The Gospel in the Stars (2)

1. The Gospel in the Stars (2) Derek Walker

2. What the Bible says… Genesis 1:14: “God said, “Let there be lights in the heavens.. and let them be for SIGNS and SEASONS (moedim) ...and it was so.”

3. Ancient Revelations. • Certain things we revealed by God to Adam which he passed onto his children, through Seth, Enoch and Noah. • These can be found in every culture, with different degrees of corruption, but showing a common origin. *Animal sacrifice and Blood Covenant. *Temples and Cherubim. *The star names, pictures and stories.

4. The Jews believed that the stars contained an ancient revelation of God known by Adam, Seth and Enoch (see Josephus). • The first prophecy (Genesis 3:15) gave the key to the star story. • As they had no TV, they all knew the stars well. The stars were the best visual means for God to communicate His story to them. Father would teach son all the stories associated with the stars.

5. God is against Astrology! • The truth is that the stars contain a Divine Revelation. But when men fell into heathenism they started to worship the creation rather than the Creator. • Astrology is one aspect of this corrupted religion which believes in the stars as gods that control our lives. • Amos 5:8: “Seek Him that makes the Seven Stars (Pleiades) and Orion.”

6. False religion believes that the stars are gods or represent gods, which they worship. • Acts 28:11: “We sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figure-head was the Twin Brothers (Castor and Pollux of Gemini).” • True religion believes the stars contain a pictorial message from the Creator God describing the coming Saviour of man. • The Bible condemns horoscopes and astrology in: Isaiah 47:13,14; Jeremiah 10:2,3; 2Kings 23:5; Deuteronomy 4:19, Zephaniah 1:5, and Acts 7:42,43.

7. As the peoples scattered across the earth they all took with them a knowledge of the original Zodiac, but corrupted by paganism. • They also retold the stories in terms of their heroes and gods (e.g. Hercules, Perseus). Every culture (Hebrew, Arab, Egyptian, Persian, etc) has their own version. These stories echo the original Gospel story. Their Zodiacs are a central feature of their religion. • Many names of the stars and constellations agree across all languages. It is therefore possible to reconstruct the original Message.

8. The Bible says the Gospel is in the stars! • Romans10:17,18: “Faith comes by hearing the word (message) of Christ. But I say, have they (all mankind) not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words (teaching or message) to the ends of the world.” • Psalm 19:4: “Their sound (voice) has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”

9. Where is this message coming from? • Psalm 19:1-4: “The HEAVENS declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their sound has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”

10. The Heavenly Message. • The heavens are declaring a message about the glory of God to the whole earth. • Jesus Christ is the glory of the invisible God! (2Corinthians 4:6, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:15)! • Romans 10:18 says that this Message is the Gospel of Christ.

11. Psalm 19:5,6 describes the central character:“In the heavens He has set a tabernacle (a dwelling place, the zodiac) for the SUN which is like a BRIDEGROOM coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a STRONG MAN to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” • The Sun represents the Messiah (Malachi 4:2) running His race, fulfilling His mission. He will accomplish step by step everything described in God’s stellar PICTURE BOOK.

12. The sun signifies His glorious Person • The constellations signify what He will do. • The sun has two circuits: daily and yearly • Each day the sun shows Jesus coming out of His Chamber (Heaven) becoming the Light of the world. He comes as a Bridegroom coming to save and fetch His Bride and take her back to Heaven.

13. The sun also travels on a path called the ecliptic. Once a year the sun completes the circuit having gone through the 12 signs of the Zodiac. • Zodiac means ‘a way by steps’. • Each month the sun enters a different sign, signifying the next aspect of Christ’s work. So every 12 months it prophesies the whole work of Christ. • The sun shows us the way of the Son - The Way of Salvation.

14. The Messiah as the Mighty Man. • In the stars He comes to defeat the enemies of God (the dangerous monsters) which are too powerful for us • Jesus defeated the powers of sin, satan and all the curse of death for us! • His enemies are all crushed under His feet, but He Himself is stung and wounded unto death in the process.

15. Starting with Virgo the 12 SIGNS and their DECANS tell in order the story of the Son. As the Sun goes through these 12 Signs in turn from Virgo to Leo, so the Son of God will fulfill His mission step by step!

16. The Proto-Evangelium. • Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between YOU (the Serpent) and the WOMAN, and between your seed and her SEED (the Messiah, the Seed of the Woman). HE (Christ) shall bruise (crush) your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

17. The Main Characters. • They are exactly those in Genesis 3:15: • THE VIRGIN (mother of the SEED). • THE SEED or SON, JESUS CHRIST = The MIGHTY MAN conquering the forces of evil. Jesus is the central character and hero of the Story! • THE DEFEATED ENEMY (satan and his seed) • BELIEVERS (the Seed in Christ, pictured as the Bride, the fishes, the sheep).

18. Outline • There are 12 chapters based on the 12 Signs of the Zodiac. • Each sign has 3 associated signs (Decans) which develop the revelation of the main Sign This makes 48 constellations in all. • The other constellations added in modern times are not part of the original revelation. • The key truths are in the PICTURES and NAMES of the stars and constellations preserved from God’s original naming.

