Lighthouse Christian Youth MinistryFriday Lesson 59 BCYN

The Zodiac Testifies of Christ’ Salvation

2012

The Serpent Bearer crushes the Scorpion and wrestles the Serpent who is trying to get the Crown

1

Table of Contents of our study for the next several lessons:

1. The Gospel in the Stars

1.1 Order1.2 Dual Symbolism

2. The Messiah 2.1 The Savior2.2 Great High Priest2.3 Son of God

3. The Redeemer 3.1 Great Sacrifice3.2 Deliverer3.3 Resurrection

4. King of Kings 4.1 Judge4.2 Lawgiver4.3 Lord of Hosts

5. Conclusion6. Notes

PrefaceOnce very long ago the twelve zodiac constellation figures symbolized the twelve key roles of Jesus Christ and then by God’s design taught the Great Gospel of His Salvation for all mankind. The Bible was not yet written so God used the signs in the heavens above to teach those who sought Him about the great Messiah to come. God is faithful to us and throughout the six dispensations (God’s time periods) of God’s plan in human history the Gospel of Jesus was taught to all who desired to learn about Him…those who were positive to the Gospel and His plan.

The Book of Enoch is a non-Biblical ancient Jewish religious historical work, traditionally believed to be written by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not a sanctioned book of the Bible or part of the of the Old Testatment. We call this type of historical book extrabiblical. The older sections of the book are estimated to date from about 300 BC, and the latest part probably was written at the end of the 1st century BC. The original language was either Aramaic or Hebrew like the Book of Daniel and was composed partially in Aramaic and partially in Hebrew the same used in the Old Testament. By the way, the Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew with some book in Aramaic.

The Book of Enoch records that the archangel Uriel (an archangel not mentioned or recorded in the Bible but just as real as other archangels) revealed the figures in the stars called the constellations to the prophet Enoch. There is much evidence to support that claim, such as many of the figures being the same symbols used throughout the Holy Bible and Scriptures to represent the Savior Jesus Christ and elements of His Gospel. Several books have been written summarizing the idea that the Gospel story appears to be shown in the stars. This lesson will show that in addition to the Gospel presentation, the twelve figures in the group of constellations called the Zodiac also summarize the twelve principal roles that Jesus Christ would fulfill as the prophesized Messiah.

1. The Gospel in the Stars Let’s begin by quickly summarizing writings that claim that the Gospel is clearly shown in the star figures or constellations. A principal work was done by a nineteenth century woman named Frances Rolleston. Rolleston’s book however, was made up of a huge amount of un-indexed notes, which were out of any kind of order by which the reader could follow. It was in fact a big mess. So another quite learned theologian and pastor/teacher took on her works and through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, made sense of it all. So this pastor/teacher and theologian produced a principle work on the subject. His name is Ethelbert W. Bullinger from whom I have taken much of the information to show and teach you this early teaching from God to the ancient peoples. Bullinger wrote this book in the early 1890s and it was published in 1893. His book is called “The Witness in the Stars.”

2

E. W. Bullinger (1837-1913)Born: 15 December 1837Canterbury, Kent, EnglandDied: 6 June 1913 (aged 75)LondonEducation: King's College LondonOccupation: clergyman, Biblical scholar, and theologianKnown for: The Companion Bible, Witness in the Stars

Pastor Bullinger says, the constellations testify of Jesus Christ and tell the gospel story in picture form. There is a surprising amount of information in the Bible supporting this so let’s get going on this fascinating truth.

Pastor Bullinger says, no one can argue the fact that it is in the distant past that these twelve signs of the Zodiac and all the sub-constellations called decans came into being for the sole purpose of bringing many people to a saving knowledge of the Lord, Jesus Christ…the Messiah! No one can question the accuracy of the ancient star names which have come down to us, for they are still preserved in every good celestial atlas. And we hope that no one will be able to resist the growing evidence that, apart from God's grace in Christ there is no hope for sinners now; and apart from God's glory, as it will be shown in the return of Christ from heaven at the Second Advent, there is no hope for Israel, no hope for the world, and no hope for a groaning creation. The prophecy of a Savior who will defeat the serpent, Satan, in Genesis 3:15 we see fulfilled in Christ. It is our only hope. We wait confidently for the Rapture for all Church Age believers and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Here is an excerpt of a poem by William Leask who wrote on the subject of the Rapture:

Is this the hope…that Christ the Lord will come, In all the glory of His royal right,

Redeemer and Avenger, taking home His saints, and crushing the usurper's might?

This is the hope.

We have this hope, which is our confidence that Jesus will return for us someday soon in the Rapture. May the God of all grace accept and bless this effort to show forth His glory, and use it to strengthen His people in waiting for His Son from Heaven, even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath (Tribulation) to come.

