NEW MOON REPORT
Nehemia Gordon from Jerusalem, Israel compiled the following New
Moon Reports for the months of December 2005 and January 2006; and the Tenth
and Eleventh months on the Biblical Calendar.
December
2, 2005 - Tenth Month, Part I:
“So far no one has reported sighting the moon on Friday December 2, 2005. We are still awaiting some reports for
tonight but it is unlikely that anyone sighted the moon. To begin with this was an extreme moon (1.44%
illumination; 31 minutes lag time) meaning visibility would have been difficult
to impossible under ideal conditions.
Considering that there were clouds all across Israel tonight it is unlikely
anyone saw it tonight. The moon will be
easily visible tomorrow night (Sat. Dec. 3) barring heavy cloud coverage making
tomorrow night New Moon. We will send a
follow up tomorrow.”
December
3, 2005 – Tenth Month, Part II:
“The moon was not seen from Israel on Saturday December 3, 2005 due to heavy cloud
coverage. However, since this is after
the 30th day and the moon would probably not have been visible last
night ever under ideal weather conditions, Saturday night (Dec. 3) and Sunday
day (Dec. 4) should be considered the beginning of the Tenth Biblical month.”
January 1, 2006
– Eleventh Month
“On Sunday January 1, 2006 observers looked for the
moon from Israel but it was not sighted due
to heavy cloud coverage. With 3.35%
illumination and 86 minutes lag time the moon would have been easily visible
had there not been clouds. Therefore it
may be considered New Moon day based on the principle of “potential visibility.” For more information on this concept please
see:”
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/karaite_korner_news/message/73
It is expected by Bob Wadsworth that the next new moon
beginning the Twelfth Month on the Biblical calendar should be visible (barring
bad weather) as sighted from Jerusalem
near sunset on January 30,
2006.
Below is a simulation of the bright crescent moon and Nogah
(Venus) one hour after sunset on December 4, 2005.
The New Moon and Nogah were also close to
conjunction in the early evening of January 1, 2006 at the time the moon should have been
sighted from Jerusalem, though
neither was seen because of heavy cloud coverage.
The Gibbous Moon was seen occulting (passing in front of)
the Pleiades (seven stars representing the seven angels of the seven
congregations mentioned in Revelation 1:20)
from North America in the evening sky of January 9, 2006. This event is not particularly rare but is
unique nonetheless. Below is a
simulation of the event as seen from Tampa, Florida
at 8:20 p.m. on January 9, 2006.
SEARCH FOR THE
AVIV BARLEY
The following is the text of Karaite Korner Newsletter
#250 written by Nehemia Gordon titled:
Aviv Search and Potential Holiday Dates – We are gearing
up for this year’s Aviv Search. We have
volunteers flying from the US
to join those already in Israel
but need your help with covering costs of the Abib expedition.
To support the Abib Search, please send checks to World
Karaite Movement, POB 7816, Jerusalem,
Israel. Remember to include a note indicating that
the donation is for Abib. Donations can
also be made by credit card through PayPal.com by clicking on the link at:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/donate.shtml
Only by examining the barley in various regions of the Land
of Israel can we determine when the
biblical year will begin. We must find
the earliest ripening fields in the land, since Scripture speaks about the
wave-sheaf offering during the Feast of Unleavened Bread coinciding with the
beginning of the barley harvest in the Land (Deuteronomy 16:9; Leviticus
23:19). To learn more please see:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/abib.shtml
On February 28 and March 1, 2006, the last two days of the Biblical month,
the Aviv Searchers will scour the Land of Israel examining the barley crops to
see if the barley is Aviv in accordance with the verse “Keep the Month of the
Aviv” (Dt. 16:1). If the barely is Aviv
by March 1, then Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) will fall out on March 16, 2006 (beginning
the previous evening). If the barley is
not Aviv by March 1, then it will fall out on April 14, 2006 (beginning the previous
evening). The potential dates of this
coming year’s biblical holidays are posted at:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/holiday_dates.shtml
These are dangerous times and to carry out the Aviv
search we need your prayers and financial support. Last year we saw the confusion caused by an inexperienced and ill-informed Aviv searcher spreading
spurious reports. The irony was
that last year we also saw the most pronounced evidence of Aviv at the end of
the 12th month in nearly two decades. This underscores the importance of involving
experienced agronomists in the search and consulting with the top experts in
the field as well as training new people to participate in the search. I am extending an open invitation to anyone
who believes in the biblical calendar to come join us. You don’t have to be a Karaite,
you only have to be committed to the Biblical Aviv calendar. We especially need agronomists but anyone who
is willing to come and learn is welcome.
Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel
I (Bob Wadsworth) do not believe that the barley will be
found Aviv on March 1. By “rule of
thumb,” it is not found in that state in the Land
of Israel before March 7. But then again, YHVH determines when the year
begins. We shall soon see what is
observed. There will be updates on the Aviv
search in the March and April 2006 issues of Biblical Astronomy.
NOGAH/CATAB
CONJUNCTION
The planets Nogah (Venus) and Catab (Mercury)
will come into conjunction on January 17, 2006.
The astronomical definition of a conjunction is when two or more celestial
bodies are in the same celestial longitude.
The bodies in question do not need to be especially close to one another
to be in conjunction.
Chart 407 shows the positions of Nogah (Venus – the bright
and morning star) and Catab (Mercury – represents Gabriel) in the
constellation and Sign Sagittarius during conjunction in the early
morning sky on January 17, 2006 as seen from Jerusalem, Israel. These planets are not particularly close to
each other but are in the same celestial longitude. They will not be visible to the naked eye,
however, because they are too close to the sun and the sun’s light will block
them out.
Chart 407 – Venus and Mercury in
conjunction in Sagittarius on January
17, 2006
The main theme of the sign and constellation Sagittarius
is The Redeemer’s triumph. E.W.
Bullinger in The Witness of the Stars, pp. 62,63, has
the following to say about this sign.
“This is the
concluding chapter of the first great book of this Heavenly Revelation; and it
is occupied wholly with the triumph of the Coming One, who is represented as
going forth "conquering and to conquer."
The subject is
beautifully set forth in the written Word (Psa 45:3-5)--
"Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, [Gird Thyself]
with Thy glory and Thy majesty,
And in Thy majesty ride prosperously, Because of truth, and meekness, and
righteousness; And Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. Thine
arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; Whereby
the people fall under Thee."
John, in his
apocalyptic vision, sees the same mighty Conqueror going forth. "I saw (he
says) a white horse, and He that sat on him had a bow,...and
He went forth conquering and to conquer" (Rev 6:2).
This is
precisely what is foreshadowed in the star-pictured sign now called by the
modern Latin name Sagittarius, which means the Archer.
The Hebrew and
Syriac name of the sign is Kesith, which means the Archer (as in
Genesis 21:20). The Arabic name is Al
Kaus, the arrow. In Coptic it is Pimacre, the graciousness, or beauty
of the coming forth. In Greek it is Toxotes, the archer, and in
Latin Sagittarius.
An ancient
Akkadian name in the sign is Nun-ki, which means Prince of the Earth.”
The
constellation is seen here as a Greek centaur, a man-horse. When we redo this constellation it will be a
man with a bow on a horse, which is believed what was originally intended.
SATURN AT OPPOSITION
The planet Saturn (represents Satan) will reach
opposition and its closest approach to the earth for the year on January 27, 2006.
Chart 408 shows the position of Saturn in the sign and
constellation Cancer at the time of opposition. Below left of Saturn is the star Asellus
Australis or the Southern Ass (donkey). Just to the above right of Saturn is a group
of stars now known as the M44 Beehive Cluster. In ancient times this group of stars was
called Praesepe, which means a multitude, offspring. Above the Praesepe is the star Asellus
Borealis or the Northern Ass.
