Astronomy | Try-God.org

Is there Bible Evidence for an Eclipse with Jonah?

In our recently completed 2023 OT History Class we presented Biblical prophets chronologically instead of canonically, which brought out the evolution in the revelation regarding Messianic prophecy and Jewish Eschatology. Here are some samples of Rev. Nessle’s comments in a recent email from him:

From Jon’s Email 1/16/24

“Then in the Old Testament History class we followed the development of Messianic Prophecy when we re-ordered the Prophets in chronological order instead of canonical order. Then we clearly saw how Jonah foresaw the doom of Israel but shirked his responsibility to prophesy against Nineveh for fear that they might obey and not be destroyed. Well, God made sure the message was delivered on schedule even after Jonah had been dead for 3 days and 3 nights! God had to pull a rabbit out of a hat to get the job done, or better said, pull a prophet out of a fish! Why? Because He had an appointment to keep! God had to stay on schedule. They did repent because Rene Fretz pointed out the possibility that God also sent a coinciding sign of a Solar Eclipse. It went right over Nineveh that decade! I think it coincided! Wow!

Then after Jonah, came the prophet that didn’t deserve to be named because he shut up. He clammed up in fear of King Amaziah and stopped prophesying. He just spoke his mind afterward. This disqualified that prophet. The Bible does not name disqualified prophets! After that it was up to the next prophet, Amos, who was the lowest of the low, without pedigree, not of the school of the prophets, a former pig farmer who stood up and became enshrined as the prophet that wouldn’t shut up! He spoke the answer to the burning question of that day. If God promised the kingdom to David’s seed, how can that come to pass if the Assyrians are going to wipe us out? Then we saw the progression and growth of Jewish eschatology and Messianic prophecy that expanded from Amos’ seed through prophet after prophet, in chronological order, until it fully blossomed with Isaiah, who spoke so much Messianic prophecy that the book of Isaiah is said to be the 5^th Gospel!”

Jon Continued; “Well, that got me thinking and I realized something. I wondered if there was anything in the book of Jonah that could be linked with an eclipse. This was because it was very unusual that a foreign nation like Assyria with a different pagan religion would receive and repent to a message given by Jonah, an unknown prophet to them… I was thinking the Eclipse had to coincide. But how could I prove that? Then I realized that God did do just that! In Jonah 4:5 Jonah made a booth outside the city to see what would become of it. When he complained about the heat, God prepared a gourd that grew which gave him shade. I was looking for evidence of an eclipse which shaded the sun. Here in that very context is an allegory regarding
a gourd that does just that! Wow! I think there is a connection. Maybe if some of those verbs in verses 6 and 7 have astronomical overtones that would really nail it! I am thinking that this was an allegory to an eclipse, explained in terms an ancient man would understand. If God told Jonah the Astro-Physics details, he would not have understood. If this is true, then we have a fixed date for Jonah!” Love ya! Jon

This inspired email from Jon Nessle got me moving to delve into the text of Jonah, to see what the Scriptural details may tell us in support of an eclipse allegory. As we will see, there are verbs in this context having astronomical overtones, but it might help if they occurred on the same day, as the eclipse, since I’m not aware of eclipses lasting beyond a single day! With this in mind, lets take a look at the record of Jonah, with this evidence of an allegory like this in mind, too see if it stacks up.

Jonah’s story is unique since the record of most prophets entails their ministry and background, including the impact of their divine message and how their oracle and vision fits in the prophetic line of Israel, and Scriptural canon. Jonah’s record is different, since being a so-called “reluctant prophet,” it relates the details in this episode where a prophet tries to escape the Godly calling on his life, to cry against the wickedness of Nineveh, by detouring from Nineveh, hopping a slow boat in the opposite direction to the Spanish Riviera, [Tarshish]. As Jonah learns, its not smart to contradict the Almighty Creator, [Jon. 1:9] which put Jonah’s passage in jeopardy of shipwreck. Even the ship’s crew had the common sense to know this was a bad idea, [Jon. 1:10-16] and if any of this crew was not God-fearing before this voyage, none were left thereafter, [Jon. 1:15-16]. This fits with a theme of this book of the Bible, that God’s loving care extends not only to Israel, but the to the Gentile nations also! Jonah told the crew to cast him overboard, then he disclosed that he was the reason their ship was in danger, [Jon. 1:11-12]. God then sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, where he spent 3 days and nights in the belly of the fish. His prayer out of the fish’s belly-called the “belly of hell,” is the Hebrew word for the grave: [H7585-sheol]. #1 This was the same period Jesus spent in the heart of the earth after his death and crucifixion, [Matt. 12:40-41]. This tells us also that Jonah died during this period, until he recalled his prayer and commitment to God, who spoke to the fish to vomit Jonah out on dry land, [Jon. 2:10]. At this point, Jonah got what many of us in life need, his second chance to obey God’s calling on his life, to go to Nineveh and preach his message, [Jon. 3:1-4]

From my June blog in 2017; I referenced research on the impact of an eclipse over Nineveh that may have coincided with Jonah’s ministry, without going into much detail. “In 765 B.C, a plague broke out in Nineveh where even the king was not able to go out to war, as was custom. Next came a civil war and another plague!” The first plague referred to here occurred in 765 BC, followed by the civil war that started in 763, the same year as the eclipse.

“An archaeological find of cuneiform tablets was uncovered in the 19th century describing events in Nineveh. A famous eclipse mentioned in the tablets was known as the Bur-Sagale eclipse, which is verified by NASA as occurring on June 15, 763 BC. The path of totality passed very near Nineveh, which was located 4 mi. north of modern day Mosul and Erbil in Iraq. God declared the Sun and the Moon were for signs, and now the Ninevites saw evidence of God’s judgment coming even before Jonah’s arrival. When Jonah did show up, the Ninevites were ripe for repentance.” #2

Figure 1. The June 15th, 763 BC Bur-Sagale Eclipse over Nineveh. #3

Julian calendar does not include the year 0, so the year 1 BC[1] is followed by the year 1 AD. This is awkward for arithmetic calculations. All pages in this web site employ the astronomical numbering system for dates (they use the year 0). Years prior to the year 0 are represented by a negative sign [–]. Historians should note that there is a difference of one year between astronomical dates and BCE dates. Thus, the astronomical year 0 corresponds to 1 BCE, and year -100 corresponds to 101 BC, etc. This adds a year to the date above making it June 15th, 763 BC. #4

NASA graphic showing the path of the solar eclipse of June 15, 763 BC. The eclipse would have been seen as total in the area between the blue lines. The site of ancient Nineveh (the city) is about four miles northeast of the center of the modern city of Mosul, Iraq; the province of Nineveh occupied a considerably larger territory. If this NASA reconstruction is correct, the eclipse would have been observed as only partial in the city, but total just a few miles further north. The fact that modern astronomical programs show the eclipse as only partial in the city itself has led some investigators to surmise that the eclipse mentioned as occurring in the eponym of Bur-Sagale was some other eclipse at another date. This is usually done to support alternative biblical chronologies that do not agree with the conventional interpretation of the Assyrian Eponym Canon (AEC). However, it is precisely in the 8th century BC that the AEC is most assured of being correct, because various copies of the AEC have been found that overlap this time, and these in turn overlap the reigns of the kings of Assyria and Babylon given in Ptolemy’s Canon, which begins in 747 BC. Map from NASA, #5

We know that the Prophet Jonah ministered during the reign of King Ashur-Dan III since the Bible mentions him in [2 Kings 14:23-5], placing his ministry during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel. Since this solar eclipse was a most noteworthy highlight occurring in the reign of Ashur-Dan III, certain theologians suggest that the Bur-Sagle eclipse was a primary reason that the people of Nineveh were so ready to repent upon hearing Jonah’s message of judgment. “According to E.R. Thiele’s chronology, Jeroboam II was sole ruler of Israel between the years 782-753 BC, while Ashur-Dan III was king of Assyria between 772-755 BC.” #6 An aim of this study is to look for evidence of Jonah’s entry into Nineveh that may coincide with this eclipse.

Ashur-dan III’s reign was particularly difficult. Much of his reign was spent putting down revolts. These revolts were perhaps the result of the plague epidemics sweeping Assyria and the Bur-Sagale solar eclipse on 15 June 763 BC; both the epidemics and the eclipse could have been interpreted by the Assyrian populace as the gods withdrawing their divine support for Ashur-dan’s rule. The Assyrian empire had entered a period of decline, experiencing a plague in 765 BC, a peasant revolt from 763 to 759 BC, and a second plague in 759 BC. The Bur–Sagale eclipse, occurred in the midst of these troubled years, in 763 B.C. We don’t know the exact timing of Jonah’s visit to Nineveh, but we do know from the Biblical record that this was the time period during which he prophesied (2 Kings 14:25).

Jonah 3:3-4 tells us it took Jonah 3 days to navigate the streets of Nineveh to deliver his message of repentance, that Nineveh would be judged within 40 days, to change their ways, a biblical number symbolic for probation, as the 40 years Israel spent in the wilderness, and the 40 days of rain during Noah’s Flood. Not only the general population declared a fast [Jon. 3:5] but also the King published a decree enforcing a fast for both man and beast, to turn from their evil ways, God saw their change and repented the evil that He had previously pronounced, witholding His judgment.

If we fast forward to the celestial signs just before the birth of Christ, on August 12th, 3 BC, the first Jupiter-Venus union in Leo framing Christ’s birth occurred on Elul 1 on the Hebrew Calendar, opening a Season of Repentance. Jesus’ birth on Sept. 11th the month after this Aug. 12th union, on Tishri 1-Hebrew New Years Day, was followed by Yom Kippur on Tishri 10, or Sept. 19th that year, marked 40 days to the Day of Atonement, from Elul 1.

In the Great Sign of Revelation 12, a 400-day [40×10] link was found to Yom Kippur 2017 via a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on August 27, 2016. But, when we view the Pan-American Total Solar Eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017, the eclipse was 40 days before Yom Kippur 2017, on Sept. 30th. Before the modern Hebrew Calendar, from Elul 1 till the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was 40 days, known as the “Season of Repentance.” The total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 begins this traditional 40-day Season of Repentance. The Season of Repentance is a call to repent before the Day of the Lord. Jewish tradition says those written in the Book of Life will be resurrected on the Feast of Trumpets. Elul is the month of repentance on the Jewish calendar, the time of turning in all the tithes to the storehouse. A month later, during the Days of Awe from Rosh Hashanah on Tishri 1 and Yom Kippur on Tishri 10, shows the record of celestial events marking Christ’s birth from Rev. 12.:1-2. A key chronological note to recognize here if viewed in isolation that if there was an eclipse that “coincided” with Jonah’s visit to Nineveh, it likely occurred by this time, or even to open the 40-day season of repentance, as Jonah prophesied in Nineveh. But there is also historical context to be aware of. “The eclipse was not the only calamity during Ashur-Dan’s reign. The AEC recounts a plague in 765, the eclipse and a revolt in the city of Ashur in 763, a revolt in Ashur again in 762, a revolt in Arrapha in 761 and 760, and a plague plus a revolt in the city of Guzana in 759. 758 BC was marked by a campaign against Guzana and then “peace in the land,” after which the king remained “in the land” for the next two years. Although there were military campaigns in 755, 754, 749, and 748, the AEC does not list any misfortune until the city of Calah revolted in 746 BC, the 9th year of Ashur-Dan’s brother and successor, Ashur-Nirari V. The Assyrians regarded plagues and eclipses as divine judgments for the whole land, #7 (Wiseman 1979: 44). The plague of 765, followed by a revolt and eclipse in 763 and then revolts in the following four years would only confirm in the mind of the Assyrians that they were under divine verdict. It is appealing to think that the “year of peace” in 758 and the lack of revolts and plagues in the following 11 years were a consequence of God’s mercy because of the repentance of the nation. If so, this could date Jonah’s visit at Nineveh to 759 or 758 BC.”#8

This view fits with God’s Grace and Mercy to acknowledge the repentance of the Ninevites, supported by the historical record. This is also why Jonah’s displeasure and great anger at God’s forgiveness of the Ninevites, shows how far out of line his thinking was in pronouncing judgment on God’s forgiveness, which was the goal of Jonah’s mission in the first place. This history probably is the best evidence that the eclipse may not have coincided with Jonah’s visit to Nineveh, but preceded it by 3-4 years, as we would expect the repentance of the city, to effect a change in their misfortune. The record in Jonah 4:4-11 is as follows;

⁴Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? ⁵So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. ⁶And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. ⁷But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. ⁸And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. ⁹And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. ¹⁰Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: ¹¹And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six-score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

The word for “booth” in Jonah 4:5 is [H5521-cukkah; a temporary abode, hut or tent, as the booths the Feast of Tabernacles, Levi. 23:40-43, Deut. 16:30, Isa. 4:6]

It is important to point out here the three potential sources that Jonah had in this record to shade him from the sun’s intense heat. The word for “shadow” in vs. 5 and 6 are the same Hebrew word [H6738-tsel] lit. or fig. This is also the same Hebrew word used in [2 Kings 20:10-11, Isa. 38:8] for the astronomical shadow that went down 10 degrees in the miracle of Ahaz’ Sundial. E.W. Bullinger teaches this word for “shadow” in Jonah 4:5-6 [H6738-tsel] is the figure of speech called “paranomasia” or rhyming words, or the repetition of words similar in sound, but not necessarily in sense, [p.307, 317]. #9 In this potential allegory, the plant [gourd] ostensibly representing a solar eclipse, was stricken by the worm [Jon. 4:7] as it smote [H5221] the gourd to the end it withered, [H3001–yabesh]. Strong’s says “yabesh“ means to be ashamed, confused or disappointed, also to dry up or wither as herbage.” #10 A Biblical sample of this kind of language refers to a solar eclipse. In Isa. 24:23 we find this once again expressed by Bullinger as the figure “Antimereia” of the adjective the exchange of one part of speech for another. #11

Isa. 24:23 says;

²³Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously.

