There has been some noteworthy Comet activity in the heavens during 2016, going into 2017, relating to our previous November 2016 blog. We noted significant events in the Nov. 14th Super Moon post, which was the largest Super-Moonsince the 1948 Super-Moon, preceding the Blood Moon Tetrad of 1949-50. We should also realize that other heavenly signs like Comets were prominent during this time, with Israel re-forming as a nation-state for the first time in nearly 2000 years.
The 1948 Comet-called the “Eclipse Comet” was a spectacular sight approaching the Sun during the first week of November with a total solar eclipse. This eclipse occurred after Sukkot week at sundown Nov. 1st, leading into the 8th month- Rosh Chodesh Chesvan.It was first noticed as a brilliant object about 2 degrees southwest of the Sun during the total solar eclipse on November 1st, mag. about -2, with a 20 degree tail. Its southwest path through Hydra during November and December as a 2nd magnitudeobject with a tail up to 30 degrees long, was visible mainly in the Southern and low Northern latitudes. This 1948 Eclipse Comet appeared near the eclipsed sun as if the Sun was holding a sword. With its 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-solarEclipse Tetrads that would also take place in 1967-68 marking Israel’sre-taking of Jerusalem, along with the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. The Comet theme is not only consistent with the message of our previous November blog post on the Comets in Perseus, but also throughout 2016 going forward into 2017. Our December blog post will summarize the Comet activity through the year and give us a preview of Comet activity we can expect going into the New Year. The first Comet we will lookat in Fig. 1 below is known as Catalina.
Figure 1. Path of Comet Catalina
Comet Catalina [C/2013 US10] is an Oort Cloud Comet that became visible to the naked eye around November 24th 2015, after coming to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 15 November, just after the conclusion of the 2014-215 Blood Moon Tetrad. In Figure 2 below we can see Venus just prior to its Lunar Occultation.
Comet Catalina was discovered in 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey, near Tucson, Arizona. The Comet was joined in an a dazzlingcelestial triad including the waning Crescent Moon and Venus in December 2015.
Figure 2. Venus on the Edge of the Moon.
Venus was seen just to the left- above the Moon, so bright in the sky it was visible to the naked eye in daylight. Around 12:30 p.m., the brilliant light of Venus the bright and Morning Star was covered by the Moon in an occultation, reemerging on from the lunar dark side a few hours later.
Comet Catalina is seen below in Fig. 3 moving northward through Virgo near Spica.
Looking southeast to left of the brightest planet Venus, about an hour before sunrise, Venus the bright and Morning Star, was near the star Spica in the constellation Virgo, very easy to see, out-shining the Comet like a laser beam.
Above Venus is the the-dimmer red planet Mars–Michael signifying the presence of the Warrior Arch-Angel. Also higher up in Virgo-is Jupiter the King Planet, forming a December Planetary Alignment as Jupiter heads towards Virgo’s womb, in the late Summer and Fall of 2017.
Figure 3. Virgo Planetary Alignment with Comet Catalina
On the Morning of Dec. 7th the comet paired with Venus and the waning crescent Moonas seen from the Central US, in Virgo close to her womb. This seems to foreshadow Jupiter’s2017 “gestation period” in Virgo’s womb. As Catalina passed north at about 1° per day, it left Virgo into Boötes on Christmas Eve,on a beeline for Arcturus on New Year’s Day, 2016-marking the New Year in a solar conjunction as the comet glided 1/2degree southwest of the Sun, preparing us for a year ofunique Cometactivity.The ConstellationBöötesrepresents the work of theGood, Great, and Chief Shepherd, laboring to enter into in thepromised landresting place(H4496menuchah,Ps. 23:2,Isa. 28:10,12; Num. 11:33)between the sheepfolds, openingthe wayas he leads his flocks.
Aratus’ name forBootesis Arctophylax, ie. the guardian ofArctos, the flock of the greater fold, called today the great bear.This aligns with the name of the brightest star inBöötes,Arcturus,which was probably the name of this sign in antiquity [Job 9:9], providing a conclusive link with the celestial shepherd and his flocks. It is intriguing to seeDracothe dragondepicted below, as winding his way down between these two flocks in the northern skies, with the lower coils of his tail under the starThuban, the archaic pole star.
After the comet came closest to Earth at 66.9 million miles, on Jan. 12, 2016, the Comet swept just 1° north of the star Alkaid, at the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle, on January 14–15. Two days later it sped bythe double star Mizar in the handle’s bend, as a magnitude 5 object. [see Fig. 1] After a fairly slow start in Virgo, the comet raced across the sky, becoming a circumpolar object in Ursa Major by mid-January. Then around Jan. 21st Comet Catalina crossed into Draco cutting thru the dragon’s Tail near the North Pole. Sky & Telescope
Figure 4. Comet Panstarrs in Pisces.
A few months after Catalina faded out of naked eye visibility, Comet C/2013X1 (PanSTARRS) stepped onto the stellar stage. Figure 4 above shows Comet PanStarrs moving through Pisces in mid-March near the Pegasus Square. It was seen with the Crescent Moon during this time, with a minimum Earth distance of about 1/2 AU through June 2016. This New Crescent Moon was significant this year as it followed a Total SolarEclipse 3 days prior on March 9th, 2016 that was also Nisan 1 on the Hebrew Calendar. This was the first of four luni-solar eclipses on Hebrew feast and holy days in 2016, as a follow-up to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-15. The second of these Eclipses was a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on Passover 3/23/2016, that was also Nisan 14, the very day of Christ’s crucifixion in 28 AD.It is noteworthy first that the four luni-solar eclipses in 2016 mirror luni-solar eclipses marking the Romans destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem in 70 AD. Secondly, Comet Panstarrs inPisces represents Israel-the Redeemed.
Other comets capturing our interest this month into 2017 include 45P/ Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova in January of 2017, depicted in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova in Capricorn.
This Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova should brighten quickly from mid-December into early January as it moves across Capricorn low in the southwestern sky at dusk. Capricorn the Goat calls attention to the perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ as he laid down his life for our sins, once and for all, enshrined at Passover. As we head towards the Spring of 2017, another Comet41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak in March 2017, will attract our attention. These are the Comets with a greater potential of being visible to the naked eye in 2017, with the possibility of being close to Earth during these times.
Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak may also reach naked-eye visibility (magnitude +6) in Ursa Major in early April 2017. The comet has a history of outbursts. When Comet 41P/T-G-K passes closest to Earth (0.14 AU) in late March, it rushes across the circumpolar constellations Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Draco. The comet’s path in April and May takes it across the Tail and in front of the Head of the Dragon Draco @ the North Pole. Like Comet Catalina it cuts thru the dragon’s tail,but Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresakalso also slices through the neck of the dragon removing its Head. This appears a precursor of the Great Dragon’s coming destructionas described in Revelation with five names:
Rev. 12:9 “9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who deceives the whole world.
