The Bible’s Anti-Christ Equation [Part. 1]

The Bible’s Anti-Christ Equation

Not long ago an email was sent to me from a brother on my Facebook Biblical Astronomy Group page regarding an application of Prophetic Bible numbers. While reviewing these numbers, it came to mind that one common thread in God’s Word tied these three numbers together was the Beast, or Anti-Christ. This study pertains to an equation that rises from these 3 numbers, and the time periods of Biblical Prophecy linking them. A deeper look revealed a numerical basis for these 3 numbers was evident not only in the Bible but also in secular mathematics, called the sexagesimal, or Base 60 number systems.

Any numerical sequences revealing aspects of the Anti-Christ must be understood in light of how this evil spirit, opposes the true and genuine Lord and Christ, the anointed Savior sent by the Heavenly Father, especially in these last times, as the Scriptures tell us in 1 John 2.

1 John 2:18
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

The enemy has stood against Christ even before his arrival, as Satan rebelled against God’s purposes ever since his unsuccessful coup in heaven. The enemy also knew of prophecies concerning the birth of Christ, with numerous unsuccessful attempts made to wipe out his bloodline. Thus we can see how the spirit of anti-Christ is not only embodied in one person in the end-times, but also includes any general opposition to Jesus Christ. It is logical to expect the number of the Beast, to turn up in various forms, like time periods related to the Beast, seen many times in Old Testament forerunners of the Beast.

Image result for ouroboros images

Historically sexagesimal numbers have been most evident in ancient cultures like Sumeria, Babylon and Egypt, because 60 is the smallest integer divisible by all digits 1-6. The utility of Base 60 numbers has survived into modern times with temporal and geometric measures with 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour/degree, and 360 degrees [6 x 60] in a circle, all traceable to this ancient Babylonian system. For similar reasons, 12 (with factors of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6) also remains popular historically, (12 months, 12 inches, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 pence, 2 x 12 hours, 144, etc).

One of the numbers we will trace related to its Base 60 origin is the number 666, which we will view both from its Biblical roots, along with its astrological history. Regrettably, the Babylonians were also the primary developers of astrology, and its foundations practiced in modern times. The Zodiac is a narrow band about 18 degrees wide completing its circuit of the sky. A pagan symbol of the zodiac was a serpent swallowing its tail ostensibly representing eternal life. This also relates to the lunar nodestwo points where the Moon crosses the ecliptic monthly, determining solar and lunar eclipses. These lunar nodes were anciently conceived as the head and tail of a dragon, swallowing the Moon or Sun in eclipse. The axis of lunar nodes retrogrades around the ecliptic in 18.618 years. As the Sun meets a lunar node once every 173.3 days, it completes an eclipse year of 346.62 days or [11.738 full moons] every second crossing. Since the eclipse year is 18.618 x 18.618 days, the Saros can also be understood as 19 x 18.618 x 18.618 days to [99.99%] accuracy. 1 This not only reveals the numerical basis of the marriage of luni-solar cycles [Gen. 37:9-10], but also shows us the influence of the phi ratio in these cycles, since 19 eclipse years divided by 11.738 full moons=1.618, or phi accurate to 4 digits! Thus we can see that the Hand of the Almighty was working in the design of the celestial cycles, since there is no way the Phi Ratio could be seen in the numeric and geometrical Intelligent Design of the Cosmos by accident! Astrology teaches a fatalist dogma that people’s future was determined by the position of the stars at birth. The chief idols of the Zodiac were these 7 fatalistic planets winding their way through the 36 rooms of the Zodiac. In Astrology the 7 planets moving through the band of the zodiac, represented the 7-headed serpent, (Rev. 12:3). The Zodiacal band was divided into 12 houses, one for each month of the year, with each of the 12 houses divided into three rooms, producing 36 decans of ten degrees in the 360 degrees of the Zodiac circle. Thus the Zodiac was seen as the origin of a sacred temporal order, a Heavenly Clock to measure time.

Image result for beast 666 images

 Six hundred sixty six is the well known number of the “beast” in the book of Revelation, and also the first number in our “Anti-Christ Equation.” Six is the number of man, or human/ secular perfection, “and 666 is a concentrated expression of this-the trinity of human pride independent of God, in opposition to His Christ, culminating in the Anti-Christ.”2 As the trinity of man’s number, it is the essence of 6 being the sum of all numbers making up its square=36 [6×6], also the sum of all digits from 1-36=666. 3

In this study our main focus is on the Scriptures and history regarding the trials of Jerusalem and how historical figures like NebuchadnezzarTitus and Antiochus IV, have conquered the holy city, since the Bible’s Anti-Christ Equation reveals a key link to prophecies related to the Gentiles treading Jerusalem under foot. For example we find that Jerusalem was trodden down by the Roman Empire exactly 666 years, from the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, unto the Saracen conquest in 636. 4 There is also a 666 year cycle covering the period of the captivity of Jerusalem by Babylon in 597 BC, to its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD. Thus we can see at least two 666 year periods linked to the Gentiles treading Jerusalem under-foot. These two captivity periods also agree with the four beast kingdoms of Daniel’s vision, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.

Revelation 13:18
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number {is} Six hundred threescore {and}six.

This verse views the Anti-Christ in numerical terms, providing a Biblical basis for this study. As a key number we will consider in this study, 666 reveals central traits of the Anti-Christ. He is symbolically called a “beast,in reference to a king or the Kingdom of the beastThe Greek word for “beast” is therion: a wild beast. The Hebrew word is חיוה cheva, used symbolically in Daniel in a negative sense. 5 We find an example of this from Daniel where the four beasts of Daniel’s prophecy are also kings.

Daniel 7:17
These great beasts, which are four, {are} four kings, {which} shall arise out of the earth.

Another example of the beast as a kingdom is seen a few verses later in Daniel 7:

Daniel 7:23-25
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom {are} ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak {great} words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time

This image in Nebuchadnazzer’s dream, representing the beasts of these kingdoms according to Dan. 3:1, was 60 cubits high, 6 cubits broad, and was worshiped when music was heard from 6 specific instruments [666]. 6

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Daniel’s prophecy indicated that following Babylon’s Lion and Persia’s bear, the next empire after the winged leopard of Alexander the Great and Greece, was the Roman Empire, as seen in the iron legs of the image. According to Daniel, the feet of the image would be “divided” in two, one part iron and the other clay. What is interesting is that the Hebrew word for “divided” above in [Dan. 7:25] “time and times and the dividing of time,” [Palag=dividing,] 7 is the same root word used for “dividing” the 4th Beast kingdom in the feet of the image in Nebuchadnazzer’s dream; mixed of iron and clay, [Dan 2:41]. Since the 4th beast in this dream is prophesied for the last days, we can see the timing of the “dividing” of these times and kingdoms, [Daniel 10:14]. The dividing of time also implies God’s original temporal order where the scriptural basis is seen in Genesis 1.

Gen. 1:14-18

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

As we consider the details of the Heavenly Father’s temporal order, we find the two great lights of the Sun and Moon, in their solar and lunar cycles ruling over and dividing the day and night. We note that He made the Stars also, which we know in astronomy as sidereal cycles. A Sidereal Month for example, is the time it takes the Moon to move around the sky with respect to the stars. The mean lunar sidereal month is 27.3 days. The Sidereal year of 365.25636 days is widely used by astronomers. In this foundation of the Creator’s temporal order we find the Almighty laying the basis of time-keeping with Solar, Lunar and Star [sidereal] cycles.

As we view the elements of the Bible’s “Anti-Christ equation,” we need to take our pointers from God’s Word to ensure we are on solid biblical footing to proceed in this study. The equation in reference to the title of this blog post came to my attention from my friend Michael Hearns, who is part of my Facebook Groupthe Biblical Astronomy Fellowship. The equation has three basic numerical elements including the number of the beast, along with two Bible numbers from the books of Daniel and Revelation. Thus with 666, we also include the numbers, 1260 and 2300. We find these three numbers at the base of the Eclipse cycle of 18 years and 11 days, called a Saros, each holding about 70 eclipses. Of these 70 eclipses about 42 are solar and 28 are lunar on average. 8 For example, the 1260 year period breaks down into two shorter spans based on the 18 year eclipse cycle. In our study of the eclipse cycle related to the 1260 year period, lunar cycle measures conform to the 666 pattern, as 66 lunar cycles +6 years. (60 cycles + 6 cycles + 6 years). A principle in these periods of Biblical Prophecy related to the luni-solar cycles is that the longer the cycle, the more error is eliminated from the Saros. This pattern is established as seen in De Cheseaux’s cycle of 315 years, which is 1/4 of the 1260 yr. Biblical cycle, (Dan. 8:14; 12:7; Rev. 12:6, 14), 10 times more accurate than the 19-year Metonic cycle. The Saros eliminates most of it’s remainder in the longer 2,300 year Biblical cycle. Every 1260 years the Sun and Moon return, within less than 1/2 a degree, to the same point of the ecliptic precisely, within an hour of each other. If we subtract 1260 from 2300 we get 1040 which is a long-awaited solar-lunar cycle harmonizing all three measurements: the Year, Month and Day “with a nearly imperceptible error(of .11 of a day). 9

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The breakdown of the 1260 year period pairs the number of the beast as a multiple of the 18 year eclipse [Saros] cycle; since 1260 years is 18, 70-year eclipse cycles [6 + 6 + 6 such cycles] as seen below.

