NEW MOON REPORT
Nehemia Gordon from
Jerusalem, Israel compiled the following New Moon Report for the month of
October 2009 and the beginning of the Eighth Biblical Month.
“On October 20, 2009 the new moon was sighted
from Israel. The moon was first sighted from Tzfat at 17:11 by John Zecca, from
Jerusalem at 17:13 by Aryeh Levy, Nehemia Gordon, Devorah Gordon, and Adam
Kinghorn, and from Kefar Eldad at 17:17 by Maya Khalturina and Bruce Brill. The
moon was not sighted from Israel on the previous evening (October 19).”
The next new moon, beginning
the Ninth Biblical Month, is expected to be visible from Israel near sunset on
November 18, 2009 when it will be 3.29% illuminated and 9.710 above
the horizon at 5 minutes past sunset.
This moon has now been confirmed
as seen on November 18. I did not expect
to be this late in getting the November newsletter out. I will have the full report of this new moon
in the December newsletter.
I have been in much pain and
pretty much pinned down in my reclining chair until just recently. Fortunately, there are no celestial events of
great significance for the month of November.
It looks to be a pretty dry year from here on out as far as predictable
celestial events go. There will be no
planetary conjunctions or massings until August 2010. There are a few eclipses coming up, but the
most significant one occurs next December (2010).
However, I will keep you
informed with other interesting subjects in Biblical Astronomy. This month I did a three-page article on the feature
constellation Taurus. I pray that
it blesses you tremendously.
Though they are not of
“great” significance, there are a few celestial events in November that were of
some interesting significance. Those
events have now come and gone but I am writing of them here for the record.
MARS IN THE BEEHIVE CLUSTER
Or, there goes Michael after
that honey again. Now on a more serious
note, the planet Mars passed by and through the Beehive Cluster
in the constellation Cancer from October 31 to November 2, 2009. The Beehive Cluster is a modern name
for the star cluster Praesepes.
Praesepes is a Hebrew word that means a multitude, offspring. Mars passes through this cluster about every
two years, so it is not a particularly rare event.
Chart 507 shows the
position of Mars in the Beehive on November 1, 2009. The shaded blue circle is the star
cluster. Below is a close-up view of
this circle for the same date.
Chart 507 – Mars in Praesepe (the Beehive
Cluster) on November 1, 2009
The main theme of the constellation and sign Cancer
is Messiah’s redeemed possessions held fast. As mentioned in previous newsletters, the
crab was not the original picture for this constellation. The more ancient picture is after its more
ancient name Klaria, the cattlefolds. Going by the star names in the
constellation, it should be pictured as a type of coral with sheep pens. A place where sheep are brought in to protect
them from the elements and predators. In
the midst of the sheep pens are two donkeys.
It is known that donkeys protect sheep from coyotes and wolves. This is a place of safety for the called out
sheep of Yahweh. It is a stronghold for
the saved.
Chart 507 shows two stars above and below the
cluster and Mars. These two stars
are Asellus Borealis (the northern ass) and Asellus Australius
(the southern ass) the two donkeys protecting the sheepfold.
In many, if not most cases, the planet Mars
(Adom) represents the warrior angel Michael. It is Michael who goes to war against Satan
to protect Israel and God’s people. Such
was the case mentioned in Daniel 10:13 when Michael helped Gabriel fight
against a nasty spirit in Persia. Such
will be the case in Revelation 12.
Michael is also mentioned in Daniel 12:1.
This celestial event of Mars in Praesepe (the
multitudes and offspring of Israel) along with the two donkeys is a unique
portrayal of the sheepfold being protected by Yahweh from His archenemy during
a time of trouble.
THE LION
ROARS AGAIN
It is that time of the year
again for the Leonid Meteor shower. The
Leonids are known for good shows at their peak on November 17. There have been meteor storms in the past
that have produced hundreds of meteors per second. In most years the shower produces around 50
meteors per hour. It is expected that
this year the meteor shower will put on a great show. Below is an article from Astronomy.com
concerning this year’s expectations.
Leonids could peak big in 2009
“November's New Moon
coincides with the peak of the annual Leonid meteor shower. If the weather
cooperates, viewing conditions should be near perfect. Observers normally can
see 20 to 30 meteors per hour at the peak, but rates could spike this year.
