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Biblical Astronomy of the Passover Darkness and the Crucifixion of Christ

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

Darkness of the Crucifixion

The darkness that Matthew, Mark and Luke all record as covering the land from the sixth hour to the ninth – noon to 3 pm is often assumed as the result of a Solar eclipse. In fact, the NEB, Dr. Moffat’s 20th Century NT, uses this term. In so doing they have all fallen into a pretty obvious mistake.1 The Crucifixion at the Passover, requires a Full Moon, yet there cannot be an eclipse of the Sun at a Full Moon. Furthermore, the darkness is said to have continued for three hours, but the maximum time a Solar eclipse will last is about 7.5 minutes. Whatever the nature of this mysterious darkness, it certainly was not a Solar eclipse.

This event is recorded in 3 Gospel accounts; Matt. 27:45, Mark 15.33 and Luke 23.44-45. Since the Gospels each record the events of the ministry of Jesus Christ to Israel from distinct viewpoints, Matthew emphasizing him as a King, Mark as a Servant and Luke as the Son of Man, and John as the Son of God, each Gospel record is true in its perspective of Christs’ four fold ministry to Israel. What follows is a basic comparative study of this event from the Gospels starting with Matthew.

Matthew 27: 45-54 NIV

⁴⁵From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

⁴⁷When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵²and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Three hours of Darkness at Jesus’ Crucifixion – Bing images 2

Image result for Hour of Darkness Jesus Crucifixion

Matthew and Mark both record the words of Jesus in Aramaic with an English translation- a unique handling of this Scripture. Why does this Scripture include the Aramaic words when most other passages do not? The translators handling of this phrase also implies that the Heavenly Father deserted His Only begotten Son in his hour of need, who had done exactly as the Father had purposed for his life to complete the redemption of mankind. Certainly, a perfectly just and loving Omnipotent Father would not do less than even human fathers have done in dealing with their obedient children-be there for their kids in time of need! There must be more to this than what appears on the surface, and there is!

The Aramaic words were supplied due to the translators uncertainty of their proper rendering. There are other examples of this in Scripture; [Matt. 5:22, Mk. 5:41, I Cor. 16:22]. 3

As we consider the Aramaic words “lema sabachthani“ in Matthew, we find no equivalent for lema or lama, but there is a word “lmna,” meaning; for this purpose or reason. 4

The root of the word “sabachthani” is [shbk or shbq] meaning to spare, leave, reserve or keep. This is used in Rom. 11:4,”And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved [shbk] for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” This is quoted from I Kings 19:18, and the same word is translated “remaining” in [I Kgs 10:11, Deut. 3:3, Josh. 10:33]. 5 With this evidence we can ascertain the true meaning of Christ’s utterance “My God, My God for this purpose was I spared or reserved.” 6 This leads into Jesus’ loud cry resulting in what Mark records as breathing his last breath while Matthew adds that “he gave up his spirit.” Luke goes into more detail by recording Jesus’ words; “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” BEFORE he BREATHED HIS LAST. This separates the two acts showing the Lord’s amazing discipline and focus to complete his perfect sacrifice for humanity, carrying out the details of His before he expired.

Crucifixion Darkness – Bing images 7

John records another element of Jesus’ last utterances in [Jn. 19:30] “It is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.” This was Jesus’ Cry of Triumph, not defeat in death, but exalting God’s purpose for his sacrifice and the redemption of mankind! God never would desert Jesus completing his life’s purpose given by the Heavenly Father, He was there to support and help Jesus drink from this cup that he asked the Father to set aside in his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was clearly seeking an alternative to fulfill God’s purpose, other having to endure the excruciating events leading to and including his crucifixion, but his goal remained to do the Father’s Will. The Gospel of John inserts these events prior to what Luke 23:46 records “Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.” This details a more complete picture of Christ’s crucifixion events.

Only Matthew includes the earthquake [Amos 8:8] at the time the Veil in the Temple was rent; while Mark and Luke don’t cite the earthquake, or graves opening and the raising of the dead from their tombs, [Matt. 27:52 -53]. We know from Scripture [I Thess. 4:15-17, I Cor. 15:51-52] that God has resurrected no one to eternal life yet—except Christ. There is also uncertainty concerning the veracity of these two verses in [Matt. 27:52-53] due to numerous instances this section of [Matt. 27] is omitted by the Ante-Nicene Church Fathers, when they quoted [Matt. 27], casting a long shadow of doubt on these verses. However, if included it could only fit with God’s Word [I Cor. 15:22-23] if those raised from the grave were like Lazarus, to live out their natural lives thereafter. Those raised could not precede Christ as the first fruits from the dead.

The timing of the opening of the Holy of Holies with the death of Jesus the High Priest points to the way of access back to the Almighty being opened not only for Israel, but ultimately all mankind resulting from the spiritual rebirth that Jesus made available. As far as physical and scientific evidence for this earthquake at the crucifixion of Christ goes, the following link records a widespread earthquake around Jerusalem around the year 31. Geological evidence is centered on this year with an accuracy of +/-5 years, covering 26-36 AD. This reference that the force of this earthquake was “sufficiently energetic to deform the sediments at Ein Gedi but not energetic enough to produce a still extant and extra-biblical historical record.” It seems we are more dependent upon the accuracy of the Scriptural record versus the geological in this case. [http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00206814.2011.639996]

In support of this while analyzing earthquake activity in the region, geologist Jefferson Williams of Supersonic Geophysical and colleagues Markus Schwab and Achim Brauer of the German Research Center for Geo-sciences studied three cores from the beach of the Ein Gedi Spa adjacent to the Dead Sea. Varves, which are annual layers of deposition in the sediments, reveal that at least two major earthquakes affected the core: a widespread earthquake in 31 B.C. and a seismic event that happened sometime between the years 26 and 36. The latter period occurred during “the years when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea and when the earthquake of the Gospel of Matthew is historically constrained.”

Mark 15:33-39 NIV

³³At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

³⁶Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

The events taking place during this darkness adds even more emphasis to the spiritual magnitude of this center point in History. All the enemy’s forces of darkness were focused on killing God’s Perfect Son, during these three hours of darkness over the land. Matthew’s statement that the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain, at the time of the earthquake, exposing the holy of holies to public view at this time, shows how Christ embodies the Veil. Only the high priest was allowed to pass through the veil once a year during the Day of Atonement. According to Edersheim; “The veil was 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and a cubit thick.” 8 Tearing a veil like this especially from top to bottom was beyond human capability. As the High Priest, Christ embodies the veil between us and God, standing in the gap between God and man. With the perfect sacrifice of his crucifixion, the veil ripping supernaturally was the sign that Christ’s substitution was accepted by the Almighty. Thus Sin no longer separated God from Man. All now have an open invitation to draw near to God with boldness and confidence by faith in Christ. The timing of this door opened by the Lord, setting the way of life before all, is starting to close as the Lord’s victorious return draws nearer. The Gospel accounts draw a picture where the events in the Temple with the Veil, are synchronized with the events of Christ’s Crucifixion on Golgotha.

The Veil in the Hebrew Temple ripped – Bing images

Image result for dimensions of the veil in the hebrew temple

When Jesus breathed His last breath on the Cross, Caiaphas the High Priest was stationed at the Temple’s inner court, sacrificing the Passover lambs. As Jesus shouted, “It is finished!”- the veil was miraculously torn inside the Temple. God Himself ripped the veil of the temple in half from top to bottom, declaring that the way back to Him had been restored and was now available to anyone who approached Him through the precious blood of Jesus! This is what the Apostle Paul referred to, that Jesus “…hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Eph. 2: 14, Heb. 10:19,22). After Christ’s Sacrifice, it is no longer necessary for a high priest to do these annual sacrifices, because the blood of Christ is a once and final perfect sacrifice forever!

