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Biblical Astronomy of the Passover Darkness and the Crucifixion of Christ

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

Darkness of the Crucifixion

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

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

Matthew 27: 45-54 NIV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image result for Hour of Darkness Jesus Crucifixion

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

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

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

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

Crucifixion Darkness – Bing images 7

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

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

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

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

Mark 15:33-39 NIV

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

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

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

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

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

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

The Veil in the Hebrew Temple ripped – Bing images

Image result for dimensions of the veil in the hebrew temple

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

Luke 23:44-47 NIV

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

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

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

Amos 8:8-10 NIV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tertullian, also pleads for Christians as a lawyer.

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

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

Tiberius Julius Caesar\ – Bing images.

$Image result for tiberius julius caesar\$

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Footnotes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Annular Solar Eclipse 2016 – Bing images 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TWO TRUMPETS OF SILVER

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

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

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

“Rosh HaShanah: Names, Themes, and Idioms

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

Footnotes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jupiter-Venus Conjunction

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

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

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

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

Deuteronomy 9:10 (KJV)

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

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

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

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

Footnotes

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

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Biblical Astronomy of the Blood Moon Tetrads and Judah Ben Samuel’s Jubilee Prophecies [Part 1.]

Biblical Astronomy of the Blood Moon Tetrads and Judah Ben Samuel’s Jubilee Prophecies [Part 1]

In our August 2015 post on the Partial Solar Eclipse; 9-13-2015, we referenced some truths regarding Israel seen as a Fig Tree in the Bible. The following section from that post provides a key foundation for this month’s post on Judah Ben Samuel’s Jubilee Prophecies.

Luke 21:24-33

“²⁴They will fall by ^[f]the mouth and the edge of the sword and will be led away as captives to and among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed). 25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.²⁸Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. ²⁹Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. ³¹So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Biblically, the Fig Tree is a symbol of Israel, as we will see later. As we compare the Blood Moon Tetrads in 1949-50 and 1967-68, we have noted that they are 19 years apart, but each of these Blood Moon Tetrads represent a stage in the restoration of Israel, first as a nation, second with the recapture of its capital city of Jerusalem.

The following insightful details come to us from the good people @ [360 day calendar.com]

“Why wasn’t Israel fully restored in 1948, including the temple mount?

Ans. In Ezekiel’s account of the fall of Jerusalem, God’s Spirit departs from the temple and leaves Jerusalem in specific stages (beginning 592 BC) and then comes back in stages 19 years later in 573 BC, (Ezek. 8, 40). In the same way, Israel is now being restored in stages — each stage on a time-frame predicted by the Bible. The next stage in God’s plan for Jerusalem also happened exactly 19 years after Israel became a nation in 1948: The 1967, Six-Day War.

The next stage in Israel’s restoration was the six-day war waged exactly 19 years later, to the day on the 360 calendar, June 5-10, 1967. In this war, the Temple Mount was captured along with east Jerusalem. Thus, June 5th, 1967, was also Pentecost on the 360 calendar.

But why 19 years later?

Ans. Because, from Ezekiel’s vision about the temple (573 BC) until when Israel became a nation are 1260 + 1260 years, that is 2520 years. (2520 days represents a seven-year period on the 360 calendar. {360 x 7 = 2520 days.}) Thus, 2520 plus 19 more years equals 2539. And so, from 573 BC to 1967 are 2539 years.

So, what’s important about 2539 years?

It happens that seven years on the regular Jewish calendar amounts to 2539 days in both 1948 and 1967. Thus, the seventh anniversary after Israel became a nation occurred exactly 2539 days later on the regular Jewish calendar, (i.e., 1948-1955). And the same is true of the seventh anniversary of the 1967 War, (i.e., 1967-1974). Hence, in God’s heavenly schematic, 2539 days correspond to the previous 2539 years back to the prophecy of Ezekiel in 573 BC!”1

This is an example of a Biblical Prophecy that has a dual significance that fits for both days and years. We will see another example of this when we discuss the “70 Weeks Prophecy” in Daniel 9, in Part 2 of this post next month, as it relates to the ministry of Jesus Christ among other things.

