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The Celestial Prelude and the Birth and Return of Jesus Christ

Biblical Astronomy of the Birth and Return of Christ

God marked the holy season of the birth of His only begotten son Jesus, from before the foundations of the world, according to His eternal omniscient foreknowledge, in concert with the celestial cycles He installed as He ordered the heavens in Creation. In this way His handiwork would show forth praise and worship of His wisdom, exhibited in the eternal purpose of His plan of the ages. As the Creator and God of the Heavens and Earth, our Heavenly Father saw fit to mark mankind’s long awaited deliverance, prophesied in the circle of the stars, marked by a 25,920 year celestial cycle recognizing the Sun’s retrograde motion through the zodiac at the vernal point, initiating the Age of Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. He also marked the celestial signs leading up to, and surrounding the birth of the Christ, the embodiment of the Morning Star, with a unique series of triple planetary unions, involving a triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn. The first of these is seen below in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction in Pisces, May 29th, 7 BC.1

This realization is a primary element in understanding the Biblical Astronomy of the Celestial Prelude of signs revealing the Birth of Christ.[read more] The other dates of this Jupiter-Saturn triple conjunction in Pisces are Oct. 1st and December 5th. These conjunctions are many times confused for the actual signs marking Christ’s birth, but they do not fit the pattern of celestial signs laid out in Rev. 12 below. As we will see however they are critical in setting the format for the Magi to identify the actual signs of Christ’s birth that occurred in 3-2 BC.

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

In the prophecy of the “Great Wonder” in Rev. 12:1, the feet of the woman, Virgo are found at the intersection of the ecliptic and the Celestial Equator, also known as the autumnal equinox, one of the so-called four “pillars of heaven,” or the four Cardinal points. This celestial point was generally marked on the Hebrew calendar during the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot, that occurred later during Tishri, the 7th Month of their year. With the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, the end-time emphasis on the Lord’s Feasts has been brought home to us in no uncertain terms with multiple Blood Moons marking the Lord’s Feasts and Holy days on Israel’s Calendar. It is interesting to note that a great majority of Blood Moons that occurred in the current Age of Grace, over the last 2000 years are usually found near this part of the sky, close to Spica in Virgo. This gives a clue to the heavenly signs marking the 2nd coming of Christ, as we would expect them to follow the blueprint of signs marking Jesus’ Birth, within the added context of the Blood Moon Tetrads on the Lord’s Feasts. In this light, there were not only Blood Moon lunar eclipses taking place around the heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ in 3-2 BC, but the 12 Characteristics of the Celestial Prelude are also evident as the signs that helped the Magi identify the heavenly signs leading to the Great Wonder in Heaven, [Rev. 12].

Figure 2. Virgo at sunset Sept. 11th 3 BC seen from Jerusalem.

God also marked the coronation of His only begotten Son in the heavens with a triple conjunction of the King planet Jupiter with the King star Regulus in Leo during 3-2 BC, based on Jupiter’s retrograde motion. Thus, his birth on the key day of Tishri 1 in Hebrew timekeeping was foreordained by God, to fit the pattern of 7 primary Hebrew Feast and holy days of their sacred calendar, since before the foundations of the world. This critical date on the calendar of Israel perfectly synchronizes to mark Jesus’ birthday on Hebrew New Years Day, Tishri 1.

To help us grasp the critical importance of the feast of Tishri 1, the 7th month, we turn to the following reference from Alfred Edersheim:

“Just as age was reckoned from Tishri 1 to Tishri 1, so were the regnal years of Judean Kings. The blowing of trumpets of Rams Horns was also part of the coronation ceremony of these Judean Kings.” ²

Thus the start of Jesus’ reign as King of Kings is marked on his birthday of Tishri 1, the “Day of Trumpets.” The significance of the King’s Coronation tied to Rosh Hashannah, New Years Day and the head of Israel’s calendar, is that Jesus as the King of Kings presides over all temporal, civil and sacred matters as the King-High Priest of Israel. Thus it is fitting that a majority of Blood Moons would occur near this area in Virgo, symbolizing Israel, near its brightest star Spica-Al Zemach, marking the only begotten Son and offspring of God the Father. We can see the wisdom in understanding the dual significance of the Revelation 12 prophecy, as it not only applies to Jesus’ first appearance with his birth and sufferings, but also his victorious return in Glory. Almighty God has mirrored the heavenly signs marking the birth of Jesus Christ, 2000 years later in the Lunar light of the Blood Moon Tetrads and Israel’s gathering as a nation, to set the stage for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the Magi were able to identify the Star of Bethlehem based on the the 12 traits of the Celestial Prelude surrounding the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in 7 BC, so we can see their basis in the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad leading to the the repeat of the Rev. 12 signs on Sept. 23rd 2017. These twelve stellar pointers provided by the Hand of the Heavenly Father left no doubt as to the time of year, the specific day and even the time of day for the Magi to recognize the time frame of the birth of the only begotten Son of God. These details of the Celestial Prelude are unique to the Try-God.com and blog sites since we have detailed this account of the celestial setting marking the birth of Christ, it is fitting that we reconstruct the specifics of the solar and lunar eclipses leading up to the birth of Christ, for comparison with the modern Blood Moon Tetrads for end-times insight. The 12 characteristics of the Celestial Prelude are listed below:

12 Characteristics of the Celestial Prelude

• Jupiter was clearly marked as “his star.”
• Jupiter was involved in a triple planetary Conjunction.
• Jupiter was involved in a series of planetary conjunctions.
• Jupiter’s retrograde motion would play a key role.
• Jupiter’s triple union was followed by a massing of planets.
• This massing of planets was followed by a Mars Conjunction.
• The Jupiter-Mars Conjunction was followed by a series of lunar occultations, and total “Blood Moon” lunar eclipses.
• This series of conjunctions would last about two years.
• The annual twenty days when the Sun is in Virgo would be a key.
• The September 15th alignment of Jupiter, Saturn the Earth and Sun in 7 BC that occurred in the evening at sunset, directed the Magi’s attention to the end of the 20-day period when Virgo was “clothed with the Sun.”
• The lunar eclipse on September 15th of 5 BC established that the Magi should be watchful of lunar activity during this time. This framed the 42 minute period between Sunset and Moon-set on the only day of the year when Virgo “was clothed with the Sun with the Moon under her feet.”
• The September 15th Heliacal Rising of Jupiter and Saturn foreshadowed the Heliacal Setting of the star Spica, between the setting Sun and Moon in Virgo, identifying a key 30-minute period when the birth of Christ took place.

Starting on the 1st trait of this list, the Star of Bethlehem [Jupiter] the King Planet that the Magi followed to Jerusalem and the birth of Christ, it is Jupiter again that is birthed from Virgo’s Womb on Sept. 9th 2017, after spending 42 weeks-the normal time of human gestation in her womb due to Jupiter’s retrograde motion. This speaks to the 2nd and 4th traits that Jupiter’s Retrograde motion would be a key as it was for the Magi in identifying the triple planetary conjunction of Jupiter-Regulus beginning 3 days after the birth of Christ-the 2nd trait of the Celestial Prelude.

The third trait refers to a Jupiter’s involvement in a series of Planetary Conjunctions. We find this manifested at the birth of Christ in a dazzling Jupiter-Venus conjunction in Leo on June 17th of 2 BC. It was two Jupiter-Venus conjunctions that actually bracketed the great majority of heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ in 3 and 1 BC. The 1st 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, that took place during the first fulfillment 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 the Lord’s Second Coming. The fact that there were also two Venus-Mars conjunctions framing the central Jupiter-Venus union between March 31st, and Dec. 9th, 2 BC, marking the birth of Christ, sets a precedent that we find in like fashion leading up to the Lord’s glorious Second Coming. This refers to the sixth trait of the Celestial Prelude. In this light, it is with great interest that we noted two Venus-Mars unions in 2015, that 3 Jupiter-Venus unions occurred in Leo, followed by Jupiter-Venus unions in Virgo in both 2016 and 2017. The initial Triple conjunction of Jupiter-Venus starting on July 1st, 2015 was all over the newscasts, and current events, being compared to the brilliant June 17th Jupiter-Venus planetary conjunction in 2 BC, 9 months after the birth of Christ. This is one of many indicators of the popularity of the Blood Moons in the public eye, as Blood Moon mania grabbed the headlines of many major media outlets. The resemblance of these current heavenly signs, to the birth signs of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, were noted in detail as public “end times awareness” shot off the charts.

The following dates witnessed Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Leo in the Hebrew Jubilee year of 2015-2016:

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

The following dates saw Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in Virgo in 2016-with only Nov. 2017 remaining:

July 27th, 2016
Feb. 26th, 2017
Nov. 13th, 2017

The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 was foreshadowed by lunar eclipses leading to the birth of Christ, which we find in the 7th trait of the Celestial Prelude. The Jupiter-Saturn triple Conjunctions in 7 BC, highlighted by a planetary alignment on Sept. 15th 7 BC, initiated a pattern of heavenly signs that reappeared in September of 5 BC with a pair of eclipses. This embodies the 10th trait of the Celestial Prelude. On 9-5-5 BC there was a partial Solar eclipse, with a Total Lunar eclipse following 10 days later on 9-15-5 BC. These heavenly signs exactly 2 years apart, enlightened the Magi that they should be on the lookout for heavenly signs marking the birth of Christ, in the next 2-year period in September of 3 BC– the 8th trait of the Celestial Prelude. Since September marked Hebrew New Year’s Holy day, of Rosh Hashanah starting the seventh month of Tishri, on September 11th, the Magi would have been on notice with their eyes riveted to the heavens for the signs denoting the coming of the prophesied King of the Jews. As stated in the 11th trait of the Celestial Prelude, the lunar activity in 5 BC tipped off the Magi to be watchful of lunar activity during this time, two years later in 3 BC. This framed the 42-minute period between Sunset and Moon-set on the only day of the year when Virgo “was clothed with the Sun with the Moon under her feet,” [Rev. 12:1]. This period in mid-September towards the end of the annual 20-day time-frame when the “Sun was clothing Virgo,” was also marked by the first of 3 unions of Jupiter and Regulus in 3-2 BC, three days after the birth of Christ. [Gen. 49:9-10]

Relating to this, 2015 saw some eye-popping heavenly signs taking place between the Partial Solar Eclipse on the Feast of Trumpets and the final Super Blood Moon on the Tabernacle Feast of Sept. 28th, 2015. On Sept. 17th the Sun appears in Virgo 20 days clothing the stellar woman symbolizing Israel with the Moon at her feet as seen in [Rev. 12]. This is the ninth trait of the Celestial Prelude. With all that we have seen regarding the ministry of Christ as it embodies in the 7 feasts of Israel emphasized in the Blood Moon Tetrad, as we combine the narrative of the birth signs of Jesus Christ from [Rev. 12], relating the story of his victorious Second Coming, the dual significance of the prophecy in [Rev. 12] becomes apparent.

