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The book of the Bible you skip over; Leviticus. #1 of 4, God's 3rd choice

4/24/2021

Hi all,
If any book is skipped over in our personal reading, it is Leviticus, literally 'About the Levites'. And on the surface with good reason; it is full of details of a culture and system to which we cannot relate or understand. It's boring, and so detailed that after we read a chapter we don't even know what we read.

Yet it is anything but boring if we know what to look for, including the fact the Levites were not God's 1st choice. That is good for those who wonder what the Father thinks of them, or feel they have let Him down by life choices. It is an example of the Lord's big picture perspective on our lives, His ability to adjust, and His grace.

The Levites - not God's original choice
In Exodus 19 Israel arrives at the foot of Mount Sinai, 47 days out of Egypt. For 3 more days they fast and prepare themselves to hear directly from the Lord. On the 50th day, which was the original Day of Pentecost, God speaks to them. Verse 6 says He wants to make the whole nation "a kingdom of priests". The whole nation of priests!

They weren't sure what that was about, and in 20:18-21 when they saw the lightning and heard the thunder from God's presence on the mountain, they rejected their whole-nation priesthood: (To Moses) "You speak with Him, don't let us speak with Him or we will die." They rejected their whole-nation priesthood right then and there.

The Lord is flexible, for them, and for us
With their rejection of His call on their lives, He adjusted. He stated He had legal claim to the first born through the blood of the lamb shed on Passover, but found resistance with that too. So He provided a way for parents to buy back their firstborn from the Lord if those chose, using a sliding scale offering based on their income.

You may recall Mary and Joseph gave the minimum offering of 2 pigeons/doves to buy back their firstborn, Jesus, from the Father. That is in Luke 2:22-24. I hope no one misses the humility of the Father and beauty in that irony: The Father so loved the world He gave His only Son to mankind, who was a firstborn. Then He allowed Joseph and Mary to 'buy back' their son so that He could become the Son who would 'go into ministry anyway', and to the cross.

You may also recall in I Samuel 1:11 that Hannah promised God through her tears to give her firstborn to the Lord to be raised as a priest, if only she and her husband could conceive. In other words, she vowed not to use the 'escape clause' and let the Lord have her firstborn.

Eli the priest assured her the Lord heard her prayer, and the boy Samuel was the result. When he was weaned she kept her word and obeyed the Law of the firstborn, giving him to ministry in the temple. He became the last Judge of Israel, a Seer and prophet to Kings Saul and David.

Enter Aaron and Moses' family: The Levites
Israel had rejected being a nation of priests, and they didn't like being forced to give their firstborn to the Lord. So the Lord provided yet another alternative:

In Numbers 3:12-13 God says this: "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of the firstborn that opens the womb; therefore the Levites will be mine. However, the firstborns still belong to me for on that day I struck Egypt I set aside all the firstborn in Israel...Mine they will be, for I AM."

This was how they transferred responsibility for the priesthood from the whole nation onto the Levites:
"You will bring the Levites before the Lord in front of the tabernacle, and you will gather the whole nation of Israel together with them. You will bring the Levites directly in front of the tabernacle, and the children of Israel will lay their hands on the Levites for the work of the Lord. And Aaron will offer the Levites to the Lord on behalf of Israel for service to the Lord, that they may execute the service of the Lord." Numbers 8:9-11

And that is how the Levites ended up being in the ministry. God's 3rd choice.

If you are your own worst enemy....
Church culture can make a person feel that if they 'missed it' then it is all over, maybe they've even lost their salvation. Many feel like God called them to this or that in years prior, but then life happened when they were busy doing other things. Now looking back over their life they feel they've let God down, and wonder how He feels about them. Here we see a whole nation rejecting the call of God on their lives, and what did the Father do? He adjusted.

Part of the answer is that you and I are already in eternity, so nothing in Him is lost. You don't die and then enter eternity. You are now alive forever. Forever. We are in eternity right now. His Word doesn't return void, so that means you may fulfill your call in the Millennial age, perhaps 50, 200, 500, 7,000 years from now or more - you're already living in 'forever', so there is time to enter into what was missed in this life.

His Word WILL happen in you life
I've shared many times about the couple in our church years ago who had great prophecies spoken over them, but things went poorly and they ended up divorced. In a visitation I asked the Lord about that couple. His answer stunned me:

"They will fulfill their call the age to come. When I asked for chapter and verse, He said: "There are many prophecies given in the Old Testament which jump over this time of the Gentiles to speak of the Millennial age to come. So why is it hard for you to believe a Word given to someone in this age can't come to pass in the next?" So I take the big picture approach to my life, He does too: "So that in the ages to come (the Father) will continue to show the riches of His kindness which is towards us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7)

God's flexibility to Israel:
"The whole nation will be a kingdom of priests to Me!"
"Uh...no. You talk to Moses and then he can talk to us and tell us what you are saying."
"Then I will make the firstborn my priests!"
"Uh...no, our firstborns are too important to us to be forced to give them to you, give us a buy back program."
"Then I will take the Levites to be my priests!"
"Uh...ok."

