Monday, January 11, 2010

Leo - The King Rending



   



  • The twelfth and last zodiac constellation is Leo the Lion. The picture is of a large Lion sited beside the Crab.

  • Leo is the end of the great zodiac circle, and this is the where the circle comes around again to meet back at Virgo.

  • Leo is a beautiful constellation with the head of the lion resembling a backwards question mark and the end (or tail) part is shaped like a triangle.

  • He is pouncing on the head of the fleeing giant Water Serpent. In the Egyptian planisphere he is shown actually standing on the serpent. So once again a hero is attacking the serpent Hydra (Satan), and apparently focusing on crushing its head. All societies see this as a lion.

  • By the beginning of March, Leo has cleared the eastern horizon at the end of evening twilight, and by the end of the month it is high in the east as darkness comes.

  • In September of 3 B.C., Jupiter came into conjunction with Regulus, the star of kingship, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion. Leo was the constellation of kings, and it was associated with the Lion of Judah. Just a month earlier, Jupiter and Venus had almost seemed to touch each other in another close conjunction, also in Leo. Then the conjunction between Jupiter and Regulus was repeated in February and May of 2 B.C. Finally, on June 17, 2 B.C., Jupiter and Venus, the two brightest objects in the night sky except for the moon, came so close that their disks appeared to touch. This exceptionally rare event could not have been missed by observers such as the Wise Men. Jupiter is derived from the Hebrew or Chaldean Jah, which is the name of God revealed to Moses. Jupiter represents the King of righteousness. The Hebrew name for Jupiter is Tzedeq, which means “righteousness.” Thus we see Jupiter as representing the King of Righteousness, or The Righteous Ruler. Jupiter has long been recognized as a Messianic star, being associated with the Messiah. Frances Rolleston wrote that “Venus in all countries and languages is feminine." Venus is symbolic of the Virgin, and is both a reference to the virgin who was to give birth to the Son of God, as well as being symbolic of the church. It is possible that this union of Jupiter and Venus stands as the most plausible explanation of the sign that the wise men discerned in the heavens back in the year 2 B.C. That this sign occurred in Leo, symbolizing the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the tribe from which God said the ruler’s scepter would not depart, adds additional meaning to the sign. Judah's name means praise and glory and majesty of God. His banner bore the sign of the rampant lion. His jewel representative was the ruby, the symbol of blood-shedding unto victory. And Jacob describes him as the lion, the tearer in pieces, the glorious victor, the same as exhibited in the sign of Leo. The chief star embraced in this figure, situated in the Lion’s breast, whence its mighty paws proceed, bears the name of Regel, or Regulus, which means the feet which crush, as whence it was said of the Messiah that He shall tread upon the serpent and the asp, and trample the dragon under His feet (Psalm 91:13). All ancient civilizations recognized Regulus as the king star, the one and only king star in the zodiac. The wise men would surely have taken note of all of the details of this heavenly message, and would have understood its meaning. Understanding heavenly signs is similar to the study of Scripture. One must look at what is being communicated in the entirety of its given context. The constellations form the background context for understanding a heavenly event. This signed occurred in Leo. There has not been a brighter, closer conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in Leo so near to Regulus in the 2,000 years before or since.
    Could this be the event that caused a group of astrologers called the Wise Men to travel to Jerusalem in search of a new king almost 2,000 years ago?


Names:



  • Latin: Regulus means “Kingly.”

  • Hebrew: Arieh means " The Lion Rending" or " The Lion hunting down his prey."

  • Arabic: Al Asad means " The Lion who rends" or "The lion leaping."

  • Syriac: Aryo means "The rending lion."

  • Egyptian: In the zodiac of Dendereh, the word Knem ("Who Conquers") is written under the constellation of Leo. In the Denderah zodiac, Leo is treading on a serpent and indeed his feet are over the constellation Hydra, the serpent.

  • Egyptian: Pi Mentekeon, means, "pouring out" (links to Crater, a cup of wrath).

