Biblical Astronomy of the Venus-Saturn Conjunctions of 2016
Back in November 0f 2015, I posted an article summarizing the heavenly signs framing the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2015 between two conjunctions of Venus and Mars. The first of these planetary conjunctions was February 21-22, followed by the second on Nov. 3rd, 2015. These two Venus -Mars conjunctions of 2015 effectively frame the crescendo of the Blood Moon Tetrad in 2015, while introducing the opening of the 50-Year Hebrew Jubilee
/Shemitah. The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 is the first and only Tetrad to mark both the feasts and holy days of Israel along with the Shemitah/Jubilee cycle. The Year of Jubilee began on September 23, 2015, the Day of Atonement, and it ends on October 2, 2016. God told Israel to set aside yet another year of rest after seven Shemitah cycles; as a special Sabbath after every 49 years. This is the 50th cycle called the Jubilee. Just as there are 50 days between Passover and Pentecost, so there are 50 years between Hebrew Jubilees. Not only is this a time for Israel to allow the land rest, but debts are also forgiven and slaves are freed. (Leviticus 25: 33-49)
Since Joel’s Blood Moon Prophecy from [Joel 2] focuses our attention on these Hebrew Feasts and holy days with this series of Blood Moon Tetrads, we should do our best to understand the fuller message contained in His warning, as a mandate from heaven.
Joel 2:30 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
God tells us here, 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, Who spun the stars and planets in their courses with precision at Creation. 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 our benefit and warning. The prophecy in verse 31 below is one that got the 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! Nineteen years later, the next Blood Moon Tetrad in this modern series took place in 1967-68, not only marking the return of control of Jerusalem to Israel for the first time in nearly 2000 years, but also the previous Hebrew 50-Year Jubilee. However with the completion of this Blood Moon Tetrad, we have crossed a prophetic marker in the Creator’s Timeline, where the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ FOR his Saints can occur at any time. With this in mind, we turn our attention to the heavenly signs of 2016 and beyond.
Joel 2:31-32
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. 32 And 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… This reminded us some similar heavenly signs with Venus and Mars bracketing the birth of Christ. Between the March 31st, 2 BC Venus-Mars–Saturn triangular massing in Taurus and the Venus-Mars union in Scorpius on 12-9–2, are key heavenly signs marking Christ’s birth
enlightened the heavens. As the Venus-Mars conjunctions of 2015 bracket the crescendo of the Blood Moon Tetrad in the Sabbatical year of 2015, we see Venus-the bright and Morning Star unified with Mars-Michael, the Warrior Archangel, in their battle against the forces of darkness. Even as the Dragon attempted to take out the promised seed of Israel, Jesus Christ at his birth, so the persecution of Israel has continued, as this end time series of Blood Moon Tetrads has witnessed over the last 200 centuries, especially since the rebirth of the state of Israel marked by the modern Blood Moon Tetrad of 1948-1949. Ever since the prophecy of the Promised Seed first took place in [Gen. 3:14-15] spiritual warfare has been waged [Rev. 12:7] between the Serpent’s forces of darkness and the Promised Seed of the Woman, coming to points of crisis as we can see in the dual fulfillment of [Rev. 12:1-4].
It is noteworthy that this first Venus-Mars conjunction, March 31st bracketed the heavenly signs surrounding the birth of Christ included Saturn. As we noted, the signs of the 2015 Blood Moon Tetrad were bracketed by two Venus-Mars conjunctions, and now we see the heavenly signs of 2016 being bracketed by two more Venus-Saturn conjunctions! The first of these Venus-Saturn conjunctions, also in Scorpius takes place Jan. 9th, 2016 followed by the 2nd on Oct. 30th, 2016. We need also to keep in mind the Venus-Saturn Conjunction on June 12th of 3 BC in Taurus leading up to the heavenly signs surrounding the Birth of Christ on Sept. 11th of 3 BC. As we continue to correlate the current signs in the heavens in light of the signs marking Christ’s birth, we can uncover the needed understanding that God has made available for us. In effect we have a continuation in greater detail of the signs marking the birth of Christ appearing again in the end times Blood Moon Tetrad leading to Christ’s victorious Return. [Rev. 12].
