Category: tabernacle plan

Celestial Symbolism of the Cherubim in Ezekiel’s Vision

Celestial Symbolism of the Cherubim in Ezekiel’s Vision

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

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

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

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

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

Figure 1. Hebrew Tabernacle Ground-plan 
Hebrew Tabernacle layout

Numbers 24:5-9;
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! 6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. 7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

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

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

star names

   Taurus the Bull is evident in Deuteronomy 33.

Deut. 33:13-17

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

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

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

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

Figure 3. The four Heads and Wings of the Cherubim

Image result for Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision images

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

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

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

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

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

The Four Cardinal Points

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

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

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

Image result for constellation Aquila images

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

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

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

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

Related image

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

Sufferings 

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

Glory

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


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

Image result for Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision images

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image result for Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision images

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

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

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

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

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

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

Footnotes

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

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Moses’ Tabernacle Colors and the Phi and Lucas Ratios

History of Biblical Astronomy

The Tabernacle Colors and the Phi and Lucas Ratios

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Four Cardinal Points

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

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

Hebrew Armillary Sphere  1

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

Sufferings

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

Glory

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

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

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

Phi Ratio in the Construction of a Violin

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

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

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

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

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

Fibonacci Spirals in Nature and Science

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Footnotes

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

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Biblical Astronomy of the Phi Ratio in the Temple/Tabernacle of Israel [Part 1]

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Biblical Astronomy of the Phi Ratio in the Temple/Tabernacle of Israel

The Infinite and Eternal perfect wisdom of the Almighty is illustrated for mankind perhaps most beautifully on earth in the sacred Architectural principles governing the structure and dimensions of the Temple and Tabernacle of Israel. The manner in which the Creator set the symbolic mathematical and geometric structure of Israel’s Temple and Tabernacle to portray the order of His Creation, is a key element of this present study. A prime example of this includes the application of the Phi ratio in God’s Creation.

This study endeavors to illustrate aspects of the application of the Phi ratio in the Temple and Tabernacle by the Almighty, and how Christ embodies these principles at the pinnacle of Creation. It is important to realize at the outset that as we study these appearances of the Phi ratio in the Word of God, their application as seen in Scripture far out weighs any application in Greek philosophy or history, or any human application of these principles for that matter, because the perspective of the All-powerful Omniscient Creator of Heaven and Earth, has purposes far beyond those of mortal man, as the Prophet Isaiah tells us.

Isa. 55:7-11
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The Science of God is not science for the sake of science itself, but as we study the application of scientific principles from the Hand of God, we can see how the Works of His Hands are manifested from His Spoken and Written Word. Many hold that the Bible is not a book of Science, yet where the Scriptures speak on Science and the Laws of Nature, they embody the inerrant perfect wisdom of God. Judaism practiced in Israel of the Old Testament had many feasts and sacrifices ordained in Scripture. These symbolic Old Testament sacrifices practiced in the Temple and Tabernacle were not just rituals without internal meaning, but ceremonies having true spiritual import. In this context, the Passover Lamb was a symbolic type of Christ, who embodied not only the benefits of the Old Covenant, but also the blessings of the New Testament, even those beyond in the third Heaven and Earth. The symbolism of the Temple and Tabernacle of Israel also provides a very strong case for the Intelligent Design principles utilized by God, in His temporal, physical and spiritual order of the Heavens and Earth.

As the old order of Aaron’s priesthood was fulfilled in Jesus as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, God reveals His perfect society, with Christ Jesus as the Head of his Body-the Church. Since Jesus Christ is the perfect man, he embodies an inclusive relevance for the entire body, soul and spirit of man, [I Thess. 5:23]. Only the fool chooses to ignore the inherent harmonies found throughout the Natural World, portraying these truths from the Spiritual World. A goal of this study is to help the reader grasp the potency of the Godly symbolism in Israel’s Tabernacle and Temple. As our study progresses we will note an emphasis on divine celestial order, revealed at a time long before like knowledge was asserted by the ancient Greeks, Babylonians or Egyptians. However, since the Creator was truly the source of the divine design of the Temple and Tabernacle, then we may expect to find unique symmetrical functions in their geometric order, related to kingdoms of life on multiple levels of God’s Creation. When we look to the witness of God’s Word we find these harmonies in their primary and divine context, as opposed to how these principles were applied later in mysticism, secular science, or cosmology. A basic pattern that emerges involves the plans for Israel’s Temple and Tabernacle as divine architectural expressions the gospel of the coming redeemer, written in the stars, serving as a sacred architectural fulcrum between the witness of the stars and God’s written Word. As we will see the divine patterns in the celestial structure are reflected on earthly levels in ultimately as they are embodied in Christ. Let’s begin by looking at a key application of the Phi ratio regarding the blueprints of the Temple and Tabernacle.

