Category: Planetary Conjunctions

Blog Summary of the birth of Christ and the Celestial Prelude.

Birth of Jesus Christ
Biblical Astronomy of the Birth of Christ


Merry Christmas 2022 Everyone as we recognize the true Reason for the Season!

Free christmas garland clipart the cliparts - Clipartix

During the Holiday Season we always do our best to acknowledge the truth behind the idea of the “Star of Bethlehem,” and its biblical and astronomical significance. This subject represents the roots of the Try-God website and blog research, found in the articles posted on Try-god.com going back 20 years to the early 2000’s. This month we are first posting a recent article linked to the 2020 union of Jupiter and Saturn as it relates to the history of the star of Bethlehem. Secondly, we will repost a number of our studies from the last two decades, regarding the “Birth of Christ” topic, and what I’ve referred to as “The Celestial Prelude” pertaining to the celestial signs preceding Christ’s Birth, that set the foundation for the Magi to recognize these heavenly signs, as they came to pass.

Below is an article that appeared in Astronomy Magazine on Friday, December 18, 2020, that generally aligns with my approach to the Star of Bethlehem. This will serve as an introduction to some of my blog post research that follows, on various aspects of this subject. In fact, the last of my links listed below deals with the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Dec. 2020, which is the subject of this article from
Astronomy Magazine, below.

 The Star of Bethlehem: Can science explain what it really was?

For centuries, scholars have suggested the Star of Bethlehem may have actually been a “great conjunction” of bright planets. 1
By Eric Betz  |  Published: Friday, December 18, 2020
RELATED TOPICS: STARS | JUPITER | SATURN
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“Could the Star of Bethlehem have been caused by a “great conjunction” of the bright planets Venus and Jupiter? On June 17, 2 B.C., the planets had come so close they would have almost appeared as one object, similar to the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 2020.  Ron Miller/Astronomy magazine

On December 21, 2020 Jupiter and Saturn will come together in a “Great Conjunction” unlike any seen in nearly 800 years. The two planets will appear so close together in Earth’s night sky on winter solstice that they’ll almost look like a single object.

That’s prompted some to dub the sight a “Christmas Star,” and others to wonder about a similar sounding celestial event that coincided with the biblical first Christmas: the Star of Bethlehem. But did such a cosmic sight ever really exist? And if so, what does astronomical science tell us about what could have caused it?

Interestingly, there’s some evidence that a pair of planetary conjunctions — not unlike the coming Great Conjunction — happened around the historically accepted time frame for the birth of Christ. That could potentially explain the Star of Bethlehem. But, of course, not everyone agrees with the idea.

1024pxMagi__1_
The three wise men, or Magi, arrived after Jesus’ birth carrying gold, frankincense and myrrh, as captured in this Byzantine mosaic created in 565 A.D.  Wikimedia Commons

The Star of Bethlehem

The story of the Star of Bethlehem appears only in the Book of Matthew. The gospel tells us that a bright star appeared in the eastern sky when Jesus was born, famously seen by a group of wise men. These biblical “Magi,” sometimes called kings, now adorn nativity scenes around the world.

The Bible describes how these wise men saw the new star as a sign of the birth of the King of the Jews, so they set out for Jerusalem to worship him. Once they arrive, they inquire about baby Jesus with Herod, the region’s ruler appointed by Rome. “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage,” Matthew tells us.

But Herod is worried by the idea. He and his own wise men supposedly seek to discover Jesus’ birthplace. Eventually, they call on the wise men to ask when the star appeared. And thanks to Micah’s prophesy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Herod sends the trio to Bethlehem to search for Jesus. (Supposedly, Herod also ultimately kills the infants of Bethlehem in an attempt to snuff out Jesus.)

According to Matthew, “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

622785main_6313004758_30e7fc70e6_o_full
Supernova RCW 86, the oldest known supernova in recorded history, was seen by Chinese astronomers in 185 A.D.
X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO & ESA; Infared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/B. Williams (NCSU)

Evidence for the Star of Bethlehem

For centuries, astronomers have looked to the historical record in search of evidence for what could explain this Star of Bethlehem. Scholars have been discussing potential causes since at least the 13th century. Perhaps it was a supernova, a comet, a solar flare or an alignment of planets. Or, alternatively, maybe it never happened at all. The truth is, science will likely never know the truth.

But let’s entertain the idea that it was a real celestial event. What are some science-backed explanations that could explain the Star of Bethlehem?

Well, the story is relatively vague, but it does give us some clues.

Some things are easily ruled out. For example, the Star of Bethlehem couldn’t have been a meteor — a chunk of space rock that brightly burns up in Earth’s atmosphere — which would’ve appeared and faded in an instant. There’s no way three wise men could have tracked a meteor for weeks.

It’s also unlikely that a supernova — the explosive death of a star, which drastically increases its brightness for days, weeks or months — could explain the Star of Bethlehem. Supernovae, or “guest stars” have been consistently witnessed and recorded going back thousands of years. So if one had happened, other cultures likely would have taken note.

And even if it somehow escaped the written historical record, astronomers have observed remnants of many other ancient supernovae. And by estimating their peak brightness, researchers have even tied some remnants to events seen on Earth in the past. Yet telescopes haven’t found any evidence for a supernova remnant that sync up with the timing of the Star of Bethlehem. In fact, the only supernova that was visible from Earth around the time of Christ’s birth actually happened in the year 185 A.D. and was recorded by Chinese astronomers.

Giotto__Scrovegni__18__Adoration_of_the_Magi
Italian painter Giotto di Bondone witnessed Halley’s Comet when it appeared in 1301 A.D. Then, he painted the Star of Bethlehem as a comet burning bright above Jesus in the manger.  Wikimedia Commons

A Christmas Comet?

In the past, some interested astronomers have also suggested the Star of Bethlehem was a comet passing near Earth. These icy bodies from the distant solar system often shine quite brightly when they venture into the inner solar system and are heated by the Sun. They’re also known for sometimes visibly lingering in the sky for weeks or months at a time. And like supernovae, we also have historical records from other cultures regarding comets.

Sure enough, in the year 5 B.C., Chinese astronomers noted the appearance of a “Broom Star” that many researchers have interpreted as a comet. Like supernovae, Chinese scholars noted many historic comets, and even recorded a number of times that meteor impacts killed people.

In the 1970s, researchers caught onto the timing coincidence of this Chinese “Broom Star,” and a string of papers started popping up in scientific journals debating the idea, among other inspirations. All the back and forth culminated in a 1977 story in The New York Times written by legendary science journalist Walter Sullivan that suggested it could have been a comet, conjunction, nova or simply myth. Clearly, no consensus opinion has emerged in the decades since, either.

So, could a comet have been the Star of Bethlehem? There’s no way to rule it out, but there is one obvious reason to doubt it.

Keep in mind that people in the ancient world typically saw comets as symbols of pending doom — an evil omen of bad things about to happen. So, if a comet suddenly started shining brightly in the night sky, it’s hard to imagine three wise men would interpret it as a sign that their savior had finally been born.

Screen_Shot_20201216_at_7.36.14_PM

A triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurred in 7 B.C. At first glance, these illustrations look the same, but compare the positions of the planets with the background stars. On May 29, Jupiter passed Saturn (both moving right to left) for the first time. Jupiter passed Saturn again September 30 with both moving to the right (west). Finally, the planets resumed eastward motion, and Jupiter passed Saturn for the third time December 5.

Astronomy/Roen Kelly

Ancient great conjunction

What about a mash-up of planets like the upcoming Great Conjunction of 2020? Could that explain the Star of Bethlehem?

When you rewind the motion of the planets — something that’s easy to do with observing software these days — you can see that several interesting conjunctions played out in the years around the life of Jesus. (A planetary conjunction happens when two planets make a close approach to each other in Earth’s night sky. The two objects aren’t actually near each other, though, they just look that way from our vantage point.)

