Long before men perverted the message of the constellations and
established ancient idolatry, God named the stars and set them in the
heavens for signs:
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to
divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years” (Genesis 1:14).
The book of Job predates the writing of Genesis. Though it is part of the
Bible, it was written about a man who lived before Moses. Job had no
written Bible. The Bible this ancient pilgrim read consisted of a series
of constellations that appeared in the night skies high above the
earth.
There are references to these constellations in the book of Job, along
with an explanation of why they appear as they do in the heavens. Job 26
tells us that the
“crooked serpent” is one of God’s leading
characters in this drama of the ages and that these constellations
these
“pillars of heaven” make up the
“parts” of God’s
“ways”:
“The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his
reproof. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his
hand hath formed the crooked serpent. Lo, these are parts
of his ways … " (Job 26:11,13-14).
These verses explain that the constellations were devised to teach early
man about God’s plan for redemption. In the writings of his five famous
books, Moses noted that the sun, moon, planets and stars were given for
“signs” (Genesis 1:14).
In
The Gospel in the Stars, Joseph Seiss wrote: “For ages this
whole field has been almost entirely left to a superstitious and
idolatrous astrology, which has befouled a noble and divine science and
done immeasurable damage to the souls of men. But we here find it claimed
to be a sacred domain laid out of God in the original intent of Creation
itself.”
Cicero, in translating the account of the constellations by Aratus, says,
“The signs are measured out, that in so many descriptions divine wisdom
might appear.”
Dr. Adam Clarke says of the ancient Egyptians, “They held the stars to be
symbols of sacred things.” It is well known that “astronomy was the soul
of the Egyptian religious system. The same is equally true of the
Chaldeans and Assyrians.”
Albert Barnes once wrote: “There can be no doubt that Job refers here to
the constellations,” and that “the sense in the passage is, that the
greatness and glory of God are seen by forming the beautiful and glorious
constellations that adorn the sky.”
The constellations were known and studied as far back as the earliest
civilizations known to exist. The Sphinx that guards the Great Pyramid of
Giza, with its woman’s head and lion’s body, testifies to the ancient
existence of the constellations. The Zodiac is part of every ancient
culture – the Romans, Greeks, Babylonians and Egyptians. Yet, before them
all, Job confirmed that God had garnished the heavens with
“pillars”
including the
“crooked serpent” and that they represent
the
“parts of his ways.”
The Characters in the Drama
The
“serpent” mentioned in Job 26:13 is one of the leading
characters noted in Job’s
Mazzaroth (Zodiac). The various
constellations that refer to the serpent are:
Draco – a dragon curled around the northern polar star and whose
tail covers a third of the circle of the heavens.
Cetus – the Leviathan or sea dragon.
Scorpio – the seed of the serpent.
Hydra – the many-headed dragon, whose tail also covers a
third of the ecliptic path of the sun.
The Hebrew term used for
“crooked” actually refers to a “fleeing”
serpent. Among the various serpent figures in the Zodiac, Hydra
is
the only one seen trying to get away from the lion, who pounces on his
head; the bird, who eats his flesh; and the bowl of wrath being poured
out upon him. Therefore, Hydra appears to be the “fleeing serpent”
referred to in this most ancient of Old Testament books.
Job knew about the story God had placed in the stars. It is the story of
the conflict between the Seed of the woman (Virgo) and Scorpio, the seed
of the serpent. The son of Virgo
is none other than the Son of
God, while Scorpio
points to the Antichrist.
Christ is depicted in the constellations in various ways. The first and
last constellations tell the story of the Savior. They are
Virgo – who bears the Son of God and
Leo –
the Conquering Lion who comes to destroy Hydra, the many-headed Dragon.
The story begins in Bethlehem and ends with the King of kings returning
to conquer the old serpent who brought such ruin to the human
race.
Job does not give a detailed account of the Zodiac, but refers briefly to
those constellations that deal with the final judgment. He is asked about
certain objects in the constellation of Taurus. It is quite remarkable
that the conversation lands on this particular series of stars and
sidereal sidepieces in
Taurus because this is the constellation
that deals with the
“Day of the Lord.” Note that God refers
to a group of stars called the
Pleiades and the constellation of
Orion, both found in and around Taurus. Then Job refers to
Arcturus (KJV), whose name in Hebrew is
Ash “bear,” a clear
reference to Ursa Major; and finally to the
“chambers of the
south”:
“Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of
the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and
Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. Which doeth
great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number” (Job
9:8-10).
Before we look at these, let us note one other passage that deals with
these same constellations. Note that the ancient star chart is called by
its Hebrew term,
“Mazzaroth,” rather than the modern term,
Zodiac:
“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the
bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in
his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion
thereof in the earth? (Job 38:31-33)
This is a powerful statement that connects the last four constellations
with a future designated time in which the mighty Orion
returns
to judge the world as seen in the four concluding constellations of
Taurus, Gemini, Cancer
and Leo. These are the
“ordinances of
heaven” that, evidently, Job did not understand.
The seven stars of Pleiades
may be a reference to the seven
churches of Asia. In ancient Greek mythology, Pleiades
were seven
sisters loved by Orion. Their astronomical positions in relation to each
other are similar to the various locations of the seven cities of ancient
Asia. The
“sweet influences” may be a reference to the
impact Christianity has had upon the world over the past two
millennia.