This seems to support the idea of the gourd as an allegory for a solar eclipse as it is found in this record. It also is possible that a solar eclipse may have been accompanied by the growth of the gourd, at the same time outlasting an eclipse– that normally only last a few minutes, to 3-5 hours, in a single day providing Jonah added relief from the Sun. This notion is supported by Jonah 4:7 dictated by the diurnal solar cycle when “the morning rose the next day.” an eclipse of the Sun is not historically known to last beyond a day, and with the lunar blockage of the sun completed the previous day, the gourd was not withered by the worm until the next day. With both the shading of the gourd and the Moon no longer stopping the sun, the sunlight beat [H5221]-same word as “smote” in v.7 which can be either lethal [90x] as the worm struck a lethal blow to the gourd, or a non-lethal blow; [Ex. 21:12, Josh. 10:26].

This is not only a personification, where in the Sun and Moon are given human qualities, but also the related figure of prosopopeia, when the absent are spoken of as present, the dead as alive, or anything is addressed as a person.#12 [p.861] This language is indicative of both solar and lunar eclipses when Sunlight is blocked by the Moon, or the Earth-shadow turns the lunar surface red-as with
a blood moon. This could have fulfilled an allegory in Jon. 4:6 where the Lord made a gourd to shadow over Jonah’s head to deliver [H5337–natsal] Jonah from his grief. This rhyming word with shadow, [H6738-tsel] in Jonah 4:5-6 shows the Lord’s potential act to deliver Jonah from the Sun’s intense heat by shading him with a solar eclipse, where the Moon blocks the sunlight either partially or totally. The sun’s unblocked heat combined with the intense east wind beat down on the Jonah’s head, that he fainted, and begged his death by sunstroke. Here we find two possible sources of shade over Jonah, so where is the 3rd? If we recall from Jon. 4:5 he built himself a booth, the kind of which is the same as those built by the Jews for the Feast of Tabernacles. During this feast the Jews honored God not only as their provider, but their deliverer also, just as God had done for Jonah with the fish. As Isa. 4:6 tells us;

⁶And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

The word for “shadow” in Isa. 4:6 above is the same as Jonah 4:5-6 [H6738]. This shows us that Jonah was angry at the loss of his shade, but God points out that Jonah was more concerned with the shade from the gourd and the eclipse than he was with the potential impact of the eclipse on the repentance of a city of 120,000 inhabitants in Nineveh. Jonah’s booth-building during the Tabernacles Feast, tells us these events took place in the month Tishri, our Sept.-Oct. and that Jonah also had his personal repentance to make right with God, for disobeying His call to preach to Nineveh. It also establishes the link pointed out above to the 40-days of Repentance and the birth of Christ, our intercessor and mediator of our repentance.

Added astronomically related verses in this context are found in Isaiah 40; 45:12, 34:4, Jer. 33:22, Dan. 8:10, Mt. 24:29]

Isa. 40:22-26

²¹Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? ²²It is
He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in: ²³That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. ²⁴Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, [H3001] and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. ²⁵To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. ²⁶Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. [cp. Ps. 147:4]

This Scripture not only includes the astronomical context as the Almighty Creator stretches out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in: but also the botanical allegory related to princes and judges of the earth that are not planted or sown, whose stock takes no root and they wither, which is the same Hebrew word for “withered” as seen in Jonah 4:7, above.

The purpose of Jonah’s prophecy is to show the sovereignty of God at work in the life of an individual (the prophet Jonah), and his concern for His own people and that the way to avert national catastrophe is a concentrated outreach effort to all people. Jonah’s theme is God’s mercy to the individual (Jonah, a Jew), a group (the heathen sailors), the heathen world power (Assyria, a Gentile nation), and His people (Israel).

Jesus employed the repentance of the Ninevites to rebuke the Pharisees, thereby illustrating the hardness of the Pharisees’ hearts and their lack of repentance, (Matt. 12:38-41; Luke 11:29-32). The heathen city of Nineveh repented at the preaching of a reluctant prophet, but the Pharisees would not repent at the preaching of the greatest of all the prophets, in spite of over-whelming evidence that He was actually their Lord and Messiah. Jonah is a picture of Israel, who was chosen and commissioned by God to be His witness (Isa. 43:10-12; 44:8), who rebelled against His will (Exodus 32:1-4; Judges 2:11-19; Ezek. 6:1-5; Mark 7:6-9), but like Israel, was miraculously preserved by God through centuries of exile and dispersion to finally preach His truth; (Jer. 30:11; 31:35-37; Hosea 3:3-5; Rev. 7:1-8; 14:1-3).

As Tom Hobson, chair of Biblical Studies at Morthland College, observes:

The Assyrian nation was weak and in chaos in the decade around 760 BC…. They had one earthquake (one sign of divine wrath). There was a famine from 765-758 BC. Assyria was losing battles and losing territory to its enemies. There were domestic riots… Now was a perfect time for a prophet from far away to arrive on the scene and command a response. Is it possible that in His mercy, God not only planned the miracles to engineer Jonah’s visit to correspond with an impressive eclipse, but He also spun the heavenly bodies in perfect synchronization with these events to help convince Nineveh to repent. #13

According to the Assyrian writings cited by Wiseman, here’s what a solar eclipse would have meant to them: “the king will be deposed and killed, and a worthless fellow will seize the throne…rain from heaven will flood the land…the city walls will be destroyed.” The Assyrians tell us that these times called for, a solemn fast, and the king would hand over his throne to a substitute until the danger passed. At least once when there was a total solar eclipse, the Assyrians cried, “Nineveh shall be overthrown!” This has dual meaning of, “Nineveh shall be made to repent!”).#14

We can’t prove the hypothesis that Jonah showed up in Nineveh for the 763 BC eclipse, but this does not mean that this solar eclipse did not help produce the desired results of Nineveh’s repentance recorded in the Biblical account.
God miraculously brought Jonah to preach his message at exactly the right time for the people of Nineveh to listen to him. The Assyrian nation was weak and in chaos in the decade around 760 BC. They already had one earthquake (a sign of divine wrath). There is a possibility that Amos also refers to this earth-quake [Amos 1:1] since Amos was a contemporary of Jonah. There was a 7-year famine from 765-758 BC. While the Assyrians were losing battles and land to their enemies, there was internal strife and domestic riots. With all the unrest they were experiencing, they seemed primed to believe Jonah and his warning.

With the events from 765 BC- a revolt and eclipse in 763 and then revolts in the following four years would only confirm in the mind of the Assyrians that they were under divine displeasure. It would fit the spiritual timeline that the “year of peace” in 758 and a lack of rebellions and plagues in the next 11 years were a consequence of God’s mercy because of the repentance of the Nineveh. If so, this could date Jonah’s appearance at Nineveh to 759 or 758 BC.

The repentance of an entire pagan city the size of Nineveh would be a greater miracle than for Jonah to survive getting swallowed by a fish. Yes, such an experience was fatal for Jonah, but this was part of the miracle, which was completed over 700 years later when Jesus cited Jonah as a sign comparable to his own resurrection. If we believe the Bible’s account of Jonah’s survival inside the fish, then a greater miracle of the repentance of the entire pagan city of Nineveh is possible also, since they are part of the same miraculous narrative.

I’m thankful for Jon Nessle’s email as the impetus for this month’s blog, and pertinent questions it sparked regarding Jonah and this eclipse. As the Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator of our own repentance, I invite those who would like to take part in commenting on this study for group discussion.

God Bless!

Rene’

Footnotes

1. Strong’s Concordance, [H7585-sheol], James Strong
2. Read more at https://globalrumblings.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-sign-of-jonah-and-binding-of.html#JF4HXT0ur7boJ0rM.99
3. Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses [Espenak & Meeus]
4. [http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearch/SEsearchmap.php?Ecl=-07620615.]
5. [https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/calendar.html]
6. The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings. Edwin R. Thiele
7. THE TYNDALE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY LECTURE, 1977
JONAH 1 S NINEVEH By Donald J. Wiseman 1979: 44
8. https://biblearchaeology.org/research/biblical-chronologies/4517-how-lunar-and-solar-eclipses-shed-light-on-biblical-events
9. Figures of Speech used in the Bible, ppg. 307, 317. E.W. Bullinger
10. Strong’s Concordance, [H3001-yabesh], James Strong
11. Figures of Speech used in the Bible, pg. 495, E.W. Bullinger
12. IBID, [p.861]
13. (http://www.tyndalehouse.com/TynBul/Library/TynBull_1979_30_02_Wiseman_JonahsNineveh.pdf)
14. THE TYNDALE BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY LECTURE, 1977
JONAH 1 S NINEVEH By Donald J. Wiseman 1979: 44

Synopsis of the Celestial Prelude Part 2.

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

Synopsis of the Celestial Prelude Part 2.
Jesus Christ the Chief Cornerstone

As a brief review of the previous session, the Rev. 12:1 configuration of the sun and moon in the constellation Virgo was observed in Jerusalem between sunset and moonset, during evening twilight in the 20 days that the Sun was in Virgo, from Aug. 27^th to Sept. 15^th, 3BC. On Sept. 11, 3 BC, sunset occurred at 6:18 P.M. and moonset at 7:39 P.M. According to Rev. 12, it was during this 81-minute period that Jesus Christ was born and took his first breath of life to become a living soul. This new day, the first day of the new month of Tishri 1, 3BC, was marked by sighting of the New Moon, the sliver of the Crescent Moon marking the birth of the Son of God, and 2^nd Adam, Jesus Christ. The description in Revelation 12:1 provides a precise astronomical record of this evening of September 11th, 3 B.C. We also reviewed the material on The Summary of the Celestial Prelude. It will benefit the reader to check the details of these teaching notes, as they have been expanded to fill in certain aspects and features of the original teaching from Rev. Nessle’s class on 12-12-23.

Tishri 1 was also the anniversary of Creation, but even more-so the renewal of Creation, foreshadowing the Return of the Lord when the waiting of the earnest expectation of creation will be fulfilled, as the manifestation of the sons of God is realized, and the whole of creation groans and travails in pain together, even as the Saints await the redemption of our bodies, [Rom. 8:18-23]. This also aligns with the truth that Tishri 1 was the first day of the New Year-the day of Trumpets and the inception of the Jewish civil Year, from the times of Moses back to Noah and prior. Gen. 8:13 tells us Noah turned 600 years old on this day, also when he first found the dry land to reappear. This shows us on the Patriarch Noah’s birthday, where God was able to restart the human race afresh in Noah’s family, even as our planet Earth was reborn after the cleansing flood removed the evil violence [hamas-H2555; Gen. 6:11], of that generation off the face of the earth.

Revelation 12:2 tells us the woman was in labor, near birth. Since there is only one of the 12 constellations on the ecliptic that is a woman, we know these signs took place in Virgo, the virgin. Rev. 12:3-4 reveal that the Enemy was cast out of heaven with his plan to kill the child as soon as he was born. In v. 4-5 the woman completes her labor, birthing the Christ-child, Jesus, providing clear acceptance of this child as the promised seed Jesus-the Christ, and Messiah.