Luke 23:44-47 NIV

⁴⁴It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

⁴⁷The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

Both Matthew and Mark record the final element of this record, the Centurion’s declaration, after witnessing this litany of miraculous events that “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Its good to see some Romans wising up to the truth, like Pontius Pilate and even Tiberius while some crucified with Christ couldn’t do the same. This will always be an individual choice of the human heart before God.

Amos 8:8-10 NIV

⁸“Will not the land tremble for this,
    and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
    it will be stirred up and then sink
    like the river of Egypt.

⁹“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,
“I will make the sun go down at noon
and darken the earth in broad daylight.

¹⁰I will turn your religious festivals into
mourning and all your singing into weeping.
I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave
your heads. I will make that time like
mourning for an only son and the
end of it like a bitter day.

This prophecy in Amos 8 is interesting because it includes four key elements present in the Crucifixion Darkness Gospel records. Verse 8 refers to the land trembling-or an earthquake, verse 9 states; the sun would darken at noon and darken the earth during daylight. Verse 10 refers to religious festivals-like Passover which Jesus fulfilled as the Passover Lamb sacrifice, and the end of the verse tells of mourning for an only Son-another reference to the death of Christ. These details confirm the fulfillment of this Messianic prophecy from Amos.

The scope of Christ’s Crucifixion is world wide and universal for without Christ, all the world is in darkness. He took all our sins to the cross to make atonement for our forgiveness, and reconciliation to the Father. The darkness marking Christ’s crucifixion reinforced and symbolized the impact of the crucifixion, as the sins of men were cast upon the only begotten, sinless Son of God. Since the Son of God embodies the Sun as the light of the world, even as the Sun itself was darkened for three hours, so we see the stain and shadow of sin obscuring the Light of the World for three hours.

The events and chronology of the crucifixion of Christ have puzzled scholars for millennia. Many times the historical records support the Scriptural accounts verifying Bible truths. To zero in on the time of Christ’s crucifixion, it helps to know his birthday, but there are other historical mile markers leading us to his ultimate sacrifice, starting with when Pontius Pilate reigned in Judea. Searching the historical record tells us that Pontius Pilate was the fifth Prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 AD, under the emperor Tiberius. To reveal the exact year when Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead we need to ascertain which day of the week Scripture says that Jesus rose from the grave. Catholic tradition teaches a Friday crucifixion, but could Jesus have been crucified on Wednesday as [Matt. 12:40] says when Jesus was in the womb of the earth for a full three days and three nights, then raised on the First day of the week AFTER these full three days and nights in the grave?

3 Days and 3 Nights in the Tomb– Infographic. x.

A key in separating the ANNUAL feast days, that were also Sabbath days, called HIGH holy days, is that they took precedence over the weekly Sabbaths. This is the origin of the tradition of a Friday crucifixion because those holding to this idea have considered only a weekly Sabbath in the week of Passover. But, God’s Word draws a clear distinction for us in John 19:31 that this particular Sabbath/Annual feast day was Not the Weekly Sabbath day. In other words this particular Sabbath day called a High Day, was the Feast of the first day of Unleavened Bread, Not the weekly Sabbath. John 19:31 also says that the Scribes and Pharisees did not want to crucify Jesus on this particular SABBATH day during a High Feast day of Unleavened Bread, where no manual labor was permitted.

Luke puts the beginning of Jesus’ ministry shortly after John’s Baptism [Shebat 20, 27 AD] in “the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Ceasar, Pontius Pilate being Governor of Judaea…” [Lk. 3:1-3]. Augustus died in AD 14 and was succeeded by Tiberius. The records of Tiberius Caesar’s reign tell us that Tiberius Julius Caesar reigned alone as Emperor from 14-37 AD. Wikipedia says “Tiberius was the son of Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Octavian, later known as Augustus, in 39 BC, making him a step son of Octavian. Tiberius later married Augustus’ daughter, Julia the Elder, and later be adopted by Augustus, by which act he officially became a Julian, bearing the name Tiberius Julius Caesar.” xi Once Augustus adopted Tiberius in 4 AD, he was granted both military and legislative powers. 13 AD saw his powers made equal to Augustus, due to the latter’s sickness. This lead to Tiberius starting his sole rule as Emperor in 14 AD, due to the death of Emperor Augustus on August 18th. History also tells us that Tiberius was co-regent for a short time during the last few years of the reign of Augustus, perhaps starting circa 12 AD. Thus the 15th year of Tiberius aligns with 27 AD, where we find Jesus starting his ministry with John’s baptism when he was about 30 years of age.

There are other historical confirmations of this Scriptural record, for example from Tertullian who references the crucifixion darkness. Tertullian, as a prominent Christian lawyer, 160 – 225 A.D., in his Apologia XX1, states that accounts of the darkness were preserved in the national archives of his day – (an “Apology” was a defense of the Christian faith). He also states that Tiberius Caesar, the emperor during Christ’s lifetime, appears to have believed in Christ’s divinity and that Pilate became a Christian as well.

Following quotes from Tertullian and info about him from website below:
[http://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.org/coldfusion/Chapter.cfm?CID=135].

“In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse. You yourselves have the account of the world portent still in your archives.”

Tertullian, also pleads for Christians as a lawyer.

As a lawyer familiar with past decrees and other judicial records, Tertullian was able to refer his readers to the official records on file in the Roman courts. In his Apology, a “confession of faith” addressed to the Emperors of Rome, he reminds them that the Emperor Tiberius himself had looked with favor upon Jesus, saying in chapter V;

“Tiberius accordingly, in whose days the Christian name made its entry into the world, having himself received intelligence from Palestine of events which had clearly shown the truth of Christ’s divinity, brought the matter before the senate, with his own decision in favor of Christ. The senate, because it had not given the approval itself, rejected his proposal. Caesar held to his opinion, threatening wrath against all accusers of the Christians. Consult your histories; you will find that Nero was the first who assailed with the imperial sword the Christian sect, making progress then especially at Rome.” Nero, of course, was the first to persecute the Christians (64 A.D.) more than 30 years after its inception.”

Tiberius Julius Caesar\ – Bing images.

$Image result for tiberius julius caesar\$

Our entire website [www.try-god.com] and [blog.try-god.com] is based upon the Scriptural, astronomical and historical evidence of the Birth of Christ on Sept. 11th 3 BC, with numerous posts and articles supporting this, fulfilling the Revelation 12 signs in Virgo and Leo, along with the reprise of these signs marking the potential victorious Return of Christ in Sept. 2017. Thus Jesus being about the age of 30 to begin his ministry, [Lk. 3:21-23] coincides with 27-28 AD. If Tiberius began his sole reign in 12 AD, this would place the 15th year of his reign as early as 27 AD which was Jesus’ 29th year, born in 3 BC. Another Scriptural and historical confirmation of this pertains to the Construction of the Temple.

The dating of the construction of Herod’s Temple, [John 2:20, read more] states; “46 years was this Temple in building…” John 2:20 was spoken at Passover in the month Nisan on the Hebrew Calendar, that calculated time regarding sacred matters. The construction time of the Temple qualifies as a great example of a “sacred matter.” According to dates provided by Josephus, construction began on the Temple in 19 BC, followed by 46 years, putting us in the week following the Wedding at Cana, [Jn. 2:1-11, 13 to 3:21] when Jesus cleansed the Temple [Nisan 14th-21st], during his 1st Passover the week of April 10th-17th in 27 AD. 12 By the time Jesus completed the work of his ministry, he was 31, that fits neatly in the time frames set forward above in God’s Word. This being the first Passover Jesus attended, [Jn. 2:13-23] with the 2nd one the next year of his crucifixion. Obviously this is 4-5 years short of the traditional, dating of Christ’s crucifixion, prior to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 32-33 AD. Thus with all these historical and Biblical time markers in agreement established on Biblical truth, a strong case is presented against traditional crucifixion dates in 32-33, with a 3-year ministry of Jesus Christ. Another difficulty with this thesis arises in that its not possible for Jesus to have been crucified in the year 32 because the 14th of Nisan falls neither on Wednesday or Friday, allowing for 3 days and nights where Jesus was in the grave. As a result, using the Blood Moon Tetrad to mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is not consistent with the truth of the Scripture narrative on this subject.

