Jacob's Dying Words Prophesy the Celestial Sign of the Lord's Return in Judgement

When Cometh That Thief in the Night - Directory
Video / Audio Download

When the Patriarch Jacob lay dying, he prophesied about each of his sons. When he spoke about Judah as a lion he was testifying about the lion of the tribe of Judah, the messiah, and His coming in judgement. This very cryptic prophecy contained some language that I had learned many years ago to see in a celestial context, because the author and respected scholar E. W Bullinger had written about the lion as a reference to the constellation Leo. From ancient times, Leo has been drawn on star maps as a lion. There was more to be learned about Jacob's prophecy - much more!

The path of the Sun "between the feet" of Leo

This is my testimony about that prophecy which the Bible records in the 49th chapter of Genesis, that a celestial sign was given that would establish the time of the messiah's return in judgement. On his deathbed, Jacob dramatically described a distant time in the language of the celestial clock, the one we are told was appointed for such things in the record of the 4th day of Creation. This sign is of such a nature that it allows us to synchronize our calendar with the Creator's. Having this critical anchoring in time, it functions as a kind of cornerstone. A cornerstone is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones are set in reference to this stone, thus locating the entire structure. Bible Prophecy about the end times is that structure, and the time when the sign Jacob prophesied was fulfilled is its cornerstone.

What I'm describing isn't something new but is strictly according to the standard way of accounting the passage of time on the Lord's calendar. Each month the days are counted off, month after month time is counted off from the first day to the last. The time when a month begins is determined by witnessing a celestial sign, more precisely, two in combination. (Witnessess see the first crescent of new moon, then the next month begins at sunset.) Celestial signs mark the time when the days begin to be counted off! By identifying a day as, for example, the 10th day of a month, we reference the time when the count began. The month is built off that moment as an edifice is off its cornerstone. Holy Days on the Lord's calendar are related to those lunar counts, with a small number of other factors entering into the calculations for some of them, but relative counts are always involved that hinge on well defined points of reference. The annual calendar is reset with the first month depending upon the report of witnesses who watch the barley crop for a sign, a kind of sign that also involves the motions of the earth through the heavens.

A Sign for the Neo-Magi

In May of 1991, I was living in Northern California and working as a floorcovering contractor. I had already been a very zealous Christian for over 11 years but had recently gone through a crisis that forced me to reassess what I thought I knew about faith. I didn't know what had happened to me at the time, but an apostolic anointing for the last days had been released and I was anointed. The Lord enabled me and led me back through the Bible to study out the matter with a willingness to reject everything I thought I knew and to accept whatever I found. Thank you Lord!

One night, while I was working at a client's house, their T.V. was on and during the dinner hour news I overheard that there was an interesting celestial display in progress. The weatherman said there would be three bright planets doing an inversion of order just after dark in the western sky. I had just bought my first computer and had installed an astronomy program. With it, I was able to view the heavens as they were at any given time in history and as they are expected to be in the future, if they continue consistently. When I got home from work, I used the animation function to set the planets in motion and observed their positions relative to each other and against the backdrop of the stars. By means of this simulation, I previewed on my computer the events I would see in the heavens over the coming months. It was just as the weatherman had said. Three planets were lined up. The slowest one was in the lead and the fastest moving one was behind the slower two. Eventually, in mid June, the three planets came really close together, bunching up in the constellation Cancer. Then the fastest one passed the other two and moved out front, while the slowest one dropped into the last position. They were inverted. This was fascinating to me and I watched the animation several times. As I let the animation run on through the summer months to see if anything else interesting was going to happen I came to a startling realization! On my monitor there appeared a familiar configuration, a massing of the planets Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in the Zodiacal constellation Leo!

This particular configuration was familiar because I had seen a very similar picture in one of the books in my library, a book based upon the work Dr. Ernest Martin had done in the late 1970's and early 80's. This book made known the author's view of the celestial sign that attended the Messiah's birth, as described in Revelation 12:1, suggesting that this had been a sign witnessed by the Magi. The massing of the same 4 planets in Leo that the Magi had surely seen almost 2000 years earlier was about to appear in the late summer sky! I felt strongly in my spirit that this was extremely significant! In amazement, I recall praying and pondering what the reappearance of this sign could mean.

