NEW MOON REPORT

Devorah Gordon from Jerusalem, Israel compiled the following New Moon Report for February 2008 and the beginning of the first day of the Twelfth Biblical month.

“On Friday February 8, 2008 the new moon was sighted from Jerusalem at 5:35pm by Nehemiah Gordon, Johan Schutte, and Devorah Gordon and at 5:41pm by Ferenc Illesy.

Rosh Hodesh Sameach! Happy New Moon!”

The next new moon is expected to be visible from Jerusalem near sunset on March 8, 2008. The moon at that time will be 1.05% illuminated and 10.09^oabove the horizon at five minutes after sunset. This is a borderline situation and if there are poor atmospheric conditions the first crescent light of the new moon may not be seen until the next day near sunset, March 9, when the moon will be 4.75% illuminated and 23.68^o above the horizon at five minutes after sunset.

If this will be the beginning of the First Biblical month of the New Year, or the Thirteenth Biblical month of the current year, remains to be seen. This is another borderline situation. This will most likely be the New Moon of the Aviv. The earliest there can be a new moon as the barley reaches the Aviv stage in Israel is March 7th or 8th in a normal agricultural year where there is enough rain and when other agricultural conditions are in their normal state. In years of draught or partial draught, the barley becomes Aviv later in the month. If this holds true, this will be the earliest that the month of Aviv has started since it has been recorded in recent times. We will see what happens soon and I will have the report on it in the March/April 2008 edition of Biblical Astronomy, which will be published in mid March. For a more timely report got to www.karaite-korner.org

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE

There will be an annular eclipse of the sun on February 7, 2008. This eclipse will only be visible from Antarctica and the far south Pacific.

The chart below shows the position of the sun and the moon in the constellation Capricornus at the time of the eclipse. See the feature article on Capricornus in the November, 2007 issue of Biblical Astronomy for the Biblical meaning and portrayal of this Sign and constellation.

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

There will be a total eclipse of the moon on February 20/21, 2008. This eclipse will be well visible throughout the United States and is expected to put on a great show for nearly the entire western hemisphere. The eclipse will happen in prime time in the early to late evening on February 20th for viewers in the United States. It will also be visible for viewers in Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe in the early morning hours on February 21^st.

The moon will be totally eclipsed as seen from Jerusalem shortly before sunrise and will set below the horizon well before the eclipse is finished.

Chart 456 shows the position of the totally eclipsed moon in Arieh (Leo) the Lion that represents the Lion of the Tribe of Judah as it is setting above the western horizon as seen from Jerusalem, Israel at 5:12am local time on February 21, 2008.

Chart 456 – Total Lunar Eclipse as seen from Jerusalem at 5:12am on February 20, 2008

The eclipse will be seen from Israel about 12 hours before the beginning of the first day of Purim, which begins at sunset on February 21^st.

This is a very unique eclipse since it will be seen from five continents (six if you count Antarctica since it will be visible from parts of that continent). It will be visible from all of North and South America, and all of Europe, Africa and the mid-east in its various stages as well as from parts of Asia. It will not be visible from Australia.

In the United States the eclipse will peak around 10:30pm Eastern Standard Time.

The chart below from the Sky & Telescope website shows the moon as it enters and exits the penumbra stage and umbra stage of the eclipse. The times are in Pacific Standard Time.

February's lunar eclipse

February 20th's total lunar eclipse will be a prime-time event for skywatchers in the US and Canada. Totality lasts 52 minutes, with mid-eclipse occurring at 7:26 p.m. PST. (To get times for your location, add 1 hour for Mountain Time, 2 for Central, 3 for Eastern, and 4 for Atlantic.)

This eclipse will most likely appear dark grayish in color as seen from the United States and Israel. It should appear red in color as seen from Iceland and Greenland. We will see if my rule of thumb for the color of an eclipse works here. It hasn’t failed me yet in the last 11 years since I have been using it. I hope you have clear skies for viewing from whatever location you will be viewing from. You can send me your color reports.