All this circumpolar Comet activity going into 2017 is indicative of the disastersthat will be inflicted against the Dragon and his minions, in the coming judgment of the world.
Figure 6. Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak
A point of interest here is that one of the namesakes of this comet [Giacobini] was also linked with the parentcomet the spawned the meteor shower leading up to the birth of Christ on Sept. 11th, 3 BC. The excerpt below is from my study [www.try-god.com] the Introduction to the Jupiter-Regulus Conjunctions.
“R.H. Allen adds that; “the conclusion of the verse [Rev. 12:4]“did cast them to the earth,” would show a possible reference tometeors.”6 This is the earliest reference in print I have found that ties a potential Meteor shower to this section of Revelation 12. This Meteor shower that originates from the tail ofDraco, the cast down dragon, is linked to its parentcomet, known today as theGiacobini-Zinner Comet. Traditionally comets have been viewed as omens of disaster, perhaps another ironic twist from the Heavenly Father to mark the fall of the archaic morning star with a celestial sign pointing out the dragon’s own disastrous end. As we noted with the previous Comet Catalina, the lunar Occultation of Venus was also apparent leading to Christ’s birth from September 9th to the 12th. The Eta-Draconid Meteor Showers,with theirradiant in Draco, the Dragon cast down. The Moonwas mid-body with theSuninVirgo occulting the planet Venus,starting at 11:50 PM.”6
To add to this heightened show of recent comets, according to scientific data regarding incoming Oort cloudcomets, they appear to be originating from one localized point of the Oort cloud. This indicates not random influence, but an unidentified specific object, as the cause of comets or asteroids potentially being knocked from their Oort cloud orbits and sent on altered trajectories towards the Earth.
On November 8th, 2016, Earth had a close encounter with a sizable asteroid. The asteroid, designated 2005 YU55, shot by Earth at a distance of about 200,000 miles, just this side of the lunar orbit. Obviously, asteroids have come this close to the Earth before, but not 400 meters in diameter since 1976, and these scientists tell us its likely not to happen again until 2028. Its interesting to note that the “fly-by” traffic in our part of the inner solar system started getting heavier around September 2015, at the conclusion of the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad.
In summary something may have disturbed an area of the Oort cloud recently, sending a stream of first time comets and asteroids hurtling in our direction that are now starting to arrive. What could have knocked these Oort cloud objects out of their orbits? Perhaps a distant planet from the outer solar system like the mysterious Planet X/Nibiru. We have also heard rumors of a red-brown dwarf star headed our way, or is it a star like Nemesis passing very close to, or even, breaching our solar system? Whatever form it takes it resembles what John described in Rev. 8:8-12.
Rev. 8:8-12 8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
This is only part of the wrath that will be visited upon the inhabitants of the earth, during this quickly approaching judgment. The Christian believers as members of the spiritual body of Christ will already be seated with Christ in heaven during this time, so if you want to enjoy the eternal abundant blessings of Christ, with God the Father, you must come to him to receive your inheritance. [Romans 10:9-10]
Biblical Astronomy of the November 14th, 2016 Supermoon
This month’s Super-Moon should provide two good nights of observation depending on local cloud cover and other observing conditions; Sunday evening close to sunset, 11-13-16 and the following Mondayevening on 11-14-16. We’ve seen Super-Moons before — this will be the second in a series of three this fall. But the full moon that peaks on Monday, November 14 will be closer to Earth than any other since 1948. According to astronomers, the next full Super-Moon on November 14 will be the largest and brightest since January 26, 1948, and a full moon will not appear closer to Earth until November 25, 2034. There hasn’t been a full moon like this one in nearly seventy years.
What makes this Super-Moon appear so large to us? Scientifically its known as a “perigree moon” referring to when the moon approaches the closest point in its earthly orbit. Also, when a PerigreeMooncombines with the full moon, it appears a more magnified, and super lit moon. NASA says the Nov. 14th Super-Moon will appear 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than a typical full moon.
We witnessed a Super-Moon just last year finishing the 2014-2015 Blood MoonTetrad on Sukkot- September 28, 2015, as seen in the graphic below. This followed a Partial Solar Eclipse as we noted in ourAugust 2015 Blog. Although this year’s November Super-Moon is not linked with a Blood Moon Tetrad, there was a Tetrad of Eclipses on Hebrew Feasts and Holidays in 2016 as we summarized in our Sept. 2016 Blog. Also the last time there were 3 consecutive Super-Moons was in July, August and September of 2014 which opened the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad, providing some super-moon symmetry to this tetrad. When the Moon as Earth’s primary natural satellite is closest in its lunar orbit, its presence can serve as a reminder or heavenly sign of Jesus’ intimate presence since the Moon symbolizes Jesus the Son reflecting the image of His Father, even as the moon reflects the sun-light.” As [II Cor. 4:4-6] tells us;
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
The excerpt below provides important context for a fuller understanding of this month’s Super Moon.
[Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29-34, Mark 13:24, Acts 2:20].
The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015
There have only been eight Blood Moon Tetradssince the Ascension of Christ. The modern Blood Moon Lunar Tetrads have consistently happened on Passoverand Tabernacles – the first and last of the 7 Biblical feasts, and have always been indicative of persecutionand/or war for Israel. These Alpha and Omegaheavenly signs linked to the Hebrew Feasts are notable also because they emphasize the entire set of 7 key feasts marking the first and last holy days with the Blood Moons. They have emphasized the order of these feasts in history related to prophecyand the Return of Christ. There is also a long standing Jewish tradition linking the Second Coming of Jesus Christ with the Feast of Tabernacles, since Christ will finally “Tabernacle among us.” During the last 2000 years of the Age of Grace, Israel has been dispersed and persecuted among the Gentile nations, yet the Almighty has protected them even though Israel did not keep God’s Feasts as a unified body. Since the Nation of Israel was reformed in 1948, the Heavenly Father has consistentlyreminded Israel of His providential protection, restoringthem in stages. The Blood Moon Lunar Tetrads and Solar Eclipses have served to mark these feasts, with specific acts of God’s deliverance and restoration that brought Israelback together as a nation, retaking Jerusalemas their holiest capital city. As the citizens of Israelhave shared in their national restoration, they have also re-awakened to recognizing the Heavenly Father, and His perpetual Feasts. The Blood Moon Lunar Tetrad and Solar Eclipses, have stood out because they are linked to Hebrew Feast and holy days. The Creator views these convocations as His Feasts. These perpetual feasts are designed for humanity to honor the Almighty as the ultimate Source of Light, Life and Love in Creation.
