception. The 4th Biblical usage of [moed-H4150] is found in the category of signs [Ex. 13:8-14] or signals, [Deut. 16:6] including heavenly signs! This brings the context of Joel’s Blood Moon Prophecies full circle in the Biblical usage of moed, and the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses we have already seen in [Joel 2:10, 31], also linked with the 2015 Eclipses on “recurring prophetic years,” in Tishri and Nisan 1. These heavenly signs and wonders from the Hand of the Creator are shown beyond a shadow of doubt, to be sent for our warning and edification in these last days of the Age leading to the Second Coming of Christ. As we have laid out the four Biblical usages of [moed-H4150] we have seen undeniable Biblical evidence for the Blood Moon Tetrads on Hebrew Feast and Holy days throughout the Age of Grace, even into our current day. Our contextual view of Joel 2 and related verses has shown us that God is the One backing up His Word in the heavenly signs that include the Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses of 2014-2015. God’s Word establishes this idea in verse 30 below.

Joel 2:30-32
³⁰And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

God says He is The One showing the wonders in heaven and earth! Its not by chance or natural coincidence that these Blood Moons took place on Hebrew feast and holy days, it is by the design of the Hand of the Almighty… The series of Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses during the Age of Grace is an example of these kind of heavenly wonders God is displaying for us. The prophecy in verse 31 below is the one getting most media attention, but we cannot understand it fully without the context of God’s Word in Joel 2. This verse provides more information for us narrowing the time frame of these solar and lunar signs to before the Great and terrible Day of the Lord comes! The “Last days” technically include the entire Age of Grace, but we are now in the end times since Israel has been reformed as a nation, for the first time in over 2000 years, marked also by the Blood Moon Tetrad of 1948-1949!

³¹The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. ³²And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

But whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered, and those that heed these dire warnings from the Hand of God will share in the glory of the Lord…

In a previous Blog post on the March 20th Total Solar Eclipse at the North Pole, we pointed out the celestial mechanism of the precession of the poles, where the pole star has receded from its former position at the star Thuban in Draco the Dragon to Polaris, in the tail of Ursa Minor, the current star at our celestial North Pole. This represents another celestial prophecy of our Coming Lord and Redeemer-Jesus Christ

Isa. 52: 1-8.1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.3 For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.4 For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am He that doth speak: Behold, it is I. 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.

As the decan of Andromeda is pictured in chains, so these chains will be broken by the Coming Christ, the Redeemer, and the captive daughter of Zion will sit down and reign as Queen. The third decan of Pisces is Cepheus, known as Pe-ku-hor, in Egypt, the one who comes the rule.

The decan of Cepheus the Crowned King

cepheus as the crowned king

This not only corresponds with Cepheus as the crowned king, but also relates to the pole star Polaris residing between his feet [Eph. 1:20-23], signifying Christ’s dominion over all Creation as seen in the precession of the poles. These realities are taking place as we speak for the wheels of God’s justice are turning more rapidly as we closely approach the Day of the Lord. We rejoice and are glad as we see this day coming quickly knowing that our enemies will be crushed as all they who oppose the One True Living God!

Footnotes

1. Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the OT. Notes on [H4160-moed]

Passover Blood Moon-April 4th, and Nova Sagittarii 2015

April 4th, Passover Blood Moon and Nova Sagittarii 2015

As a present and primary purpose of this blog, we have been documenting the Biblical Astronomy of the Blood Moon Tetrads, including the current April 4th, 2015 Passover Blood. As with previous Blood Moons in this Tetrad, it has appeared in Virgo, near Spica [Al-Zimach] which means “the Branch of God“- referring to Jesus Christ. Thus the Blood Moon Tetrads have prophesied of Christ and his Second Coming, not only according to the prophecies of Joel, that we have documented in previous posts, but in other ways also. It is thus significant that this Blood Moon takes place both on Passover and the Resurrection Sabbath when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The Passover is a major feast for Israel signifying their redemption from bondage and exodus from Egypt, while the Resurrection of Christ is a foundation for Christianity and the Gentiles for redemption from the bondage of this world. These heavenly signs also speak loudly of the unity that both Jews and Gentiles have in Christ, as the Apostle Paul relates to us in Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:11-22 (NKJV)

¹¹Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹²that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