For more than two thousand six hundred years (2600) the world was WITHOUT a WRITTEN REVELATION from God. The question is, “Did God leave Himself without a witness?” The question is answered very positively in our BIBLE, the NOW WRITTEN Word that He did not leave Himself without a witness. In Romans 1:19 He makes it very clear that, "Since what may be made known about God is plain to them (unbelieving mankind); because God made it plain to them (unbelieving mankind). (20) For since the creation of the world God’s invisible things…His eternal power and divine nature… have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men (unbelieving mankind) are without excuse." But how was God known? How were His "invisible things," i.e., His character, His plan, His purposes, and His Wisdom, made known since the creation of the world? We are told by the Holy Spirit in Romans 10:18, “But I ask, ‘Did they not hear? Of course they did: their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Having stated in the previous verse Rom 1:17 that "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word (The Truth) of God," He asks, "But I say, ‘Have they not heard?’ ‘Yes, truly they have.’” And we might ask, “How have they heard?” The answer is, “Their sound went into all the earth and their words (their teaching, message, and instruction) to the ends of the world.” What words? What instruction? Whose message? Whose teaching?

There is only one answer, and that is, THE HEAVENS! This is settled by the fact that the Romans passage is QUOTED from Psalm 19 in the Old Testament. In the first part of the Psalm it speaks of the Revelation of God written in the Heavens, and the second part of the Psalm speaks of the Revelation of God written in the Word. So we can correct the translation of this verse (Romans 10:18) this way, “Their (the heavens) sound went to all the earth and their (the heavens) words (God’s Word…the Gospel) to the ends of the world.” This is the simple explanation of this beautiful Psalm. This is why its two subjects are brought together. It has often confused many as to why it appears that the subject has been changed in Psalm 19: verse 7a…"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul…" The fact is, there is no change

3

of subject at all. It is simply the transition to the second of the two great Revelations which are placed together one after the other in the Psalm. The first is the revelation of the Creator, El or GOD in His works and we know that the Creator was the second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God BEFORE He became the God/Man. The second is the revelation of Jehovah in His Word, that is Jesus Christ, the God/Man and Savior of the world. And it is interesting to note that while in the first half of the Psalm, El or GOD is named only once, in the latter half Jehovah is named seven times, the last being threefold (Jehovah, Rock, and Redeemer), concluding the Psalm. Let’s open our Bibles and read Psalm 19 together.

The following passage in Colossians in the New Testament is teaching that God the Son was the creator of all things: Col 1:13-17 “For He (God the Father) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (15) He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God (the Father), the firstborn over all creation. (16) For by Him (God the Son) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. (17) He is before all things (in eternity past), and in Him all things hold together.”

Here are other Bible passages that teach not only of the heavens and their message from God about the work of Jesus Christ, but that it is God the Son who created and managed it all: in Isaiah 40:26 we read: "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens; ‘Who has created these?’ It is He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls them all by name (Zodiac and its constellations or decans). Because of His great power and mighty strength, not of them one is missing." We have the same evidence in Psalm 147:4. “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” Here is a distinct and divine declaration that the great Creator both numbered as well as named the stars of Heaven. The question is this, has God revealed any of these names? Have any of them been handed down to us? The answer is “yes.” In the Bible itself we have the names (so ancient that their meaning is a little unclear) of Ash (a name still connected with the Great Bear), Cesil, and Cimah. They occur in Job 9:9: “He is the maker of the Bear (Arcturus) and Orion; the Pleiades and the constellations of the south (Ash, Cesil, and Cimah).” Job 38:31-32 "Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades (the seven stars of Orion’s belt…Cimah)? Can you loose the cords of Orion (Cesil)? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons (the twelve signs of the Zodiac) or lead out the Bear (Arcturus) with its cubs?" Here we have the Hebrew term mazzaroth in Job 38:32, which refers to the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac. The Hebrew term mazzaloth (note the one letter difference in the two words) is in 2 Kings 23:5 and refers to “planets.” “He did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem…those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.” As you can see Satan was trying to muddy up the Truth with his spin…making idols of the sun, moon and constellations.

We find more references in Isaiah 13:10: “...the stars of heaven and the constellations…” and again in Amos 5:8: “He who made the Pleiades and Orion…”

In others places in the Bible the constellations are referred to by name. The sign of "Gemini," or the Twins is given as the name of a ship in Acts 28:11 as “…Castor and Pollux…”

Most commentators agree that the constellation of "Draco" or the Dragon (between the Great and Little Bear), is referred to in Job 26:13: "By His Spirit the skies became fair; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent (dragon).” It appears from this that God "thought it good to show" by these signs written in the heavens the wonders of His purposes and plans for salvation through Jesus Christ, and it was by His Holy Spirit that He made it known; it was God’s hand that pierced the crooked serpent among the stars of heaven.

So we see that the Scriptures are not silent about the ancient and age old signs and constellations.

If we turn to history and tradition, we are at once met with the fact that the Twelve Signs are the same, both as to the meaning of their names and as to their order in all the ancient nations of the world. The Chinese, Chaldean, and Egyptian records go back to more than 2,000 years BC. Indeed, the Zodiacs in the Temples of Denderah and Esneh, in Egypt, are doubtless copies of Zodiacs still more ancient, which, from internal evidence, must be placed nearly 4,000 BC.