LOL but that is the essence of what happened. He isn't an ogre in the sky, inflexible and insensitive to us. He's our Father, He is God, and we are His family.

The Father still got His way about having a kingdom of priests
You can't out-smart the Lord for He sees the end from before the beginning. The Revelation 1:10, 5:6, and 20:6 say that the Father has made us, that is you and I, "a kingdom of priests". In fact 20:6 says we will be that kingdom of priests in the millennial age, ruling over the earth with Him, and serving as His priesthood.

In I Peter 2:9 he says: "You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, specially set aside for the Lord who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

That means no matter how you have 'missed it' on this earth as a believer, you're still part of the nation of priests in Christ. Your destiny will be fulfilled for we have now been made a kingdom of priests to the Lord. You can't make more mistakes than He has grace and provision. Amazing grace, more from Leviticus next week! Blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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What the signs of the zodiac really describe #4 of 4, The Return

4/17/2021

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Hi all,
I hope after reading this series your appreciation of the night sky will be all the more, knowing from man's earliest days the Lord told the story of salvation in the stars. We conclude with the last set of 4 constellations, which show our union with Christ and His return.

Taurus the bull
He is known as the Bull in Hebrew, Arabic, Latin and Greek, though this is not a domesticated bull. His long horns are down in a charge, and the main star is in his eye, called Al Debaran or 'the Captain' or 'the Governor'. In the cycle of the zodiac Taurus rises to be seen just as Scorpio sets out of view.

In mythology Taurus is pure white for he is righteous and pure. In his shoulder is the 7 star cluster known as the Pleiades, called 'the doves', and mentioned in Job with obvious references to the 7 churches of The Revelation 1:16 and 2:1. "He had in His right hand the seven stars, and in His mouth a two edged sword, and His appearance is as the sun at full strength." Also: "He who holds the seven stars in His right hand..." In mythology the Pleiades were the 7 daughters of Atlas who holds up the earth and heaven. Here, a type of the church, securely on Taurus' shoulder.

The first decan of Taurus is my favorite constellation and easily found in the sky, found by the 3 stars in a row that make up his belt: Orion, the glorious one, the hunter. Countless times I've sat out and looked at Orion and given thanks and worship for the Lord as a sign in the sky He is watching over me and mine. It is a picture of a man with an upraised club in his right hand, the skin of a dead lion in his left, and his left foot is crushing the head of Lepus the hare.

The name Orion means 'He who comes as the light'. The 'Brilliant one'. He is mentioned in Job 9:9 along with The Pleiades and Arcturus. The main stars are Betelgeuse on his right shoulder, which means 'the Branch (is) coming'. Rigel is another star in his lifted left foot, and means 'the foot that crushes'. The 3 bright stars in his belt are called 'the 3 kings'. In his left chest area is Bellatrix which means 'swiftly coming' and also 'sudden destroying'. In Arabic his name is Al Giauza the Branch, Al Mirzam the Ruler, or Al Nagjed, the Prince.

We see Orion holding the skinned lion slain, the imposter who walked around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). His left foot is also where the second decan of Taurus starts, Eridanus the river. Eridanus means 'the river of the judge'. In Daniel 7:9-11 he says from the Ancient of Days (the Father) flows 'a fiery stream' of judgment. Eridanus touches Cetus the sea monster and is between Taurus and Orion, showing us the Judge is both the charging bull coming in judgement with the church in his shoulders, and the hunter bringing it all to conclusion.

The third decan of Taurus is Auriga the Shepherd. The shepherd is seated with a mother goat on his lap and her two young goats. The mother goat has its front legs affectionately on his shoulders as he cradles it in his left arm. The band or ribbon in his right hand is we saw earlier which held Pisces (the church). Auriga means 'the holder of the reins' in Latin. The main star is in the mother goat and called Capella, which means 'chapel' or in music, 'in the style of a chapel'. (to sing without instruments is 'a cappella', you may recall). The mother goat and her children are held so tenderly by the shepherd is the church in his arms, 'the church' or chapel. In Greek, ekklesia. In his right arm is a bright star, menkalinon, which means 'flock of goats (or ewes)'. Again we see the Lord as the Author of our salvation, and the 2 goats can be understood as Jewish and Gentile believers.

The summary of Taurus: In Taurus we see the returning Lord with the church 'on his back', safely in His control. To this agrees The Revelation 19:5-14, which describes the saints already in heaven during the Tribulation, clothed in 'fine linen clean and white' having come from the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, returning with the Lord on white horses with Him.

