Celestial Signs and the Basis for Biblical Astronomy

An awe-inspiring timepiece has been counting off units of time since the fourth day of creation. Beyond that, it brings forth a dynamic inaudible testimony that is a dramatic presentation, continually narrating the divine plan of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. If it is not yet apparent to you, you will come to learn that behind every counterfeit there lies a genuine, and behind what is known as astrology lies what may be called biblical astronomy, celestial revelation or the Creator's message from the stars. Celestial signs are even now being brought forth as relevent messages to the wise. These signs are expressing a valuable revelation that is in reality synchronized in the time domain with events in heaven and on earth! These statements are validated by the vast historical record, as you will see. Do you understand this divine language of the chronometer of the heavens so you are able to receive this important and necessary light for our day?

According to the record of the fourth day of creation, the celestial bodies are to give light on the earth. Physical light, yes, but beyond that, SPIRITUAL LIGHT! The heavenly lights do indeed testify of deep spiritual truths. This heavenly witness speaks about God's plan of redemption for man; the messianic plan and its outworking. As this inaudible testimony goes forth, an ever-changing revelation from God to man is revealed.

But who can understand its curious language? What is its vocabulary? Did this knowledge perish with the ancients? Is there some mysterious scroll to be unearthed that will reveal to us this most wonderful language? Perhaps such a help will someday appear, but then again, perhaps not. The God who created and maintains the heavens was able to give the appropriate revelation about them to early man is still able to ensure that man can understand its latter day message.

Right in the heart of the tenth chapter of the book of Romans a very focal passage dealing with the critical issue of salvation is being passionately preached by a most skillful Apostle, Paul. By revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ the point he makes about Israel's accountability for having heard about the message leading to faith is driven home with reference to a familiar passage from the Psalms.

The Apostle Paul asks, didn't they hear the word of Christ so they could believe it? This "word of Christ" (word "about" Christ) can be seen from the context as that which is declared in verses 9 and 10.

The message of these two verses is rather important, don't you agree? Now, think about this for a moment: Would God hold people accountable for having heard the message if He hadn't made it accessible? That wouldn't be fair, would it? So, did the Jews hear the word of Christ? Paul said by revelation; "Of course they did." The next line reveals how they heard. It's a quote from Psalm 19 and points clearly to God's celestial revelation as the source of the message! That's right! Don't miss it!

Paul's words in Romans 10:18b were: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." he quoted verse 4 of this Psalm to inform us as to how the Jews (and yet, not only the Jews but also the whole world, even to the ends of the earth) received the message about Christ! The "voice," which can also be translated as "line" or "message," is the message about Christ, which God declared via the heavens!

How many times have you read that section in Romans and glossed over this wonderful truth? But, its really quite clear, isn't it? The heavens declare the glory of God not just by impressing upon us the mark of a divine creator but they actually make known Jesus Christ, the agent of man's redemption! To deny the reality of God's revelation of Christ via the heavens is to deny the words of the Apostle Paul and of the Psalmist. Do you see that?

If I may speak candidly, I'd like to say to you that if we're going to learn anything about what God is doing today, we're going to have to take God at His word. We're going to have to respect the things written as they are indeed the words of God. And, we're going to have to recognize the celestial heavens as being made by God to declare Christ.

When God declared in Isaiah 34:4 that "the sky rolled up like a scroll," I think that imagery is particularly interesting in that the scrolls were the format in which God's written word was found in Isaiah's day. Being that God's word is written in the heavens, when its promises are fulfilled, it will be rolled up like a scroll! And, I would just bet that, as the circle of the Zodiac has its beginning marked by the constellation Virgo, the sky will roll up with its breaking between Virgo and Leo!

E. W. Bullinger expounded Psalm 19 in detail, recording the following for our benefit. (The Witness of the Stars)

"Surely there is something more referred to here than a mere wonder excited by the works of the creator! When we read the whole passage and mark its structure, and note the words employed, we are emphatically told that the heavens contain a revelation from God; they prophesy, they show knowledge, they tell of God's glory, and set forth His purposes and counsels."