Ground-plan of the Tabernacle of Israel

Hebrew Tabernacle layout

In Exodus 25:8 God commands Moses to make a sanctuary for Him.

8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

It is noteworthy that when we examine the mathematical and geometric pattern God refers to here, it emerges from the sacred measures that Moses got from God by revelation, corresponding to the geometric canon called the Phi ratio or divine proportion. The God-given architectural plan for both the Tabernacle and Temple was designed to embody the framework of the celestial structure of Creation in miniature, on the earthly plane. This view is supported in the following quote from Nigel Pinnock, who details some key elements in the pattern given by God to Moses and David:

 The Tabernacle stood inside a court whose geometry was a double square [1 x 2 rectangle], 100 cubits long by 50 cubits wide. Inside the double square enclosure was a triple square 30 cubits long and 10 cubits wide. Its walls were constructed of wooden planks 1.5 cubits wide and 10 cubits high, held in line by strong horizontal bars of wood. The whole structure was covered with skins sewn together in strips 30 cubits long by 4 cubits wide. The Tabernacle was placed in the court towards the west, but with its entrance oriented east-wards, so that according to Josephus: “when the Sun arose it might send its first rays upon it.” The interior of the Tabernacle was divided into two compartments, a scheme which was copied later in the Temple…..The outer compartment called the Holy Place, was a double square 20 by 10 cubits, whilst the inner compartment, the Holy of Holies, comprised a single square. As the height of the Tabernacle’s ceiling was also 10 cubits, the Holy of Holies enclosure was thus a perfect cube (containing the Ark of the Covenant)….The Altar of Sacrifice was the outer equivalent of the Ark of the Covenant. It stood at the center of the outer of the two squares of the enclosure… This altar represented one of the two poles at the center of two squares-each upon its own center of polarity… The dimensions of the Temple, like the Tabernacle before it, were precisely detailed: [I Chron. 28, II Chron. 3]. A triple square double the size of the Tabernacle, and the walls of the Temple were hewn stone lined inside with wood overlaid with gold. The interior comprised a double square rectangular holy place, and a single square Holy of Holies. The interior was 20 cubits high, making the Holy of Holies again, a cubic enclosure. At the very center of the Holy of Holies stood the Ark of the Covenant which formerly had occupied the central point of the  of the Tabernacle… The actual entrance to the Temple was 5 cubits in width, and opened from a porch which comprised two squares of 10 x 10 cubits. It was this porch which supported the two pillars….Jachin and Boaz. 1

An example of the geometry for the 1 x 2 golden rectangle referred to above is seen below.

Plate 1. 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 blueprints of the Temple and Tabernacle.

This is a key topic in our study of Biblical Astronomy principles evident in other studies on our [www.try-god.com] 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 links this divine knowledge to the Hebrew calendar as commanded in Levitcus 25. So, 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, exhibiting the Creator’s symmetrical Intelligent Design across multi-levels of His Creation. The preponderance of the phi ratio through the Four Kingdoms of Life, is an awesome testimony to the Creator’s Temporal Order. This phi ratio, is arrived at by a scale invariant comparison. The relationship that becomes evident in this comparison is divine, because it is found throughout all levels of the Natural World, including the micro to the macro. In this comparison of the divine proportion, the whole is to the larger as the larger is to the smaller. This relationship is seen in Plate 1 above as the linear Phi ratio divided into the square root of 5/2 and 1/2. As we observe the appearance of the Phi ratio in the Temple and Tabernacle, we also find the examples of the two altars within the courts of the Temple/ Tabernacle pattern as a whole.

These ground plans of the Tabernacle and Temple of Israel depict the heavenly image of eastern access to God’s presence, via the High Priest’s annual ministry behind the veil, in the holiest of all. The pattern of access from the east mentioned above, holds true not only for Solomon’s Temple of the Old Testament, but also remained for the later Temple referred to in Ezekiel 43:1-5. The two celestial poles of the ecliptic / Equator are mirrored terrestrially in the physical counterparts of their altars, in both the holy of holies and the holy place. As Pinnock states, regarding the brazen altar of burnt offering:” This altar represented one of the two poles at the center of two squares -each upon its own center of polarity….”2