In the year 7 B.C., Jupiter and Saturn had three conjunctions in the same constellation, Pisces. Because the planets move in their orbits at different speeds, and are located at different distances, sometimes they appear to pass one another in the night sky. They can also appear to hold still or move backward in the sky, which astronomers call retrograde motion. This trick is like passing a slower car on the highway. As you get close to the other vehicle, it seems to hold still beside you. Then, as you pull away, it drops backward. The same thing happens as Earth zips around the Sun much faster than the outer planets.

However, Jupiter is closer to the Sun than Saturn, so it also appears to move faster in our night sky.

So, if Jupiter and Saturn had three close conjunctions in a relatively brief period of time, it’s easy to imagine that ancient astronomers — really, astrologers — would have taken note. And they also likely would have ascribed some meaning to the event.

These same astrologers wouldn’t have had to wait long for an even more striking planetary encounter. Four years later, in the summer of 3 B.C., Jupiter and Venus met in an event that would have looked much like the upcoming “Christmas Star,” also referred to as the Great Conjunction of December 2020.

On the morning of August 12 in 3 B.C., Jupiter and Venus would’ve sat just 1/10th a degree apart in the dawn sky. That’s one-fifth the diameter of the Full Moon. (The December 2020 conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn will have an identical separation, albeit in the evening sky.) That wasn’t the end of the show, either. Venus and Jupiter continued their dance over most of the next year before finally appearing to merge into a single star in June.

skyhandangles
Though not perfect, your hand (with your arm fully outstretched) is a great tool for estimating angles in the night sky.  [The Conversation]

The idea that a conjunction between bright planets could explain the Star of Bethlehem isn’t new. A note in the Annals of the Abbey of Worcester from 1285 A.D. points out an alignment of Jupiter and Saturn that happened at the time of Jesus’ birth. And Johannes Kepler himself touched on the idea in the 17th century.

Myth or reality?

Since then, many enthusiastic astronomers — and eager amateurs — have also pointed to other celestial positions playing out around the same time as further evidence that ancient astrologers would’ve found meaning in these events. Bright stars and planets were moving through important constellations. Still others have suggested that the Star of Bethlehem might not have been one celestial event at all. Instead, taken together, the combined effect of years of these astronomical events may have led the Magi to see signs a new king had been born.

But could any of these things have really caused the Star of Bethlehem?”

With this part of the article in Astronomy Magazine, we will be able to see to a great extent how our evidence supports the position of “a Celestial Prelude” that allowed the Magi to recognize the series of celestial signs that led them to the Star that marked the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will start with the links for the Dec. 14th, 2014 blog post on Jesus Christ’ birth date; Parts 1 & 2, attended by the May 16th, 2015 study on the Blood Moon Tetrad and the Celestial Prelude. This is followed by our study on the Jupiter-Venus triple union marking the birth of Christ in 3-2BC. Our next installment pertains to evidence for the Coma Super-
nova leading up to and following Christ’s birth, explaining how a supernova witnessed by 2 of the most renown ancient astronomers, Hipparcus and Ptolemy, has a key bearing on the birth of Christ. The reader will note that our position is based on a more exhaustive view of the history of Jupiter–Saturn conjunction cycles, and their impact on biblical events related to Jerusalem & the history of the Biblical Patriarchs, bringing many details to light, heretofore unseen or realized.

December 14th Birth date of Jesus Christ [Pt. 1]

 December 25th Birth date of Jesus Christ [Pt. 2]

 May 16th Blood Moon Tetrad and the Celestial Prelude

July 26th Jupiter-Venus triple conjunction and Regulus with the Birth and Return of Christ

November 20th New Evidence of the Coma Supernova and the Birth of Christ.

Oct. 20th The Biblical Astronomy of the Birth and Return of Jesus Christ and the Dual Fulfillment of Revelation 12, [Part 1]

Nov. 15th The Biblical Astronomy of the Christmas Day Signs in 2 BC and 2017

 Sept. 10th Comet Giacobini-Zinner and the Birth and Return of Jesus Christ.

 November 1st  The Celestial Prelude and the Blood Moons of 5 BC, [Part 1].

 Dec. 17th, The Jupiter-Saturn Timeline, The Celestial Prelude and The Coma Supernova.

With this selection of research posts, we trust that the reader is presented with enough evidence from scientific astronomy, not astrology which is forbidden in Scripture, as to the true nature of the Star of Bethlehem, not only in prophecy that was fulfilled, but also with verifiable scientific evidence. This allows the Scriptural narrative of the Bethlehem star to be separated from mythology to truth of Scripture. I welcome any questions and feedback!

As we abide vigilant in the Hope of Christ’s Return, may we all enjoy the riches of God’s Blessings in the abundant life He has called us to, rejoicing in the truth with our brothers and sisters in the Church of the spiritual body of Christ!!

God Bless,

Rene’

 

Footnotes

1. Astronomy Magazine on Friday, December 18, 2020; The Star of Bethlehem: Can science explain what it really was? This reprint is an excerpt of the article by Eric Betz.

2. The links supplied to conclude this month’s blog are all from the archives of previous blog posts [@blog.try-god.org], or my website studies [@try-god.com]

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Biblical Astronomy of The Grand Celestial Alignment of June 2022

Biblical Astronomy of The Grand Celestial Alignment of June 2022  1

The heavens were revving up for some celestial fireworks in June of 2022, to be reflected on earth leading into our July 4th celebrations for Independence day!

The Grand Celestial Alignment in June of 2022, picks up on what we saw two months ago in the celestial signs in April of 2022, starting with a union of Mars and Saturn, as the two approached each other closer than a lunar diameter on April 5th. April opened with three bright planets massed low in our east-southeast sky just before sunrise. This was preceded by a triangular massing of Venus-Mars-Saturn in Capricornus on March 28th, 2022. In April 2022, these planets Venus, Saturn & Mars are only 6 degrees, apart with Venus to the left, followed by Saturn and Mars in conjunction.

Figure 1.  Capricornus the Celestial Goat-fish. 2 
See the source image

The union of Mars and Saturn, represents interesting symbolism as the Red planet Mars can embody the blood of Christ, which is key during the Passover month of April, in light
of his perfect sinless blood, that he sacrificed for all humanity. Mars can also represent the Warrior Archangel Michael as he fights for God’s people, against Satan-embodied in Saturn or Satan’s planet. With this conjunction in Capricorn in April 2022, it recalls the same month our Lord was crucified on April 28th, 28 AD, with a series of planetary conjunctions within a Grand Alignment nearly 2000 years later.

As Christ embodies the Passover in Israel, seen in the celestial symbolism of Capricornus his death and resurrection fulfilled a prophecy of Isa. 53, sacrificing his life for the sheep. As Bullinger eloquently put it; “the living fish proceeds from the dying goat, and yet they form only one body. [Eph. 4] That picture which has no parallel in nature, has a perfectly true counterpart in Grace, and the great multitude which no man can number, is redeemed unto eternal life through the death of their redeemer. 3 

Around the 8th of April, Jupiter, which was immersed below the horizon during the first week of April, makes an appearance, expanding this alignment with the other three planets to make it a foursome. By the morning of April 19, all four planets are aligned in a diagonal line of a little over 30 degrees; from lower left to upper right: Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn, as seen in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The mid-April Alignment of 4 planets in Capricorn, 2022. 4

Passover, kicked off the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Pesach in the Hebrew Year, starting at sundown on Friday, 15 April 2022, ending nightfall on Saturday, April 23, 2022. During this week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we saw the celestial events, including this planetary alignment in Capricornus following Passover. The predawn sky on April 19, 2022 in Stellarium shows the alignment of Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn. This alignment, preceded by two planetary conjunctions, the first was Jupiter-Neptune in Aquarius on April 12th, and the 2nd on April 18th with Mercury-Uranus in Aries. 5 

These two planetary unions that included the outer planets of Neptune and Uranus, show that these solar system giants were present in a Celestial Alignment even in April, just not visible to the naked eye, as their fellow outer planets Jupiter and Saturn.

