Hi all,
The figures in the night sky describe the work of Christ through a yearly cycle. In ancient times even the illiterate could look up at the night sky and receive the gospel…let us understand a little of what they did:
Virgo
In ancient times Virgo was the first of the 12 and Leo was the last. Back then, the zodiac year began in the same time as the Jewish new year of Rosh haShanah. So at the start of the Jewish new year we find Virgo a virgin (hence the name), standing with a branch in her right hand, and a handful of ripe grain like wheat in her left. The branch is held upright while the head of grain is held downward towards the ground, signifying death and planting. Because Virgo appears at this time it makes one wonder if Jesus was born in September during the Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur-Tabernacles time frame.
Around the world she is a virgin. In Hebrew she is Bethulah the young woman (maiden). In Arabic she is Adarah the virgin, in Greek she is Parthenos the maiden of virgin purity.
The main star in the head of grain pointed down in her left hand is Spica, which is in the top 20 of brightest stars. The grain is pointed downward showing it must die and be planted in order to rise and produce. She holds the Branch upright in her other hand, showing both Branch and Seed are one, coming from her. The star names are Al Zimach, Al Azal, and Subilon which mean ‘the shoot’, ‘the branch’, ‘the ear of grain (wheat)’.
Virgo’s first decan is Coma, the Desired, the virgin’s son. She is looking upon her son on her lap, who researcher Albumazer, a Muslim astronomer/astrologer who died in the year 886, said this: “…Ihesu, with the signification Ieza which in Greek is called Christ.” So here in this first sign of Virgo we see the virgin has a son, and He is Christ.
Virgo’s second decan is Centaurus, the Centaur. The centaur holds a shield in his left arm while in his right, a spear pointed directly at Lupus or Victima, the victim, a decan in Libra, which is the 2nd constellation in the story.
The dual-natured Centaurus shows the Virgin’s son is dual natured. He is the Branch which is divine, and the Seed which is of earth. He is both Jesus the man and Christ the divine. In Hebrew and Arabic Centaurus is known as ‘the despised’. The brightest star in Centaurs is Cheiron, from the Hebrew root that means ‘pierced’ and also Pholas that means ‘prayer or meditation’, signifying an offering and dedication to God.
The third and last decan of Virgo is Bootes, the Coming One. It is a shepherd who holds a spear in his right hand, upright and ready, but not aimed at anything, and in his left a scythe, a curved blade held above his head as if ready to cut the grain for harvest. In Greek he is known as Arcturus which means ‘guardian’ or ‘watcher’ (of the flock). He is actually watching over the big and little bears (Big Dipper, Little Dipper), which in ancient times were not bears but sheepfolds or pens, but that will come later. The word ‘Bo’ in Hebrew means ‘coming’ or the ‘coming one’.
The star on his right arm, which holds the spear, is Al Katurops meaning ‘the Rod’ or ‘the Branch’, in ancient times in some cultures a rod rather than a spear, for the figure and star names and mythology describe him as a shepherd.
Summary of Virgo
Virgo the virgin holds a branch held upright in her right arm, and a Spica, a head of wheat held downward to signify the planting of death in the other. Complimenting her is Coma the virgin’s son, called Isa or Christ. He is dual-natured and despised. But he is armed with a shield in one hand and a spear held ready to thrust and pointing to a victim in his right. The son is also a shepherd, ready to harvest the earth in one hand while in the other holding a spear or rod, and his name means ‘the coming one’.
Libra, the scales
Libra further describes the work of the virgin and her son. The scales are tipped downward indicating an unbalance. In Hebrew this is Mozanaim, ‘the scales’, ‘the weighing’, signifying God’s judgment. In Arabic it is called Al Zubena which means ‘the price of the purchase’. In Coptic Greek it is ‘lambda’. Lam means grace and badia is branch, thus ‘the gracious branch’.
The star names in Libra are Zuben al Genubi, ‘the price deficient’. Also Zuben al Shemali ‘the price which covers’ and Zuben Akrabi, ‘the price of the conflict’. Libra tells us man is weighed in the balance, and found deficient.
The (Southern) Cross, the first decan of Libra. I find it significant that the cross is seen below the equator, out of view of northerners, demonstrating the private transaction on the cross between the Father and His Son.
Jesus is dual-natured, demonstrated in Leviticus 16 with the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. The first goat is the goat of the sin offering, reflecting His divinity, and was offered in full view of all. The goat of the sin offering’s blood was sprinkled in the holy of holies. This is found in Hebrews 9: 22-24 which tells us upon His resurrection when He told Mary to stop clinging to Him for He had not yet ascended. He ascended to the Father that day to present Himself and His blood sacrifice and declared to be just. (Later that day He would walk with the two to Emmaus and appear to the disciples.)