Chart 408 – Saturn at Opposition in
Cancer on January 27, 2006
From the star names and the ancient name of Cancer,
which was Klaria, it becomes obvious that this was not a crab in its
original form but rather a type of a coral with sheep pens and donkeys in the
midst. It represents a place of safety
for the redeemed sheep of the Messiah, or a stronghold for the saved.
As I was teaching this at a seminar that I did in Houston, Texas over a year ago, a sheep
rancher who was there told me that they were putting donkeys in with the sheep
to protect them from coyotes. This was
the first that I had heard of this though this constellation portrayed this thousands of years ago, with the donkeys in the midst
of the sheep pens. I had no idea that
donkeys protect sheep.
Well considering this, and the position of Saturn in
this constellation at the time of its opposition and brightest magnitude for
the year, it appears that this is portraying Satan in an attempt to break into
the stronghold of the saved only to get a swift kick in the butt by a donkey. Other than that, I do not know what this may
be portraying.
I will close with a poem by Joseph A. Seiss.
“My trust in the Cross; there lies my rest,
My fast, my sole delight.
Let cold-mouthed Boreas, or the hot-mouthed East,
Blow till
they burst with spite;
Let earth and hell conspire their worst, their best,
And join
their twisted might;
Let showers of thunderbolts dart round and round me,
And
troops of fiends surround me:
All this may well confront; all this shall ne’er
confound me.”
YHVH bless you abundantly
and keep you.
Corona
The Crown
Bestowed
Decan
constellation to the sign Libra.
Other Names for this constellation
Atarah (Hebrew) - a
royal crown
Al Iclil (Arabic) – an
ornament, or jewel
Complementing Scriptures to this
constellation
“But we do see
Yeshua – who indeed was made for a little while lower than the
angels – now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered
death, so that by God’s grace he might taste death for all humanity.” Hebrews 2:9 (Complete Jewish Bible)
“Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all the also
that love His appearing.” II Tim. 4:8
(KJV)
Stars in Corona
and the meaning of their names
Al Phecca (Arab.) – the shinning
- this is the brightest star of 21 stars in Corona and the only
named star.
This crown represents the crown bestowed
to Y’shua for his obedience to his Father unto death so that he might taste death
for all humanity. He has redeemed us by
the blood of his sacrifice, and is worthy “to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” And he is worthy to take the scroll and to
open its seven seals (Rev. 5:9).
It is in the sign Libra that we have the
three decan constellations of The Crux (Southern Cross), Lupus (the Victim Slain), and Corona (the Crown –
also called the Northern Crown). The
major constellation Libra (the Scales) represents the altar of sacrifice
that has a side reserved for THE PRICE WHICH COVERS! These together portray the humiliation of the
Messiah at the cross, his sacrifice unto the death, and his crowning glory to
follow. It is with the portrayals in the
heavens as it is with the written Word of God.
“We frequently have the glory of the Second Coming mentioned without any
allusions to the sufferings of the First Coming, but we never have the First
Coming in humiliation mentioned without an immediate reference to the glory of
the Second Coming” (E.W. Bullinger, The Witness of the Stars).
The first Adam lost the crown to the
serpent in the garden. The last Adam
(Y’shua) gained it back again after being tempted by the serpent in the
garden. The contest is for Dominion! It was the Devil, in the form of a serpent,
that robbed the first man of his crown; but in vain he struggled to wrest it
from the sure possession of the Second Man.
Not only does he fail in the attempt, but is
himself utterly defeated and trodden under foot. My favorite scene in the movie The Passion
is when Y’shua stomps on the serpent’s head in the garden.
The serpent is also attempting to seize our
crowns. It is written concerning the
assembly in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:11 – “I
am coming soon. Hold on to what you have,
so that no one will take your crown.” (NIV)