Saturn presently rising before midnight, is visible to the naked eye shining as a bright, golden-white orb glowing in Capricornus. This sign pictured as a Goat-Fish reflects Jesus as he embodies one of two goats-Old Covenant sacrificial animals
on the day of Atonement, the other of which was the scapegoat. Bullinger says of the two goats; the first of which is the sin offering, God gave it to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord.” [Levi. 10:16-17] The other goat, which was not slain, was released into the wilderness. [Levi. 16:22] 6 Here is the death and resurrection of Christ.

On May 30th, a Jupiter-Venus union, started June’s alignment off, with a bang! Unions of Jupiter-Venus have been key in marking the birth of Christ in 3-2 BC, with other similar signs following. As a reminder, the unions of Jupiter-Venus the sky’s two brightest planets, was also one of the signature planetary unions marking the birth of Christ, with the Jupiter-Venus union on Aug. 12th 3 BC, about a month before the Rev. 12 sign on Sept. 11th, 3 BC. We have seen notable replays of these celestial signs with the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, as referenced below in August of 2016.

Figure 3. August 15th, 2016 Jupiter-Mercury-Venus triangular union in Leo. 7

ven_jup_160815

This triangular planetary union in Leo is considered part of the signs of the Celestial Sphinx, which occur in Leo the Lion, or Virgo the Woman, the Alpha-Omega signs of the Mazzaroth, that have united these 12 signs in their thematic telling of the Celestial Gospel since their creation in Genesis. Celestial signs like planetary conjunctions and alignments, for example, are key in marking the birth and Return of Jesus Christ.

This spectacular Jupiter–Venus conjunction in 3 BC was marked again last year in the early dawn of Feb. 11th, 2021 is a precursor to the triple union of Venus, Mercury and Jupiter, with the Moon on the same day. Not only are the Jupiter-Venus unions significant in marking the birth and return of Christ, but also the unions of Mercury-Venus are noteworthy, as referenced by Dr. Ernest Martin.

In his book, The Birth of Christ Recalculated, Ernest Martin states; “On the morning of  September 1, Venus and Mercury came into conjunction only .35 degrees apart...”8 

Dr. Martin goes on to tell us how this Mercury-Venus conjunction set the stage for the Jupiter-Venus conjunctions around the birth of Christ, highlighted by their spectacular June 17th 2 BC union:

“After the Sept. 1 meeting with Mercury, Venus journeyed back into the light of the Sun, emerging in the West as an evening star about 20 December, 3 BC, and when this occurred, an observer would have noticed the planet just after sunset moving progressively higher in the sky (going more easterly) with each succeeding day. This movement placed Venus on a collision course with Jupiter which was moving westward. At the period when Venus had just passed its easternmost elongation from the Sun (the farthest east of the Sun that Venus ever reaches) on 17 June, 2 BC, the two planets “collided”. They were 0.04 degrees away from each other. This was a most uncommon occurrence. To an observer on Earth, the luminosity that each planet displayed made them look like one gigantic star. It was as if Venus had stretched herself as far eastward as she was able, in order to join with Jupiter as he reached westward to meet her. This conjunction occurred at the exact time of the full Moon. The whole of the evening sky was being illumined from the east by the full light of the Moon, while the western quarter witnessed the Jupiter/Venus conjunction. Professor D.C. Morton, Senior Research Astronomer @ Princeton University, said the conjunction of 17 June, 2BC, was a notable astronomical event [ZPEB, vol. I, pg. 398]. Such closeness had not been witnessed in generations. Roger W. Sinnott, writing in the journal Sky and Telescope, December, 1968, ppgs. 384-386, referred to this conjunction as a brilliant “double star” that finally gave the appearance of fusing together into a single “star” as the planets drew nearer the western horizon. He said that only the sharpest of eyes would have been able to split them and that the twinkling caused by the unsteady horizon atmosphere would have blended them into one giant “star” for almost all viewers. “The fusion of two planets would have been a rare and awe-inspiring event” [pg. 386]. Here were the 2 brightest planets in the heavens merging together. This was happening at the period when Venus was approaching her time of greatest brilliance.” 9

Leo The Lion

Leo The Lion

The major signs marking the birth of Christ on September 11th 3 BC, are not only sealed with this triple union of Jupiter-Regulus in Leo, but also by this set of Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Leo, including the June 17th sign of 2 BC. In addition, the greater majority of heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ were bracketed by 2 Jupiter-Venus unions in 3 and 1 BC.  The first Jupiter-Venus Conjunction marking the birth of Christ took place on August 31st 3 BC, in Leo with the last one occurring on August 21st, 1 BC in Virgo. Here we find an interesting variation on a Celestial Sphinx sign highlighting planetary conjunctions of Jupiter-Venus, taking place during the first fulfillment of the Rev. 12:1-2 prophecy relating to the sufferings of Christ in his ministry as the Passover Lamb. This alerts us that we should look for similar Celestial Sphinx signs as a precursor to Christ’s Second Coming. In this light, it is with great interest that we discover 3 Jupiter-Venus conjunctions that occurred in Leo, followed by Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Virgo in both 2016 and 2017.

The following dates saw Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Leo in the Hebrew Jubilee year of 2015:

June 30th, 2015
August 25th, 2015
October 26th, 2015 

Jupiter-Venus in Conjunction

jupiter-venus

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

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

Now that we have an idea of the impact of celestial activity of Jupiter-Mercury-Venus, and some of their individual unions as signs of the Celestial Sphinx, we can get a sense of their key roles in the birth and return of Christ. These 2 brightest planets; Venus and Jupiter, teamed up to provide the closest planetary union of 2014, and the closest Venus–Jupiter conjunction until August 27, 2016, noted above. In the eastern dawn, starting in mid-August, these two dazzlingly-brilliant planets moved closest together around August 18, 2014. This notable Venus-Jupiter union, separated by only 1/3 a degree, was the only one
of 2014, between the first two Blood Moons of the 2014-15 Blood Moon Tetrad.

Returning to the June 2022 Grand Celestial Alignment of planets, we find these 5 visible planets appear in the sky as they are ordered in their solar orbits. Scanning from the east-northeast horizon up to the right, we find Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Adding the Moon, which marks Earth’s spot in the lineup from June 23 to 25, which spot is occupied by the outer planet Uranus as viewed from Earth in the banner above, explaining why it is occulted by Earth’s Moon on June 25th.

The June Moon appeared in a series of snapshots, paired to these planets in the order seen below. The Moon, which passed near all five planets in June, makes identifying each planet, on given mornings a lot easier. On Saturday (June 18), for instance, a waning gibbous moon was positioned 6 degrees to the lower right of Saturn, with Neptune.

Super Strawberry Moon-June 14th
Saturn- June 16th
Neptune-June 18th
Jupiter- June 22nd
Mars- June 23rd
Uranus– Lunar Occultation; June 25th
Venus-June 26th
Mercury-June 27th

Incredibly, the last time this kind of alignment happened was March 5, 1864! The alignment of planets in this specific order last took place in Dec. 2004.

Jupiter the scepter and King Planet- an early morning object, rising in western Pisces,  shining at a brilliant magnitude over 2.5 times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in Earth’s sky. The redeemed multitudes seen in Capricorn’s fish-tail, are also embodied in the adjoining fish decans of Delphinus the dolphin, and Pisces Australis, the fish of the south, and decan of the water sign Aquarius. This theme continues with Pisces, as the Moon pairs with Jupiter in this planetary alignment.