Josephus, the Jewish historian, hands down to us what he gives as the traditions of his own nation Israel, corroborated by his reference to eight ancient Gentile authorities, whose own works are lost. He says that they all emphasize that "God gave the antediluvians (people that lived before the Great Flood) such long life that they might complete those things which they had invented in astronomy." In other words finish the job they started and it took a very, very long time! Cassini, a French astronomer starts his History of Astronomy by saying "It is impossible to doubt that astronomy was invented from the beginning of the

4

world; history, wicked as well as sacred, testifies to this truth." Nouet, a French astronomer, concludes that the Egyptian Astronomy must have arisen around 5,400 BC!

Ancient Persian and Arabian traditions credit its invention to Adam, Seth, and Enoch. Josephus emphasizes that it originated in the family of Seth, Adam and Eve’s third son; and he says that the children of Seth, and especially Adam, Seth, and Enoch, that their revelation might not be lost as to the two coming judgments of Water and Fire, made two pillars (one of brick, the other of stone), describing the whole of the predictions of the stars upon them, and in case the brick pillar should be destroyed by the flood, the stone would preserve the revelation (Josephus, Book 1, chapters 1-3).

This is what some say the meaning or the story of Nimrod and his ziggurat, the Tower of Babel, stand for. In Genesis 11:4 it says, "And they said, go to, let us build us a city and a tower (ziggurat) whose top may reach unto heaven." The words "may reach" are in italics and were added by translators thinking they were making it clear. However, there is nothing in the original language of the verse that relates to the height of this tower. It merely says, and his top with the heavens, i.e. with the pictures and the stars drawn on th top of the temple, just as we find them in the ancient temples of Denderah and Esneh in Egypt. This tower, with its pictures of the signs and constellations at the very top of it, was to be erected like those temples were afterwards, in order to preserve the revelation, "so that we are not scattered over the face of the whole earth." They were trying to keep themselves from being scattered.

This is in agreement with by Lieut.-Gen. Chesney, well known for his educated researches and excavations among the ruins of Babylon, who, after describing his various discoveries, says, "About five miles SW of Hillah, the most remarkable of all the ruins, the Birs Nimroud (The Tower of Babel ziggurat) of the Arabs, rises to a height of 153 feet above the plain from a base covering 400 square feet, or almost four acres. It was constructed of kiln-dried bricks in seven stages to correspond with the planets to which they were dedicated: the lowermost black, the color of Saturn; the next orange, for Jupiter; the third red, for Mars; and so on. These stages were topped by a lofty tower, on the summit of which, we are told, were the signs of the Zodiac and other astronomical figures; thus having (as it should have been translated) a representation of the heavens, instead of 'a top which reached unto heaven.'"

5

This Biblical evidence carries us at once right back to the Flood, or about 2,500 years BC. This tower or temple, or both, was also called "The Seven Spheres," according to some; and "The Seven Lights," according to others. It is thus clear that the popular idea of its height and purpose must be put aside and its astronomical reference to revelation must be admitted. The tower was an attempt to preserve and hand down the antediluvian (before the flood) traditions; their sin was in keeping together instead of scattering themselves over the earth.

That should give you enough background as to the history and tradition of the constellations. Mankind has always been a part of this but GOD is the ONE who handed it down to us. He revealed it to us supernaturally. Mankind in his sinful state and through the influences of Satan, have polluted the TRUE meaning of these constellations with the false astrology as we discussed in our last lesson. Now we can move on to the specifics of the Gospel in the Stars.

So here we have it…Hebrew tradition teaches that the Gospel was taught from the constellations and were used by prophets before the Great Flood or about 2,500 years BC and in particular, that they originated with the prophet Enoch, who would have lived about that time.

Traditionally there were 48 constellations in the original set: 12 principal constellations in a circle around the entire sky called the Zodiac, with three other constellations called decans, which accompany each of those twelve. Generally there is good agreement between ancient nations on just what those 48 are. Here is a beautiful illustration of the Zodiac with its twelve signs in Latin:

6

How did we get the constellations? The traditional story is that the constellation maps and descriptions were given to Enoch but were also given to Abraham, who also had his own revelations on the subject, and who gave this knowledge to the Egyptians. After having been preserved for 2,000 years in Egypt, the knowledge was received by the Greeks. In particular, a globe with a map of the heavens was taken from the Egyptian temple which fell into the hands of the Greek scholar Eudoxus. His detailed description of that globe has been lost, but it was preserved in poetic form by Aratus. So, we can say with much confidence that the set of constellations which we inherited from the Greeks is not a bad approximation to the original set which was indeed revealed to Enoch.

Now let’s briefly review the interpretation of the symbols as representing the Gospel of Christ, given in chronological order around the circle. Remember that volumes have been written on this subject, but an overview here will summarize the idea for you and we will go in depth with each of these signs and constellations in lessons to come.

1. The Maiden (Virgo). This constellation, perhaps better named "The Virgin's Seed," shows us a winged virgin holding some wheat, with the only bright star being located in the wheat. The bright star is spica or the seed of the wheat, which represents Jesus who will be born

The Maiden holding the Seed.

7

of this virgin. The three decans or sub constellations are of the Infant Prince (Coma, the lost constellation), the Shepherd (Bootes), and the Centaur (Centaurus) all of which make it clear that it is her Seed which is most important in this figure. That is, the Seed of wheat represents her infant, who is 100% God and 100% man, and who will become the Good Shepherd.