This agrees with Jesus saying in Matthew 24:29-31 that at His coming He will command the angels to 'gather the saints from one end of heaven (not earth) to the other'. We see His glory in Orion with 'the job' complete, the church safely on His lap - a church that has been active making disciples, now in heaven at peace forever.

Gemini, the twins
In the Egyptian zodiac (Dendara) Gemini is not a set of twins but a man and woman, hand in hand, and called 'Adam and Eve'. Though being in heaven this would mean not the original Adam but the 'last Adam', the Christ who as the 'last Adam' brought salvation to mankind. (I Corinthians 15:45). The Egyptian Greek (Coptic) name of the constellation is 'Pi Mahi' or 'the United' or 'the completely joined together'.

In the left foot of the male figure we find the star Al Henah, the wounded one. The star in his head is Pollux which means 'the Ruler' or 'the Judge'. In his mid-section is the star Wasat which means 'Seated' or 'Put in his (rightful) place.' The Egyptians called him Horus or Hor which means 'the son of light' or 'the coming one, and also 'the restorer of dominion'.

In mythology the two figures are known as Castor and Pollux, the ones who sought the Golden Fleece, so we see both a bride and groom but also being made one Man in Christ. I find it amazing how much of mythology is the corrupted original intent of the Creator, yet still demonstrates elements of the true story of salvation. In Gemini the twins we see that we are made one with Christ, in Him and He in us, while on the other hand the constellation also speaks of a bride and groom made one....amazing grace.

Lepus the hare is the first decan in Gemini. In Egyptian and Persian zodiacs this is a snake not a hare. It is under the foot of the victorious hunter Orion. Its star names are Nibal, Rakis, Sugia, which mean 'the Mad (crazy)', the Caught', and 'the Deceiver'.

Canis Major and Canis Minor are decans two and three in Gemini, big dog and little dog, the dog stars, originally known as wolves, hunters of the hare (snake). Like the two fish, the two goats, we can see Jew and Gentile believers untied as one in Him, and perhaps the Lord and believers united as one.

The star Sirius in the 'big dog' is the brightest star in the night sky and easily found. The name Sirius comes from Sir or Seir meaning Prince, Guardian, Victorius. Hebrew for 'the branch' is the word 'netzer' or naz-seir', so one coming from the branch is a naz-seir-ene. So the star Sirius or in Egyptian, Naz-seir, shows the 'big dog' is the Nazarene.

Because the 2 dog stars are decans of Gemini which also has twins or a bride and groom, so too we see another element of the dual nature of the constellation. As the 'big dog' or 'big wolf' relates to the Lord with the main star Sirius, the 'little wolf' is its companion. In Egyptian zodiac the 'little dog' is a human body with an eagle's head, showing mankind lifted to royalty in heaven (the sky). The main star in the 'little wolf/dog' is Sebak, 'conquering' or 'victorious'. Another star is Al Gomeiza which means 'once burdened' and also 'endured for the sake of others'.

The summary of Gemini
In Gemini we see two made one, having defeated the enemy, and in the dog stars we once again see the Lord and the church, united forever in victory. There is so much that can be drawn from this and the pages of the NT. I've shared before there are over 100 references in the NT to us being 'in Him' or 'He in us" - Christ in us. We are One. We this in the two of Gemini, in the two fish of Pisces, in the two baby goats in Auriga, the two dogs in Gemini...and on and on...confirmed over and over for those who struggle, we are one in Him, and He in us.

Cancer the crab
Taurus the retuning one, Gemini being one in Christ, and now Cancer the crab - what? A crab? A crab grows by molting, shedding its outer shell as it grows from within, to reveal a new shell that is a bit larger than the last. This answers to Galatians 4:19: "My little children, I travail in birth again for you, until Christ be formed in you."

A crab is a born of water, so is the church by the water of the Holy Spirit and the answer of a clean conscience as Peter says, is water baptism. Peter said the water doesn't bring new birth, it is the answer of a clean conscience after being born again of the Spirit. In the middle of the crab is a cluster of stars called in ancient times 'Prasepe', meaning in Hebrew and Arabic, 'the multitude or the innumerable seed' or 'the offspring'. (I Peter 3:21)

The word 'cancer' comes from 'khan' which means 'resting place'. The word 'cer' or 'ker' means 'embraced' or 'encircled' as one held by strong arms, thus 'can-cer' means 'rest securely' or 'rest secured'. This sign shows the resting place of the church, firmly encircled in His arms, a multitude now at rest and peace.

Star names include Acubens which means 'the place of shelter or rest'. Also Ma'alaph and Al Himarein which mean 'multitude gathered' and 'the lambs'. And we see the head of the snake under the feet of the Crab.

The first two decans of Cancer the Crab are what we know as the Big Dipper and Little Dipper - Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. In the same way Gemini shows the Lord and the church united, and the Canis Major and Canis Minor show who is the 'big dog' and 'little dog' united as one, so too do the two bears.