August 29th 2015 [Venus-Mars]
Sept. 13th 2015 [Partial Solar Eclipse-Rosh Hashanah]
Sept. 17th 2015 [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet]
Sept. 17th 2015 [Mercury-Spica in Virgo]
Sept. 23rd, 2015 [Hebrew Jubilee Year opens on the Day of Atonement]
Sept. 28th 2015 [Final Super Blood Moon, Feast of Trumpets]

September 17th, 2015 was a key date above since it marked not only the Rev. 12 sign of the Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet, but also the first of two Mercury-Spica conjunctions in Virgo, the 2nd one on October 29th. The September 23rd sign from Rev. 12, takes place two years before the Great Wonder of Rev. 12 rewinds in the heavens on Sept. 23rd, 2017, just as at the birth of Christ-the 8th trait of the Celestial Prelude. This was emphasized with the two Mercury-Spica unions in Virgo, within a 6-week period. As Mercury-Gabriel, the messenger arch-angel announces the apparent nearness of the Lord Jesus Christ, returning FOR his Saints. The setting star Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, displays the birth time of the Promised Seed–Jesus Christ in his four-fold ministry as King, Son of Man, Servant and Son of God, as seen in the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

There was also a 1 degree Triangular massing of Jupiter-Venus, and Mars in Leo on October 28th, 2015, which is preceded earlier in the month with a planetary alignment with Regulus in Leo, [see Figure 1 below]. This is significant first because it refers to the planetary massing of the 5th trait of the Celestial Prelude, but also due to the resemblance again of the Rev. 12 heavenly sign, with the Woman–Virgo 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 sets the stage for the Feast of Tabernacles week, marked by the Super Blood Moon of Sept. 28th. A very similar planetary alignment will be seen again in Sept. 2017, [Figure 2.] involving the same players except Mercury will replace Jupiter in Leo, since Jupiter will be birthed in Virgo. This serves as key celestial foreshadowing 2 years prior to this birthing of Jupiter in Virgo, the rewind of the Rev. 12:1-2 wonder in heaven, 12th trait of the Celestial Prelude.

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

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 is announced by Mercury-Gabriel located alongside Virgo’s womb, united with Spica/Al Zimach on this day, 2 years ahead of the rewind of the Great Wonder in Heaven, on Sept. 23rd 2017, seen below.

Figure 2. Rev.12 Sign [Sun clothing Virgo with the Moon at her feet]. 4

As we have seen with both sets of heavenly signs surrounding the Birth of Christ and seemingly marking his victorious Return, the King Planet Jupiter as the Star of the Messiah, and Venus-the Bright and Morning Star are highly prominent in marking and bracketing the key signs in the dual-purpose of Revelation 12, with both the birth and return of Christ.

Another key with the final Super Blood Moon is that it takes place after the Hebrew 50-year Jubilee opened on the Day of Atonement on Sept. 23rd, 2015. This is noteworthy since the Super Blood Moon was the first Blood Moon of the 2014-2015 Tetrad that was visible in Jerusalem, as the city of God was liberated by Israel for the first time in nearly 2000 years in the preceding Jubilee year of 1967, also marked by the previous Blood Moon Tetrad of 1967-68.

As the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad of the end days are centered between the saddest days on the Hebrew Calendar, the days of Av in 2010-11 and 2018-19, they commemorate the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple on two key occasions in their history, one of which we have highlighted below, with the 69-70 AD solar and lunar eclipses, marking the Roman Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. It is also noteworthy that the triple conjunctions of Jupiter-Regulus marking Christ’s birth, synchronize here since the next one did not recur till 69/70AD, leading directly to the Roman’s destroying of the Jerusalem Temple prophesied by Christ. By putting these birth signs of Christ together with the Temple’s destruction, it recalls Jesus’ words in [Jn 2:19-20] where the Temple’s destruction referred to the “temple of his body.” Since Jesus Christ spiritually embodied the replacement of the Temple for both Messianic and Gentile Christians communing with the Heavenly Father in the Age of Grace, the Jerusalem Temple on the Mount will not be seen again until the daily sacrifices return prior to Jesus’ 2nd Coming. The eclipses marking the Roman’s destruction of the Temple correlate to solar and lunar eclipses during the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015 leading to the rewind of the Great Wonder of Rev. 12:1-2, as seen in the chart below. These Solar and Lunar eclipses surrounding the Rev. 12 Sign took place on the following Hebrew Feast and Holy days:

10-18-69 Partial Lunar Eclipse on the Feast of Tabernacles.
3-30-70 Total Solar Eclipse on Nisan 1. [as seen 3-20-2015]
4-14-70 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse at Passover. [like 2014 Passover Blood Moon]
9-23-70 Annular Solar Eclipse on Rosh Hashanah.
[1947 years before 9-23-2017]

These solar and lunar eclipses marking the Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple not only link to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, but based on the recognition of ripe Barley in Israel in spring of 2016 two more Lunar Eclipse events were added after the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015. Although the two added Lunar Eclipses on Hebrew Feast and Holy Days after the 4 Blood Moons do make a highly unique event including 6 Lunar Eclipses from 2014-2016, the added 2016 events do not qualify as “Blood Moons.” That being said, all 6 of these qualify as Lunar Eclipses in 3 consecutive years on Hebrew Feast days, from 2014-2016! As we consider the import of these Penumbral Lunar Eclipses in 2016, we must point out the parallel to the Penumbral Lunar Eclipses of 70 AD marking the Romans destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem seen below.

The following summary from our Biblical Blood Moon Calendar post, shows the 70 AD Roman Temple Destruction as Jesus Prophesied.