2. Libra - The Scales. This constellation is often said to have been originated by the Romans because it is not described by the Greeks. But it truly seems to have been in the original set because it has been found in the ancient Sumerian and Babylonian records dating to about 2,000 BC. Before there were coins, payments were made by weighing out merchandise on a balance scale. Thus, the proposed meaning is that it represents the role of Christ as the Redeemer, who paid for our sins with his suffering, and who literally bought us with his blood. Its decans are the Cross, the Victim goat, and the Crown.

\

3. The Scorpion (Scorpius). This killer is shown stinging the heel of the Serpent Bearer (Ophiuchus) who in turn is crushing the scorpion's head. This is so reminiscent of the great promise given to Eve that her seed (Jesus) would crush the serpent's head, even though it (Satan) would bruise Jesus’ heel (the Cross) (Gen. 3:15). That is, her descendant Jesus Christ would overcome death, hell and Satan, even though He would be crucified by the forces of evil.Its decans are the Serpent, the Serpent bearer, Ophiuchus, and Hercules.

The Scorpion Stings the Heel of the Serpent Bearer

4. The Archer (Sagittarius). The archer is a centaur (half man, half horse), which also represent the dual nature of Christ, being God and human. It is shown shooting the scorpion, overcoming the adversary (Satan). It's decans suggest rejoicing at the great victory. Its decans are the Harp or Lyre, the Altar, and the Dragon.

The Scales

The Archer slays the Scorpion

8

5. The Sea Goat (Capricornus). Some of the strangest constellations actually become the easiest to interpret. The goat is wounded, and some of the star names indicate that it is a sacrificial goat. This most likely represents Christ as the Great Sacrifice. The tail of the animal is that of a fish which appears very much alive, and which may represent its subsequent resurrection. Its decans are the arrow, the pierced eagle, and the dolphin.

6. The Water Bearer (Aquarius). Here is a man pouring out an entire stream of water from a small jar onto the head of the Southern Fish (Piscis Australis). This appears to represents Christ pouring out blessings and revelations onto his Church. Its decans are the fish, the winged horse, Pegasus, and the swan.

9

7. The Fishes (Pisces). This set of constellations seems to be the clearest, and it convinces that the Gospel is indeed portrayed in the heavens. There are two fish tied by their tails with bands to the great Sea Monster (Cetus). Again, the fish most likely represent Christians, being in bondage to death and hell. The decan of the Chained Princess, Andromeda, repeat this symbolism, being chained to a cliff as a sacrifice to the same Sea Monster (a decan of the Ram constellation). Another decan is the ribbon or band that connects the two fish. And the chained princess is the last decan.

8. The Ram (Aries). Here the Ram has his leg extended to the bands holding the Fishes of Pisces, perhaps representing breaking the bands of death. He also has one foot on the head of the Sea Monster. Christ breaking the bands of death is a common design in Scripture. Its decans are the sea monster, the enthroned woman, and the breaker Perseus.

The Sea Monster

Andromeda, the Chained Princess

10

9. The Bull (Taurus). The white Bull is a mighty animal, being an extinct type of wild ox. It is clearly used in the book of Enoch to symbolize the Kingdom of God in the millennial reign. Its decans are the glorious one, Orion; the river, Eridanus; and the shepherd, Auriga.

10. The Twins (Gemini). Ms. Rolleston suggested that the twins show the human and divine nature of Christ. That may be true but it also shows that the Twins might represent Jesus that the hero of the First Coming and the Second Coming are One and the same Person. Its decans are the hare, Lepus; the big dog, Canus Major; and the little dog, Canus Minor.

11. The Crab (Cancer). This has been the most difficult figure to explain. Rolleston's explanation: The crab represents the Savior tenaciously holding onto his flock after having purchased them, so that no one can pluck them from his hand. Its decans are the little bear, Ursa Minor; the great bear, Ursa Major; and the ship, Argo.

12. The Lion (Leo). The king of beasts is chasing its prey of the Fleeing Serpent (Hydra), and to Rolleston represents the final victory of Jesus over Satan, good over evil at the end of the Millennium. Its decans are the serpent, Hydra, the cup, Crater, and the raven, Corvus.

The Bull or Wild Ox

The Lion, King of Beasts

11

1.1 OrderWhat is the order of these twelve constellations? The order must be explained well to show the design of the entire set. Joseph Seiss (Joseph Augustus Seiss (March 18, 1823–June 20, 1904) was an American theologian and Lutheran Minister known for his Christian writings on the Gospel in the Stars, pyramidology and dispensationalism.) He suggested that it is basically a chronological order, with the first four constellations representing the First Advent of Christ, from the virgin birth through the victory over death and hell on the cross. He associated the second four with Christ's relationship to His Church, and the last four with Christ’s Second Advent, ending with the final victory over Satan as the Lion of Judah chases out the fleeing serpent (Hydra), with His feet crushing its head.

Joseph Seiss

Joseph Seiss may well be correct. For example, the white bull or Taurus is the symbol in the Book of Enoch (an extra-biblical book) for the political Kingdom of God which is set up at the bringing in of the Millennium, complete with the return of the City of Enoch. This is a convincing order, because God's house is a house of order, and if these constellations are of divine origin and we believe they are then they must be highly ordered.