¹⁴For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²²in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Without Christ there is no peace, only the same old divisions that still separate Israel from the world. To support these scriptural truths we have the heavens crying out to us in these Blood Moon Tetrads, for people to work together so that all can hear and share these truths of the redemption made available in Christ. Just as God had a plan for the believers of Israel to work with the Gentile believers in the first century Church, so He has a plan for these believers today in the unity of the spiritual body of Jesus Christ. We can see the witness of the stars aligning with the testimony of God’s Word around the unity that God has made for us in Christ. [Eph. 4:3-7]

One aspect that makes Biblical Astronomy so much fun is the Creator has utilized not only these Blood Moon Lunar and Solar Eclipses, as we have just seen in the last two weeks with the March 20th, Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1 and the Spring Equinox, but other astronomical signs like planetary conjunctions, meteor showers and even Novae and Supernovas, to speak to us via His heavenly tapestries. It is thus with great interest that I read about this kind of heavenly sign recently,- a Nova in Sagittarius that appeared on the scene just prior to the Total Solar Eclipse on March 20th. This new star has been dubbed “Nova Sagittarii 2015, #2” and has a very interesting story to tell. This Nova first appeared in Sagittarius in the teapot asterism on March 15th, at the heart of this constellation. According to Sky and Telescope, “the Nova peaked from March 21-22 @ 4.3 magnitude, then dropped to a 5.9 magnitude…”1 Thus it first appears as a new star in Sagittarius just prior to the Total Solar Eclipse on March 20th, and reaches its apex magnitude, as the brightest star in Sagittarius during and immediately after the Total Solar eclipse took place. The graphic below depicts the teapot figure in Sagittarius where the Nova appeared, in relation to the adjacent Constellation Scorpius.

New Star in Sagittarius 2015 — Nova Sagittarii 2015

This story however does not end here! Sky and Telescopegoes on to say that after Nova Sagittarii 2015 had brightened with the Total Solar Eclipse, it dimmed from March 23rd through April 2nd, but has “re-brightened to a magnitude of 4.6 as of 4/3/2015…”2 to coincide with the Passover Blood Moon following on 4/4/2015. The graphic below shows the Teapot asterism in relation to the Sagittarius Constellation star picture where the arrow from the Conquering Christ is aimed at the heart of the Scorpion, seen in its Red Star Antares. In Biblical Astronomy, the Star names of the constellations tell the story seen in the star picture, which we see in the Akkadian name of the star Nunki in the teapot, meaning the Prince of the Earth.3 Also, “the Hebrew and Syriac name of this constellation is Kesith, meaning the Archer [Gen. 21:20], while the Arabic name is Al Kaus-the arrow,” which is Sagittarius in Latin.4

We can thus see the original meaning of this constellation preserved in the modern usage, but to remind us of the Almighty’s intent in showing us this star picture, He has named and numbered the stars [Ps. 147:4] from antiquity. From the Heavenly Father’s Hand, we have a secondary heavenly sign supporting the theme of the Blood Moon Tetrads over the last 200 centuries, with a Nova that appears and re-brightens in synch with the Solar and Lunar eclipses opening the Spring of 2015, warning of the Second Coming of Christ! This is not the first time a Nova or Supernovae has figured prominently as a heavenly sign marking the Promised Seed. In our study of The General Sign, of the Celestial Prelude, leading up to the birth of Christ, a Supernovae was visible for over two centuries. The first decan, or subordinate sign of Virgo was originally called Coma, meaning; the desired or longed for, seen in the Book of Haggai.

Haggai 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.¹

In his book Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger documents the perversion of the meaning of the sign and star picture of Coma, by the Greeks, into the hair or wig of Berenice. Coma was originally pictured as a woman holding her child, in the Dendera zodiac, who was the desired one of the nations. It was in this decan of Virgo that around 125 BC, a new star, so bright that it was visible in daytime, suddenly appeared in the head of the holy child seated in the lap of the woman in the sign Coma, pictured below.