These are probably the first constellations you learned how to find in the night sky, for the two front stars in the Big Dipper point at the Little Dipper, whose handle ends with the Pole Star, the North Star. It is the North Star that all the other constellations seem to rotate around, and as mentioned earlier, has been the main star used for navigation for centuries because of that fact.

It should come as no surprise that originally these were not a big and little bear. The main star is Dubheh or Dubah, and in Greek the word 'Dob' means bear, which is where we get the name. But in the original Hebrew meaning the star name Dubheh means 'sheepfold', 'pen' or 'corral', a place to keep flocks. (Dober)

This is proven by the star names which include; Al Pherkadain, 'the calves', Al Gedi 'the chosen of the flock' or 'the kid', and Al Kaid 'the assembled together'. In the tail of the Big Dipper or big bear (bears don't have long tails) is the star Mizar which means 'the guarded' or the 'enclosed place'. Other stars are Merach, 'the flock', and Cab d al Asad, 'the multitude assembled'. So we see like Gemini and the dog stars, so too do the bears (the corrals) show us safe in Christ as He is the Chief Shepherd and protector of the flock.

The third decan of Cancer the Crab is Argo, the Ship. Some may recall their mythology of Jason and the Argonauts, who included Pollux and Castor (the twins) on their journey to find the Golden Fleece - yes we can see the corrupted story of salvation and heaven in some of that. But a ship does carry people, and Argo compliments Gemini and the other decans similarly.

The main star is said to be the navigator and helmsman of the ship, Canopus or Canobus. It means 'the possession of him who comes (to us)' - as one would expect a ship to come for a person. Other star names are Sephina which means 'abundance' and Tureis which means 'firmly in control' or 'firmly in hand'. Asmidiska which means 'travelers released', and Soheil which means 'that which was desired'.

The summary of Cancer the Crab: We see the flock gathered and at rest. The bears are really a shepherd and sheepfold, or heavenly sheepfold and earthly one, but one in each other, and on a journey on the ship - awaiting the arrival of the ship to gather us as one.

The last of our study is Leo the Lion
Leo stands in perfect alignment with the ecliptic (path of the sun), and ends the year as a sign of His return and His final victory. We immediately associate the Lion of the Tribe of Judah with the Lord so this is easily understood. The main star, which is in his chest, is Regel or Regulus. It means 'the feet which crush'. The next star is Denebola which means 'the Judge'. A third is Al Giebha, meaning 'the exalted one'. Other star names are Al Defera, 'the putting down of the enemy', Deneb al Eced, 'the coming Judge', and Minchir al Asad, 'the punishing of him who destroys'.

The three decans of Leo are together almost as one figure. They are Hydra the snake, Crater the cup of judgement, and Corvus the raven - both the cup and raven are on the back of Hydra the snake.

In the Egyptian zodiac Leo is standing directly on the snake. In our zodiac Leo's front paws are on Hydra's head. Hydra means 'the abhorred'. Its main stars include 'Al Phard' meaning 'the excluded' or 'one put away' or 'the separated'. Another is Minchir al Sugia meaning 'the punishing of the deceiver'.

Crater is the cup of wrath poured out on Hydra the snake/serpent, sitting directly on its back. Corvus the Raven stands directly on his back as well, claws holding tight, as he picks at his flesh. The same stars that mark the bottom of the cup of wrath also make up the back of Hydra, showing that wrath and Hydra are forever united. A raven is not only the enemy of snakes, but a scavenger of the dead.

The summary of Leo: Leo is the soon coming King, the Conquering King who will once and for all pour out His wrath on the enemy, who will never bother anyone again.

I realize this has been a long study, but I've written it in such a way that it can be printed and studied for a house church, Bible study or one's own study. Forgive some of the spelling for auto-correct was continually trying to correct new spellings for much of the Arabic star names.

When I first taught this in the late 1999's in Bible school, I had a student from Egypt who confirmed the Arabic star names mentioned in this series (and also helped with the pronunciation). For me, when I step outside at night and see all those stars, I see the story of salvation, as the Lord said at the beginning, for signs, seasons, days and years.

The whole gospel story is played out above us day and night - we only see the stars at night, but they are there all through the bright day as well. He watches over us and will one day bring us all home, gathered together at last. New subject next week, blessings,

John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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What the signs of the Zodiac really mean, #3 of 4, New Life

4/10/2021

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Hi all,
The first 4 signs of the zodiac originally and to this day, tell of the virgin birth of Messiah, the sin of man, and the ultimate triumph the dual-natured Savior would have. The next 4 tell the story of new life. Let's begin:

Capricorn, the goat
Capricorn is the picture of a goat slain, yet its hind legs are a fish tail. Its right front leg is folded back while its left leg is extended awkwardly, its head down in death. The goat of course represents sinful man while the fish represents life and alludes to the fish symbol to come, which speaks of those born of the Spirit. Though once dead, He lives!