You may want to take this opportunity to read Psalm 19, a division of the Bible that should be noted as being emphasized by reason of its placement as the 19th division within the 19th book. It will be helpful for some of you to meditate upon its teaching and become comfortable with the reference made by Paul in Romans 10 before you continue. When you are consenting to the divine ordination of the heavens and have done some homework, perhaps enjoying the work of Bullinger and Joseph Seiss, or more recently of others such as D. James Kennedy, you will rejoice to see how wonderfully God has fashioned the heavens for the fulfillment of his glorious purposes. Have you ever observed that the four living creatures seen around the throne of God in Revelation 4:7 and Ezekiel 1:10 have the faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle? These are symbolic of the four main constellations of the Zodiacal seasons! The man is Aquarius, the lion - Leo, the ox - Taurus and the eagle - Scorpio.

Let's continue this inquiry into the depth of the fourth day of creation by returning to Genesis 1:14, where we find the function of the sun, moon, stars and planets together referred to as "lights."

All the "lights" described above have a familiar function in the physical realm. These are first said to separate the day from the night. (which should be noted as differing from separating the light from the darkness) We then learn that these lights are to serve as signs. A "sign" is any indicator of something that is itself not directly perceptible. The Hebrew word for "signs" here means "a sign of something or someone to come." These signs mark, or, signal. They mark "seasons, days and years," which to some merely suggests the passage of time, but, there is actually much more involved. The Hebrew word translated "seasons" specifically denotes the cyclic nature of time in contrast to the linear continuity of time we generally think in terms of in the western culture. It is obvious these terms refer to the familiar cycles of time that we observe by our almanacs, clocks and calendars, but, is the interpretation of this verse limited to the merely physical aspects of creation? Absolutely not! Just as the motion of the earth and the other celestial bodies provides signs indicating the physical realities, these heavenly lights provide signs the Creator ordained to indicate spiritual realities. We have learned the great lesson from the Apostle Paul's reference to the Psalmist's revelation about the voice in the heavens that goes out into all the earth to lead people to the Messiah. We have learned the lesson about the God-ordained purpose for the stars and planets, that they separate spiritual light from the spiritual darkness. It is this message continually going forth about the Messiah that is the subject of the signs. The celestial signs speak forth knowledge about the seasons, days and years that pertain to the Messiah, the redeemer of man. Yes, the signs are indeed indicators of someone to come!

So, the Hebrew word for "seasons" points beyond merely Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter to those seasons which God has established with regard to our relationship with Him. These cycles of time are appointed, purposefully set. They are literally "appointments" marked on God's schedule that He has graciously seen fit to provide for our benefit. In a sense, many of them can be viewed as rehearsals as the cycles repeat over and over, eventually reaching their appointed conclusions. We see this principle declared in Colossians as certain of these rehearsals are spoken of as a shadow.

We have found that the message about Christ is the basic spiritual function of the heavens. We should now realize that the stars not only proclaim what, but also, when as the Sun, Moon and planets move purposefully in their appointed paths across the starry expanse. In the totality of this revelation, the "lights in the expanse of the sky" give spiritual light on the earth, as revealed in the record of the fourth day of creation.

Two Thousand Year Cycles of Significant Births

Many of the celestial movements are cyclical. Cycles are always recognizable by the repetition of certain characteristics. Each cycling unit is unique but yet shares particular features in common with every other iteration.

Here is an example of how the celestial heavens are synchronized with the events on earth, where a repeating cycle or period of the heavens corresponds to major biblical birth events. Every 2000 years, because of an astronomical phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes, (that has a period of about 25,000 years) the sun has moved 1/12 of the way through the circle of the Zodiac. This 30 degree progression is equivalent to the portion of the sky assigned to a single Zodiacal sign. Although apparently unrelated in cause, and thus a distinctly independent phenomenon, this same period of 2000 years brings many of the planets into very similar alignments, thus marking a noteworthy correspondence in their cycles.

Scanning biblical history in intervals of about 2000 years, we discover that Adam's "birth" was in about 4000 BC, Abraham was born about 2000 years later and Y'shua was born about another 2000 years after that. It is now just over 2000 years since Y'shua's birth. If the trend is to continue consistently, and we have no reason to expect that it won't, another significant "birth" around this time is thus implied! Isn't this exactly what we're expecting in the schedule of events foretold in prophetic scripture?

In Isaiah we find one example of a significant birth that has recently taken place, in 1948; the birth of a son that is the nation of Israel.

Although the pain suffered by the Jews by the hand of Hitler just prior to the national birth was severe, the son - the nation of Israel was born before the pains would come upon her, before she goes into labor. The labor pains then are yet to come in what is known as the time of Jacob's trouble. From this same passage in Isaiah, reference is made to another birth that will shortly be cause for great rejoicing.