Solar & Lunar Eclipses from 69-71 AD. 2016 Solar & Lunar Eclipses omitting Adar 2:

Partial Lunar Sukkot 10/18/69

Total Solar Nisan 1 3/30/70 Total Solar Eclipse 3/9/2016 on Nisan 1

Penum lunar Passover 4/14/70 Penumbral Lunar Passover Eclipse 3/23/2016

Annular Solar Rosh Hash 9/23/70 Annular Solar Eclipse 9/3/2016/Trumpets Feast

Penum lunar Sukkot 10/08/70 Penum Lunar Eclipse 9/16/Sukkot/9-16 to 9/23/16

Partial Lunar Purim 3/4/71

Its interesting to note with a ripe Barley determination made in time for the Total Solar Eclipse on March 9th, 2016 it also falls on Nisan 1, even as above with the total solar eclipse on 3/30/70 AD. The ripe Barley also provides the link to the other Hebrew feasts in 2016. This link with the Solar and Lunar eclipses between 70 AD and 2016 is truly remarkable as a follow up to the correlation of 2014, as there are no Blood Moons among either set of Hebrew feasts! The fascinating parallel here is that these Solar and Lunar signs marked the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, while today we are looking for the return of a Third Jerusalem Temple as the next logical step to fulfill Biblical Prophecy following up to Israel’s reclamation of Jerusalem marked by the 1967-68′ Blood Moon Tetrad, in the 6-day War with Egypt.

As this rewind of heavenly signs marking Christ Jesus’ first appearance on earth occur in the context of the latest Blood Moon Tetrad, the celestial warnings of the Second Coming are undeniable to those with eyes to see and ears to hear. All these heavenly signs seem to point towards the September 23rd, 2017 date, when we will witness the returning heavenly signs of 9/11/3 BC marking the birth of Christ. These returning signs from [Rev. 12:1-2], will replay in a climax of these celestial announcements even as the Magi witnessed and shared the Joy of the Lord’s first Advent. What an awesome privilege we have to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Are you ready?

Footnotes

1. Jupiter-Saturn conjunction graphic from Starry Nite Pro Software.
2. The Temple, Alfred Edershiem
3. Sky and Telescope Magazine Graphic 10-3-2015 sign in Leo
4. Stellarium Software graphic of 9-23-17 Sign in Virgo

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Lunar Eclipses and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

History of Biblical Astronomy

Lunar Eclipses and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

In this February 2017 blog post, we are featuring notable lunar eclipse activity on Feb. 10-11 in Leo, near Regulus, and Feb. 26th, in Pisces. On the eve of February 10-11, 2017, the full moon falls under the penumbral shadow of planet Earth. This penumbral lunar eclipse will be best seen from Northern Europe and Africa. Only a two hours following this lunar eclipse, Comet 45P makes it closest approach to Earth, about 7.4 million miles away according to NASA.1 We covered this comet back in our November 2016 blog, which has been visible after sunset the past couple of months. In the graphic below the comet’s path is traced through Hercules Feb. 9th-11th, Corona the Northern Crown Feb. 12th, and Bootes on Valentine’s Day.

Figure 1. Path of Comet 45P [Sky and Telescope; Feb. 2017] 2
A Longer, Deeper Arc
About two weeks later the New Moon will eclipse the sun in an annular solar eclipse on February 26th. This event is highlighted by a narrow ring of sunlight surrounding the perimeter of the New Moon, primarily visible in southern South America, and South Africa.

Later this Summer an August 7th, a partial lunar eclipse will be seen from the eastern hemisphere. Then a much anticipated total solar eclipse over the United States on August 21st will take place. In light of the significance of this solar and lunar eclipse activity in 2017, it is key to realize it’s links to Biblical prophecy. This may seem like a redundant statement considering the amount of published material posted on this blog about the Blood Moon Tetrads, however there is a big assumption many have made here which should not be overlooked. Most recent Blood Moon literature has focused on end-times prophecy due to Joel’s Prophecy [Joel 2:28-32]. People have assumed that his prophecies applied only to 20th-21st century end-times, especially where Joel refers to the “Sun turning to darkness and the Moon turning to Blood,” while ignoring the context of his prophecy which refers to God “pouring out His spirit on all flesh.”

Image result for day of pentecost images

As the Apostle Peter quoted this prophecy from Joel in Acts 2:16-21, from his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, or the Birthday of the Church in 28 AD, he specifically refers to the events of this awesome day as the fulfilling of Joel’s prophecy with the words “this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel,” [Acts 2:16]. The 12 Apostles spoke in tongues for the first time in history, even as the rest of the 3000+ believers did-exhibiting the signal that they were born again, re-establishing the holy spirit connection with the Heavenly Father that was lost in the Garden of Eden. Through the finished work of the Messiah, and the salvation wholeness provided by the perfect sacrifice of the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the believers of the First Century Church and all those since have been rescued from the enemy.

There were 7 weeks of counting, that linked Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread with Pentecost. At the time of the first Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, Israel left the bondage of Egypt. A major transition point during the Exodus was the giving of the Law at Sinai, to which Pentecost became linked. As Passover is embodied in Jesus Christ, it symbolizes not only Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, but the Church’s Exodus from death and bondage to the OT Law. The Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, marked the Passover feasts of both these years in the last Blood Moon Tetrad that will not be seen again on Hebrew feasts or holy days, for the next 500 years! Christ’s redeeming work led to Pentecost in 28 AD, when the new birth first became available, and the gift of holy spirit was poured out as Joel predicted [Joel 2:28-31], opening a new spiritual administration, the Age of Grace. Jesus Christ was resurrected at the first harvest during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as the first-fruits from the dead. At Pentecost in 28 AD, the believers were made a harvest, manifesting the first-fruits of the holy spirit as they spoke in tongues for the first time; [Rom. 8:23]. Believer’s in the age of Grace having the first-fruits of the spirit, meet Christ in the air in his victorious return for his Saints, gathering us together, [I Thess. 4:14-17]. Christians during the current end times are warned by a series of Blood Moon Tetrads, among other heavenly signs, in the last days prior to our gathering together unto the Lord. The final, and complete harvest will be at the return of Christ with his Saints, when the enemies of God are vanquished, and the remnant of believers are resurrected. God’s Word describes this as the harvest at the end of the world.³ [Matt. 13:38-39]