Jesus Christ was born on Wednesday, September 11, 3 B.C., between 6:18 and 7:39 P.M., Jerusalem time. On this day, the new moon first became visible in the western sky shortly after sunset, on the 1st day of a new month. This singular day in history, saw the star Spica in Virgo in the process of setting between the Sun and Moon. #1

Since Jesus was born on Tishri 1, 3 BC between sunset starting @ 6:15-6:18 P.M. and moonset @ 7:39 -7:45 P.M. These setting times are from Dr. Ernest Martin, in his book “The Star that Astonished the World” #2 and the book “Jesus Christ our Promised Seed,” #3 by V.P. Wierwille. Together they provide a range of times we are showing. We should also notice that Spica, would have set mere minutes after sunset on Sept. 11^th. The star Spica in Virgo-teaches “Branch” prophecies; in [Isa. 4:2, Jer. 23:5, Zech. 3:8, 6:12], embodied in Christ in the 4 Gospels as King in Matthew, Son of Man in Luke, Servant in Mark, and Son of God in John. We find the star Spica in Virgo’s hand, as the first a bunch of harvested wheat. The setting time of the star Spica was 17 min. after sunset, which I believe sets the time parameters for Christ’s birth-down to the minute, based on lunar sighting conditions of the first sliver of the Crescent Moon, marking the start of the new month of Tishri, at the equinox of this historic evening. This puts Jesus’ birth time range related to Spica’s setting time @ 6:32-6:35 PM, 17 minutes after sunset.

Fig. 1. “The “Great wonder” of Rev. 12:1 Sunset, 6:18 P.M., Sept. 11, 3 BC. #4

The diagram shows the sun half-way set. The sun is on the ecliptic, the dotted line, and the solid line is the celestial equator, which is directly overhead at the earth’s equator. At this point, the first thin crescent of the moon appears, at Virgo’s feet, marking the first of the new month, Tishri. #4a

In this graphic we find the exact azimuth of Spica/Al Zemach @ 90 degrees East on the Celestial Equator, or due East/West @ the Fall Equinox position. This is key due to its alignment with the Cardinal points of the compass @ N,S,
E,W. As key aspects of the Planisphere, built upon the Ecliptic and celestial Equator, they encompass the 48 signs of the ancient Mazzaroth, including the 12 signs of the ecliptic with their 36 decans. Even as the star Spica/Al Zemach represents how Christ embodies the four Gospels @ the four quarters of the heavens, as the four chapters of the Celestial Gospel, so Christ embodies all Creation as the missing Chief Cornerstone that fits atop the Great Pyramid, uniting its 4 triangular sides as the most accurately oriented structure to these cardinal points of the ecliptic in history, built as an exact model of the northern hemisphere of our planet, on the dimensions of 1 to 43,200, from pole to the equator.

The diagram in the imbedded link for Figure 2 below provides a view and way to conceptualize how Christ as the missing capstone & “chief cornerstone” not only embodies how he encapsulates the entire Great Pyramid, but as a model of the whole, unifies & sits atop the body of the Pyramid bringing together its 4 triangular sides at its apex. [https://fb.watch/piRp51-qjN/]

This embodies how earth’s northern Hemisphere, encapsulates the Great Pyramid that is geometrically mirrored in the heavens, its capstone symbolic of the terrestrial North Pole, projected to the Celestial North Polar star, as a 3D map of both our planet and the heavens. Here the righteous Son/ Sun [Mal. 4:2] symbolizes an ancient knowledge of a Sun-centered Solar System, millennia prior to the “Copernican Revolution,” also witnessed in how the central candle enlightens the entire Hebrew Menorah, [Rev. 1:20].

Fig. 3 Jupiter Crowning Regulus in 3-2 BC. #5

The Rev. 12 sign was not the only astronomical event on September 11, 3 B.C. From sunset in the evening of Wednesday, September 11 to sunset of the next day-the 12^th, the first of 3 Jupiter-Regulus conjunctions would have been visible to the Magi, as Jupiter could be seen approaching Regulus in the pre-dawn light of Sept. 12^th. At this time the king planet–Jupiter was visible in approach of the king star-Regulus and brightest star on the ecliptic, in the sign Leo, the Lion of Judah, as it was from Judah’s seed that the promised seed and Messiah, appeared.

These four-fold truths related to the Star Spica/Al-Zemach are established in our realization that the King star Regulus is not just a single star but embodies 4 stars in the sky. Although appearing as a single star, Regulus is actually a quad-ruple star system [a.] composed of four stars that are organized into two pairs. The spectroscopic binary [b.] Regulus A is a blue-white main-sequence [c.] star and its companion, which has not yet been directly observed, but is probably a white dwarf. [d.] This is evident when viewed through a smaller telescope- with a minimal 50x magnification, Regulus is visible as two objects separated by 177 arcseconds; [177 arcseconds].#[e.] The Brighter of the two is called Regulus A, and the fainter-Regulus B. A cooler “orange” dwarf star [dwarf star]-[f.] Regulus B has a mass equal to 80% of our Sun’s, but only half as bright, and a surface temp. of 4,885 kelvin, [8,333 F or 4612 C], shining at [magnitude 8.1]. [g.] [B: a spectral classification of K2 V. M4 V.] [h. h.a]

Regulus B, also has its own companion called Regulus C, but @ a mag. of 13.5, it’s only visible with powerful telescopes. With only 1/3 the mass of our Sun, the red dwarf star-Regulus C [red dwarf ] [i.] is bound by gravity to Regulus B as a gravitational partner called Regulus BC. The last measurements taken between 1867 and 1943 showed distances ranging from 4.0 to 2.5 arcseconds, but no new measurements are available. The fourth star in the Regulus system hasn’t been directly resolved by imaging, but its presence was revealed by spectroscopic analysis of Regulus A. [spectroscopic analysis]. [j.] Astronomers think this may be a close orbiting white dwarf [white dwarf] [k.] star and spectroscopic partner. There is a star known as Regulus D, but it is not linked to Regulus A. Instead, it points out a 12^th mag. star located 212 arcseconds from the Regulus system. For decades people believed this star to be a companion of Regulus, but recent studies from the Gaia Satellite [Gaia satellite] [l.] show this to be a background star unrelated to the Regulus system. Thus, the 4–fold Biblical symbolism of the star Spica/Al-Zemach carries through to the star Regulus in Leo, the Lion of Judah, visible to the Magi on the same night they saw the Star of Bethlehem. This also provides added linkage between the Bethlehem star in Virgo, and the 1st Jupiter-Regulus conjunction in Leo the Lion, as witnessed by the Celestial Sphinx signs. This also brings to mind the The Great Pyramid’s alignment with the King star Regulus on the feast of Trumpets-Sept. 20th, 2017 as seen in the graphic below, according the Christ angle of the ascending/descending passages. As this took place, the Great Pyramid’s apex alignment with the star Al Nitak, the 1st 3 of Orion’s belt stars, linking the Pyramid’s chief cornerstone to the belt of the “wounded one,” relating again to Gen. 3:15.

Figure 4. Great Pyramid Regulus-Venus and Apex-Al Nitak alignments.

The Great Pyramid embodies the Christ-centered squared-circle geometry as seen in the Pyramid’s cap-stone. In Scripture, the words; “sun,” “headstone,” and “cornerstone” all share the same Hebrew gematria value of 53. In Greek the word “Son” shares this number value, of 530, tells us the Pyramid’s top-stone, embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ, is “the Saviour” [432] and “foundation” [432] of “all things” [432] as a “great sign” [432] symbolizing the light of the Sun [Ps. 19:4], whose radius is [432,000 miles], or half the Sun’s diameter; [864,000 mi.] matches the “cornerstone” [864], “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” [864] in [Mic. 4:2]. #m In Figure 4 above we find the ascending and descending passages of the Great Pyramid‘s two primary interior passageways-dotted red line. They appear linked to the Doctrine of the Two Ways, one going up to the King’s Chamber, and the other down to the pit. It also features the missing 5th, cornerstone-the central capstone, who is Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, the head-stone at the Pyramid’s apex unifying the cornerstones of it’s base, “the stone that the builder’s rejected,” (Ps. 118: 21-23).

Several ancient cultures designated four bright stars in the zodiac as the “four corners of the earth” or the “four royal stars.” At the time the constellations were drawn by Shem, these four stars were near the sun’s location in the sky on the first day of autumn, winter, spring and summer, considered as 4 of the most important locations in the sky. These four stars were well known at the four corners of the ecliptic, the first being the bright red star, Antares that anciently marked the autumnal equinox, where the sun appears on the first day of autumn. The next star Fomalhaut, was also a bright star, marking winter. This is followed by Aldebaran, another very bright red star located 180.0° opposite on the ecliptic from Antares, precisely marking the Spring Equinox when Antares marked the Autumn. Finally, the bright star Regulus, located almost exactly on the ecliptic, marked summer. Regulus, was “the Prince,” and traditional leader of these four royal stars.^[n]

Each of these four royal stars was in one constellation of the 12 Mazzaroth signs on the ecliptic. Antares is found in the heart of the Scorpion (Scorpius). In Aquarius-Fomalhaut is located at the end of the waters being poured out by the Water Bearer. Aldebaran is located at the eye of the Bull (Taurus). Finally, Regulus is located in the heart of the Lion (Leo), the king of the royal stars. These are called the four cornerstone constellations not only as they form the square base of the Great Pyramid, when mirrored in the sky they form the corners of a great square in the ecliptic, as the basis of the idea of ‘squaring the circle,’ or ‘cubing the sphere’ as they also embody a foundation to under-stand the Gospel in the Stars.

Two of these ‘royal stars’ intersect in two of these constellations. Antares is not only the heart of the Scorpion, but also is found under heel of the Serpent-Bearer (Ophiuchus), ^[o] who is encircled by a great serpent (Serpens) and who is crushing the head and heart of the Scorpion-Antares. The second pair is the bright star of the Southern fish; Fomalhaut-not only in the stream of Aquarius, but also in the Head of the Southern Fish (Piscis Australis).^[p]

This great fish is pictured drinking in the “stream of living waters” from Aquarius, but these are not the only star names shared in different signs. Also we find the star named “Saiph,” meaning “bruised” [Gen 3:15] in the heel of Ophiuchus at one end of the Planisphere axis, matched at the other end with a star of the same name in Orion’s foot, as it crushes the serpent enemy at both ends of this axis.

In the case of the Scorpion/Serpent pair, there is a third constellation closely linked to them-the Eagle (Aquila), located near the serpent’s tail. The Eagle typifies the enemy of the serpent and is often shown in flight with the Serpent in its claws, even as the Serpent Bearer crushes Scorpius underfoot.

i. Four Faces of the Cherubim. Both Ezekiel and John the Revelator describe creatures which correspond to the four cornerstone constellations. Ezekiel describes creatures with four faces: the face of a lion, of an ox, of a man and an eagle, later reveals them as a special class of angel-Cherubim (Ezek. 1:10, 10:14, 20-22). The first three of those forms correspond to the Lion, the Bull, and the Water Bearer constellations. The 4th corresponds to the Eagle, the decan often substituted for the serpent/scorpion when symbolizing the celestial aspect of the fourth cornerstone. This relates to the same substitution of the Tribe of Dan-called a serpent by the way, as they were the first tribe to introduce idolatry to the other tribes of Israel.

John the Revelator also describes four creatures, each of which is found on one side of the throne of God. One was like a lion, one like a calf, one like a man, and one like a flying eagle (Rev. 4:7). Here we see the same 4 life–forms in correspondence to the 4 constellations, but in the reverse order as they are found on the ecliptic. This may not only put the leader first, but also have ramifications for the reverse order of ecliptic signs relative to precession.

ii. Four Principal Tribes of Israel. Jacob (Israel) had 12 sons, and each of them is linked in God’s Word with one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. ^[q] Hebrew scholars have expressed uncertainty of the correspondence of all twelve, but the four references to the royal constellations are clear from Scripture. They are the four principal tribes: Reuben, Judah, Dan, and Joseph.

Figure 5. Aquarius and the Southern Fish. [r.]

**The Water Bearer pours out a river into the Southern Fish**.

Each of those four tribes is associated with one of the royal constellations in the blessing given them by Jacob or Moses. Reuben was told he is “unstable as water,” alluding to the Water Bearer. The name Reuben, means “Behold a son,” also ties him to the Water Bearer, among the zodiac signs, having the figure of a man. He is also mentioned as being over the “excellency of power” (Gen. 49:3-4)

“Judah is a lion’s whelp” (Gen. 49:9) ties him to the Lion. Moreover, John refers to Christ as “the lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev. 5:5), establishing the linkage of Judah to the lion. The Lion represents the King, and Judah began the royal lineage through which the Davidic line of kings came. The name Judah means “praised,” suggesting that this line of kings in the Christ-Line through him (especially Christ) would be praised.