  • This is none other than the Lion of the tribe of Judah, which as the Bible says, "has prevailed" - Revelation 5:5.


Stars:



  • Regulus (Rigel or Regel):

    • The head of Leo is formed by a sickle-shaped set of stars with bright Regulus marking the handle of the sickle. If you wish, you can imagine this as a reverse question mark, with Regulus being the period of the question mark.

    • The Aramaic and Hebrew meaning of Regulus is “the feet which crush” or "treading underfoot".

    • For Persians, Regulus was one of four Guardian stars of Heaven.

    • Regulus has been called the "Royal Star," and "Kingly Star," being associated in many ways with kings on earth. Thus, both the star and its constellation became a symbol of royalty.

    • Regulus enters the sign Virgo in 2012 AD.

    • As the brightest star in Leo, Regulus almost always has been universally associated in ancient cultures with the concept of royalty or kingly power. The name Regulus comes from the Latin rex, or king. The star was known in Arabia as Malikiyy, the Kingly One; in Greece, as the "Star of the King"; in ancient Babylon, as Sharru or the King; to the even more ancient Akkadians of Mesopotamia it represented Amil-gal-ur, the legendary King of the Celestial Sphere who ruled before the great flood.



  • Denebola (at the end of the tail) - Hebrew: "The Judge Who Comes", "the Lord who cometh with Haste", "The Prince" - Revelation 22:12 ; 20.

  • Deneb Aleced - " the Judge shall reign".

  • Al Giebha (in the mane) - Arabic "The Exaltation" or "The Exalted" - Revelation 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:14-17.

  • Zosma (on the back) - "the Shining Forth".

  • Al Defera - " the putting down of the enemy".

  • Al Zubra - "The Heaped up as sin and delayed punishment".

  • Al Serpha - " The Burning", "The Funeral Pyre".

  • Zozma - "Shining Forth".

  • Minchar Alasad - "The Tearing of the Lion".

  • Aldafera - "Enemy Put Down".

  • Sarcam - "joining" or "the joint", indicating the boundary between the beginning and end of the constellations.

  • Other star names indicate a lion which seizes, tears up, and puts down his enemy.


Verses:



  • Genesis 3:14-15: Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

  • Numbers 24:8-9: God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox. He devours all the nations that oppose him, breaking their bones in pieces, shooting them with arrows. Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you.”

  • Romans 16:20: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

  • Revelation 5:5: "But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”


Mythology:



  • Leo has always been associated with the Sun. Pliny wrote that Egyptians worshiped the stars of Leo because they knew that the Sun appeared to enter them during the time when the Nile flooded to bring fresh fertile soil onto the land. Because of this, it was thought that the Sun rose in Leo at the time of creation. Thus, Leo was the emblem of the fire and heat that nourished the land, intimately associated with all the blessings that rained down from the greatest of the gods that filled the world with light each day. In this regard, it has been suspected that the great Sphinx represents both the Sun and the constellation Leo. It is shown, however, with the body of the Lion and the head of the beautiful Virgo, the constellation next to the east along the zodiac.

  • The constellation Leo has been known as a Lion from nearly all the early lands of the Near East; certainly from Sumeria, Babylonia, Persia, and Syria, as well as from the Greeks and Romans. It was the tribal sign of Judah. Its association with the Nile River is the likely reason that the heads of lions with open jaws were carved on the gates of canals used to carry off the flood water that irrigated the Nile Valley.

  • The Greeks said Leo came down from the Moon on a meteor, landing on the Isthmus of Corinth. The beast ravaged the land, terrorizing people around the Nemean forest until Hercules slew the creature. In due course it was carried back to the heavens along with Hercules, both inducted into the stellar hero hall of fame.

  • The Lion of Leo is pictured in the Denderic Zodiac as treading upon a serpent.



The three decans are Hydra, Crater and Corvus


The three decans are combined. We have Hydra, the Serpent; Crater, the Cup, pouring out wrath on the serpent; and Corvus, the Raven, grasping and pecking at the serpent.