Image result for phi ratio temple/tabernacle of israel

This terrestrial arrangement mirrors the Venn Diagram at the North Astronomical pole, [Figure A.]. These two altars illustrate the bipolar structure of the heavens, seen not only in the galactic poles of the two great celestial circles of the ecliptic and the Equator in northern skies, but also in their reflection in the Earth’s magnetic and geographic bipolar system. The interplay between these galactic poles exhibits a precession of the poles, where the pole star receded from Thuban of Draco, to Polaris of Ursa Minor, over the last five thousand years, [as seen above in the banner for this study]. This embodies the shift of spiritual power from the dragon at the North pole to Cepheus the enthroned human king, [Christ at God’s right Hand] with the North Star Polaris under his feet [Eph. 1:19-22] in this precession of spiritual power. Within the common space shared between the poles of these two circles moving in opposite directions, lies the astronomical vesica or Venn Diagram of the North Pole. [Fig. A]

This quote above from Pennick gives us an indication of how the original principles of “sacred geometry” are preserved in the dimensions and measures of the Tabernacle and Temple and the corresponding elements of their walls, furniture, columns, curtains, altars, orientation, and architecture. This divine celestial plan modeled in the Hebrew Temple and Tabernacle, is the foundation of the “sacred geometry” adopted by Freemasons and others before them, who have tainted these truths in the defiled context of mysticism, divorced from their authentic roots in Judaism and the Astronomy of the Biblical Patriarchs. This study endeavors to return the roots of Astronomy to its genuine origins, dispensing with the corrupt astrological influence and heathen mythology of various ancient cultures and secret societies. Figure A illustrates the double square rectangle, based on the phi ratio, that provides key aspects of both the “pattern of the Tabernacle” and  Temple of Israel. [Heb. 8:5, Exod. 25:9, 40]

Figure A. The Northern Astronomical Vesica

celestial design of the heavens

This view powerfully depicts how the Temple and Tabernacle symbolized God’s celestial design of the heavens, seen in their two altars, mirroring the two poles of the ecliptic and the Celestial Equator. This also agrees with many of the principles seen in the pattern of God’s Intelligent Design inherent in His Creation. Since this God given “pattern of the Tabernacle” is constructed upon the phi ratio also known as the “divine proportion” or the golden section we find definitive Biblical evidence that this universally recognized standard of measure is truly divine in origin, since the dimensions of these sacred architectural structures were given by revelation from God to Moses and King David. By prioritizing a godly view of this evidence, it allows us to catch new glimpses of glories long hidden from the astrologers and empiricists, whose practices for too long have clouded the inherent grandeur of the Creator’s sacred architecture.

Figure B. The Plans of the Hebrew Temple and Tabernacle


Figure A above shows another view of the precession of the poles from the perspective of the interlocking wheels of the ecliptic and Equator, with the fish shaped lozenge of the vesica between them. This “vessel of the fish” is formed from the lozenge of these two inter-locking circles, the center of each located on the perimeter of the other. Archimedes called the formula associated with this, the “Measure of the fish,” and it is also linked to John’s Gospel record in [Jn. 21:11], where the disciples caught 153 fish following Jesus’ directions. Its import to math and geometry was found in the ratio of its height to its length [153:265], and that it represented the nearest whole number approximation of the square root of three, along with controlling ratios of equilateral triangles.3   

The dynamic celestial equator, the second circle secular in nature, relates to both the civil calendar year and the earthly Equator as it is mirrored above into the heavens. The movement of this equatorial pole around the static pole of the ecliptic is what is known as the precession of the poles. The intersection points of the ecliptic and the Celestial Equator are called the equinoctial points, which we know as the Spring and Fall equinoxes, the days when the length of daylight is equal to the dark of night. The altar in the Holy of Holies, keeping the Ark of the Covenant is represented in the sacred pole of the ecliptic, around which the equatorial pole moves, both wheels, inter-locked in the form of a Venn Diagram, depicting God’s personal presence among His people.

Figure C. The Ark of the Covenant

Image result for ark of the covenant images

Exodus 25:10 “Have them make an ark[b] of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.[c] 11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you. 17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

In Exodus 25:10, God commands Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant, in which to hold His Covenant with the Israel, the Ten Commandments.

The measures of this Ark in the ratio of 2.5 to 1.5 is 1.666…, is a close rendition of phi (1.618). The Ark of the Covenant is thus constructed using the Golden Section, or Divine Proportion, and compares to the dimensions of Noah’s Ark [Gen. 6:15] also built in the same proportion as ten Arks of the Covenant along side each other. The measures of Noah’s Ark; 50 x 30 cubits, in breadth and height also a ratio of 5 to 3, or 1.666, is again the same approximation of the Phi ratio as the Ark of the Covenant. The ratio evident in both of these examples include numbers of the Fibonacci Series [1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…] where the two previous numbers in the series added together equal the third number. As this number series progresses, the higher numbers in the series converge in increasing levels of accuracy to the value of Phi 1.61803399… Thus the numbers 3 and 5 represent lower numbers in the series having a more general approximation to Phi. It is also notable that the phi ratio as seen in [Ex. 25:10], also appears in the King’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid.