The
“bands of Orion” refers to the mighty belt of which he is
invincibly girded, whose bands no one can loose. In the corrupted
mythology of the Greeks,
Orion walked on water; was stung in the
heal by Scorpio; prepared a lake of fire for the god of fire; and out of
love for the Pleiadic maiden, ridded the earth of all noxious beasts.
Though corrupted, the original message is obvious. Christ displayed all
of the attributes of Orion.
Taurus, depicted in the heavens as a raging bull, means “the Coming
Judge.” Over a century ago, Joseph Seiss titled his chapter on Taurus
as
“The Day of the Lord.” The twelve major constellations,
beginning with Virgo
and ending with
Leo, are divided into
three groups of four constellations each. The first four, Virgo, Libra,
Scorpio, and Sagittarius, present the First Advent of Christ. The next
four, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries, tell the story of the
Church Age. The final four, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and Leo, tell of the
Second Advent of Christ.
Like Job, however, we must admit ignorance when it comes to the question
that God put to the ancient pilgrim:
“Knowest thou the ordinances of
heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?” (Job
38:33). We can only speculate. We know very little about these
“ordinances of heaven.”
The Biblical View of the Constellations
David wrote,
“The heavens declare the glory of God … Day unto day
uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.” Obviously,
there is a message in the heavens that we need to understand.
For centuries, astrologers have been prognosticating the future, using
the zodiac and its series of planets, stars and constellations. Where did
they get the idea for such a thing? What is Astrology? And, what possible
connection does it have with the Bible?
We are reminded that astrology is a wicked and perverted religion. It was
the idolatry of the Old Testament, and should rightly be regarded as
satanic. Long before astrology was developed, however, there was an
ancient astronomy that dealt with an altogether different message.
Students of Eschatology need to understand that message. It is the
original prophecy of the First and Second Advents of the
Messiah.
If Christians could only understand the original prophetic message given
in the ancient names of the stars and constellations, no one would become
ignorantly involved with astrology. The truth would indeed set men free
from that ancient idolatry.
According to Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of the first century,
Seth, the son of Adam, invented “that peculiar sort of wisdom which is
concerned with the heavenly bodies and their order” (
“Antiquities,”
Book I, Chapter 2, Paragraph 3).
Long before the development of astrology, God placed His intriguing
message in the constellations. Every pagan religion throughout history is
nothing more than a perversion of that original story. During the days of
the Tower of Babel, wicked men perverted God’s original message and made
the constellations to mean something quite different from that which God
intended.
According to Genesis 1:14, God created the sun, moon, planets, and stars
for four basic reasons three of which, were to give the human race a
method by which to measure time. For example, the days of our week are
named after the sun, moon, and five planets.
Though the stars were basically stationary, these seven ancient wanderers
were not. They moved through the heavens with precision. Sunday was named
for the sun; Monday was named for the moon; Tuesday derived its name from
an ancient Anglo-Saxon word for Mars; Wednesday, or Woden’s day, was
named for the planet Mercury; Thursday, or Thor’s day, was named for
Jupiter; Friday derived its name from an Anglo-Saxon word for Venus; And
Saturday was named for Saturn.
There are twelve major constellations from which are derived the months
in a year. The sun enters a different constellation each month. The moon
was made to revolve for the counting of those months. In fact, the word
“month” is a derivative from the term “moon.”
The stars were originally divided into 48 constellations 12 major
constellations, with 36 decans or sidereal sidepieces.
Furthermore, the stars were given certain names, many of which have
survived throughout the course of history. In Psalm 147:4, we are told
that God named the stars:
“He telleth the number of the stars; He
calleth them all by their names.”
And again in Isaiah 40:26, the prophet wrote:
“Lift up your eyes
on high and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their
host by number; He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His
might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.”
When David wrote,
“night unto night sheweth knowledge” (Psalm
19:2), he must have been referring to meanings of the names of the stars.
Though most people in our generation are not aware of those ancient
names, David and his contemporaries were. In his native language of
Hebrew, the names of the stars were commonly used in messianic
prophecies.
Kenneth C. Flemming, in his book
“God’s Voice in the Stars,”
wrote, “God Himself is responsible for the names of the stars. He did not
entrust this task to Adam, as He did in the giving of names to
animals.
“During the first 2,500 years of human history, before writing became
widespread, these signs in the night sky were of particular importance.
They declared the glory of God as seen in the coming of the Savior” (page
23).
Where to Begin?
Since the great constellations tell the Gospel story, we must
determine where our study should begin. In the idolatrous religion of
astrology, the first constellation is considered to be Aries. Idolatry,
however, is diametrically opposite to God’s great message of salvation.
Therefore, the beginning constellation should be 180 degrees opposite
from Aries. The Gospel in the stars begins with Virgo, the virgin and
ends with Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
The ancient Egyptians designated the beginning of the heavenly series
with Virgo when they constructed the sphinx, which stands to the east of
the great pyramid of Giza. It shows a woman’s head on the body of a lion
indicating that the ancient star chart began with the virgin and ended
with the lion. Prophetically, Virgo represents the First Coming of
Christ, and Leo points to the Second Coming. The message begins at
Bethlehem, and concludes with the return of Christ!