“Dan shall be a serpent…that bites the horse heels” (Gen. 49:17), which parallels the symbolism of the Scorpion/Serpent, depicted stinging the Serpent Bearer in the heel. The name Dan means “judge” and the serpent symbolizes the wisdom of a judge. The serpent in Eden was acknowledged as being one of the wisest of his creatures. For example, the Lord has admonished his servants to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” The kind of wisdom referred to especially refers to that of being a good judge. Antares, the bright star in the scorpion, found at the heart, acknowledged as the seat of wisdom. For example, the Lord put wisdom into the heart of King Solomon so that he could judge his people wisely (2 Chron. 1:11-12, 1 Kings 10:24; cp, Exo. 26:2, Ecc. 8:5, Job 38:36).

Finally, Joseph is compared to a wild ox, with Joseph’s son’s Ephraim and Manasseh compared to its two horns (Deut. 33:17). The Hebrew word refers to an extinct species of wild ox which has two long forward pointing horns, as seen in the sign of Taurus the Bull. The bright star in the Bull represents its eye, which is the symbol of a seer (one who “sees”). Joseph was a great seer, so the Bull was appropriate for his sign. The name Joseph means “Jehovah has added,” probably referring to his multitude of descendants. Thus, each of the four principal tribes of Israel is explicitly correlated in the blessings of Jacob to one of the four cornerstone constellations.

iii. Balaam’s Prophecy. The same imagery was repeated in the prophecy of Balaam about the destiny of Israel. He mentions that Israel “shall pour water out of his buckets” (Reuben/Water Bearer), “he lay down as a lion” (Judah/ Lion), and he has “the strength of an unicorn” (Joseph/Bull), and shall “break their bones” as does either an eagle or constrictor serpent (Dan; Num. 24:7-9). The fact that again all four figures correspond to the cornerstone symbolism indicates that this prophecy refers to the constellations associated with these tribes.

iv. Banners and Directions. Each of 12 tribes of Israel had a flag or banner with its sign. The Hebrew word for “sign” is translated “ensign” in the KJV Bible (Num. 2:2), but Hebrew commentators make it clear that the signs also refer to zodiac constellations. According to tradition, the figure of a man was found on Reuben’s banner, a lion on Judah’s, a serpent on Dan’s, and a bull on Joseph’s (Son’ Ephraim, who took his place). Their camp, in the wilderness reflected the four banners facing these four directions: Judah facing East, Reuben facing South, Ephraim facing West, and Dan facing North, (Num 2:3,10,18,25).

v. Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength. The four cornerstone constellations also reflect 4D mankind in the symbolic four aspects of living souls: the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical. An example where the Lord seems to notice these categories is when he tells us to serve him with all our “heart, soul, mind and strength” (Mk. 12:13). Thus “heart, soul, mind and strength” refers to human emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical aspects. Note that again these four align with the same order as the four cornerstone constellations. We also find evidence of this pattern in the four types of human personalities.

vi. Elements. The Lord also uses the symbols of fire, wind, water, and earth to represent these four aspects of living creatures. For example, he stated that “ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, and so became of dust a living soul…” [Earth, wind, fire, water]

vii. Four Hebrew Tabernacle Colors. The Lord commanded Moses to use four colors of cloth repeated throughout the tabernacle, especially for embroidering images of the cherubim. They were blue, purple, scarlet, and linen (white), nearly always stated in that order (Ex. 26:31, 36; 27:16; 28:5-15). Those are the same as the four colors of the cherubim.

viii. Colors. The four elements are also represented by four colors. Red seen in fire, blood, and emotions. White represents the spiritual, just as white clothing symbolizes purity used for baptisms and sacred ceremony. Purple represents royalty as seen in Leo the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The water is blue symbolizing Peace and the spirit. These colors are also found in the Hebrew Tabernacle repeated throughout, especially in representation of the cherubim. [Ex. 26:31, 36, 27:16, 28:5-15]

A strong indicator of these four aspects in the stars is the placement of each of the royal stars sign. Regulus is located at the heart of the Lion and the color associated with Judah/East/Lion is red. The heart is considered the center of the emotions and red is the color of blood/fire, the element linked with the emotions. Thus the red lion of Judah is linked to the emotions. Red is linked to Adam the first man/servant of God in the gospel of Mark that embodies the emotional aspect of mankind.

The ancient Greeks described Taurus as a snow-white bull. Aldebaran, the first magnitude star is located at the eye of the Bull. The eye is symbolic of a seer, as was Joseph of Egypt, associated with the Bull. Thus, the Bull is symbolic of spiritual strength, and especially the gift ministry of being a Prophet/Seer.

Blue is symbolic of peaceful tranquility, that goes with the wisdom of a good judge. When applied with a gift ministry it is the wisdom that is from above, which is first pure, peaceable and gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits [Gal. 5:22] as part of the fruits of righteousness, sown in Peace of them that make peace. This is how we can emulate the Prince of Peace, to promote true and genuine peace and Justice.

Fomalhaut is located in the head of the Southern Fish. This aligns with the mental powers. The color that is associated with this direction may vary: it can be blue, representing water. As we utilize the colors of the Tabernacle, their scriptural basis provides us the solid foundation of God’s Word to draw our conclusions from, and avoid speculation.

Antares is located at the heart of the Scorpion. The heart is the seat of wisdom, and the scorpion/serpent symbolizes wisdom. The heart/chest can also symbolize physical/emotional strength.

Thus, the placement of all four of the royal stars in the cornerstone signs is consistent with the symbolism of emotional, spiritual, mental and physical aspects of all living souls. Note also that spiritual and physical aspects are opposite each other in the circle (white opposite purple), as are the mental and emotional (blue opposite red), also found in the Yin/Yang symbol.

It is Christ as the Crown and Apex, firstborn of all Creation, the Second Adam, who embodies the fullness of the Great Pyramid [Isa. 28:16], who completes the superstructure of both the physical [in Jerusalem] and spiritual Temples– [spiritual body] of his churches in the Bride of Israel and the NT Church of the Believer’s in Christendom, [Eph. 2:18-22]. In this way, the light of heaven is shed on the earth in Christ, the Son/Sun of righteousness [Ps. 19, Mal. 4:2] who rules over all Creation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. [Gen. 1:14-17]. We also find this pattern of the four points of the compass in star & planet signs marking the birth of Christ.

Plate 1. The Great Pyramid and the Squared Circle. [#s]

The pattern of eastern access to the Temple and Tabernacle is also found in the order of the celestial signs surrounding the birth of Christ. We find this in the pattern of the 3 Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions, marking Christ’s birth that occurred from 3 to 1 BC. The first Conjunction was in the final degree of Cancer, near its zero line border with Leo. The second was fully in Leo, while the third was in Virgo. These three signs represent the eastern quarter of the zodiac of Israel, the heavenly image of the eastern side of the wilderness camp of the Israelites, the entrance or Way to the Door of the holy place (the truth) in the Hebrew Tabernacle. In Genesis 3:24, after God rejected Adam and Eve from Paradise, He protected the Way of the Tree of Life on the east of Eden, with the Cherubim’s fiery sword, until the redeemer could come to reactivate the way of salvation and eternal life with God, for humanity. This door ultimately led to the altar of the holy of holies, (the Life) in the inner heart of God’s temple- Sanctuary, containing the Ark of the Covenant. A temporal progression of these conjunctions perfectly matches the divine pattern of Israel’s tribal arrangement on the eastern side of the Tabernacle. Judah/Leo was due east of the entrance to the holy of the holies, via the holy place, centrally located between the other two eastern tribes of Issachar/Cancer and Zebulon/Virgo. This eastern door to the Tabernacle represents the way, the truth, and the life, of John 14:6, which is embodied in Jesus Christ as the light of the world, and the door of the sheep, the Good Shepherd [Jn.10], the true way which leads unto life.

The truths of Jesus as the Shepherd are vividly seen in 3 Psalms 22, 23 and 24, showing the sufferings and glory of the Lord. As Prophet, the Good Shepherd gave his life not only for the sheep, but for the safe-keeping of all people who would come unto him [John 10:11]. As the High Priest and the Great Shepherd, he is the first, last and only door, the alpha and omega, providing the way of access via his resurrection [Heb. 13:20] unto life, into the genuine spiritual fellowship with our Heavenly Father. As the King and Chief Shepherd, his return exhibits his final glory, coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, [I Pet. 5:4, Rev. 19:16].

Thus, like the eastern shepherd, Jesus Christ embodies Jehovah-Nissi: the redemptive name for God protecting His people, [Ps. 23:1].

The Door, or gate giving access to the holiest of all was covered by a veil in both the Temple & Tabernacle. The veil of the Tabernacle, which hung on four pillars, separated the holy of the holies, the central point of God’s presence among His people, from the holy place. Woven into the fabric of this linen veil, Cherubim were depicted, as a special class of angels who are always prominent in God’s throne-room. They are uniquely pictured as having four faces that correspond to the “four royal signs” of the zodiac, ruling the four-corners or celestial pillars of heaven, previously seen in Numbers 24:7-9.

Plate 2.The Molten Sea of the OT Jerusalem Temple. # [t.]

In I Kings, the design record of the ten brazen bases of the smaller Brass Lavers, provide a strong clue that links the Cherubim with these four Cardinal Directions.

I Kings 7:25-30
²⁵It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. ²⁶And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. ²⁷And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.²⁸And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: ²⁹And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. ³⁰And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were under-setters molten, at the side of every addition. Verse 29 above clearly associates the Cherubim with the lions (Leo and the oxen (Taurus), in the design of the ten brass bases. This link is fully developed in Ezekiel’s vision at the River Chebar, which we see below. Exodus 36 gives us details of the colors used in the veil of the Tabernacle depicting the Cherubim. Let’s consider some of this color symbolism in the services of the Tabernacle and Temple.

Exodus 36:35-36 And he made a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with Cherubims made he it of cunning work. And he made there-unto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.

The veil hung from four pillars, representing the terrestrial number, and the earth’s orientation to the four Cardinal Directions of the horizon. The symbol of the number four is prominent in the imagery above, not only in the four pillars holding the Tabernacle’s veil, but also in the four Tabernacle colors shown in the veil. The four colors are blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Blue represents peace showing us God’s presence, as seen in the Son of God as the Prince of Peace. Purple represents royalty, as seen in Christ the King of Kings. Scarlet or Red represents blood, and is seen in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the high priest offering the perfect sin offering of his own life for our redemption. The linen was white, as symbols of the purity & righteousness of the Servant of God. Thus, the four colors of the Tabernacle all embody the four-fold ministry of Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, showing his dominion over all Creation. As we’ve seen, these four pillars correspond to the four Cardinal Directions, named the equinox and Solstice seen on the ecliptic and Equator as the four-corners of the heavens. These four cardinal points correspond to the tribes, four royal signs and colors as follows:

Eagle/Aquila [replacing Scorpius below]
North/Scorpion/Scorpius/Dan/White (omitted in Num. 24, & Ps. 75:3ff)
East/Lion/Leo/Judah/Purple. (Numbers 24:9)
South/Man/Aquarius/Reuben/Blue. (Numbers 24:7)
West/Bull/Taurus/Ephraim & Manasseh/Red (Numbers 24:8)

The vision of Ezekiel at the river Chebar describes these living creatures, specifically their four faces, matching the signs of the four Cardinal Directions of the heavens. As we have noted regarding the North, it was omitted for a number of reasons. In the North we find the face of the sign Aquila the Eagle [Ezek.1:10], replacing that of his natural born enemy, the serpent-Dan/Scorpion, as is evident in the triple sign of the man Ophiuchus, as he wrestles Serpens the serpent, while stamping out the light of the Antares red-star, in the heart of Scorpius the scorpion. Ezekiel’s vision is recorded below.