But this was not the only part of Joel’s prophecy that was fulfilled. The references to the heavenly signs of the Sun and Moon were also fulfilled-since they were quoted by Peter in Acts 2, but the question is when? I believe the subtle error many have fallen into in all the Blood Moon media hype we have witnessed over the past few years, is related to the fact that people have only viewed Joel’s references to the Sun and Moon in a modern end-time context, instead of realizing the possibility of a dual fulfillment of these verses. This means that these heavenly signs at the start of the Age of Grace, seen here in the days of Christ’s suffering leading to the day of Pentecost, would be confirmed at the end of this age, which we are seeing in our day. This is the focus of February’s blog post. Obviously, our Biblical Blood Moon Calendar provides a historical context for the Blood Moon Tetrads, but this is separate from Joel’s Biblical prophetic context. So where do we look for the fulfillment of these heavenly signs in the local time frame of Peter’s Sermon on the day of Pentecost? One place to start is the events of Christ’s crucifixion where he finished the work to complete the salvation of humanity in the previous feasts of Unleavened Bread and Passover.

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.”

These events were also prophesied in Amos 8:

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.

Image result for earthquake images @ Christ's crucifixion

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, during Christ’s crucifixion events at Golgotha in 28 AD.

The scope of Christ’s Crucifixion is world wide and universal for without Christ, all the world sits in darkness. He took all our sins to the cross making 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, on the day of Christ’s death. Matthew’s gospel provides more details.

Matthew 27: 45-46 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?”).

In Matt. 27:45 above Joel’s Prophecy concerning the “Sun turning to darkness” would very well have been fulfilled here. All the requirements are fulfilled even though the cause for the darkness remains a mystery, perhaps beyond the ken of human science to explain. As was referenced in a previous blog, the cause for this darkness is often assumed to be the result of a Solar eclipse. In fact, the NEB, Moffat’s 20th Century New Testament, uses this term.4 Here many have all fallen into an obvious error. The Crucifixion at Passover, required 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 cause of the mysterious darkness, it certainly was not a Solar eclipse. Man always wants to discount the super-natural by providing scientific explanations whether they fit or not, as this example shows, further illustrated below.

Image result for https://blood moon over crucifixion images

This could also be the case with the Moon turning to blood as we will see presently. Whatever obstructed the sunlight from Earth’s view, whether irregular conditions of the atmosphere or supernatural causes may also have caused a Blood Red Moon. Thus any need to link Christ’s crucifixion date with a potential Blood Moon lunar eclipse evaporates. More on this later, first though lets take a closer look at the earthquake that took place.

Matt. 27:50-54
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!”

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 in resurrection as the first fruits from the dead.

Figure 2. The Temple and Golgotha

Image result for https://jerusalem temple crucifixion images

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 the earthquake at the crucifixion of Christ goes, the following link records a widespread earthquake around Jerusalem in 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,” shows the geological evidence narrowing the earthquake activity between the years 26-36, but it is not possible to pinpoint an earthquake at the crucifixion of Christ using this geological data alone. Thus we are more dependent upon historical and Scriptural accounts to narrow down the accuracy of the accuracy of this record. 5

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 BC, 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.” Although its not possible to prove which day an earthquake took place during this time from geological data alone, it seems possible using a combination of historical, geologic and scriptural data could disprove a 33 AD crucifixion date, while supporting a 28 AD date.

There has been a sway current of opinion in support of the April 3rd, 33 AD crucifixion date, I believe for at least two key reasons. First because of the Blood Moon that occurs here that could explain the “moon turning to blood” from Joel’s prophecy. Next because this fits in the time frame of Pilate’s rule from 26-36, and can conform to some of the other evidence and clues agreeing with a traditional 3+ year ministry of Christ. Part 2 of this study will show conclusively that the length of Christ’s ministry was 70 weeks-fitting into “the acceptable year of the Lord” [singular] that Jesus referenced when he opened his ministry in Luke 4, at his home Synagogue in Nazareth. The following Biblical evidence disproves any possibility of a 33 crucifixion date.

A key sticking point to the accurate determination of the day Jesus was crucified always seems to start with the proper understanding of the weekly Sabbaths versus a High Sabbath. This is precisely why scholars have landed on “Good Friday,” which cannot be true because it contradicts the 3 days and 3 nights that Jesus was in the heart of the earth [Matt. 12:40]. There is no possible way to squeeze 3 full days and nights in the time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday Morning! The key to avoid the error of those holding the crucifixion on “Good Friday,” is in separating the ANNUAL feast days, that were also Sabbath days, called HIGH holy days, from the weekly Sabbaths. These High Holy days also took precedence over the weekly Sabbaths, which is the origin of the tradition of a Friday crucifixion, because those holding to this idea have considered only a weekly Sabbath during Passover week. But, God’s Word shows a clear distinction in John 19:31 that this particular Sabbath/Annual feast day was Not a 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.