18 x 37 = 666 years, added to
18 x 33 = 594 years
————————-
18 x 70 = 1260 years
totaling =  70 Saros cycles.   10

Putting this into perspective, I think it fitting that we quote from the Witness of the Stars, by E.W Bullinger, in his discussion of the Saros: Bullinger shows the periods of Jerusalem under the Gentiles in two 1260 years cycles, totaling 2520 years. 11  He depicts the domain of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece as 594 years, and the Roman Empire’s dominion of Jerusalem at 666 years; totaling 1260 years. Both of these periods are calculated in eclipse cycles. The second 1260 year period consists to the Mohammedan conquest of Jerusalem that began in 636-37 AD. 12

“Saros cycles breakdown into two cycles, one of 666 years and the other of 594 years totaling 1260 years. We know that 1260 years is a soli-lunar cycle, so exact that its epact or remainder is only 6 hours. Bullinger stresses not only these aspects of the 1260 year period but also its double-2520 years. 13 Bullinger believed that these 1260 year periods would foreshadow 1260 day periods in the end-times, when the final Abomination of Desolation was to be fulfilled, before and during the Great Tribulation. [2 Thess. 2:1-3].

As we include the conversion rate of Solar and Lunar cycles with the calendar year according to these cycles seen in Biblical Prophecyfrom Daniel and Revelation, we gain a panoramic view of Biblical history and an incisive view of end-times prophecy, related to the activities of the Anti-Christ and his final desolation of the Temple at Jerusalem. This view is afforded us in the numbers of the Bible’s Anti-Christ Equation.

In this equation we take the initial product of; the number of the beast times 1260 days:

1260 days x 666=839,160 days

The second part divides the product of the first part by 2300 days:

839,160 days/2300 days=364.852.17 days 

This product of 364.852.17 days is a fraction short of a Sidereal year of 365.256 days, the time it takes the Earth to fully revolve around the Sun, in its position against the stars. The key to the fractional difference between 364.852.17 days and the sidereal year of 365.256 days is amazingly found in a combination of time periods stated in Rev. 9:15, also relating to the Anti-Christ. 14

Rev. 9:12-15
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

Concerning these 4 time periods, from the [J-F-B Commentary] quote on this verse, we should look more to the listed time periods as opposed to the sum total of these periods; “for an hour, and a day, and a month, and year rather as Greek, “for (against) THE hour, and day, and month, and year,” namely, appointed by God. The Greek article (teen), put once only before all the periods, implies that the hour in the day, and the day in the month, and the month in the year, and the year itself, had been definitely fixed by God. The article would have been omitted had a sum-total of periods been specified, namely, three hundred ninety-one years and one month.” [391 years] [Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary] 15

The temporal periods seen here are not only fixed by God, where these angels of the 6th trumpet are linked to a 200 million man army; appointed in the future, where they will destroy a third of earth’s population as punishment for their evil actions, [Rev. 9:20]. If these periods are viewed in a symbolic biblical sense, an hour, is the twenty fourth part of a day or year, a day is a year, and a month is thirty years, and a year is three hundred sixty five years and a quarter, or ninety one days; in all, 391 years, viewed in total. These periods added like this may not appear logical until we consider these cycles in their luni-solar context, in light of how the Creator set them in their courses in His Temporal order. This is a key aspect of the Mystery of the prophetic numbers we are considering. In his studies of the Temple and Tabernacle, Hearne also found biblical units of talent and shekel measures matching luni-solar cycles, [Ex. 38:24–29]. One number was the equivalent of the lunar month, a second equaled two solar years of 365 + 365 days, and a third was the equal of 5 lunar years, which implies a year-month-day cycle. In this light, there is an interesting relation to a total time period of 706 years as the sum 391 (Rev. 9:15-Hour, Day, Mo. & Year) and 315 (1/4 of 1260). No other cycle shorter than 1040 years so nearly approaches being a year-month-day cycle except only the cycle of 706 years whose greatest error is .10 of a day. 16

391 + 315=706

This hyper-accurate year-month-day cycle is made up of 3 of the 4 time periods listed in Rev. 9:15, harmonized to the luni-solar cycle. These four time periods of verse 15 listed in decreasing order, break down in the Anti-Christ equation as follows:

364.852.17 days

+ 1 Year                     365.242– Solar year

+ 1 Solar Month        30.43

+ 1 Week                         7    [the week is the only period omitted in this verse, but where it comes up in other verses related to the Anti-Christ tells the story.]

+ 1 Day                         1

+ 1 Hour                      0.04

Total                  365.255.88 or a nano-error of .12 of one day short of a Sidereal year = 365.256 days. 17

This total when rounded up to the nearest sidereal cycle of 365,256 days, amazingly bridges the gap to make up one sidereal year, with the primary calendar time periods of one year, one month, [a week,] one day and one hour. Furthermore, all of these periods were listed in the [Rev. 9:14-15] with four of these periods appearing in the same sentence. But the period of one week was cited separately in the context of 3 ½ years/42 months, which was listed twice in [Rev. 11:1-3] in reference to the two witnesses who will also preach for 1260 days. 18 Viewing the context we not only see that 42 months=1260 days, in bible time measures, but also when John is told to measure the temple, altar and worshipers, he is told to omit the measures of the outer court, which are given to the Gentiles who tread it underfoot 42 months. Here we have another key measure linked to the Temple in God’s Word, related to this equation. “The period of 2,300 days also includes the Tabernacle, and its surface areas of the tent and outer fence according to Hearne, measured 2,300 square cubits.”19 This matched the time period the Temple Sanctuary was trodden underfoot with the square cubits of the Tabernacle Sanctuary, the predecessor of the Temple.

The product figure of our equation [364.85217] is a fraction short of a star [sidereal] year of 365.256 days. This is an ideal Solar year against the Stars both giving light upon the earth. It is the Sun of Righteousness [Mal. 4:2] with the stars reflecting their light in the world. Another way to view this problem is via the lens of geometry. A geometric view of the Anti-Christ is a facsimile of the anointed Christ-minus a fraction. The power of a counterfeit lies in its closeness in appearance to the original. We must be experts in the field to be able to differentiate between the two, [2 Thess. 2:11-12]. As the Sun of God in the 19th Psalm declares the glory of God the Father, moving along the path of the ecliptic, it takes a Solar year to complete its celestial circuit. If we fail to discern the different prophetic time periods in light of LuniSolar cycles, we miss a major category of truth the Creator has included in His celestial revelation, while opening ourselves to the deception of a strong delusion.

Image result for Golden Pyramidion images

The geometric view of the Anti-Christ is a very close copy of the originalminus a fraction, also fits the measure of what is known geometrically as a gnomon. The gnomon is something fragmentary, diminished from its completed shape. The gnomic growth of the Nautilus shell [https://www.geogebra.org/m/waR6eVCQ] is a classic example of the way teeth, bones and DNA develop in the human body, based on the additive Fibonacci number series. The Phi ratio is also an example of number patterns that dictate growth and progression in Nature.
Christ is called the Capstone or Chief Corner Stone of the Great Pyramid, or the Pyramidion, a model of the Great Pyramid in miniature, resting a top the Pyramid’s apex, completing its full structure. The dimensions of the Pyramidion determine the measurements of the full Pyramid. As individual believers, the faithful make personal pilgrimages in life to the High Priest-the headstone, in whom we gain access to the joyous freedom in fellowship and atonement with God the Heavenly Father, via the High Priest Jesus Christ. This is the Pyramid’s witness, embodied, culminating and represented in Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone. This is witnessed in the Great Pyramid’s structure, in both its descending and ascending passages that terminate at the Pyramid’s central apex lineprophesying of its missing capstone at the summit. [Figure A.]