Mars finally comes to the fore as it continues to brighten in its approach to Earth. It rises in the east out of its previous conjunction with the slower moving Saturn, in early April, now shining at magnitude 0.5. The Red Planet Mars is distinguished by its crimson red-orange hue, emphasizing the stainless redeeming blood of Christ.

Venus the Bright and Morning Star rises around the time of dawn’s first glow. At magnitude -3.9, Venus outshines its nearest companion in brilliance, Jupiter, nearly fourfold. The Pleiades star cluster is 9 degrees left of Venus prior to being washed out in the sunlight of dawn. 

Contrary to its fleetness, Mercury was a late arrival to this early planet party. On May 21, it appeared at inferior conjunction, much too dim to see, hovering just above the dawn horizon to open June. On June 16th however, Mercury was at max elongation, 23 degrees west of the sun, at magnitude 0.6, bordering naked-eye visibility, very low in the east-northeast 30-40 minutes before sunrise, not far to Venus’ lower left.

As we have seen, this Grand Celestial Alignment is a somewhat rare, Celestial sign with many implications for the First and Second advents of Christ. With activity like this, it’s easy to keep our heads to the sky, anticipating the Great Hope of Christ’s return for his saints, and the spiritual body of his church. It is great to be a partaker in this Hope with you all!!

God Bless!

Rene’ 


Footnotes

1.Grand Celestial Alignment of 2022
2. Figure 1 picture Credit-Witstars
3. Witness of the Stars, ppg. 76-77 E.W. Bullinger
4. Stellarium Astronomical Software.
5. [https://www.space.com/april-2022-morning-planets-jupiter-saturn-venus-mars]
6. Witness of the Stars, p. 76, E.W. Bullinger
7. 2016, August 27: Venus-Jupiter Conjunction | When the Curves Line Up
8. The Birth of Christ Recalculated, Ernest Martin
9. Ibid
10. Space.com

*Space.com was a general reference for this blog.

 

 

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The Celestial Signs of April 2022 and Passover

 

The Celestial Signs of April 2022 and Passover

Welcome to our monthly blog for April, 2022 which brings a month full of celestial signs, including planetary conjunctions, massings and alignments, many taking place in Capricorn during the month that brings us Passover, in recognition of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. From the opening of this busy month in the sky, the New Moon starts the show on April 1st. Many religious calendars use the New Moon as markers to open the months of their year, the Hebrew being the among the most familiar in Biblical Astronomy. For the Jews, the New Moon ends the month of Adar and starts the Passover month of Nisan which takes place on April 15, this year. April opens with three bright planets massed low in our east-southeast sky just before sunrise. This was preceded by a triangular massing of Venus-Mars-Saturn in Capricornus on March 28th, 2022. In April 2022, these planets Venus, Saturn & Mars are only 6 degrees, apart with Venus to the left, followed by Saturn and then Mars. This was followed three days later according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, in the early dawn on the US east coast, with a close fly-by of Mars and Saturn, as the two approached each other closer than an apparent lunar diameter on April 5th, as seen in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Mars-Saturn conjunction in Capricorn on April 5th, 2022. 1

5 Thrilling Planetary Conjunctions Are Going To Take Place In April, And Here's How To See Each Of Them. 1

This union of Mars and Saturn, has some interesting implications as Mars can represent blood due to its redness, which is significant during the month of Passover in light of the perfect sinless blood of Christ, that he sacrificed for all humanity. Mars can also represent the Warrior Archangel Michael as he fights for God’s people, against Satan-embodied in Saturn or Satan’s planet. With this conjunction in Capricorn in April, it recalls the same month our Lord was crucified on April 28th, 28 AD, with a planetary conjunction series nearly 2000 years after Christ’s crucifixion, more on this later.

Figure 2. Capricorn the Sacrificial Goat

See the source image

We find all three planets in the constellation Capricorn, which is very notable with Passover taking place, as these 3 bright planets align in Capricorn–the Mazzaroth sign that combines the Goat with a fish. Bullinger tells us that; “in the Goat we have the atoning sacrifice, while in the fish we have the people for whom atonement is made.”2  The redeemed multitudes seen in Capricorn’s fish-tail, are also embodied in the adjoining decans of Delphinus the dolphin, and Pisces Australis, the southern fish of the water sign Aquarius. 3 As Christ embodies the Passover in Israel, his death and resurrection fulfilled the prophecy of Isa. 53, sacrificing his life for the sheep. As Bullinger eloquently puts it; “the living fish proceeds from the dying goat, and yet they form only one body. [Eph. 4] That picture which has no parallel in nature, has a perfectly true counterpart in Grace, and the great multitude which no man can number, is redeemed unto eternal life through the death of their redeemer. 4

This seems to link to the two miracles of the fish to open, and during the resurrection arrivals of Jesus’ earthly ministry. As nobody is able to number the great multitude of people redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ, perhaps it is fitting that the 153 fish netted in this miraculous catch, is not only a number in the infinite Lucas Series of numbers, but it also relates to the geometric growth of the Acts church via the infinite ratios of Pi, and Phi. This is Christ building the Temple of his body. [Gen. 15:5]

Starting around the 8th of April, Jupiter, which was immersed below the horizon during the first week of April, makes an appearance expanding this alignment with the other three planets to make it a foursome. By the morning of April 19, all four planets are aligned in a diagonal line of a little over 30 degrees; from lower left to upper right: Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn, as seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3. The mid-April Alignment of 4 planets in Capricorn, 2022. 5

Passover, kicks off the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Pesach for the Hebrew Year beginning at sundown on Friday, 15 April 2022, and ends, nightfall on Saturday, 23 April 2022. Thus, during the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we find the celestial events, including this planetary alignment in Capricornus following Passover. The predawn sky on April 19, 2022 in Stellarium shows the alignment of Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn. This alignment is preceded by two planetary conjunctions, the first with Jupiter-Neptune in Aquarius on April 12th, and the second on April 18th with Mercury and Uranus in Aries. 6

 

Since it falls during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, this planetary union of Mercury–Uranus bears a closer look. Mercury-Gabriel is the Messenger archangel who usually brings attention to what he may be introducing. In this case, Uranus is one of the outer planets of the Solar System, and since it was not visible to the naked eye, it does not carry as much press in the Hebrew tradition. However, on April 3rd, 2022, a Lunar occultation of Uranus, occurred which calls our attention, especially when we consider all the other lunar activity taking place with the planets during this time. The idea that the April 18th union of Mercury and Uranus took place in Aries, is also noteworthy, since the celestial chapter of constellations that opened with Capricorn, the dying Goat, closes with Aries the Ram, with life restored via the blood of the Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world, [John 1:29].

Figure 4. The Crescent Moon appears with each of the four aligned planets in Capricorn. 7

In the last week of April, the Crescent Moon takes a snapshot with each of the 4 aligned planets. (Image credit: Stellarium)

The Crescent Moon, looms below Saturn on April 25, Mars on April 26 and finally Jupiter and Venus on April 27. 8 This early morning view of the east-southeast horizon, is greeted the next day with yet another planetary conjunction of Venus and Neptune in Aquarius on April 28th. It is interesting to note that the two planetary unions involving Neptune on the 12th and 28th of April, not only bracket the Mercury-Uranus union on the 18th, but also all the lunar snapshots with each of the 4 aligned planets!

 At a glance, we find the three brightest denizens of the night sky: a 12% lit Crescent Moon, Jupiter 4 degrees top left, and Venus suspended 5 degrees over the slice of lunar light. Venus and Jupiter are separated by 3.2 degrees on the 27th, but only 2 degrees on April 28th, and 1.3 degrees on April 29th. On April 30-May 1, Venus and Jupiter stand together, separated by only .5 a degree in North America. 9 This event occurs during the final week of April with the approaching union of the King Planet Jupiter and Venus, the bright and Morning Star, in Capricornus.