The previous Blood Moon Tetrad to 2014-2015 took place in 1967-68, the year of the miraculous Six-Day War when Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were re-captured. Prior to thatwas the 1949-50 Tetrad, just after Israel became a nation in 1948. These were major prophetic milestones fulfilling many Biblical predictions of God’s restoration of Israel. These highly significant events were marked in the heavens, not only by the 1948 Super-Moon, but also tetrad Blood Moons of Soli-Lunar Eclipses. We should also beware that other heavenly signs like Comets were prominent during this time. These time frames, 1967 and 1948, are two of the most important periods in all history marking and fulfilling end-times prophecy.
2. Palestine Post
The 1948 Comet-called the “Eclipse Comet” was a spectacular sight approaching the Sun during the first week of November with a total solar eclipse. This eclipse occurred after Sukkot week at sundown Nov. 1st, leading into the 8th month- Rosh Chodesh Chesvan holy day. Its period of naked eye visibility extended fromNov. 1 to Dec. 20. It was first noted as a brilliant object about 2 degrees southwest of the Sun during the total solar eclipse on November 1st, mag. about -2.It was re-discovered in themorning twilight of November 4thas an object of zero to 1st magnitude with a 20 degree tail. Its southwest path through Hydra during November and December as a 2nd magnitude object with a tail up to 30 degrees long, was visible mainly in the Southern and low Northern latitudes. This 1948 eclipse comet appeared near the eclipsed sun as if it was holding a sword. With its position passing through Hydra-the serpent destroyed, this sword was raised against the serpent-enemy persecuting Israel. This imagery is consistent with the message of our previous blog post this month on the Comets in Perseus.
3. Astronomy Blog- Anurua Guruge
The Nov. 14th Super-Moon, being the largest Super-Moon since 1948, is a special sign concerning the restoration of Israel promised in Scripture prophecy. These heavenly signs are warnings that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is imminent, according to the Hebrew Jubilee Calendar. What follows is from our May 2016 Archive Blog Post on the Judah Ben Samuel’s Jubilee Prophecies.
“From the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917-during the 1917-1918 Jubilee, to the retaking of the Western Wall during the 1966-1967 Jubilee, to the Jubilee just completed from September 2015 to the fall of 2016, God is at work restoring His Blessings to Israel in stages. The Temple Mount seems like the next logical stage of this restoration process, along with the nations attempt to divide the land of Israel.
In Israel’s War of Independence against five Islamic nations, Jerusalem remained a “divided city.” The Jordanian government controlled the eastern part of Jerusalem including the Temple Mountand the Old City of Jerusalem. A strip of land divided Israeli control of Western Jerusalem and Jordanian run East Jerusalem. This strip of land was called “No-Man’s Land” by both Israelis and Jordanians. After the 6-Day War, on June 17, 1967, the Israeli Army controlled the entire West Bank and all of Jerusalem was returned to their possession, 750 years after Judah Ben Samuel made this prediction, these events fulfilled all the conditions of the prophecy. Then came the Rabbi’s last piece of his prediction:
“In the ninth Jubilee, Jerusalem will once again come back into the possession of the Jewish nation – which will signify the beginning of the Messianic end time.”
As we have already seen with our opening verses in Luke 21:24-33,Jesus’ prophecy relating to Jerusalem being over-run by the Gentiles sets the context for the heavenly signs of the Sun, Moon and Stars of the end times. Scholars and Blood Moon enthusiasts have focused on the luni-solar signs, but have neglected their relation to Jerusalem. To understand this better, lets look at added evidence of this in Joel 2 setting the table for Joel 3.
Joel 2:30-32
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
This is one of the main “Blood Moon Prophecies” that occurs prior to the victorious return of the Lord, both FOR and WITH his Saints. These verses at the end of Joel 2 provide the immediatecontext for the prophecy relating to Jerusalem and the Gog-Magog alliance of Gentile nations we can see in current events gathering around Jerusalem setting the stage for coming final battle of Armageddon at the start of Joel 3.
Joel 3:1-2 1 “For behold, in those [climactic] days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather together all the [Gentile] nations [that were hostile to My people] And bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (the Lord has judged). And there I will deal with them and enter into judgment with them there For [their treatment of] My people, My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations, And [because] they have encroached on My land anddivided it up.
The sensational focus on the Blood Moon phenomena, not only in Christianity but also in the secular media, has detracted from the reason for the Blood Moon Tetrads in the first place, which is the disposition of Jerusalem and specifically the Temple Mount that determines the final stages of God’s deliverance of Israel and the Church-the Body of Christ. The fact that we have completed the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, and the Shemitah/Jubilee of 5776/2016 with four more solar and lunar eclipses on Hebrew Feasts,indicating that we are in a final period forewarning of the victorious Return of the Lord Jesus Christ,closing out world history. Do the events of the US Presidential Election have any bearing on this scenario?
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journalpublished an article entitled “Obama’s Israel Surprise?” which warned that Obama “may try to force a diplomatic resolution for Israel and the Palestinians at the United Nations” before the end of his term.
The options that Obama is reportedly considering include; “a resolution formally recognizing a Palestinian state.” The following comes from CNS News:
The Wall Street Journalreported on Monday that according to administration sources, “the White House has asked the State Department to develop an options menu for the president’s final weeks.”
It said the possibilities could include supporting – or not vetoing – a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements; or a resolution formally recognizing a Palestinian state, or setting “parameters” for a final settlement of the long dispute.
With this week’s defeat of Hillary Clinton in the US Presidential elections Obama knows that his time is short to “leave a legacy” in the Middle East, and seemingly at this point the only chance he may have to get something accomplished is at the United Nations.
Obama’s last day in office is scheduled to be Jan. 20, and so he is up against a deadline. Prior to the election he may have been more hesitant to act because he didn’t want to interfere with Hillary Clinton’s pre-supposed re-election, but after her defeat this week he sees the preservation of his “legacy” slipping away, which could embolden him towards potential action at the U.N.
Perhaps that is why the Obama administration recently told the Palestinians to wait till after the elections for something to get done at the U.N.
On the surface, the latest message to the Palestinian Authority from the Obama administration is no different from the past two decades of American policy: the U.S. will veto any resolution attacking Israel or demanding Palestinian independence without them first making peace with the Jewish state. As reported in Haaretz there was one significant caveat to the warning. They were told not to push for any such resolution until after the presidential election.
The rest of the U.N. Security Council has been ready to pass a resolution formally establishing a Palestinian state for a long time. The only thing holding it back has been the U.S. veto power. Thus, the fate of the land of Israel at the U.N appears to be under the influence of Barack Obama, and he only has until Jan. 20 to make his final decision.