As I continued to animate the planets on my computer, a very interesting configuration appeared. If I was intrigued and excited before, I became much more so upon this discovery! My spirit soared! As I began to search out the meaning of what I was finding, I checked Bullinger's commentary about Leo in one of my favorite resources, The Witness of the Stars. He pointed out that the significance of Leo could be seen as the lion of Genesis 49, verses 8 and 9. When I turned in my Bible to that passage, Jacob's deathbed prophecy about his son Judah, I just about shot through the ceiling! That was it! What I found so stunning on my monitor was described by Jacob in language that was cryptic but that I could interpret clearly enough! I rejoiced and praised his holy name! The Lord was coming!

This animation shows the motion of the celestial bodies from September 4, 1991 through September 11, 1991.

This is what the pre-dawn sky looked like as I watched the sign developing!

In Northern California, on the morning of the 11th, it was evident that both Jupiter and Mercury passed conjunction with Regulus. As I watched during that fairly brief span from when Mercury had risen high enough above the horizon to come into view until the Sun brightened the sky so much that I lost sight of it, I could perceive the movement of Mercury! It was moving that fast relative to the other bodies!

(This animation above is based on screen captures from Skyview Cafe.)

The verse that describes the celestial sign of the Lord's return in judgement is similar to the one that describes the sign that attended the Lord's birth but it's really far less apparent that it's celestial in nature.

Before I explain the esoteric celestial symbolism I'm going to give the rest of the prophecy a rather lengthy consideration for the sake of establishing the context that gives meaning to the associated celestial sign.

The Context - Jacob's Deathbed Prophecy

In the 49th chapter of the book of Genesis, Jacob offered his final prophecy about each his sons.

Verses 8-12 relate to us Jacob's prophecy about Judah.

According to the style of inquiry into the deeper things of the holy scriptures noted in the book of the prophet Isaiah, we are going to divulge the mysteries of Jacob's deathbed revelation about his progeny.

Jacob's prophecy parallels some others that are worth noting.

Genesis 49:8-12

• Judah, your brothers shall praise you; (G 49:8a)

The name "Judah" means "praise." Whenever you see the meaning of the name of a person in a verse where their name appears, pay attention! There's an important lesson to be found! One descended from Judah, Jesus Christ, will certainly receive much praise at the time suggested by this prophecy!

• Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; (G 49:8b)

A similar phrase is found in 2 Samuel 22.

This entire chapter in 2 Samuel is a song that David sang to the Lord, a song repeated in its entirety as Psalm 18. This song not only describes David's deliverance by the hand of the Lord but also is prophetic of one who would come from his lineage, the son of David - Jesus Christ. This allusion suggests an event that is frequently addressed in prophetic scripture and known as the campaign of Armageddon. This campaign will occur just prior to the reign of Y'shua HaMashiach from Zion. It represents the Messiah's authority over his enemies being known.

• Your father's sons shall bow down to you. (G 49:8c)

Philippians 2:10 declares that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. This will happen when his enemies have been put under his feet and he is exalted.

• "Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? (G 49:19)

Y'shua is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Notice how the context is the opening of the seal judgements.

This begins allusion to Balaam's oracles recorded in Numbers. Here's his second oracle.

In Jacob's prophecy, it says, "From the prey, my son, you have gone up." Whose son is the lion who will fulfill these prophecies? Is it literally Judah, Jacob's son, or is it Jesus Christ, God's son, the Lion of the tribe of Judah? Of course, it's Jesus; again, at his return in judgement. Balaam prophesied about what would happen shortly, which prophecy can be seen to have been a foreshadowing of that which would happen later when the Lion of the tribe of Judah would come in judgement. Balaam said, "He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The Lord his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them." The shout of the King, THE KING, is among them, not just any old king, and no misfortune or misery is observed in them when this prophecy is fulfilled! This is yet future but no longer distant!

Consider the last part of the prophecy again. "At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done! 24 'Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.'" The people of Israel did and will do like the Lion.

Balaam's third oracle reads as follows.

