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The heavens are ablaze with
celestial signs this month. I have been
looking forward to these events with much anticipation since the summer of
1993. I pray that the skies will be
clear for viewing.
Below are the highlights for
foreseeable celestial events occurring in April.
April 05 – First crescent of
new moon near sunset
(Beginning of Abib 1)
April 06 – Jupiter/Mars/Moon
conjunction in Aries
April 11 –
Jupiter/Mars/Saturn Massing in Aries
April 16 –
Mars/Saturn/Menkar conjunction
April 19/20 –
Jupiter/Mars/Saturn Massing in Aries
(Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread)
April 28 – Venus/Mercury
conjunction (very close,
Passing within ¼ of a degree) in Pisces
Starting the celestial parade is the
conjunction of Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon in the sign Aries in the early
evening sky on April 6 (Chart 139). The moon will be 4% illuminated at this time
(a bright, thin crescent) located in the head of Cetus (the beast from the
sea).
This is followed by a close massing
of Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in the constellation Aries on April 11. Charts
133 and 134 show the positions
of the planets as seen in the early evening sky over the western horizon
looking from Jerusalem.
Third in line is the conjunction of
Mars (Michael), Saturn (Satan), and the star Menkar (the bound or chained
enemy) on April 16. This is shown on
charts 135 and 136. These charts show the
ecliptic view. Too see how the planets
would appear if you were standing on the ground and looking toward the western
horizon, turn the chart so that the right side is facing down and imagine the
horizon above the sun. It was on April
10/11, 1996 and 1997 that the Comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp were in the same
celestial coordinate. This coordinate
was in the forehead and between the eyes of Rosh Satan (the head of Satan) in
the constellation Perseus. This
coordinate is also in direct conjunction to the star Menkar (the bound or
chained enemy) in the constellation Cetus.
The events of the two comets were clearly portraying the defeat of the
beast at some point in the near future.
Here on April 16, 2000, we have two
planets coming between and into direct conjunction with Menkar and the
celestial coordinate where the two comets crossed. On Chart 135 and 136 the coordinate where the two comets
crossed is located in the center (a hair right of center) of the diamond shaped
area formed by the constellation line and grid lines below right of the star
Algol in the constellation Perseus.
This coordinate, along with Mars, Saturn and Menkar, are shown in the
same celestial longitude or in conjunction.
The conjunction of Mars, Saturn and
Menkar is a rare celestial event in itself.
In the last two thousand years they have come nearly as close to
conjunction as the April 16, 2000 event only twice; July 29, 1027 and May 20,
1893. But in both of these events, the
celestial bodies (taking all three into account) were not in such a close or
direct conjunction as the April 16 event.
Neither did they follow, or were followed, by a massing of Jupiter, Mars
and Saturn (which last occurred in the constellation Aries in the year 174). Nor were they preceded by an unspeakably
rare visit of two bright comets one year apart being in the same celestial
coordinate on the same solar day which is also in conjunction with the star
Menkar.
If this is not a super-clear
celestial portrayal of Revelation 19:19 – 20:3, I don’t know what is. There is nothing like this in history, past
or future (at least for the next 3,000 years).
This is the last of a series of portrayals concerning the “Great
Tribulation” or the last half of Daniel’s 70th week, which started
in the Fall of 1996. As I mentioned in
the November 1999 issue of Biblical
Astronomy, I believe there is a high probability that this is being
portrayed for all to see, and after the last portrayal (April 16, 2000) the
actual prophetic events may start on Earth.
If the beginning of the last half of Daniel’s 70th week
begins the day after (April 17), then from that date to The Feast of Trumpets
in 2003, there are 1,260 days. It is
highly probable that the Great Tribulation will begin on April 17, but remains
to be seen. See the November 1999 issue
of Biblical Astronomy for further
study.
Below are highlights of the
connection between Comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp, the massings of Jupiter,
Mars and Saturn, and the conjunction of Mars, Saturn and Menkar.
March 24/25, 1996 – Comet Hyakutake reached
closest
approach
to Earth.
March 23, 1997 -
Comet
Hale-Bopp reached closest
approach to Earth
March 25, 2000 -
Massing
of Jupiter, Mars and
Saturn 1,260 days from October 13,
1996
Jupiter, Mars and Saturn are also
massed on March 23 and March 24, 2000, but are a little closer (very slight to
the naked eye) on March 25.