CONJUNCTION OF NOGAH AND CATAB

The planets Nogah (Venus) and Catab (Mercury) will come into conjunction on February 25, 2008. Nogah is the Bright and Morning Star and Catab represents Gabriel the messenger angel and one who announces the entrance of the King or blows the trump just preceding the entrance or coming of Messiah.

Chart 457 shows the two planets as they near conjunction in the sign and constellation Capricornus on February 25^th as seen above the eastern horizon from Jerusalem, Israel at 5:46am local time.

Chart 457 – Venus/Mercury conjunction as seen from Jerusalem at 5:46 am on February 25

These two planets will come into conjunction again on March 23-25, 2008 during the Feast of Unleavened Bread if the barley is abib before the next new moon on March 8^thor 9^th. During that conjunction Nogah and Catab will be in Aquarius (Deli). There will be more on that event in the March/April 2008 issue of Biblical Astronomy.

Chart 457 also shows the position of the planet Zedek (Jupiter) in the sign and constellation Sagittarius. As I have mentioned in other writings and in the Biblical Astronomy DVD set, when major Biblical events or Prophetic events occur on Earth, Zedek is always in the constellation that portrays such events. That does not mean that every time Zedek is in a certain constellation that such an event will unfold on Earth, but when the certain event does unfold on Earth, Zedek will be in the constellation that portrays that event. This has happened time after time in Biblical history.

It takes about 12 years for Zedek to make its journey through the 12 signs of the Mazzaroth. It spends about one year in each sign, depending on the size of the sign or constellation. Some constellations are smaller and some larger. Aries is much smaller than Virgo and thus Jupiter spends more time in Virgo (Bethulah) in its 12-year journey through the constellations than it does in Aries.

An interesting factor here is that it takes 3.5 to 4 years for Zedek to pass from Sagittarius to Aries. Sagittarius represents the bowman on the white horse going forth conquering and to conquer. One of the decan constellations of Sagittarius is Draco (the dragon) being cast to the earth. This is in Revelation 12 in the scriptures and is at or near the beginning of the 3.5 year great tribulation. Aries portrays the events of Revelation 19 and 20, which are events at the end of the great tribulation.

It is no accident that it takes Zedek 3.5 years to travel from Sagittarius to Aries. When the 3.5 year great tribulation begins, Zedek will most likely be in Sagittarius and when the tribulation ends, Zedek will be in Aries.

This occurred between the Fall Feasts in 1996 and the Spring Feasts in 2000. At that time there were many rare and very rare celestial events occurring just before, during and shortly after the 3.5-year portrayal of that time period. It did bother me to a certain degree that the portrayal showed the 3.5-year tribulation beginning in the Autumn and ending in the Spring. The scriptures seem to clearly portray that the great tribulation will end in the Fall Feasts.

Well, here it is 12 years later already and the portrayal of Jupiter this time around shows Jupiter in Sagittarius for the Spring Feasts and 3.5 years later in Aries for the Fall feasts. This does not necessarily mean that the great tribulation is about to begin, but Zedek is in the right place if it does. This will occur again in the years 2020-2023, 2032-2035 and 2044-2047. The Biblical-Astronomical timeline points to the latter. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

I planned on doing this report in the March/April issue of Biblical Astronomy, but thought that you might want an earlier heads-up in the rare event that the great tribulation will begin in late March. I am not getting any great revelation from the Holy Spirit that this is going to occur at this time.

The chart below shows the position of Jupiter in Sagittarius in the morning sky as seen from Jerusalem, Israel on March 23, 2008 (most likely Abib 15 or the First Day of Unleavened Bread).

The chart below shows the position of Jupiter in conjunction with the near full moon in Aries on October 13, 2011 (Tishri 15 or the First Day of Tabernacles).

