Biblical Astronomy of the Mercury Transit on May 9th, 2016

banner_main

Biblical Astronomy of the Mercury Transit on May 9th, 2016.


The following excerpt from our March Blog post on the Purim 
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on March 23rd, 2016; provides an important basis upon which to begin this post.

“The key heavenly signs in March of 2016 began with a Total Solar Eclipse on March 9th. This March 9th New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse, actually aligned March 9th-with Nisan 1, followed only 2 weeks later by a Nisan 14 Passover Lunar Eclipse on March 23rd!”1 These celestial alignments were based on the Barley harvest in Israel that was not only verified as ripe, but also in plentiful enough supply from multiple accredited sources not to add the extra 13th month of Adar 2 to the Hebrew Calendar in 2016/5776. This gives us a Lunar Eclipse Sextet from 2014-2016, falling on key Hebrew Feast days of Nisan 1, Passover, Rosh Hashana and the Feast of Tabernacles over a 3 year period. In this special year 5776 on the Hebrew Calendar, the 50-year Jubilee is being celebrated. With this in mind we should pay close attention to the 50 days that Israel counts between Passover and Pentecost. It is during this period just prior to Pentecost that the Transit of Mercury, takes place on May 9th 2016.

This Mercury Transit will be seen in the Solar sight line between Aries and the Pleiades of Taurus. The planet Mercury has the fastest orbit around the Sun of all planets in our Solar System-only 88 days. This translates into a Mercury alignment between the Earth and Sun on at least 3 occasions annually. However, Mercury’s orbit rarely leads to a direct alignment, taking place an average of twice every 10 years, and only during the months of November or May.  Norton’s Star Atlas tells us concerning Mercury Transits; “the November variety is more common, repeating at intervals of 7, 13 and 46 years. May transits recur at intervals of 13 and 46 years. In the 21st century a Mercury Transit took place on May 7, 2003, followed by another Mercury Transit on Wednesday, Nov 8th, 2006.”2 Below is a NASA video of Mercury transiting across the face of the Sun. “This transit began at 2:12 pm EST (11:12 am PST) lasting for almost five hours. Good views of this transit were available all along the Pacific Rim:”3

What did it look like? A picture is worth a thousand words:

see caption
Image credit: Larry Koehn. Click to view the Sun’s full disk.

During the transit, Mercury’s tiny disk—jet black and perfectly round—glided slowly across the face of the Sun. Only a speck of the Sun’s surface is actually covered, so as with all Mercury Transits the Sun remains as dangerous as ever to look at. But with a proper filter and a little imagination, Transits of Mercury can be a marvelous experience. The next one after the upcoming May 9, 2016 transit; will be on November 11, 2019.”4 The length of the line traversed by the planet in its passage across the Sun’s disk determines the duration of a transit, which can last for up to 9 hours, as seen in the graphic below pertaining to this 2006 event 10 years ago.

2006 Mercury Transit

If its orbit were exactly in the plane of the ecliptic, Mercury would transit the Sun once in each Synodic revolution. But since its orbit is inclined 7 degrees to the ecliptic, the planet usually passes above or below the Sun as seen from the Earth. A transit occurs only when Mercury is near one of its nodes at inferior conjunction. The ascending node relates to the position of the Earth on November 10, the descending node to the position on May 8. If inferior conjunction falls near one of these dates, Mercury will be seen as a tiny black spot, 10 – 12 arcseconds wide, moving slowly across the face of the Sun.”5

There is an interesting correlation between the March 23rd/Nisan 14 Passover Penumbral Lunar Eclipse and the May 9th Mercury Transit between Aries and the Pleiades of Taurus, because in Biblical AstronomyAries
reflects the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Passover, one of the Christ’s 7 Ministry Titles that we noted in our previous April blog post. Aries’ Alpha star [Al Nath] the brightest of its 66 main stars, means the wounded or slain one. Although the 5th consecutive Lunar eclipse on a Hebrew Holy day from 2014-2016, on Nisan 14 is not a Blood Moon, it links to the day the priests of Israel  selected the Passover Lamb. Thus we find another element of the OT Law fulfilled by Christ in this pivotal 1-time sacrifice for all mankind. As the Feast of Unleavened Bread follows Passover we can see Jesus Christ-as the Firstborn in heaven not only resulting from his resurrection, but also in his Gathering of the spiritual body of his Church of resurrected believers out of the Age of Grace, [Ps. 2:6-8, I Cor. 15:20-23].6  We also find this reference to this Pleiades symbolism below.