What has escaped the notice of most regarding Luke 21:24-33 is that Jesus’ prophecy relating to Jerusalem being over-run and controlled by the Gentiles, in verse 24 sets the immediate context of the astronomical signs of the Sun, Moon and Stars and the distress of the nations in verse 25. This should direct our focus on the heavenly signs surrounding the periods bracketing the Roman’s destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, because this was the inception of a period when the Jerusalem Temple was down-trodden by the Gentiles. Conversely, with Israel’s recapture of Jerusalem in 1967, followed by the events surrounding their control of the Temple Mount, we can see the first stages of God’s restoration of Israel. Since the Luni-solar eclipse cycles are part of the heavenly signs of the Sun, Moon and Stars, including the modern Blood Moon Tetrads, there should be much we can learn from the this study. More on this later.

Figure A.

Blood Moon over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

What we also see in these 360 calendar links to the history of Israel is the annual pattern of sevens or the Sabbatical/Shemitah cycle built into the 360 day calendar. This pattern has been established in detail with the Biblical septenary temporal cycles starting with the Creation Week, setting the stage for Sabbaths not to mention Jonathan Kahn’s books like ‘The Harbinger,” that has seen the first realized correlation of a Sabbatical/Shemitah cycle with the 50-year Hebrew Jubilee in the current calendar cycle of 5776/2016. The key dates in 1949-50 and 1967-68 referenced above relative to Israel’s restoration marked by the modern Blood Moon Tetrads on Hebrew Feast and Holy days, are another level of divine marking from the Hand of God, establishing the authenticity of these heavenly signs for those who are paying attention. [Gen. 1:14-18]

A key with the final Super Blood Moon of the most recent 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad is that it takes place after the Hebrew Jubilee opened on the Sept. 23rd, 2015. This gets our attention since the Super Blood Moon was the first Blood Moon of the 2014-2015 Tetrad visible in Jerusalem. As we correlate with the two previous Jubilees in 1917 and 1967, we find an intriguing history where in 1917, Jerusalem was liberated from the Ottoman Turks under General Allenby, just a few weeks after the Balfour Declaration promised Israel a homeland. Since this date in Dec. 1917 represents a prophetic time span of Shemitah cycles [360 x 7] totaling 2,520 years going back to 604 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, leading Israel away into the Babylonian Captivity. During this campaign, General Allenby’s planes buzzed Jerusalem with numerous fly-overs, dropping surrender leaflets on the Ottoman forces, causing the Turks to “wave the white flag” without casualty. As Isaiah tells us regarding the way Jerusalem would be delivered;

Isaiah 31:4b-5: “so shall the Lord of Hosts come down to fight for Mt. Zion and for the hill thereof, As birds flying, so will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusalem; defending, also He will deliver it; and passing over, He will preserve it.”

In the details of this deliverance we can see the Hand of the Almighty working to fulfill this promise, even in the motto inscribed on the badge of the bomber squadron chosen to liberate Jerusalem which read: “I spread my wings and keep my promise.” This Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps took Jerusalem “as flying birds” and defended it, and passing over it, preserved it, fulfilling every detail of this prophecy.

With this backgroundsetting the context for this post, lets now consider the Judah Ben Samuel’s Jubilee Prophecies. Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel lived during the time of the Roman/Christian Crusades in the Holy Land between 1096-1270 AD. It was during this time that Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel began publishing his “Jubilee Prophecies,” with added Gematria calculations, and astronomical observations, summarized on the internet today. As news traveled between the Holy Land and Europe found its way to the rabbis and the clergy in Worms and Regensburg Germany, the good Rabbi walked many of the same steps as Martin Luther 300 years later, as he lead the Reformation against the Roman Catholic Church in the “Diet at Worms.“ A synopsis of the Rabbi’s prophecies is found below-

“When the Ottomans (Turks) – who were already a power to be reckoned with on the Bosporus in the time of Judah Ben Samuel – conquer Jerusalem they will rule over Jerusalem for eight Jubilees. Afterwards, Jerusalem will become no-man’s land for one Jubilee, and then in the ninth Jubilee it will once again come back into the possession of the Jewish nation – which would signify the beginning of the Messianic end time.”2 Leviticus 25, tells us every 50 year Jubilee period each person regains ownership of their lands. As Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel beheld the future, his predictions today seem to be amazingly accurate. It was over 3 centuriesfollowing his death however, before his first prediction came to pass. The current Jubilee of 5776/2016 is a special hybrid of Shemitah/Jubilee cyclesthat coincides with the conclusion of Judah Ben Samuel’s 10th Jubilee marking the Messianic End Times.