The two brightest stars in Capricorn are Gedi and Dabih, meaning 'the cut-off', the 'sacrifice slain'. Other stars in the constellation are similar, meaning 'the slaying', and similar. The very name, Capricorn, is from the Latin meaning 'the atonement falling in death'.

We need to remind ourselves of history, that early Christians identified with the fish, in part because the risen Lord is recorded to have eaten fish on at least 2 occasions (Lk 24:42, John 21:13). The words Ichthys/pisces is a Greek acronym meaning 'Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior', the fish symbol an early secret 'password' between Christians.

The first decan of Capricorn is Sagitta the lone arrow. It is all by itself in the heavens, fired by an unknown hand. This is in agreement with Isaiah 53:10 that says it was the Father who made Him to be a sacrifice for sin, and He put Him to grief and sorrow to carry our sin. The Father fired the arrow, unseen, an action between Father and Son.

The second decan is Aquila the eagle. It is a picture of a dying eagle, showing Christ was not only the sacrificial goat, but the eagle flying represents heaven and royalty, showing it is a king 'goat' (Capricorn) that is dying. You may recall how in Exodus 19:4 the Lord told Israel: "I carried you out (of Egypt) on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." The main star is Altair or Al Tair (Arabic) which means 'the wounded'. The other 2 main stars mean 'the scarlet colored covered with blood' and 'the torn', and a 4th star name means 'wounded in the heel'.

The third decan is Delphinus the dolphin. It is a picture of a fish leaping out of the water, full of life. Because it is of Capricorn, it shows the fish tail of the sacrificial goat part of him will not stay dead - Delphinus shows resurrection and new life!

The summary of Capricorn: In Capricorn we have turned the corner from the first group of four, which are about His sacrifice and our sin. Now we see that in His death there comes life. Slain by the lone arrow from His Father, He was always dual-natured, always knowing He would rise as seen by the fish tail of the sacrificial goat. As Delphinus points us to the resurrection, let us look next at:

Aquarius, the Water Carrier
Aquarius is the picture of a man seated in heaven, and in his right arm is a large vessel pouring out water, which flows to Pisces the Southern Fish. You may remember your mythology where he is called Ganymede, the bright and happy One. The main star in Aquarius is Sa'ad al Melik, meaning 'Record of the outpouring'.

The first decan is Pisces Australius, the southern fish, to whom the pouring water comes. The symbolism of the risen Lord, now seated, (or the Father) pouring the water of the Spirit to the fish - believers.

Pegasus, the winged horse is the second decan of Aquarius. He is flying at full speed, and to the Greeks he was known as 'the Horse of the gushing fountain'. The word 'Pega means 'the chief' and the last part is 'fast horse', showing the Lord as the fast flying horse of the fountain of the Spirit. Is it any wonder The Revelation 19 reveals Jesus (and believers) will return flying through the air at Armageddon on white horse(s), to rescue Israel and prevent man from destroying himself.

The star names are Markab, 'the returning one', Scheat, 'he who goes and comes back', Enif, 'the branch', Al Genib, 'who carries', and Matar, 'one who causes a plentiful overflow'.

The third decan with Aquarius is Cygnus the swan. It is pretty easy to find in the night sky for it has 81 stars, including several double stars and the binary star Cygni. It is the picture of a swan in flight, though some see it as a swan dead or as having once been dead. The brightest star in Cygnus is Deneb, which means 'the Lord or Judge to come'. Other stars are Fafage, 'a glorious one', Sadr, 'who returns as a return trip', and Arided, 'He will come down'.

The summary of Aquarius: Aquarius moves the salvation story beyond death and resurrection to new life, coupled with the promise of His return. Clearly until then we have the water poured from above, the Holy Spirit, as an earnest (down payment) of our salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14

Pisces, the two fish
Pisces is a picture of two fish, one aligned with and following the path of the sun, the other veering off towards the North Pole. Both fish are tied together with the first decan, the Band or ribbon, which is tied around each fish's tail.

We could go in a couple directions understanding the two fish. We could look at Ephesians 2 and see the Jew and Gentile and how the Lord in His sacrifice has made one man of the two, which is my preferred understanding. We could also look at them as our dual nature, in our hearts wanting to follow the path of the sun (Son), but part of us wants to veer off out of bounds, as seen by the fish headed towards the north. I leave it to you.

The Band is the first decan, which is tied around the tails of the two fish, but also anchored to Cetus the sea monster (we will cover him later, but suffice for now to say he represents Satan and sinful man/nature of man). The Arabic name for ribbon is what we would call today a 'bridle', as in how one controls a horse. Star name Al Risha means 'a bridle, band, rope', used to control an animal.