Ezekiel 1:3-11
The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.⁴And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire in-folding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. ⁵Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. ⁶And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. ⁷And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. ⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. ⁹Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. ¹⁰As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.¹¹Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

The matching of the faces of these four living creatures with the four signs at the cardinal points in Numbers 24, is worth a closer look. First, this correlation between the four Cardinal Directions of the horizon seems an obvious celestial reference, supported by the celestial wheels within wheels connected with these Cherubim, [Ezek. 1:16, 20-22, 10:1-22]. These wheels relate to the celestial structure of the ecliptic and the Equator, as one wheel is pictured within the other, and the points where they cross are the equinoxes. One Hebrew word for “wheel” in Ezekiel, [10:2 & 10] is galgal [*H1534], a variation of Gilgal [*H1536], the “Hill of God,” [I Sam. 10:5] where Joshua set up an altar of twelve stones [Josh 4], one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The word galgal is also the root origin of our word “Galaxy,” showing a galactic application of these wheels even into the modern day. Similar to the stellar reference of the 12 precious stones of the High Priest’s breastplate, as symbols of the twelve signs of the zodiac, Joshua’s altar marked their entry into the promised land, which was first deeded to Abraham [Gen. 13:14-15]. God marked the end of the Israel’s sufferings in the wilderness even as He had marked their exit from Egypt, with a miracle of parting of the waters, both of the Red Sea and of the Jordan River. He also marked the beginning of Israel’s reign of kings both in the anointing of Saul, along with the first Passover in the promised land at Gilgal. Joshua 5:9-10 has a figurative portrait of this initial Passover, as these “wheels of God’s justice” rolled over the heathen that stood in Israel’s way. Thus, when we view the two phases of the return of the promised seed, first in his sufferings second in his glory, we can see the following division along the lines of Jesus’ ministry as seen in the four gospels:

Sufferings

He came as a man/Son of Man/Luke/Aquarius
He sacrificed his life/Servant/Mark/ Eagle for Scorpion

Glory

The Son coming in judgment/Son of God/John/Taurus
The Lion-king of Judah rending his prey/King/Matthew/Leo

As symbolic references to the four quarters of heaven, the 4 unified faces of these living creatures represent a composite of the celestial narrative, witnessing to the return of the promised redeemer, and his judgment on the assembly of the wicked. The 22^ndPsalm reveals more details of this evident celestial pattern, in the context of the Lord’s sacrifice, in Golgotha’s foreboding shadows. This is the record of the assembly of the wicked passing their depraved judgment on the Lord, as they orchestrated the events that surrounded Jesus’ crucifixion. But as his immanent return speeds towards us, the mighty conquering judge will execute his righteous verdict with everlasting consequences for the evil ones.

Psalm 22:11-23
¹¹ Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
¹² Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
¹³ They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
¹⁶ For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
¹⁸ They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
¹⁹ But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
²¹ Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. [reem]
²² I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

In this Psalm, the wicked natures of those who brought about Jesus’ crucifixion are discernible in these obscene caricatures of the four winds of the host of heaven. These dark spectre’s of the Cherubim rejoiced in the Lord’s demise and death as they encircled him like dogs, ravening lions and gaping bulls, embodying the idol masks of Astrology. This was the peak of the power of this wicked assembly, but their time is past and their doom is sure. As verse 14 above tells us: Christ was “poured out like water,” which depicts him in this celestial context as the man of Aquarius, who pours the living waters of the gift of holy spirit into the saints. This also agrees with aspects of the common Hallel, as the last words of Psalm 118 rang throughout the Temple, during the Feast of Tabernacles in the last days of Christ’s ministry. We find this Biblical record in John 7.

John 7:37-44
³⁷In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ³⁸He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

³⁹(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) ⁴⁰Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, of
a truth this is the Prophet. ⁴¹Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? ⁴² Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? ⁴³So there was a division among the people because of him. ⁴⁴And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

It is Christ as the Crown and Apex, firstborn of all Creation, the Second Adam, who embodies the fullness of the Great Pyramid [Isa. 28:16], who completes the superstructure of both the physical [in Jerusalem] and spiritual Temples-body [spiritual body] of his churches in the Bride of Israel and the NT Church of the Believer’s in Christendom, [1Cor. 3, Eph. 2:18-22]. In this way, the light of heaven is shed on the earth in Christ, the Son/Sun of righteousness [Ps. 19] who rules over all Creation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. [Gen. 1:14-17]

I trust this will help with further insight into the celestial signs that marked the birth of Christ and how, as Rev. Jon Nessle has taught, they are the best scientific evidence for the truth of God and His word in existence.

Happy New Year and a Joyous 2024,
In Christ,
Agape’

Rene’

Footnotes

1. Jesus Christ our Promised Seed, VP Wierwille, p.
2. “The Star that Astonished the World” Dr. Ernest Martin, p.
3. Jesus Christ our Promised Seed, VP Wierwille, p. 70
4. IBID, Figure 1, Picture credit, p. 71.
4a. IBID.
5. IBID, Figure 2 picture credit, p. 61
a. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/star/Star System
b. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/star/Binary Star
c. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/star/main sequence
d. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/star/White dwarf
e. earthsky.org/…sky-measurements-degrees-arc-minutes-arc-seconds
f. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/star/Dwarf star
g. earthsky.org/…s/what-is-stellar-magnitude
h. earthsky.org/…s/stellar Classification
h.1. earthsky.org/…stellar Classification
h.2. IBID
i. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/star/Red Dwarf
j. atnf.ciro.au/…/astrophysics/binary types
k. earthsky.org/…/white-dwarfs-are-the-cores-of-dead-stars
l. sci.esa.int/web/gaia
m. Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid, p. 96-101, Bonnie Gaunt.
n. johnpratt.com/…lds/meridian/2001/4corners
o. IBID
p. IBID
q. IBID [https://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2001/4corners.html]
r. Figure 5 Picture credit; Witness of the Stars, p. 84, E.W. Bullinger.
s. Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid, p. 96-101, Bonnie Gaunt.
t. [pinterest.com]

Synopsis of the Celestial Prelude

Synopsis of the Celestial Prelude Pt. 1.

I’m very humbled and Thankful for the opportunity to teach in Rev. Jon Nessle’s current class on “The Witness of the Four Gospels“, to provide a Synopsis of the Celestial Prelude, and some of its more recent developments. These are the teaching notes of the presentation earlier this month for 12-5-23.

I want to introduce a subsequent aspect of Biblical Astronomy teachings, built upon the foundation of the Celestial Prelude of the last 22+ years. As we have referenced in the recent Timeline, where we began documenting the history of Celestial signs that led to the General Sign of the Coma Supernova starting in history after 200 BC. Part of my thesis states that this pattern of Celestial signs marking Christ’s first appearance, forms a blueprint for his return, his long-awaited Second Coming. A central aspect of living in the end-times is to be prepared for the Return of Christ–mankind’s Great and only Hope! Since the inception of this ongoing research project, the pattern of these celestial signs has come into sharper focus, as multiple historical accounts say, the General Sign of the Coma Supernova was visible to the naked eye for about 275 years. The Supernova explosion in the head of the woman’s child, in the Coma Decan amounted to a celestial prophecy of Christ’s first coming that would remake all history forever, for mankind! The appearance of this Coma Supernova sign that started God’s sacred celestial timepiece, unto the Specific signs ticking down to the birth of Christ! It is only fitting and logical that the Heavenly Father’s sacred timepiece set in the sky should also include the keys to the general timing of the appearance of Christ’s Return. Just as there was a general expectation in various cultural populations for the appearance at the Messiah’s birth, so there is in modern times, for his Return.

Frances Rolleston was perhaps the first in more modern times to recognize the signs surrounding the birth of Christ in her work “The Mazzaroth.” She included a section “Rolleston (1865, pt. 2, pp.104–106)#1 on The Bethlehem Star, stating that in about 125 BC a bright star appeared, so bright it was visible to the naked eye during the day. Rolleston also said that this event induced Hipparchus to make his star catalog about the same time. In his work-The Almagest, Ptolemy said it was Hipparchus’ discovery of the precession of the equinoxes that gave him the impetus to produce his Star Catalogue.” #2 We need to take a moment here to recognize the seismic influence Hipparchus and Ptolemy had on ancient Astronomy, and the involvement of both of these historical stalwarts speaks volumes to the legitimacy of the Coma Supernova.

Both of these giants where eyewitnesses to the Coma Supernova, and if there were two ancient astronomers one could choose to have as eyewitnesses of this Key event, these two all-stars would surely be on the guest list. Probably one of the greatest (and underrated) astronomers that ever lived, was Hipparchus of Rhodes. He is known to have been active at least from 147 –127BC, making him contemporary to the explosion of the Coma Supernova, as a recorded eye-witness to its appearance, c. 134 BC.

Hipparchus of Nicea

“Hipparchus is considered the greatest astronomical observer, and by some the greatest astronomer of classical antiquity. The majority of textbooks laud the accomplishments of Aristotle and Ptolemy, yet Hipparchus probably did more for the subject than any other Greek. Most of Ptolemy’s works are based on his ideas, yet Ptolemy is generally given credit because he perfected many of Hipparchus‘ concepts.

Over 200 years pass in Greek astronomy between Hipparchus and Claudius Ptolemy of Alexandria. Ptolemy basically took all of Greek astronomy and summarized it in his great book – The Almagest (meaning The Greatest), a total of 13 volumes, that became the “astronomical Bible” for centuries. In it, he expanded on all the great works of earlier astronomers and added some “finishing touches” to the geocentric model.”3

Needless to say, these two stalwarts of ancient astronomy had incalculable influence on the science of astronomy, and the fact that both these pillars of science were the leading influencers in opening the recognition of the Coma Supernova, in light of Christ’s birth speaks volumes in history.

A Church father named Ignatius, the apostolic father closest in time to the New Testament writers (died 107 A.D.) wrote of the star as follows: “(It was) a star which shone in heaven beyond all the stars, its newness caused excitement.”#4

Rolleston’s reference to Ignatius, one of the Church Fathers and the Bishop of Antioch, in about 69 AD, records that, “At the appearance of the Lord a star shone forth brighter than all other stars.”5 If we are careful not to confuse this Coma supernova reference with the planet Jupiter, we find evidence of visibility of a supernova still visible over 200 years after it was first seen as a marker of the general timeframe of Jesus’ birth. Seiss has more viable history on this point:

“Hipparchus about a hundred twenty-five years before Christ, [c. 128 BC] saw it [Coma supernova] as a new star, and was led by it to draw up his catalogue of stars. Ptolemy, about one hundred and fifty years after Christ, refers to it as having been observed by Hipparchus, but as having become so faint [c. 147 AD] as hardly to be any more discernible.”#6

Pliny the Elder wrote in 79 AD that Hipparchus suspected the fixed stars were not as fixed as other people thought. After all, Hipparchus had seen a new star in Coma appear from nowhere. He first recorded the equinox precession of the about 1 degree a century. #7

“She [Rolleston] was first modern not only to recognize the role these giants played in the history of astronomy with the Coma Supernova, but she also realized the role of the Zoroastrian Magi in the annals of the star, credited to Zoroaster.

Rolleston cited Arabian astronomer Albumazar describing the signs and “decans of Virgo with Virgo having two parts and 3 forms, saying in the 1st decan as the Persians and Egyptians teach-a young maiden arose, a pure and immaculate virgin in Arabic named Adrenedefa, holding in her hand two ears of corn, seated on a throne, nourishing an infant, whose Hebrew name was Ihesus, meaning to save, that the Greeks called Christos, or Christ, rising with the virgin. These figures, found in the Egyptian Planisphere [Dendera Zodiac-Plate 3] with the Virgin holding the ear of corn as Virgo, while Koma may be the original name seen in Coma, marking the Head of the infant, the Desired seed of the Woman. It was said Zoroaster predicted this star would appear in the figures of the Virgin.” #8

Since the Coma Supernova was preceded and followed by other notable star signs leading to Christ’s birth, it may behoove us to check for other celestial signs in the Celestial Encore that fit the blueprints we have uncovered in the Celestial Prelude. A key we might look for in this end-time pattern of celestial signs that fit the Celestial Prelude, logically would be signs according to an inverse order in which they took place the first time around. One example of this would involve the Coma Supernova being the first sign marking the start of a series of increasing celestial signs leading to Christ’s birth-as a Prelude. The complement of a Celestial Encore may include a supernova type sign taking place, not as a prelude, but as more of a sign leading to a Celestial finale, to mirror a series of concluding celestial signs reflecting in juxtaposition the birth of Christ.

As the Creator and God of the Heavens and Earth, our Heavenly Father saw fit to mark mankind’s long awaited deliverance, written in the circle of the stars, by the celestial transition at Spring equinox/vernal point, to open the Age of Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. He also marked the celestial signs surrounding the birth of the Christ, with a unique series of triple planetary unions, involving Jupiter-Saturn triple conjunctions of 7 BC. This would be the last Jupiter triple conjunction to mark the actual signs of Christ’s birth four years later in 3-2 BC.