Once Israel became centered in Jerusalem, the Ark of the Covenant moved from the Tabernacle to the Temple because the Ark represented not only the personal presence of God among His people-Israel, but it was also an ordained location where God met and talked to His people [Ex. 25:22]. The truth that the Holy of the Holies was where God manifested His infinite, All powerful presence in Shekinah Glory, in a way that His people could comprehend, finds its pinnacle in Christ, who declared God on the level of the senses more fully than any ever or will ever be done. Here we find another reason why God would utilize the Phi ratio to open the way of access for His people through Christ-into His Presence. Idea of the location where God presented Himself to His people, like Mt. Sinai was corrupted in heathen religions to the concept of an Axis Mundi, or “center of the Earth,” where devotees communed with idol gods of world religions, like the Oracle at Delphi. But with the Creator’s blueprint of the two altars of the Ark of the Covenant and the brazen altar of burnt offering centered in the Holy Place and the Holy of the Holies, mirrored at the North pole in the two celestial poles of the ecliptic and Equator, reflecting also the terrestrial and magnetic poles of the Earth, we find this pattern verified on three levels on earth and in the heavens. The celestial poles set the temporal standard on Earth as the terrestrial poles mirror their counterparts in the heavens. The two altars in the Temple/Tabernacle reflect the spiritual poles where the Almighty has made a way for man to meet and commune with his Maker. Lets now take a closer look at the outer Altar of burnt Offerings.

Figure D. Altar of Burnt Offerings
Image result for hebrew altar of burnt offerings images

In Exodus 27:1-2, And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be four-square: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

As we can see the Altar of Burnt Offerings that God commanded Moses to build is based on a variation of the same numbers of 5 x 3 in the Fibonacci Series: an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.” It was the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ the pinnacle and perfection of Humanity, as the head of his spiritual body embodying all the ideals and sacrificial offerings in the Temple and Tabernacle in human form. When Christ laid down his life, his one time sacrifice paid the price for all humanity, and as the perfect High Priest Jesus embodied the atonement not only for Israel, but all mankind. In John 2:19 Jesus says to “destroy this temple,” while he stood in Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem.

In effect Jesus’ contrasted the physical Temple wherein he stood, to his own physical body, the embodiment of the true temple. Jesus Christ, the 2nd Adam, is the consummate archetype, the finished model, and “chief cornerstone” not only for the nation of Israel as the Passover lamb and High Priest, but also for the Church of his spiritual Body, beginning at Pentecost after his resurrection and ascension. As the paragon of humanity, Jesus illustrated the highest standards of living spiritual principles in the prophetic illustrations of his life and ministry. Certainly, God did not record the symbolic dimensions of the design of the Tabernacle or the Jerusalem Temple, wherein Jesus stood when he spoke the words of John 2:19, without purpose. This perspective of John 2:19, depicts a prophecy of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem Temple, representing this temple of stone and the bride of Israel in his physical body, that he laid down for Israel and all mankind in his crucifixion at Golgotha. Thus the plans of the Temple and Tabernacle are blueprints that Christ fulfilled in his ministry to Israel and all mankind. As we note the Phi Ratios in the structure of the human body, so we can see their pinnacle in Christ the head of the nation of Israel and the Church of Christian believers.

Thus it is with heightened interest that we point out the following ratios of the Phi proportion in the human body. Below we have two versions of Vitruvian Man, the first in Figure E, depicting the 17 various examples of Phi ratios in the human body. The Second in Figure F, shows the ideal man in relation to red and blue squares of the golden rectangle ground plans of the Temple and Tabernacle. The Third in Figure G depicts added examples of the Phi Ratio in the Human body.

Figure E. Vitruvian Man a.

Figure F. Vitruvian Man b.

Figure G. Human Body 4

Goldenratiohuman.gif
  • The human head forms a golden rectangle;.
  • The mouth and nose are each placed at golden sections of the distance between the eyes and the bottom of the chin.
  • Whole body height / head to fingertips = Phi;
  • Top of head to fingertips / head to navel and elbows = Phi;
  • Top of head to navel and elbows / head to pectorals and inside top of arms = Phi;
  • Top of head to navel and elbows / width of shoulders = Phi;
  • Top of head to navel and elbows / length of forearm = Phi;
  • Top of head to navel and elbows / length of shinbone = Phi;
  • Top of head to pectorals / top of head to base of skull = Phi;
  • Top of head to pectorals / width of abdomen = Phi;
  • Length of Forearm / length of hand = Phi;

length of finger knuckles/length of hand=phi

This display shows the Intelligent Design of the human body by the Hand of the Almighty Creator in His Omniscient Wisdom. All these aspects of the Phi Ratio in the design of the human body work together to make the some greater than its parts, so that we can see why many consider the human body the pinnacle of Creation. God made the human body to house human life, in body, soul and spirit, first in Adam and Eve, and ultimately the only begotten Son of God-Jesus Christ. This brings us to the design of the genetic code of human Life, DNA, which is the Creator’s signature as the Life-Giver [John 5:6, 17:3] as seen in the Four Kingdoms of Life on Earth.