The renowned cluster of stars called the Pleiades. according to Bullinger means the congregation of the judge or ruler. In the Septuagint  the translation of the Hebrew כִּימָה, Chima, meaning the heap or accumulation, as in [Job 9:9; 38:31, 32,] and Amos 5:8. It consists of a cluster of stars (in the neck of Taurus) appearing near together. The brightest of them, marked η in all the maps,59 has come down to us with an Arabic name—Al Cyone, which means the centre. The Syriac name for the Pleiades is Succoth, meaning booths.”7 This provides a very interesting relation to the Feast of Tabernacles that includes the Day of Atonement, where Christ the High Priest is Tabernacled as the ruler among the gathering of his congregationas the only true mediator between God and man. During this time of the Blood Moon Tetrad we can see other related Mercury sky signs, for example in April 2015 which saw the Passover Blood Moon and Nova Sagittarii, we noted a conjunction of Mercury and Mars in Aries on the 22nd. In addition to this there was an alignment of Mercury with the Pleiades on June 20th in 2015. These 2015 Mercury signs provide an interesting context to the Mercury Transit of 2016, as the Arch-Angel Gabriel, heralds the sky signs leading to Christ’s return.

 

As these sky signs of 2016 including the Lunar Eclipse Sextet of 2014-2016 and the May 9th, Mercury Transit set the stage for a replay of the birth signs of Jesus Christ from Rev.12 in September of 2017, we can see other activities of Mercury during this period. We should keep in mind that the replay of these birth signs of Christ in 2017 including Jupiter the King Planet and Royal Sceptre being birthed in Virgo on 9/9/17, after spending a “gestation period” in retrograde motion in Virgo’s mid-section. This is interesting when we consider the retrograde motion of Mercury leading to this, because in Sept. 2015 during the culmination of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, we saw the [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet] on Sept. 17th 2015, along with the Sept. 17th [Mercury-Spica union in Virgo]. This occurs 2 years prior to the Sept. 2017 replay of the birth signs of Christ which will be followed by the Sept. 30th, 2017, lowest point retrograde motion of Mercury in Virgo. On 10/29/15 Mercury was also birthed in Virgo after a gestation period of nearly six weeks. This shows many ways in which the Archangel Mercury-Gabriel is announcing the the victorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ as seen in Rev. 19 below.

 

Rev. 19:1-21

19 After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God: for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he hath avenged the blood of his [a]servants at her hand.

And a second time they [b]say, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up[c]for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God that sits on the throne, saying, Amen; Hallelujah. And a voice came forth from the throne, saying, Give praise to our God, all ye his [d]servants, ye that fear him, the small and the great.

This awesome audible Voice from Heaven announces the Lord Jesus Christ returning WITH his Saints to destroy the beast, false prophet and those who will follow them at the battle of Armageddon. This opens the Age of Christ with the destruction of the Anti-Christ and his kingdom.


11 
And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon [g]called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 
12 And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. 13 And he is arrayed in a garment [h]sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. 15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the [i]winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

17 And I saw [j]an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid heaven, Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God; 18 that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of [k]captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great.

This Mercury Transit has been likened to verse 17 since the planet Mercury symbolizes the Messenger Archangel Gabriel. The transit of Mercury crossing the face of the Sun is seen as this angel Gabriel “standing in the Sun” heralding the victorious return of the Light of the World and King of Kings, even as he announced the coming Promised Seed of Mary leading to his birth, [Lk. 1:26-38, Matt. 1:20-25]. This alignment of sky signs including the Lunar Eclipse Sextet from 2014-2016 in the Jubilee Year of 5776 may signal a window for the Savior to return FOR his Saints that bookends the first appearance and return of the King of Kings at the right hand of God.


19 
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. 
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that [l]worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: 21 and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

As we keep a watch on the activities of Mercury-Gabriel this year, we will have plenty of celestial pointers to keep us aware of the Victorious Return of Christ.