Figure 5. This is the closest Venus-Jupiter conjunction since August 2016. (Image credit: Stellarium) 10

The Hebrew name for Capricornus is Gedi–the kid or cut off, the same as the Arabic Al Gedi. In Figure 6 below from Robert Wadsworth, we find the star of this name-Algedi in the goat’s horn, with a second star in the goat’s–fish’s tail, named Deneb Algedi. This exhibits the unity of the Goat’s sacrificial atonement with the faithful of the spiritual body of his future church, both Jew and Gentile. Many times in Biblical Astronomy the King planet Jupiter plays a key role, as during this time in 28 AD, when we find the King planet in Capricornus, as Jesus finished his earthly ministry. On April 24th, 28 AD, Jupiter was in conjunction with the star Deneb Al Gedi in the fish-tail of Capricornus, as Jesus‘ rulership over the redeemed multitudes seen in Capricorn’s fish-tail, is evident with the Jupiter-Deneb Algedi conjunction in Fig. 6, mirroring the Jupiter conjunction with Venus in Capricorn at the end of April, 2022.

Figure 6. Jupiter-Deneb Algedi conjunction seen from Jerusalem on April 24, 28 A.D. 11

 

A key related point with this April 24th sign in Capricornus is this day on the Hebrew calendar was Aviv 10, also the day the Passover Lambs were selected, [Ex. 12:3]. Another meaning of Deneb Al Gedi is the sacrifice comes, which fits since this same day, on Aviv 10 Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey as the perfect sacrifice to redeem all mankind, [Matt. 21:1-11, Zech. 9:9]. 12 

Another celestial sign related to Jesus’ Crucifixion involved the Southern Cross. 
According to the writings of Richard Hinckley Allen (1838-1908), an expert in stellar nomenclature, the Southern Cross was last seen on Jerusalem’s horizon at 31 degrees 46′ 45″ about the time that Christ was crucified. 13 But due to the Precession of the Equinoxes, a spiraling motion of the Earth’s axis-the Southern Cross shifted out of view further south over the ensuing centuries. The Hebrew name for the Southern Cross is Adom, which means the cutting off, from the prophecy of Dan. 9:26, referencing that the Messiah shall be “cut off.” This corresponds exactly to the Hebrew name for Capricornus as Gedi–the kid or cut off, that we saw above in the meaning of the star Gedi. E.W. Bullinger again enlightens us regarding the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet — TAU, which was anciently made in the form of a Cross. 14

Aben Ezra gives the Hebrew name too, of the Southern Cross as Adom, which means “cutting off,” as the angel told Daniel of the “cutting off of the Messiah.” And Christ was cut off by being condemned and crucified.”

Joseph Seiss, in his book on the Gospel in the Stars affirms that “the Southern Cross was visible on the horizon of Jerusalem about the time that Christ was crucified. It consists of four bright stars placed in the form of a cross, and is by far the brighest star-group in the southern heavens. Standing directly in the path of the second Decan of Virgo, the double-natured Seed of the woman, and connecting with Libra the price of redemption, it takes the same place in the celestial signs that the Cross of Calvary holds in the Christian system.” 15

Figure 6. The Decan of the Southern Cross. 16

The Southern Cross Constellation

Bullinger discusses how this sign has lost its original meaning of; “It is Finished,” which was Jesus’ last declaration on the Cross at Calgary. As our Lord’s dying declaration, as he gave up his life, for truly none could take it from him, he gave up his “physical” life of the flesh, to obtain eternal life for us all. Christ’s atoning work of redemption is utterly complete and finished when Jesus declared it so. The decan of the Southern Cross is also pictured below in Fig. 7, with Centaurus.

Figure 7. Centaurus with the Southern Cross below Centaurus. 17

See the source image

The Hebrew name for this constellation Bezeh-means despised, which is found in Isa. 53:3; He is despised and rejected of men. The brightest star in the horse’s foreleg; Toliman means the heretofore and the hereafter, marking him as the one which is, which was and which is to come. Sir John Herschell observed this star rapidly growing brighter, making it a possible variable star. 18

From Bob Wadsworth, our late brother in his Biblical Astronomy Newsletter, provided some key historical details on the visibility of the Southern Cross. He showed the “highest position of the Southern Cross seen from Jerusalem in 1000 B.C. At this time, the upper star of the Crux was 17 degrees above the horizon, and the lower star 11 degrees above the horizon. The whole cross was quite visible from Jerusalem around the time of King David.” 19 This links the genealogy of David to Christ through the royal line of Judah.

Wadsworth includes the coordinates of the Southern Cross, seen from Jerusalem on the day of Christ’s Crucifixion as follows; [Newsletter graphics shows] the highest position of the Southern Cross as seen from Jerusalem on April 28, 28 A.D., or the date of the Lord’s crucifixion. The upper star of the Crux was a little over 12 degrees above the horizon, and the lower star was a little over 6 degrees above the horizon. It is most difficult to say if the lower star was visible through atmospheric haze at that time. But it is safe to say that the lower star most likely disappeared from the Jerusalem skies some point between the time of the Lord’s crucifixion and 155 AD, when it was 5 degrees above the horizon at its highest position. Newsletter graphics shows the highest position of the Southern Cross in the year 1000 A.D. Here the upper star is about 6 degrees above the horizon, and the lower star is near 0 degrees. The upper star most likely disappeared from the Jerusalem skies sometime between this date and 1240 A.D., when the upper star was 5 degrees above the horizon at its highest point. This was during the time of the Crusades. 20

The Astronomer Bayer drew the Southern Cross over the hind legs of the Centaur, giving it in his text as moderis crux Ptolemaeo pedes Centauri.” He goes on to say that “it seems remarkable that it was only outlined over the Centaur in the Flamsteed Atlas.” 21

This is unlike the way it is pictured above in Fig. 7, but closer to the way it is found today in the southern hemisphere. Of special interest to our faithful brethren “down under” where autumn is approaching, and the Sun is setting earlier in the southern hemisphere, sunset was at about 6:48 p.m. on April 1, and in Melbourne, Australia it’s at 7:14 p.m. local time. In mid-southern latitudes, by 8:00 p.m. when it is fully dark the Southern Cross was high in the southeastern sky from Melbourne; it is about 40 degrees above the horizon on April 1 (the new moon there occurs at 5:24 p.m. local time on April 1st). The Southern Cross will be above Centaurus, near Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus). 22

Perhaps our intrepid Michael Toms and some of his “mates” can take a picture of the Southern Cross, and post it on the Biblical Astronomy Fellowship Page, with their observations for the rest of us in the Northern Hemisphere? I also want to acknowledge and thank Joseph Damien Cooper for first alerting me to the celestial activity this month, which I’m very thankful for. I can’t always be on top of all the celestial happenings, and the help of wonderful & faithful believers like Joseph, is always much appreciated. He is a great example of how we are the spiritual body of Christ, and we work together to bless each other!

I believe the visible appearance on the horizon from Jerusalem, of the Southern Cross at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, far from chance, served multiple purposes of edification. First, it confirms the Celestial Gospel, reflecting Jesus’ brutal sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary, in a stellar prophecy of the finished work, represented in the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet – TAU,  made in the form of a Cross. A trait of the Gospel in the Stars shows the Creator’s hand in not only forming and making the stars in the skies of the heavens, as a precise timepiece, but also naming and numbering the stars according to His purposes; [Gen. 1:14-19, Ps. 147:4, Isa. 40:26]. This also links the Gospel in the Stars-God’s Word written in the Heavens inseparably with written Scripture. The entire record of OT Scriptural Messianic prophecies of his long-awaited ministry being confirmed, not only in Christ’s birth, ministry, resurrection and Ascension, also confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt in the Gospel of the Stars.

As we recognize Passover and Resurrection Saturday, we certainly have much to consider as we honor and praise our Lord Jesus Christ and his unmatched work of redemption, that freed us from our bondage of the flesh, even as the Jews were freed from their bondage at Passover. As we ever rise above the darkness of this world as the super–conqueror we have been made in Christ, this is the only kind of “made man” with eternal rewards.