If we do see the land of Israel divided at the United Nations, as prophesied in Joel 3:2 above, then we can certainly see the final stages being set for God’s Judgment on the nations arraying themselves against Israel. Thus we should keep a watchful eye on Obama and the U.N. Security Council as he finishes out the “lame duck” days of his second term ending Jan. 20 2017.
We truly do live in critical times, and the events of the next several weeks could go a long way in shaping the events of the near future, paving the way to the Lord Jesus Christ Gathering his Church. As we remain vigilant and prepared for the Lord’s return, we can spread the word to those distracted by the chaotic protests against the orderly transfer of power in this Great Country of ours-the United States of America.
God’s Abundant Blessings to all who enjoy the freedoms we have here to share God’s Word-as we guard against those dark forces who continually attempt to take them from us.
Your Watchful Servants in Christ
Footnotes
1. Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/3673732/biggest-supermoon-in-nearly-70-years-on-november-14-will-bring-jesus-second-coming-online/#tV3VK8F60AuBRKpA.99
2. Palestine Post-State of Israel 1948 [pictue credit]
Biblical Astronomy of the Comets in Perseus-Destroying the Adversary
We are opening this month with a look at the decan Perseus, in Hebrew meaning “The Breaker,” as one who makes a breach. On June 15, 2016 Mars aligned with Beta Perseus, “Algol,” the star associated with the Head of the adversary. This indicates Mars-Michael the warrior archangel in conflict with the adversary, [Jude 9, Rev. 12:7]. From the picture of this decan, we can see how this conflictturns out-in the severed head of the enemy. We find this Hebrew word for “Breaker” used in Micah 2:12-13;
Micah 2 [NIV]
12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. 13The One who breaks open the way will go up before
them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.
The Hebrew name for the constellation PerseusisPeretzalso meaningthe Breaker,representing Jesus Christas he defeats the beast in Revelation 20, delivering His captive bride, as seen in the constellation Andromeda. The language in Micah 2:12 above certainly agrees with this idea of gathering the captivebride of Israel together in the Lord’s Second Coming. The Beta star Algol is located in the severed head of Satan, held by Perseus among the stars of the northern Milky Way, a decan of Aries. It’s positioned west of the brightest star in Capella–alpha Aurigae and southeast of the well known “W” of Cassiopeia. As Bullinger tells us, the star α (in the waist) called Mirfak; who helps. The next star, γ (in the right shoulder), is named Al Genib, which means who carries away. The bright star in the left foot is called Athik, who breaks, depicted inFigure 1 below. 1
Figure 1. Perseus Delivering his captive Bride Andromeda
In his left hand he carries a severed head, which, by perversion, the Greeks called the head of Medusa, being ignorant that its Hebrew root meant the trodden under foot.58 It is also called Rosh Satan (Hebrew),the head of the adversary, and Al Oneh (Arabic), the subdued, orAl Ghoul, the evil spirit. This bright star, β (in the head), named Al Gol, means rolling round.
It is a most remarkable phenomenon that so many of these enemies should be characterized by variable stars! But this head of Medusa, like the neck of Cetus, has one of the best known variables. Al Gol is continually changing. In about 69 hours it changes from the 4th magnitude to the 2nd. This first known variable star represents the transitive nature the enemy, who “like a roaring lion, is seeking whom he may devour“ (1 Pet. 5:8); then changing into “an angel of light“ (2 Cor. xi. 14). The adversary is always “transforming himself” as a subtle serpent (Gen. 3:8); to steal, kill, deceive, and destroy.
Algol (β Per) is a bright eclipsing binary system in the northern decan of Perseus. As one of the best-known variable stars in the sky normally, it’s at [mag. +2.1] but every two days, 20 hours and 49 minutes the star suddenly dips in brightness to [mag. +3.4], remaining dim for about 10 hours before returning to its original state.
The change in brightness results in the Algol system pictured below in Fig. 2, consisting of at least three-stars (β Per A, β Per B and β Per C) with the orbital plane of Algol A and B aligned with the Earth. The regular changes in brightness occur when the dimmer B star moves in front of, and eclipses the brighter A star. There is an added element where a secondaryeclipse occurs, when the brighter star occults the fainter secondary star resulting in a minor dimming detected with special equipment.
Figure 2. Algol System (credit – Dept. of Physics and Astronomy – Univ. of Tennessee at Knoxville)2
As Perseus is pictured carrying the severed head of the Adversary, we were reminded of the result of this conflict by the path and passage of Comet Holmes in 2007-2008. The path of Comet Holmes (17P) through the decan of Perseusfrom October 25, 2007 to Jan. 20, 2008, was most remarkable when the comet went into outburst on October 24 located near the thigh ofPerseus. On January 22, 2008 it was in a very close conjunction (less than a degree) with the starAlgolthat is the main star in Rosh Satan, the head ofSatan, in Perseus’left hand. Here thearc of the path of Comet Holmes appears todepict the path of the sword of “The Breaker” as it cut off Satan’s head. Since Comets signify “disaster” these comet signs linked with Perseus would depict the immanent, disastrous and final destruction of the adversary at the hands of the Lord.
Comet Holmes was discovered by Edwin Holmes on November 6, 1892 when it had a similar outburst to the one in 2007. The comet was of magnitude 4 – 5 and faded from visibility over a period of several weeks. The orbital period was about 6.9 years. The Holmes Comet was observed again in 1899 and 1906 and after that it was lost for 58 years; or 8 Comet cycles. It was rediscovered in 1964 and it has been observed on every return since. The comet exhibited normal behavior until October 23, 2007. Between October 23 and 24 the comet brightened from about magnitude 17 to almost magnitude 2 in only a few hours. This extreme outburst has no precedent (except perhaps the 1892 outburst of this comet). This idea that a comet depicted events shown in the star picture Perseus is not an isolated incident, nor the first time that notable comet activity has been linked to Algol!
In 1996 and 1997 two bright comets made unique appearances in Perseus.These were Comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp. They appeared in the same place in Perseus one year apart on the very same day, April 11, 1996 and April 11, 1997. The spot where they crossed in Perseus was in his forehead and between the eyes ofRosh Satan, near the Star Algol, the exact same place that Comet Holmes also targeted ten years later in 2007-2008, to sever the head of the enemy. There was a foreshadowing of this event when David destroyed another beast that came up against Israel, namelyGoliath. David shot a stone into the forehead of Goliath and then taking Goliath’s sword, cut off the beast’s head. Afterwards David came before Saul holding the head of Goliath in his hand (I Samuel 17:57). Comet’s Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp crossed at this spot where David slung the stone into Goliath’s forehead felling him.