Act One of Three Acts
The story is divided into a three-act play. The first four major
constellations and their sidepieces constitute Act One, and ends with
Draco losing his lofty position in the northern polar region. Act Two
covers the story found in Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Aries, and ends
with Cetus (the sea monster) rising out of the sea. Act Three tells the
story of Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo, and concludes with Hydra (the
many headed serpent) being destroyed.
The ancient star chart revolves around the story of the dispensation of
Grace. There is nothing in the Zodiac about the Creation, Flood, Law,
tabernacle, or temple. There is nothing in the stars to represent the
great dispensations that preceded Bethlehem. The whole message woven
throughout the ancient constellations gives us the dispensation of Grace.
Act One tells about the Savior’s First Advent; Act Two covers the Church
Age; and Act Three gives us His Second Coming.
Virgo
The constellation, Virgo, was given to represent God’s promise in
Genesis 3:15. It was in Eden that God spoke to the beguiling serpent:
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his
heel.”
The fact that the constellation is called a virgin reminds us of
Isaiah 7:14:
“Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall
call his name, Immanuel.”
The picture of Virgo is that of a woman with a shock of wheat in her
left hand and a branch in her right hand. The brightest star in the
constellation is located in the seed of the wheat. The star is called
Spica, a Latin word meaning “the branch.” Along with the branch in
her right hand, we are reminded of Isaiah 4:2:
“In that day shall the
branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious.”
In the Old Testament, our Savior is called
“a rod of the stem of
Jesse … a root out of dry ground.” And Zechariah called Him the
“Branch.”
There are three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of
Virgo, making a total of four constellations. There is Coma the Virgin
with her newborn son; Boötes the great harvestman; and Centaurus the
archer.
Coma
The word Coma means “the desired,” for the child in the lap of his
mother represents the desired one, the desire of women, the desire of all
nations the long awaited Messiah.
Isaiah offers another scripture that identifies this child. He
wrote:
“Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Yes, the virgin of Isaiah 7:14 bears a son, Immanuel
“God with
us!”
Boötes
Boötes is pictured as a shepherd bearing his rod, and as a
harvestman bearing his sickle. It is the Seed of the woman who will
come to reap the great harvest. The word Boötes means, “the Coming One.”
Another name for the Constellation was taken from a star in the left knee
of the Shepherd. It was called Arcturus, which also means, “He
cometh.”
Centaurus
In the ancient star chart, the Centaur is pictured as being half
human and half horse. That, however, is not the original concept of the
constellation. The name Centaurus simply means, “two natures.” Obviously,
it referred to the fact that since the Seed of the woman was “virgin
born,” he was not the seed of man. His two natures, then, represent a
combination of humanity and deity. He is God clothed in human flesh and,
therefore, can rightly be called Immanuel, which means “God with
us.”
In Genesis 15, the story is given of Abraham and the covenant made by God
with him. Genesis 15:5:
“And he brought him forth abroad, and said,
Look now toward the heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to
number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be.”
The message written in the stars refers to the
“seed” of
Abraham. The telling of the stars and the numbering of the stars presents
a prophetic message of the coming Savior of the world. Jesus Christ is
the ultimate fulfillment of that great message. Virgo and her attending
sidereal sidepieces represent the beginning of an adventure to destroy
the seed of the serpent and to rescue the human race.
In the 12th chapter of Revelation she is seen clothed in the sun with the
moon under her feet, giving birth to the Messiah. This tells us that His
birth was on Rosh Hashanah, a time when the constellation Virgo is hidden
by the sun and the new moon appears beneath her feet! Virgo represents
both the house of Israel and Mary.
Libra
The next major constellation is Libra. There are two ancient stories
that emerge from this constellation. The first rendering of Libra was
that of a lamp indicative of the servant lamp in the menorah. Scorpio
is shown in some ancient drawings as trying to seize the lamp. The lamp
denotes the nature of the
“seed of the woman,” being positioned
just beneath the feet of Virgo. Scorpio wants the lamp for himself.
Scorpio, as we shall see, represents the
“seed of the serpent.” It
is the first representation of the conflict between the seed of the woman
and the seed of the serpent.
In other cultures, Libra was depicted as a set of scales. Libra
represented the condition of the human race after the fall of Adam.
“Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting” (Dan.
5:27). The sign of Libra has been associated with justice and order
throughout the centuries. For that reason, the symbol has often been used
on buildings housing courts of law and justice.
This was the message given to Belshazzar, king of Babylon. In Daniel
5:27, Belshazzar failed to satisfy the righteous demands of God:
“Thou
art weighed in the balances and art found wanting.” Is that not also
descriptive of the human race? We are all guilty before the great
Judge.
There are two main stars in the sign of Libra, which tell the story of
the prophecy. In one side of the scales, there is a star called
Zuben
Al Genubi. It means “the price which is deficient.” Undoubtedly, it
points to the price which man might attempt to pay for redemption. There
is no way one can obtain salvation through good works for the price is
deficient.
On the other side of the scales, however, there is a star called
Zuben
Al Chemali, meaning “the price which covers.” It is a picture of the
price paid by Christ for the redemption of the sinner.
The constellation, Libra, is attended by three sidereal sidepieces, which
help to tell the story of the price of redemption.