Israel's barren womb will be opened as soon as Zion is in labor and her children will be brought forth. This is not the son who is Israel, brought forth before the labor, but the children delivered as soon as she is in labor. Consider the following verse.

Here are the labor pains that follow the birth of the nation of Israel. Jeremiah 6 contains a similar declaration.

You may also want to read Jeremiah 13:21 and Hosea 13:13.

Each of three two thousand year cycles have begun with a significant "birth." Should another kind of birth at the beginning of this fourth cycle come upon us as a surprise? Or, should we learn the lessons taught by careful observation of history? Can you hear the celestial prophets speaking? Can you understand their sign language?

Abram Understood the Celestial Prophets

If what the Apostle Paul wrote is true, that people are accountable for having heard and understood the word of Christ from the heavenly scroll, there must surely be some hard historical evidence that people have indeed understood! There is!!! Two accounts that seem quite clear (in addition to that which can be inferred from the book of Job) involve Abram as he receives the promise of offspring and the wise men (Magi) who visited the King of Kings as a child. In another writing ( When Jesus was Born - Celestial Signs ) I address at length the account of the Magi and the celestial signs of the birth of the Son of God. Here, I present to you the truth about Abram.

Here's the record of Genesis 15.

Let me ask you this very crucial question. Is there any righteousness for man outside of faith in Jesus Christ? Well, I'll tell you that there isn't, according to John 14:6. Since Adam's fall, there has been no righteousness for man outside of faith in Christ. If there could have been, there would have been no need for the life, death, resurrection, ascension and continued intercession of our Lord Jesus. This reveals there's something else that should come to our attention beyond the mere fact of Abram's belief that God would multiply his progeny through the son. (Isaac) Jesus Christ must somehow have been brought to Abram's attention by his being shown the heavens. From what I had been taught about this account from a popular doctrinal viewpoint the conversation between Abram and God might have gone something like this.

God: Abram, count the stars if you can. Go ahead, give it your best shot.

Abram: Okay, God. One, two, three, four, five, six, eight, ten, twelve ...... Ahhhhh - OK. There's way too many! I give up!

It's easy to see that as there are lots and lots of stars, so Abram would have lots and lots of children. But how does counting stars convince someone of the coming death and resurrection of the Messiah? It doesn't. That's right; it doesn't! But the Hebrew word translated "count," is "caphar," a word that is also translated as "declare," or "narrate," just as it should be translated here. This is the very same word used in Psalm 19:1 where it says, "The heavens declare the glory of God"! Adonai told Abram to look at the celestial heavens being shown him in the vision. We must infer that God showed Abram one or more celestial configurations that prophesied vividly to him about the coming redeemer. God told Abram to narrate, to tell the story pictured by that configuration, if indeed he could. Of course, Abram could! He understood and believed the message revealed through the narration about the coming Messiah and God counted it to him as righteousness.

There's a verse in Galatians that is relevant here.

If you study the places where the promises are recorded, like Genesis 12:7, 13:15 and 24:7, it seems quite fitting that the Lord was actually referring singularly to Jesus Christ when He said in Genesis 15:5, "So shall your offspring be." The "one person" offspring here is also Christ! With this knowledge, it makes perfect sense that the Lord credited it to Abram as righteousness because God brought his attention to bear upon Christ's redemptive work via the heavenly narration! The vision wasn't about a large number of stars representing many people, it was the revelation of a clear and concise message about one person! By faith in that one person righteousness is accounted!

The ancient historians bear record of Abram's widespread fame with regard to his celestial observations. It is recorded that he taught the Egyptians about the starry heavens. This information isn't too hard to find if you're willing to search it out. Oh, how we have been deceived about history by those with the power to revise it to serve their own agendas!

The Birth of Abraham

When Abraham was born, the celestial cycles that had begun at Adam's birth were repeating and making signs of similar configurations. Those signs attending Abraham's birth have been documented in the book of Jasher. This excellent study called The Birth of Abraham (written by Bob Wadsworth) appears on this site by his gracious permission. This is an historical example of some who understood the celestial messengers.

There are several other pages on this site about the celestial signs you may want to visit. This one I mentioned earlier picks up where this one leaves off - When Jesus was Born - Celestial Signs.