I find it interesting the Ribbon is one continuous ribbon, and the the second decan is Cepheus the crowned King, who is holding the ribbon which is tied to the fish, in his right hand. He is a king seated on his throne, a scepter in his left hand. He is the one who watches over the two fish, and because He holds the Band in his hand, shows us He is in control. His foot by the way, sits on the Pole Star we call Polaris, or the North Star.

The North Star has been used by navigators for centuries because it is the one star that never moves. All the other stars revolve around it (look for a time lapse video of it if you'd like), so the fact that Cepheus the King has His foot on the pole star shows us that HE is the one we look to for direction and how to navigate our way through life.

On Cepheus' right shoulder is the brightest star in the constellation, Al Deramin, 'the quickly returning one'. In his belt is Al Phirk which means 'the redeemer'. In his left knee is the star 'the Shepherd'. The name 'Cepheus' means 'the royal branch', or simply, 'the king'. Again we see a reference to Virgo's son, the Branch.

The third decan of Pisces is Andromeda, the chained woman. She is seated but has her hands and feet each chained individually. The Pisces fish that is veering to the north is under the arm of Andromeda, showing the plight of man, chained by the world and sin yet also part of the living 'fish' in the Lord. If we understand that fish that veered from the path of the sun, we can consider it unbelieving Israel, chained and persecuted as it is held by Andromeda.

The star names in Andromeda mean, 'the persecuted', 'the broken-down', 'the afflicted', 'the weak'. In Greek mythology however she is known as the man-ruler, which again can mean Israel the first among nations because of their covenant with God. To the Egyptians Andromeda was not liked because fish symbolized dislike and hatred.

The summary of Pisces shows the plight of believers, and/or Jew and Gentile. Yet the King has made out of two, one. He is firmly in control. In Cepheus we see the promise of His return, for the next constellation reveals we will not always be chained by the world and sin.

Aries the Ram
Here we see a mature ram lying directly on and in perfect alignment with the path of the sun. The root of the name Aries means 'the Lordly one'. In Arabic he is called 'Al Hamal' which means 'the sheep', 'the gentle', 'the merciful'. The main stars are El Nath (El Natik) which mean 'the slain' or 'the wounded'. Above his head is a triangle, its main star there means 'the Head' or 'the uplifted one'.

The first decan of Aries is Cassiopeia, the enthroned woman. She is easy to spot because her stars make a large W in the night sky. The picture is of a woman seated on a throne, in opposition to Andromeda trapped on the earth and its failings, now in heaven enthroned. Her name means 'beautiful enthroned' or 'enthroned woman'.

It is interesting she has 4 stars which never set all night long throughout the whole yearly cycle. She oversees the darkness. Star names are Shedar, which means 'the freed'. Ruchbah and Dat Al Cursa which mean 'the enthroned' and 'the seated'. What is interesting is that Cepheus the enthroned King that we just looked at, holds the scepter in his left hand out to Cassiopeia. It reminds me of Esther receiving the favor of the extended scepter of the king.

One final note is that in mythology Cassiopeia is known as the mother of Andromeda. This agrees with Paul's statement in Galatians 4:26 that where he compares earthly Jerusalem with the heavenly Jerusalem: 'Jerusalem above is free, and the mother of us all.'

Cetus is the second decan of Aries. He is the sea monster, and the ribbon of Pisces is tied to the back of his neck. The main star in its neck is Mira, which means 'the rebel'. Another star is Menkar which means 'the chained enemy'. The star Diphda is the third main star, and means 'the overthrown'. I find it interesting he is tied to Pisces, which in my thinking means he is bound through the work of Jesus, and our authority to use that name to command him and his demons out and away from us. The Band or Ribbon is tied to his neck, where the reins of a horse rest, showing again how the Pisces has authority over Cetus the sea monster. But it also shows our nature bound to sin before we came to know Christ.

The third decan of Aries is Perseus the Breaker. Perseus is a warrior with a raised sword in his right hand, and under his left arm is the severed head of Medusa, the name Medusa means 'the one trodden under foot'. The star in the left foot of Perseus is Atik, 'he who breaks'. The middle star is Al Genib, 'the one who carries away', and Mirfak, 'who helps'.

Medusa, whose severed head Perseus holds, has as its main star Al Ghoul or Algol, meaning 'evil spirit'. The other star names are 'Rosh Satan' and Al Oneh, which means 'Satan's head' and 'the weakened and subdued'.

The summary of Aries shows the risen Lord, at rest with Cassiopeia the church at His side, looking at the defeated sea monster and holding the head of Satan under his arm - no longer a threat to anyone!