John 19:31
³¹The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Figure 3. Jesus’ 3 Days and Nights in the Tomb

The chart above shows that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, Nisan 14 when the Passover Lamb was normally chosen for sacrifice by the priests. Three days and nights later Jesus arose on Saturday the normal Sabbath day in Hebrew reckoning, not Sun-day when the heathens worshiped the Sun-god. Also according to the US Naval Observatory the only years between 26-36 AD where Passover fell on a Wednesday, was in the years 28 and 31. 7

The first Passover Jesus attended, in [Jn. 2:13-23] where he cleansed the temple the first time, is separate from the following year of his crucifixion. Obviously this “acceptable year of the Lord,” is 5 years short of the traditional dating of Christ’s crucifixion, prior to the Blood Moon Tetrad of 32-33 AD. Again scholars have stressed the crucifixion in 33 due to fitting with the Blood Moon that satisfies Joel’s Prophecy, but this approach of using the Blood Moon Tetrad to set the crucifixion day of Christ is not consistent with the truth of the Scripture narrative on this subject. 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.

Part 2 of this study will show the Biblical keys verifying the 70 weeks of the “Acceptable year of the Lord,” exploding the myth of the ministry of Jesus Christ in excess of 3 years.

Footnotes

1. Approach to Earth of Comet 45P, NASA
2. Sky and Telescope Feb. 10th 2017, Path of Comet 45P/H-M-P [Picture credit]
3. Previous blog post
4. Moffat’s 20th Century New Testament [Matt. 27:45-46]
5. [http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00206814.2011.639996]
6. Beyondtoday.tv [picture credit] Figure 3.
7. US Naval Observatory [http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/passover_dates.htm]

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The Heart of the Magi [Part 2]

Sun of Righteousness

The Heart of the Magi [Part 2]

Happy New Year and God’s Abundant Blessings to everyone in 2017!

In our last blog post in December of 2016, we recalled how the Magi followed the Star of the Messiah-Jupiter to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem. This study will expand on that basis as Part 2 of the study on the Heart of the Magi. We begin here in Matthew, and take a look at some deeper aspects of theses first verses of chapter 2.

Matt. 2:1-2
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ²and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Verse 1 says the “Magi from the east,” in the Greek east is [G393-anatole] or in the rising, refers to the Sun or a star rising 1 in this and related forms of this word. In this case in verse 2 when the Magi saw His Star-Jupiter rising, it is the same word anatole, where the King Planet first in the Summer of 3 BC, rose in the pre-dawn eastern skies leading the magi to Jerusalem [Matt. 2:9]. It is interesting how the God’s Word uses this word anatole and in another form; [G395] anatello: to cause to rise, 2 referring both to the astronomical light of the rising Jupiter, to lead the Magi to the Spiritual light of the World-the Promised Seed Jesus Christ. We find an example of this in Luke 1, initially referring to John the Baptist, whom Jesus called a “burning and shining light,” [Jn. 5:35] in verse 76.

Luke 1:76-79

⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, ⁷⁹To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

The word for “Dayspring” from on high-or heaven above is also anatole, and the next verse reveals some of the mission statement of deliverance that the Son of God, the Prince of Peace would bring to the Earth. The light that Jesus embodies to all mankind is compared to the sunrise many times in the Gospels and Epistles; [Matt. 5:45, 13:6, 17:2, Luke 2:32, Jn. 8:12, 12:3, 5-6, Acts 9:3, 2 Cor. 4:4-6, Pet. 1:19]. Just as the light of Jupiter guided the feet of the Magi to the Prince of Peace and the way of peace, so Jesus will do for all those who believe on his name for the light of salvation. Another verse along this line is found in Matthew 4.

The Magi’s Caravan entering Jerusalem.

Image result for persian magi images

Matt. 4:12-17
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; ¹³And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: ¹⁴That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ¹⁵The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

¹⁶The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. ¹⁷From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

In verse 16 above the word for “sprung up” is also anatello, which again links the astronomical light to the spiritual light of Christ, revealed when he began his preaching on the Kingdom of Heaven. His apostles and disciples expected Jesus to bring his kingdom into fruition as part of his ministry to Israel, but because the kingdom and king were rejected by Israel, the Age of Grace followed, providing the Gentile nations access to the spiritual body Christ. As the Lord Jesus Christ has embodied the deliverance and light and to all who sat in darkness, the believers are able to escape the bondage of the enemy’s kingdom of darkness.

The Caravan of the Magi

Image result for persian magi images

2 Cor. 4:3-6

³But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: ⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. ⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus‘ sake. ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

It is only in the deliverance brought by the Lord Jesus Christ that empowers us to escape death. In I Cor. 15 below we find a comparison of Astronomical light with Spiritual light that expands on what we have already seen in the Journey of the Magi.

I Cor. 15:40-50
⁴⁰There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. ⁴¹There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. ⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: ⁴³It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: ⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. ⁴⁶Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Even as the astronomical Light of His Star-Jupiter lead to and is compared to the spiritual light of Christ, so the glory of the celestial bodies is compared to the spiritual glory we will see in the resurrection. We also find this comparison expressed in the banner of this blog post in Malachi 4 below.

^{I Cor. 15:51-58

51}Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

John 8:12
¹²Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

As Jesus himself said-He is the Light of the World and even as we bear witness of his light who would lighten the Gentiles [Lk. 2:32] so our labor will not be in vain in the Lord. To only bear his light is truly reward enough, yet the Heavenly Father showers us with everlasting blessings and rewards as we do. As we mentioned above concerning Malachi 4;

²But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. ³And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

Here the light of the Sun is compared to the light of Christ in prophecy, even as a light brighter than the Sun was seen on the mount of Transfiguration-in the face of Jesus Christ.

As we carry this message into the New Year 2017 we will see the signs, miracles and wonders that accompany the believers walking in the power of the holy spirit.

God Bless!