I. Hydra - The old serpent destroyed. The excluded, put out of the way. The serpent fleeing.





  • The first decan is the giant Water Serpent (Hydra).

  • Hydra, that old serpent the Great Dragon, is best seen from the southern hemisphere, but can be observed in the north between January and May.

  • This is a very long constellation which wraps nearly a third of the way around the heavens - stretching beneath Virgo, Leo and Cancer.

    • Just as Satan bought down a third of the angels with him, so this is also typified in Hydra. Here he is fleeing for his life. But he is caught, not able to escape.



  • Hydra is a picture of a serpent (Satan) being destroyed.

  • The feet of Leo are over this long constellation as if victorious over it.

  • Just as the leviathan Cetus is the largest of the constellations, so Hydra is the longest.

  • Hydra represents that old serpent the Devil and Satan to be put away by the Lion of the tribe of Judah, The Lord Jesus, The Messiah.


Names:



  • Latin & Greek: Hydra means "the Abhorred."


  • Greek: Hydra (the Water Serpent)

  • Summerian: Mush (the Snake)


Stars:



  • Al Phard: Its brightest star is at the heart of the monster and means "the Separated", "The Excluded" or "Put Out of the Way".

  • Al Drian means"the abhorred."

  • Minchir al Sugia means "the Punishing", "the Tearing to Pieces of the Deceiver", "the Piercing of the Deceiver."


Verses:



  • Isaiah 26:21; Isaiah 27:1: Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see. ... In that day the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea.

  • Revelation 20:10: Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.


Mythology:



  • In Greek mythology, as one head was severed by Hercules, two more took its place. Hercules burned each head to keep them from regenerating, until he reached the final head which he discovered is immortal. This one he buried under a rock. It is clearly one of the great forces of evil, similar to the Cetus Sea Monster.

  • Anciently it was near the celestial equator, and gave rise to the belief that the dragon swallows the sun during an eclipse.



II. Crater - The cup of wrath poured put. The Cup - 13 stars in this cup.



  • The second decan is the Cup (Crater). It is apparently attached to the back of the serpent.

  • Crater is a thirteen star constellation over Hydra. It is a cup wide and deep - a cup of wrath! In addition, the number thirteen represents apostasy.

  • In the Egyptian zodiac, the woman holding the two cups was called Herua, meaning "great enemy"; these cups would be the same two bright stars which go to make the base of the single cup, which is shown as wide and deep, embedded in the very body of the serpent. This is a mirror of the image of Revelation 17:4, where the Great Harlot sits enthroned on the back of the scarlet beast, drinking from the cup of abominations.


Names:



  • Egyptian name of this constellation is Pimentekeon, meaning "the pouring out", as of wrath.

  • Crater means "Joined Together" (with the serpent).


Stars:



  • Al Ches: (Arabic) means "the cup".


Verses:



  • Psalm 75:8: For the Lord holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours out the wine in judgment, and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs.

  • Revelation 14:10: must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.

  • Revelation 16:19: The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath.

  • Revelation 17:4: The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality.


Mythology:



  • In mythology, Crater was the cup from which Apollo drank. Apollo was a well-known Greek god whose job it was to carry the sun across the sky each day. As you can imagine, it was a hot and laborious task. Apollo asked his pet crow, Corvus, to fetch him some water to drink because he was tired and overheated. But Corvus was not a good pet and did not do as Apollo wished. Corvus flew away on his mission and while gone he saw a tree with berries. He spent a couple days eating the berries before finally returning with the water. He also brought along a water snake, making up a story that the water snake attacked him and this was the reason for his delay. Apollo didn't believe his lie and placed him in the sky by the cup. Now it's payback time for Corvus the Crow, who always has the cup in his sights but can never drink from it himself.