That concludes this second set of 4 constellations. As the first set of 4 show the person and nature of the Lord and the sin of man, the second set show His death and resurrection, return, and our future in heaven. The last set reveals His return and earthly kingdom and is SO exciting! Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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What the Zodiac really describes, #2 of 4, Star names 1st six

4/3/2021

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Hi all,
The figures in the night sky describe the work of Christ through a yearly cycle. In ancient times even the illiterate could look up at the night sky and receive the gospel...let us understand a little of what they did:

Virgo
In ancient times Virgo was the first of the 12 and Leo was the last. Back then, the zodiac year began in the same time as the Jewish new year of Rosh haShanah. So at the start of the Jewish new year we find Virgo a virgin (hence the name), standing with a branch in her right hand, and a handful of ripe grain like wheat in her left. The branch is held upright while the head of grain is held downward towards the ground, signifying death and planting. Because Virgo appears at this time it makes one wonder if Jesus was born in September during the Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur-Tabernacles time frame.

Around the world she is a virgin. In Hebrew she is Bethulah the young woman (maiden). In Arabic she is Adarah the virgin, in Greek she is Parthenos the maiden of virgin purity.

The main star in the head of grain pointed down in her left hand is Spica, which is in the top 20 of brightest stars. The grain is pointed downward showing it must die and be planted in order to rise and produce. She holds the Branch upright in her other hand, showing both Branch and Seed are one, coming from her. The star names are Al Zimach, Al Azal, and Subilon which mean 'the shoot', 'the branch', 'the ear of grain (wheat)'.

Virgo's first decan is Coma, the Desired, the virgin's son. She is looking upon her son on her lap, who researcher Albumazer, a Muslim astronomer/astrologer who died in the year 886, said this: "...Ihesu, with the signification Ieza which in Greek is called Christ." So here in this first sign of Virgo we see the virgin has a son, and He is Christ.

Virgo's second decan is Centaurus, the Centaur. The centaur holds a shield in his left arm while in his right, a spear pointed directly at Lupus or Victima, the victim, a decan in Libra, which is the 2nd constellation in the story.

The dual-natured Centaurus shows the Virgin's son is dual natured. He is the Branch which is divine, and the Seed which is of earth. He is both Jesus the man and Christ the divine. In Hebrew and Arabic Centaurus is known as 'the despised'. The brightest star in Centaurs is Cheiron, from the Hebrew root that means 'pierced' and also Pholas that means 'prayer or meditation', signifying an offering and dedication to God.

The third and last decan of Virgo is Bootes, the Coming One. It is a shepherd who holds a spear in his right hand, upright and ready, but not aimed at anything, and in his left a scythe, a curved blade held above his head as if ready to cut the grain for harvest. In Greek he is known as Arcturus which means 'guardian' or 'watcher' (of the flock). He is actually watching over the big and little bears (Big Dipper, Little Dipper), which in ancient times were not bears but sheepfolds or pens, but that will come later. The word 'Bo' in Hebrew means 'coming' or the 'coming one'.

The star on his right arm, which holds the spear, is Al Katurops meaning 'the Rod' or 'the Branch', in ancient times in some cultures a rod rather than a spear, for the figure and star names and mythology describe him as a shepherd.

Summary of Virgo
Virgo the virgin holds a branch held upright in her right arm, and a Spica, a head of wheat held downward to signify the planting of death in the other. Complimenting her is Coma the virgin's son, called Isa or Christ. He is dual-natured and despised. But he is armed with a shield in one hand and a spear held ready to thrust and pointing to a victim in his right. The son is also a shepherd, ready to harvest the earth in one hand while in the other holding a spear or rod, and his name means 'the coming one'.

Libra, the scales
Libra further describes the work of the virgin and her son. The scales are tipped downward indicating an unbalance. In Hebrew this is Mozanaim, 'the scales', 'the weighing', signifying God's judgment. In Arabic it is called Al Zubena which means 'the price of the purchase'. In Coptic Greek it is 'lambda'. Lam means grace and badia is branch, thus 'the gracious branch'.

The star names in Libra are Zuben al Genubi, 'the price deficient'. Also Zuben al Shemali 'the price which covers' and Zuben Akrabi, 'the price of the conflict'. Libra tells us man is weighed in the balance, and found deficient.

The (Southern) Cross, the first decan of Libra. I find it significant that the cross is seen below the equator, out of view of northerners, demonstrating the private transaction on the cross between the Father and His Son.

Jesus is dual-natured, demonstrated in Leviticus 16 with the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. The first goat is the goat of the sin offering, reflecting His divinity, and was offered in full view of all. The goat of the sin offering's blood was sprinkled in the holy of holies. This is found in Hebrews 9:22-24 which tells us upon His resurrection when He told Mary to stop clinging to Him for He had not yet ascended. He ascended to the Father that day to present Himself and His blood sacrifice and declared to be just. (Later that day He would walk with the two to Emmaus and appear to the disciples.)