We should be mindful that Capstones of the grandest Egyptian Pyramids were gold plated to represent the Sun. If the designers of the Great Pyramid, whose dimensions embody the planet Earth on a 1 to 43,200 scale, deliberately omitted the missing cap-stone, then this omission would symbolize our planet in darkness, until the missing light of the world and Sun of God returns, [Mal. 4:2]. Why is the capstone still missing today? Jesus answers this in the gospel of Matthew.


Figure A. Missing Capstone of the Great Pyramid

Matt. 21:42-44 
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Thus the symbolism of The Great Pyramid, the last remaining of the original Seven Wonders of the World, still echoes the message of its Biblical prophesy in Isaiah [19:19-21] that; “He shall send them a Savior, and a great one, and he shall deliver them21 And the Lord shall be known to Egypt…” The meek ones who embrace the Lord are rewarded in his kingdom, but those rejecting him get the strong delusion in the kingdom of the beast the [anti-Christ], seen in Rev. 17.

Rev 17:9-14
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Verse 12 links the “power of these 10 kings” in their one hour with the beast. This hour is part of the first part of the solution of the Bible’s Anti-Christ equation in Rev. 9:15, as one of four time periods; “hour, day, month and year.”

As we detailed above, the ancient Babylonian Base 60 number system has survived into modern use, as the system we use for timekeeping because it allows the accurate calculation of many more fractions than our Base 10 system. The application of these trigonometric principles is found in the 3700-year old Plimpton 322 tablet, as the oldest and most accurate tablet of trigonometry in history, working the precepts of the Pythagorean theorem over 1000 years before Pythagoras. Otto Neugebauer argues, each line of the tablet can be generated by a pair of regular numbers, integer divisors of a power of 60. “This property of and q being regular, leads to a denominator that is regular, and therefore to a finite sexagesimal fraction in the first column.” 20

This concludes Part 1 of this study, Stay tuned for Part 2 coming in early August next month.

Footnotes

  1. Sun, Moon and Earth,  p.28  Robin Heath
    2. Number in Scripture
    , ppg. 282-84, E.W. Bullinger
    3. Ibid, p.286
    4. Ibid. p.284
    5. The Abomination of Desolation and other Prophetic Terms of Biblical Eschatology, Jon Nessle
    6.  Number in Scripture, p. 285, E.W. Bullinger
    7. Strong’s ConcordancePalag=dividing, James Strong
    8. Witness of the Stars, p.179, E.W. Bullinger
    9. Parker’s Celestial Cycles, p.22
    10. Witness of the Stars, p.179-182, E.W. Bullinger
    11. Ibid, ppg. 190-92
    12. Ibid
    13. Ibid
    14. Michael Hearn’s personal email
    16. [Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary] on Rev. 9:15
    15. Irish Astronomical Journal of June 1953, Vol. 2, No. 6 ‘The Mystic Numbers: Daniel and the Apocalypse” p. 155-56
    16. Michael Hearn’s [http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/seven-bible-wonders-the-tabernacle-secret-unveiled-2/]
    17. Ibid
    18. Ibid
    19. Ibid
    20. Wikipedia on the Plimpton 322 tablet.

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Biblical Cosmology and the Precession of the Equinoxes

Biblical Cosmology and the Precession of the Equinoxes

Biblical Cosmology is focused on the Godly origin and structure of the Universe, viewing he laws of causality and Space-time in the context of the Creator as the First Cause. The traditional concept of the history of Cosmology reads as a timeline of the “discoveries” of the greatest scientists. Men like Ptolemy, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, Einstein and Hubble are the beacons of scientific progress, and certainly human science owes these men much. According to conventional history, the idea of a heliocentric “universe” or solar system, originated with the ancient Greeks, specifically Aristarchus of Samos back in the second century BC. This idea however, did not catch on in a big way until Copernicus, who while reviewing some of Aristarchus’ ideas, seized upon this concept and ran with it. He did this at his own peril due to the prevailing worldview of his time, especially that of the Roman Catholic Church, based on a geocentric view of the solar system espoused by Ptolemy, which held sway in intellectual and religious circles for over 1500 years. The graphic below from Harmonica Macrocosmica [A. Cellarius, Amsterdam 1660] depicts a Sun centered Copernican view of the cosmos.

harmonica macrocosmica

This post on Biblical Cosmology will show that the idea of a heliocentric “universe” predates the 2nd Century BC and Aristarchus, by at least 1300 years, and its genuine roots are found in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. From a strictly historical perspective, this is somewhat of a radical statement, sure to have many critics, but once the following Biblical evidence is viewed in light of the principles of Biblical Astronomy, the foundations of this statement are inescapable. The subject of this blog states the case of potential revisionist power that Biblical Astronomy can have on the conventional view of the History of Astronomy. For Christian believers, knowledge of these truths provide a key historical view of the impact of the Biblical Patriarchs on the ancient world, which has been obscured by thousands of years of Astrology, pagan myth and yes, even human science. By restoring some of the original historical luster to these heroes of the Faith, [Heb. 11] we gain a fuller perspective of their mighty stand on the truth of God’s Word, as they upheld its general precepts including the Principles of Biblical Astronomy.

Our awareness of the history of Biblical Astronomy gains new insight as we consider the Biblical context of the Patriarchal astronomers, starting with Adam regarding their view of the heavens. God’s revelation and His Intelligent design of the cosmos, was taught to Adam personally and was handed down to the Biblical Patriarchs during Adam’s 930 year life span. In the Creator’s Revelatory Astronomy, the Patriarchs viewed the polesecliptic and Equator all relative to the orientation of earth’s axis, showing an aspect of precession as part of the Creator’s plan to depict a figurative geocentric position of earth’s central importance in the firmament. The earth, is not the literal center of the firmament, but because it is the object of the light shed by the other celestial bodies [Gen. 1:14-16], it is the figurative focal point of God’s Creation as man’s garden home. This is an aspect of the idea of the Sun’s dual year, since the solar year depicts a heliocentric, or sun-centered solar system, noting it’s daily illumination from earth’s view, as the central light of heaven. Thus the key implications of precession are seen, not only in the ages decreed by the Sun’s residence in one of the 12 signs of the zodiac, but also in the Biblical message that each zodiacal sign holds in relation to the returning Promised seed-Jesus Christ.

The Earth is thus the figurative center of Creation, as the object of the three-fold celestial light shed from the heavens. The purpose and beauty of this three-fold heavenly light is to illuminate the Earth, which God initiated with the two aspects of the Sun’s annual and precessional cycles, as seen in Joseph’s two dreams in Gen. 37:6-11. Joseph’s dreams reveal the basic correspondence of the 12 signs of the zodiac with the 12 tribes of Israel, among other things. Since the ancient view and knowledge of the Solar cycles, celestial signseclipses, and asterisms were based on line-of-sight relationships, that only have meaning from an Earth-bound view,  over time this devolved into the view that the Earth was the literal center of all Creation, forming the basis of later geocentric theories, like those of Ptolemy. Similarly, as the figurative representation of the Sun as source of life, became literalized by the heathens, it resulted in the idolatrous Astrology of Sun worship inherent through much of ancient mythology and religion.

Plate I. Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction cycle

Related image

Another major influence on precession in the History of Astronomy was the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction cycle. This was thought to open a window on the precession of the equinoxes, according to the base 60 mathematical pattern. The ancient Astronomy of numerous cultures including the Maya, Romans, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Chinese, and astronomers of ancient Egypt, calculated precession using this conjunction cycle in Pisces. The Chinese Zhuanxu Calendar is thought to have started in 1953 BC, linked with a significant predawn all-planet alignment on March 5th. According to astronomers Kevin Pang and John Bangert of the Jet Propulsion Labs, in an ancient text written by Liu Xiang [77-79 BC], this alignment took place near the Pegasus Square, [Plate II, below] between the two fish of Pisces. Pang stated: “While the beginning of a day is dawn, a five-planet conjunction occurring at dawn, with a new moon, and the start of spring would truly be the beginning of all cycles. For calendar makers, such a moment would also be an ideal starting point for counting days, months, years and planetary periods.” 1 The idea of a Jupiter-Saturn triple union taking place with a planetary alignment, indicates a possible termination point, where all solar system planetary cycles were in agreement early in their cycles. This idea agrees with Jupiter-Saturn triple unions occurring in Pisces only once every 800 years, showing how this Conjunction series subdivides the 25,920 year precessional cycle. Since 30 cycles of Jupiter-Saturn triple unions taking place in Piscestotals a period of 24,000 years, it serves to generally break down this long cycle of precession, into 2000 year ages.