"There is a blessed home
Beyond this land of woe,
Where trials never come,
Nor tears of sorrow flow;
Where faith is lost in sight,
And patient love is crowned,
And everlasting light
Its glory throws around.

O joy, all joys beyond,
To see the Lamb who died,
And count each sacred wound
In hands, and feet, and side;
To give to Him the praise
Of every triumph won,
And sing through endless days
The great things He hath done.

Look up, ye saints of God,
Nor fear to tread below
The path your Saviour trod
Of daily toil and woe;
Wait but a little while
In uncomplaining love,
His own most gracious smile
Shall welcome you above."

Yahweh bless you richly and keep you through His son Y’shua.

PEGASUS (The Winged Horse)

The blessings quickly coming

Decan constellation of the Sign Aquarius (Deli).

Ancient Names for this Constellation

There is not much on this except for what is written by E.W.Bullinger on page 89 of The Witness of the Stars.

“In the Denderah Zodiac there are two characters immediately below the horse, Pe and ka. Peka or Pega, is in Hebrew the chief, and Sus is horse. So that the very word (Pegasus) has come down to us and has been preserved through all the languages.” In Hebrew Pegasus means the chief horse.

Complementing scriptures to this constellation picture

Revelation 19:11-21 (NKJV) – Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Stars in Pegasus and the meaning of their names

Markab (Heb.) – returning from afar.

Scheat (Heb.) – who goeth and returneth.

Al Genib (Arab.) – who carries.

Enif (Arab.) – the water. Enif in Hebrew means the branch.

Matar (Arab.) – who causes to overflow.

In Greek mythology, the winged horse Pegasus belongs of Perseus. Perseus is a decan constellation of the Sign Aries. The constellation Perseus, or as I prefer by its Hebrew name Peretz , portrays Messiah defeating the beast and his armies. He is holding a sword above his head in a striking position with one hand and holding the severed head of Satan (Rosh Satan) in his other hand. This portrayal was foreshadowed when David defeated another beast and his armies that came up against Israel by striking Goliath in the forehead with a stone from a sling and then taking the giant’s sword and cutting his head off with it. Later, David held the head of the beast up before King Saul. The army of the Philistines was also defeated and the birds had their fill that day as well. It is not written if the Messiah will cut the head off the beast before the beast is thrown in the lake of fire but this severed head is symbolic of Messiah defeating the beast and his armies.

Pegasus is the chief horse that belongs to Messiah. And this is the horse of Revelation 19:11.

The following is an excerpt from Joseph A. Seiss’ The Gospel in the Stars, who shows an additional or different portrayal of Pegusus.

“In the first chapter of Zechariah the appearance of such horses are the symbols of those whom ‘God hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth,’ not simply to see and report the condition of affairs, but to shake and disturb nations, so as to restore liberty, peace, and blessing to God’s people. Pegasus is not precisely one of those horses, or all of them combined in one, but still a somewhat corresponding ambassador of God. Pegasus is winged; he moves with heavenly speed. The first part of his or his rider’s name, Pega, peka, or Pacha, in the Noetic dialects means the chief; and the latter part, sus, means not only a horse, but swiftly coming or returning, with the idea of joy-bringing; hence the chief, coming forth again in great victory, and with good tidings and blessing to those to whom he comes.”

E.W. Bullinger also agrees to this in his comment on the star names. “These names show us that we have to do with no mere horse. A winged horse is unknown to nature. It must therefore be used as a figure; and it can be a figure only of a person, even of Him who is “the Branch,” as the star Enif shows, who said, “If I go away I will come again,” as the star Scheat testifies.

He who procured these blessings for the redeemed by His Atonement, is quickly coming to bring them; and is soon returning to pour them forth upon a groaning creation. This is the lesson of Pegasus.”

Biblical Astronomy

February 2008

Editor – Robert Scott Wadsworth <> P.O. Box 2272, Oregon City, OR 97045