Crux – The Southern Cross
The first of the three constellations related to Libra is a group of
stars in the form of the Southern Cross. The ancient title is Crux. In
the northern hemisphere, we cannot see the Southern Cross. It lies below
the southern horizon. In the ancient star charts, by the way, the south
always represented hell, and the north represented heaven. The
constellation reveals the price that was paid by the seed of the woman in
order to redeem mankind.
Lupus
The second constellation related to Libra is known as Lupus, but the
Latins called it Victima the victim. The seed of the woman became the
victim upon the cross and, in so doing, became the price that
covers.
Corona Borealis
The third constellation in Libra is called Corona Borealis the
Northern Crown. It is a beautiful semi-circle of a half dozen stars
located in the northern hemisphere. The story of Libra is this man is a
sinner. We are weighed in the balances of God’s justice and are found
wanting. The seed of the woman, however, came to become a victim to pay
the price for our sins. He died as a substitute upon the Southern Cross
that He might gain for us the Northern Crown.
Scorpio
The third great constellation is Scorpio. It represents a scorpion,
though in some early cultures, he is depicted as a dragon or serpent. As
we said earlier, in the 7th century B.C., he is shown trying to seize the
lamp. Scorpio wants to be the “light of the world.” In other cultures,
Scorpio is seen trying to sting the heel of the mighty Ophiuchus, who is
seen in the ancient star charts wrestling with a great snake, called
Serpens.
While the Scorpion is trying to wound the heel of Ophiuchus, the head of
Scorpio is being wounded. It is said that the word, Scorpio, means “the
Lawless One,” and as such, represents the seed of the serpent the
Antichrist.
The star in the heart of Scorpio is called
Anteres. When seen in
the nighttime sky, it gives the appearance of a deep red color and means,
“the wounding.” While Ophiuchus is crushing the head of Scorpio, he is
seen binding the serpent, who is trying to gain the northern crown. There
are three sidereal sidepieces to the constellation Scorpio Serpens,
Ophiuchus, and Hercules. These help to tell the story of the conflict
seen in Scorpio.
Serpens
The serpent (Serpens) represents Satan, who has tried to usurp the
throne of God. He is seen trying to grab the Northern Crown. He cannot do
so, however, because he is being held back by Ophiuchus.
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus is obviously a view of Christ who, though His heel is
bruised in the conflict, succeeds in bruising the head of the Lawless
One. In his hands he holds Serpens, keeping him from obtaining the
Northern Crown.
Hercules
The other hero character is Hercules. He can be seen in the star
chart beating a many-headed snake with his club. The snake is shown in
the branches of a tree most likely the
“tree of the knowledge of
good and evil.” Hercules is another picture of the great
Redeemer.
Kenneth C. Fleming, in his book
God’s Voice in the Stars, wrote
that the sign of Virgo pointed to Christ as the sign of the promised Seed
of the woman; the sign of Libra showed the price He paid to secure man’s
redemption; and the sign of Scorpio presented the conflict He had to
endure. These celestial prophecies were given in the beginning, and were
confirmed and expanded in Scripture.
Finally, they were fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ. Scorpio, who
represents the Lawless One, is pictured as the seed of the serpent. In an
ancient Egyptian Zodiac, the sign of Scorpio was represented as a monster
serpent called Python. It not only represented the great conflict fought
at Calvary, but also seems to have prophetic implications concerning the
end-time when the Antichrist shall arise.
Sagittarius
The fourth great constellation is called Sagittarius, appearing in
the form of a centaur half human, half horse. It is the same concept as
was given in the story of Virgo. Centarus, one of the sidereal sidepieces
in Virgo, represented the two natures of the Redeemer His deity and
humanity. In Sagittarius, He is both triumphant and victorious. Though He
appears in the form of a Centaur, we are reminded that our Savior will
return some day, riding upon a flying white horse.
The main actor in the constellation is the Archer. The Centaur, or
God-man, has a great bow in his hand, with the arrow aimed at the heart
of Scorpio, the enemy. Sagittarius, like the other major constellations,
has three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story.
Lyra
First, there is Lyra. This star group is pictured as a harp and
refers to the praise so deserved by Sagittarius. The brightest star in
the constellation is called Vega. It means, “He shall be exalted.” It
directs our attention to the praise from the harp. In Revelation 5:9,13,
we are told that the host of heaven will sing a new song saying,
“Thou
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation” (v. 9). The host of heaven will sing,
“Blessing
and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (v. 13).
Ara
Further to the south from Sagittarius is its second sidereal
sidepiece an altar called Ara. The altar is seen upside down, with its
fire poured out over the South Pole called “the regions of outer
darkness.” Here begins a cloud of stars, which runs throughout the
heavens. Today, it is called the Milky Way, but in some ancient star
charts, it was referred to as “the lake of fire.”
The word Ara, name of the upturned altar means, “it is finished. There is
no more sacrifice for sin.”
Draco
The concluding constellation, which forms a sidereal sidepiece to the
great Sagittarius is Draco the dragon. This staging of the dragon
concludes the first act in the prophetic drama.
Draco is a long winding constellation made up of stars, which wrap around
the northernmost part of the hemisphere. It covers one-third of the
circumference and reminds us of Revelation 12:3,4:
“And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red
dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads.
“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven.”
Some 4,700 years ago, the great dragon star,
Thuban, was in
fact the polar star. Over the centuries, however, Draco has fallen from
his lofty position and has been replaced by
Polaris kicked out
of heaven because he tried to usurp the throne of God.