  • The people of the city of Eleusis were struck by a plague. To appease the gods and avoid the plague, a sacrifice was of a noble maiden was made each year. The king, Demonphon, didn't include his own daughters in the lottery. He got away with this for awhile but then a nobleman, Mastusius, objected. Demonphon sacrificed one of Mastusius' daughters without drawing lots. Mastusius sent an invitation to dinner to the king. When the king arrived, Mastusius served him a cup of wine that he had mixed with the blood of the king's daughters, whom he had murdered. When the murders were discovered, Mastusius was killed and thrown into the sea. The cup was placed in the sky to remind men that their evil deeds will not go unpunished.>



III. Corvus / The Raven - The birds of prey devouring. His carcass devoured.



  • The third decan is the Raven (Corvus). It is also on the back of the Serpent.

  • Corvus, the Raven, is grasping the Hydra, the serpent, with his claws while tearing at him with his beak.

  • This raven represents the birds of Revelation, feasting on the enemies of Christ and His people. These enemies are the people of the Great Enemy, Satan. One does not need to look far in the Bible to see other precursor images of birds feeding off of the enemies of God's people, but in Revelation, this feast is the feast of all feasts!


Names:



  • Arabic: Minchir Al Gorab means "Raven tearing to pieces."

  • In the Egyptian Denderah zodiac, it is called Herna, which literally means, "breaking up the enemy".

  • Latin: Corvus (the Crow)

  • Greek: Koronis (the Crow) or Korakos (the Raven)

  • Akkadian: Aribu (the Raven)

  • Sumerian: Uga-Mushen (the Raven)


Stars:



  • Al Chibar is the star in the eye of the Raven and means "the Curse inflicted" or "joining together".

  • Minchar Algoreb (Arabic) means "The Raven Tearing to Pieces"

  • Minchar Alsugia means "The Deceiver Torn to Pieces".

  • Minchir al Gorab (Arabic): In the right wing is Al Goreb which means "the raven tearing to pieces".


Verses:



  • Revelation 19:17-18: Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”


Conclusion of Leo:


   What we have here is the wrath of God being poured out as Leo, Lion of Judah, comes to pounce on the head of the serpent. We see also the death of Satan and the ravens feeding! Leo, the majestic lion, rending the prey, represents irresistible strength, and final separation between good and evil. His foot is over the head of the prostrate serpent, closing the series as we are told by the Apostle that the dispensation must be closed: "For He shall reign till His has put all things under His feet."


   Leo is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The seed of the woman. The righteous branch. He roars out of Zion. He comes to his own again, but this time as the Lion not the Lamb. When he comes the second time he will tread underfoot his enemies. He will come in righteous judgment and will receive that kingdom that was promised to him before the foundation of the world.


   Christ is referred to as the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Revelation 5:5), and the lion seems to refer to Jesus Christ in his role as King. This constellation most likely refers to Christ as King of Kings, reigning during the coming Millennium, after he has destroyed the horrible beast. Hence, we have the victorious Lion, crushing the enemy, Himself Exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.



Here is the story the Mazzaroth has presented to us so far:



  1. The seed of the woman shall come.

  2. There shall be a price paid by Him for a purchased possession.

  3. The price shall be a conflict with the serpent-foe, and a wound in the conqueror's heel.

  4. He shall be sent forth swiftly, surely, as an arrow from a bow.

  5. He shall be slain as a sacrifice.

  6. He shall rise again and pour out blessings on His people.

  7. His people shall be multitudes, and held in union with each other and Himself

  8. He who was slain, whose heel was bruised, shall rule, and shall tread His enemy under foot.

  9. He shall come in power, triumphant, and have dominion.

  10. He shall be the Son of God and the son of man, the victim and the ruler.

  11. He shall hold fast His purchased possession, the reward of His work.

  12. He shall finally put all enemies under His feet, coming with ten thousand of His saints to execute judgment upon all, separating the evil from the good.