The second goat offered on the Day of Atonement was the ‘escape goat’, or scapegoat. The goat of the sin offering which signifies Jesus’ deity, was offered in the holy place. The scape goat shows His humanity. It was led away in the wilderness and released, to die in private and out of view at the hand of God. Jesus’ dual nature reveals Him as both the escape goat and the goat of the sin offering. The Father was pleased for our sakes to ‘put Him to grief’ and ‘make his soul an offering for sin’ as Isaiah 53: 10 tells us. Thus the cross of Libra is out of view of Israel in the night sky.
The second decan of Libra is Lupus or Victima, the wolf slain. Sultan Ulugh Beigh who died in 1449 and was a noted astronomer and mathematician, stated Lupus was called in ancient times Sura, which means a sheep or lamb.
The third decan is Corona, the Crown. It is also called the Northern Crown, Corona Borealis, which incidentally appears vertically over Israel annually. Thus it is directly connected to the Southern Cross, the first decan.
The summary of Libra
Libra shows man is deficient in his sin. Weighed in the scales we are found lacking. But we have the Southern Cross and the Northern Crown sandwiching Lupus (or the sheep) in between, all pointing to Virgo’s son paying the price to even the scales by the cross, and that He would receive a crown which appears over Israel.
Scorpio, the scorpion
In Arabic it is known as Al Akrab which is scorpion, but means wounding, conflict, war. In Coptic Greek it is Isidis which means ‘attack of the enemy’. In the Egyptian zodiac this is not a scorpion but Typhon or Python, a snake. Scorpio is associated with the tribe of Dan, as seen in Genesis 49: 17: “Dan will be a snake by the way, an adder….biting the horse’s heels…” The stinger in his tail is pointed directly at Ophiucus’s heel.
The first decan of Scorpio is Ophiuchus, the serpent holder or the snake holder. It is the picture of a man holding onto the second decan of Scorpio, Serpens the snake. Ophiuchus has both hands on Serpens while his left foot is on the head of Scorpio and his right heel is about to be struck by the scorpion’s tail. This mirrors the first prophecy of Messiah that Christ speaks to Satan in Genesis 3:15, stating the Seed of the woman (Christ*) will crush his head while he is able to bruise His heel. *Galatians 3:16
The third decan in Scorpio is Hercules, a man kneeling with one knee on the ground as he holds a club high in his right hand about to bring it down on the head of the snake he holds in his left hand. His foot is on the head of the Dragon, which we will discuss later.
Star names in Hercules include the brightest one in the constellation in his head, Ras al Gethi, which means ‘the head of him who bruises’. Another star means ‘the branch kneeling’, and answers back to the branch of Virgo, her son.
The summary of Scorpio
It is the picture of a defeated enemy, one who gets in a sting to the heel of the Redeemer, but is ultimately soundly defeated. Ophiuchus holds the snake firmly in both hands while he is stung in the heel, but we also see Hercules in triumph dealing the final blow.
Sagittarius, the Archer, the Triumphant
This final constellation of the first 4 which show the Messiah, His nature, His battle and passion, concludes this section with victory. He is a centaur, again showing the dual nature of Messiah. He holds a bow drawn back with an arrow pointing directly at the heart of Scorpio.
The Greeks call him Cheiron, which means ‘the executer’. He is called ‘the righteous one’ or ‘one who executes judgment swiftly’. The first decan is Lyra the harp. The brightest star in Lyra is Vega, from which the English get the word victory. Vega means ‘He will be exalted’ and ‘The victorious warrior’.
The second decan is Ara, the altar. This burning altar of fire is turned upside down, showing sacrifice for sin is needed no more! It is finished, the altar upended! In Arabic it is Al Mugamra, ‘the finishing’, ‘the completion of what was started’. Centuries ago Ara was seen low on the southern horizon, almost out of view, tipped to the southern horizon and in ancient mythology, representing the underworld.
The third decan of Sagittarius is Draco the dragon. Draco is seen as dead with some illustrations showing 6 coils in its dead body, limply hanging with its tongue out, languishing in death. Draco means ‘stepped on’ or ‘trodden down’. The main stars are Al Waid which means ‘to be destroyed’, Thuban which means ‘the subtle’, and Al Dib, ‘the reptile’. As if the point isn’t driven home, other star names within Draco are Rastaban, ‘the head of the subtle’, Etanin ‘the long snake’, Grumian ‘the deceiver’, El Athik which means ‘the deceiver’, and Gianser, ‘the punished enemy’.
The summary of Sagittarius
Sagittarius makes clear the dual-natured one executes judgement on the enemy. The decans let us know it is a joyful work by including Lyra the harp, so we know it is a work of joy for us. The altar of sacrifice is turned upside down never to be seen again, completed by taking vengeance on the dragon.
I know each of these is longer than usual, but I want to keep each section intact. So we conclude the first 1/3 of the original story of salvation seen in the constellations. We started with Virgo the virgin having a son, dual-natured both divine and human, and seeing that dual-natured son grow up and tip the scales back to even, making the final sacrifice, and executing judgment on the enemy.
The next set is all about new life….and that will be next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