Picture credit from September2021.com [3.]

Although Judah Ben Samuel’s Jubilee Prophecies are extra-Biblical in nature, they embody another key historical layer of verification in the divine patterns of these signs of the last days, as seen in the 50-year Hebrew Jubilee. The veracity of these prophecies has been questioned, but when viewed in the context of the existing pattern of sacred Hebrew calendars of the Shemitah/Sabbath and Jubilees, along with the Hebrew Feast and Holy days marked by the modern Blood Moon Tetrads about which Judah Ben Samuel referenced nothing in his writings, they gain added credibility.

Ludwig Schneider of Israel Today Magazine translated Judah Ben Samuel’s (1140-1217) writings into English. “…According to his article, Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel was a scholar of the Talmud in Germany. Just before he died in the year 1217 he predicted that the Ottoman Turks would rule over the holy city of Jerusalem for eight Jubilees, or 400 years (8 x 50). The Ottoman Turks did take control of Jerusalem 300 years after the Rabbi’s death in 1517 and according to the prophecy, the Ottoman Turks then lost Jerusalem 4 centuries later in 1917. It was during WWI that British General Edmund Allenby walked into Jerusalem on Hanukkah without firing a shot in 1917. This event falling on Hanukkah and the ease in which it took place, make this moment of history very notable. Judah Ben Samuel’s prophecy also said following the eighth Jubilee, the ninth Jubilee would find Jerusalem a no-man’s-land, which it was from 1917 to 1967, until the Six-Day-War. The Rabbi then predicted in the 10th Jubilee-Jerusalem would be controlled by Israel and then the Messianic end times would begin. The completion of this Tenth Jubilee brings us to the year 2017.” It is critical to realize that at the conclusion of this 10th Jubilee in 2017, we also will see the repeat of the Rev. 12 heavenly signs marking the Birth of Christ in 3 BC. Jubilee 11: Begins at Yom Kippur 9/30/17, marking a potential predicted period for the return of Christ.4

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 current Jubilee from September 2015 to the fall of 2016, God is at work restoring His Blessings to Israel in stages. The Temple Mount seems the next logical stage of this restoration process, perhaps even during the current Jubilee.

In Israel’s War of Independence against five Islamic nations, the 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 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 now find ourselves in the Shemitah/Jubilee of 5776/2016 with two more solar and lunar eclipses on Hebrew Feast-holidays, indicates that we are in a final period forewarningof the victorious Return of the Lord Jesus Christ, closing out world history.

The “Jubilee/Shemitah for Jerusalem that we find ourselves in today, depicts a level of God’s restoration of Israel in response to the Gentile domination of Jerusalem starting in 70 AD when Jerusalem was conquered by the Romans who destroyed the Temple. As Joel 3:2 relates the persecution of Israel where the Jews were either killed, starved, or sold into slavery. This ensued in centuries of the Gentiles over-running Jerusalem starting with the Romans, followed by Muslimforces, including the Ottoman Turks predicted by Judah Ben Samuel, who held it until 1917 when the Allied Forces under General Allenby delivered the Holy city. Calculating from 1917, the next Jubilee would be 1967 a half century later! If we start with the return of Jerusalem to Israeli controlin 1967 making 1966 the 49th Shemitah. The next Jubilee = (7 cycles of 7 Years = 49): 1966 + 7 x 7= 2015. Since 70 AD, Old Jerusalem was not under Israeli sovereignty until the one week war with Egypt in 1967. This makes the liberation of Jerusalem on June 7, 1967 a key pivotal point in modern Bible history and Prophecy marking a specific critical period of the End Times.

In the Declaration of Balfour Nov 2, 1917, British Foreign Minister Balfour pledged support for establishment of a “Jewish national home in Palestine.” During this 1917-18 Jubilee, there were other heavenly signs and planetary conjunctions taking place that tell related parts of the story of the restoration of Jerusalem and Israel. As we observe the movements of the planet Mars during this period, more truths come to light. The retrograde motion of Mars representing the Warrior Archangel Michael who fights for God’s people, moved in conjunction with Regulus the king star in Leo. This depicts the conflict surrounding God’s restoration of His people, versus our spiritual enemy and adversary who stands against God’s purposes at every turn. This Mars retrograde began in Leo then progressing into the head of Virgo, came back to Leo, depicting the Celestial Sphinx seen in the body of Leo the lion and the head of the woman Virgo, symbolizing Israel’s restoration. The Celestial Sphinx as seen below follows the structure of the Great Sphinx on the Giza Plateau. There is more regarding this subject of the Celestial Sphinx available with our “Dendera Zodiac Poster,” available for order in our Bookstore link seen in the right margin adjacent to this post of our blog page.