1.2 Dual Symbolism Good and EvilA key factor in this teaching is that some of the symbols can represent both good and evil. Take, for example, the serpent. Sometimes it represents Satan (as in Rev. 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world…he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”) and sometimes it represents Christ (as when the brass serpent was raised on the pole by Moses in Num. 21:9. “So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent (a live one on the ground) bit anyone, he (the one bitten) would look at the bronze serpent and live.”) The tribe of Dan (which means “judge” in the Hebrew) used the serpent as its symbol inspired by Gen. 49:17. “Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward.” Dan’s is inspired by the Messiah.

12

It is Hebrew tradition that each of the 12 tribes of Israel was associated with one of the twelve signs of the zodiac, and that some tribes adopted a zodiac figure as their tribal symbol displayed on their flag. Hebrew scholars only agree on four or five of these associations, and those are the ones clearly indicated by hints

in the blessings given to the twelve sons of Jacob both by Jacob (Gen. 49) and Moses (Deut. 33).

Another figure usually associated with evil is the Crab, which also attacked a hero's foot according to the Greek myths, even as had the Scorpion. If the Lord really intended each of the tribes of Israel to be associated with a zodiac constellation then it is clear that none of the tribes would be given evil emblems to inspire them. (Gen. 37:9-10 “Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, ‘Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’ (10) But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, ‘What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?’”) All of the previous research in this field had claimed that some of the figures represented Christ, such as the Lion as the King of Kings, and the Ram as breaking the Bands of Death, but that clearly the Scorpion was the adversary, representing evil and Satan. It had to be that all twelve of the symbols represented at least one aspect of Christ so that each of the tribes would have a positive image. This makes perfect sense.

Now let’s turn to a slightly different interpretation of these same twelve symbols. These are given in addition to what will already shown here, but NOT as a replacement. These figures most likely have many layers of deep meanings. These twelve are shown only as an introduction to a new way of looking at the signs or constellations of the zodiac as they pertain to Christ. We will study each sign and sub-constellations in more depth as we get further into the Gospel in the stars lesson. The purpose of this part of our lesson is to teach you that the twelve constellations of the zodiac represent twelve specific roles of our Savior, Jesus, using the titles by which He is called in the Bible. They are divided into three groups of four. Each group has a heading with three subdivisions. The three headings are the constellations numbers 12, 1 and 2, and the four in each group are evenly spacing around the circle. So, the four are located in four perpendicular directions like North, East, South and West on the points of a circular compass. For example, the three that go with #1 are #4, #7 and #10, as shown in Figure 1. This will be just one aspect of our Gospel in the stars study. There are three sets. Let’s get going on the four roles of Jesus in the constellations.

2. THE MESSIAH – SET 1 – First AdventThe first constellation is Virgo…the Virgin's Seed (or the Maiden, #1) and it clearly refers to the infant Christ as one of its meanings. It represents many titles which have been given to Him: The Hope of Israel (Jer. 17:13, “O LORD, the Hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.”). He is called the Royal Heir in (Mat. 21:38. “But when the tenants saw the Son, they said to themselves, 'This is the Heir. Come, let us kill Him and have His inheritance.'” And in Heb. 1:2 “…but in these last days He has

Figure 1. The Four "Messiah" Constellations

13

spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the Heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.”), but most especially the Messiah (Dan. 9:25 “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an Anointed One (Messiah), a Prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.”). Messiah means Anointed One in Hebrew, which is translated as "Christ" into Greek. All of these refer to a hope that this infant is the promised child that would do all necessary to overcome evil, solve all of our problems, and be our Leader. This constellation serves as a heading for three other sub constellations or decans that are grouped with it. These three decans or sub-constellations in this set identify three very different roles under the role for Messiah to fulfill:

2.1 The Savior - Set 1

The Archer (Sagittarius, #4) who is slaying the Scorpion symbolizes the role of Christ as Savior in the sense that He slays the enemy and preserves life. The word "Savior" is used to describe Jesus Christ often in the New Testament (Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Jerusalem) a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”) and in (John 4:42, “They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’”) and in (Acts 5:31, “God exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”); and Jehovah in the Old Testament (Isa. 43:3a, “For I am the LORD (Jehovah) your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...”) and Jehovah again in (Isa 43:11 “I, I am the LORD (Jehovah), and besides me there is no savior.”); (Isa 49:26b, “…Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD (Jehovah) your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."); (Jere 14:8, “O you hope of Israel, its Savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to hesitate for a night?”)

2.2 The Great High Priest - Set 1Jesus is also the Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14, “Since then we have a great high Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”), the Holy one of Israel (Isa. 41:14, “Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”), the Head of His Church (Eph. 5:23, “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the Head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Savior.”), and of His Priesthood (Joshua 18:7, “The Levites have no portion among you, for the Priesthood of the LORD is their heritage. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”). One meaning of the constellation of the Fishes (Pisces, #7) is that the two fish represent the Christian Church at two different times, the fish nearer the Ram (Lamb of God) being the Church at the time of Jesus Christ, and the other fish being his Church in the last days…now. If so, then the relationship of the Churche to Christ is that He is our Head, as the Great High Priest.