The message seen in the ancient star chart tells a story quite different
from that which astrology would have us believe. Those who would try to
prognosticate the future, by use of a horoscope, are actually perverting
God’s original message given in the constellations. Satan did not invent
the zodiac. In fact, it is my opinion that Satan is incapable of
inventing anything. He has only perverted what God originally
created.
God made and named the great constellations and their stars. And the
meanings of their names represent the message of redemption from Virgo,
corresponding with His birth at Bethlehem, to Leo, corresponding with His
return as the
“lion of the tribe of Judah” to establish His
kingdom upon the earth.
Act Two
Act Two of the great drama is presented through the constellations of
Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries. These signs, together with their
constellations, explain not so much the person of the Redeemer, but the
results of his redeeming work, particularly in relation to the people who
are redeemed.
Capricorn
The curtain rises with a very unlikely actor on the stage. It is a
goat with the tail of a fish. This strange monstrosity presents a
magnificent message when we understand that the goat represents the
sacrificial animal used on the Day of Atonement and the fish represents
that body of believers who have received life out of the death of the
great sacrifice.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial goat and believers are
represented by the fish. In some ancient star charts, the goat appears to
be dying with its head bowed and its leg folded, while the fish tail is
living and vigorous.
There are two stars in the head of the goat that tell the story.
Daneb
Algedi, which means “the sacrifice comes,” and
Dabih, which
means “the sacrifice slain.” Note that from the dying goat comes a living
fish. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that Christ is the head of the
Church while, in turn, the Church represents the body of Christ thus
the head of a goat and body of a fish. When Jesus appointed His first
disciples in Matthew 4:19, He said,
“I will make you fishers of
men.”
Sagitta
There are three sidereal sidepieces that help to tell the story of
Capricorn. First, there is a small but ancient constellation called
Sagitta the arrow of God’s judgment against sin. It represents that
which pierced the Son of God when He became the sacrifice for the sins of
the world. It depicts the instrument of divine justice on Christ who took
the place of guilty man.
The Psalmist wrote of it in Psalm 38:2,
“Thine arrows stick fast in
me, and thy hand presseth me sore.” Job spoke of a similar thing when
he lamented,
“The arrows of the almighty are within me” (Job 6:4).
Every born again believer can appreciate with deep feeling that
“He
was wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5).
Aquilla
The second sidereal sidepiece is Aquilla the falling eagle. The
ancient names for the stars in the constellation tell the obvious story.
There is a star in the falling eagle called
Al Okal, which means
“wounded in the heel.”
Furthermore, the eagle is one of the symbols of Christ in the Bible. For
instance, in Exodus 19:4, God spoke to Moses and the children of Israel
saying,
“I bear you on eagle’s wings, and brought you unto myself.”
Kenneth C. Fleming, in his book
God’s Voice in the Stars, put
it this way: “The eagle seen in this constellation is consistent with
what we have noted in the whole sign of Capricorn. The slain goat of the
sin offering is followed by the arrow of God’s judgment and the pierced
and falling eagle.”
Delphinus
The third sidereal sidepiece is a constellation called Delphinus. It
represents a dolphin, springing out of water. It is the picture of
resurrection. Our Savior died to rise again.
Furthermore, the dolphin is another creature born of water and, may I
add, water is a type of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. The resurrected
dolphin represents eternal life given to all who believe.
Aquarius
The next major constellation following Capricorn is Aquarius the
great water bearer. Our Savior identified Himself as the fulfillment of
Aquarius in John 4:14. He said,
“Whosoever drinketh of the water that
I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him
shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life.”
Furthermore, we can see its fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost when
the Spirit of God was poured out upon believers. That is the message to
be found in Aquarius. Throughout the Bible, water has been symbolic of
the Holy Spirit.
The prophet Joel described it when he wrote,
“And it shall come to
pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh” (Joel
2:28).
The Apostle Peter repeated the message on the Day of Pentecost when he
explained the
“rushing mighty wind” and the
“tongues like as of
fire” that
“sat upon each of them.” Yes, the message in the
constellation Aquarius found its ultimate fulfillment through the Day of
Pentecost.
Pisces Australis
The water bearer can be seen pouring out his water upon Pisces
Austrialis, the Southern Fish the first of the sidereal sidepieces. The
fish, again, represents that which was born of water and of the spirit
that great body of believers down through the ages.
Cygnus
The second sidereal sidepiece in the constellation Aquarius is called
Cygnus the Swan of the Northern Cross. The constellation reveals a
beautiful swan flying across the heavens, but the stars form the shape of
a cross. It implies the message of “going to and fro throughout the earth
bearing the sign of the cross.”
Pegasus
The third sidereal sidepiece is a flying white horse named Pegasus.
Its message is that of the returning Christ. Revelation 19 reveals the
beautiful story:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat
upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge
and make war.
“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is
called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:11-13).
This is the message to be found in Pegasus. Please note, the dispensation
begins with the pouring out of His Spirit upon all flesh as seen by the
great water bearer. The constellation Pisces Austrinus represents that
vast throng of believers who have received the water of life.