Figure 3. Comet Hale-Bopp, Hyakutake near the Star Algol of Perseus
Comet Hale Bopp passed through the decan Perseus, carrying the enemy’s severed head. The comet crossed Algol, the star positioned in the forehead of Satan, on April 11th. This noteworthy united testimony with Comet Hyakutake, that also crossed through the head of Satan at Algol on the 11th of April, as a celestial prophecy of the demise of the adversary. Thus it was no coincidence that these two comets crossing in Satan’s forehead (almost right between the eyes) on the same day, April 11th, one year apart, marking the beast for destruction.
Figure 4. Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp comets in the Decan Perseus – Bing images 4
The intersection of the two comet’s paths near Algol appears like a cross, or “x” marks the spot between the eyes or in the forehead of Rosh Satan! The area of the sky in the forehead of Satan where the comets crossed paths called in Hebrew, where the nearest bright star is Algol has long been known as the most malevolent star in the sky. This mark of the cross on the forehead also points to the mark of the beast in the forehead of his followers in Rev. 13.
Revelation 13:14-17 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,17 So that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. [Rev. 19:20]
These people left on the earth during the time of the future Tribulation, who consent to the rule of the Beast/Anti-Christ will get this mark of the beast on their right hands or foreheads. Even as the Almighty marked the head of Satan with the “x” where the comets crossed, so the beast will mark his rebellious followers even as the first rebel among men and against God [Cain], was marked by God Himself.
Perseus and Andromeda in the portrayal of Peretz delivering His captive Bride.
Decan of Perseus – Bing images
Gen. 4:11-15 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear.
14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then theLord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Those who since have followed in the ungodly way of Cain in turning away from the true God are described in Jude below.
Jude 8-11
8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[d]10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them. 11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
The revealing and destruction of the adversary is completed in the two phases of the victorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Lord firstreturns FOR his saints gathering the Church of his Spiritual Body, [I Thess. 4:13-18] taking them to the right hand of the Father, for the Bema Judgement. Then he returns WITH his saints riding white horses to destroy the enemy and his dark forces [Rev. 19:11-21] initiating his Millennial Reign. The first phase reveals the Antichrist in [2 Thess. 2] and the Book of Revelation. The second phase is the destruction of the enemy and his forces. Believers can rest in knowing that we will not have to endure God’s wrath on the earth.
Footnotes
1. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger
2. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy – Univ. of Tennessee at Knoxville 3. Biblical Astronomy Nov. 2007 Newsletter. Robert Scott Wadsworth
4. Hyakutake & Hale-Bopp comets in the Perseus – Bing images
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The darkness that Matthew, Mark and Luke all record as covering the land from the sixth hour to the ninth – noon to 3 pm is often assumed as the result of a Solar eclipse. In fact, the NEB, Dr. Moffat’s 20th Century NT, uses this term. In so doing they have all fallen into a pretty obvious mistake.1 The Crucifixion at the Passover, requires a Full Moon, yet there cannot be an eclipse of the Sun at a Full Moon. Furthermore, the darkness is said to have continued for three hours, but the maximum time a Solar eclipse will last is about 7.5 minutes. Whatever the nature of this mysterious darkness, it certainly was not a Solar eclipse.
This event is recorded in 3 Gospel accounts; Matt. 27:45, Mark 15.33 and Luke 23.44-45. Since the Gospels each record the events of the ministry of Jesus Christ to Israelfrom distinct viewpoints, Matthew emphasizing him as a King, Mark as a Servant and Luke as the Son of Man, and John as the Son of God, each Gospel record is true in its perspective of Christs’ four fold ministry to Israel. What follows is a basic comparative study of this event from the Gospels starting with Matthew.
Matthew 27: 45-54 NIV
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection andwent into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
Three hours of Darkness at Jesus’ Crucifixion – Bing images 2
Matthew and Mark both record the words of Jesus in Aramaic with an English translation- a unique handling of this Scripture. Why does this Scripture include the Aramaic words when most other passages do not? The translators handling of this phrase also implies that the Heavenly Father deserted His Onlybegotten Son in his hour of need, who had done exactly as the Father had purposed for his life to complete the redemption of mankind. Certainly, a perfectly just and loving Omnipotent Father would not do less than even human fathers have done in dealing with their obedient children-be there for their kids in time of need! There must be more to this than what appears on the surface, and there is!
The Aramaic words were supplied due to the translators uncertainty of their proper rendering. There are other examples of this in Scripture; [Matt. 5:22, Mk. 5:41, I Cor. 16:22]. 3
As we consider the Aramaic words “lemasabachthani“ in Matthew, we find no equivalent for lema or lama, but there is a word “lmna,” meaning; for this purpose or reason. 4
The root of the word “sabachthani” is [shbk or shbq] meaning to spare, leave, reserve or keep. This is used in Rom. 11:4,”And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved [shbk] for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” This is quoted from I Kings 19:18, and the same word is translated “remaining” in [I Kgs 10:11, Deut. 3:3, Josh. 10:33]. 5 With this evidence we can ascertain the true meaning of Christ’s utterance “My God, My God for this purpose was I spared or reserved.” 6 This leads into Jesus’ loud cry resulting in what Mark records as breathing his last breathwhile Matthew adds that “he gave up his spirit.” Luke goes into more detail by recording Jesus’ words; “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” BEFORE he BREATHED HIS LAST. This separates the two acts showing the Lord’s amazing discipline and focus to complete his perfect sacrifice for humanity, carrying out the details of His before he expired.
Crucifixion Darkness – Bing images 7
John records another element of Jesus’ last utterances in [Jn. 19:30] “It is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.” This was Jesus’ Cry of Triumph,notdefeat in death, but exalting God’s purpose for his sacrifice and the redemption of mankind! God never would desert Jesus completing his life’s purpose given by the Heavenly Father, He was there to support and help Jesus drink from this cup that he asked the Father to set aside in his prayer in the Garden ofGethsemane. Jesus was clearly seeking an alternative to fulfill God’s purpose, other having to endure the excruciating events leading to and including his crucifixion, but his goal remained to do the Father’s Will. The Gospel of John inserts these events prior to what Luke23:46 records “Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.” This details a more completepicture of Christ’s crucifixion events.