In Joyful Rejoicing-God Bless!

Agape’ Rene’ 

 

 

Footnotes

1. https://www.space.com/april-2022-morning-planets-jupiter-saturn-venus-mars
2. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger, p. 75
3. IBID, Footnote p. 75
4. IBID, ppg. 76-77.
5. Figure 3 picture credit; Stellarium
6. https://www.space.com/april-2022-morning-planets-jupiter-saturn-venus-mars
7. IBID, Figure 4 picture credit; Stellarium
8. https://www.space.com/april-2022-morning-planets-jupiter-saturn-venus-mars
9. IBID
10. Figure 5 picture credit; Stellarium
11. Figure 6 picture credit; Biblical Astronomy Newsletter, Bob Wadsworth.
12. Biblical Astronomy Newsletter, Bob Wadsworth.
13. Star Names their Lore and Meaning, p. 185, R.A. Allen.
14. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger, ppg. 48-50.
15. Gospel in the Stars, Joseph Seiss
16. Fig. 6. picture credit: https://www.space.com/29445-southern-cross-constellation-skywatching.html
17. Witness of the Stars, E.W. Bullinger, p. 40 Figure 7 picture credit on the Centaur with Southern Cross.
18. IBID
19. Biblical Astronomy Newsletter, March/April 1999, Bob Wadsworth
20. IBID
21. Star Names their Lore and Meaning, p. 185, R.A. Allen.
22. https://www.space.com/april-2022-morning-planets-jupiter-saturn-venus-mars

 

 

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Kepler’s Supernova 1604SN; A Beacon at the Celestial Crossroads

Kepler’s Supernova 1604SN; A Beacon at the Celestial Crossroads

 On the left side of this month’s Banner graphic pictured above is the Supernova 1987A, which was discovered on Feb. 24th, 1987, as the first supernova explosion witnessed during the age of the tele-scope. Since this occurred over the past 35 years, Supernova analysis has expanded at an exponential rate in modern scientific astronomical research. These studies have grown to include a notable core of data on the 1604 Supernova witnessed by, and named after the German astronomer Johannes Kepler.

Kepler is widely considered the father of modern astronomy and rightly so, but he might not have received this distinction without Tycho Brahe’s observational data, and support unanimously considered the most accurate and comprehensive in pre-telescopic astronomy. Among this data were observational records of the famed Nova of 1572, that disputed the Aristotelian concept of the Immutability of the celestial expanse.

Figure 1. Johannes Kepler’s Mysterium Cosmographicum in 1596. 1

Tycho Brahe’s life as a nobleman was cut short by his untimely death in 1601, though he left a wonderful legacy of most accurate astronomical observations, resulting from 38 years of ingenious work. Kepler on the other hand, was born near Stuttgart in 1571, in post-Reformation Lutheran Germany, was deeply religious and inspired to become a Lutheran Minister, studying theology at the University of Tübingen. At University he was influenced by Copernican Astronomy, but his theological studies were paused when he became a mathematics teacher at Graz in what is now Austria. Kepler first caught the public eye upon publishing Mysterium Cosmographicum in 1596, at only 25 years old. The book explained the arrangement of the solar system planets in terms of the five Platonic solids, in a nested geometrical framework; [Figure 1].

Kepler viewed the planetary order along the lines of the “Music of the Sphere’s,” unifying the basis for the orbits of the outer and inner planets. We see this in a geometric harmony of the solar system, with the orbits of the gas giants; Jupiter, Saturn & Uranus. Figure 2 below depicts the outer, mean and inner orbits of Uranus Saturn and Jupiter using an equilateral triangle and an octagram. This is also a way of showing the structure of the musical Octave, with an eight-pointed star that halves or doubles the wavelengths or frequencies of the musical scale, with an equilateral triangle inscribed inside a circle, with 1/2 the diameter of its outer circle, in Fig. 2.

Figure 2. Geometric orbits of Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter. 2

Image result for Jupiter-Saturn Geometry

The geometry of this diagram not only depicts the musical order of these outer solar system planets, but since Jupiter and Saturn’s orbits are in the proportion of 6:11 to 99.99% accuracy, this is the octave or double of the 3:11 Moon to Earth ratio, to 99.9% accuracy, revealing a geometric harmony and mirror symmetry between the outer and inner planets. This 3:11 earth-moon
proportion is also shared by two of our planetary neighbors, Mars and Venus, to 99.9% accuracy.
Upon closer inspection 3:11 is 27.3%, and the Moon orbits the earth every 27.3 days, in one of its
lunar cycles showing the harmonious pairing of the Earth and Moon. 3

It is this type of insight that Kepler’s Mysterium Cosmographicum afforded us, in how the heavens were Intelligently Designed with a geometrical and musical harmony in mind, according to the mathematics of the Pi, Phi and Lucas ratios. Kepler’s genius was proven in his Laws of Planetary Motion, and upheld in further scientific advances that followed. Kepler’s insight and recognition eventually brought him to the attention and economic sponsorship of Tycho Brahe, whose untimely death in 1601 was a blessing in disguise for Kepler, as this led him to a prestigious position as Imperial Mathematician in Prague, which opened access for him to Brahe’s research data.

His efforts were finally rewarded with the discovery of the first two laws of planetary motion that now bear his name. He discovered the third law several years after proposing the initial laws as he continued working on musical harmony applied to the motion of planets. Kepler’s brilliant blend of a highly creative mind with incisive and imaginative geometrical insights, worked together with his ability as a master mathematical theoretician, to produce these landmark innovations in the history of scientific astronomy.

We have previously covered his observations regarding the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction series, and their historical and spiritual impact on the birth of Christ in previous blogs relating to the Celestial Prelude, noted below for historical reference. For these and other reasons Kepler has always been one of my favorites in the field of scientific astronomy, and in this study, we take a closer look at Kepler’s work on the supernova that bears his name, and its potential links to the Coma Supernova and the Planisphere Axis. In 1573, Tycho Brahe wrote:

“Last year [1572], in the month of November, on the 11th day of the month, in the evening, after sunset, when I was contemplating the stars in a clear sky, I noticed that a new and unusual star, surpassing the other stars in brilliancy, was shining almost directly above my head; and since I had, from boyhood, known all the stars of the heavens perfectly, it was quite evident to me that there had never been any star in that place of the sky, even the smallest, to say nothing of a star so conspicuous and bright as this.”4 This supernova designated SN 1572 was seen by Brahe in Cassiopeia, but no further supernovae had since been observed with certainty in the Milky Way, until Kepler’s Nova detailed below. Bullinger tells us Brahe discovered this supernova appearing under the arm of the enthroned woman, as this “new star shone more brightly than Venus.” The beta star of the decan bears the Hebrew name Caph, meaning the branch, relating to the branch of victory she holds above her head. Cassiopeia is seated upon the Arctic circle, close by the side of Cepheus the crowned king. This the Bride, the Lamb’s wife, the heavenly city-the New Jerusalem, the partakers of the heavenly calling; [Isa. 62:3-5]. 5

This sight was so shocking to Brahe because it went against the widely accepted understanding that the universe was fixed and immutable. A few decades later, in 1604, Kepler made a similar observation that scientists and stellar observers are still puzzling over. The German mathematician and astronomer, who famously laid out the 3 laws of planetary motion, spotted a light brighter than any other star in the sky, so bright as to be visible during the day for nearly a year. He spent the next few months observing the unknown object, and wrote a book about his observations called “Stella Nova.” The Figure 3 graphic below is from Stella Nova, documenting the triangular form of Jupiter-Saturn Unions from 1583-1743.