Figure 1. The Precession of the Equinoxes

bi-polar world axis

There was also a greater 260year cycle based on Jupiter-Saturn Conjunctions, anciently utilized by the Mayans to break down the very long cycle of the precession of the equinoxes. Thompkins states that: the “Maya also had a cycle of 942,890 days, or 2,582 years, equlling 130 Jupiter-Saturn Conjunctions.”2

Twice this cycle [5,163 years], not only gave the equivalent of the greater 260-year cycle of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions, but 100 of these greater 260-year cycles was equal to 26,000 years, often reckoned the length of the precession by the ancients, as seen in Figure 1 above. This agrees with evidence from Egyptian astronomy via their Dendera Zodiac.

The graphic of the Dendera Zodiac below shows the Pegasus Square, as a square scroll laid between the two Fishes, of Pisces with “Axis E” of this famed Egyptian Zodiac running through the corner of it. As we stated in our website study on the Stars of the Dendera Zodiac: the main Taurus-Scorpius Axis of this zodiac, with the Leo-Aquarius axis, match the main axes that identify the Age of Taurus in the Bible, in Numbers 24:7-9. The context of Numbers 2 shows us the order of 12 tribes of Israel in their wilderness encampment, matching the zodiacal order of the 12 signs/constellations on the ecliptic. In this way, the Dendera Zodiac not only provides key archaeological evidence that the ancient Hebrews and Egyptians both utilized a practical understanding of the precession of the equinoxes, but in the Hebrew’s case, they applied it directly to their belief in the prophecy of their coming redeemer, with Nature’s verification of their stellar gospel, in support of their Old Testament Holy Scriptures. Thus, the Zodiac of Dendera [See poster in the upper right margin of this blog Page] also provides strong supporting evidence from the history of Biblical Astronomy as to the belief in a coming redeemer, since this ancient Egyptian zodiac prophesies in very specific ways not only concerning the time he would appear, but also concerning his unique sacrifice via the very same celestial imagery utilized in the Bible. This important theme is set forth in John Lash’s realization of the presence of a 5th axis on this Zodiac, seen in Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. 3 The Hebrew name for Spica [Al Zemach]-the Branch/offspring of God, [Jer. 23:5-6] is embodied in God’s only begotten SonJesus Christ. Spica is only one of just two stars specifically marked on the Dendera Zodiac, the other being Sirius, the central star linked with the flood stages of the Nile, and the Sothic Calendar, registering one of the oldest historical calendar dates, 4241 BC. The 1461-year Sothic calendar also conforms to the 260-day pattern of the Tzolkin Calendar [260 x 1461] the same as 365.25 x 1040 days, adhering also to the pattern of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions, as they break down the windows of the precession of the equinoxes through the ages.

Plate II. Axis “E” on the Dendera Zodiac

Lash’s comments concerning this 5th Dendera Axis are enlightening when viewed in context of the history of the Hebrew’s in ancient Egypt with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, as a forerunner of Christ, and Lawgiver of Israel, who lead them through the wilderness unto the Promised Land. As Lash states in his unpublished
book, The Skies in Memory:

Whoever designed the Dendera Zodiac was looking ahead in time to our [Piscean] age, when the spring equinox occurs under the tail of the western fish, because this is the time that the entire cycle culminates. With the spring equinox at this position in Pisces, the axial cross locks into unique alignment with the Galaxy.” Lash goes on to say that he considers the star “Spica… to be the master key to the Dendera Zodiac…” 4

The Dendera Zodiac marks our Piscean Age with the first appearance of the Branch and offspring of God, seen in how the axis referenced above, coincides with the star Spica and the opening of the Age of the Fishes.

The following chart shows how precessional ages correlate to the Biblical Administrations, revealing a consistent progression of themes as God’s Plan of the Ages unfolds. This provides the overarching context for God’s plan of redemption and restoration of Mankind and Creation, through the redeeming work of Christ-the centerpiece of the Ages.

Plate III.

Precessional Ages Aligned with Biblical Administrations
 Zodiacal Sign  Biblical Administrations  Heavens & Earth  Precess Age Start Dates Scripture
 Sirius  Angels First Estate  First    Gen.1:1-2
 Gemini  Original Paradise  Second  6480-4320 BC  Gen. 3:8ff
 Taurus  Bible Patriarchs  Second  4320-2160 BC  Gen. 3:23ff
 Aries  O.T. Law  Second  2160-7 BC  Ex. 19:16ff
 Pisces  Christ/Grace/Revelation
/Millennium
 Second  7BC-now  Matt. 3:11ff
Acts 2:1ff
IThess. 4:13
 Aquarius  Final Paradise  Third  2153 AD  Rev. 21

This march of the precessional ages is recorded in certain ancient star maps like the Dendera zodiac, from ancient Egypt, in a recognition of the axes built into its structure. God designed triple Conjunctions of Jupiter-Saturn as individual markers and movements in a grand celestial Symphony of the Ages, ultimately leading to Christ’s Birth. The 1953 BC triple union of Jupiter-Saturn took place in the sign Aquarius, marking the Birth of Abram. As the Father of Many Nations, and progenitor of the believer’s line, Abraham via his offspring, Isaac and Jacob would bear the promised seed. This triple Conjunction confirmed that Christ came out of the nation of Israel, constituting the 12 tribes of Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel, to reflect their spiritual inheritance.

This is the spiritual message the heavenly Father intended to be communicated over the face of the Earth, a far cry from the “astrological ages” promoted in various cultural myths throughout history. Only with a Scriptural view of the precession of the equinoxes in its true Biblical context, can we gain the wisdom that God has stored for us in Creation’s master temporal cycle. Although at times we see the true light shining through the broken symmetry of mythology and sometimes even Astrology, we gain an unobstructed view when we take heed to the two part harmony of God’s written Word, with His celestial gospel. This approach truly provides the missing history that archaeo-astronomy has longed for.

Figure 2. Earth’s Axis and Precession

precession of the poles

As part of the Creator’s grand design, the 25,920-year precessional cycle of the sun’s apparent retrograde motion against the backdrop of the tropical zodiac, depicts the Sun’s dwelling in successive zodiacal signs, dictated by the earth’s shifting axis and equatorial pole. Thus, with the precession of the vernal point, or vernal equinox in mind, the Earth is centrally located, depicting the earth’s figurative geocentrism referred to above, but not merely with respect to the solar system. The centrality of the Earth involves a much larger cosmic district than our community roundabout of the solar system. As Genesis 1:16-17 states, not only the Sun and Moon but also the Stars were to shed their light upon the Earth. This encompasses the entire zodiacal structure, the stars of the ecliptic, the Equator and the poles.

With the earth as the figurative center of Creation and the object of the three-fold celestial light shed from the heavens, the purpose and beauty of the cosmos is to shed its threefold light upon the earth, and God began with the dual year of the Sun, as we will see in Psalm 19 and in Joseph’s two dreams in Genesis 37. We find this dual year, in the Sun’s annual and precessional cycles.

Similarly, as the figurative representation of the Sun as the source of life became literally deified by the heathens, a result was the idolatry of Sun worship inherent in much of ancient world myth and Astrology. The Earth, of course, is not the literal center of creation, but God created it as man’s garden home and as the object of God’s Love and care for His human family, He showers humanity with His greatest Love as witnessed in this threefold celestial Light. Let’s take a more detailed look at what Scripture tells us about the precession of the equinoxes.