Another key aspect in scientifically zeroing in on the year of Christ’s birth is the length of his ministry. Many say that Jesus ministered 3+ years due to the supposed references to 3+ Passovers in the Gospel of John. We have shown the two Passovers Scripture shows undeniably that Jesus attended above. John 6:4 references the Jewish Passover that was near, but there are problems with the authenticity of this verse. First this Passover reference is totally out of context. Secondly, there are two Greek manuscripts omitting this reference altogether; [manuscripts 472 & 850]. Also if this is indeed a record of a coming Passover, there is no record in the immediate context of Jesus or his disciples attending it. 13 With no real evidence that Jesus attended a third Passover, his crucifixion in 28 AD fits the historical and Biblical records very well.

Jesus Christ our Passover Lamb – Bing images. 12 [I Cor. 5:7-8]

There are a number of legal requirements that the Lord Jesus Christ had to fulfill if every jot and tittle of the Law was to be upheld as Christ stated; [Matt. 5:18]. In order for Jesus Christ to fulfill the OT law as the legal sacrifice for Israel and all mankind, he had to abide by all stipulations of the “ordinances of the Passover,” [Num. 9:12] as stated in God’s Word. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, [Heb. 9:22] and only Christ had the sinless and innocent blood that qualified as the perfect sacrifice to redeem mankind. Even after Judas betrayed Jesus he confessed: “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood;” [Matt.27:4]. This condition is clearly stated in Exodus 12:5, as a lamb without blemish, [I Pet. 1:18-19] along with the important truth that it had to be a lamb of the first year. If these conditions were not met according to the standards of Scripture, then those partaking in the Passover would be cut off from Israel; [Ex. 12:15]. Even more critical was that Jesus himself had to fulfill all these conditions to the last detail, or mankind would remain in a sinful, un-redeemed state, before the liberating work of the Redeemer of mankind was “finished,” [John 19:30]. In this study our focus is on this and other important Biblical conditions and regal requirements of the OT Law, that the Passover lamb had to be a male lamb of the first year, in order to redeem Israel. In the case of Jesus Christ, he did not fulfill this requirement until he became an adult male of full age starting at 30 years old. John’s Gospel also records Jesus was recognized by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” [John 1:29, 36].

In the same way that liberty was proclaimed in the Jubilee, throughout all the land and to all its inhabitants [Levi. 25:10], so Jesus set at liberty them that were bruised, while proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord at the opening of his ministry during a Jubilee year. The Jubilee celebration takes place in a single year, every 50th cycle, immediately after 7 Sabbatical cycles, marking the combination of 2 years for resting the land, with slaves freed and all debts cancelled. As Jesus proclaimed liberty in the land for Israel, so he will free all mankind from the bondage of sin and captivity in the Grandest Jubilee of all, in the harvest at the end of the world. Here we find evidence of Jesus’ recognition that he was the Lamb of the first year, because his quotation from Isa. 61 opening his ministry, makes specific reference to “the acceptable year [singular] of the Lord.” If Jesus were to complete the requirements of his assignment from the Heavenly Father, he would have to finish it via this acceptable year. This allows no room for traditional teachings that the length of Jesus’ ministry was 3+ years, because if we do, then this critical “ordinance of the Passover,” coinciding with the Jubilee cycle would not be fulfilled and mankind would remain un-redeemed. Below we find that Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 very precisely to initiate his ministry to Israel. In fact, his quotation was left incomplete! The entire quote of Isa. 61:1-2, as recorded in Luke 4:18-21, is seen below.

Why did Jesus cut this Isa. 61:2 quotation off in mid-verse? Because “the Day of vengeance of our God,” refers to events in the Book of Revelation when the wrath of the Almighty will be revealed on the ungodly, which is still future. Here is an awesome example of Jesus “rightly dividing” God’s Word. The comma separating these two phrases in this verse represents the Age of Grace that we have been living in for the last 200 centuries. This Gap of Salvation between the sufferings and glory of the Lord, is perhaps best understood in I Peter 1.

1 Peter 1:9-12 New King James Version (NKJV) ⁹receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. ¹⁰Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹²To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

Thus the part of Luke 4 Jesus read aloud referred to his first Coming, Which is why it could be fulfilled in the listeners ears, while the rest that he left unsaid from Isaiah 61 includes the Age of Grace ending with his Second Coming-still in the future to be fulfilled.

[Isa. 61:1-2]. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ²To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn…”

Luke 4:18-21 (NKJV) records Jesus’ quotation of Isa. 61 as he announced the opening of his ministry;

¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,^[a] To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; ¹⁹To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”^[b]²⁰Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.”

Jesus opening his ministry reading the Isaiah 61 scroll – Bing images

Not the Prophets or the angels themselves knew about the Great Mystery of the Age of Grace [Rom. 16:25-27, I Cor. 2:7-10], that was kept secret by God since the world began. Christ’s ministry to Israel preceded the Age of Grace, which opened on the Day of Pentecost in 28 AD, when the Holy Spirit was first poured out on mankind and the Apostles first spoke in tongues. We have seen above how we got this date of 28 AD, counting forward from Sept. 11th 3 BC at the birth of Christ-30 years, to Christ opening his ministry to Israel. This brings us to 27 AD, then allowing a year+ [70 weeks according to Dan. 9:24] for the Lamb of the first year to complete his work, which he finished in 28 AD. It is interesting to observe that there are thirty Jubilees that bring us from the Exodus and the opening of Christ’s ministry, when opening the scroll to Isa. 61:2, Jesus certified the “acceptable year of the Lord” in a 7-fold prophecy, (Lk. 4:18-21). This fits neatly with the truth that in fulfilling the O.T. Law, Jesus as the embodiment of the Passover male lamb of the first year [Exod. 12:5), Jesus was in the first year of his manhood according to Hebrew reckoning, starting at 30 yrs old, [Luke 3:23]. This period of the Lamb of God in his first year is clarified even further by the Prophet Daniel. In Daniel 9, a specific period of 70 weeks was foretold; [Dan. 9:24-27] and decreed by God for Jesus to fulfill the Messianic redemption of his ministry to Israel. In this 70-week period Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended, exploding the myth that his ministry lasted any time beyond 2 years. This however, is not the only Biblical or historical evidence of Jesus’ birth on 9/11/3 BC, or regarding the length of his ministry. We have also considered evidence concerning the construction time to build Herod’s Temple, along with the Rule of Tiberius Caesar of Rome. History tells us that Tiberius’ rule [Luke 3:1], over the Rome Empire began in 12 AD, but he shared a co-regency with Augustus Caesar who died in 14 AD. This makes Tiberius’ 15th year of rule-27 AD, which was Jesus’ 29th year.

The 3 hours of Darkness on Christ’s Crucifixion Day have been attributed to many potential causes including a Miracle, Planet X and others. We have shown scientific evidence that it is impossible for a solar eclipse to account for this darkness, and that it was used by unbelievers to give a naturalistic explanation for a supernatural event. It is noteworthy that the Apostle Peter in his Pentecost sermon cites various fulfilled heavenly signs predicted by Joel. Joel 2:31 says; “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood” (Acts 2:20) was accepted by the audience without controversy. If Planet X or some other unknown planetoid, obstructed Sunlight from Earth’s view, then this could have caused a Red Moon also. Until they can be scientifically or historically verified further, the Scriptural record stands above all on the most solid ground, supported by history.