   A virgin Maiden is the mother of an Infant Prince who is half mortal and half god (Centaur) and who will grow up to be the Good Shepherd (Herdsman). He is the Redeemer who will pay the price of sin (Balance) through his suffering (Cross) as a sacrifice (Beast) in order to win the Crown. He will be the great Healer who will crush sickness and death (Scorpion). He is the Savior (Archer, Hercules) who slays the Dragon, resulting in great rejoicing (Harp). He is also the Goat (Sea Goat) sacrificed on the Altar, but then resurrecting (Dolphin). He is the messenger of his Father (Eagle and Arrow). He is the Master Teacher (Waterman), who pours out knowledge and blessings on his church (Southern Fish), carrying it upward (Flying Horse) to someday be glorified (Swan). He is the Ram who breaks the Bands of Death, and the Hero who looses the chains of hell which bind and shackle both his former-day and latter-day Church (Fishes) to the awful Sea Monster. The Hero is also the Bridegroom who then marries his Church (Princess). He is enthroned as the King and the glorified church becomes his Queen. At the beginning of the Millennium, Christ reigns as King and Lord of Hosts of the Kingdom of God (Bull). As the royal Hunter he destroys the harlot (Hare) who has perverted religions and governments worldwide, and he executes judgment on the wicked (River). He is both the Father and the Son (Twins). He who comes in power to destroy the great harlot (Hare) at the Second Coming (Big Dog) is also he who came in meekness and allowed himself to be slain by her at the First Coming (Little Dog). He is the Deliverer (Crab) who leads the dead up out of hell (Ship) and delivers his flocks (Big and Little Bears). As the millennial King (Lion), he permanently overcomes the fleeing Water Serpent, who suffers the Cup of the wrath of God, and whose corpse is eaten by birds of prey (Raven).



   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation of the Bible.



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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Cancer (The Crab)

  


 



Cancer:

Messiah's redeemed possessions:

Eternal Security


    

  



  • The eleventh and next to last zodiac constellation is Cancer, the crab, best viewed during the month of March.

  • Between Leo the Lion and Gemini the Twins lies the faint zodiac constellation Cancer the Crab. Cancer looks a bit like the inner spokes in a wheel. A central star or cluster usually is the midpoint from which the lines radiate outward to the few bright stars in this constellation.

  • In the Egyptian zodiacs:

    • One depicts it as a dung beetle (Scarabæus) shown holding the ball in which it has deposited its eggs. So, the grub which spent its past living in literal dung, metamorphosized into an iridescent creature of flight — soiled only in its care of its own young.

    • Another shows it with a hawk's head.

    • Another, as a crab.




Names:



  • Hebrew, Sartan, means "who holds" or "who binds".

  • Arabic, Al Sartan, also means "who holds" or "who binds".

  • Syrian, Sartano, means "The One Who Holds".

  • Coptic, Klaria, means "cattle-folds" or "the Resting Places".

  • Greek, Karkinos, means "holding or encircling" - hence "the crab", from Arabic Khan an Inn, and Ker, or Cer = encircling.

  • Latin, Cancer, means the same as the Greek.

  • The ancient Accadian is Su-kul-na ( the seizer, or possessor of seed).

  • Egypt, a “Sacred” (scarabæus – or Scarab). Emblem of immortality in the form of a dung beetle.

  • In the zodiac of Dendereh, it was called Klaria (Cattlefolds).


Main Stars:



  • Tegmine in the tail is Cancer's brightest star and means "The Sheltering" or "Hiding Place" or "Holding".

  • Præsepe: Contained within the ‘cattle fold’ is a bright nebula now called "the Beehive", whose ancient name was Præsepe, "a multitude" or "off­spring" or "manger". The Romans saw it as a manger within a camp, recalling back to the identification of Cancer as a Cattle-fold. Præsepe means "The Multitude" or "The Innumerable Seed".

  • Al Himerein means "the kids" or "lambs".

  • Acubene in the lower large claw means both in Hebrew and Arabic "the sheltering" or "hiding place".