We can see how the geographic and magnetic poles on Earth are reflected in the North Poles of the ecliptic and the Equator, in the heavens as seen in Figure 3. below.

magnetic poles

The Sun’s Cycle of Precession

Let’s begin with some initial Biblical evidence of precession in Psalm 19, as an introduction to the significance of the Sun’s “dual year,” or its annual and precessional cycles, the two prime standards for astronomical time. This differentiates the Sun’s dual year, first seen in it’s annual cycle, spending one month in each sign of the 12 Zodiacal signs, versus the retrograde precessional cycle, where it spends a “great month” or 2,160 solar years in the 12 signs of the ecliptic. As the Sun moves through all 12 signs of the tropical zodiac, the Sun completes its cycle of the “great year,” in about 25,920 solar years. The sixth verse of the 19th Psalm briefly refers to this apparent retrograde motion of the Sun:

Psalm 19:6 
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

“His going forth is from the end of the heaven… a reference to the Sun’s path through the ecliptic, so called because all the solar and lunar eclipses occur on this course. The words “going forth” in Hebrew are mowtsa [*H4161], meaning the dawn, the east, a gate, the rising of the sun. 55

Thus it refers to the place or gate of the rising of the Sun, also known as the vernal point of the Spring Equinox, the sign of the zodiac where the sun rise occurs, indicating the sun’s retrograde precessional movement, because the sun rises in a different “gate,” or successive zodiacal house on average every 2,160 years. The sun’s annual cycle, or solar year is seen in “his circuit” above, which in the Hebrew is (*H8622) tequphah: rendered, “at the end of the year” [2 Chron. 24:23],6 an obvious reference to this annual solar cycle. Thus we have in brief, a Biblical contrast between these two solar cycles. The record of Joseph’s dreams in Genesis 37 will take us into greater depth on the Biblical testimony of precession. Joseph’s second dream in Gen. 37: 9-11 reveals a precessional context, with its use of stellar terms, especially the “eleven stars making obeisance” to his star or sign of the Bull, Taurus. These 12 “stars” of Joseph’s dream correlate with Jacob’s 12 sons in Gen. 49 forming the Sidereal zodiac. One can also view the precession of the Vernal equinox as the Sun in retrograde against the fixed background of the sidereal zodiac of the stars. Thus, Joseph’s second dream reveals astronomical truth that his first dream with an agricultural theme, does not.

Genesis 37:5-11 
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. [6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: [7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance [H7812] to my sheaf. [8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign [H4427] over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion [H4910] over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. [9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance [H7812] to me. [10] And he told it to his father and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down [H7812] ourselves to thee to the earth? [11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

hebrew zodiac

Taurus the Bull, as Joseph’s sign in the Hebrew zodiac was split into its two horns, representing his sons Ephraim and Mannasseh [Num. 2:18-20 & Deut. 33:17]. This was done to substitute for the rebellious tribe of Dan, made in the circle of the twelve Hebrew tribes, the twelve signs of the Sidereal zodiac. This allowed for the Levitical 13th tribe to be placed in the center of the zodiac’s circle, with the pattern of the stars mirrored in the seed of Israel, as they camped around their Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai during their forty years of wandering. This relation of the Levitical 13th tribe to the Sun, could be a symbolic reference to the Intercalation of a 13th month to align the solar and lunar cycles in the Hebrew Calendar. The Levites, being the priestly tribe, had the charge of the affairs for the Tabernacle, housing the Ark of the Covenant. An aspect of the Tabernacle’s celestial plan can be found in the edifice of the wooden framework that provided a foundation upon which the Tabernacle’s curtains [H3407]7 (Ps. 104:2-3, Isa. 40:22, Ex. 26:26-36), hung. They were assembled from 48 units, each ten cubits high, and 1.5 cubits wide…6 This implies the structure of these 12 zodiacal signs including their 36 decans, (12+36=48) divided into ten degree decans, showing not only God’s celestial order in the tabernacle of the Sun [Ps. 19:4], but also marking the earthly Tabernacle as the focal point reflecting the spiritual light of God’s presence among His people during the Old Testament. This was established in the priestly order of service instituted in the Temple by King David, with 24 courses of priests, each serving two times during Israel’s calendar year, totaling 48 weeks. When the three weeks of Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles are included, wherein all the priests served, we have the 51 weeks of Israel’s luni-solar year, divided according to sacred and civil standards. The sacred year began in Nisan, the month of the spring Passover, while the civil year in the fall started with the seventh month Tishri 1, the Day of Trumpets signaling the onset of Israel’s holiest month. This depicts the Creator’s light reflected in the celestial structure of creation, ruling over the Hebrew timekeeping, manifest in the sacred priestly service and architecture of the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple, fulfilled in Jesus Christ as the King and High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek.

The Ark represented the fullness of the presence and power of God that could be manifested on Earth, amid the men of the Old Testament Law. As the “Sun” of the Hebrew Zodiac, the risen Morning Star will enliven humanity as their Savior and enlighten them as the light of the world. Here we see the Sun functioning as a “solar collector” as it moves through the various 12 houses in precession, reflecting the stellar light of their age upon the Earth. Once again we find Biblical evidence regarding the Hebrew zodiac, structured as the earliest known heliocentric model, as seen in the Menorah Solar System, far ahead of Aristarchus of Samos (270 BC), the first of the ancient Greeks to re-submit the idea of a Sun centered cosmos. With the light of the world at the center of the Hebrew zodiac, we see the roots for a Sun-centered solar system that Copernicus gets credit for, in spite of the neolithic antagonism of the Roman Catholic Church centuries after his death. This idea was first put forth and established with the Hebrew Menorah, which was structured on a celestial plan of the ancient solar system of seven celestial bodies, with the Sun as the central candlestick [Rev.1:20], embodied in Christ as the light of the world, always enlightening the Earth.

The Hebrew Menorah

Menorah

A key to understanding this part of Genesis 37 is found as we take notice of details in the record, specifically the obeisance made by the sun, moon, and the eleven stars to Joseph’s sign of Taurus the Bull. The first dream makes no reference to Joseph’s parent’s who are represented as the Sun and Moon in the second dream. Their praise of Joseph’s star is added to that of the eleven stars of his brothers. The meaning of the Hebrew word (*H7812 shachah) to bow down, is to depress, prostrate oneself (in homage to royalty or God), to bow oneself down, to humbly beseech, worship or to do obeisance.This word is used as indicated in verses 7, 9 & 10 above, in reference not only to the sheaves of the field, but also to the sun, moon and eleven stars, with Joseph being the twelfth. Here we can see an image of the Hebrew zodiac foreshadowing the prophecy of Jacob over his twelve sons in Genesis 49, as an image of the Sidereal zodiac, seen as both the sheaves (earthly seed; Gen. 13:15-17) and stars (heavenly seed; Genesis 15:4-6), both relating to prophecies concerning Israel. Here we can see a record where the witness of the Stars lines up with the witness of the Scriptures according to the revelation of God to Joseph, to preserve the line of the promised seed of Israel, that the enemy was trying to wipe out with the famine that took Jacob to Egypt. We also find these two seeds mirrored in the horizontal and vertical fish of Pisces.

Joseph’s first dream had a terrestrial interpretation which was seen in [Gen. 45: 8 & 26], where the same Hebrew word used in verse 8, for “dominion” (maschal), is used with an immediate application to Joseph’s political position as “ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” This was fulfilled when Jacob brought his family to Egypt according to God’s direction [Gen. 46:3-4], where Joseph was Grand Vizier.

The second dream however, being celestial in nature, shows a clear distinction from the first dream, indicating that there is another aspect of these signs of the ecliptic that we, as students of Biblical Astronomy, need to be aware of. The usage of (*H7812) here in Genesis 37, in relation to Joseph’s sign of Taurus, is distinctly different than in Genesis 49:8, where it states regarding Judah that: “thy Father’s children shall bow down (*H7812) before thee.” Obviously, even though the same Hebrew word is used for the homage that Jacob’s children would give to both Judah and Joseph, it cannot mean for the same reason.

The homage due Judah in Genesis 49 has a distinct celestial significance since the Messiah came from this tribe [Rev. 5:5]. You can view my Biblical Astronomy DVD for added insight in a detailed look at Gen. 49:8 in the triple Conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus marking the birth of Christ. For our purposes here Judah’s dominion refers to the Sun’s annual cycle through the zodiac seen in the Great Sphinx, where the woman’s head in Virgo, and the body of Leo the Lion are married, joining the two ends of the zodiac in this famous guardian of Giza. This also depicts one way that the Great Sphinx prophesies of the birth of Christ.
[What does this say for precession?]

The regal lion represents the homage due to Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the king of the Hebrew zodiac, seated on David’s throne; [Luke 1:32], born from Virgo the Woman and queen-Israel the earthly seed. Conversely, Joseph’s dominion refers to the Sun’s cycle of precession, and its dominion over the Sun, Moon, and the eleven Stars. The rule of the precessional cycle as the master cycle of the heavens is seen here in its Biblical context, as the Sun, Moon and Stars are interpreted in light of where the Sun rises at the vernal equinox in each precessional age, setting the over-arching context for each of the 2160 year ages. The precession of the equinoxes occurs due to the Sun’s annual path on the ecliptic in all 12 signs of the zodiac taking a solar year to complete, but at the end of that year the Sun does not return to the same point in the sign where it began the year, but is a little behind it… about 1 degree every 72 years. This takes about 25,920 years for the sun to complete this vast retrograde circle through all 12 signs on the ecliptic.