During this dispensation, it is our responsibility to go to and fro
throughout the earth bearing the sign of the cross as can be seen in the
constellation Cygnus. Finally, the dispensation will end with the return
of Jesus Christ in power and great glory on the back of a flying white
horse as seen by the constellation Pegasus.
In the shoulder of Pegasus there is a bright star called
Markab.
It means “returning from afar.” For more than 2,500 years the world was
without a written revelation from God. The question is, “Did God leave
Himself without a witness?” We are told in the Scriptures that He did
not. In Romans 1:19, it is written,
“That which may be known of God is
manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
But how was God known? How were His invisible things His plans, His
purposes, and His councils known since the creation of the world? We are
given the answer in Roman 10:18. Having stated in verse 17 that
“faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God,” He asks,
“But I
say, Have they not heard? Yes verily.” And we may ask, “How have they
heard?” The answer follows;
“Their sound went into all the earth, and
their words unto the ends of the world” (Romans 10:18).
What words? What instructions? Whose message? There is only one answer
and that is the heavens! Long before there was a written Bible, there was
a message written in the stars. Romans 10:18 refers to that message. It
is a passage quoted from Psalm 19, the first part of which is occupied
with the revelation of God written in the stars, and the latter part of
the chapter with the revelation of God written in the word. This is the
simple explanation of the beautiful Psalm 19:1-2:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night
sheweth knowledge.”
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The twelve major constellations along with their sidereal sidepieces
present the original drama of the ages in the form of what I call a
Three-Act play. Act One is presented through the first four
constellations Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. It begins in
Bethlehem with the birth of the
“Seed” of the woman, and
establishes his conflict with and victory over Scorpio the
“seed” of the serpent. Act Two is presented through four
constellations Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Aries. They represent
the Church Age and New Testament Christianity, whose astronomical symbol
is a fish. The last four constellations, along with their sidereal
sidepieces, represent the concluding act in the great drama of the ages
The Tribulation Period followed by the Second Coming of Christ. It is
presented through the constellations Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and
Leo.
Taurus
The sign of Taurus opens Act Three, showing us the coming of the Judge of
all the earth. Taurus is pictured as a raging bull, coming furiously.
Only the front half of the bull is depicted in the constellation. Where
the back end of the bull would normally be drawn stands the constellation
Aries, the Lamb as if the bull is coming out of Aires. It is a
magnificent picture of Christ who came the first time as the Lamb of God
to take away the sins of the world, but will return one day bringing
judgment upon the wicked.
Taurus is unlike domestic bulls. It was probably an animal that is now
extinct a ferocious relative of domestic cattle, called “
Rimu”
in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Rimu is translated
“unicorn” in
the King James Version of the Bible and was thought to be a mythological,
one-horned creature. However, it was more likely a large wild ox. Famous
for its size and ferocity, it may have survived until the times of the
Roman Ceasars, but is now extinct. The wild bull, or
Rimu, was a
symbol of power and rule.
Balaam, described the power of Jehovah on behalf of Israel in Numbers
23:22 when he said,
“God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were
the strength of an unicorn” (
Rimu).
Taurus is the sign of coming judgment. It is the
“day of vengence of
our God” (Isaiah 61:20). It is a
“day of wrath” (Rom. 2:5)
from which we shall be delivered for
“God hath not appointed us to
wrath” (I Thes. 5:9). Taurus means “governer, captain, or leader.” In
the shoulder of Taurus is a group of stars known as the
Pleiades,
meaning “congregation of the judge.”
Auriga
One of three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of Taurus,
is the constellation Auriga. It is the picture of the Great Shepherd. He
sits calmly above the rushing bull, holding a mother goat that has just
given birth to a pair of kids in his lap. In the heart of the goat is a
brilliant star called
Capella, meaning “she goat.” A small
triangle of stars near
Capella is called
Haedi, meaning
“the kids,” and marks the two offspring of the mother goat in the lap of
Auriga. It is an ancient picture of the great shepherd protecting his
people from the day of wrath.
There is a bright star in the foot of the shepherd called
Elnath,
meaning “the wounded.” It reminds us that the coming Judge is the one who
was
“wounded for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5).
Elnath
reminds us that our Savior was to be wounded in the heel, as predicted in
Genesis 3:15.
Orion
The second sidereal sidepiece is Orion, which is said to be the most
spectacular and wonderful sight in the night sky. Orion is pictured as a
mighty hunter with a club in his right hand. In his left hand, he holds
the skin of a lion that he has killed. Orion is mentioned twice in the
book of Job and once in the prophecy of Amos. Orion means “coming forth
as light.”
The brightest star in the constellation is
Betelgeuse, meaning
“the coming of the branch.” Another star in his foot is
Rigel,
meaning “the foot that crushes.” In the shoulder of the constellation is
a star called
Bellatrix, meaning “quickly coming.” In his leg is a
star called
Saiph meaning, “bruised.” Again, as in every other
case, we are reminded of Christ crushing the head of the seed of the
serpent. Orion is obviously a picture of Christ coming in power and great
glory.
Eridanus
The third sidereal sidepiece is Eridanus, the “river of fire,” flowing
from the raised foot of Orion. It represents the method by which
Christ will crush the head of the seed of the serpent. Josephus tells us
that Adam received a prophecy that God would destroy the world twice
once with water and once with fire. Eridanus represents the judgment of
fire. It runs across the heavens toward the south. In the river are
several named stars:
Archernar means “the afterpart of the river;”
Cursa means “bent down;” and
Zourac means “flowing.” This
is a magnificent prophetic message found in the constellation Taurus. It
opens the final act in this great drama of the ages flowing out upon a
starlit stage the panarama of the night sky.