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Footnotes

i. NEB, Dr. Moffat’s 20th Century NT
ii. Hour of Darkness Jesus Crucifixion picture credit- Bing images
iii. The Word’s Way, VP Weirwille p. 270-fn.
iv. IBID, p. 270
v. IBID, p.270-271
vi. IBID, p.272
vii. Crucifixion Darkness -picture credit- Bing images
viii. “Life and times of Jesus the Messiah” Alfred Edersheim
ix. Veil in the Temple- picture credit, Bing images
x. 3 Days and 3 Nights in the Tomb– infographic; [Beyondtoday.tv]
xi. Wikipedia on Tiberius
xii. A Harmony of the Gospels-Chronology of the Life of Jesus Christ
xiii. IBID
xiv. Passover Lamb – picture credit -Bing images
xv. Jesus opening his ministry reading the Isaiah 61 scroll – Bing images

The Biblical Astronomy of the Tishri 1- Annular Solar Eclipse, 9-1-2016

The Biblical Astronomy of the Tishri 1 Annular Solar Eclipse, 9-1-2016

A prominent Annular Solar eclipse will cover a great majority of the Sun in Virgo on Thursday, September 1, 2016. The entire event will last for about 6 hours with primary visibility across central Africa and aspects of the Middle East to the Indian Ocean. This is the third celestial sign in 2016 that takes place on a Hebrew feast or holy day. We had a Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1/March 9th, 2016 followed by a Passover Penumbral Lunar eclipse on March 23rd, 2016, making this year the third consecutive year with Luni-Solar Eclipses on major appointed times of the Lord. The Sept. 1, 2016 Annular Solar Eclipse occurred on Tishri 1,-Hebrew New Years Day, and the Anniversary of Creation. The last Lunar Eclipse this year on a holy day–Sukkot, in Israel takes place on Sept. 16th, 2016. This follows a rule that a Solar Eclipse always occurs in the proximty of couple of weeks of any Lunar Eclipse. As with the March 9th, Total Solar Eclipse in 2016, came 15 days before the March 23rd Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The same rule is upheld with the Annular Solar Eclipse on September 1st prior to the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of September 16, 2016.

The period between the last Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on Sept 28th, 2015 and the Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1/ March 9th, 2016, is a unique time frame because there are usually 6 months from Tishri to Nisan except when a 13th month leap-year is added making 7 months. This occurs 7 times during the 19-year inter-calation of the Hebrew Calendar, linking the Appointed times of the Lord in Nisan with those of Tishri.

Since these notable heavenly signs are taking place in consecutive years exactly 2 years prior to the signs of Sept. 2017, it is instructive to recall what happened leading up to the Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse on Sukkot-Sept. 28th, 2015. On Sept. 13th there was a Partial Solar Eclipse on the Feast of Trumpets. In the days after this time frame of Sept. 14-15, 2015 falling on Mon-Tues, the 3rd day of the week fits with the timing of the Cana Wedding feast [Jn 2:1]. The third day is considered a special day for marriage according to Hebrew tradition since the 3rd day of Creation was called “good” by God twice as established in [Gen. 1:10-12]. This annular solar eclipse on 9-1-2016, is also called a “Wedding Ring Eclipse” because the Latin root for annular is “annulus,” meaning a little ring, is seen in the image below, as a thin ring of sunlight outlining the New Moon silhouette. This provides a direct link to the imagery of the Lord’s Wedding Feast.

Annular Solar Eclipse 2016 – Bing images 3

Joel 2:15-17 refers to Tishri 10, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement [consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly] as the day the Lord emerges from his Heavenly Bridal chamber With His Saints and returns to earth with his assembled spiritual body [Rev. 19]. Tishri 10 was also when the Jubilee year was proclaimed following [7 x 7] sabbatical cycles, as we have seen in 2016/5776. This period from Tishri 10/9-23-15 to Nisan 10/March 18th 2016 is thus linked, Nisan 10 also being when the Passover Lambs were selected, [Ex. 12:3, Jn. 1:29, 36].

With the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 aligning with Hebrew Feast and holy days like Passover and Sukkot over the last three years, we have seen the restoration of the nation of Israel, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, leading into the 50-yr Jubilee cycle in 2016, gives us plenty of reasons to be watchful for the Lord’s Return according to this confluence of sacred timing. The timeline of the restoration of Israel in stages coincides with the Messiah himself completing this restoration by establishing his Messianic Kingdom. The heavenly sign that most resembles this is the Birthing of Jupiter in Virgo’s womb in Sept. of 2017! As we see these prophetic events aligning with the Hebrew Feasts and holy days, and we ponder [Matt. 25:1-13], the Parable of 10 Virgins, Jesus told us; we “do not know the day or the hour,” thus nobody can pinpoint the Lord’s return to a specific day.

However, when we realize that there is only one holy day on the Hebrew Calendar marking the New Moon that conforms to this pattern of Rosh Hashanah, as described in the heavenly sign of Rev. 12, fulfilling the events of Tishri 1 on the birth of Christ, then it becomes clearer that the dual significance of this prophecy accounts also for the events linked to the victorious Return of the Lord. The re-appearance of Christ on a specific day is unknown just as the appearance of the New Moon was, until confirmed by the Two Witnesses, which is why there is a two day period allowed for this holy day in Hebrew Tradition. The New Moon festival falls on the Feast of Trumpets, and Rosh Hashanah is also linked to the Judgement of the World and the King’s Coronation, all during the fall harvest, which also fits the imagery of the Lord gathering his church very well.

During this Feast of Trumpets, the trumpet was used when kings were crowned (1 Kings 1:34,39), and Rev 5:10 says, “And hast made us unto our God, kings and priests: and we shall reign on (over) the earth.”

Virgo at Sunset on September 11th 3 BC, marking Christ’s Birth.

Virgo is at her zenith, or the highest point in the sky during the early evening at the start of the Wheat harvest, during the Feast of Pentecost. Virgo is also setting in the early evening Western skies of the latter harvest, during the Feast of Tabernacles. This is exactly how we find Virgo on the eve of September 11th, in 3 BC!⁴⁰ Recall that this time of year was when the Sun was clothing Virgo, giving us a beautiful link to Boaz-a descendant of the genealogical Christ line, spreading his cloak over Ruth, as a figurative sign of his acceptance and protection of her. Even as the Sun of Righteousness and the light of the world, also viewed as the Bridegroom [Ps. 19:5], was clothing his Bride-Israel, a figure of the marriage supper of the Lamb, so this was foreshadowed in Boaz redeeming his kinswoman Ruth! This Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur during the Feast of Tabernacles, while the latter harvest relates to the 14th day of this seventh month of Tishri.

Also, when the Gentile Ruth came to Bethlehem, the birthplace of both David and Jesus and was allowed by God’s Grace, to share in the Lord’s royal genealogy, she was a forerunner of the Gentile Magi who came to Bethlehem as the first Gentiles to recognize the promised seed. Remember that it was his star-Jupiter in Virgo that led the Magi to Bethlehem, following their meeting with Herod.

This information gives us a panoramic view of the Biblical harvest feasts in light of the celestial events surrounding the birth of Christ. We can see that these harvest feasts were originally addressed to Israel in the OT, there are significant applications of these feasts to the Church of Grace. As we recognize Jesus Christ and his fulfillment of the Scriptures, both written in the heavens and in God’s Word, our understanding of the majesty of God’s communication to man, is enlightened in the supernatural heights God has called us to.