Only Matthew includes the earthquake [Amos 8:8] at the time the Veil in the Temple was rent; while Mark and Luke don’t cite the earthquake, or graves opening and the raising of the dead from their tombs, [Matt. 27:52 -53]. We know from Scripture [I Thess. 4:15-17, I Cor. 15:51-52] that God has resurrected no one to eternal life yet—except Christ. There is also uncertainty concerning the veracity of these two verses in [Matt. 27:52-53] due to numerous instances this section of [Matt. 27] is omittedby the Ante-Nicene Church Fathers, when they quoted [Matt. 27], casting a long shadow of doubt on these verses. However, if included it could only fit with God’s Word [I Cor. 15:22-23] if those raised from the grave were like Lazarus, to live out their natural lives thereafter. Those raised could not precede Christ as the first fruits from the dead.
The timing of the opening of the Holy of Holies with the deathof Jesus the High Priest points to the way of access backto theAlmighty being opened not only for Israel, but ultimately all mankind resulting from the spiritual rebirth that Jesus made available. As far as physical and scientific evidence for this earthquake at the crucifixion of Christ goes, the following link records a widespread earthquake around Jerusalem around the year 31. Geological evidence is centered on this year with an accuracy of +/-5 years, covering 26-36 AD. This reference that the force of this earthquake was “sufficiently energetic to deform the sediments at Ein Gedi but not energetic enough to produce a still extant and extra-biblical historical record.” It seems we are more dependent upon the accuracy of the Scriptural record versus the geological in this case. [http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00206814.2011.639996]
In support of this while analyzing earthquake activity in the region, geologist Jefferson Williams of Supersonic Geophysical and colleagues Markus Schwab and Achim Brauer of the German Research Center for Geo-sciences studied three cores from the beach of the Ein Gedi Spa adjacent to the Dead Sea. Varves, which are annual layers of deposition in the sediments, reveal that at least two major earthquakes affected the core: a widespread earthquake in 31 B.C. and a seismic event that happened sometime between the years 26 and 36. The latter period occurred during “the years when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea and when the earthquake of the Gospel of Matthew is historically constrained.”
Mark 15:33-39 NIV
33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”(which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
The events taking place during this darkness adds even more emphasis to the spiritual magnitude of this center point in History. All the enemy’s forces of darkness were focused on killing God’s Perfect Son, during these three hours of darknessover the land. Matthew’s statement that the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain, at the time of the earthquake, exposing the holy of holies to public view at this time, shows howChrist embodies the Veil. Only the high priest was allowed to pass through the veil once a year during the Day of Atonement. According to Edersheim; “The veil was 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and a cubit thick.” 8 Tearing a veil like this especially from top to bottom was beyond human capability. As the High Priest, Christ embodies the veil between us and God, standing in the gap between God and man. With the perfect sacrifice of his crucifixion, the veil ripping supernaturally was the sign that Christ’s substitution was accepted by the Almighty. Thus Sin no longer separated God from Man. All now have an open invitation to draw near to God with boldness and confidence by faith in Christ. The timing of this door opened by the Lord, setting the way of lifebefore all, is starting to close as the Lord’s victorious return drawsnearer. The Gospel accounts draw a picture where the events in the Temple with the Veil, are synchronized with the events of Christ’s Crucifixion on Golgotha.
The Veil in the Hebrew Temple ripped – Bing images
When Jesus breathed His last breath on the Cross, Caiaphas the High Priest was stationed at the Temple’s inner court, sacrificing the Passover lambs. As Jesus shouted, “It is finished!”- the veil was miraculously torn inside the Temple. God Himself ripped the veil of the temple in half from top to bottom, declaring that the way back to Him had been restored and was now available to anyone who approached Him through the precious blood of Jesus! This is what the Apostle Paul referred to, that Jesus “…hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Eph. 2: 14, Heb. 10:19,22). After Christ’s Sacrifice, it is no longer necessary for a high priest to do these annual sacrifices, because the blood of Christ is a once and final perfect sacrifice forever!
Luke 23:44-47 NIV
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
Both Matthew and Mark record the final element of this record, the Centurion’sdeclaration, after witnessing this litany of miraculous events that “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Its good to see some Romans wising up to the truth, like Pontius Pilate and even Tiberius while some crucified with Christ couldn’t do the same. This will always be an individual choice of the human heart before God.
Amos 8:8-10 NIV
8 “Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt.
9 “In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
10 I will turn your religious festivals into
mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave
your heads. I will make that time like
mourning for an only son and the
end of it like a bitter day.
This prophecy in Amos 8 is interesting because it includes four key elements present in the Crucifixion Darkness Gospel records. Verse 8 refers to the land trembling-or an earthquake, verse 9 states; the sun would darken at noon and darken the earth during daylight. Verse 10 refers to religious festivals-like Passover which Jesus fulfilled as the Passover Lamb sacrifice, and the end of the verse tells of mourning for an only Son-another reference to the death of Christ. These details confirmthe fulfillment of this Messianic prophecy from Amos.
The scope of Christ’s Crucifixion is world wide and universal for without Christ, all the world is in darkness.He took all our sins to the cross to make atonement for our forgiveness, and reconciliation to the Father. The darkness marking Christ’s crucifixion reinforced and symbolized the impact of the crucifixion, as the sins of men were castupon the only begotten, sinless Son of God. Since the Son of God embodies the Sun as the light of the world, even as the Sun itself was darkened for three hours, so we see the stain and shadow of sin obscuring the Light of the World for three hours.
The events and chronology of the crucifixion of Christ have puzzled scholars for millennia. Many times the historical records support the Scriptural accounts verifying Bible truths. To zero in on the time of Christ’s crucifixion, it helps to know his birthday, but there are other historical mile markers leading us to his ultimate sacrifice, starting with when Pontius Pilatereigned in Judea. Searching the historical record tells us that Pontius Pilate was the fifth Prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 AD, under the emperor Tiberius. To reveal the exact year when Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead we need to ascertain which day of the weekScripture says that Jesus rose from the grave. Catholic tradition teaches a Friday crucifixion, but could Jesus have been crucified on Wednesday as [Matt. 12:40] says when Jesus was in the womb of the earth for a full three days and three nights, then raised on the First day of the week AFTER these full three days and nights in the grave?
3 Days and 3 Nights in the Tomb– Infographic. x.
A key in separating the ANNUAL feast days, that were also Sabbath days, called HIGH holy days, is that they took precedence over the weekly Sabbaths. This is the origin of the tradition of a Friday crucifixion because those holding to this idea have considered only a weekly Sabbath in the week of Passover. But, God’s Word draws a clear distinction for us in John 19:31 that this particular Sabbath/Annual feast day was Not the Weekly Sabbath day. In other words this particular Sabbath day called a High Day, was the Feast of the first day ofUnleavened Bread, Not the weekly Sabbath. John 19:31 also says that the Scribes and Pharisees did not want to crucify Jesus on this particular SABBATH day during a High Feast day of Unleavened Bread, where no manual labor was permitted.