In addition to marking the start and close of the celestial canon, the Great Sphinx mirrors the binding of Scripture together from Genesis to Revelation, as seen in the references to Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah in both Gen. 49:8-10 and Rev. 5:5, the first and last books of the Bible. Another indicator of the central importance of these stellar aspects of the Great Sphinx, is that our recognition of the Celestial Sphinx, Virgo and Leo the lion provide the basis for the signs of the triple union of Jupiter-Regulus in Leo, in 3 BC related to Gen. 49:8-10. This is a foundation key linking the Sphinx bothto the celestial witness and God’s Word, in their unified testimony to the Coming Promised Seed.

To continue this sub-theme of Hebrew Jubilee planetary conjunctions of Mars during its retrograde motion, we find added evidence of this during the 1967 Jubilee, in between the Blood Moons on Passover [4-24-67] and Sukkot [10-18-67]. This Mars retrograde formed a loop in Virgo, around her womb area starting March 10th through June 24th. During this loop it approached conjunction with the Alpha Star of Virgo-Spica on June 6th, completing its loop around Virgo’s womb a couple of weeks later. This represents again the conflict surrounding God’s deliverance of Jerusalem from our spiritual adversary, as the city of Jerusalem was wrested from Gentile domination, seen in the rebirth of Jerusalem for Israel. This planetary activity during the previous two Jubilees depicting the restoration of Israel with Mars-Michael is a fascinating lead-up to the to 2017 Jubilee, when Jupiter the king planet and Holy Sceptre, will do a retrograde loop in Virgo’s womb area, symbolizing the birth of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, emphasized here with the Mars-Spica conjunction.

Figure B. The Celestial Sphinx. 5

As we view the celestial context of this first union of Jupiter and Regulus, [Fig. B] marking the birth of Christ, we can see the head of Virgo rising above the eastern horizon just below the full body of Leo the Lion on the ecliptic. This is the view of what an observer standing near Palestine facing east would have seen on this date, providing a clear aspect of the astronomical symbolism of the Sphinx as an important marker and monumental prediction of Jesus‘ birthday on September 11th, a prophecy of the birth of Christ preserved in stone from antiquity! This serves as a monolithic marker to the prophecy provided in Rev. 12:1-5, in the constellation Virgo, further establishing this truth.

The Head of the Woman and the Body of the Lion as seen on Sept. 14th, 3 BC, on the eastern horizon from Palestine, the Celestial Sphinx, and marking the first Jupiter-Regulus Conjunction in Leo, 3 days after the birth of Christ on Sept. 11th 3 BC, [Tishri 1]; Rosh Hashanah. We find these landmarks at the head and tail of the zodiac, which adds light to “the woman Virgo is the crown for all twelve signs. The head position of Virgo is located within the last 10 degrees of Leo.” Virgo’s head is seen in Fig. B, just below and adjacent to the star Denebola in the tail of the Lion, unifying the circle of the zodiac. The Sphinx also unifies the Biblical canon, establishing the chronological order of God’s written revelation, in the Bible’s earliest book of Job 19:23-25.

Footnotes

1. www.1260-1290-days-bible-prophecy.org [www.360 calendar .com]

2. See more at: http://destination-yisrael.biblesearchers.com/destination-yisrael/2012/12/rabbi-judah-ben-samuels-jubilee-prophecy-gives-the-year-of-the-messiah.html#sthash.KkE3oERL.dpuf

3. September2021.com [Phil Richardson] Picture credit

4. Israel Today Magazine, Ludwig Schneider [March 2008] http://issuu.com/ryaninzion/docs/israel_today_march_2008

5. Try-god.com/the great sphinx

http://jardalkalataol.blogspot.com/2015/09/feast-dates-and-second-coming-and.html

Http://www.lmci.org/pdfs/episkoposmar2012.pdf