 

Footnotes

1. Purim Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on March 23rd, 2016 [Blog.try-god.org] March 2016 archive
2. Norton’s Star Atlas, Arthur P. Norton
3. science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2006/20oct_transitofmercury/
4. IBID
5. Norton’s Star AtlasArthur P. Norton
6. Seminar on the Lord Jesus Christ, Jon Nessle
7. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger
8. Passover Blood Moon and Nova Sagittarii [Blog.try-god.org] April 2015 archive
9. Revelation 19, KJV

If you would like to comment on the Blog Post please go to our Facebook Group page link below:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bibleastronomy

Purim Blood Moon on March 23rd, 2016

History of Biblical Astronomy

Purim Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on March 23rd, 2016

As a follow-up to our initial March blog post regarding “The Blood Moon Bombshell of 2016?“, we have noted that since the Barley Harvest in Israel was NOT found to be Aviv Barley, or ripe, that the extra 13th Month of Second Adar was added to the Hebrew Calendar. This puts the Passover on April 22nd of 2016, instead of aligning with the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on March 23rd, but this eclipse now lines up with the Feast of Purim in 2016.

The key heavenly signs in March of 2016 began with a Total Solar Eclipse on March 9th. However, had the Barley harvest been ripe, the March 9th New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse, would have made March 9th-align with Nisan 1, followed only 2 weeks later by a Nisan 14 Passover Lunar Eclipse on March 23rd! Even though we won’t have a Blood Moon Sextet 2014-2016, we will still have a fifth Lunar Eclipse falling on the key Hebrew Feast Day of Purim. This is no small matter because it follows the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, giving us the first ever Blood Moon Quintet of 2014-2016! Purim on the Hebrew calendar also occurs before the Transit of Mercury, May 9th 2016.

What is unique about this Jubilee Year of 2016 is that Purim is on March 23, the exact time a Lunar Eclipse occurs, although its a Penumbral eclipse, so not all the lunar surface will be eclipsed. It falls 120 days after the Super Blood Moon of September 28, 2015. Specifically, Purim begins on the Hebrew Calendar on Wednesday evening, March 23, 2016 continuing through Thursday night, March 24th. It will also be the first full Moon after the Spring Equinox. There is some confusion about the numerics and operation of the Jubilee CycleJubilee Years are based on the Shemitah Years occurring every 7th year. Seven Shemitahs (7×7=49 years is Shemitah of Shemitah’s).  The year following the 7th Shemitah is a Jubilee. The Jubilee Year follows the 7th Shemitah becoming the 50th year. However, if the Shemitah cycle continues every 7 years, then the next Jubilee year becomes the first of the next Shemitah cycle, where the next Jubilee follows 49 years after the first. However, if you start the next Shemitah cycle after the Jubilee then you have Jubilee years occurring every 50 years, but, this breaks the 7 year cycle. Bible scholars remain in disagreement as to which version is right. There is a method based on a 49 year cycle that keeps the 7 year cycle intact, which makes the most sense.
It is this method that we are using to calculate the current Jubilee cycle which is being witnessed this year 5776 on the Hebrew Calendar.

As a result of the lack of Aviv Barley this month in Israelthe Nisan 14 Passover did not fall on March 23rd aligning with the Penumbral Lunar eclipse, [Levi. 23:5]. However, this potential correlation with Nisan 14, still holds in the Christian world linked with the commemoration of Easter celebrations this weekend!



The great majority of traditional Christendom celebrates Easter weekend from “Good Friday” to Easter Sunday morning, yet [Matt. 12:40] tells us:

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

This refers to 3/24 hour periods which does not match the time period from Good Friday to Easter Sunday! Also, Sunday was not the Sabbath on the Hebrew Calendar, only on pagan calendars. Saturday was however the Sabbath in Israel and when we back-track 3 days from Nisan 17, the weekly Sabbath will link with Jesus’ resurrection. Nisan 14 ties to the Crucifixion of Jesus, on Passover “Good Wednesday” in 28 AD. This gives us the proper date and timing that lines up with the Biblical record of three days and nights in the heart of the earth. As a result, we have a dual correlation of both Hebrew/Christian Holy days of Purim and Christ’s Crucifixion marked on Nisan 14, with a fifth Lunar Eclipse event in 2014-2016! Can we find significance for this in God’s Word? The Epistle of Ephesians is enlightening on this subject;

Ephesians 2:10-17
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

Jesus as the Prince of Peace has provided peace to both the Jews and Gentles in His spiritual body of the Church. He has removed the obstacles of the Law and the Temple ordinances between Israel and Christian believers, unifying us in one new spiritual man, his spiritual body, nailing those obstacles in the Law, to the Cross.