Genesis 37:10b-11 “Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Jacob’s response to Joseph’s dream is enlightening because Jacob himself and [Rebecca] are represented by him, to be the Sun and Moon, who together “made obeisance” to Joseph’s sign–Taurus, in his dream. This shows the Sun’s solar year and Moon’s lunar year, along with the star’s sidereal year, all in subjection to the base 60 standard of the Sun’s abode in precessional cycles. Jacob’s reference to the Sun and Moon in the dream as, “I and thy mother” shows the marriage of the solar & lunar calendars, harmonized according to the phi ratio, synchronized to the fifty-year Jubilee cycle of Israel. This accents the custom of Intercalation by the Biblical Patriarchs, Jacob and Joseph prior to Moses. When we consider the influence of Joseph as the Grand Vizier of Egypt in this record in Genesis 37, we find some of the earliest recorded incidents of Intercalation of the luni-solar calendar harmonized according to the phi ratio. Thus on one level, this record of Joseph’s dream underscores the kinship between the cycles of the Sun, Moon & Stars in view of both precession, and in light of the annual feasts Hebrew calendar. This sets the stage for later Biblical evidence of the Intercalation of months according to the Mosaic standards set in Num. 9:11ff. The record of the second Passover carried out by King Hezekiah in II Chron. 30:1ff, is an example of the insertion of a second Adar (13th) month. This was done usually when the two years had gotten too far out of synch.8

This insight into the record of Joseph’s dreams in Genesis 37 provides a basis for the Astronomy of the Biblical Patriarchs, especially their knowledge of the twelve signs of the zodiac, the harmonizing of the solar and lunar years, all in the ruling context of precession. We must be mindful that the Biblical Patriarchs were the experts of Biblical Astronomy because their gospel was the Stars. They had not received the written Scriptures as of yet, but they knew the “Covenant of Day and Night,” as Jeremiah [33:25] called it, better than anyone and were privy to its hidden mysteries, whose surface we are only scratching! Their astronomical expertise was carried into ancient Sumeria in Ur of the Chaldees, as seen in the “Tower of Babel,” [Gen. 11] record as the basis of ancient Babylonian Astronomy and was later perverted in their Astrology. This astronomical expertise of the Biblical Patriarchs like Abraham is one reason why Jacob “observed the saying,” of Joseph’s dream as Genesis 37:11 says.

The Hebrew word for “observed” [*H8104shamar], means: “to keep, guard, preserve, protect, retain, to observe as a covenant the commandments of God [Gen. 17:9-10, 18:19], and to revere.”9 It refers to the careful attention paid to the obligations of a covenant, as Abraham gave orders to “Keep the Way of the Lord.” The details of this Covenant of day and night, written in the stars are exactly what Jacob was protecting. When he noted the details of his beloved son’s celestial dream, he took great care to scrutinize the Word of the Lord as it came in this dream. After all, he was only following his Grandfather’s instructions, to keep the way of the Lord, for their Patriarchal Administration. In the oracle of Balaam in [Num. 24] below he is beholding the glory of Israel’s wilderness encampment, and he identifies three of the four tribes at the cardinal points of the compass; Aquarius in verse 7, with the water buckets, Taurus the wild Ox in verse 8, and Leo the Lion in verse 9.

Num. 24:2-9 [ESV]

 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,[athe oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered: How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves[b] that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his bucketsand his seed shall be in many watershis king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild oxhe shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.”

The cycles of the Sun and Moon bowing down to Taurus tells us that the precessional Age of Taurus is indicated, which is consistent with the witness of Numbers 23-24, that detail the precessional markers or cardinal points for this age. This precessional knowledge filtered through ancient Egypt and was applied along with the Sothic Calendar, during the Age of Taurus, as many archaeo-astronomers have documented. Even as Abraham is historically recorded among the first teachers of the ancient Egyptians, there were others before him. As Jacob’s grandfather, Jacob also would have been schooled in this Academy of Patriarchal Astronomy. This exerted a powerful influence on the Astronomy of the ancient Near East. We find this knowledge applied in the stellar alignment of many ancient Egyptian temples oriented to zodiacal signs signifying the related precessional age, providing strong evidence that the Biblical Patriarchs not only knew of the precessional cycle, but also applied it in a spiritual context, like their wilderness encampment around their Tabernacle.

As the discovery of the Antikythera Device has rewritten the modern understanding of astronomy in ancient Greece and Rome, so the mysteries of God’s Word will continue to transform human knowledge as more light is shed on these long hidden truths…

Footnotes

1. Pang and Bangert-Jet Propulsion Labs
2. Secrets of the Great Pyramid, Peter Thompkins
3. Atlantis Blueprint, Colin Wilson and Rand Flem-Ath, ppg. 171-172.
4. Skies in Memory, John Lash
5. Strong’s Concordance [H4161], James Strong
6. Ibid, [[H8622]
7. Ibid, [H3407]
8. Ibid, [H7812]
9. Ibid, [H8104]

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Celestial Symbolism of the Cherubim in Ezekiel’s Vision

Celestial Symbolism of the Cherubim in Ezekiel’s Vision

This blog post is a response to a recent question from one of the online forums I participate in. Since this involves one of the more mysterious sections of Scripture concerning Ezekiel’s visions at the River Chebar, I thought it might bless some folks to hear a Biblical Astronomy perspective on Ezekiel’s vision.  Lets begin with a view of Moses’ OT Tabernacle, to set the context from the earthly Tabernacle representing God’s actual heavenly Temple.  

The eastern door to the Tabernacle represents the way, the truth, and the life, of John 14:6, which is embodied in Jesus Christ as the light of the world, and the door of the sheep, the Good Shepherd [Jn.10], the true way which leads unto life.

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

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

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

Figure 1. Hebrew Tabernacle Ground-plan 
Hebrew Tabernacle layout

Numbers 24:5-9;
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O IsraelAs the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

In verse 8 above the Hebrew word for “unicorn” is [reem] also found in the Song of Moses, where it refers not only to a single horn but two horns of a bull.

Figure 2. Taurus the Bull from Bayer’s Star Atlas [1603] 1.

star names

   Taurus the Bull is evident in Deuteronomy 33.

Deut. 33:13-17

13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, 14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, 15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, 16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. 17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Here in Moses’ Song, he uses the same language found in Numbers 24 in the horns of the “reem” or “Unicorn,” as the KJV renders it. It is common knowledge that the popularly imagined unicorn, the mythical beast, is not pictured with more than one horn, but the Bull is. These Bull horns are identified with the sons of Joseph in verse 17. The Bull’s head is also one of the four heads of the Cherubim.

 [Ezek. 1:5-6Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings

According to Ezekiel the Cherubim each had four faces and four wings. Since angels operate as intermediaries between God and men we can see this symbolism in the Cherubim, first with their four wings at the four corners of heaven. They also had four hands of a man under each of their wings, depicting their service from God in heaven to men on Earth.

Figure 3. The four Heads and Wings of the Cherubim

Image result for Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision images

There is another element of dominion seen in the Cherubim in it four faces. In Man who is created after God’s image, with the Lion we have the king of the non-domesticated animal kingdom. With the Bull as the king of domesticated animals, the Eagle as the king of the fowl of the air, [Gen.1 26-28]. As we can see from this picture above the Cherubim embody these four signs of the Hebrew Mazzaroth in the four Cardinal Directions.

Exodus 36 gives us details of the colors utilized in the veil of the Tabernacle depicting the Cherubim. Let’s consider some of this color symbolism in the services of the Tabernacle and Temple.

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

The veil hung from four pillars, representing the terrestrial number, and the earth’s orientation to the four Cardinal Directions and points of the compass. The symbolism of the number four is prominent in the imagery above, not only in the four pillars holding the Tabernacle’s veil, but also in the four colors of the Tabernacle shown in the veil. The four colors are blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. Blue represents peace, showing us the presence of God and is seen in the Son of God as the Prince of PeacePurple represents royalty, and is seen in Christ the King of Kings. Scarlet or Red represents blood, and is seen in the Man Jesus Christ, the high priest offering the perfect sacrifice and sin offering of his own life for our redemption. The linen was White, symbolizing the purity and righteousness of the Servant of God. Thus the four colors of the Tabernacle collectively embody the four-fold ministry of Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, showing his dominion over all Creation. As we have seen, these four pillars correspond to the four Cardinal Directions, known as the equinox and Solstice  seen on the ecliptic and Equator at the four-corners of the heavens.