As a genuine “mandate from heaven,” these celestial signs ordained from the Hand of the Creator, mark the long awaited fulcrum of all history, and decisive epoch of the coming of the promised seed, near the inception point of the Age of Pisces, in 7 BC. As the heavenly signs of the birth of Christ unfold in a true extent of their scope and structure, we can only stand in humble awe and reverence as they testify to God’s omniscient Power and Love. The Power and Glory of His creation reveals His three-fold light as He shed it forth for all the faithful, in the heavens, in the Scriptures, and in Christ– God’s word made flesh, to enlighten the Earth. Some persistent questions in this field include: How did the Magi’s trip to Jerusalem come about? The impetus for this question seems to first arise with the Prophet Daniel, and the actions he took to convey these keys to the Zoroastrian Magi, especially with the arrival of the Coma Supernova, followed by the afore-mentioned Jupiter-Saturn triple union in 7 BC. This led to the recognition of the actual signs of Christ’s birth, with the Triple union of Jupiter-Regulus in 3-2BC. The science of our method is not based on corrupt divinations of astrology, but agrees with our study precepts that guide us in our Biblical Astronomy Research Principles.

Let’s take a brief overview of both General and Specific signs of the Celestial Prelude. Its General sign, was visible to the naked eye for over 200 years, while the celestial signs from 7-5 BC, focus on the triple Conjunction of Jupiter–Saturn during this time.

The General Sign

The premise of a Celestial Prelude is based on the simple fact that God would not ordain the long-awaited birth of His only begotten son, the eternal purpose of the ages, without a little advanced notice. This prelude has two parts, the first general the 2nd specific. The confusion of these two separate aspects of the Celestial Prelude has perplexed many in their search for truth surrounding the “Star of Bethlehem.” A good question to approach this topic of the first part of the Celestial prelude is;

Where did the popular idea of a single bright star, obvious to everyone, marking the birth of Christ originate? The answer to this question is found in what I call the General Sign of the Celestial Prelude, which alerted the Magi to the broad period of time when the promised seed would appear. The first decan, or subordinate sign of Virgo was first called “Coma,” meaning; he desired or longed for, as seen in the Book of Haggai.

Haggai 2:7

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. 9

In his book Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger documents the perversion of the meaning of the sign 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 embodied the desired one of the nations. It was in this decan of Virgo that around 132-125 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. 10

This idea of a supernova being part of the celestial pageantry marking the birth of Christ, is not without precedent. We should be aware of Johannes Kepler’s exploits regarding a link he made between conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn, and a supernova. In October of 1604 the great German astronomer Johannes Kepler observed the movements of Jupiter and Saturn as they neared union with Mars, near the head of Ophiuchus. He noted simultaneously a supernova
was visible over the next two years in the heel of Ophiuchus. This brilliant new star later became known as “Kepler’s Nova,” and he wondered if the Magi had seen a similar event, when he recalled elements of an old rabbinical commentary by Abrabanel on the Book of Daniel, that referenced a significance for Israel, of Jupiter-Saturn Conjunctions in Pisces. We find evidence of this from Richard H. Allen concerning these planetary Conjunctions of 7 BC in this reference:

“Within their boundaries (of Pisces) took place three distinct unions of Jupiter and Saturn in the year 747 of Rome, – the year to which for a long time was assigned Christ’s birth; these phenomena strikingly agreeing in some of their details with Saint Matthew’s account of the Star of Bethlehem. The view that these planetary appearances guided the Magi in their visit to Judea was first advanced by the celebrated Kepler… It was the Rabbis that held the tradition, recorded by Abrabanel in the 15th Century, that a similar Conjunction occurred in Pisces three years previous to the birth of Moses, and they anticipated another at their Messiah’s advent.”11

Following the triple Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the specific signs of the Celestial Prelude was a unique triangular massing of planets. Kepler refers to the Feb. 25th, 6BC triangular massing of planets; Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, as the “decisive Conjunction of 6 BC that opened our precessional age of Pisces.” As we noted, Kepler also boosted the idea of the impetus for the Magi trip to Judea was initiated at the arrival of this series of Conjunctions. This could make him a larger presence in the history of Astronomy, even more than what he is already accredited with, because of the spiritual nature of this insight. As we will see regarding the birth of Moses, Jupiter-Saturn unions in general and especially a triple Conjunction, held a special signification for Israel, but they were not limited to Pisces. This misconception has led to confusion in marking the signs of Moses’ birth, but once this is realized we find great unity in the signs prior to the births of Abraham, Moses and Christ. Kepler was also intrigued by the idea that there might be an affinity between this series of planetary unions, marked by the appearance of the 1603 supernova. At the same time, Kepler doubted these signs would have marked the actual birth of the Messiah, since another Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction akin to this occurred a few months later, as part of a triple union. Although Kepler recognized some of the potential critical nature of these signs in relation to the coming of the Messiah, he did not discern between what I am terming as the general and Specific signs leading up to the birth of Christ. This contributed to his confusion regarding how these general signs could mark the birth of Christ, as it will for anyone who fails to make this key distinction. It is important to notice that Kepler was not only the first I am aware of, to suggest a planetary Conjunction scenario to explain the “Star of Bethlehem,” but he was also the first to connect a supernova with these unions and relate it to what the Magi had seen.

E.W. Bullinger uncovers below, the popular belief regarding this general sign that was prevalent in and before the first century BC: “a traditional prophecy well known in the East, carefully preserved and handed down, that a new star would appear in this sign [Coma] when he whom it foretold, would be born.” ¹²
This tradition was at least partially based on Balaam’s declaration in Numbers 24, meaning that Balaam’s prophecy holds, for our purposes, minimally a twofold import.

Numbers 24:17

17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.¹³

First, Balaam’s revelation refers to the advent of Christ the King, the ascendant bright and Morning Star, who came forth out of Jacob’s genealogical line. This genealogical or “Christ-line was marked astronomically by common cases of Jupiter-Saturn triple conjunctions seen at both the births of Abraham and Christ, both marked by the king planet. Secondly, there is a celestial double meaning in the phrase: Star out of Jacob, with links for both the general and specific aspects of our Celestial Prelude. The new star–supernova in the head of the toddler in Coma’s lap; visible for over 200 years, was the general sign, the Star out of Jacob, that prepared the Magi to watch for the specific aspects of the second part of the Celestial Prelude, which included the Jupiter-Saturn triple union of 7 BC in Pisces. We find this second aspect of Balaam’s prophecy relating to the scepter, symbolic of the reign of the king planet-Jupiter. As we progress in our study, it’s evident that Jupiter was the planet the Magi called “his Star” in Matthew 2:2. The Magi had noted the triple union of signs in 7 BC, involving Jupiter and Saturn, that gave them a blueprint for the actual signs marking Christ’s birth, that also involved a triple conjunction of Jupiter starting in 3 BC. An early sign in August of 3 BC motivated them to begin their caravan to Jerusalem. The study on “The Stars Over Bethlehem,” shows more detail on the Magi’s observations at the Messiah’s birth, both in Virgo and Coma. As the verse in Haggai 2:7, teaches specifically in the 2nd part of the verse that states: “And I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.” Haggai’s prophecy here refers directly to not only the future glorified Temple, as we find later in the context of Haggai 2, but also with NT hindsight to the spiritual body of Christ as the temple of the Lord. [I Cor. 3:9-17, Eph. 2:18-22]

Haggai 2:9
The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of Hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts. 14

Eusebius, a scholarly church historian of the early fourth century, evidently made a considerable study of literature available from the centuries before him, and came to this conclusion about the star.”15 He references a quote on what eyewitnesses saw during the time of Christ’s birth as follows: “We saw how an indescribably great star shone among these stars and dimmed them so that they no longer shone, and so we knew that a King was born for Israel.

This is revealing in a historical light, when we consider that in the years after the Magi’s visit to Jerusalem, shekels from Judea struck during the period of the second revolt, [132 AD.] bore the design of a bright star over Jerusalem’s Temple, called Bar Kaukab, or Son of the Star. Historically, this was a reference to the Jewish leader of an uprising against Rome at the time, but the truth cut into these coins remains the bright star in the sky over the temple!#16 This supports and commemorates the arrival of the Coma supernova appearing in the head of the infant son in Coma’s lap, the desired of the nations, circa 134 BC aligning with Hipparchus’ sighting of the Coma Supernova. It is Christ as the chief corner-stone who glorifies the New Jerusalem as the light of the world, and these coins engraved images honors the traditional prophecy of a general sign pertaining to this new star, shining in the head of the glorified Christ-child. These proofs show a fresh start in the study the “Star of Bethlehem,” revealing great hidden truths. Once we distinguish between the general and specific signs marking the birth of Christ, most of the confusion that plagues this topic will be removed.

Modern Science has also progressed significantly of late, to fill in gaps in our ken of Supernova’s. Traditional supernova’s experience a very bright and powerful explosion, which has been thought of a a singular event, but this overlooks the likelihood of a Recurrent Novae. Recurrent novae – are “defined as systems with more than one recorded nova outburst. There are few members of the new the Recurrent novae subclass: at this point in research, just ten,” one of which [RS Oph] has a documented history of at least eight multiple outbursts, from 1898 to 2021, a 123-year period.#17 Recurrent novae repeat the nova process over a much shorter period-about every 10 to 150 years, while nova outbursts are thought to repeat on much longer timescales of potentially over 1000+ years.

Figure 1. The Recurrent Nova RS Oph. 18

RS Oph about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. In its quiet phase it has an apparent magnitude of about 12.5. It has been observed to erupt in 1898, 1933, 58′, 67′, 1985, 2006 and 2021, reaching a magnitude of about 5 on average. 14/38 Thus, in the six eruptions of RS Oph over the last 125 years, this Recurrent Supernova in Ophiuchus has exploded on average nearly every 21 years.

If the Coma Supernova was recurrent for a period of about 250+ years, from c. 134 BC to about 147 AD, it would explain the sequence of events described in history according to modern scientific evidence, with the reputable references we have cited. Ancient records only tally naked eye-visibility of the Coma Supernova, not potential fluctuation due to multiple eruptions of a Recurrent Supernova, as this was not part of the “new stars” concept at the time. As we find in Figure 1 above, the effect of the supernova eruption described by Eusebius above from extra-biblical sources refer to “a great star that shone among these stars and dimmed them so that they no longer shone…” is indeed evident resulting from recurrent eruptions of the Oph Recurrent Supernova, seen above-adding weight to this hypothesis.

In Isa. 9:6, one of the great prophecies of the birth of the promised seed-Jesus Christ, used of the Messiah was Sar-Shalom; the Prince of Peace, the one who brings true and genuine Peace to all Creation [Eph. 2:11-22]. It is also used of Prince Moses in Ex. 2:16. According to Hislop, The Chaldean version of this word; “Zer,” meaning “to encompass” gives us not only the English basis for: “Zero signified by a circle among the Chaldeans,” but also Zero; “the seed.” Thus, it relates to the Hebrew word zera [*H2233] #19 used in prophetic and Messianic references to Jesus Christ’s birth-promised seed in Gen. 3:15, to the end the Chaldean word for the “woman’s promised seed” was “Zero-ashta,” also forming the basis of the name Zoroaster.

We should note that in the prophecies of Zoroastrianism in the Zend-Avesta, the predicted return of Zoroaster was a savior who would renew all existence in preparation for the Last Judgment. These references to the woman’s promised seed point directly to the general sign of the Celestial Prelude. Hislop also notes:
“In almost all nations, not only was a great god known under the name of Zero or Zer; the seed, and a great goddess under the name of Ashta or Ishta; the woman, but the great god Zero is frequently characterized by some epithet which implies that he is The only One.” #20 This evidence provides a strong basis for a direct correlation to the decan Coma, the seed who was the desired of the nations, especially in view of the Supernova in this child’s [Christos] head of Coma as seen in the Dendera Zodiac, marked as the promised seed, in the general sign of the Celestial Prelude. The implication that the promised seed of the woman would be the only one, speaks to the truth that Christ is the Alpha and Omega, or the first and last way God made available for the redemption of Mankind.