Footnotes

1. Strong’s Concordance, James Strong [G393] Anatole

2. Strong’s Concordance, James Strong [G395] Anatello

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Biblical Astronomy of the Super-Moon on November 14th, 2016

Biblical Astronomy of the November 14th, 2016 Supermoon

This month’s Super-Moon should provide two good nights of observation depending on local cloud cover and other observing conditions; Sunday evening close to sunset, 11-13-16 and the following Monday evening on 11-14-16. We’ve seen Super-Moons before — this will be the second in a series of three this fall. But the full moon that peaks on Monday, November 14 will be closer to Earth than any other since 1948. According to astronomers, the next full Super-Moon on November 14 will be the largest and brightest since January 26, 1948, and a full moon will not appear closer to Earth until November 25, 2034. There hasn’t been a full moon like this one in nearly seventy years.

What makes this Super-Moon appear so large to us? Scientifically its known as a “perigree moon” referring to when the moon approaches the closest point in its earthly orbit. Also, when a Perigree Moon combines with the full moon, it appears a more magnified, and super lit moon. NASA says the Nov. 14th Super-Moon will appear 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than a typical full moon.

We witnessed a Super-Moon just last year finishing the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad on Sukkot- September 28, 2015, as seen in the graphic below. This followed a Partial Solar Eclipse as we noted in our August 2015 Blog. Although this year’s November Super-Moon is not linked with a Blood Moon Tetrad, there was a Tetrad of Eclipses on Hebrew Feasts and Holidays in 2016 as we summarized in our Sept. 2016 Blog. Also the last time there were 3 consecutive Super-Moons was in July, August and September of 2014 which opened the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad, providing some super-moon symmetry to this tetrad. When the Moon as Earth’s primary natural satellite is closest in its lunar orbit, its presence can serve as a reminder or heavenly sign of Jesus’ intimate presence since the Moon symbolizes Jesus the Son reflecting the image of His Father, even as the moon reflects the sun-light.” As [II Cor. 4:4-6] tells us;

⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

The excerpt below provides important context for a fuller understanding of this month’s Super Moon.

[Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29-34, Mark 13:24, Acts 2:20].

There have only been eight Blood Moon Tetrads since the Ascension of Christ. The modern Blood Moon Lunar Tetrads have consistently happened on Passover and Tabernacles – the first and last of the 7 Biblical feasts, and have always been indicative of persecution and/or war for Israel. These Alpha and Omega heavenly signs linked to the Hebrew Feasts are notable also because they emphasize the entire set of 7 key feasts marking the first and last holy days with the Blood Moons. They have emphasized the order of these feasts in history related to prophecy and the Return of Christ. There is also a long standing Jewish tradition linking the Second Coming of Jesus Christ with the Feast of Tabernacles, since Christ will finally “Tabernacle among us.” During the last 2000 years of the Age of Grace, Israel has been dispersed and persecuted among the Gentile nations, yet the Almighty has protected them even though Israel did not keep God’s Feasts as a unified body. Since the Nation of Israel was reformed in 1948, the Heavenly Father has consistently reminded Israel of His providential protection, restoring them in stages. The Blood Moon Lunar Tetrads and Solar Eclipses have served to mark these feasts, with specific acts of God’s deliverance and restoration that brought Israel back together as a nation, retaking Jerusalem as their holiest capital city. As the citizens of Israel have shared in their national restoration, they have also re-awakened to recognizing the Heavenly Father, and His perpetual Feasts. The Blood Moon Lunar Tetrad and Solar Eclipses, have stood out because they are linked to Hebrew Feast and holy days. The Creator views these convocations as His Feasts. These perpetual feasts are designed for humanity to honor the Almighty as the ultimate Source of Light, Life and Love in Creation.

The previous Blood Moon Tetrad to 2014-2015 took place in 1967-68, the year of the miraculous Six-Day War when Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were re-captured. Prior to that was the 1949-50 Tetrad, just after Israel became a nation in 1948. These were major prophetic milestones fulfilling many Biblical predictions of God’s restoration of Israel. These highly significant events were marked in the heavens, not only by the 1948 Super-Moon, but also tetrad Blood Moons of Soli-Lunar Eclipses. We should also beware that other heavenly signs like Comets were prominent during this time. These time frames, 1967 and 1948, are two of the most important periods in all history marking and fulfilling end-times prophecy.

2. Palestine Post

The 1948 Comet-called the “Eclipse Comet” was a spectacular sight approaching the Sun during the first week of November with a total solar eclipse. This eclipse occurred after Sukkot week at sundown Nov. 1st, leading into the 8th month- Rosh Chodesh Chesvan holy day. Its period of naked eye visibility extended from Nov. 1 to Dec. 20. It was first noted as a brilliant object about 2 degrees southwest of the Sun during the total solar eclipse on November 1st, mag. about -2. It was re-discovered in the morning twilight of November 4th as an object of zero to 1st magnitude with a 20 degree tail. Its southwest path through Hydra during November and December as a 2nd magnitude object with a tail up to 30 degrees long, was visible mainly in the Southern and low Northern latitudes. This 1948 eclipse comet appeared near the eclipsed sun as if it was holding a sword. With its position passing through Hydra-the serpent destroyed, this sword was raised against the serpent-enemy persecuting Israel. This imagery is consistent with the message of our previous blog post this month on the Comets in Perseus.

3. Astronomy Blog- Anurua Guruge

The Nov. 14th Super-Moon, being the largest Super-Moon since 1948, is a special sign concerning the restoration of Israel promised in Scripture prophecy. These heavenly signs are warnings that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is imminent, according to the Hebrew Jubilee Calendar. What follows is from our May 2016 Archive Blog Post on the Judah Ben Samuel’s Jubilee Prophecies.

“From the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917-during the 1917-1918 Jubilee, to the retaking of the Western Wall during the 1966-1967 Jubilee, to the Jubilee just completed from September 2015 to the fall of 2016, God is at work restoring His Blessings to Israel in stages. The Temple Mount seems like the next logical stage of this restoration process, along with the nations attempt to divide the land of Israel.