Figure 4. The Four Celestial Signs at the four points of the Compass; Man, Eagle, Bull and Lion.

The Four Cardinal Points

These four cardinal points correspond to the tribes, zodiacal signs and colors as follows:

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

Figure 5. Aquila the Eagle above the Serpent-Serpens.

Image result for constellation Aquila images

Ezekiel’s vision at the river Chebar describes these living creatures, specifically their four faces, matching the signs at the four Cardinal Directions of the heavens. As we have noted regarding the North, it was omitted for various reasons, one of which may have been due to the tribe Dan’s idolatry (Judges 18:30-31). Manasseh was added to replace Dan to maintain 12 tribes, but Dan’s exclusion was not only due to their idolatry, but also because this tribe led the ten northern tribes into idolatry. This is why in the four faces of the Cherubim, the serpent is replaced with the Eagle-Aquila the natural enemy of the serpent. We can see this in the graphic above with the decan Aquila pictured directly above the tail of the serpent-Serpens, held by Ophiuchus. This also explains why Ophiuchus, the serpent holder is not usually included in the 12 Signs of the Hebrew Zodiac. 

In the North we find the face of the decan Aquila the Eagle [Ezek. 1:10], replacing that of his natural born enemy, the Scorpion/serpent, as is evident in the triple sign of the man Ophiuchus, as he wrestles Serpens the serpent, while stamping out the light of the star Antares, in the heart of Scorpius the scorpion. Ezekiel’s vision is recorded below.

Ezekiel 1:3-11
The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. 4And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire5Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man6And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings7And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. 8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. 9Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 10As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

Figure 6. Artist’s Rendition of Ezekiel’s vision at the River Chebar. 

Related image

The matching of the faces of these four living creatures with the four signs at the cardinal points in Numbers 24, is worth a closer look. First, this correlation between the four Cardinal Directions of the horizon seems an obvious celestial reference, supported by the celestial wheels within wheels connected with the Cherubim, [Ezek. 1:16, 20-22, 10:1-22]. These wheels relate to the celestial structure of the ecliptic and the Equator, as one wheel is pictured within the other, and the points where they cross are the equinoxes. One Hebrew word for “wheel” in Ezekiel, [10:2, 10] is galgal [*H1534],2 a variation of Gilgal [*H1536],3 the “Hill of God,” [I Sam. 10:5] where Joshua set up an altar of twelve stones [Josh 4], one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The word galgal is also the root of our word “Galaxy,” showing a celestial application of these wheels even into the modern day. Similar to the stellar reference of the 12 precious stones of the High Priest’s breastplate, as symbols of the twelve signs of the zodiac, Joshua’s altar marked their entry into the promised land, which was first deeded to Abraham [Gen. 13:14-15]. God marked the end of the Israel’s sufferings in the wilderness even as He had marked their exit from Egypt, with a miracle of parting of the waters, both of the Red Sea and of the Jordan River. He also marked the beginning of Israel’s reign of kings both in the anointing of Saul, along with the first Passover in the Promised Land at GilgalJosh 5:9-10 has a figurative portrait of this initial Passover, as these “wheels of God’s justice” rolled over the heathen that stood in Israel’s way. The first Passover was a prophecy of Jesus Christ the King of Kings from the regal line of David, who would rule instead of Saul. Thus when we view the two phases of the return of the promised seed, first in his sufferings second in his glory, we can see the following division along the lines of Jesus’ ministry as seen in the four gospels:

Sufferings 

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

Glory

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


Figure 7. MacDonald’s Conception of Ezekiel’s Vision [Ps. 18:6-19]

Image result for Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision images

These four royal celestial signs or “Stars” forming the four faces of the Cherubim, have a long history. They are mentioned together in a Sumerian-Akkadian Cylinder Seal going back as far as 3150 BC. 5 These “Royal Stars” at the Cardinal Directions, represent implied archaeological evidence that knowledge of the entire zodiac existed in ancient Sumeria-Akkad, due to the symbolism of these four key stars relating to the entire zodiac. The celestial reference, to the stellar wheels within wheels linked with these Cherubim, [Ezek. 1:16, 20-22, 10:1-22], however goes even deeper. These wheels not only relate to the general celestial structure of the ecliptic and Equator, as one wheel is pictured within the other, with their points of crossing at the equinoxes, but the entire Hebrew Mazzaroth is pictured here.  This not only includes the regular solar cycle where the Sun  circles in the 12 signs of the zodiac for a month each, providing the 365-day calendar of the year, but also includes the Sun’s retrograde motion where the Sun rises at the vernal equinox in each of the 12 signs/tribes for 2160 years. Thus while the annual Solar cycle moves forward, the backwards or retrograde motion of the Sun, called the precession of the equinoxes, spends 2160 years in each sign of the Mazzaroth. This is the mystery of Ezekiel’s “wheel within the wheel,” with the simultaneous motion of these solar cyles, the longer of which is 25,920 years. Since Ezekiel was a contemporary of the Prophet Daniel who was the President and High Court “astrologer” for the kings of Babylon and Persia, they could have had opportunities to interact concerning the principles of Biblical Astronomy.

Figure 8. The Hebrew “wheel within a wheel” from Ezekiel’s vision. 6

As symbolic references to the four quarters of heaven, the 4 unified faces of these living creatures [Rev. 4:6] represent a composite of the celestial narrative, witnessing to the return of the promised redeemer, and his judgment on the assembly of the wicked.

The 22nd Psalm reveals more details of this evident celestial pattern, in the context of the Lord’s sacrifice, in Golgotha’s foreboding shadows. This is the record of the assembly of the wicked passing their depraved judgment on the Lord, as they orchestrated the events that surrounded Jesus’ crucifixion. But as his immanent return speeds towards us, the mighty conquering judge will execute his righteous verdict with everlasting consequences for the evil ones.

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

Figure 9. Idols at the four winds of heaven, from  ancient Egypt shown with four heads and four wings.

Image result for Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision images

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

John 7:37-44 
37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? 43So there was a division among the people because of him. 44And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

Thus Christ himself embodied the fulfillment of the rite in which the believers had just taken part during this feast, that was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when these rivers of living water flowed from the twelve apostles, as they first spoke in tongues. The context of John 7 was the last and great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, revealing a deeper significance to the priestly ceremony involving the waters from the Pool of Siloam, which the priest retrieved in his golden pitcher. Alfred Edersheim enlightens us on these details:

   “It was on that day, after the priest had returned from Siloam….and for the last time poured out the water to the base of the altar; that the Hallel had been sung to the sound of the flute, the people responding and worshiping as the priests three times drew the three-fold blasts from their silver trumpets– just when the interest of the people had been raised to the highest pitch, that from amidst the body of worshipers, who were waving towards the altar quite a forest of leafy branches as the last words of Psalm 118 were chanted-a voice was raised resounding through the Temple, startled the multitude, and carried fear and hatred to the hearts of their leaders. It was Jesus who stood and cried saying (the words of John 7:37-38). Then by faith in him should each one truly become like the Pool of Siloam, and from his inmost being rivers of living water flow….” 7 [emphasis mine]

All the resistance of the enemy, nor the stiff-necked leadership of Israel could stop the long prophesied and inevitable Will of God, from coming to pass. The authority of God’s only begotten Son is close to being fully realized, and the evil ones will reap the full judgment awaiting them. Psalm 22 illustrates this important element of the Hebrew cosmology, that was corrupted even further by idolatrous Israelites, who followed the examples of heathen star religions in Sun worship in the adoration of pantheons of celestial heroes, in mythos of ancient Astrology. This corruption degrades the truth and purity of the theme of eastern access, to the holy of the holies in the Temple and Tabernacle, replacing it with a form of man’s works, the basis of all false religion.

As we honor the Biblical Astronomy inherent in Ezekiel’s vision at the River Chebar, much astrological confusion falls away to reveal beautiful and sagacious Scriptural truths  that prophesy of the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the truths we can adhere in honor to Him.

Footnotes

1. Picture credit Figure 2. Constellation Taurus from Bayer’s Star Atlas [1603].
2. Strong’s Concordance, notes on H1534, James Strong
3. Ibid, notes on H1536.
4. Picture credit for MacDonald’s Concept of Ezekiel’s Vision.
5. The Sumerian World, Harriett Crawford.
6. Picture Credit [Jewishenclopedia.com]
7. The Templeits Ministry and Services, Alfred Edershiem ppg. 222-223

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Moses’ Tabernacle Colors and the Phi and Lucas Ratios

History of Biblical Astronomy

The Tabernacle Colors and the Phi and Lucas Ratios

The Bible tells us God gave Moses certain colors relating to the construction of the Tabernacle.