Luke puts the beginning of Jesus’ ministry shortly after John’s Baptism [Shebat 20, 27 AD] in “the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Ceasar, Pontius Pilate being Governor of Judaea…” [Lk. 3:1-3]. Augustus died in AD 14 and was succeeded by Tiberius. The records of Tiberius Caesar’s reign tell us that Tiberius Julius Caesar reigned alone as Emperor from 14-37 AD. Wikipedia says “Tiberius was the son of Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Octavian, later known as Augustus, in 39 BC, making him a step son of Octavian. Tiberius later married Augustus’ daughter, Julia the Elder, and later be adopted by Augustus, by which act he officially became a Julian, bearing the name Tiberius Julius Caesar.” xi Once Augustus adopted Tiberiusin 4 AD, he was granted both military and legislative powers. 13 AD saw his powers made equal to Augustus, due to the latter’s sickness. This lead to Tiberius starting his sole rule as Emperor in 14 AD, due to the death of Emperor Augustus on August 18th. History also tells us that Tiberius was co-regent for a short time during the last few years of the reign of Augustus, perhaps starting circa 12 AD. Thus the 15th year of Tiberius aligns with 27 AD, where we find Jesus starting his ministry with John’s baptism when he was about 30 years of age.
There are other historical confirmations of this Scriptural record, for example from Tertullian who references the crucifixion darkness. Tertullian, as a prominent Christian lawyer, 160 – 225 A.D., in his Apologia XX1, states thataccounts of the darkness were preserved in the national archives of his day – (an “Apology” was a defense of the Christian faith). He also states that Tiberius Caesar, the emperor during Christ’s lifetime, appears to have believed in Christ’s divinity and that Pilate became a Christian as well.
Following quotes from Tertullian and info about him from website below:
[http://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.org/coldfusion/Chapter.cfm?CID=135].
“In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse. You yourselves have the account of the world portent still in your archives.”
Tertullian, also pleads for Christians as a lawyer.
As a lawyer familiar with past decrees and other judicial records, Tertullian was able to refer his readers to the official records on file in the Roman courts. In his Apology, a “confession of faith” addressed to the Emperors of Rome, he reminds them that the Emperor Tiberius himself had looked with favor upon Jesus, saying in chapter V;
“Tiberius accordingly, in whose days the Christian name made its entry into the world, having himself received intelligence from Palestine of events which had clearly shown the truth of Christ’s divinity, brought the matter before the senate, with his own decision in favor of Christ. The senate, because it had not given the approval itself, rejected his proposal. Caesar held to his opinion, threatening wrath against all accusers of the Christians. Consult your histories; you will find that Nero was the first who assailed with the imperial sword the Christian sect, making progress then especially at Rome.” Nero, of course, was the first to persecute the Christians (64 A.D.) more than 30 years after its inception.”
Tiberius Julius Caesar\ – Bing images.
Our entire website [www.try-god.com] and [blog.try-god.com] is based upon the Scriptural, astronomical and historical evidence of the Birth of Christ on Sept. 11th 3 BC, with numerous posts and articles supporting this, fulfilling the Revelation 12 signs in Virgo and Leo, along with the reprise of these signs marking the potential victorious Return of Christ in Sept. 2017. Thus Jesus being about the age of 30 to begin his ministry, [Lk. 3:21-23] coincides with 27-28 AD. If Tiberius began his sole reign in 12 AD, this would place the 15th year of his reign as early as 27 AD which was Jesus’ 29th year, born in 3 BC. Another Scriptural and historical confirmation of this pertains to the Construction of the Temple.
The dating of the construction of Herod’s Temple, [John 2:20, read more] states; “46 years was this Temple in building…” John 2:20was spoken at Passover in the month Nisanon the Hebrew Calendar, that calculated time regarding sacred matters. The construction time of the Temple qualifies as a great example of a “sacred matter.” According to dates provided by Josephus, construction began on the Temple in 19 BC, followed by 46 years, putting us in the week following the Wedding at Cana, [Jn. 2:1-11, 13 to 3:21] when Jesus cleansed the Temple [Nisan 14th-21st], during his 1st Passover the week ofApril 10th-17th in 27 AD. 12 By the time Jesus completed the work of his ministry, he was 31, that fits neatly in the time frames set forward above in God’s Word. This being the first Passover Jesus attended, [Jn. 2:13-23] with the 2nd one the next year of his crucifixion. Obviously this is 4-5 years short of the traditional, dating of Christ’s crucifixion, prior to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 32-33 AD. Thus with all these historical and Biblical time markers in agreement established on Biblical truth, a strong case is presented against traditional crucifixion dates in 32-33, with a 3-year ministry of Jesus Christ. Another difficulty with this thesis arises in that its not possible for Jesus to have been crucified in the year 32 because the 14th of Nisan falls neither on Wednesday or Friday, allowing for 3 days and nights where Jesus was in the grave. As a result, using the Blood Moon Tetrad to mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is not consistent with the truth of the Scripture narrative on this subject.
Another key aspect in scientifically zeroing in on the year of Christ’s birth is the length of his ministry. Many say that Jesus ministered 3+ years due to the supposed references to 3+ Passovers in the Gospel of John. We have shown the two Passovers Scripture shows undeniably that Jesus attended above. John 6:4 references the Jewish Passover that was near, but there are problems with the authenticity of this verse. First this Passover reference is totally out of context. Secondly, there are two Greek manuscripts omitting this reference altogether; [manuscripts 472 & 850]. Also if this is indeed a record of a coming Passover, there is no record in the immediate context of Jesus or his disciples attending it. 13 With no real evidence that Jesus attended a third Passover, his crucifixion in 28 AD fits the historical and Biblical records very well.