  • Ma'alaph means "Assembled Thousands" and is also called Al Himarein ("the lambs").

  • Let's put this all together: Cattle-folds, including kids and lambs, binding together and encircling, sheltering, one who possesses them, and a multitude.


Verses:



  • John 10:28: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,

  • Romans 8:38-39: And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • Isaiah 4:5-6: Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain.


Mythology:



  • Ancient Egyptians called this part of the sky the Scarab, in reference to their concept that an invisible celestial scarab beetle pushed the Sun across the heavens, just as the scarab beetle rolls a dung ball along.

  • Another ancient Egyptian image of this sign was of Hermanubis (Hermes) with the head of an ibis or hawk.

  • The Beehive Cluster in Cancer is also known as the Praesepe, which means "manger". This manger is where the two donkeys, Asellus Australis and Asellus Borealis, ate from. The gods Dionysus and Silenus rode these two donkeys into battle against the Titans.

  • The Greek mythology of Cancer the Crab begins with Zeus having an affair with Alcmene, the queen of Tiryns. The result of this union was the Heracles (the Romans named him our familiar Hercules). Of course, this union and offspring did not go over too well with Hera (the Roman Juno), the wife of Zeus. Hera, in her jealous state, swore to kill Hercules. Hera attempted to have Hercules killed many times but his imposing strength allowed him to overcome. Cancer comes into this ‘beloved’ scene when Hercules is fighting the terrible water-serpent, Hydra. During the battle between Heracles and Hydra, Hera sent Cancer, the giant crab, to aid the serpent. As the violent fight took place, Cancer was nipping at Hercules feet. But Heracles, being so mighty in strength, killed the crab by smashing its shell with his foot. Hera then placed the crab's image in the night sky as a reward for it’s service. Once again, we have a picture of a "hero" being bitten in the foot by an evil creature, but crushing its head with his foot! How many times have we seen this story from Genesis so far?!



The three decans are Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Argo


 


I. Ursa Minor - The lesser sheepfold, close to and including the Pole.





  • Ursa Minor, often called the Little Dipper or "the Little Bear", is a constellation in the northern sky.

  • Like the Big Dipper, the handle of the Little Dipper is the tail of the "little bear".

  • Ursa Minor is the location of the north celestial pole, although this will change after some centuries due to the precession of the equinoxes.

  • In the oldest zodiacs of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Indians, it is not a bear, but a sheepfold.

  • In the Arab world, it was a small flock and to the Persians it was a woman.

  • As indicated by similar constellation names and pictures, the "Little Dipper" and "Big Dipper" go together. They even look alike. Since ancient times, they were seen as a pair.


Names:



  • Ursa Minor is Latin for "little bear".

  • Ursa Minor is more commonly called the Little Dipper because its seven brightest stars seem to form the shape of a dipper (ladle or scoop).

  • As can be seen by some of the star names below, the original meaning had nothing to do with bears. The confusion with a bear arose from the similarity between the Hebrew words for "fold" (dohver) and "bear" (dohv) — a similarity retained in both Arabic and Persian. Thus, the Greeks replaced "the fold" with "the bear" — an obvious corruption, as one glance at the smaller Bear's freakishly long tail proves, ridiculously extended to end at the Pole Star.

  • The original meaning of this constellation was "a sheepfold" or "the Lesser Fold".

  • Another Latin name for Ursa Minor was Septentriones, the "seven which revolve" — from which the Romans arrived at their word for ‘north’; the Arabs noted its rotation in the name Ogilah, "going round".

    • Revelation 1:16,20: He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.




Stars:



  • Polaris: The star at the end of the dipper handle is Polaris, the North Star.

    • Polaris can also be found by following a line through the two stars which form the end of the "bowl" of the Big Dipper, a nearby asterism found in the constellation Ursa Major.

    • Polaris is the brightest of the constellation's stars, called Al Ruccaba (Arabic), which means "turned" or "ridden on".