In Israel’s War of Independence against five Islamic nations, Jerusalem remained a “divided city.” The Jordanian government controlled the eastern part of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem. A strip of land divided Israeli control of Western Jerusalem and Jordanian run East Jerusalem. This strip of land was called “No-Man’s Land” by both Israelis and Jordanians. After the 6-Day War, on June 17, 1967, the Israeli Army controlled the entire West Bank and all of Jerusalem was returned to their possession, 750 years after Judah Ben Samuel made this prediction, these events fulfilled all the conditions of the prophecy. Then came the Rabbi’s last piece of his prediction:

“In the ninth Jubilee, Jerusalem will once again come back into the possession of the Jewish nation – which will signify the beginning of the Messianic end time.”

As we have already seen with our opening verses in Luke 21:24-33, Jesus’ prophecy relating to Jerusalem being over-run by the Gentiles sets the context for the heavenly signs of the Sun, Moon and Stars of the end times. Scholars and Blood Moon enthusiasts have focused on the luni-solar signs, but have neglected their relation to Jerusalem. To understand this better, lets look at added evidence of this in Joel 2 setting the table for Joel 3.

Joel 2:30-32

³⁰And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. ³¹The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. ³²And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

This is one of the main “Blood Moon Prophecies” that occurs prior to the victorious return of the Lord, both FOR and WITH his Saints. These verses at the end of Joel 2 provide the immediate context for the prophecy relating to Jerusalem and the Gog-Magog alliance of Gentile nations we can see in current events gathering around Jerusalem setting the stage for coming final battle of Armageddon at the start of Joel 3.

Joel 3:1-2
1 “For behold, in those [climactic] days and at that time,
When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
²I will gather together all the [Gentile] nations [that were hostile to My people]
And bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (the Lord has judged).
And there I will deal with them and enter into judgment with them there
For [their treatment of] My people, My inheritance, Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations,
And [because] they have encroached on My land and divided it up.

The sensational focus on the Blood Moon phenomena, not only in Christianity but also in the secular media, has detracted from the reason for the Blood Moon Tetrads in the first place, which is the disposition of Jerusalem and specifically the Temple Mount that determines the final stages of God’s deliverance of Israel and the Church-the Body of Christ. The fact that we have completed the Blood Moon Tetrad of 2014-2015, and the Shemitah/Jubilee of 5776/2016 with four more solar and lunar eclipses on Hebrew Feasts, indicating that we are in a final period forewarning of the victorious Return of the Lord Jesus Christ, closing out world history. Do the events of the US Presidential Election have any bearing on this scenario?

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled “Obama’s Israel Surprise?” which warned that Obama “may try to force a diplomatic resolution for Israel and the Palestinians at the United Nations” before the end of his term.

The options that Obama is reportedly considering include; “a resolution formally recognizing a Palestinian state.” The following comes from CNS News:

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that according to administration sources, “the White House has asked the State Department to develop an options menu for the president’s final weeks.”

It said the possibilities could include supporting – or not vetoing – a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements; or a resolution formally recognizing a Palestinian state, or setting “parameters” for a final settlement of the long dispute.

With this week’s defeat of Hillary Clinton in the US Presidential elections Obama knows that his time is short to “leave a legacy” in the Middle East, and seemingly at this point the only chance he may have to get something accomplished is at the United Nations.

Obama’s last day in office is scheduled to be Jan. 20, and so he is up against a deadline. Prior to the election he may have been more hesitant to act because he didn’t want to interfere with Hillary Clinton’s pre-supposed re-election, but after her defeat this week he sees the preservation of his “legacy” slipping away, which could embolden him towards potential action at the U.N.

Perhaps that is why the Obama administration recently told the Palestinians to wait till after the elections for something to get done at the U.N.

On the surface, the latest message to the Palestinian Authority from the Obama administration is no different from the past two decades of American policy: the U.S. will veto any resolution attacking Israel or demanding Palestinian independence without them first making peace with the Jewish state. As reported in Haaretz there was one significant caveat to the warning. They were told not to push for any such resolution until after the presidential election.

The rest of the U.N. Security Council has been ready to pass a resolution formally establishing a Palestinian state for a long time. The only thing holding it back has been the U.S. veto power. Thus, the fate of the land of Israel at the U.N appears to be under the influence of Barack Obama, and he only has until Jan. 20 to make his final decision.

If we do see the land of Israel divided at the United Nations, as prophesied in Joel 3:2 above, then we can certainly see the final stages being set for God’s Judgment on the nations arraying themselves against Israel. Thus we should keep a watchful eye on Obama and the U.N. Security Council as he finishes out the “lame duck” days of his second term ending Jan. 20 2017.

We truly do live in critical times, and the events of the next several weeks could go a long way in shaping the events of the near future, paving the way to the Lord Jesus Christ Gathering his Church. As we remain vigilant and prepared for the Lord’s return, we can spread the word to those distracted by the chaotic protests against the orderly transfer of power in this Great Country of ours-the United States of America.

God’s Abundant Blessings to all who enjoy the freedoms we have here to share God’s Word-as we guard against those dark forces who continually attempt to take them from us.

Your Watchful Servants in Christ

Footnotes

1. Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/3673732/biggest-supermoon-in-nearly-70-years-on-november-14-will-bring-jesus-second-coming-online/#tV3VK8F60AuBRKpA.99

2. Palestine Post-State of Israel 1948 [pictue credit]

3. Anura Guruge Astronomy Blog [picture credit]

4. Wall Street Journal

5. www.Charismanews.com/opinion/61040-the-biggest-supermoon-since-israel-became-a-nation-in-1948-will-happen-6-days-after-the-election

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