2.3 The Son of God - Set 1Another huge role of Jesus Christ is that of being the literal Son of God, obediently fulfilling the will of His Heavenly Father and being an example for all of us to follow. That role also has all of the suggestions of being the Royal Prince, the Heir to the Throne of the Father. It is here likely that this side of Christ may be one of the meanings of the Twins (Gemini, #10). We are told that Christ was created in the exact likeness of His father (John 14:9, “Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?”), which would account for the "twins" idea. Another interpretation is the Twins represent Christ at the First Coming (with the star Pollux at the head) and at the Second Coming (headed by the star Castor).

The Twins

14

3. THE REDEEMER – SET 2 – Christ’s Relationship with the ChurchAs far as we know, all writers on this subject have agreed that the Balance or Scales (#2, Libra) represents the price of sin being paid by the suffering of Jesus Christ in his role as Redeemer (Isa. 41:14, “Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”) And in (Isa 48:17, “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.”). The word "redeem" means to pay the price to reclaim something, such as redeeming a coupon or paying the ransom to free someone from bondage. The scale is an ideal picture to communicate this idea. In addition, one can break the redemption process into three very clear

steps by looking at the process of freeing a kidnapped hostage. The steps can be thought of as 1) pay the ransom price, 2) get the hostage and remove him from captivity, and finally 3) set the hostage free. These three steps are illustrated in the accompanying zodiac sub-constellations or decans.

3.1 The Great Sacrifice - Set 2Authors on this subject also agree that the Sea Goat (#5, Capricorn or Capricornus) represents a sacrificial goat. It was not just lambs which were sacrificed in the tabernacle and later in the temple in the Law of Moses to represent the Savior, but sometimes it was a goat or a ram. Specifically, in the ritual on the Day of Atonement, the animal that represented the Lord that was sacrificed for the sins of Israel was a goat (Lev. 16:9, “And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering…,”). Some of the star names explicitly refer to this goat as being for sacrifice. The second star in the head, Dabih (Beta Cap), means "the Slaughtering One." This translation was taken from perhaps the foremost modern expert on Star Names, Paul Kunitzsch. Our Redeemer paid the price to buy us with His blood (His spiritual death on the cross) with His great suffering (from our sins poured out on Him), which was all part of His being the Great Sacrifice that would be offered in payment for our souls (John 1:29, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”); (Eph. 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”); (Rev. 5:6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits (7 ministries of God the Holy Spirit) of God sent out into all the earth.”). His spiritual suffering began at noon on the cross when the sins were sent through Him. He was in agony and screamed when He was forsaken by the Father and Holy Spirit while the sins of the world were pouring through His body for three hours so that we could have eternal life. The following decans tell more of the story of the Redeemer.

3.2 The Deliverer - Set 2The constellation Cancer (#11, Cancer) has been one of the toughest to understand. It is shown simply as a Crab (the meaning of the Latin word "cancer"). In ancient Egypt, this constellation was sometimes represented as a Scarab beetle, which was associated with immortality, but the symbolism has been somewhat unclear.

With this constellation, there are no useful star names to help us understand it, and the mythology associates it with the forces of evil. The crab attacked Hercules' foot while he fought the monster Hydra. Hercules then crushed the crab and that's about all we have in mythology. If this myth is authentic, then it deals with explaining a different side of the constellation, even as the Scorpion represents forces of evil in the myths.

It is here likely that the Crab was chosen as an excellent figure to represent the strong hand of Christ in His role after His death and burial when His soul descended into the chamber called Paradise in Hades where He grabbed hold of and freed the Old Testament believers who lived there after their deaths waiting for heaven to open up for them. Once Christ finished His work on the cross He went there to bring them out and escort them into heaven which was

open after He paid the price for our sins. (Exo 13:9, “And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.”); (Neh. 1:10, “They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.”); (Jer. 32:21, “You brought your people

The Golden Scales of Payment

The Goat is a Sacrifice

The Crab

15

Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror.”).

In the constellations, the circle of the zodiac represents the earth, with the four principal constellations being the four corners of the earth. Heavenly creatures such as birds tend to represent heavenly concepts, and are mostly found in the region north of the zodiac circle. On the other hand, the sea creatures are mostly found south of that circle, which area seems to represent the underworld, or Hades, the realm of the dead.

This symbolism may be very important in the choice of the Crab. It is an animal which can descend into the sea and come back out onto the dry land with its treasure securely held in its strong claws. Thus, it is proposed that as far as the work of Christ is concerned, the Crab represents the descent of Christ into the Paradise in Hades, to bring forth the captives or Old Testament believers from that chamber in His tenacious grasp, so that no one can "pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28). This picture of a hero descending into Hades to announce His victory and the conquer over the forces of evil (sin and Satan) to the demons incarcerated in Tartarus another chamber in Hades is common in many parts of the world, and was emphasized as a key role of Christ in the early Christian church. Of all crabs, it may be that the Fiddler Crab is the best figure for this constellation because it has such a strong right hand. The scriptures even specify that his strong hand is his "right hand" (Psa. 89:13, “You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.”)

