Biblical Astronomy

July 2009

 

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

Phone (503) 655-7430 <> e-mail – starguy1@comcast.net <> Website – www.biblicalastronomy.com

 

 

NEW MOON REPORT

 

Nehemia Gordon from Jerusalem, Israel compiled the following New Moon Report for the month of June and the beginning of the Fourth Biblical Month.

 

“On Tuesday June 23, 2009 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The moon was first sighted from Jerusalem at 20:14 by Nehemia Gordon and then immediately thereafter by Joelle Crawshaw, Adam Kinghorn, and Eliyahu Netanel. The moon was also sighted from Ashdod by Magdi Shamuel at 20:13.”

 

The next new moon should be visible from Jerusalem near sunset on July 23 when the moon will be 3.66% illuminated and 11.1o above the horizon at 5 minutes past sunset.

 

PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

 

There will be a penumbral lunar eclipse that will be visible throughout the United States with optical aids on July 6/7, 2009.  According to NASA, this eclipse will not be visible to the naked eye.  The following is from the online NASA Lunar Eclipse page at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html

 

“July's penumbral eclipse is only of academic interest since the magnitude is just 0.156. Although the Moon will be above the horizon from most of Canada, the eclipse is so minor as to be completely invisible to the naked eye.”

 

Penumbral eclipses occur when the moon passes through the penumbral or light shadow of the earth and are very difficult if not impossible to see.  Lunar eclipses occur about two weeks before or two weeks after a solar eclipse.  The solar/lunar eclipses occur about every six months.  At times, there can be two penumbral lunar eclipses, which occur two weeks before and two weeks after a solar eclipse.  Such is the case with the upcoming solar/lunar eclipse cycle.  There is a penumbral lunar eclipse on June 6/7, a solar eclipse on June 22, and another penumbral lunar eclipse on August 5, 2009.  This celestial event is not particularly rare and I do not consider penumbral eclipses that are not visible to the unaided eye a sign.

 

Chart 498 shows the position of the moon in Sagittarius at the peak of the penumbral eclipse as seen from Portland, Oregon on the evening of July 7, 2009 at 11:39 p.m. PDT.  The eclipse is not visible from Israel even with optical aides.

 

Chart 498 – Position of the moon in Sagittarius at the peak of the Penumbral Eclipse on July 5

 

 

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

 

There will be a total eclipse of the sun on July 22, 2009 that will be visible from eastern Asia to the western Pacific.  The duration of total darkness of the sun will last 6 minutes and 39 seconds as seen from the most ideal location about 195 miles east of Iwo Jima.  This will be the longest total solar eclipse (in duration of total darkness) of the century.  The eclipse starts at sunrise in India and then the eclipse moves east through China and into the western Pacific.

 

Chart 499 shows the position of the sun in the constellation Cancer at the peak of the eclipse as seen from eastern China. 

 

Chart 499 – The sun and the moon in Cancer at the peak of the Total Solar Eclipse on July 22

 

The constellation Cancer represents a place of refuge or safety for Yahweh’s sheepfold.  In the chart the position of the planet Mercury (Catab) is between the two stars Asellus Borealis (the Northern Ass) and Asellus Australis (the Southern Ass).  Donkeys or Asses are placed in with sheep herds to protect them from predators such as wolves and coyotes.   Mercury represents the archangel Gabriel who is perhaps giving a hand to the donkeys here by blowing his shofar to issue a sound of alarm or warning to the sheepfold.


 

 

NEAT SIGHTS

 

There are some neat celestial sights in July though they do not have any apparent meaning as particular signs.  Nevertheless, they make for good viewing.  Below is a simulation from Astronomy.com of the early pre-dawn sky about an hour before sunrise on July 15 as seen from the eastern United States (will be a nice view for the rest of the U.S. as well).  At that time, Venus will be shinning very brightly between the horns of Taurus.  Mars is also clearly visible above and fairly close to Venus.  If you happen to be up at that time, take a gander toward the eastern horizon.

 

 

The constellation Taurus represents Messiah, the coming Judge of all the earth.  Venus represents the Bright and Morning Star and Mars represents the archangel Michael or blood and war, or, the atoning blood of Messiah.  The horns of the reem represent the wrath of God thrusting forward against His enemies.

 

A waning bright crescent moon joins the show in the early predawn sky on July 18 as seen on the simulation below.

 

 

The moon here is just below the star cluster the Pleiades which represents the seven stars of Revelation 1:16, 20.

 

 

JULY METEOR SHOWERS

 

The following is an article from Astronomy.com concerning meteor showers in July.

 

Meteor season starts to rev up

 

“July begins a 2-month period of heightened meteor activity. A few small showers grace the night sky while one of the biggest — the Perseids — begins to ramp up as the month winds down. A Last Quarter Moon will mar the Perseids' peak in August, but late July gives us a good look at the early ones. The best views of meteors come after midnight (because they then hit Earth's leading hemisphere) when the Moon is out of the sky. The Moon cooperates from a few days before New Moon (July 21) until month's end.                                             

 

The top July meteor shower should be the Southern Delta Aquarids. They peak the night of July 27/28, so the best views will come before dawn on the 28th. The shower remains active several days before and after. At the peak, you can expect to see up to 10 meteors per hour from a dark site. Those who live farther south, where the radiant lies higher in the sky, will see more meteors.”