Tishri 1 on the Hebrew calendar was also the seventh New Moon, the beginning of the seventh or sabbatical month. According to the reckoning of Israel’s calendar, each month began at the time of the New Moon. Ps. 104:19 says, “He appointed the moon for seasons.” The words translated “month” means “moon” or “New Moon,” showing a relationship between the month and the moon or the period of lunation.” Additionally, the Passover was always at the full moon, since the first month always began with a New Moon, by the eighteenth of Nisan (the time of the Passover in 28 AD, the year Jesus was crucified and resurrected), the Moon would be between full and three-quarters full.⁴¹
From this example of the lunar-solar relationship inherent in the Hebrew calendar, we can see how Christ is the centerpiece of Creation, fulfilling every aspect of the Old Testament Law. He also embodies every aspect of the Hebrew Calendar and the numerical Symmetry elemental to these noted celestial cycles. These cycles are fundamental to the pattern unfolding God’s sacred order of space-time, the seasons and cycles of life.

Psa 81:3 says, “BLOW UP THE TRUMPET IN THE NEW MOON, in the time appointed, ON OUR SOLEMN FEAST DAY.” This refers to the Feast of Trumpets; the only feast day that falls on the New Moon.

The Messianic Jews consider the month of Elul as preparation for a wedding. They expect the gates of heaven to open at the Last Trump, on Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets, Tishri 1.

TWO TRUMPETS OF SILVER

In Num 10:2-4 (KJV), the Lord told Moses to “Make thee TWO TRUMPETS of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for THE CALLING OF THE ASSEMBLY, and for the JOURNEYING OF THE CAMPS. 3 And when they shall blow with them [both], ALL THE ASSEMBLY shall assemble themselves to thee at the door (symbol of a gathering, Rev 3:8) of the tabernacle of the congregation. 4 And if they blow but with ONE TRUMPET, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel shall gather themselves unto thee.”

Its interesting to see what the Talmud says in; Rosh HaShanah l6b: “The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah.” In context this does not necessarily refer to the Lord gathering His Church but the resurrection of the just versus the unjust, [Lk. 14:14, Acts 24:15]. It is a major key in understanding these prophetic events of the end-times that these “resurrections” are not confused with one another. The reference below on the Rosh Hashanah Feast helps us get a perspective on aligning the various aspects of this key holy day. This is one of many references that are suggested for future study.

In “Rosh HaShanah,” (“Chapter 7, The Season of Teshuvah,” Eddie Chumney comments on his breakdown of the various themes of Rosh Hashanah:

“Rosh HaShanah: Names, Themes, and Idioms

1. Teshuvah (repentance)
2. Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
3. Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast (Feast of Trumpets)
4. Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment)
5. HaMelech (the Coronation of the Messiah)
6. Yom HaZikkaron (the Day of Remembrance or memorial)
7. The time of Jacob’s (Ya’akov) trouble (the birth-pangs of the Messiah, Chevlai shel Mashiach)
8. The opening of the gates
9. Kiddushin/Nesu’in (the wedding ceremony)
10. The resurrection of the dead (rapture, natza1)
11. The last trump (shofar)
12. Yom Hakeseh (the hidden day)
THE RAPTURE MAY BE ON TRUMPETS, THE HEAD OF THE YEAR
“The ultimate shout is the “gathering together” (natzal) in [I Thess. 4:16-17, II Thess. 2:1]”

Footnotes

1. Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse
2. Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1/ March
3. Annular Solar Eclipse 2016 – Bing images
4. Partial Solar Eclipse
5. Rosh HaShanah, Chapter 7, The Season of Teshuvah, Eddie Chumney

Biblical Astronomy of the Invisible Lunar Eclipse and Jupiter-Venus Conjunction in Virgo; August 2016

August of 2016 provides some meaningful celestial activity that we should observe with detail leading up to the notable Jupiter-Venus union in Virgo; 8-27-2016. The first week this month starting Aug. 1st, there is a planetary alignment in Leo just after sunset, with Jupiter, Mercury, Regulus, and Venus forming a diagonal line in the west, as pictured below from Sky at a Glance, for July 29 – August 6 – Sky & Telescope.

Figure 1. Heavenly Signs in Leo during the first week of August 2016. 1

Regulus passes under Venus — while the waxing crescent Moon emerges in the evening twilight near Mercury and then Jupiter.

This is followed on Thursday, August 4-5 with a Venus-Regulus conjunction, shortly after sunset. Regulus is no more than 1° from brighter Venus, to Venus’s lower left (in North America), as shown above. Here we see the Bright and Morning Star united with the King star on the ecliptic in Leo. This was preceded by a Mercury-Regulus union in Leo on July 30 which we can see in Figure 2 below from EarthSky. Both Venus and Mercury are united with the bright star Regulus in Leo the Lion, but Mercury’s union forms 2016’s closest conjunction of a planet and bright star. The crescent Moon also poses with both Mercury and Jupiter this week low in the western twilight, with Regulus below Venus on Friday. This combination of planetary alignment and conjunction to open the month of August commands our attention, due to its similarity with the planetary alignment in October 2015, except Mercury was substituted for Mars, last year. There were also consecutive conjunctions and alignments on August 5th and 6th in 2015, including a Venus-Mercury conjunction in Leo on Aug. 5th, followed by a planetary alignment of Jupiter, Mercury and Regulus in Leo on Aug. 6th, 2015. If this were not enough, there was also a Mercury-Regulus conjunction the next day on Aug. 7th 2015! These Jupiter-Venus signs support and corroborate the themes of the Mercury-Venus conjunctions we see leading to the potential Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. This notable parade of heavenly signs depicts some heavy celestial traffic leading up to and pointing toward the Rev. 12 signs of 2017!

Figure 2. Mercury-Regulus Conjunction in Leo July 30th, 2016. 2

Kicking off these August signs in Leo is the July 30th Mercury-Regulus conjunction seen above. The 2016 planetary alignment in Leo bracketed by these two Regulus conjunctions provides added emphasis on the coming replay of the birth signs of Jesus Christ from 3-2 BC. Mercury-Gabriel announces this alignment of planets in August, marked also with the Venus-Regulus union wrapping up the first week. The heavenly birth signs for Christ are set to rewind in 2017, with a prominent role for Jupiter, the King Planet and Royal Sceptre of the King of Kings.

It is interesting that; Biblically “a Sceptre can also be symbolic of a person.” In (Numbers 24:17), we read;

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

That Sceptre embodied the prophesied return of the Promised Seed, who came first over 1,900 years ago and by his sacrifice, provided redemption for all mankind. All who believe in Him, and follow Him, have a pathway back to God, Who alone is able to deliver them. Our website study on the General Sign of the Celestial Prelude covers the significance of this Numbers 24 record regarding the Sceptre, in the context of the heavenly signs surrounding the birth of Christ.

On August 15, 2016 Mercury is between Venus and Jupiter, which are 12 degrees apart, forming a triangle in Leo, as seen below in Figure 3.

Figure 3. August 2016 Jupiter-Mercury-Venus triangular union in Leo. 3

There was also a 1 degree Triangular massing of Jupiter-Venus, Mars in Leo on October 28th, 2015, which is preceded earlier in the month with a planetary alignment with Regulus in Leo, [see Figure 4 below]. This is significant due to the resemblance again of the Rev. 12 heavenly sign, where the Woman–Virgo is crowned with 12 stars, consisting of the 9 fixed stars in Leo, combined with the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mars, forming the Crown of 12 stars over Virgo’s head. This alignment set the stage for the Feast of Tabernacles week, marked by the Super Blood Moon on Sept. 28th. A very similar planetary alignment will be seen again in Sept. of 2017, involving the same players except Mercury will replace Jupiter in Leo, while Jupiter is birthed in Virgo. These heavenly signs of the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad depicted key celestial foreshadowing 2 years before the 2017 birthing of Jupiter in Virgo. In fact, these celestial alignments and conjunctions which were so prominently associated with the Blood Moon Tetrad starting in 2014, have nearly been repeated with the Solar and Lunar eclipses on Hebrew feast and Holy days in 2016, linking the heavenly signs of the last three years on the Hebrew Calendar together leading to 2017.