April 1, 1997 – Comet Hale-Bopp reached
perihelion
(closest
approach to the sun)
April 1, 2000 – Corresponds to September
26/27, 1996
on
the Celestial Timeline Template
(Casting
Down of the Dragon)
April 10/11, 1996 – Comet Hyakutake between the
eyes
of Rosh Satan
April 10/11, 1997 – Comet Hale-Bopp between the
eyes
of Rosh Satan
April 10/11, 2000 - Close Massing of Jupiter, Mars, and
Saturn
in Aries
April 16, 2000 - Mars/Saturn/Menkar conjunction in
direct alignment to the celestial
coordinate that Comets Hyakutake
and Hale-Bopp crossed in 1996 and
1997
Charts 138 and 139 show the final
close massing of Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn on April 20, 2000. These planets are also closely massed in the
evening sky on April 19. The difference
in appearance of the relative positions of the planets on both evenings is
slightly detectable with the naked eye.
April 19/20 is Passover and the first day of Unleavened Bread.
Another notable factor in considering the massing of Jupiter, Mars and
Saturn is that it is thought by many that such a massing in the constellation
Pisces on February 25, 6 B.C. along with three conjunctions of Jupiter and
Saturn shortly before, was the “star of Bethlehem.” Though I believe that what the Magi observed occurred three years
later and was a series of celestial
events surrounding Jupiter from 3 B.C. to 2 B.C.
The following is from Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning (1899) by Richard Hinkley Allen, p.341 concerning the
celestial events of 7 B.C. and 6 B.C.
“Within their boundaries (The fishes
or Pisces) took place three distinct conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn in the
year 747 of Rome, - the year to
which for a long time was assigned Christ’s birth; these phenomena strikingly
agreeing in some of their details with Saint Matthew’s account of the Star of
Bethlehem. The opinion that these
appearances guided the Magi in their visit to Judaea was first advanced by the
celebrated Kepler, and worked out in 1826 by Ideler, and in 1831 by Encke. It is noticeable that the Rabbis held the
tradition, recorded by Arabanel in the 15th century, that a similar
conjunction took place in Pisces three
years previous to the birth of Moses, and they anticipated another at their Messiah’s advent. Thus the Fishes were considered the national
constellation of the Jews, as well as a tribal symbol.”
It is an interesting factor that the
massing of Jupiter, Mars and Saturn on February 25, 6 B.C. is exactly 1,335
days from October 22, 3 B.C. If
Jesus was born on September 11, 3 B.C.,
then October 22 would have been the day that Jesus was brought to the temple to
be presented to the Lord (God) “when the days of her (Mary’s) purification
according to the law of Moses were accomplished” (Luke 2:22, Leviticus
12:2-6). Will the Lord be in the Temple
again 1,335 days from the massing of Jupiter, Mars and Saturn on April 11, or
20, or from some day in between, such as April 17? Time will tell.
But Jupiter, Mars and Saturn are in
the constellation Aries, not Pisces.
Actually, 2000 years ago the constellation Pisces occupied the same
celestial coordinate as seen from Earth, that Aries now occupies. Because of the precessional movement of the
earth, Aries is now in that location.
Most Astrologers today still consider this as the location of Pisces and
when the sun is in Aries, they consider it in the house of Pisces. There may be some hidden truths here to
consider. If there is, I believe that
both factors (of where the events are seen visually in the present coordinate
positions of the constellations, and which constellations occupied that
coordinate in past events) should be taken into consideration.
On April 28, 2000 there will be a
very close conjunction of Venus and Mercury in Pisces. The planets will pass within ¼ of a degree
from one another. The planets will most
likely be too close to the sun to be seen visually in the early morning
sky. Chart 140 shows the positions of Venus and Mercury in Pisces on
April 28.
Here is another interesting date,
since I believe that it was on April 28, 28 A.D. when the Lord was
crucified. All of the factors
concerning this date and the similarities of the dates concerning the comets
and massings of the planets are solar (Gregorian) dates and not lunar (Hebrew)
dates. I realize that this is somewhat
puzzling. I don’t have an answer at
this time.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