Ephesians 3:3-6 

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote before in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the SpiritThat the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

This revolutionary accomplishment of Jesus Christ resulting from his crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, taking the sins of mankind upon him and unifying the Jews and Gentiles in one spiritual Body in Christ, is called a “mystery” or a secret of the Heavenly Father which was not revealed until the writings of the Church epistles by the Apostle Paul. Clearly, Christ is the unifying force for all humanity at every level of life, Body, Soul, and Spirit. [I Thess. 5:23] This monumental work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is emphasized by the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse aligning with both Purim for Israel and the Crucifixion of Christ leading to Easter and Resurrection weekend in Christianity! Is the Heavenly Father working to get our attention, to prepare us for our soon coming reality where Christians and Jews will be united in one spiritual body in Christ, at the right Hand of God? This will certainly be the result of the victorious Return of the our Lord Jesus Christ.

purim: Homemade cookies with poppy seed filling for Purim (Hamantaschen)                 Stock Photo

Purim is a story of both deliverance and a sudden destruction. Purim is a Hebrew holiday and has been incorporated much like Hanukkah into the list of Feasts that have been added to the 7 major Feasts of Jehovah. Can we find elements of Christ’s work foreshadowed in the Feast of Purim?

The meaningof the Feast of Purim is disclosed only in the Bible’s book of Esther. The beginning of the Book of Esther starts off with a 6-month feast of the King. As Purim amazingly aligns with a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, when we consider the context of Hebrew Calendar and the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015  what is the message we can glean from a fifth lunar eclipse, 2 days following the Spring Equinox? The record of the history and origin of the Feast of Purim in the Book of Esther, is significant today for a number of reasons. Even as the evil Haman was bent on his genocidal plan against the Jews in the ancient Persian World Empire, so today there is a group of Islamic and other Nations conspiring to “wipe Israel off the map.” Purim is prophetic as it relates to the deliverance of God’s People from those enemies that seek to destroy the heritage of the Almighty, and Redeemer’s bl0od-line. The Biblical record of Esther not only shows the history and inception of the Feast of Purim, but also shares the elements of how the Heavenly Father saved His people, exhibiting His undying Love for Israel. God Saved His people not only so they could enjoy their lives, but also so He could bring them back to the Promised Land of Israel and the Holy city of Jerusalem. We can see this long-standing purpose of God because after nearly 2000 years of being dispersed among the Gentile Nations, in 1948-50 Israel was reformed as a nation-state, also marked by a Blood Moon Tetrad, and the Jews have been returning to their homeland ever since. But there is another over-riding purpose found in Esther, and that is the preservation of the Christ-line. Numerous times in history the enemy attempted to wipe the Hebrew Race from the face of the Earth because he knew it would bear man’s Redeemer. During the birth of Moses, the Egyptians killed the male Hebrew infants for this purpose. During the time of the Christ’s birth, Herod also had the male infants murdered around Bethlehem, for the same reason.

So we see the efforts of Haman to exterminate the nation of Israel along these lines. The setting for Esther was ancient Persia-modern-day Iran. Even as Daniel who also served under this 2nd world Empire following Babylon from their capital city of Susa, Queen Esther, decided to stand up for the nation of Israel against Haman’s evil plot, she received favor from her King and Husband Xerxes I. Esther enjoyed the favor of the King’s Sceptre when she risked her life by entering the conference of the King. It is Interesting to note that; Biblically “a Sceptre can also be symbolic of a person!” In Numbers, we read;

(Numbers 24:17)”I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Seth.”

That Sceptre embodied the prophesied return of the Promised Seed, who came first over 1,900 years ago and by his sacrifice, provided redemption for all mankind. All who believe in Him, and follow Him, have a pathway back to God, who alone is able to deliver them from bloodthirsty hatred of the modern Haman’s. Our website study on the General Sign of the Celestial Prelude covers the significance of this Numbers 24 record regarding the Sceptre, in the context of the heavenly signs surrounding the birth of Christ. The heavenly birth signs for Christ are set to rewind in 2017, with a prominent role for Jupiter, the King Planet and Royal Sceptre of the King of Kings.