The Planet Saturn
Saturn’s Ring Cycle
Another point of comparison between the end time series of Blood Moon Tetrads, and the heavenly signs surrounding the birth of Christ we want to highlight here involves Saturn’s 13-year ring cycle. As we know, Saturn is best known for its remarkable set of rings. Due to Saturn’s tilt and Earth’s changing orbital position, the aspect of Saturn’s Rings tilt in relation to the Earth, changing over time. Saturn’s Rings tilt out of view when they are edge-on seen from Earth. This is known as Saturn’s “ring plane crossing.” Saturn’s Rings greatly impact its brightness, from Earth’s view. About every 13-15 years, Saturn is dimmest when its Rings are edgewise-from Earth’s line-of-sight, seen only as a thin line in telescopes – sometimes invisible. The Earth last passed through Saturn’s Ring Plane in Sept. 2009, but Saturn’s Rings will not be open again to full view for maximum light reflection on Saturn’s surface till 2017. This tells us a little about the symbolism of Saturn’s Rings, since they reflect light on Satan’s planet, they represent the 1/3 of angels [Rev. 12:4] that he deceived and took down with him, in his failed coup attempt in heaven. Thus Saturn’s Ring cycle fluctuates between reflecting maximum brightness on their master planet, to invisibility from Earth’s view, depending upon the deceiver’s need in the situation. [II Cor. 11:13-15]
During the time surrounding Christ’s Birth, it is interesting that Saturn’s 13-year ring cycle (in 7BC) began on September 14th, 7 BC, as part of the Celestial Prelude, when the Sun was also aligned with the Earth. Since this was the last day before the start of the two-year period, encompassing the Sept. 15th, 7-5 BC signs of the Celestial Prelude. This gives us a stellar corroboration of the notion that the initial signs of the Celestial Prelude refer to Lucifer in the 1st heaven and earth, in his first estate as the bright and morning star. Before the fall of Lucifer, [Isa. 14:12] he led the choral groups of angels in praise of the Heavenly Father. He was second only to the Almighty at this point, which we find symbolized in this first in the union of Venus-the Bright and Morning Star with Saturn-the planet of Satan. Secondly, we see this with the first Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction of May 27th, 7 BC as set alone, outside of the two-year period, from September 15th, 7 BC to September 15th, 5 BC. This was one aspect of the heavenly signs noticed by the Magi that alerted them to look for another two-year period which would reveal the signs surrounding the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, marked by the first of three Jupiter-Regulus Conjunctions starting Sept. 14th in 3-2 BC. In our end time signs of the Blood Moon Tetrad, we also have seen a specific two year period marked in the Sept. 17th, 2015 [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet] looking towards the Sept. 17th, 2017
As the last day prior to the two-year period bracketing the Celestial Prelude, the significance of this day tells us of Lucifer’s successor, the rising Morning Star-Jesus, was already prophesied, prior to Satan’s overthrow of the world-order, [Eph.1:4]. It’s as if the former days of Lucifer’s brightness and splendor never existed in the eyes of God.
Job 3:4-5
4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
Since Saturn began to reach its peak brightness on September 14th, 7 BC, culminating on December 6th 1 BC, we find the peak of Saturn’s cycle of brightness running concurrent with, not only the signs of the Celestial Prelude, but most of the heavenly signs surrounding Christ’s birth as well. This verse in Job makes some other notable connections with the shadow of death.
The Celestial Prelude of 7 BC to 5 BC
| BC Dates | Conjunction of Planets | Constellation |
|---|---|---|
| May 27th, 7 | Jupiter-Saturn | Pisces |
| Sept. 15th, 7 | Jupiter, Saturn; [ring cycle], Sun & Earth aligned. | Pisces |
| Oct. 5th, 7 | Jupiter-Saturn | Pisces |
| Dec. 1st , 7 | Jupiter-Saturn | Pisces |
| Feb. 25th 6 | Triangular massing of Jupiter, Saturn & Mars | Pisces |
| Mar. 5th , 6 | Jupiter-Mars | Pisces |
| Mar. 23rd, 5 | Total Lunar Eclipse | Virgo |
| April 15-20, 6 | Lunar occultation | Series |
| Sept. 15th, 5 | Total Lunar Eclipse | Pisces |
Intriguingly, these connections both carry reference to the darkening of daylight, first seen in cloud covering, and second with the blackness of the day which ominously resembles a total Solar eclipse. One aspect of the spiritual significance of these celestial realities is seen in the apparent period of midday darkness on April 28th, 28 AD, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. There is no indication of an eclipse on this day, but the shadow of death probably stained this day more than any other in history, and the blackness of this day was certainly evident spiritually in the death of Jesus. This was turned completely around three days later, however when Christ arose as the “first fruits from the dead.” Thus, the brightness of Lucifer’s day was certainly turned into darkness the moment he turned away from God, The original and eternal Source of Light.
In this light it is noteworthy that the next major heavenly sign taking place following this Venus-Saturn conjunction on Jan. 9th, 2016, is a Partial Solar eclipse occurring 2 months later, on March 9th, 2016. This is followed in short order with a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse only 2 weeks later, three days after the Spring Equinox on March 20th, 2015. This is followed up in late Summer with an Annular Solar Eclipse on Sept. 1st, with another Penumbral Lunar Eclipse only 15 days later, on Sept. 16th, 2016!
With these heavenly signs kicking off the New Year in 2016, we can expect an interesting ride as everyday brings us closer in our approach the Christ’s Victorious Return.
For those on Facebook interested in Biblical Astronomy, you can leave comments on this and other posts on our new Facebook Group page [www.facebook.com/groups/bibleastronomy]