Figure 3. The Jupiter-Saturn Great Conjunction triangle from Kepler in his De Stella Nova: 6

Kepler mapped, the progress of the grand conjunctions of Jupiter-Saturn through the zodiac describing a series of equilateral triangles. Every 60 years a triangle of conjunctions is completed, as the conjunction series returned to start again, shifting however nine degrees anticlockwise in respect to its predecessors, thus generating a cycle of 800 years. Figure 3 also documents [with an asterisk] inside the triangles, the union of Jupiter and Saturn in 1603 in Sagittarius to the lower left. This planetary union in the Jupiter-Saturn series predated the 1604 Supernova at Ophiuchus’ Heel, by only a few months. In the early fall of 1604, on the heels of this Jupiter-Saturn union, Mars joined Saturn in conjunction on Sept. 26th. About 2 weeks later Mars also joined Jupiter in union, about 2 degrees below it on Oct. 9th, 1604. 7 Kepler, with some contemporary  astronomers of his, took specific interest in observing this union of Mars and Jupiter, which they noted relating to planetary activity surrounding the Star of Bethlehem. We have shown in previous blogs, their interest was not in vain, evident in the chart below, during the visibility of the Coma Supernova just after the Jupiter-Saturn triple conjunction of 7 BC, there was a Triangular massing of Jupiter, Saturn & Mars on Feb. 25th of 6 BC, followed by a Jupiter-Mars union in the next 8 days, along with the first of 2 Blood Moons in 6-5 BC. These served as key celestial markers that helped the Magi recognize the signs marking the birth of Christ, in 3-2 BC.

 The Celestial Prelude of 7 BC to 5 BC

Date Conjunction of Planets Constellation
May 27th, 7 BC Jupiter-Saturn Pisces
Sept. 15th, 7 BC Jupiter, Saturn; [ring cycle], Sun & Earth aligned. Pisces
Oct. 5th, 7 BC Jupiter-Saturn Pisces
Dec. 1st , 7 BC Jupiter-Saturn Pisces
Feb. 25th 6 BC Triangular massing of Jupiter, Saturn & Mars Pisces
Mar. 5th , 6 BC Jupiter-Mars Pisces
Mar. 23rd, 5 BC Total Lunar Eclipse Virgo
April 15-20, 6 BC Lunar occultation Series
Sept. 15th, 5 BC Total Lunar Eclipse Pisces

 Kepler was at first unable to view this supernova due to cloudy skies, but fellow astronomers Wilhelm Fabry, along with Michael Maestlin at Tubingen and Helisaeus Roeslin at Alsace were able to make their observations on October 9th, but didn’t record their findings on the supernova. 8 The supernova was first detected in Europe by delle Colombe in northern Italy on Oct. 9, 1604. 9 Kepler was only able to begin observations on 17 October while working at the imperial court in Prague. 10 In Fig. 4 below, we find a graphic of the Jupiter-Saturn & Mars union, framing Kepler’s Nova on Oct. 17th, 1604. The supernova was subsequently named after him, despite the fact that he was not its first observer, as he tracked the object for over a year. The sitings are detailed in his book De Stella nova in pede Serpentarii,(“On the New Star in Ophiuchus’s foot” Prague 1606).

Figure 4. Jupiter-Saturn & Mars conjunction, framing Kepler’s Nova on Oct. 17th, 1604. 11

Below in Fig. 5, we see the man Ophiuchus-wrestling the serpent for the Crown of Dominion, with Sagittarius, the adjacent sign-hosting the 1603 Jupiter-Saturn union, as the victorious rider whose arrows are trained on the heart of the Scorpion, [Ps. 45:5] tells a related part of the Genesis 3:15 narrative enacted by Ophiuchus, who crushes the head and heart of the serpent-scorpion underfoot in a fatal blow, while enduring the Scorpion’s sting of physical death, in sacrifice for all mankind. In the Fall of the next year 1604, due to the slow-moving outer planets, Jupiter and Saturn were still found in a similar position not far apart. This was the setting for the 1603 union of Jupiter-Saturn described above in Fig. 3, which can be seen as a Prelude to a Jupiter-Mercury union on 12-23-1603, preceded by fleet Mercury meeting Saturn on 12-22-1603, the previous day.
These two Mercury conjunctions on consecutive days culminated in a triple union of Jupiter-Saturn-Mercury on Christmas day 12-25-1603, forming a notable planetary triangle in the sky. 12 Even as the Magi were led to Jerusalem near Christmas of 3 BC, and subsequently to Bethlehem, in the Celestial Prelude of the Jupiter-Saturn triple union of 7 BC, setting the pattern for the 3-2 BC Triple union of Jupiter-Regulus, so Kepler’s Nova reminded him of the Bethlehem Star near the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Sagittarius of 1603, followed by the Triangular massing of Jupiter, Saturn & Mars on Feb. 25th of 6 BC, preceding a Jupiter-Mars union in the next 8 days. With the added similarities of planetary conjunctions including Mars, and the Mercury unions with Jupiter-Saturn leading to a triangular massing of planets on Christmas, we find added planetary kinship with the May 19th, 3 BC Mercury-Saturn union in Taurus as an opening sign leading to the actual parade of signs marking the birth of Christ in 3-2 BC.

Figure 5. Ophiuchus viewed between and above Scorpio and Sagittarius.

As we found in Figure 4 above, when combined with the information in Figure 3, the three planets Jupiter-Saturn–Mars are located at the vertices of the Trigon marking Jupiter-Saturn unions, linking the planetary conjunction series with Kepler’s Nova. According to William Eamon; “Kepler identified the supernova with a star that appeared in a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn during the years 7-5 B.C.” 13 Since the supernova of 1604 appeared in a similar conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn later in the series, he reasoned it had a shared kinship with the Star of Bethlehem that showed the Magi the way to Jesus.

Below, Kepler’s drawing of the location of a new star he spotted, as it appeared on 10/9/1604. It is marked with a capital “N” located 4 grid squares up and 4 over from the left. [PUBLIC DOMAIN]

The New Star in Ophiuchus’s foot

Kepler's drawing of the location of a new star he spotted in 1604. It is marked with a capital "N" located 4 grid squares up and 4 over from the left.

In this enlarged graphic of this section of the sky between Sagittarius and Scorpius, where Kepler’s Nova exploded on the scene at Ophiuchus’ heel, this is truly a critical juncture or crossroads in the heavens, if you will. This is where the ecliptic, which houses the 12 signs of the Mazzaroth, [Ps. 19:4-6] crosses the Galactic equator! It is highly fascinating to me that Kepler’s Nova exploded so close to the star Saiph; which means the wounded one, as if to specifically mark it. The Planisphere axis intersects the star Saiph, in the LXX Greek meaning “bruised,” in Ophiuchus‘ heel, 14 This is the same Greek word found in Gen. 3:15 for “bruised,” while Ophiuchus’ other leg is poised over the head of the Scorpion, striking his fatal blow as he crushes the enemy. Kepler’s Supernova marked the celestial inception point of this Planisphere Axis of the Heavens, in kindred harmony with the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycle, which over 1600 years previous had qued the Magi to begin their trek to Jerusalem and the birth of Christ.

This is where our interest as students of Biblical Astronomy brings an added focus to the picture, with what we have already documented in previous blogs concerning the Gen. 3:15 Planisphere Axis. This Planisphere Axis intersects a series of Stars, Star pictures and decans, telling a very specific story that not only spans the Ecliptic and the Galactic Equator with the Celestial Gospel but also the Scriptures, regarding the Promised Seed Jesus Christ.

Figure 6. The Ecliptic in relation to the Galactic Equator.