32831844

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

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

The two brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter – teamed up to provide the closest planetary conjunction of 2014, and it has been the closest Venus- Jupiter conjunction during the Blood Moon Quintet of 2014-2016, until August 27, 2016, when Jupiter enters Virgo to be “birthed” in 2017.

God is teaching us through His Hebrew Calendar providing focused attention on His final plan of redemption with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. God first instituted the Biblical Calendar of annual Festivals through Moses (Levi. 23), which included the yearly counting of days and weeks, so that His people might rehearse the 50 days between His Passover, death and resurrection, and Pentecost with the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally these end-time events leading up to the Jubilee and Day of the LORD. He also gave us the signs of the Sun, Moon and Stars in Biblical Astronomy, relating to His Feasts and Holy days so that we would be ready and forewarned of the times wherein we reside.

As Iran, at that time was the world superpower, so too does Iran now seek to recapture their previous position over Israel once again. Amalek was one preventing the Jews from passing through his land on their Exodus to the Promised Land under Moses. Haman’s bloodline came from Amalek’s, the traditional enemies of the Israel. This parallel bloodline has and continues to contest God’s people for the inheritance of the Promised Land-the city of Jerusalem and coming Temple on the Mount. The conspiracy in the time of Esther was that a descendant of Amalek-Haman plotted to trick the King, Xerxes I or Ahasuerus to murder all the Jews and rid the empire of them as Amalek desried.

This conspiracy is alive and well in modern Iran who is already a major partner with Russia comprising a confederacy of Muslim nations that will attack Israel during the first Gog-Magog invasion. This plot was revealed to Mordecai, a relative of Esther who raised her. At the Queen’s own peril, Esther interceded on behalf of God’s People. Because of their sacrificial and selfless acts, God worked in Esther and Mordecai to overt a genocide. The Christian genocide currently being waged by the modern Haman’s in the Muslim world primarily, will one day see a sudden destruction come upon them. Even as the effect of Haman’s plot was exercised upon his own head and all his family, the modern nations plotting against Israel, and the Church body of Christ will experience a similar more awesome destruction.

With this week’s Penumbral Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on the Feast of Purim, taking place during a Hebrew Jubilee Year, it should get our attention for the following reasons.

One can not help, but be struck by the unique and very rare occurrence of the Tetrad of four Blood Moons during the Shemitah of Shemitah’s, and now the Jubilee comes with yet another Lunar eclipse on Purim, forming a Quintet of Blood Moons on Hebrew Holidays from 2014-2016. This is not the first Lunar Eclipse to fall on Purim. According to our Biblical Blood Moon Calendar, back on March 4th of 71 AD, soon after the Romans had destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, prophesied  by Jesus Christ, a Partial Lunar Eclipse took place. This marked the removal of God from His Temple in stages, and the dispersion of the Jews among the Gentile Nations. With this fifth Blood Moon on Purim, we may be witnessing an indicator of God’s gradual return in stages to a New Temple on the Mount, the natural outcome of forming of the State of Israel, and the Restoration of Jerusalem to Israel’s control, both marked by Blood Moon Tetrads in 1949-50 and 1967-68.   

Let’s stay vigilant as we continue to watch the skies for the heavenly signs that align with Scripture to tell us what time it is…


Footnotes

1. “Blood Moon Bombshell of 2016?” [blog.try-god.org] March 2016
2. Ephesians 2:10-17 KJV
3. Ephesians 3:3-6 KJV
4. Numbers 24:17  KJV
5. “The General Sign of the Celestial Prelude” [www.try-god.com]
6. Biblical Blood Moon Calendar [blog.try-god.org] Aug. 2014

 

Pi Day-3/14/2016

History of Biblical Astronomy

As we recognize Pi Day on 3-14-2016, its required reading to realize how the Creator utilized this famous mathematical proportion of Pi in Scripture and practically in the construction of His Temple and Tabernacle, which are patterns for the heavenly versions of the Creator’s dwelling place!