Figure 4. Planetary Alignment in Leo, October 3rd, 2015

As there were 3 Jupiter-Venus Conjunctions marking the Rev. 12 birth signs of Christ in 3-2 BC, so this triple alignment of Jupiter-Mars, & Venus in Leo with Regulus, reflects a similar spiritual light in the context of the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014–2015. In fact the Rev. 12 heavenly sign: the [Sun clothing Virgo with the Crescent Moon at her feet] on September 17th, 2015 was announced by Mercury-Gabriel located just outside the womb area of Virgo, united with Spica/Al Zimach, on this day, two years ahead of the rewind of the Great Wonder in Heaven, on Sept. 23rd 2017! The additional heavenly signs involving Jupiter-Venus in the next 2 years, leading up to the birthing of Jupiter in retrograde motion in Virgo’s womb, establish this rewind of heavenly signs in 2017. Mercury and Venus are close all of August 2016 and eventually Venus conjuncts Mercury as the latter slows to its stationary position in the sky before going into a 3 week retrograde motion, from our earth-bound viewpoint. This alignment occurs on the exact day that both planets conjunct Jupiter to within one degree on Aug. 30th, ‘16. It further coincides with the day Mercury starts its stationary, a notable day in Mercury’s retrograde event.

The following dates, show with the Regulus unions in Leo, the Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Virgo in 2016-2017:

July 30th, 2016 Mercury-Regulus Conjunction
Aug. 5th, 2016 Venus-Regulus Conjunction
Aug. 26-27th, 2016 Jupiter-Venus conjunction [Jupiter enters Virgo]
Feb. 26th, 2017 Jupiter-Venus conjunction
Sept. 23rd, 2017 [Virgo clothed with the Sun/Moon @ feet]-Rev. 12:1-2
Nov. 13th, 2017 Jupiter-Venus conjunction

The two brightest planets –Venus and Jupiter –teamed up to provide the closest planetary conjunction of 2014, which has been the closest Venus- Jupiter conjunction during the six Lunar Eclipses of 2014-2016, until August 27, 2016, when Jupiter enters Virgo to be eventually “birthed” in 2017. This Venus-Jupiter union on August 27, will see these two planets three times closer than during their 2015 union when they were separated by only 1/3 of a degree.

This comparison of celestial alignments within the Lunar Eclipse Sextet from 2014-2016 in the current Jubilee Year of 5776 may signal a window for the Savior to return FOR his Saints bracketing the 1st appearance and return of the King of Kings at the right hand of God.

As we saw the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in 2015 mirror the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in 3-2 BC during the birth of Christ, we find Venus also united with Regulus and Mercury in 2016. Here the Arch-angel Gabriel announces the arrival of Regulus, the King star and brightest star in Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, [Rev. 5:5].

Jupiter-Venus Conjunction

These signs marking the birth and end-time replay of the Rev. 12 heavenly signs are punctuated by what appeared as an invisible lunar eclipse during Full Moon on August 18th. Intriguingly the context for this invisible eclipse in Aquarius provides a key link to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 with the added lunar eclipses on the Hebrew Holidays of Passover, March 23th 2016, and the Sukkot Lunar eclipse coming next month on Sept. 16th, 2016.

Full Moon in Aquarius with Lunar Eclipse: The Finger of God

The sky of the full Moon in Aquarius on Aug. 18th presents an interesting configuration because on the same day the Moon glides across the edge of the penumbral shadow line, but staying out of the shadow. This is as close to an eclipse as you can get, without registering a true eclipse. With this INVISIBLE ECLIPSE a slight drop in the Moon’s brightness was detectable with professional equipment, but remained invisible to the naked eye. This eclipse grazed the northern edge of the Earth’s penumbral shadow, marking the end of the Saros series 109. The invisible Lunar Eclipse, also fomed what is known as a “Yod configuration,” in Aquarius. This celestial Yod is seen with the Moon in Aquarius, and Mercury with Jupiter in Virgo, forming a long triangle, pointing to Mercury and Jupiter.

The Yod being the 10^th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, is a key character, as the 1st letter of the Name of God (Yah-vey). It looks like a simple dot, like the better known “jot and tittle” but it means that the finite world can contain the infinite world. It is the primordial life of the Universe and the “Finger” or “Hand of God,” synonymous with the infallible evidence of Divine authorship visible in all His works. The energy that it carries reveals the infinite capacity and Will of God to support the all creation and also our capacity to align our thoughts to the Word of God and receive insights and guidance for our spiritual growth. This invisible eclipse in the context of these heavenly signs marking the Return of Christ, reflects Jesus returning from God’s Right Hand at a specific time which is generally unknown to mankind, to Gather his Saints. With this invisible eclipse taking place in Aquarius, it represents the outpouring of the holy spirit on mankind, which is activated at the highest level when the Saints are clothed with their new spiritual bodies at this Gathering. A deeper understanding of these mysteries of God based on the fundamental truths of Scripture, enlightens our path in the Light from God above, to guide us in our daily lives, in this case to prepare us for the Lord’s long awaited return.

Deuteronomy 9:10 (KJV)

¹⁰And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

The Yod as symbolic of the index finger, when God pointed His Finger, giving us the Written Word of God for the first time on Mount Sinai with Moses, on the Day of Assembly. The finger or right hand of God is a figure of speech called “condescencio” or personification in English, where human traits are ascribed to the Creator, as He ministers to mankind. The Eternal Spirit, the Almighty has no form [Rom. 1:19-23] of any male or female, man, four-footed beast or bird, and certainly the magnanimous intensity of the Almighty will soon vaporize any form of matter, as none can contain Him.

As these heavenly signs of August 2016 lead us into September, we find an annular solar eclipse marking the start of the Feast of Trumpets on Sept. 1st in Israel. In this series of solar and lunar eclipses since 2014, every solar eclipse falls on either the last day of the month, or the first day of the new month (Rosh Chodesh). Nisan 1 begins the ecclesiastical year, while Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) starts the civil year. The 1st of Elul to the 10th of Tishri is Teshuvah, when Moses returned to Mt. Sinai a second forty days. Thus it is a perfect follow-up to Moses first ascent of Mt. Sinai when God pointed His Finger, and gave us the Written Word.

As the Church of the spiritual body of Christ prepares to ascend the Mount of God in the Heaven of Heavens, let us ensure that our hearts are right to kneel before the Heavenly Father in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Footnotes

1. Sky at a Glance, for July 29 – August 6 – Sky & Telescope
2. Mercury-Regulus Conjunction in Leo July 30th, 2016–EarthSky
3. 2016, August 27: Venus-Jupiter Conjunction | When the Curves Line Up
4. General Sign of the Celestial Prelude
5. birthing of Jupiter in Virgo
6. triple conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in 2015
7. Deut. 9:10 KJV

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End Times Prophecy of the Great Pyramid and the Pi and Phi Ratios [Part 2]

End Times Prophecy of the Great Pyramid and the Pi and Phi Ratios

The Great Pyramid stands above the drifting sands of time, supremely dominating the Giza Plateau as the last remaining wonder of the ancient world. As both the literal and figurative axis mundi on the face of the earth, it is located at the center of the earth’s land mass at the head of the Nile River delta. As the nexus of Biblical Archaeo-Astronomy, it embodies a sacred cosmology that emerges from Scripture, as perhaps the world’s greatest architectural witness to the Coming Redeemer Jesus Christ. The words of the Prophet Isaiah capture this truth:

Isa. 19:19-22
¹⁹In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. ²⁰It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. ²¹So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.