The scriptural title for Christ fulfilling this role is "Deliverer." (2 Sam 22:2, “He said, ‘The LORD is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer…’”); (Psa. 18:2, “The LORD is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer, my God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold.”) To "deliver" means to carry something from one place to its intended destination.

Moses was called the deliverer of the Israelites.(Acts 7:35) Or rather, he was the agent through whom the Lord delivered his people from slavery in Egypt. Just what did freeing the Israelites have to do with delivery? Moses had been somewhat content in the land of Midian, when one day the Lord appeared to him and gave him the assignment to go down into Egypt where his people, the Jews, were in bondage, and to physically bring them out and then "deliver" them to their promised land. This is what made Moses the deliverer. The Lord said to Israel "I will carry and will deliver you" (Isa. 46:4), so it is clear that "deliver" is to be understood in the common usage. Look at the exact wording that the Lord used when he first called Moses to deliver Israel: “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” (Ex. 3:8, 10).

Note also how the Lord emphasizes His own "strong hand" as the delivering agent as He instructs the Israelites how to celebrate Passover, which remembers that awesome event: “Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with you, neither shall there be leaven seen with you in all your (living) quarters. And you shall show your son in that day, saying, this is done because of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt…For with a strong hand has the Lord brought you out of Egypt.” (Ex. 13:7-9).

Similarly, Jesus Christ descended into Hades where all who had died previously were living in the chamber of Paradise. They weren’t captives in the sense of having done something wrong, but were captives

The Fiddler Crab has a strong right hand

Figure 2. The Four "Redeemer" Constellations – Set Two

16

because they couldn’t leave Paradise until Jesus came to release and deliver them into Heaven. So His task was "to announce freedom to the captives (the Old Testament believers living there), and the opening of the chamber (Paradise) to them that are bound (stuck there until heaven opened up." (Isa. 61:1).

Note also the usage of the word "deliver" to describe the birthing process of salvation. This double meaning also fits well, for when Christ delivers us from sin; we are “reborn” or “born again.” Also the nation of Israel was literally "born" on the day of Passover in which they were delivered from Egypt. Before that day there had been many slaves imprisoned in the womb of Egypt, but then a great nation was literally born in that day. You could take the symbolism even farther and say that when they broke through the waters of the Red Sea, the birth was complete. Thus, the symbolism of a Deliverer is deep, and the crab is an ideal symbol to represent descending down into the waters (Hades) to retrieve the great treasure (O.T. believers) with his strong arm. The Fiddler Crab, with his

one huge claw, might be the ideal figure for this picture.

3.3 The Resurrection - Set 2The Ram (#8, Aries) is seen breaking the bands of death, and has been identified by all authors as representing Christ performing that very act. Jesus defeated sin and Satan on the cross and defeated death by His resurrection.

This is not a yearling lamb about to be sacrificed. This is an adult ram with horns, defeating the Sea Monster of death and hell in the myth. It became clearer that the name of the role of Christ it represents is "The Resurrection." That was a title for Christ, as in "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25). The suggestion that the Ram represents the Resurrection arises from the myths which accompany the figure. It is said that when Enoch was given the constellation pictures, that he was either given some stories to accompany them, or that he wrote some stories himself but we know that God inspired the teaching of the constellations so mankind could be saved in the absence of Scripture in written form. The myths which accompany the stars are very old and can be found in some form in Ancient Egypt, long before the Greeks. It just means that the myths come from the Truth that was manipulated by our satanic genius to cloudy the waters.

The ancients all agree that the Ram is the Ram with the Golden Fleece which saved Phrixus from having been sacrificed by his father Athamas atop Mount Laphystium and swept him away to the Caucasus Mountains near the Black Sea. After arriving safely there, Phrixus sacrificed the Ram, and then its fleece turned to gold. He presented the Golden fleece to the king there. Later it became the object of the epic voyage of Jason and the Argonauts, which is also represented in the constellations (a story very similar to Isaac having been saved from being sacrificed by Abraham in Gen. 22). The Ram appeared in the nick of time (like the ram in the thicket in (Gen. 22:13, “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.”).

It suggests that the Golden Fleece represents the body of the resurrected Savior, after he had been sacrificed, which shines with brilliant light. Being exposed to the light of Christ was enough to blind Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9). If the fleece represents eternal life, it would clearly be a worthy objective to pursue it by Jason and his heroes. So we can say that the Ram represents the Resurrection, breaking of the Bands of Death as shown in the zodiac.

Three Tasks in Three DaysNote that the three events represented by these three constellations were accomplished in three consecutive days of history. The Great Sacrifice of His suffering and death was completed on April 1st of AD 33 when the Lamb of God, without blemish, was offered to satisfy the demands of justice. The descent into Hades to deliver the Old Testament believers into Heaven occurred on April 2nd, which was Passover that year, the traditional time to free the captives, as at the Exodus from Egypt. Finally, the Resurrection of Christ occurred on the Sunday April 3rd. The fact that this set of constellations show so clearly these three essential steps of the Christ’s work, and that they are spaced evenly around the circle, makes the evidence undeniable that we have understood these constellations correctly.