The second goat offered on the Day of Atonement was the 'escape goat', or scapegoat. The goat of the sin offering which signifies Jesus' deity, was offered in the holy place. The scape goat shows His humanity. It was led away in the wilderness and released, to die in private and out of view at the hand of God. Jesus' dual nature reveals Him as both the escape goat and the goat of the sin offering. The Father was pleased for our sakes to 'put Him to grief' and 'make his soul an offering for sin' as Isaiah 53:10 tells us. Thus the cross of Libra is out of view of Israel in the night sky.

The second decan of Libra is Lupus or Victima, the wolf slain. Sultan Ulugh Beigh who died in 1449 and was a noted astronomer and mathematician, stated Lupus was called in ancient times Sura, which means a sheep or lamb.

The third decan is Corona, the Crown. It is also called the Northern Crown, Corona Borealis, which incidentally appears vertically over Israel annually. Thus it is directly connected to the Southern Cross, the first decan.

The summary of Libra
Libra shows man is deficient in his sin. Weighed in the scales we are found lacking. But we have the Southern Cross and the Northern Crown sandwiching Lupus (or the sheep) in between, all pointing to Virgo's son paying the price to even the scales by the cross, and that He would receive a crown which appears over Israel.

Scorpio, the scorpion
In Arabic it is known as Al Akrab which is scorpion, but means wounding, conflict, war. In Coptic Greek it is Isidis which means 'attack of the enemy'. In the Egyptian zodiac this is not a scorpion but Typhon or Python, a snake. Scorpio is associated with the tribe of Dan, as seen in Genesis 49:17: "Dan will be a snake by the way, an adder....biting the horse's heels..." The stinger in his tail is pointed directly at Ophiucus's heel.

The first decan of Scorpio is Ophiuchus, the serpent holder or the snake holder. It is the picture of a man holding onto the second decan of Scorpio, Serpens the snake. Ophiuchus has both hands on Serpens while his left foot is on the head of Scorpio and his right heel is about to be struck by the scorpion's tail. This mirrors the first prophecy of Messiah that Christ speaks to Satan in Genesis 3:15, stating the Seed of the woman (Christ*) will crush his head while he is able to bruise His heel. *Galatians 3:16

The third decan in Scorpio is Hercules, a man kneeling with one knee on the ground as he holds a club high in his right hand about to bring it down on the head of the snake he holds in his left hand. His foot is on the head of the Dragon, which we will discuss later.

Star names in Hercules include the brightest one in the constellation in his head, Ras al Gethi, which means 'the head of him who bruises'. Another star means 'the branch kneeling', and answers back to the branch of Virgo, her son.

The summary of Scorpio
It is the picture of a defeated enemy, one who gets in a sting to the heel of the Redeemer, but is ultimately soundly defeated. Ophiuchus holds the snake firmly in both hands while he is stung in the heel, but we also see Hercules in triumph dealing the final blow.

Sagittarius, the Archer, the Triumphant
This final constellation of the first 4 which show the Messiah, His nature, His battle and passion, concludes this section with victory. He is a centaur, again showing the dual nature of Messiah. He holds a bow drawn back with an arrow pointing directly at the heart of Scorpio.

The Greeks call him Cheiron, which means 'the executer'. He is called 'the righteous one' or 'one who executes judgment swiftly'. The first decan is Lyra the harp. The brightest star in Lyra is Vega, from which the English get the word victory. Vega means 'He will be exalted' and 'The victorious warrior'.

The second decan is Ara, the altar. This burning altar of fire is turned upside down, showing sacrifice for sin is needed no more! It is finished, the altar upended! In Arabic it is Al Mugamra, 'the finishing', 'the completion of what was started'. Centuries ago Ara was seen low on the southern horizon, almost out of view, tipped to the southern horizon and in ancient mythology, representing the underworld.

The third decan of Sagittarius is Draco the dragon. Draco is seen as dead with some illustrations showing 6 coils in its dead body, limply hanging with its tongue out, languishing in death. Draco means 'stepped on' or 'trodden down'. The main stars are Al Waid which means 'to be destroyed', Thuban which means 'the subtle', and Al Dib, 'the reptile'. As if the point isn't driven home, other star names within Draco are Rastaban, 'the head of the subtle', Etanin 'the long snake', Grumian 'the deceiver', El Athik which means 'the deceiver', and Gianser, 'the punished enemy'.

The summary of Sagittarius
Sagittarius makes clear the dual-natured one executes judgement on the enemy. The decans let us know it is a joyful work by including Lyra the harp, so we know it is a work of joy for us. The altar of sacrifice is turned upside down never to be seen again, completed by taking vengeance on the dragon.

I know each of these is longer than usual, but I want to keep each section intact. So we conclude the first 1/3 of the original story of salvation seen in the constellations. We started with Virgo the virgin having a son, dual-natured both divine and human, and seeing that dual-natured son grow up and tip the scales back to even, making the final sacrifice, and executing judgment on the enemy. The next set is all about new life....and that will be next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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