    • It is Cynosure in Greek, after which the entire constellation was called (the Greeks took the name from Mesopotamia, Annassurra, meaning something like "on high").

    • It marks the point vertically above our earth’s north pole in the celestial sphere. In actual fact it is slightly off center and we need star tables to be able to locate true north. When these constellations were first drawn up over 4000 years ago, the star Thuban, in the constellation Draco was the Pole star!

    • To find Polaris is simple - on a reasonably clear night, look due north and it will be there at an elevation about equal to your latitude. It always stays there since the Earth's pole points to it (within less than a degree).

    • The Pole or North Star is the hub in which everything circles, including the sun and planets.



  • Kochab (Hebrew): Next in brightness is Kochab ("awaiting Him who cometh").

  • Arctos means "the stronghold of the saved", from which we get the word ‘arctic’.

  • Al Pherkadain (Hebrew) means "redeemed assembly", "the calves" or "the redeemed".

  • Al Kaid means "the assembled".

  • Arcas or Arctos means "the traveling company". Another interpretation is rendered "the stronghold of the saved".

  • Al Gedi (Arabic) means "the kid".


Verses:



  • Ezekiel 34:12: I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day.

  • John 10:16: I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.



II. Ursa Major - The fold and the flock, anciently the Greater Sheepfold, in connection with Arcturus, the guardian and keeper of the flock





  • The first and second decans are Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Greater and Lesser Bears. Originally Dubheh or Dubah, not meaning bear but a collection of domesticated animals. So we don't have two long-tailed bears, we have two sheepfolds or flocks. Now, where else have we seen pairs in the stars - Gemini and Pisces.

  • In the Arab world, it was a small flock, and to the Persians it was also a woman, and all with the same symbolism as the Little Bear.

  • Both of these bears or flocks were guarded in the myths by the Herdsman, who is nearby.


Names:



  • Al Naish: The Arabic name of this constellation is Al Naish or Annaish meaning, "the assembled together" as sheep in a fold.

  • The Hebrew word means "To Hasten or Assemble Together".

  • As with Ursa Minor, it is felt that the Greeks may have mistakenly thought the constellation was called by the Persian word Dob (Bear) rather than the Hebrew word Dowb (Sheepfold).


The Big Dipper asterism:




  • The seven stars in the upper-left corner of Ursa Major form an asterism called the Big Dipper. This group has been recognized by almost all groups of people who live in places where it can be seen in the sky and it is one of the best-known star patterns.

  • The Big Dipper is helpful in finding the north star because an imaginary line drawn through the two stars on the right side will point directly at the north star.

  • In the 19th century, runaway slaves would "follow the Drinking Gourd" to the north and freedom.

  • These seven stars were called by the rabbis Ash, which in Job 9:9 is translated as "the Bear and her train".


Stars:



  • Dubhe, the brightest star on the ‘lip’ of the Dipper, means a "herd of animals" or "a flock", "a herd of cattle" (akin to "security" and to the Akkadian word for "wealth"). Its Arabic name is Dubhe ("flock" — another name for the entire constellation). This star name that gives a clue to the intended meaning of both decans.

  • Merach (Hebrew "the flock", Arabic "purchased") is directly below.

    • By visually tracing a line from Merak through Dubhe and continuing, one's eye will land on Polaris, accurately indicating true north.



  • Phaeda ("guarded" or "numbered") is directly to the left.

  • El Kaphrah (Arabic "protected", Hebrew "ransomed") is the star above, completing the square.

  • Alioth is just to the left along the ‘handle’ of the Dipper. Alioth means "she-goat", as that held by the Shepherd, third decan of Taurus.

  • Mizar ("separate" or "small") is half-way down the handle.

  • Al Cor ("lamb") is immediately next.

  • Benet Naish (Arabic "daughters of the assembly") is at the tip.

  • Other stars include Megrez ("separated") and Alcaid ("the assembled").

  • Other, unidentified stars had names meaning "the latter flock", "the appointed sheepfold", "multitude", "assembled", "separated", and "band of travelers".