DNA [the following research is found on Wikipedia and is suggested for further study]

Each cycle of the DNA molecule measures 34 angstoms long by 21 angstroms wide. 34 and 21 are Fibonacci numbers. The ratio of 34/21 is a more accurate approximation of phi, since it is further into the Fibonacci series than the previous examples of 3 and 5. Jean-claude Perez suggested there is a strong link between DNA and golden ratio in 1991,[1] then later in 1997 in his book l’ADN décrypté[2]. His work shows that relative proportions of nucleotides within coding DNA sequences like genes or RNA strings are governed by specific Fibonacci and Lucas number sets. This discovery was validated particularly on all known HIV and SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) retroviruses whole genomes with Professor Luc Montagnier (the discoverer of HIV virus) which called the discovery a “DNA supracode” [3].

DNA supracode is revealed by computing sets called “resonances” within any DNA sequence: specific nucleotide clusters like FFF (Fibonacci Fibonacci Fibonacci), LLL (Lucas Lucas Lucas), FFL (Fibonacci Fibonacci Lucas) or LFF (Lucas Fibonacci Fibonacci). An example of elementary FFF resonance: 144 contiguous TCAG bases contain exactly 55 bases T and 89 bases A or C or G. This kind of screening is processed along the DNA sequence, for all possible Fibonacci/Lucas combinations, and for all possible values (example here 144 89 and 55 are 3 consecutive Fibonacci numbers). Then there appear many “resonances”. For example, in HIV whole genome, long of about 9000 bases, there are more than 50,000 significant Fibonacci/Lucas resonances. The longer resonances (several hundred resonances) are overlapping about 2/3 of the whole HIV genome (6765 bases which is a Fibonacci number). 4

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Biblical Astronomy of the Phi Ratio in the Temple/Tabernacle of Israel which is coming this way soon!

Footnotes

1. Sacred Geometry, Nigel Pennick ppg. 58-62.
2. The City of Revelation, John Michel
3. The Star that Astonished the World, Earnest Martin p. 58
4. Wikipedia on the Phi ratio in the Human Body and DNA.

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The 70 weeks of Daniel 9 and the Acceptable Year of the Lord

bnr_ResearchPrinc

The 70 weeks of Daniel 9  and the Acceptable Year of the Lord

This month’s blog post has multiple purposes. Firstly, I want to acknowledge and thank Rev. Jon Nessle who is a respected Christian minister and leader, and someone whom I have considered a mentor for over 20 years. The header for this blog post pertains to Bible Research Principles because Rev. Nessle has probably taught me more about true Biblical Research than just about anyone else in my life. This is the reason I’m so excited, honored and humbled to be invited by Jon to serve on the Board of Trustees of his new Christian Ministry called the Next Reformation Church.

Jon Nessle
Rev. Jon Nessle

Our Mission Statement is: To Research the Bible in order to discover the beliefs and practices of the Original First Century Christian Church and Teach those findings to individuals and other Churches in order that they may be put into Practice among Christian Believers world-wide so that their Fellowship with God, His Son Jesus Christ and fellow Christians be optimal.

More information will be forthcoming as our efforts coalesce, but until then we have a wealth of Biblical scholarship to draw upon to bless God’s people. Over the years Jon has published a number of books, articles and other research works, and has actively taught numerous Bible Research Seminars that he continues today. In one of his classes on Biblical Chronology he charted a timeline for the entire Old Testament, but as he relates; “he still had a problem with one passage in Daniel 9 pertaining to the 70 weeks.”1 In Vol. IV of his series on the Gospel Sermons of Jesus Christ, “The Path into Eternity,” he relates how chronologists like himself, could not fit Daniel’s 70 weeks with history or Scripture. Herein we find another purpose of this blog post, to show how Jon discovered and solved this ancient riddle, and the impact of its understanding for all Christianity. I will not presume to tell the story of how all this came about, as that is a story that only he can tell, which is found in the aforementioned Volume IV. A focus of this blog is to relate the Bible research keys he employed to unlock these fascinating truths that have remained hidden for centuries, which verify many of the foundation truths of Biblical Astronomy on the Try-God website and blog. As Jon tells it in Vol. IV;