This is same kind of response other prophets like Daniel and Jeremiah had when the Lord revealed details about the fulfillment of the vision in the end times. This, too, is the context of Balaam's oracle. It continues:

This is a common prophetic description of the way it will be for Israel during the time that will follow right after the execution of judgement upon the wicked. Continuing again:

See, verse 9a is identical to the phrase in Jacob's prophecy in the Hebrew, except that the words translated "lie down" differ very slightly. The basis for judgement being executed in the day denoted in this prophecy will be exactly as Balaam prophesied. Those of the nations, the Gentile nations will be judged according to their treatment of Israel. Those who bless Israel will be blessed, those who curse Israel will be cursed.

• "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, (G 49:10a)

Now, here's the first in a series of celestial references to be discovered through tracking the source of the allusions made in Jacob's prophecy about Judah. Balaam's fourth oracle is as follows.

The Hebrew word for, scepter, in Genesis 49:10 is the same word used here in verse 17 for, scepter. The star which came out of Jacob would appear to be the very star of Bethlehem, who appeared to guide the ancient Magi. This star is associated with this scepter, symbolic of Jesus Christ. It is He, the coming King and Messiah who was beheld by Balaam. It is He who will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Moab and the sons of Sheth are symbolic of those who will still reject the Judge of all men when He appears. This judgement, described as crushing the foreheads and the skulls is according to the prophecy given to the serpent by God Himself.

• "Until Shiloh comes," or, "until he comes to whom it belongs" (G 49:10b)

In reading this verse, we have to ask; "to whom what belongs?" Because the answer isn't supplied directly, the figure of speech "ellipsis" is being employed. This literary device draws our attention to the missing word. Upon consideration of the context, I think it becomes rather obvious that the word "judgement" is most appropriate, a ruler's scepter of judgement or rod. The aspect of judgement that appears so promenently in the passages to which allusion is by this device brought emphatically to our attention.

• And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (G 49:10c)

The obedience of the peoples will be Christ's at his return as King. Remember that every knee shall bow? Also recall Revelation 19:15a, read earlier, "From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron;"

The words of the prophet Isaiah seem equally relevant.

• "He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine; (G 49:11a)

Remember Jesus riding a donkey in the gospel record?

Jesus quoted Zechariah 9:9. Thus, we know that what Jesus did in John 12 fulfilled the prophecy given in Zechariah. The Gospels record not one, but two entries into Jerusalem. He rode both a donkey and a colt. Bullinger wrote; "But when He came on the one - an ass's colt - it was in judgement, to pronounce the doom on the city; and on the nation." This judgement was pronounced when the King rode in on the colt. It appears that the judgement will be executed when the King tethers his colt! The vine seems to represent all the people of Israel. The choicest branch may be representative specifically of Judah, as when Israel was divided into two kingdoms.

• He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes. (G 49:11b)

When wine is made in the eastern culture the grapes in the winepress are literally tread upon with their feet and the red juice splatters their garments. Wine and grapes are associated with the wrath of God, as can be seen in Revelation 14:10 and in chapter 19, which has already been noted. Consider the following passage.

The meaning of all these allusions in this passage in Genesis 49 is clear. The theme is that of judgement being executed upon the ungodly at the coming of Christ.

• "His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk. (G 49:12)

This reference to Jesus' appearance indicates that it will be rather striking at the time implied, the picture of health. He will be a sight to behold!

The Celestial Theme

Now that Y'shua's return in judgement as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah has been thoroughly established as a theme of the prophecy, let's turn our attention to the celestial theme.

The Zodiacal constellation Leo with its first decan Hydra are suggested in the phrase from verse 8, "your hand will be on the neck of your enemies." The sky charts depict Leo as a lion with his front paws just about on the neck of Hydra, his enemy, the serpent.

Genesis 49:8b - Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies

The stars tell their message through the words that have been associated with them. Because they are named and their names have meanings, and because they are organized into groups which also have names and pictures drawn around them, the words tell a story. Here are some of the meanings of the ancient names of Hydra and Leo and of some of the stars in them. Not too surprisingly, the story told here is in harmony with the story told in Jacob's prophecy!

In Hydra (which means - "he is abhorred") we find Al Phard which means "the separated, put away"; Al Drian, "the abhorred"; and Minchar Al Sugia, "the piercing of the deceiver." Is this serpent any other than Satan himself?