As it says in Exodus 26:1, “Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman.”

This reference to the combination blue, purple and scarlet in the construction of the tabernacle appears 24 times in Exodus 25 through 39, describing not only the colors to be used in the Tabernacle curtains, but also waistbands, breastplates, sashes and other garments of the High Priest.

Exodus 36 gives us details of the colors utilized in the veil of the Tabernacle depicting the Cherubim. Let’s consider some of this color symbolism in the services of the Tabernacle and Temple.

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

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

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

The Four Cardinal Points

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

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

Hebrew Armillary Sphere  1

The matching of the faces of these four living creatures with the four signs at the cardinal points in Numbers 24, is worth a closer look. First, this correlation with the four Cardinal Directions of the horizon seems an obvious celestial reference, supported by the celestial wheels within wheels connected with these Cherubim, [Ezek. 1:16, 20-22, 10:1-22]. These wheels relate to the celestial structure of the ecliptic and the Equator, as one wheel is pictured above within the other, and the points where they cross are the equinoxes. One Hebrew word for “wheel” in Ezekiel, [10:2 & 10] is galgal [*H1534], a variation of Gilgal [*H1536], the “Hill of God,” [I Sam. 10:5] where Joshua set up an altar of twelve stones [Josh 4], one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The word galgal is also the root origin of our word “Galaxy,” showing a celestial application of these wheels even into the modern day. Similar to the stellar reference of the 12 precious stones of the High Priest’s breastplate, as symbols of the twelve signs of the zodiac, Joshua’s altar marked the entry of the 12 tribes into the promised land, that was first deeded to Abraham [Gen. 13:14-15]. God marked the end of the Israel’s sufferings in the wilderness even as He had marked their exit from Egypt, with a miracle of parting of the waters, both of the Red Sea at the start of the 40 years in the wilderness, and of the Jordan River at the end. He also marked the beginning of Israel’s reign of kings both in the anointing of Saul, along with the first Passover in the promised land at Gilgal. Joshua 5:9-10 has a figurative portrait of this initial Passover, as these “wheels of God’s justice” rolled over the heathen that stood in Israel’s way. Thus when we view the two phases of the return of the promised seed, first in his sufferings second in his glory, we can see the following division along the lines of Jesus’ ministry as seen in the four gospels:

Sufferings

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

Glory

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

The 4 primary colors of the Tabernacle not only embody the ministry of Christ, but also a Phi relation to the color spectrum and to the musical scale. As we investigate this field of study we can perhaps gain insight into movements of the Creator’s symphony of sound and light.

For example Fibonacci numbers appear in the musical scale and in pure harmonic intervals like the octave [2:1], the fifth [3:2], and major and minor sixths [5:3] and [8:5]. Also the entire overtone series is based on golden ratios. The octave divided by a perfect fifth, (13/20), produces the golden ratio. The perfect fifth divided by an octave, (8/13), produces the golden ratio. The perfect fourth divided by a major sixth, (6/10), produces the golden ratio. And The major third divided by a perfect fifth, (5/8), also produces the golden ratio. The overtone series appears across various forms of music, and is a natural order of notes that is played by horn instruments. The phi ratio not only rules over the musical scale but also over the structure of musical instruments.

Phi Ratio in the Construction of a Violin

Stradivarius violin design using phi, the golden ratio or golden section, in its design

In Part 1 of this study seen in our May 2017 Blog post, we noted a correlation in the structure of DNA both to the Fibonacci and Lucas number series. As Jean-claude Perez suggested there is a strong link between DNA and golden ratio in 1991,[1] then later in 1997 in his book l’ADN décrypté[2]. His work shows that relative proportions of nucleotides within coding DNA sequences like genes or RNA strings are governed by specific Fibonacci and Lucas number sets. The resulting “DNA supracode” is revealed by computing sets called “resonances” within any DNA sequencespecific nucleotide clusters like FFF (Fibonacci Fibonacci Fibonacci), LLL (Lucas Lucas Lucas), FFL (Fibonacci Fibonacci Lucas) or LFF (Lucas Fibonacci Fibonacci). An example of elementary FFF resonance: 144 contiguous TCAG bases contain exactly 55 bases T and 89 bases; A, C or G. This kind of screening is processed along the DNA sequence, for all possible Fibonacci/Lucas combinations, and for all possible values (example here 144-89- 55 are 3 consecutive Fibonacci numbers). There appear many “resonances”. For example, in the HIV whole genome, of about 9000 bases, there are more than 50,000 significant Fibonacci/Lucas resonances. The longer resonances (several hundred resonances) are overlapping about 2/3 of the whole HIV genome (6765 bases which is the 20th Fibonacci number-see chart below). 1

The Fibonacci and Lucas number series as reflections of the Golden Section are both additive, since each number is the sum of the previous two in the series, and the product of the previous term, multiplied by phi. No other number series displays these traits of geometric growth fusing both addition and multiplication. Yet it is also capable of division and subtraction as the Creator installed limits on the positive entropy of disorder and death in His reordering of the kingdoms in the fallen world. Thus like the nautilus that grows into the form laid out in the perfect geometry of its shell, various life-forms in the Kingdoms of Life follow the pre-ordained geometric patterns of growth, as built-in limitations to their species and genus. We find this stated in Romans below.

Rom. 8:19-23
19 For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. 

The world is captive to sin and the destruction of entropy, as it groans for the redemption and deliverance of the Lord Jesus Christ, at his return. As the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, Christ represents not only the restoration for all mankind, but all Creation. We can begin to see the impact of the Fibonacci number series as the determinant of the patterns of geometric growth in the 4 kingdoms of life, in the first 20 Fibonacci digits provided below.

Fibonacci Spirals in Nature and Science

“ Eu, eu mesmo… Afinal tudo, porque tudo é eu, E até as estrelas, ao que parece, Me saíram da algibeira para deslumbrar crianças… Que crianças não sei… Eu… Imperfeito? Incógnito? Divino? Não sei… Eu… ” — Álvaro de Campos 4-1-1935 Poesias de Álvaro de Campos. Fernando Pessoa. Lisboa: Ática, 1944 (imp. 1993). - 76.

Table A. The First 20 Fibonacci Numbers
n 1       Fn 1
2                1
3                2
4                3
5                5
6                8
7                13
8               21
9               34
10             55
11              89
12             144
13             233
14             377
15             610
16             987
17             1,597
18            2,584
19            4,181
20           6,765

Each [F number] represents the approximate geometric mean of its two adjacent numbers in the series. This geometric mean between the two numbers equals the square root of their product. In the numerical progression of this series, alternative [F numbers] require a +1/-1 correction. Lucas numbers operate on the same geometric mean principle, with a +5/-5 correction under the square root. This depicts how both series progressively converge on the Phi ratio to higher degrees of accuracy. A more direct relation between the two series is also apparent in that any 4 consecutive [F numbers] add up to the Lucas number linked to the 4th [F number]. Also odd [F numbers] sum to the next even [F number], while even [F numbers] converge to -1 of the next odd number.

Lucas series number values; [Ln] appear together with the first 10 Fibonacci numbers in the chart below for comparison: 4

n: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fn: 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55
Ln: 2 1 3 4 7 11 18 29 47 76 123

The Lucas numbers share many similar properties with the Fibonacci Number series. As we note the numerical relations between the Fibonacci and Lucas Number series, perhaps further insights will come to light. Thus it is noteworthy that every 3rd Fibonacci number is an even number since it is divisible by 2. Every 4th Fibonacci number is divisible by 3, and every 5th Fibonacci number is divisible by 5. Also every 6th Fibonacci number is divisible by 8.

As we consider the spiritual unity of the body of Christ, with each member reflectinging the spiritual abilities of Christ in them [Col. 1:27], each Christian believer embodies a unique aspect of Christ in the spiritual body of his Church. God has called this church together as it has pleased Him, and its perfect union is likened to and centered around the love in Christian marriage, [Eph. 5:22-31]. As we find the phi ratio expressed in the Temple & Tabernacle of Israel, not to mention the human body ideally expressed in the perfect man Jesus Christ, we can see the elegance of the divine expression of this unity geometrically portrayed via the proportional symmetry of the golden section.

Footnotes

1. Jewish Encyclopedia.com
2. Wikipedia on the Phi ratio in the Human Body and DNA
3. The Golden Section, Nature’s Greatest Secrets, Scott Olsen
4. [www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hostedsites/R. Knott/fibonacci/lucasNbs.html]

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