In August 2015’s archive post; The Great Pyramid-the Boundary Stone of the Promised Land Part I, we covered in detail how the truths of these verses in Isa. 19 describe the Great Pyramid. As we mentioned above the; The Great Pyramid is located at the center of the land mass of the earth. The east/west parallel that crosses the most land and the north/south meridian that crosses the most land intersect in two places on the earth, one in the ocean and the other at the Great Pyramid, which could be considered the navel of the earth.

Figure 1. Astronomical Alignments of the Great Pyramid’s Star Shafts

When we consider the Pyramid as an allegorical monument at the center of the earth’s geographical landmass, precisely oriented on the four points of the compass, we can see that God’s principles of Creation are opened to us on many levels because its axis alignment on the four compass points are joining geometric angles not only in space, but also in time. The exacting precision of the Pyramid’s orientation reveals first how it determines the boundaries of Egypt; {Isa. 19:19}, secondly, it shows an ancient knowledge of the earth’s dimensions which matches modern science’s knowledge 5000 years earlier, and thirdly it depicts the division of the heavens according to, not only the four cardinal points of the compass, but also the bi-polar model of the heavens including the great circles of the ecliptic and the equator. As a result the Great Pyramid unveils a foundation of spiritual truths in antiquity, revealed according to the code of a mathematical and geometric allegory, with both spiritual and scientific applications unveiling truth on multiple levels of study including; astronomical, geometric, architectural, geodesic, and geographical, among others. This combined testimony of the Great Pyramid provides a singular witness to the Omniscient power of the Creator, and Almighty God not only is the Sole Power capable of Creating our world and Universe we inhabit, but He left us unmistakable evidence glorifying Him as Creator. [Rom. 1:19-20]

Embedded in the mathematical and geometric principles governing the construction of the Great Pyramid are the key numerical constants Pi and Phi, as we mentioned in Part 1 of this post. Also if the height of the pyramid is taken as the radius of a circle, then the circumference of this circle is the same as the perimeter of the base. This provided the complimentary squaring of a circle and circling of a square. The key to this relationship is knowledge of the value of Pi, and designing the angle of the Pyramid to be exactly 51 degrees, 51 minutes, and 14.3 seconds.

Figure 2. Great Pyramid Sun-Moon-Earth Sacred Geometry

Along with other astronomical alignments with the passages and star shafts of the Great Pyramid, it is also the most accurately aligned structure in existence facing true north with only 3/60th of a degree of error. The position of the North Pole has moved according to the Precession of the Poles over time, but the Pyramid was exactly aligned at one time. These and other astronomical alignments unveil a system of revelatory Biblical Archaeo-Astronomy, as seen in Scripture [Gen. 1:14-17], encompassing the various calendars and celestial cycles linked with the Sun, Moon and Stars. This graphic includes the relation of the luni-solar cycles via the phi ratio [1.618] in each 50-year Jubilee cycle, of the Hebrew Calendar, because there are 618 full moons every 50 solar years. In Figure 3 below we find the dimensions of the Sun-Moon-Earth plan embodied in the Great Pyramid, all unified in the Base 60 number standard. On top of the diagram we see the diameter of the Moon equal to 2160 miles [6 x 6 x 60]. The Moon is flanked by two 3-4-5 triangles [in green] containing the capstone of the Pyramid. Below that, we see the diameter of the Earth equal to 7920 miles [12 x 660]. Here we find a standard of other related measures like 7920 inches in a furlong, of [660 feet] reflecting 7920 feet in a league. This earth commensurate standard is also found in the sides of New Jerusalem [Rev. 21:16] making it a cube of 12,000 furlongs, per side or 12000 x 660 feet equaling 7,920,000 feet.

Figure 3. The Great Pyramid and the Squared Circle [p. 70] 4

The combined Earth radius of 3960 miles with the Moon’s radius of 1080 miles are also shown in the graphic above, totaling 5040 miles. As Michell concluded, “using the actual proportions and dimensions of the solar system [based on pi and phi] the canonical figure of the 12 sided New Jerusalem is produced.”5 Here God has employed the dimensions of our planet and Moon contained as part of the geometric phi symphony of our solar system preserved in the the Great Pyramid and embodied in the measures of the New Jerusalem, relating to the divine canon of Scripture. These symmetric principles designed by God, into various living and non-living systems from the very beginning, do not appear as a result of any exclusive evolutionary process in Nature. Very simply, if this Symmetry is present at the outset, not in an isolated sense, but across all the kingdoms of life regardless of scale, then Intelligent Design is not only implied but, it becomes a given. Since we find varied manifestations of the phi ratio operating at the basis of the mathematical reality that underlies all Creation even at the quantum levels, we don’t discover or formulate it, we only observe it in its beauty and awesome detail. These principles of Symmetry in Creation don’t occur randomly, but they are seen systematically and on multiple inter-related levels and dimensions throughout all Creation. This is undeniable evidence of the Intelligent Design of the Creator.

These inherent mathematical and geometric principles governing the design of the Great Pyramid, are the basis of a universal system of measurements. For example, the curvature designed into the faces of the Pyramid exactly matches the radius of the earth. As Figure 2 above depict the geometric plans of the Sun-Earth-Moon system, we can see the key number 273 relating to the cycles of the Mean solar/sidereal days, the lunar cycle of 27.3 days, the same as the Sun spot rotational period, to name a few. We also find human biological gestation and menstrual cycles of the same length aligned to this model. With these and other dimensions of our planet built into the Great Pyramid, the greatest of the world’s ancient wonders, thousands of years before modern science was ever aware of this Omniscient knowledge, exploding the tenets of their evolutionary cosmologies, and any materialistic accounts of the origin of the Universe.

The banner above focuses on a phi/Fibonacci relationship in our solar system between Jupiter and Saturn in relation to the Earth, reflected in the line below the planets divided according to the phi ratio. This exhibits a phi relationship to the mean heliocentric distances of these planets. Even with Saturn itself we find several examples phi relationships. The diameter of Saturn is very close to a phi relationship with the diameter of its rings, as seen in the green lines. The inner ring division is in a relationship that is very close to phi with the diameter of the rings outside the sphere of the planet, as illustrated by the blue lines below. 6

Saturn’s Phi Dimensions

The Cassini division in the rings of Saturn falls at the Golden Section of the width of the lighter outside section of the rings. As the planets are dispersed in their orbital paths through our solar system, they reflect this phi relationship. But this is only one of these relationships among many in our solar system. If it was only a few incidents of phi, it could be written off to coincidence, but as we can see this is clearly not the case, as Johannes Kepler depicts for us in his Harmony of the Spheres, also seen in the structure of the musical scale.

Figure 3. Harmony of the Spheres

We also find relationships of the Fibonacci Series and the phi ratio in the mean sidereal and mean synodic planetary cycles, not to mention their periods of revolution and mean orbital speeds, to include inverse velocity relationships, all based on the ubiquitous phi ratio. Again these multiple phi relationships on their own, might perhaps not be enough evidence to convince us of the Creator’s Intelligent Design, however once we see that all these individual planetary relationships fit together themselves in a phi spiral, or logarithmic spiral that operates as an exponential constant, organizing the entire order of our solar system, God’s Symmetry becomes much more difficult to deny. This is especially the case when we find that the beauty of this celestial phi symphony of our solar system is only a smaller reflection of the same phi spiral that highlights the rotational Symmetry of our spiral Galaxy in the Milky Way, also seen in other spiral galaxies in the Universe. Please go to the following link, that goes into greater detail regarding these truths than I have space for here. (www.spirasolaris.ca), 7

Figure 4. The Golden Ratio Rectangle

Here is a simple way to draw and understand a rectangle using the Golden Ratio:

Draw a square (of size “1”)
Place a dot half way along one side
Draw a line from that point to an opposite corner (it will be √5/2 in length)
Turn that line so that it runs along the square’s side

Then you can extend the square to be a rectangle with the Golden Ratio. This rectangle above shows us a simple formula for the Golden Ratio.