Bullinger wrote the following about Leo, "The Hebrew name of the sign is 'Arieh', which means the Lion. There are six Hebrew words for lion, and this one is used of the Lion hunting down his prey." This very word is found in Genesis 49:9! He also writes, "The Syriac name is Aryo, the rending Lion, and the Arabic is Al Asad; both mean "a lion coming vehemently, leaping forth as a flame!"" Some of the star names in Leo are: Regulus, treading under foot; Denebola, the Judge or Lord who cometh; Al Giebha, the exaltation; Zosma, shining forth; Minchir al Asad, the punishing or tearing of the lion; Deneb Aleced, the judge cometh who seizes, and Al Dafera, the enemy put down.

This celestial testimony about the Lion of the tribe of Judah is what verse 8 refers to as it declares His destiny, "your hand will be on the neck of your enemies." This the prophecy God spoke to the enemy the serpent in the Garden of Eden - declaring the fundamental conflict of the age between The Seed of the woman and the Serpent! Also from verse 8, allusion is made to a passage found earlier in Genesis. The phrase; "Judah, your brothers will praise you" should wrest our attention when we realize that the name "Judah" means "praise," according to a principle I mentioned frequently. It is not only emphatic, but worshipful. "Praise" your brothers will "praise" you. We are directed to the record in which the worship is given another brother who is also symbolic of HaMashiach. Judah's brother Joseph was telling his brothers about his dreams that concerned receiving worship from his family. By these dreams, God was giving a prophecy about the exalted position of the coming Messiah.

Here is Joseph's dream.

The sun and moon and stars are celestial bodies! They represented Joseph's family, with the unmentioned twelfth star assumed to be Joseph himself. These stars are the same brothers who will also praise Judah, or, the one Judah represents, who is the very same one Joseph represented!

In the key verse, Genesis 49:10, "scepter" is the same word used in one of Balaam's prophecies.

The scepter is a star.

The Celestial Account and the Interpretation of the Sign

In biblical usage, a "star" can refer to one of a few different kinds of celestial bodies, like the distant suns we refer to today as stars, or to planets, or even to heavenly beings like angels. What is this scepter that will not depart from Judah? Because we have seen the celestial theme woven into Jacob's prophecy, let's consider an interpretation within that context. Remember, in Revelation 12:1, the "woman" described was, in a celestial context, the constellation Virgo. In Genesis 49, Judah, the Lion, is the constellation Leo. Leo and Virgo are two of the twelve that lie along the path of the Sun. This path is called the ecliptic. So, the Sun, Moon and planets travel through Leo just like they do through Virgo. According to the picture of the lion sign as it has come down through history, the wandering "stars" we call planets pass through a region that is easily identified as "between the feet" of the lion. The word "feet" in verse 10 is from the Hebrew word "regel," the very root word of Regulus, that bright star in Leo whose name means "treading under foot"! The planets don't pass over the lion's back, or through his head, but, between his feet! They first pass by Regulus, which marks the fore feet, and continue their motion until they are beyond the region of the hind feet. Once a planet has passed Regulus, before it passes beyond the hind feet it is "between the feet" of the lion Leo! The scepter and the ruler's staff are planets - not stars that are suns, and not angels.

Here is an interpreted rendition. "The scepter planet will not depart from Judah, the lion constellation Leo, nor the ruler's staff planet from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."

This animation shows the motion of the celestial bodies from August 6, 1991 through September 27, 1991. The line you see the Sun tracing is called the ecliptic. You'll notice the Moon passing through twice. Notice that Mercury and Venus had been retrograde motion together, but Mercury loops around to join Jupiter at Regulus.

(Using screen captures of Skyview Cafe - online. This view is from Jerusalem.)

This is a celestial sign! The motion of planets against the backdrop of the stars is the appointed sign marking Y'shua's coming in judgement that has been hidden in the scriptures from ages past!