Coma, “the desired of all nations,” occupies the first one-third portion of Virgo’s ecliptic arc. Even though the modern name associated with this decan is Coma Berenices, depicted as a woman with a hank of hair, the true picture (according to star names and history) is a woman holding a child on her lap. Even Shakespeare referred to it that way. She is also depicted so on the Denderah zodiac of Egypt, dated approximately 2300 BC. Coma validates Virgo’s message about the promised child. From the very first position on the ecliptic, God displays His Son in a portrayal of His birth—and virgin conception. #21

Coma Berenices: NGC 4414

NGC 4414, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. #22a

The ancient star names in Coma identify the seated woman as “a pure and immaculate virgin,” “the virgin who carries,” and “who bears.” Another star name identifies the child as “the Branch.” Clearly, Coma represents the virgin; and her child, “the desired of all nations,” is the highly favored and exceedingly blessed coming One (the offspring of Virgo’s womb). There is evidence that Coma possibly housed the star of Bethlehem. Several astronomers from different countries recorded that a new star, or supernova, ignited about the time of Jesus of Nazareth’s birth—and this star was visible into His earthly life.[i] This is more compelling testimony that He is Messiah. Some believe that a supernova reportedly appeared in the constellation of Coma in the child’s head. #22b

Figure 1. The Decan of Virgo-Coma. #23

The decan of Coma appears as the three bright stars forming the inverted “L” shape, that significantly contains the North Galactic Pole, located 5 degrees west of Beta Coma. This is interesting in light of the original star picture linked with this decan, as seen in the Dendera Zodiac, of a mother holding her Son in her lap, “the Desired of the Nations,” [Figure 1, above]. The close proximity of the North Galatic Pole, recalls the image of Cepheus “the crowned king” who regally sits above the Celestial Pole star–polaris, embodies Christ the king seated heaven at God’s right hand of the Heavenly Father, [Eph. 1:20-23].

The Stars of the “L” shaped Decan Coma. #24

The roots of their knowledge of the Promised Seed trace to the monotheistic teachings of Zoroaster. A second man of the same name was said to have coexisted with Daniel in the reign of “Darius the Mede” in the 5th – 6th Centuries. We find a reason for their joy, in Rolleston’s quoting of Abulfaragius below:
“Zeradusht {Zoroaster} taught the Persians that in the latter times a virgin should bring forth a son, and that when he should be born a star should appear, and should shine and be conspicuous in the midst of the figure of the virgin. It is then said that he commanded his disciples, the Magi, when they should see the star, that they should go forth where it directed them, and offer gifts to him that should be born.”#25 (emphasis mine)

This confirms what we have already seen in Zoroastrian writings concerning the coming of the promised seed. The Magi would certainly have been joyfully awestruck when they realized the dual witness of the supernova in Virgo’s 1st decan of Coma, along with “his star,” the king planet Jupiter at rest in the mid-section of Virgo, on their way to Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy written in the stars, and established by their teachers, Zoroaster and the prophet Daniel.

A graphic rendition of this is found in our banner at the top of this blog post. It shows both the general sign of the Celestial Prelude next to the specific sign of Jupiter in Virgo, standing still @ zenith over Bethlehem, on winter Solstice as the Sun was standing still, as the Magi testified to the Creator’s precision, with the Rhythm of His star cycles in perfect harmony, bringing the Magi to their appointed rendezvous and destiny as witnesses of His purpose of the ages, the foretold Messianic arrival of the redeemer of Mankind.

The Coma supernova set the stage for the triple union of Jupiter-Saturn in 7BC leading to the birth of Christ. This union in Pisces also marked a transition in the ages of the precession of the equinoxes, from the Age of Aries to the Age of Pisces. This was not only the case in ancient Israel but the world-views of many ancient cultures including, Sumeria, Babylon, Egypt, Persia & Meso-Americas, all held similar views. According to this pattern, Jupiter-Saturn triple unions occur in Pisces only once every 800 years, showing how this series subdivides the precession, totaling a period of about 25,000+ years. Since every 30 cycles of Jupiter-Saturn triple unions in Pisces totals a period of 24,000 years, this period is near enough to the full cycle of precession, to warrant our focused attention. The new Precessional Age was highlighted because for the prior 2160 years, Aries was the sign wherein the Sunrise took place on the Spring equinox.

The Triple union of Jupiter-Saturn in 7BC marked the first time that the Sun arose in the Sign of Pisces, on the Spring equinox, signifying a new Precessional Age, the Age of Pisces. Over 2000 years has already passed since this opening of the Piscean Age, and the Birth of Christ that occurred 4 years later. The Sign of Pisces contains 2 fish, one swims to the North Pole, vertically and the other on the horizon along the ecliptic. The fish representing the houses of Judah and Israel, showing the Promised Seed will come out of the Royal House of Judah. Jesus Christ would be a Son of Adam, Abraham and David to fulfill all righteousness.

The fullness of the gap between the sufferings of the Lord, seen during his first coming, and his glorious return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords continues 8 to take place now in the Piscean Age. Finally, this triple Conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in Pisces gave the Magi all they needed to identify the signs marking the birth of Christ when the triple union of Jupiter-Regulus took place in Leo, starting on Sept. 14th, in the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This overview of Bible and Celestial History, beautifully encapsulates how God utilized the Natural Law witness in the heavens, coordinated with Divine Scripture, conclusively, to reveal in increasing detail, the identity of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

As Hebrews 11:3 tells us;
Heb 11:3 Through faith [G4102] we understand [G3539] that the [G3588] worlds [G165] were framed [G2675] by the word [G4487] of God, [G2316] so that things which are seen [G991] were not [G3361] made [G1096] of [G1537] things which do appear. [G5316]

”worlds” [G165 aion] ages of time were repaired, or set back in order by the individual spoken Words [G4487 rhema] of God. #26

According to Jon Nessle’s teaching, we can trace the Audible Spoken Words of God in Scripture at the inception of each Spiritual Administration, “framed” [G2675–katartizo] means; to establish, set up, arrange, complete, perfect, finish, refit, repair, mend. #27 [I Cor. 1:10, Gal. 6:1, I Thess. 3:10]

Each of the seven Biblical administrations represents a step closer in the progression towards the total reparation of temporal ages, thrown into chaos by Lucifer’s revolt in the 1st Heaven and Earth. As Entropy Law was instituted, resulting from the disobedience of Adam and Eve, the enemy became a “Time Lord” in the kingdoms of this world. Entropy Law, also known as the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, or “Time’s Arrow,” dictates a degradation of all matter in Creation, inexorably moving from higher degrees of order to lower states of order. Thus, the palpable effect of the release of sin nature on Creation, was realized [Rom. 8:19-23]. The Creator is the only One Who could reclaim the rule of the Temporal World, from Eternity past, He set His plan in motion to be carried out in Jesus Christ. Each Spiritual Administration/ Age, brings Man closer to the Return of Paradise in Christ, where God’s order is restored forever. In this way Christ is seen as consummation of the ages, the center and embodiment of God’s plan to repair the damage done by the enemy’s revolt, with the fall of man. As all history turns upon the Messiah– the axis of temporal order [BC/AD], so the faithful look to the Messianic prophecies of his appearing in believing for the restoration of the Ages.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this teaching on Tune-in-Tuesday which took place 12-12-23, with the teaching notes to be posted soon!

God Bless and Merry Christmas,

Rene’

Footnotes

1. The Mazzaroth, Frances Rolleston (1865, pt. 2, pp. 104–106)
2. IBID.
3. IBID.
4. IBID.
5. The Mazzaroth, Frances Rolleston
6. Gospel in the Stars, Joseph Seiss
7. IDID
8. The Mazzaroth, Frances Rolleston
9. KJV. Haggai 2:7
10. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger
11. Star Names, their Lore and Meaning, Richard H. Allen
12. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger
13. KJV. Numbers 24:17
14. KJV. Haggai 2:9
15. Men of Science, Men of God, Dr. Henry Morris.
16. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/coins-from-the-second-revolt
17. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/recurrent-nova-rs-ophiuchi-just-blew-its-top/
18. IBID
19. Strong’s Concordance–zera [*H2233], James Strong.
20. The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop
21. [https://lmci.org/constellations.cfm?subdir=LMCI_Sky_Culture]
22a. IBID
22b. Picture credit; Coma Berenices: NGC 4414
23. IBID, Figure 1. Picture credit
24. https://atam.org/virgo-coma-speaks-part-2/
25. The Mazzaroth, Frances Rolleston
26. Strong’s Concordance-[G165 aion], [G4487 rhema], James Strong.
27. IBID-[G2675–katartizo]

The Eclipse Menorah of 2014 to 2027.

Welcome to the November 2023 Blog everyone! This month’s study is a follow- up on the Oct. “Ring of Fire” study, with added insights relative to the recent Hamas attacks in Israel, in a recent historical context to shed added light on these events. We will look not only at Israel’s recent history of conflict with its Muslim neighbors, but also the astronomical history of this period, from Israel’s Independence, and reclamation of Jerusalem through recent/current celestial signs through 2034. The graphic below shows the a bird’s eye view of world eclipses from 2024 to 2034. The pattern of focus here concerns eclipses crossing in the USA, as their paths intersect the eclipses that are due to cross in the middle east from 2027-2034.

To show the true rarity of total solar eclipses, in a 20-year span, the 2017 USA eclipse “X” stands in similarity to the amazing “X” resulting in the Mideast eclipses (USA ring of Fire is not pictured). The symmetry of X’s in the USA
and Middle east Judgment eclipses are unique historically, as seen in the relationship between the Blood Moon Tetrads of 2014-2016 and 2033-2034.

Figure 1. Recent World Eclipses #1

An important aspect of this study is to understand what I’m terming as an Eclipse Menorah of 2014 to 2027. The Ends of an “Eclipse Menorah” seem to appear in the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad as they extend to the 2033-2034 Blood Moon Tetrad.

During the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, we find the backdrop and context for the Northern Polar Eclipses that bracket the eclipse activity between the North Pole 3-20-2015 @ Spring Equinox during 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad- 2259 days from its Center Point Blood Moon on May, 26^th 2021. The other end of this Menorah of Eclipses is found in the 2033-2034 Blood Moon Tetrad, also with an Equinox Total Solar Eclipse on March 20th, 2034, likewise 2259 days from the center point eclipse on May, 26^th 2021. These eclipses are the outer extremes of this Menorah, but they do not “take place in a vacuum” or without context. Thus it is profitable to be aware of the historical context of the recent history of Israel to gain further insight into current events.

Total Solar Eclipse at the North Pole: 3-20-2015 on Spring Equinox.

During the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 Israel was involved in war with Hamas. The report below is from Wikipedia on July 19, 2014, during Israel’s third war against Hamas. A densely populated neighborhood of Gaza City was Shijaiyah, that the army said Hamas had transformed into a “terrorist fortress,” filled with tunnels, rocket launchers and booby traps. As Israeli forces pushed into Shijaiyah, a jumble of squat concrete buildings and narrow alleys, the army said militants unleashed a barrage of automatic gun-fire, anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. This Hamas terrorist assault against Israel in 2014 preceded the current invasion by nearly 9 years, that took place between the Passover and Sukkot Holy days marked by Total Blood Moon Lunar Eclipses on 4/15/2014 and 10/8/2014.

The battle came on the third day of a ground offensive that had been preceded by a 10-day air campaign. Then, as now, Palestinian civilians had been told to leave the neighborhood. Then, as now, many stayed, either because Hamas told them to or because they had nowhere else to go. Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, launched an attack inside Israel over a month ago, on Oct. 7^th, 2023 killing hundreds while abducting 200+ hostages. An unprecedented border breach sent terrorists inside border communities to assault women and children with the families at a peaceful music fest, shocked Israel and its allies. The 2014 attack by Hamas described above, preceded the most recent and much more brutal incursion by Hamas over a month ago, on the 50-year anniversary of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. #2

April 15th, 2014 Opening Blood Moon of the 2014-2015 Tetrad

A key aspect of the opening the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad was the Mars-Spica triple conjunction in Virgo. This was based on the retrograde motion of Mars in Virgo’s womb, as seen above during which Mars passed the star Spica three times in Virgo, foreshadowing the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Spica in Virgo’s womb in 2017. The Mars-Spica triple conjunction in Virgo occurred as
a result of the 3rd Mars Retrograde in Virgo, seen above on the 1st Blood Moon of the Tetrad starting on Apr 15, 2014. This put the 1st Blood Moon of the Tetrad between the 2nd and 3rd Mars-Spica union. The dates of this Mars-Spica triple union in Virgo are as follows:

Mars-Spica #1: Feb 1st, 2014 in Virgo
Mars-Spica #2: March 27th, 2014 in Virgo
Mars-Spica #3: June 13th, 2014 in Virgo

The opening Blood Moon of the 2014-2015 Tetrad took place April 15th, 2014 marking the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. What is fascinating here is that Mars in retrograde not only marks the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrads, but also the previous two Blood Moon Tetrads in 1949-50 and 1967-68! In addition, the triple planetary conjunctions linked with the Mars’ retrograde also mark all three sets of modern Blood Moon Tetrads according to the pattern of the Celestial Sphinx–with signs in both Virgo and Leo as follows,
in a reverse timeline:

Mars-Spica #1: Jan. 20th, 1967 in Virgo
Mars-Spica #2: Apr. 20th, 1967 in Virgo
Mars-Spica #3: July 4th, 1967 in Virgo

The Second 1967 Mars-Spica union took place 4 days before Passover. Here Mars-Michael the warrior archangel stands strong in battle against the Muslim terrorist enemies of Israel, not only in the 6-day war, but also in the previous war for Israel’s Independence, as seen in the triple conjunction of Mars-Regulus in Leo in 1947-48′. Israeli defense forces [IDF] recaptured Jerusalem and the Temple Mount on June 7th, 1967, 6 weeks after the 2nd Mars-Spica union in Virgo.