19. The story is in 3 ACTS of 4 Chapters each: • ACT 1: The Redeemer’s First Coming - His Sufferings. Salvation obtained. • ACT 2: The Redeemed - The result of the Redeemer’s sufferings. Salvation bestowed. • ACT 3: The Redeemer’s Second Coming –His Glory (His dominion and final judgement).

20. In each Act of 4 chapters: • Chapter 1 reveals the Person- the Redeemer • Chapters 2 and 3 reveal His Work of salvation (obtaining and bestowing favour on His people) and dominion (the spiritual conflict involved in overcoming His enemies). • Chapter 4 - His ultimate Triumph.

21. Today we will see ACT 1.

22. The Proto-Evangelium. • Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between YOU (the Serpent) and the WOMAN, and between your seed and her SEED (the Messiah, the Seed of the Woman). HE (Christ) shall bruise (crush) your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

23. ACT 1: The First Coming of the Redeemer • Chapter 1: The Seed of the Woman *VIRGO, the Virgin brings forth the promised seed *COMA, the Desired One of the Nations. *CENTAURUS, the Dual-Natured Centaur in Death *BOOTES, the Coming Good Shepherd

25. VIRGO – The Virgin bringing forth the seed. reveals His Person

26. The Story starts with the Saviour’s Birth “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us)” (Isaiah 7:14). • “When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4).

27. Act 1 - Chapter 1 • VIRGO – The Virgin

28. All the ancient traditions emphasise she is a VIRGIN. • Latin: VIRGO • In Arabic: ADORAH = The Pure Virgin. • In Greek: PARTHENOS = THE MAID OF VIRGIN PURENESS. • Hebrew: Bethulah - a virgin in the NT.

29. The sign also emphasises MOTHERHOOD. She is seen as the MOTHER of the SEED. • Holds a Branch and Ear of Corn or Wheat. • Babylonian: The Great Mother • Assyrian: She who brings forth. • The SEED is seen as more important than her. • In Egypt she is called ASPOLIO = THE SEED, THE PLACE OF THE DESIRED BRANCH. • An altar in Gaul (100 BC) says she is the: “Virgin who is to bring forth” • Shakespeare in Titus Andronicus talks about the ‘good boy in Virgo’s lap.’ • Early Babylonian & Egyptian pictures show her with an infant in her arms (Horus: He who comes forth).

31. Star Names • The brightest star (representing Christ) is in the ear of corn in her left hand. Latin name SPICA = THE EAR / SEED OF CORN, from its location. Its original Hebrew names were • ZERAH = SEED and TSEMECH = THE BRANCH • Arabic - Al Zimach= THE BRANCH which denotes SONSHIP.

32. The BRANCH is a major title of the Messiah used four times. • These four prophecies show the Branch as KING (Jer 23:5,6), • as God’s SERVANT (Zechariah 3:8), • as a MAN (Zechariah 6:12) • and as GOD (Isaiah 4:2).

37. Other stars in Virgo are: • ‘Zavijaveh’ = “Gloriously beautiful” (Is 4:2) 2. ‘Al Mureddin’ = “Who shall come down” or “he shall have dominion” (Arabic) and Vindemiatrix = “the son, or branch who comes” (Chaldee) 3.SUBILON in her right hand=the ear of corn 4. Al Azal = the Branch

39. SUMMARY: The Virgin is laying down on the ecliptic, having given birth to the promised Seed, which she holds in her hands. She is the holder and bringer forth of the Seed, who is the Branch. • From now on this SEED will be the hero of the story.

40. Revelation 12:1,2:Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (VIRGO) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labour and in pain to give birth.

41. This tells us that a sign that Christ is about to be born of the virgin is that the sun is in Virgo (September/October) and the moon is under her feet (a very rare occurrence). • Jesus died at Passover AD33 after 33.5 years • He was born therefore at Tabernacles 2BC. • The King’s birth would be announced 14 days before at Trumpets 2BC (1st Tishri). • This is September 27th 2BC (Gregorian).

42. September 27th 2BC am and pm

43. Revelation 12:1 fulfilled!

44. The First Decan: Coma, desired son.

45. Ancient zodiacs show a seated woman holding and admiring her child. • The Egyptian name was ‘Shesnu’ = the desired son. • The Egyptian Temple Dendarah shows Coma as a seated woman and her child (2000 BC). • Corruption 300 BC: Coma Berenice.

47. COMA = THE DESIRED, The LONGED FOR ONE, the very word used of Messiah in Haggai 2:7: “The DESIRE of all nations shall come.” • The great Arabian astronomer, Albumazer (805-885 AD) said: “There arises in the first Decan as the Persians, Chaldeans and Egyptians and the two Hermes and Ascalius teach, a young woman whose Persian name denotes a pure virgin, sitting on a throne, nourishing an infant boy having a Hebrew name , by some nations called ‘Ihesu’, signifying Ieza - the Christ.”

48. Coma

49. Stars • Subilah =who bears (Hebrew) • Adrenosa (Arabic) –The Virgin who carries • In her lap: Hazanethon (Arabic) – The Branch.

50. Tradition says a star prophesied by Daniel would appear in His sign: The star at the time of Christ - the brightest for a time: • “At the appearance of the Lord a star shone brighter than all the other stars” (Ignatius).