It's not difficult to identify which planets are the scepter and ruler's staff. Of the four planets that had just previously massed in Leo, Mars had already moved beyond Leo. Venus was in retrograde motion between Leo and Hydra, but, the remaining two, Jupiter and Mercury, did something very interesting! Now, Jupiter is very slow moving relative to the other three planets and, at this stage of its cyclic retrograde motion through the heavens was making steady progress "eastward" toward Regulus. The star Regulus in Leo can be considered stationary because it remains fixed relative to the other stars. Mercury had begun retrograde motion in the same path and at the same time as Venus but moved more quickly to meet Jupiter at Regulus, and I do mean AT REGULUS! The dramatic meeting on the 10th of September in 1991 is the configuration that grabbed my attention as I observed the computer animation because Jupiter, Mercury and Regulus came within ½ a degree of each other, as viewed from earth! To give you an idea of the proximity of this star and two planets, when I watched them early in the morning sky on that cool Autumn day, I held up my little finger at arm's length and easily covered all three of these bright celestial bodies with the fingernail on my little finger! As I continued to observe the motion of these planets over the next several days, Jupiter continued its relatively slow paced movement, but fast moving Mercury quickly passed from between Leo's feet. The images give some indication of what this looked like.

As you can see, immediately following the signal massing of four planets, a configuration was formed where two of the planets were between Leo's feet for a brief period of time. They had entered between the feet together in a very rare and eyecatching event, meeting at the "fore feet star" Regulus. These two planets are the scepter and the ruler's staff! They are Jupiter and Mercury.

Jupiter as the Scepter

The "scepter" represents Jupiter, the King or ruling planet that was pictured in Revelation 12:1 as a crown of twelve stars. Simple. Obvious.

The following biblical reference to Jupiter and Mercury is of some help.

Mercury as the Ruler's Staff

Mercurius, or, Mercury, is the chief speaker. Mercury is historically known as the messenger god, the messenger planet. It's through the message-bearing aspect of Mercury that we find a link to the angel Gabriel, and in Gabriel we find another connection. The Hebrew word, chaqaq, is often translated, ruler's staff, but in some versions like the KJV; lawgiver. Gabriel is implicated as the lawgiver as we see the Bible's declaration that the law was given through the agency of an angel. Gabriel is typically seen as the one responsible to give messages. He's only named four times in the Bible but is probably shown many more times performing the office of "chief speaker." In Exodus 3:2, it is written that an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush. When we read about that event in Exodus 3 we see that, although it says many times that God spoke to Moses, there must have been an angel involved who functioned as an agent for God. We read in Acts 7:38 that it was an angel who spoke to him on Mt. Sinai when he "received living words to pass on to us." This refers to the giving of the law, so we now have the agency of an angelic lawgiver! The angel who acted as God's agent in the giving of the law is not named, but Gabriel is implicated because it is he who appears to be the primary message delivering angel. Interestingly, the NIV translators chose to describe angels as "celestial beings" in Jude 8. Gabriel is associated with the planet Mercury as the messenger, a celestial being, body or star, and is quite possibly the "lawgiver" agent. It seems pretty plain that the lawgiver of Genesis 49:10 is the planet Mercury.

The celestial interpretation of Genesis 49:10 is very simply, "Jupiter will not depart from Leo nor Mercury from between the feet until Y'shua comes in judgement."

On September 10, 1991, Mercury met Jupiter at Regulus in Leo. Moving very slowly, Jupiter remained in Leo while Mercury moved rapidly eastward to exit from between the feet of the lion by the 27th of September. By then, as the prophecy declares, the Y'shua had come in judgement! How could that be? Continue reading, where this should become plain.

Celestial Date Stamps - Two of a Kind!

The celestial prophecy of Genesis 49 is like the one in Revelation 12:1, where another celestial configuration is pictured at a precise moment in time.

That sign in Virgo is presented in the context of the birth of a son to the Virgin, a son who can be identified in the context as Y'shua. Revelation 12:1 simply interprets in a celestial context like this. "A great and wondrous celestial sign appeared in heaven: The sun is in the constellation of Virgo while the moon is positioned under her feet while Jupiter is positioned on her head."

The celestial signs attend events to specially mark them. The signs call out the event attended to those who see them coming and watch them appear. The signs also provide a means of establishing the date on any calendar, even long after the events have passed. Have you considered how the signs of Y'shua's birth set a precident for his return? (When Jesus was Born - The Celestial Signs)

Genesis 49:10 marks that son's coming in judgement as a Lion. The celestial lights once again flooded the world with divine knowledge as they had at His birth and baptism, pouring forth their timely testimony about the coming of the King!