When one side is 1, the other side is:

The square root of 5 is approximately 2.236068, so the Golden Ratio is approximately (1+2.236068)/2 = 3.236068/2 = 1.618034. This is an easy way to calculate phi and related geometry we find in our next example.

This is a key topic in our study of Biblical Astronomy principles which are evident in other studies on our website, like The Calendar of the Biblical Patriarchs. This study points out among many other things that the cycles of the Sun and Moon are correlated via the phi ratio [1.618] in the 50-year Jubilee cycle, because there are 618 full moons every 50 solar years. This not only exhibits another phi relation in our solar system, but also ties this divine knowledge to the Hebrew calendar as commanded in Levitcus 25. Thus, God has designed the phi ratio in our solar system, even as He has all the other phi/Fibonacci/Lucas relations, throughout the Natural World, instituting them at the foundation of His Creation, giving glory to His Omnipotence in His loving outreach to man. We find Scriptural evidence of this is in Jeremiah 31.

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus saith the Lord, Which giveth the Sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the Moon and of the stars for a light by night, Which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of Hosts is His name:

The Hebrew word for “ordinance” here, is also used in Job 38:33, in reference to the “ordinances of Heaven” in an astronomical context [Job 38:31-32]. This Hebrew word for “ordinance” is also used referring to Natural Law as seen in Job 28:26, in the context of the Laws of Nature, as prescribed by God concerning the “rain, lightning and thunder.” The laws of the golden section, govern many aspects of the Natural World, and exhibit the Creator’s symmetrical Intelligent Design across multi-levels of His Creation. The preponderance of the phi ratio through the Four Kingdoms of Life, in both living and non-living systems is an awesome testimony to the Creator’s Temporal Order, as seen in our Solar System. This phi ratio, aka. the “Divine Proportion,” is arrived at by a comparison. The relationship that becomes evident in this comparison is divine, because it is found throughout all levels of the Natural World. In the comparison of the divine proportion, the whole is to the larger as the larger is to the smaller. As we observe the Natural World, if we follow this exemplar pattern of the divine proportion, we will compare the larger with the smaller, in the context of the whole. The Figure 5 graphic below also exhibits the phi ratio in a linear context as we have already seen.

Figure 5. The Golden Rectangle

We start with a simple square ABCD. Using a (dotted) line from the midpoint of one side of the square to an opposite corner RC, as the radius, we can construct an arc CE, that defines the limits of a new rectangle AEFD. When we use the endpoints of this arc, we can complete this rectangle; a golden rectangle, exhibiting the golden section. The idea of proportion is also used to compare individual parts, first to each other, then the whole. Numerically, this comparison is expressed as we have shown in the Birth of Abraham banner, above with a line divided under the planets into two parts, where the ratio of the whole line to the larger part is the same as the larger part to the smaller. This is mirrored in Figure 5 above, in the line FD, divided at the golden section “C.” Thus the divine proportion relates the smallest aspects of Creation to the largest, showing God’s Hand underwriting it all. Some dynamic examples of this are found in the golden rectangles of the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple. The Tabernacle is a one by two double square rectangle, which is not only the foundation of the blueprints of the Temple of David and Solomon, but also the Ark of the Covenant and the King’s Chamber based on a 3-4-5 triangle of the Great Pyramid, which has the same dimensions as the Ark [Ex. 25:10]. More details on this can be found in our study of the Celestial Symbolism of the Hebrew Temple and Tabernacle. 8 Since God revealed the dimensions of these sacred enclosures to Moses and King David by divine revelation, we have undeniable proof that the principles of the golden section and phi ratio are utilized as an aspect of the Creator’s Omniscient wisdom and Intelligent Design throughout all levels of Creation [Prov. 3:19]. The Divine power and energy of the Omnipotent Creator resonates in, and through every level of the Works of His Hand, and as we give Him His due credit for His awesome Works, we can join the harmonious chorus of Nature that sings His praises. This linear expression of the phi ratio is also seen in the curved line arc of a logarithmic spiral, reflected in the arc-CE in Figure 5 above. This illustrates the dynamic growth pattern found in the largest spiral Galaxy, to the smallest of human embryos. Below we find added examples of the geometry of the Golden Ratio Rectangle applied to Sun-Earth-Venus orbits.

Ö Period of Venus * Phi = Distance of the Earth

Ö 2.5490 * 1.6180339 = 1.5966 * 1.6180339 = 2.5833

In addition, Venus orbits the Sun in 224.695 days while Earth orbits the Sun in 365.242 days, conforming to an 8/13 ratio that are successive Fibonacci numbers. Thus 5 conjunctions of Earth and Venus occur every 8 orbits of the Earth around the Sun and every 13 orbits of Venus.

Mercury, on the other hand, orbits the Sun in 87.968 Earth days, with an Earth conjunction every 115.88 days. Thus there are 365.24/115.88 conjunctions in a year, or 22 conjunctions in 7 years, which is very close to Pi! 9 This value for Pi is also arrived at using the Fibonacci number series. As we relate the Phi ratio to the Fibonacci number series, it is possible to use consecutive [21-34-55] Fibonacci numbers to obtain an accurate relation for the diameter of the circle without dependence on Pi. If the Fibonacci number 21 is taken as the diameter of a circle, its circumference will be 66 [55 x 6/5] accurate to the thousandth part, yielding the Great Pyramid value for Pi of 22/7, [3.14285]. 10 The higher Fibonacci numbers utilized produce numbers closer in accuracy to Pi values, relating to the design of the Pyramid’s dimensions incorporating the length of the shortest degree of Latitude at the equator.

In our most recent blog post in July, 2016 we showed how Daniel Matson has not only depicted the astronomical and geometric Pyramid relationships with planetary unions depicted on Rosh Hashanah in Sept. 20/21 2017, but as we can see in his graphic below, he points out the Phi pattern of the Venus-Jupiter, Venus-Mercury conjunctions leading to the Fall of 2017.11 Curiously, this pattern seems to align with the a version of the golden rectangle geometry illustrated above conforming to the phi order of our solar system. As noted in June’s blog, the three Mercury-Venus Conjunctions taking place this year with the most recent one on July 16th, Matson depicts in [Fig. 6] below this month’s Venus–Mercury union in a phi relationship with the 1st Jupiter–Venus union on Aug. 18th, 2014. The end date of this phi relation is Sept. 23rd, 2017, the date of the replay of the Rev. 12 sign in Virgo. When we consider the Venus–Jupiter Conjunction of Oct. 25th, 2015, in this mix we have three key planetary conjunctions all involving Venus the bright and Morning Star in a phi relation leading to the Rev. 12 sign on Sept. 23rd, 2017.

Figure 6. Phi pattern of Venus conjunctions 2014-2017.

Certainly the Almighty has plainly shown those who do not willfully ignore the abundant evidence, how He is moving Heaven and Earth according to the perfect symmetric design in the works of His mighty Hand, warning mankind of the impending return of His only begotten Son. He has made Salvation available in Christ alone, so that even a fool need not err therein, [Rom. 10:9-10, John 3:16]! Let us not fall into the trap of the wisdom of this world, which is foolishness unto the Almighty.

Footnotes

1. The Great Pyramid-the Boundary Stone of the Promised Land
2. http://blog.try-god.org/end-times-prophecy-of-the-great-pyramid-and-the-pi-phi-ratios/
3. City of Revelation, John Michell [ppg. 31-32]
4. IBID p. 70. Picture credit
5. IBID ppg. 62-63
6. http://www.goldennumber.net/solar-system/
7. (www.spirasolaris.ca)
8. Celestial Symbolism of the Hebrew Temple and Tabernacle.
9. http://www.goldennumber.net/solar-system/
10. Secrets of the Great Pyramid, Peter Thompkins, Livio Stechini
11. Daniel Matson

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