4. THE KING OF KINGS – SET 3 – Second Advent

The Ram breaking the Bands of Death

17

The Lion (#12 Leo) is the king of beasts, and clearly symbolizes Christ as our King. (Isa. 44:6, “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, the LORD of hosts (armies): ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no God’”). It was the symbol of the tribe of Judah from whom the kings of Israel descend until today. Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah! In the Church Age since His salvation work on the cross was finished, He has a third title, which is King of kings and Lord of lords. His other two titles are Son of God and Son of David.

In ancient times an all-powerful king or emperor tended to have all governing power, being able to make the laws, judge those who broke

the law, and lead the armies and police to ensure that the laws were maintained. In the United States, those three subdivisions of power are clearly separated into three branches of government: the legislative branch to make laws, the executive branch to enforce them, and the judicial branch to make judgments. Each of these functions has a name in the Old Testament as a role which the Lord fulfills. That is, he is called the Lawgiver, the Lord of Hosts (head of the army), and the Judge, each of which represents the head of one of those three bodies.

The three decans which accompany the King Constellation of Leo represent these three functions, which makes this identification probably the most convincing. Let’s look at each of them carefully.

4.1 The Judge - Set 3The Scorpion (#3, Scorpio or Scorpius) is the symbol of the evil which attacks the people of God. But the Lord makes it clear over and over again that it is He who brought the enemy to Israel to place the sentence of His judgment because of their gross disobedience to His Laws.

One of the sub-constellations or decans of Scorpio is the Serpent, which clearly represents the same idea…judgment. The tribe of Dan adopted the serpent as its symbol, and the name "Dan" means "judge" in Hebrew. There is little doubt that the constellation of the Scorpion represents the Savior's role as Judge.

4.2 The Lawgiver - Set 3The Water Bearer (#6, Aquarius), seems to represent various sides of the Lord as a provider of an

abundance of good things…GRACE! The water being poured out onto the head of the fish represents blessings in general, temple ordinances in particular, and knowledge of the Word of God. This constellation is associated with knowledge of God’s Word. One role of Christ that it probably represents is Christ as the Master, meaning Master teacher. Remember the Bible is the “mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16). Most of the questions put to Him as Master (in the Gospels) was regarding the Law of Moses or the Mosaic Law.

As far as this comparison is concerned, it is the blessing of giving the Law of Moses which is shown. That was one of many blessings of knowledge given to the Israelites and later the Word of God given to believers of the Church Age. So among other things, it represents Jesus Christ as the great Lawgiver.

4.3 The Lord of Hosts - Set 3In English the meaning of this title in somewhat unclear. What hosts? In other languages the translation is clearer: it refers to the hosts of the army or the men or creatures that make up an army. The Lord is the head of army of Israel. This is essentially the function of the head of the executive branch of government, even as the President of the United States is the Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces.

The Lion, King of Beasts

The Scorpion of Judgment

The Water Bearer Pours out Blessings

The Bull

18

The constellation of the Bull (#9 Taurus) illustrates this role. It is an emblem representing great power, but it seems to be shown in a reclining position. The Book of Enoch makes it clear that the white Bull represents the Kingdom of God (the Millennium) in the last days, and Moses refers to its two horns as

pushing together the thousands of Manasseh and the ten thousands of Ephraim (Jewish tribes from Joseph). So it is stated that in this sense, Taurus represents Jesus Christ as the Lord of Hosts or Lord of the armies.

These twelve proposals are summarized in the following table:

The fact that these twelve fit into three patterns of four, each of which has a head with three subdivisions, greatly strengthens the case that we have understood these roles of Christ correctly. Each of the three subdivisions is truly separate names for roles the Savior fulfills, and they are true subdivisions of the heading, and they are equally spaced around the circle. That is too much of a coincidence to have been caused by blind chance. Moreover, there are indications that this pattern may repeat at different levels within itself.

5. ConclusionThe zodiac constellations were designed to illustrate twelve distinct roles of Jesus Christ. This appears to be correct because:

1) The figures are excellent choices to symbolize those roles.2) The twelve break into three sets of four which are equally spaced around the circle.3) Each set of four has one as header and the other three as subdivisions of that heading. 4) The constellations were reportedly revealed by an angel sent from God and so of course closely

tied to Jesus Christ.

Figure 3. The Four "King" Constellations

Constellation Name Role of Christ1. Maiden Virgo MESSIAH2. Scales Libra REDEEMER3. Scorpion Scorpius Judge4. Archer Sagittarius Savior5. Sea Goat Capricornus Great Sacrifice6. Water Bearer Aquarius Lawgiver, Master7. Fishes Pisces High Priest, Holy One8. Ram Aries Resurrection9. Bull Taurus Lord of Hosts10. Twins Gemini Son of God11. Crab Cancer Deliverer12. Lion Leo KING OF KINGS

19

These meanings suggest that the constellation figures also show the gospel in chronological order. As usual our heavenly Father provided through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit all the information that mankind would need to come to believe in the Messiah-Jesus Christ for salvation. As soon as Adam and Eve left the perfect paradise of the Garden of Eden and had their children, God provided the so needed salvation after their failure and what better place to begin with than in the expanse of the heavens that His Son created. God will never leave us without ALL the revelation we would need for salvation and spiritual growth…exactly what you are doing now…growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Close in prayer

20