It is surely no coincidence that both signs (Revelation 12:1 and Genesis 49:10) followed immediately after a massing of the four planets, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury, in the constellation Leo. This signal event is believed to have been a prompt for the Magi long ago, and, it is my testimony that that observation is what initially seized my attention in 1991! God is very consistent with His prophetic messages. He gives instruction through cycles and trends! Recall the Bible's declaration that the purpose of the heavenly lights is to give light on the earth, and that the spiritual light is the message about Christ. We have seen convincing evidence that the time element is implicit to celestial signs and is a vital part of this divine testimony!

Here are some interesting observations. With regard to the divine ordering of constellations in the circle of the Zodiac, the Sphinx (related to the great pyramid in Giza, Egypt, that is referred to as the pillar of Enoch) speaks of Virgo as the first constellation of the circle of the Zodiac and of Leo as the last. There is a star in Leo named, Sarcam, (Hebrew) which means, "the joining." Because of this star's name, it seems likely that this particular star's position in the heavens marks where the two ends of the zodiacal circle meet. Thus, it may be seen that the celestial sign of Jesus' first coming appeared in the first sign in the circle of the zodiac and the sign of His coming again appeared in the last. Full circle, as they say. Alongside this comparison, we find that an inverted ordering exists in how the celestial prophecy of Messiah's first appearance is in the last book of the Bible (Revelation) while the celestial prophecy of His latter appearance is in the first (Genesis).

The Manner of His Coming

How is it that the Judge could have come in September of 1991? We look to His first coming for the example. We're dealing with seasons that span years and involve a series of events. The seasons have beginnings and endings. God first caused a young virgin to conceive. Then His son was born. He was bar-mitzvah'ed at 12, baptized at about 30 and some time after spending 40 days in the wilderness he began to minister publically. His "earth suit" flesh body ministry on earth lasted around 3 1/2 years until he was crucified. After 3 days in the grave, he arose in an eternal spiritual body. After another 40 days, when he appeared to bear testimony to many, he ascended into heaven. In recounting this series of events I make the point very plainly that His coming wasn't a single event. Our Lord's presence on earth wasn't apparent to most people until He began ministering according to the messianic anointing, because that's where their focus was. Yet, by then He had already been here for 30 years. His coming in judgement is just that same way! What was marked for our attention by the celestial prophecy in 1991 compares in some ways to his birth. The season of judgement began, and it continues until it becomes evident to the masses and ultimately reaches a dramatic conclusion.

On What Day Do We Account His Coming?

By Sunrise on September 27, the lawgiver (Mercury) is no longer between the feet of the lion of Judah (Leo)

In this consideration, Jerusalem is the select location, for reasons that should be obvious. Jupiter and Mercury were between the feet in Leo for about two weeks, entering in together on the 10th of September. Mercury exited by the 27th at the very latest so Y'shua's return in judgement had begun by then. To discover which day his coming might be accounted on we have to give consideration to the holy days on the Lord's own calendar, which has been designed to mark out important events on His schedule. It's like an appointment book.

The month widely known as Tishri began at sunset on September 10th in 1991. I'm not aware of anyone who might have been watching and recording new moons back then then like the Karaites do today, but we have a pretty good way to figure it out based on years of observations and the known length of time between the setting of the Sun and the setting of the Moon. If there is too little lagtime, the Moon sets before it's far enough away from the Sun to be seen. On the 10th, lagtime was 55 minutes, with sunset in Jerusalem at 17:52 and moonset at 18:47. This is comfortably in the "visible" range. Tishri 1 thus began at sunset on the 10th. Tishri begins like every other month, with a holy day celebrating the reappearance of the Moon. It's referred to as Rosh Chodesh, meaning, "head of the month." However, the Rosh Chodesh of Tishri is special. It's also Rosh HaShanah, meaning, "head of the year. " This is considered to be the first day of the first month, by some accountings, equivilent to "New Years" day. Biblically, it is Yom Teruah, the Day of Shouting, or, Trumpets. The days leading up to the next Feast are known as the Days of Awe. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is celebrated on the 10th day of the month. This is the most solemn holy day of the annual cycle, and also the day marking the arrival of a Yobel, or, Jubilee year. Sukkot, known as Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Ingathering with reference to the harvest, is celebrated from the 15th through the 21st days of the month. There is an extension celebrated on the 22nd of the month, the eighth day of assembly, Shemini Atzeret. Of these, which if any occurred within the window of time pictured in Genesis 49:10? Let's consider the celestial event schedule in more detail.