It is very interesting to me that Kepler’s Supernova has not gotten more historical attention than it has, but I’m not surprised that this is the case.  When we consider the location of Kepler’s Supernova in close proximity to the Star Saiph in Ophiuchus’ Foot, being stung by the Scorpion, we are witnessing the first of multiple heel alignments on the Planisphere Axis relating different aspects of the victory of the Promised Seed over the Serpent, as promised in Genesis 3:15. Figure 6 above shows the Galactic Axis in harmony with the Axis of the Planisphere extending through Ophiuchus’ Heel between Sagittarius and Scorpius, on one end with Orion at the other end of the Galactic Plane, depicting the relationship of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Gen. 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Figure 7. Gen. 3:15 Planisphere Axis.

If we now look at the other end of the Gen. 3:15 Planisphere Axis, we find amazingly that it intersects Orion, specifically at the star in Orion’s foot named Rigel, 16 meaning “the foot that crushes,” which is fitting since it’s pictured crushing the enemy. The main star in Orion’s other leg incredibly is “Saiph” the same word for “bruised“ we saw in Ophiuchus found in Gen. 3:15! Not only do we find both ends of this amazing Planisphere Axis agreeing with the same star name linked to Gen. 3:15, but before the axis reaches Orion’s foot, it intersects the bright star in Orion’s shoulder called Bellatrix, meaning “swiftly destroying,” referring to the swift destruction of the enemy resulting from the perfect sacrifice or “bruising” of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This reference to the spiritual battle between light and darkness, between the serpent and its seed, versus the Woman and her seed, emblazoned in the Star Gospel as God published the serpent’s interminable attempts on the life of the woman’s seed; Jesus Christ who bruises the serpent’s head, indicating the fatal blow that Christ inflicts on the enemy, as opposed to the scorpion stinging Christ’s heel, exhibiting the temporary wound [Saiph] of Christ’s sacrifice, as short-term sufferings that freed all mankind from the serpent’s curse, for eternity!

The “Genesis 3:15 axis” extends through the North pole intersecting a number of constellations and decans relating aspects of the Genesis 3:15, theme from various teaching perspectives. Starting at the bottom of this planisphere axis, we find the Scorpion constellation–Scorpius, whose prominent tail stinger is positioned just under the heel of Ophiuchus the Serpent-bearer constellation, who is also wrestling the serpent as the Scorpion stings his heel. Kepler’s Nova marked the star Saiph at the opening of this Galactic Axis where it crosses the paths of the Sun and Planets through the 12 signs of the Mazzaroth, calling focused vigilance
to this axis, and its alignment of Heels across the heavens between two Stars named “Saiph,” at each end of the Genesis 3:15 Axis. This also establishes the message of Scripture in the first prophecy of the Promised Seed in Genesis, in its three Scriptural elements of the star picture in Fig. 5. The Hebrew word for Scorpion is Akrab, meaning war or conflict; [Ps. 91:13] with the man. 15 

Figure 8. Orion, Lepus and Eridanus. 16
See the source image

As Fig.6 depicts the relation between the Ecliptic and Galactic planes, we can see how the Milky Way crosses the ecliptic constellations between the Scorpion and Sagittarius the Archer to the South, and between the Bull-Taurus and Gemini to the North. A similar view of this Galactic Cross below, depicts the Sagittarius–Gemini Axis intersecting the Virgo-Pisces Axis, that we have discussed previously in a website study pertaining to the Dendera Zodiac with its Axis E. An added detail of the Dendera Zodiac, shows how Axis E points to the sightline for the Galactic Center, located at the tip of the Archer’s arrow, at the Scorpion’s heart. 

In the constellation of the Archer–Sagittarius, the star gamma, shown by the Greek letter akin to a “y,” marks the tip of the arrow sited on the Scorpion. The galactic center (GC) is just above his line of sight. A closer look at this part of the sky reveals the Archer’s final target as the star Antares in the heart of the Scorpion, but due to its near proximity to the Galactic Center; GC, the Archer’s aim appears to point beyond the GC towards Antares. The graphic is described by Graham Hancock as follows;

“The image above shows the celestial setting on 12-17-2012, the Sun has shifted out of the constellation of Scorpio, seen to the right, and is about to enter the constellation of Sagittarius. The yellow horizontal line represents the Plane of the Ecliptic. The cyan colored diagonal line represents the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy. The galactic center can be seen at the intersection of the galactic plane and the bright green vertical line. The heavy white line represents the Winter Solstice. On this day the Sun is closer to the Galactic center than at any other time in its yearly journey through the constellations of the zodiac and is poised precisely at the tip of the Archers arrow. Four days later the Sun crosses the galactic plane on the day of the Winter Solstice.” 17

ancient astronomers

Hancock adds; “This unique perspective is due to the fact that the Earth, the Sun and the Galactic Center are arranged in a quite accurate alignment at an auspicious moment, the moment of Winter Solstice when the Sun begins its return journey to the Northern Hemisphere. 18 As the Sun on the ecliptic moving in its solar cycles, represents Son of God moving ever closer towards his return to gather his saints.

What is striking about this graphic is this alignment of the Earth, and Sun at the Galactic Center during the Winter Solstice, seems to mirror the position of Kepler’s Nova in marking Ophiuchus’ Heel at this key celestial juncture-the heavenly crossroads of the ecliptic and the Galactic Equator! This celestial convergence of signs including a supernova, a Solar conjunction and alignment at the Winter Solstice, that also coincides with the Magi’s arrival in Jerusalem near Christmas, is certainly worthy of our attention.

It seems clear, as the point of the solstice is nearing alignment with the Galactic Center, illustrated by the point of the Archer’s arrow reaching the center target of the Milky Way, is another indicator that we are in the end times, near the Lord’s Return.

Bullinger informs us that “the Arabic name for the sign Sagittarius is Al Kaus, the arrow.”6 This is the king riding in the judgment of Numbers 24:8 who “eats up the nations of his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.” We find more details of the Lord’s return in Habakkuk 3.

Habakkuk 3:3-13

3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. 5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. 6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 8 Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers? Was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? 9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. 12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou wounded the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck.

Here in verses 8-9 we see the Lord fulfilling the oaths of the deliverance of the tribes of Israel, as he bends his mighty Bow in judgment. As he brightly brandishes the weapons of his warfare, his arrows and spear, the heathen fall before him. He wounds the head or leaders of the wicked unto their foundations. None can stand before the wrath of the lord but the righteous, in his coming judgment. This is the mighty Sagittarius riding into Christ’s ultimate victory with his ascended Saints, over the wicked powers of darkness. [Hab. 3:13]

With each passing day, we draw nearer to the undeniable victory of the Lord’s Return! As we witness the signs of the Lord’s rapid Return, we should be rejoicing in this great Hope the Almighty has provided for us, in our daily journey on the paths of Light set before us. In our daily walk, we can also recall the words of Johannes Kepler, who admonished us, above all else, that we are mindful to pursue God’s Glory, not our own.

God Bless!

Agape’

Rene’

Footnotes

1. [tallbloke.wordpress.com] Figure 1 picture credit.
2.  “A little book of Coincidence,” p. 48, John Martineau, Wooden Books 2001
3. IBID p. 30
4. “Kepler and the Star of Bethlehem.” W. Burke-Gaffney, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
5. “Witness of the Stars,” ppg. 108-109 E.W. Bullinger
6. Figure 3, picture credit from De Stella Nova. Johannes Kepler
7. “Kepler and the Star of Bethlehem.” W. Burke-Gaffney, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
8. IBID
9. IBID
10. “Bill Blair’s Kepler’s Supernova Remnant Page”.
11. Figure 4 picture credit; [Grailgate.com]
12. “Kepler and the Star of Bethlehem.” W. Burke-Gaffney, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
13. “Kepler and the Star of Bethlehem.” Wm. Eamon, [https://williameamon.com/?p=949]
14. “Witness of the Stars,” E.W. Bullinger
15. “Witness of the Stars,” p. 58 E.W. Bullinger
16. Witness of the Stars, picture credit for Figure 9. E.W. Bullinger,
17. Graham Hancock
19. IBID

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