The new star, or supernova in the head of the infant in Coma, visible for over 200 years, was The General Sign, the Star out of Jacob, [Num. 24:17] that prepared the Magi to watch for the specific aspects of the second part of the Celestial Prelude, which included the Jupiter-Saturn triple unions of 7-6BC in Pisces. We find this second aspect of Balaam’s prophecy relating to the scepter, symbolic of the reign of the king planet – Jupiter. We have shown in our study conclusively that Jupiter was the planet that the Magi referred to as “his Star” in Matthew 2:2. The Magi had noted the triple Conjunction of signs from 7-6 BC, involving Jupiter and Saturn, that gave them a blueprint for the actual signs marking Christ’s birth, starting in 3 BC. An early sign in August of 3 BC motivated them to begin their caravan to Jerusalem. Both of these aspects of the General and Specific heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ are apparent in our website study on “The Stars Over Bethlehem,“ providing further details of what the Magi observed in the skies overhead at the Messiah’s birth, both in Virgo and Coma. Even as a new star was prominent marking the birth of Christ, so it seems that new stars or Nova’s are also significant in marking his Second Coming. In some of the Psalms below we find references to the arrows of our King as he rides prosperously through the armies of the enemy. Starting in Psalm 45 we read of the Glories of our Messiah;

Psalm 45: 1-5 (NKJV)

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”^[a] A Contemplation^[b] of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

45 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

²You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever. ³Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty. ⁴And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. ⁵Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; The peoples fall under You.

Psalm 64:7-10 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. ⁸So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. ⁹All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. ¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Ophiuchus Wrestling the Serpent for the Corona [Crown of dominion]

crown of dominion

Both of these chapters speak of the arrows of Sagittarius as deadly weapons in the hands of our King, the Prince of the Earth–Jesus Christ. The context of this study on Sagittarius and Scorpius, reveals key background information to understand the bigger picture of the truth seen in these heavenly signs. In the graphic above, the sign above the Scorpion is Ophiuchus, seen battling his dual headed enemy pictured in this Constellation group as the Scorpion and Serpens. This gives us an example of how to take a composite view to glean the truth from the starry signs. Man’s struggle for the crown of dominion against the serpent is highlighted by the temporary wound the serpent inflicts on him, as shown by the Scorpion stinging his heel, [Gen. 3:15]. The star picture of this initial prophecy of the promised seed cannot be fully grasped, unless we take a composite look at these signs [Ophiuchus, Serpens, Sagittarius, Scorpius & Corona]. A case in point we are illustrating in the graphic below relates to the Mayan myth of the end of the World on December 21st, 2012. Our view of this heavenly sign will always be focused more on the Biblical Astronomy than on Heathen myths and astrology. Here the galactic center of the Milky Way Galaxy, is the focus, with the Sun in its midst, as seen in the graphic below from the Voyager¹⁷Astronomy program. This depicts the sky on 12-21-2012, the supposed end of the world in Mayan astrology. The main components of the scene include Sagittarius, representing the returning Lord Jesus Christ, riding his flying white steed in ultimate victory in the spiritual warfare over the dragon and his brood, represented by Scorpius the scorpion and the serpent. The Sun is centered at the tip of Sagittaruis’ arrow, pointed at the red star Antares, the heart of the Scorpion, as it’s simeultaneously being crushed from above by the foot of Ophiuchus.This reveals the light of the world shining his inescapable light on the kingdom of darkness, as he totally exposes the evil works of the enemy while conquering and laying waste to them all.

light on the kingdom of darkness

As The Sun of God arises here with healing in his wings, the light of the world is pictured at the heel of Ophiuchus. This is the heel wounded by the Scorpion, but the sufferings of Christ’s sacrificial death were only temporary, as they were followed by his resurrection from the dead, signifying his ultimate victory over death. However, the deadly wound Christ inflicts on the serpent in the Lord’s victorious Second Coming. is the final crushing blow that will destroy the works and kingdom of the adversary. Revelation 19 below relates the record of Christ’s victory over the Anti-Christ and his false Prophet at the end of days.

Revelation 19:11-21 (NKJV)

Jesus Christ Riding His White Horse

¹¹Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹²His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had^[a] a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,^[b] followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵Now out of His mouth goes a sharp^[c] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. ¹⁷Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,^[d] ¹⁸that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free^[e] and slave, both small and great.” ¹⁹And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. ²⁰Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

The heavens have come alive with numerous signs telling us that the end is near, and the Second Coming of Christ is at hand! We are only months away from the conclusion of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 and with each Blood Moon Lunar and Solar eclipse the heavenly and earthly signs intensify. What are you doing to prepare for the Return of the Lord?

Footnotes

1. Sky and Telescope , 4/8/15
2. IBID
3. Witness of the Stars. E.W. Bullinger, p.63
4. IBID

The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 and the Rev. 12 Heavenly Signs [Part I.]

Joel 2 (KJV)

Christ Our Peace

Christ Our Cornerstone

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”[a] A Contemplation[b] of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

Jesus Christ Riding His White Horse

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”^[a] A Contemplation^[b] of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.