Jupiter and Mercury entered "between the feet" when they passed conjunction with Regulus. Again, this is what really grabbed my attention because Mercury met Jupiter at Regulus in very close proximity! Jupiter was in conjunction with Regulus on the 10th at about 9:30 am. Mercury came into conjunction with Regulus at about Noon. Twenty-five minutes later, Mercury came into conjunction with Jupiter. (10:08:01 RA) A few hours later, the appearance of the new Moon announced the arrival of Yom Teruah at sunset. (17:52, or, 5:52 pm) RA indicates Right Ascension values. Bodies in conjunction have the same RA. To give the more technically minded among you an idea of the relative motions, Regulus has a fixed position at 10:07:55 RA, so when the planets are in conjunction with Regulus they have an identical RA value. By sunset, Jupiter had moved to 10:08:13 RA, and the quickly accelerating Mercury, to 10:09:12 RA.

So, within hours of the very dramatic entrance of both the scepter and lawgiver between the feet of the lion on that Autumn evening of the 10th of September, Yom Teruah began. While both bodies were between the feet of the lion, the Days of Awe counted off to Yom Kippur, which began at sunset on the 19th. Both planets were still between the feet for perhaps a few more days, depending upon where you account the point of exit from between the lion's feet. As far as I've been able to ascertain, establishing the point of exit is a subjective matter, requiring the interpretation of ancient renderings of the figure of the constellation's lion. None of those seem to stand out as a standard of reference, and that seems to be of little consequence. This consideration of the sign highlights two candidates, Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur.

Which day is it? At first, I favored Yom Kippur because it was easily in the midst of the span, but over the years I came to lean more and more strongly toward the former, Yom Teruah. The year 1991-2 was not a Yobel, so there doesn't seem to be any reason to view that particular Yom Kippur as a significant transitional day. Yom Teruah, however, is always a transitional day as it is the first of a new month and even year on 2 (civil and regnal) of the 4 kinds of calendars. Two other features speak even more loudly to me about Yom Teruah. Yom Teruah was the day Y'shua was born. That event was attended by the celestial sign of Revelation 12:1, which very notably provided the foundation for the revelation of this sign of His coming in judgement from Genesis 49:10. That's a very substantial connection! And, the celestial activity that anticipated it, which I watched with great excitement together with my family and a small number of saints, brought supreme emphasis to its arrival!

When did Jesus come in judgement? My conclusion is this: Yom Teruah - September 10-11, 1991! And the series of events in its season of fulfilment continues until it reaches the appointed conclusion!

What I've documented here is like a foundation stone upon which the Lord built in revealing the chronology of the end times, the timeline of biblical prophetic fulfillment. What I'm going to share with you took many years to learn. Keeping the Lord's calendar requires the observation of celestial signs that begin counts. Month after month, it's the sign of the new moon. Year after year, these are synchronized with a watch to determine the status of the barley crop, which is a related sign. The season of the Lord's return in judgement has its own count, which was another well kept secret. The observation of the celestial sign established the point at which the count began. This is how the Lord made it to be. It's consistent with His way, from ancient times. It was in 1999, 8 years later, that I came to learn that the sign of 1991 marked the turn of a Shemitah, one of the repeating weeks of years that began coincident with Creation itself, when time in this age was initiated. It was another 7 years later, in 2008, that I learned what the judgement count was, the key to knowing how everything else I had been learning anchored to the calendar date that was established by the celestial sign of 1991. The celestial sign has been invaluable! How awesomely good our God is to us!

Continue on to the supplemental study called, The Celestial Sign of Jacob's Dying Prophecy is Validated by Hidden Time Prophecies and Other Remarkable Signs