Gemini
The next major constellation is Gemini. In the star chart, it is pictured
as a pair of twin boys. However, in the ancient Denderah Zodiac of Egypt,
it was depicted as a man and a woman. In the coptic language, Gemini was
called
Pi-mahi, meaning “the united.” I believe it represents the
Savior and His bride.
There are two stars, which mark the heads of the two people in Gemini
Castor and
Pollux. These are Latin names. You may recall in
Acts 28:11, the Apostle Paul traveled on a ship,
“whose sign was
Castor and Pollux.” Castor means “ruler or judge” and
Pollux means “wounded, hurt, afflicted.” Again, we are reminded of
the suffering Savior who will come one day to be united with His bride.
He is destined to rule over the earth as King of kings and Lord of
lords.
Canis Major
Like the other major constellations there are three sidereal sidepieces,
which help to tell the story of Gemini. The first is Canis Major. It is
depicted as a large dog and should be considered along with the second
sidereal sidepiece, Canis Minor a small dog. Over the centuries, these
two constellations lost their original significance. The Greeks supposed
them to be the hunting dogs of Orion when, in fact, the names of the
stars in Canis Major and Canis Minor reveal that they were not originally
dogs at all, but pictures of the Prince of Peace and Redeemer of the
world.
The most significant star Canis Major is
Sirius the brightest
star in the entire heavens. It is only nine light years away, making it
one of Earth’s nearest neighbors among the millions of stars.
Sirius is the most glorious star in the sky, meaning “the Prince.”
It is the root word from which we derive the title, “Sir.”
Canis Minor
Canis Minor is represented as a lesser dog. It is a small group of stars
just south of Gemini. Though the original meaning of Canis Minor has long
since been obscured, we can easily determine its original meaning through
the bright star
Procyon, meaning “Redeemer or Savior.” That is the
true meaning of the constellation. Long ago, the Egyptians called it
Sebak, meaning “the conquering or victorious.” Both Canis Major
and Canis Minor help to tell the story of the coming conquering
Redeemer.
Lepus
The third sidereal sidepiece is Lepus. In the star chart it is depicted
as a rabbit, but in the most ancient zodiacs, it was a snake. It is
located just below Orion, the glorious prince who crushes the head of
Lepus, the serpent. There is a star in Orion’s raised foot called
Rigel, meaning “the foot that crushes.”
The brightest star in Lepus is
Arneb, meaning “the enemy of him
who comes.” There is another star called
Nihal, meaning “the mad”
and another star
Sulya, meaning “the deceiver.” Yes, the major
constellation Gemini, along with its sidereal sidepieces represents the
coming Bridegroom as Prince of Peace, Savior, and Redeemer who will
conquer the enemy trodden underfoot. He is coming to rapture the saints,
thus keeping us from going through the Tribulation Period.
In Luke 21:25, Jesus said that the last days would be characterized by
signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars. One day, our Savior will
come to carry out those great prophecies found in the stars. When God
created the heavens, He gave the stars certain names, the meanings of
which tell the story of God’s great plan of the ages. God gave this story
to Adam and his offspring. According to Flavius Josephus, Seth, the son
of Adam, invented that “peculiar science which deals with the heavenly
bodies and their order.”
Cancer
The eleventh constellation is Cancer. It is depicted as a crab and
denotes that which is born of water. This reminds us of New Testament
Christianity whose symbol is that of a fish, for we have been born of
water a type of the Holy Spirit. The crab has an unusual feature.
Periodically, it sheds it outer skin and comes forth with what appears to
be new life. The symbol represents Resurrection of those New Testament
saints, who are a part of the Rapture and accompany the translated living
saints to heaven.
According to E. W. Bullinger, in his book,
The Witness of the
Stars, the sign of Cancer was represented in an ancient Egyptian
Zodiac as a scarob beatle, but the implication was the same. In ancient
Egypt, the scarob would crawl under a rock. Later, the beatle would break
open the shell of its body and emerge as a beautiful winged creature to
fly away. Again, the implication is that of Resurrection.
According to Kenneth C. Fleming, in his book
God’s Voice in the
Stars the word Cancer comes from a root word meaning “to hold or
encircle.” For that reason, Fleming believes the constellation refers to
an ancient eastern inn where the animals were kept for safety. In another
ancient Zodiac the constellation was called
Klaria, meaning
“cattlefolds.” If this is the meaning of Cancer, then it is a picture of
heaven where the Shepherd keeps His sheep! That is still in keeping
with the overall concept of the Resurrection and Rapture.
There are several stars in Cancer. The brightest star is
Tegmine,
meaning “holding;” another star,
Acubene, means “sheltering or
hiding place;”
Ma’Alaph means “assembled thousands;”
Al
Himarean means the “kids or lambs;” and a cluster of stars in the
middle of the constellation,
Praesepe, means “multitude.” It is a
beautiful view of that day when we shall be transported into heaven to
stand before our Savior.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions,” said Jesus.
“If it
were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you
unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
What a magnificent promise!