Verses:



  • Jeremiah 31:10: The divine message here is best summed up by Jeremiah 31:10: “Listen to this message from the Lord, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The Lord, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock.

  • Job 9:9 (New International Version): He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.


Greek Mythology: Zeus lusts after a young woman named Callisto, a nymph of Artemis. Hera (Juno), Zeus's wife, turns Callisto into a bear because of her jealousy. Callisto, while in bear form later encounters her son Arcas. Arcas almost shoots the bear, but to avert the tragedy, Zeus sweeps them both into the sky, forming Ursa Major.



III. Argo - The pilgrim's arrival at home, the Ship, the company of travelers under the bright Canopus, their Prince, the Argonauts returned with the Golden Fleece.


 



  • The final decan of Cancer is called Argo, a ship with sails rolled up - safely in home port after a long voyage. (Note head of Lion on prow). Argo means "A Company of Travelers".

  • The picture shows a ship located just below the celestial equator beside Canis Major and beneath the head of Hydra.

  • Argo was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into separate constellations - Puppis (the stern), Carina (the keel) and Vela (the sails).

  • The Egyptian image preserved from Dendera is called Shes-en-Fent ("rejoicing upon the serpent"): a mighty corralled ox, wearing around its neck the Egyptian cross of life - the ankh.


Stars:



  • Canopus means "the possession of Him who comes". Canopus is the next brightest star in the heavens next to Sirius in Canis Major.

  • Sephina, means "the multitude" or "abundance".

  • Tureis, means the "firm possession in hand".

  • Asmidiska means "the released who travel".

  • Soheil (Arabic) means "the desired".

  • Subilon means "the branch".


Greek Mythology:



  • The Greek mythology is that Jason led the expedition of the Argonauts on a quest to get the golden fleece of the Ram from the coveting serpent. He had some illustrious passengers aboard including Hercules. Argo was the name of the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts. They finally succeeded in their quest.

  • In the Persian tradition, this constellation also is a woman, and the three decans are considered a group of three women.

  • This myth was imposed upon the original sign which told a similar story of Him who defeated the dragon, dried the seas and made a way of crossing for the redeemed (Isaiah 51:9-11).


   So what do all of these decans have in common, and how do they help explain the meaning of the crab? In Cancer, the true picture is of the safety of the Shepherd's Fold which hides the multitude of lambs. We have the Lesser Fold, the assembly of the redeemed, harboring those who partook in the heavenly calling, who awaited a heavenly city ("Ursa Minor"); it circles round the heavens' center, which is no longer the hold of the Dragon but now the stronghold of the little flock. Again, we find the Seven Stars (cf. Revelation 1:16,20), the appointed sheepfold of the latter flock, purchased, separated out, numbered and guarded ("Ursa Major"). Finally, we find the two folds again represented in the two decks of that Ark which plows the seas, filled with riches and freemen (Argo). It seems reasonable to identify the Little Flock with redeemed Israel, and the Greater Fold with the Church and its redeemed Gentiles.



Here is the story the Mazzaroth has presented to us so far:



  1. The seed of the woman shall come.

  2. There shall be a price paid by Him for a purchased possession.

  3. The price shall be a conflict with the serpent-foe, and a wound in the conqueror's heel.

  4. He shall be sent forth swiftly, surely, as an arrow from a bow.

  5. He shall be slain as a sacrifice.

  6. He shall rise again and pour out blessings on His people.

  7. His people shall be multitudes, and held in union with each other and Himself

  8. He who was slain, whose heel was bruised, shall rule, and shall tread His enemy under foot.

  9. He shall come in power, triumphant, and have dominion.

  10. He shall be the Son of God and the son of man, the victim and the ruler.

  11. He shall hold fast His purchased possession, the reward of His work.

  12. He shall finally put all enemies under His feet, coming with ten thousand of His saints to execute judgment upon all, separating the evil from the good



   Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation of the Bible.



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