“the key to understand this prophecy is to realize that it is an Introversion.” This is a type of Biblical structure which orders Scripture like poetry, except that Hebrew Scripture rhymes in concept, not in sounds. “Daniel 9:24 contains six items which form a symmetric structure. Therefore, the opposite categories can be used to explain their counter-parts.“2

Daniel 9:24-27
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

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Jon continues: “There are six infinitives and phrases which are separated by “and’s.” This Figure of Speech is a Polysyndeton telling us that each of these items is important and merits consideration. As the A’s, B’s and C’s correspond, we can compare and contrast them to gain further insight.”3 The following is the structure of Introversion as seen in Dan. 9:24:

A. to finish the transgression,
   B. and to make [seal] an end of sins,
     C. and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
     C. and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
   B. and to seal up the vision and prophecy,
A.  and to anoint the most Holy.4

“What does it mean to finish the Transgression? The answer is in the corresponding A.“5 One of the keys of Biblical research is to allow the Word of God to speak for itself. When we follow this principle, it removes the guess-work and private interpretation from the equation [2 Pet. 1:20-21]. “When was the most holy Messiah anointed? When he received the spirit when he was baptized. The Phenomenal voice from heaven indicated this was an Administration change.“6 John the Baptist was the last Prophet of the OT, and his baptism of Jesus anointed the key figure of the Christ Administration which ended the OT Law Administration. “So the Transgression that was finished was in the end of the Law Administration. The Baptism of Christ on Sunday, Shebat 20th, Feb. 16, 27 AD, was the beginning point of the 70 weeks. The “B” terms involve Jesus’ death and resurrection. God inserted a signal to make sure we saw the introversion with the repetition of the word seal, [chatham]. When Christ was raised from among the dead, that was the consummation of the ages as [Heb. 9:26] affirms.”7

Baptism of Jesus -Greg Olsen:

“Once Jesus had arisen from among the dead, on May 1st, 28 AD, everything was sealed. The prophecies were fulfilled and all forthcoming spiritual events (the gathering together, resurrections, judgments, kingdom of heaven, New Heaven and Earth, and Eternity) would be a foregone conclusion. This constituted the end of the 70 weeks. Finally the “C” terms taken together must be the Day of Pentecost, June 20th, 28 AD when reconciliation became possible and everlasting righteousness for believers commenced.”8

Dan. 9:25 continues:

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troubled times.

“The street and the wall is like the expression, Alpha and Omega, soup to nuts, from A to Z, that is its the entire thing. The two extremities represent the whole thing. All was rebuilt spiritually. Jesus definitely completed his work.”9  This has been area of confusion just as it was in Christ’s first Advent. People expected him to defeat the Romans and usher in the Kingdom of Heaven in short order, but due to the Jews rejection of Him as their Savior, it has been delayed, allowing the salvation for the Gentiles in the Age of Grace. As Jon states:”In context of the [70] weeks being enumerated, what was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem? It would have been the voice from Heaven when Jesus was baptized.”10  This not only opened the 70 weeks of Christ’s ministry to Israel, but also marked the spiritual transition of administrations from the OT Law to the Christ Administration. Jesus came to restore and build Jerusalem, but he had to do it for Israel first spiritually, [Jn. 2:19-21].

“Daniel refers to two time periods 7 weeks and 62 weeks. Were they successive or concurrent? It could be taken two ways if we try to match them to events that year. In 28 AD, Holy week did indeed start after 62 weeks, if we count beginning with Jesus’ Baptism and ending on the day of the voice from Heaven, Nisan 10th when the Passover Lamb was chosen. Then after that, the one week and the midst of the week in Dan. 9:27 fit. If we count the seven weeks concurrently from the Baptism, it brings us to the 10th of Nisan in 27 AD in Passover week that year, the date Jesus arrived in Jerusalem the first time, and when he also cleansed the Temple. So we discover that Jesus cleansed the Temple on the exact same date one year apart! That is why this 7 week period could be significant concurrently, identified with the first fulfillment of that prophecy.”11

Image result for cleansing of the temple painting

John 2:18-22 
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? [19] Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

Jesus’ use of “destroy this temple” in John 2:19, is worthy of a closer look. First, Jesus spoke the words of John 2:19 as he stood in the courts of the literal temple. The idea that Jesus made this statement in the temple, the center of spiritual and religious activity in Jerusalem, for the entire nation of Israel was not a coincidence, and contributed mightily to the impact of his words. Jesus did not refer alone to the literal temple, although it’s obvious reference to those present was at the top of their mind. This is evident in the Jew’s response to Jesus, of the 46 years it took to build the temple in verse 20. This is a temporal key that helps us to correlate the dates of these periods. According to research on the Try-God.com website and blog we have documented the birth of Christ on Sept. 11th, 3 BC. Since “Jesus was about 30 years old,” [Lk. 3:23] starting in 3 BC, 29 years hence from Tishri to Tishri brings us to the year 27.