The first modern Blood Moon Tetrad marking Israel’s Independence was highlighted by a Mars-Regulus Triple union in Leo as follows:

Mars-Regulus #1: Nov. 28th, 1947 in Leo
Mars-Regulus #2: Feb. 18th, 1948 in Leo
Mars-Regulus #3: May 19th, 1948 in Leo

Israel’s 70+ years as a State began in May, 1948. This was marked in the sky by a Mars-Regulus Triple union in Leo, along with the first of the modern Blood Moon Tetrads in 1949-50. The Third Mars-Regulus union took place 5 days after Israel’s Declaration of Independence on May 14th 1948. These 3 dates are all linked with a Mars retrograde, showing a history of Bible prophecy. The Retrograde of Mars started on March 10th, 1967 and moved into a visual sight alignment with the Star Spica of Virgo on Jan. 20th, April 20th and July 4th of 1967. During this period, Mars entered at the head of Virgo on Nov. 17th 1966, while moving in its regular motion on a parallel path to the ecliptic, until starting its retrograde just below Virgo’s knee on March 20th, 1967. With its reversal of motion, Mars came into its first visual alignment and conjunction with Spica, Jan. 20th, 1967, while Mars was in its retrograde loop return, it aligned with Spica again on April 20th, 1967. Finally, Mars ended retrograde, on May 28th, 1967 returning to its normal motion on Pentecost, June 5th, 1967- 2 days before Israel recaptured Jerusalem for the first time in over 2000 years!

As we consider the dates of the inception of Israel’s statehood in 1948, and it’s related 1948 borders, compared to when Israel recaptured Jerusalem in 1967, Israel’s land gains are notable. The biggest change to Israel’s frontiers in 1967, after the Six Day War left Israel holding the Sinai peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and most of the Syrian Golan Heights – effectively tripling the size of territory under Israel’s control.

Israel’s declaration of Independence.

The first Mars retrograde marked the Mars-Regulus triple conjunction in 1947-1948. The closest Super-Moon since Jan. 31st, 2016 Super-Blood Moon fell between the 1st and 2nd Mars-Regulus union in Leo, on Jan. 26th, 1948. In view of the link to the 1948/eclipse comet and the forming of Israel’s state, we find an emphasis on the 70-year period from 1948-2018. The last 7 years of this period are highlighted by the Super-Moon/soli-lunar eclipse signs, while marking the Hebrew Jubilee of 5777.

The Third Mars-Regulus union took place 5 days after Israel’s Declaration of Independence on May 14^th, 1948. The 1948 Eclipse Comet appeared ahead of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 1949-50 near the eclipsed sun, as if the Sun was holding a sword. The comet’s position passing through Hydra-the Serpent destroyed, this sword was raised against the serpent-enemy persecuting Israel. As a prelude to the 1949-50 Blood Moon Tetrad, this Eclipse Comet brought attention to the luni-solar Eclipse Tetrads that would also occur in 1967-68, marking Israel’s re-taking of Jerusalem, along with the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015.

The first Mars retrograde marked the first modern Blood Moon Tetrad in 1947-48 in Leo, with a Mars-Regulus triple conjunction. The following 2 Mars retrogrades marked the next 2 Blood Moon Tetrads in Virgo, in 1967 & 2014 with 2 sets of triple planetary conjunctions of Mars-Spica. Here we find an emphasis on the Alpha and Omega eclipses of the Hebrew Mazzaroth as seen
in the Celestial Sphinx signs leading to the replay of the Rev. 12 sign in Virgo.

On 19 June 1967, shortly after the Six-Day War, the Israeli government voted to return the Sinai to Egypt and the Golan Heights to Syria in exchange for a permanent peace settlement and a demilitarization of the returned territories. #3 ^[75]^[76]^[77] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War]

On the Hebrew Jubilee calendar of 49 years [7×7] plus one year for the 50^th year of Jubilee, the Yom Kippur War, or “October War” took place in 1973. The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War,^[60] the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from 6th to Oct 25th 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. Most of the combat between the two sides took place in the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights—both of which were reclaimed by Israel with fighting in African-Egypt and north Israel. ^[61]^[62]^[^page needed^]

Egypt’s initial objective in the war was to seize a foothold on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal and subsequently leverage these gains to negotiate return of the rest of the Israeli-held Sinai Peninsula.^[63]^[64]^[65]^[66]The war began on October 6^th 1973, when the Arab coalition jointly launched a surprise attack against Israel, as the Arabs violated their previous treaty, on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, that had occurred during the 10th day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in that year.^[67] The Yom Kippur War had far-reaching implications; the Arab world experienced humiliation in the lop-sided rout of the Egyptian–Syrian–Jordanian alliance in 1967. The Israelis recognized that there was no guarantee that they would always dominate the Arab states militarily, as they had done previously throughout the First, Second &
Third Arab–Israeli Wars; these changes paved the way for the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. At the 1978 Camp David Accords that followed the war, Israel returned the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, resulting in the 1979 Egyptian–Israeli peace treaty, marking the first instance that an Arab country accepted
Israel as a legitimate state. During the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel captured Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, roughly half of Syria’s Golan Heights, and the territories of the West Bank which had been held by Jordan since 1948.^[74] #4

The current hostilities were initiated by Hamas on Oct. 7^th of 2023 on the 50^th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a seemingly planned assault designed to coincide with Israel’s holy days, as this history observes. This violence aligns with some notable celestial activity on the front end of this Menorah of Solar and Lunar signs over a 14–year period from the Spring Equinox Eclipse at the North pole on 3/20 2015, 2259 days from the Center point Super-Blood Moon Eclipse on May 26^th, 2021, to the Total Solar Eclipse on August 2^nd, 2027– also 2259 days after the central May 26^th, 2021 Eclipse! “This August 2^nd, 2027 sign crosses over the March 20^th, 2034 Total eclipse, intersecting Egypt over Luxor, also separated by a 2422-day span [7 Eclipse Years]. As the American Total eclipses from 2017-2024 also both occur on Mondays, and are separated by the same 2422-day span, with all four crossing lunar eclipse signs belonging to the same Eclipse type of family.” #5

These signs form celestial brackets around 3 matched sets of stunning Eclipses symmetrically based around a common center point of May 26, 2021, from 2015-2027. Even as the Spring Equinox Eclipse @ the North Pole is part of the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad, so also the August 2^nd, Total Solar Eclipse frames a near Blood Moon Tetrad of 2025-2026.

The Near Lunar Tetrad of 2025-2026; #6

March 14^th,2025, Total Lunar Eclipse
Sept. 7^th, 2025, Total Lunar Eclipse
March 3^rd, 2026, Total Lunar Eclipse
August 12^th, 2026 Partial Lunar Eclipse

This Blood Moon Lunar Tetrad consists of the first of 2 Total Lunar Eclipses in 2026, initially occurring on Tuesday, March 3^rd, 2026, after which the August 12^th, 2026 Partial Lunar Eclipse occurs. As the 3^rd eclipse in a near Tetrad, the March 3^rd, 2026 Eclipse is preceded by a March 14^th,2025, Total Lunar Eclipse, followed by the Sept. 7^th, 2025, Total Lunar Eclipse. As the final Lunar Eclipse in this near Lunar Tetrad of 2025-2026, the 8-12-2026, partial Solar eclipse falls 1904 days after the central super Blood Moon on May 26, 2021. This links to the March 9^th, 2016 Total Solar Eclipse that also fell 1904 days prior to the central super Blood Moon on May 26, 2021. This 2016 total solar eclipse on March 9^th, was part of a lunar sextet of signs following the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Lunar eclipse series.

The next 2 corresponding eclipses in this Menorah are the subject of my Oct. 2023 blog that cross to form the Alpha/Omega eclipses of 2017 and 2024. These Pan-American eclipses, are separated by 1211 days [3.5 eclipse years] each for a total of 2422 days [7 eclipse years]. The Aug. 2^nd, 2027 eclipse over the Nile river and eastern Saudi Arabia, will be the longest eclipse of the 21^st century, forming an “X” marking middle eastern boundaries, will be visible in Israel.

Figure 2. Eclipse Crossing over the Middle East 2027-2034. #7

Map from 1260d.com website. The epicenter of the Cross is southeast of Luxor, home of the Pharoahs, on the Tropic of Cancer. The pattern, as in the USA eclipses is the cross, or the X—Tav in Hebrew, Christ in Greek.

These eclipses occur on the 19-year Metonic just as Spring Solar Equinox eclipses match calendar days of 3-20-2015 and 3-20-2034. A lunar tetrad occurs in 2023 and 2033 and a High Holy day tetrad occurs in the years 2033 and 2034 (though the eclipses will not be total in 2034). In each case,
an important solar eclipse occurring on the Spring Equinox takes place between lunar eclipses on the high holy days of Judaism. #8

The precise midpoint of the 2017 and 2024 USA eclipses was Dec. 14, 2020. This date appears to be a US political center of activity, as on this day, between 10am-5pm Eastern time, the Electoral College certified Joe Biden & Kamala Harris as President and Vice-President of the United States of America. A key Monday Total Solar eclipse was perfectly centered between two Total Solar eclipses, as the political administration that oversaw the division of the USA, was installed to close the American Century from 1918-2017, written in eclipse shadows across US borders. This however is not the only importance of this date as Dec. 14^th, 2020 also witnessed a Hannukah Total Solar Eclipse, as an-other center point eclipse not only for the Pan American Eclipses of 2017-2024, with 1211 days between each eclipse, but a spiritual view of a Hannukah eclipse is established the next year on Dec. 4^th, 2021 with another Hannukah Total Solar eclipse, a lunar year or 355 days later. An Eclipse on Hannukah represents the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, by lighting candles on the Menorah embodied in these seven eclipses!

This central date of Dec. 14^th, 2020 represents the center candle of a Menorah of Eclipses-two Pan American eclipses from 8-21-17 to 4-8-24, each separated by 7 eclipse seasons–1211 days– in either direction brings you the USA Eclipse Judgments (which themselves are exactly 7 eclipse years apart). Seven eclipse seasons is 3-1/2 eclipse years … 34 months to the day before the USA’s Ring of Fire eclipse, last month on 10/14/2023. This represents a Base Menorah of three eclipse-branches, as a foundation to a regular seven-Branched Eclipse Menorah, centered on May 26th, 2021 Central super Blood Moon.

The remaining three pair of eclipses form the entire symmetry of this Seven- branched Eclipse Menorah over the following 14 years:

1. 3-20-2015 Total Solar eclipse 2259 days before the central May 26th Blood Moon is paired w/ Aug. 2nd, 2027 Total Solar Eclipse 2259 days after May 26th.

2. 3-9-2016 Total Solar Eclipse 1904 days before the central May 26th Blood Moon is paired w/ 8-12-2026 Total Solar Eclipse 1904 days after May 26th, 2021.

3. 7-2-2019 Total Solar Eclipse 694 days before the central May 26th Blood Moon is paired w/ 4-20-23 Total Solar Eclipse 694 days after May 26th, 2021.

As we look forward to December and the Hannukah Holiday Season, we can be mindful of how the Almighty Creator has installed the perfection of His patterns in His Creation of the cycles of the Heavens and Earth.

God Bless!

Rene’

Footnotes

1. Figure 1 Picture credit, [https://eclipsewitness.com/eclipse-judgment-series]
2. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War]
3. IBID
4. IBID
5. [https://eclipsewitness.com/eclipse-judgment-series]
6. IBID
7. Figure 2 picture credit [Map from 1260d.com website].
8. [https://eclipsewitness.com/eclipse-judgment-series]