 

 

The radiant of the Delta Aquarids is in the constellation Aquarius, which represents Yahweh’s blessings being poured forth upon His people.  May His blessings shower down upon us.

 

Chart 500 – Radiant of the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower in water urn of Aquarius

 

Chart 500 shows the radiant of the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower in the urn of Aquarius  from where Yahweh’s blessings are poured forth. At Pentecost on June 20, 28 A.D. the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured forth for the first time on all those who believed, and it continues to be poured forth to this day upon all those who confess with their mouth the Lord Y’shua (Jesus) and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9, 10).  At that moment they are born from above and not only become a child of God and obtain eternal life, but are also saved from the wrath to come.  YHVH made it that simple for all who choose to be saved through faith in Messiah Yahshua (Christ Jesus).  You need not be a genius or be perfect in order to receive this blessing of all blessings.

 

This is the good news, that anyone who confesses and believes the above can become a fellow heir, of the same body, and made a partaker of His promise in Messiah through the gospel. 

 

Ephesians 1:3-14 (REV) – “3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4(even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world), to be holy and without blemish before him in love. 5He had marked us out beforehand to adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved one, 7in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of his grace. 8He lavished this on us in all wisdom and prudence; 9having made known to us the sacred secret of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him, Christ, 10until an administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth. In him, I say, 11in whom also we were assigned a portion, having been marked out beforehand according to the purpose of the one working all things according to the plan of his will, 12to the end that we who had previously hoped in Christ should be to the praise of his glory.  13In whom you also, when you heard the word of truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised holy spirit, 14which is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own property, to the praise of his glory.”

 

You can freely download the complete Revised English Version of the New Testament and commentaries at www.stfonline.org

 

YHVH bless you in the abundance of His love.

 

 

CETUS (the Beast from the Sea)

 

The great enemy bound

 

Cetus is a decan constellation to the Sign Aries.

 

Ancient names for this constellation

 

Knem (Dendurah) – subdued.

 

Cetus (Lat.) – sea monster, whale.

 

 

Complimenting scriptures to this constellation picture

 

Job 41:1-10 (R.V.) – "Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a fish hook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?
Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?... Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that he dare stir him up."

 

Isaiah 26:21-27:1 – "Behold, the LORD cometh forth out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity... In that day the LORD, with His sore, and great, and strong sword, Shall punish Leviathan, the piercing serpent, And Leviathan, the crooked serpent; And He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea."

 

Psalm 74:12-14 –  "For God is my king of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide (marg. Heb., break) the sea by Thy strength, Thou brakest the heads of the dragons (RV marg., sea monsters) in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces."

Revelation 13:1, 5 (NIV) – “And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.  And I saw a beast coming out of the sea...  5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority forty-two months.”

 

Revelation 19:19-20 (NKJV) – “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.  20Then 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.

 

Revelation 20:1-3 (KJV) -  “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  2And he laid hold on the Dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

 

 

Stars in Cassiopeia and the meanings of their names

 

Menkar (Heb.) – the bound or chained enemy.

 

Diphda (Heb.) or Deneb Kaitos – overthrown, or thrust down.

 

Mira (Heb.) – The Rebel.

 

 

The constellation Cetus represents both the dragon mentioned throughout Revelation and the beast from the sea who comes from the dragon and to whom the dragon gives his authority to continue for 42 months and make war against the saints (Rev. 13:5-7).  Cetus is also the Leviathan of Job 41:1-10, Psalm 74:14 and Isaiah 26:21-27:1.

 

In Greek mythology it was the sea monster Cetus that was sent to out to devour Andromeda.  The Biblical portrayal of Andromeda is The redeemed in their bondage and affliction and also the picture of the captive daughter of Zion (Isaiah 52:2).  In Revelation 12 the dragon/serpent sets out to devour the woman who brought forth the man-child.  She is given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into a place prepared for her in the wilderness where she is nourished for a time, times and half a time (42 months) from the face of the serpent.  And the serpent cast out of his mouth a flood to devour the woman, but the earth opened her mouth and devoured the flood and saved the woman (see Rev. 12:13-17). 

 

Cetus is pictured with two bands attached to his neck.  These are the two bands that are attached to the two fish of Pisces.  The fish represent the nation of Israel as a whole and also the two houses of Israel, Ephraim and Judah.  They are seen here bound to Cetus which represents various nations throughout history, including, Egypt, Babylon and an upcoming dark and evil kingdom of the dragon.

 

Fortunately, the ram Aries, which represents Messiah Y’shua is seen here breaking the bands with his foreleg, setting the captives free.  The front paws of the beast are seen trying to block the flow of the river Eridanus, which in ancient times was known as the river of fire.  As suggested by E.W. Bullinger in his book The Witness of the Stars, p. 130, “In vain the sea monster, Cetus, strives to stop its flow.  It is “the river of the Judge,” and speaks of that final judgment in which the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire.”  The beast has a destiny with this lake.

 

In its portrayal as the dragon, Cetus represents the great enemy bound.  The brightest star in the constellation is Menkar, which means the bound or chained enemy.  This star is located in the snout of Cetus.  The scriptures that goes with this portrayal is Revelation 20:1-3.

 

During the Fall Feasts each year, Cetus is seen standing on the Mediterranean Sea in the pre dawn skies looking west from Jerusalem.  This is a portrayal of Revelation 13:1 as written in the NIV (see above).