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

cheops

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

As a foot note to our previous March post regarding the “Blood Moon Bomb Shell of 2016” the Barley was NOT found to be ripe or Aviv, by March 10th last week in Israel, so the dictates of the Rabbinical Calendar and their mathematical calculation of the Feast and Holy days in Israel for 2016 went into effect. This sets the Nisan 14 Passover date to April 22nd, 2016, since 2016 corresponds to the Hebrew Calendar year 5776-in Judaic inter-calation; also a leap year where the 2nd Adar month is now added. Thus, we will not see the added Blood Moons on Hebrew Holy days this year, but there still may be important implications for 2016 concerning the leap year-so stay tuned to our blog for the news concerning these announcements…

Biblical Astronomy of the January-February 2016 Planetary Alignment

Birth of Jesus Christ
Biblical Astronomy of the Birth of Christ

Biblical Astronomy of the January-February 2016 Planetary Alignment

Could the rare alignment of  the five brightest planets in our Solar System; MercuryVenus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars seen on the horizon over the next month, be related to the Biblical heavenly signs surrounding, the Star of Bethlehem? These five planets will be visible to stargazers in the pre-dawn skies from Jan. 20th through Feb. 20th, 2016. There has not been a similar alignment of these five planets since 2004, but for the proper context of this year’s planetary quintuplet, there are many intriguing points to consider in light of previous recent planetary alignments leading up to this planetary alignment. As the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 was wrapping up late last Summer into the Fall, there is a 1 degree Triangular massing of Jupiter-Venus, Mars in Leo on October 28th,2015, which is preceded earlier in the month with a planetary alignment with Regulus in Leo, [see Figure 1 below]. This is significant due to its resemblance to the Rev. 12 heavenly sign marking the birth of Christ, we have discussed in previous posts on this blog.

Rev. 12:1-2
12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve starsAnd she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

In Fig. 1 below we can see how the alignment of three planets in Leo forms the crown of the WomanVirgo with 12 stars, consisting of the 9 fixed stars in Leo, combined with the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mars, forming the Crown of 12 stars over Virgo’s head. A very similar planetary alignment will be seen again in Sept. of 2017, [Figure 2.] involving the same players, with the exception that Mercury will replace Jupiter in Leo, since Jupiter will be birthing in Virgo’s midsection. The planetary alignment in 2015, serves as key celestial foreshadowing 2 years prior to this birthing of Jupiter in Virgo, when these heavenly signs that marked the birth of Christ will be repeated in the Fall of 2017. As we will see, this month’s planetary alignment of five shows another sign along the path leading us to the heavenly signs of 2017.

Figure 1. Planetary Alignment in Leo, October 3rd, 2015

As there were 3 Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions marking the Rev. 12 birth signs of Christ in 3-2 BC, so this triple alignment of Jupiter-Mars, and Venus in Leo with Regulus, reflects a similar spiritual light in the context of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 20142015. In fact the Rev. 12 heavenly sign: the [Sun clothing Virgo with the Crescent Moon at her feet] on Sept. 17th, 2015 is announced by Mercury-Gabriel located just outside the womb area of Virgo, united with Spica/Al Zimach, on this day 2 years ahead of the rewind of the Great Wonder in Heaven, on Sept. 23rd 2017!  Thus we can not only view this first planetary parade of five in 2016, but also the second alignment of these five planets in August of 2016, as added heavenly signs involving Jupiter-Venus opening the next 2 years, leading up to the birthing of Jupiter in retrograde motion in Virgo’s womb in 2017.

Best seen before dawn, the brightness of Venus and Jupiter make the event easier to find whether by the naked eye or binoculars. With Jupiter rising first, and the red-hued Mars next, golden-tainted Saturn, followed by Venus the brightest planet and lastly Mercury. Jupiter rises first as night falls early in these winter evenings, followed by Mars after midnight, before Saturn, Venus and Mercury join the conga line. Their timing will vary each day depending on observers location. Mercury will be closest to the eastern horizon, which is why it is the last to appear low in the sky, Mercury however should be more visible starting the first week of February. The waning Moon will also shed its lunar light among these five aligned planets partially occulting Jupiter on Jan. 27th, continuing it trek through the planets on the ecliptic till Feb. 6, 2016.

When this heavenly sign of the five brightest sentinels of our solar system in their planetary alignment is taken in the context of the concluded Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, we certainly have more than enough evidence in a mandate from heaven, telling us of the  speedy and inevitable Return of the Lord Jesus Christ! As we overcome the increasing evil of this world, with the Lord’s Good, as he showed in his fathomless Love, we will surely show ourselves as Children of Light.

Sources

1. The Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger
2. Earth and Sky
3. solarsystem.nasa.gov [picture credit]
4. 2015 Sky & Telescope [picture credit]