As Jon reminds us: “Finally when we count the 46 years the Temple was under construction [John 2:20], we use Nisan to Nisan counting because this was a sacred matter. Herod started the construction between Nisan 1, 19 BC and Nisan 1, 18 BC. Counting inclusively to the 46th year gives the 46th year beginning Nisan 1, March 28th, 27 AD. This corresponds exactly to when Jesus visited Jerusalem.”12

The word ‘temple,’ by a figure of speech for implication, is used to represent the people or nation of Israel. The term ‘tabernacle‘ is often used of an individual’s (Jesus Christ’s) physical body (II Cor. 5:1,4, II Pet. 1:13-14). The word ‘temple‘ is also used to signify a group of people (I Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19, II Cor. 6:16, Eph. 2:21). When Jesus, referred to his body as the temple in John 2:19, he implied that his individual sacrifice for the nation of Israel, depicted his perfect sacrifice in their place, representing them as a group or body of people, the Church of the Bride. For the believing Jews his ministry embodied both the Passover Lamb and the High Priest, building his spiritual temple that he addressed that day in the Temple of stone. Also in cleansing the temple Jesus provided an essential service required for his perfect Passover sacrifice. 

In cleansing the temple, Jesus was replacing the old way of worshiping God with a new way of coming to God through him. The old sacrificial offerings in the temple were replaced, because Jesus’ sacrifice paid the price that Israel never could. This opened a new life in Christ and new fellowship with the Heavenly Father. The old stone temple was to be replaced by a new temple which was Christ himself. The way of access to God was now opened after the resurrection and Day of Pentecost in 28 AD to all in the spiritual body of Christ, where God in Christ dwells among His people. This New Covenant, between God and his people was made available by the shedding of Christ’s sinless blood, and the destruction of his fleshly body.

In effect Jesus’ contrasted the physical Temple wherein he stood, to his own physical body, the embodiment of the true temple. Jesus Christ, the second Adam, is the consummate archetype, the finished model, and “chief cornerstone” not only for the nation of Israel as the Passover lamb and High Priest, but also for the Church of his spiritual Body, that began at Pentecost after his resurrection and ascension. As the paragon of humanity, Jesus illustrated the highest standards of living spiritual principles in the prophetic illustrations of his life and ministry. Certainly, God did not record the symbolic dimensions of the design of the Tabernacle or the Jerusalem Temple, wherein Jesus stood when he spoke the words of John 2:19, without purpose. This perspective of John 2:19, depicts a view of Jesus Christ prophesying in the Jerusalem Temple, representing this temple of stone and the bride of Israel in his physical body, that he laid down for Israel and all mankind in his perfect sacrifice at Golgotha.

Jesus himself was not aware of the full details of his statement to “destroy this temple,” as the prophecy in John 2:19, was by revelation from God. We see this also in reference to Jesus’ official opening of his ministry as an Evangelist in Luke 4:18-19. In John 2:19 Jesus was aware of the ramifications of his death and sacrifice for Israel followed by his resurrection, but was not aware of the Great Mystery related to the New Testament Church of his spiritual body, which the Heavenly Father kept secret until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul, [I Cor. 2:4-10]. This aspect of Christ’s ministry was not revealed until the New Birth became available on the subsequent Day of Pentecost, [Acts 2:1ff].

Dan. 9:26
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Image result for Romans Destroy Jerusalem temple images

Jon continues with his discourse on Dan. 9: “Verse 26 foretells that the Messiah will be cut off after the 62 weeks. Jesus died after the 62nd week. Then it says the people of a coming prince shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (Temple). That did happen in 70 AD and the prince was Titus who later became the Emperor of Rome. The end of the city did come with a flood, shahteph. It can mean a literal flood but it also is used figuratively of an invading army. After the siege of Jerusalem broke, the Romans rushed in destroyed the Temple and an abomination desolation did occur, the altar and temple were desecrated. Jesus predicted this in Matt. 24.”13

Matt. 24:1-2

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

This prophecy accurately applies to what Jesus predicted with the Roman’s destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in the year 70, which was still future when Jesus declared it here in Matthew 24. But this prophecy is not to be confused with Matt. 24:14-15 in reference to the future temple that the Anti-Christ will desecrate.