There are a number of legal requirements that the Lord Jesus Christ had to fulfill if every jot and tittle of the Law was to be upheld as Christ stated; [Matt. 5:18]. In order for Jesus Christ to fulfill the OT law as the legal sacrifice for Israel and all mankind, he had to abide by all stipulations of the “ordinances of the Passover,” [Num. 9:12] as stated in God’s Word. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, [Heb. 9:22] and only Christ had the sinless and innocent blood that qualified as the perfect sacrifice to redeem mankind. Even after Judas betrayed Jesus he confessed: “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood;” [Matt.27:4]. This condition is clearly stated in Exodus 12:5, as a lamb without blemish, [I Pet. 1:18-19] along with the important truth that it had to be a lamb of the first year. If these conditions were not met according to the standards of Scripture, then those partaking in the Passover would be cut off from Israel; [Ex. 12:15]. Even more critical was that Jesus himself had to fulfill all these conditions to the last detail, or mankind would remain in a sinful, un-redeemed state, before the liberating work of the Redeemer of mankind was “finished,” [John 19:30]. In this study our focus is on this and other important Biblical conditions and regal requirements of the OT Law, that the Passover lamb had to be a male lamb of the first year, in order to redeem Israel. In the case of Jesus Christ, he did not fulfill this requirement until he became an adult male of full age starting at 30 years old. John’s Gospel also records Jesus was recognized by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” [John 1:29, 36]. In the same way that liberty was proclaimed in the Jubilee, throughout all the land and to all its inhabitants [Levi. 25:10], so Jesus set at libertythem that were bruised, while proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord at the opening of his ministry during a Jubilee year. The Jubilee celebration takes place in a single year, every 50th cycle, immediately after 7 Sabbatical cycles, marking the combination of 2 years for resting the land, with slaves freed and all debts cancelled. As Jesus proclaimed liberty in the land for Israel, so he will free all mankind from the bondage of sin and captivity in the Grandest Jubilee of all, in the harvest at the end of the world. Here we find evidence of Jesus’ recognition that he was the Lamb of the first year, because his quotation from Isa. 61 opening his ministry, makes specific reference to “the acceptable year [singular] of the Lord.” If Jesus were to complete the requirements of his assignment from the Heavenly Father, he would have to finish it via this acceptable year. This allows no room for traditional teachings that the length of Jesus’ ministry was 3+ years, because if we do, then this critical “ordinance of the Passover,” coinciding with the Jubilee cycle would not be fulfilled and mankind would remain un-redeemed. Below we find that Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 very precisely to initiate his ministry to Israel. In fact, his quotation was left incomplete! The entire quote of Isa. 61:1-2, as recorded in Luke 4:18-21, is seen below.
Why did Jesus cut this Isa. 61:2 quotation off in mid-verse? Because “the Day of vengeance of our God,” refers to events in the Book of Revelation when the wrath of the Almighty will be revealed on the ungodly, which is still future. Here is an awesome example of Jesus “rightly dividing” God’s Word. The comma separating these two phrases in this verse represents the Age of Grace that we have been living in for the last 200 centuries. This Gap of Salvation between the sufferings and glory of the Lord, is perhaps best understood in I Peter 1.
1 Peter 1:9-12New King James Version (NKJV) 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the gracethat would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
Thus the part of Luke 4Jesus read aloud referred to his first Coming, Which is why it could be fulfilled in the listeners ears, while the rest that he left unsaid from Isaiah 61 includes the Age of Grace ending with his Second Coming-still in the future to be fulfilled.
[Isa. 61:1-2]. “The Spirit of the LordGodis upon Me, Because the Lordhas anointed MeTo preach good tidings to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives,And the opening of the prison tothose who arebound;2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn…”
Luke 4:18-21(NKJV) records Jesus’ quotation of Isa. 61 as he announced the opening of his ministry;
18 “The Spirit of theLordis upon Me,Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[a]To proclaim liberty to the captivesAnd recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are oppressed;19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”[b] 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.”
Jesus opening his ministry reading the Isaiah 61 scroll – Bing images
Not the Prophets or the angels themselves knew about the Great Mystery of the Age of Grace [Rom. 16:25-27, I Cor. 2:7-10], that was kept secret by God since the world began. Christ’s ministry to Israel preceded the Age of Grace, which opened on the Day of Pentecost in 28 AD, when the Holy Spirit was first poured out on mankind and the Apostles first spoke in tongues. We have seen above how we got this date of 28 AD, counting forward from Sept. 11th 3 BC at the birth of Christ-30 years, to Christ opening his ministry to Israel. This brings us to 27 AD, then allowing a year+ [70 weeks according to Dan. 9:24] for the Lamb of the first year to complete his work, which he finished in 28 AD. It is interesting to observe that there are thirty Jubilees that bring us from the Exodus and the opening of Christ’s ministry, when opening the scroll to Isa. 61:2, Jesus certified the “acceptable year of the Lord” in a 7-fold prophecy, (Lk. 4:18-21). This fits neatly with the truth that in fulfilling the O.T. Law, Jesus as the embodiment of the Passover male lamb of the first year [Exod. 12:5), Jesus was in the first year of his manhood according to Hebrew reckoning, starting at 30 yrs old, [Luke 3:23]. This period of the Lamb of God in his first year is clarified even further by the Prophet Daniel. In Daniel 9, a specific period of 70 weeks was foretold; [Dan. 9:24-27] and decreed by God for Jesus to fulfill the Messianic redemption of his ministry to Israel. In this 70-week period Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended, exploding the myth that his ministry lasted any time beyond 2 years. This however, is not the only Biblical or historical evidence of Jesus’ birth on 9/11/3 BC, or regarding the length of his ministry. We have also considered evidence concerning the construction time to build Herod’s Temple, along with the Rule of Tiberius Caesar of Rome. History tells us that Tiberius’ rule [Luke 3:1], over the Rome Empire began in 12 AD, but he shared a co-regency with Augustus Caesar who died in 14 AD. This makes Tiberius’ 15th year of rule-27 AD, which was Jesus’ 29th year.
The 3 hours of Darkness on Christ’s Crucifixion Day have been attributed to many potential causes including a Miracle, Planet X and others. We have shown scientific evidence that it is impossible for a solar eclipse to account for this darkness, and that it was used by unbelievers to give a naturalistic explanation for a supernatural event. It is noteworthy that the Apostle Peter in his Pentecost sermon cites various fulfilled heavenly signspredicted by Joel. Joel 2:31 says; “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood” (Acts 2:20) was accepted by the audience without controversy. If Planet X or some other unknown planetoid, obstructed Sunlight from Earth’s view, then this could have caused a Red Moon also. Until they can be scientifically or historically verified further, the Scriptural record stands above all on the most solid ground, supported by history.
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i. NEB, Dr. Moffat’s 20th Century NT ii. Hour of Darkness Jesus Crucifixion picture credit- Bing images iii.The Word’s Way, VP Weirwille p. 270-fn.
iv. IBID, p. 270
v. IBID, p.270-271
vi. IBID, p.272
vii. Crucifixion Darkness -picture credit- Bing images
viii. “Life and times of Jesus the Messiah” Alfred Edersheim
ix. Veil in the Temple- picture credit, Bing images
x. 3 Days and 3 Nights in the Tomb– infographic; [Beyondtoday.tv]
xi. Wikipedia on Tiberius
xii. A Harmony of the Gospels-Chronology of the Life of Jesus Christ
xiii. IBID
xiv. Passover Lamb – picture credit -Bing images
xv. Jesus opening his ministry reading the Isaiah 61 scroll – Bing images