Ursa Minor
There are three sidereal sidepieces, which help to tell the story of
Cancer. The first attending constellation is Ursa Minor, known today as
the Little Dipper. Before the constellation became a dipper, it was
referred to as a bear. However, the bear does not appear at all in the
old Zodiacs of Chaldea, Persia, Egypt, or India. Long before the
constellation became a bear, it was pictured as a sheepfold. It
represents heaven, the place where the Great Shepherd keeps His
sheep.
There are seven bright stars in Ursa Minor, but a total of 24, which make
up the complete constellation. The seven stars remind us of the seven
lamps of fire which burn before the throne of God, and the 24 stars
remind us of the 24 elders in Revelation 4, which are seated around the
throne of God.
The most significant star in Ursa Minor is
Polaris. It is called
the North Star, and we are reminded of Isaiah 14:13, which indicated that
heaven was pictured in the
“sides of the north.” This does not
mean that heaven revolves above the North Pole. It simply means that in
the ancient constellations the north represented heaven, while the south
represented hell.
The Greeks called Ursa Minor by the name
Arcas, from which we get
words like “arctic” in English.
Arcas means bear, but the root
meaning is “the stronghold of the saved.”
There is a star in the constellation called
Kochab, meaning
“waiting for the coming;” another star,
Alkaid, means “the
assembled;” and yet another,
Alpherkdain, means “the redeemed
assembly.”
Ursa Major
Another sidereal sidepiece is Ursa Major, which, along with Ursa Minor,
seems to tell the same story. Though it is depicted as the Big Dipper, it
orginally referred to “the assembled flock.” As in the case of Ursa
Minor, there are also seven bright stars, which make up the constellation
of Ursa Major. The brightest star is
Dubeh, meaning “herd or
flock;”
Merach means “the flock purchased;”
Phaeda means
“visited, guarded, or numbered;” and
Benet Naish means “the
daughters of the assembly.”
It is a magnificent view of the vast assembly of believers who are
reserved in heaven today awaiting the resurrection. Both Ursa Major and
Ursa Minor compliment the constellation Cancer by representing the great
sheepfold in heaven where the Shepherd keeps redeemed believers.
Argo
The third sidereal sidepiece to Cancer is a ship called Argo. It was the
celebrated ship of the Argonauts. According to Greek mythology, its
captain, Jason, recovered the Golden Fleece from the serpent. To do so,
of course, he had to fight both a dragon and a giant. From the ancient
mythological story we can glean the true meaning of the “old ship Zion
thus sailing along.” I think it represents heavens
“clouds”
possibly the celestial transportation vehicles for resurrected and
translated saints. Jason could have been an ancient story of the
Redeemer; the Golden Fleece is a symbol of eternal life; the dragon is
symbolic of Satan; and the giant could represent the largest of all
earthly wars Armageddon.
Of the stars in the constellation, the brightest is
Canopus,
meaning “the possession of him who comes.” Another star,
Sephina,
means “the multitude.” They appear to represent the ship of our
salvation. Such is the story to be found in the great constellation of
Cancer.
Leo
Now we come to the end of the circle. We began with Virgo, the virgin,
and we shall end with Leo, the lion. No one who has followed our study
can doubt that we have here the solving of the riddle in the Sphinx, for
its head is Virgo, and its body is Leo. In Leo we reach the end of the
revelation as inspired in the Word of God.
The constellation is depicted as a great lion pouncing upon its prey. It
is a magnificent view of the
“Lion of the tribe of Judah,” so
beautifully described in Revelation 5:5. When our Savior came the first
time, He came as the
“Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the
world” (John 1:29). But when He comes the second time, He shall come
as the
“Lion of the tribe of Judah” to establish His kingdom upon
the Earth.
Hydra
Like the other major constellations, there are three sidereal sidepieces,
which help to tell the story of Leo. The first is Hydra the many-headed
serpent. It is a huge constellation extending approximately one-third the
distance around the circle of the heavens, reminding us that Satan’s
“tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven” (Rev. 12:4).
Hydra means, “he is abhorred!” It is composed of 60 stars a multiple of
the number six. The idea with Hydra is that when one cuts off its head,
two grow back in its place. He is the great red dragon known as
Satan.
Crater
The second sidereal sidepiece is called Crater and is represented as a
cup, bowl, or vial of God’s wrath being poured out upon Hydra. I think it
is significant that the constellation is made up of 13 stars, the number
of “ill omen.” It reminds us of the story in Revelation 15 and 16 where
seven angels take up vials of wrath and pour them out upon the kingdom of
the Antichrist.
Corvus
Finally, the third sidereal sidepiece is Corvus. It is the view of a bird
eating the flesh of Hydra. We are reminded of that day when the birds
will come to eat the flesh of the slain on the battlefields of
Armageddon.
Leo, the lion, is seen jumping on Hydra ripping, tearing, and
destroying him. Here is the conclusion of the whole matter. Here is the
final triumph of the Son of God and the consummated victory of the
“Seed” of the woman over the
“seed” of the
serpent.
So, there you have it. The constellations were named by our great
Creator, and prepared to tell the story of redemption for fallen
humanity. The message was given to Seth, the son of Adam. For 2,500
years, before the writing of Genesis, those early civilizations were able
to study the message of God’s love and redemption. That is the message of
those mysterious signs in the heavens.