Dan. 9:27a
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,

“The one week was holy week from March 25th to May 1st in 28 AD. That was when the covenant was confirmed. The many is all of us that have been blessed thereby. Jesus was tortured, crucified, died and arose that week. In the middle of the week on a Wednesday, Jesus died at the same time the Passover Lamb was killed, and was the supreme sacrifice for sin as the book of Hebrews explained, and the daily sacrifices and the peoples offerings were no longer necessary.”14 Jon also notes that: “the 14th of Nisan fell on a Wednesday in the year that Jesus was crucified. That is the only way that the three days and three nights Jesus predicted he would be buried [Matt. 12:40], as well as other sequences involved will work out.”15

Dan. 9:27b
…and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

In Matt. 24:14-15 Jesus also prophesies about the future ‘abomination of desolation.’ “The Second Temple has never been rebuilt. Daniel predicted that this desolation would last even to the time of consummation. The Temple is supposed to exist again in the future. It shall be the same Temple that the Anti-Christ will occupy: [2 Thess. 2:4].” 16 

The 70 weeks enumerated in Dan. 9 refer to the period from Jesus’ Baptism to Pentecost in the year 28. “But the Acceptable year of the Lord actually ran from Pentecost 27 to Pentecost 28 AD. We know this to be true because when Jesus read from the scrolls at his home synagogue in Nazareth, he read from Isa. 61. The Jews had set up a 3 year cycle to read from the OT, and Isa. 61 was read the Sabbath before Pentecost in the 2nd year of the cycle.”17

Jesus reading scroll:

Understanding the relationship between the 70 weeks in Dan. 9 and the acceptable year of the Lord, with the six elements of Dan. 9:24 all concerning the Messiah is a central key in unlocking the truth of the length of the Lord’s ministry. As we allow the structural symmetry of the introversion in Dan. 9:26 to speak, the momentous truths of his Wednesday, mid-week crucifixion, and his Saturday-Sabbath Resurrection are established! These truths confirm the “Star of Bethlehem” research of his Sept. 11th 3, BC Birth, taking us to 27 AD when Jesus was about 30, [29] years old. The following timeline charts the majors events, many of which are covered in the study.

Ministry Time Event Dates Bible Dan. 9:24
Jesus Christ-Righteous   40 days               Baptism Nisan 1

Feb. 16 -March 28th, 27 AD 

 Jn. 1:29-33 Anoint most holy [A’s]
Jesus Christ-Evangelist                        3 mon.           Opened Ministry Nisan/ 14th-21st  27 AD Jn. 1:35-51 1st Temple Cleansing
Jesus Christ-Apostle                               3 mon.           Pentecost- Tishri 10 transfigured Sivan 7th-6/1/27 Lk. 4:17-21 Accepted year begins
Jesus Christ-High Priest                         6 mon.           Tishri 10-Nisan 10 Tishri 1st-
9/20/27  		 Mk. 9:2-10  2nd Temple Cleansing Jesus 30 years old
Jesus Christ Passover                          7 days                 Nisan 10- Resurrection Nisan 8th-4/22/28 Jn. 12:28-30   Resurrection
sealed [B’s]
Jesus Christ-Firstborn   40 days               Resurrection-Ascension Nisan 17th-5/1/28 to 6/10/28 Ps. 2:6-8,
I Cor. 15:20-23
Jesus Christ-Ascended                    10 days               Ascension- Pentecost Sivan 8th-6/11 to 6/20/28 Mk. 16:15-19 Reconciled righteous [C’s]

After Jesus’ temptation, in the 3 months following his anointing by John the Baptist who identified him as the Lamb of God, Jesus opened his ministry to Israel as an Apostle, by quoting [Isa. 61:1-2] as it is recorded in Luke 4 below.

Luke 4:16-21

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

It is truly time to take Jesus at his Word! Are you in need of healing? Jesus has already made you whole. Are you depressed or blinded by the crushing oppression of this dark and perverse world? Are you a captive to the slavery of sin in any of its forms? Jesus has already set you free! He has thrown open the prison doors and released us from the mental and spiritual shackles of this world, by opening our eyes to the enlightened vision and power in his Name. As we turn our eyes upon Jesus and take unto us every aspect of his deliverance, we can stand in the true spiritual freedom that he brings, conquering the fearful snares of this world.

 

Footnotes

1. The Path into Eternity, p. 471 Jon O. Nessle
2. Ibid, p.475
3. Ibid. p. 476
4. ”
5. ”
6. ”
7. Ibid. p. 477
8. Ibid. p. 478
9. ”
10. Ibid. p. 479
11. Ibid. p. 481
12. Ibid. p. 494
13. Ibid. p. 483
14. Ibid. p. 484
15. Ibid. p. 489
16. Ibid. p. 484-485
17. Ibid. p. 485

 

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