Predictions show we should
enjoy enhanced rates November 17, most likely between about 1:30 a.m. EST and
sunrise. Another rate increase — with numbers reaching 100 meteors per hour for
brief periods — may happen later that day, timed well for people across Asia.
The higher rates arise because Earth is passing through heavy debris trails
left by the Leonids' parent comet, 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Although these estimates may make observers salivate,
predicting the number of meteors is akin to predicting the number of snowflakes
in a storm. We could get lucky and see hundreds of meteors, but we might see
only a dozen. One thing is certain: If you're not outside November 17, you'll
miss whatever happens.”
The radiant (where the
meteors appear to come from) of the Leonid shower is in the head of Leo or
Arieh (the Lion). I have dubbed
this meteor shower, as have others, “the roar of the lion.”
Chart 508 shows where
the radiant of the Leonid meteor shower is in the head of the Lion. This modern version is not an ideal picture
for Arieh. The lion is seen here
lying down. In most ancient zodiacs the
lion is standing or pouncing. However,
this is the only astronomy program that I have that shows the pictures of the
constellations and the radiants of meteor showers. You will have to use your imagination to
correctly see the lion pouncing. The
Lion is pouncing on the serpent (not shown) and here is roaring at the same
time.
Chart 508 – Radiant of the Leonid Meteor
Shower, The Lion’s Roar, on November 17th
NEW BOOKSTORE PRODUCT
Over the past 35 years I have greatly enjoyed and
learned from E.W. Bullinger’s Companion Bible. I am now making this available to order from Biblical
Astronomy. It is not yet in the
Products section of the website but it should be within the next two
weeks. Until then, you can order it via
postal mail from Bob Wadsworth, 136 A.V. Davis Road, Apt. 2, Oregon City, OR
97045. ($50.00 check or money
order).
The cost of the Bible is $50.00, which includes
shipping. It is the burgundy hard cover
indexed edition. It includes 227 pages
of 198 appendixes. This is a must have
for the serious Biblical research student, laymen, and teachers alike. The appendixes contain a wealth of
information on such subjects as Biblical Astronomy, The Spiritual Significance
of Numbers, Figures of Speech, The Usage of the Word Ruach (Spirit) and
so on.
TAURUS (the
Bull)
Messiah, the coming Judge of all the earth
Taurus is the main constellation
in the Sign Taurus.
Ancient
Names for this constellation
Shur (Heb.) – the Bull,
coming. Shur is from a root that
means both coming and ruling.
Al
Thaur (Arab.)
– the Bull, ruling.
Isis
(Coptic)
– who saves mightily.
Apis
(Coptic)
– who cometh and the head or chief
Tor
(Chaldee)
– the Bull.
Tauros
(Gr.) –
the Bull.
Taurus
(Lat.)
– the Bull.
Complementing
scriptures to this constellation picture
Isaiah 34:2-8, RV – “For the LORD hath indignation against all
the nations, And fury against all their host:
He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the slaughter…
The LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah,
And a great slaughter in the land of Edom, And the wild oxen [Reem]
shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; And their land
shall be drunken with blood, And their dust made fat with fatness. For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, The year of
recompense in the controversy of Zion.”
Other complimenting
scriptures are Psalm 44:5, Isaiah 13:11-15, and Isaiah 26:21. Concerning Taurus as a tribal sign, at
a very early period these signs were appropriated to the Twelve Tribes of
Israel, and borne upon their “standards.”
This may be traced in the Blessing of Jacob (Gen. 49), and the Blessing
of Moses (Deut. 33). Taurus was assigned
to Joseph, or rather to the two tribes of Ephraim and Mannasseh, like the two
powerful horns. The following is from
the Blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy 33.
Deuteronomy 33:17 RV – “The firstling of his bullock (marg. his
firstling bullock)—majesty is his, And his horns are the horns of the wild-ox (Reem). With them he shall PUSH (marg. gore) the
peoples, all of them, even the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
Stars in Taurus and the meanings of
their names
Al Debaran (Chaldee) – the leader or
governor. Brightest star in Taurus. It is a red star in the eye of the reem.
El Nath (Arab.) – wounded or slain.
The Pleiades (Gr.) – the
congregation of the judge or ruler.
This is a star cluster. The
Syriac name for the Pleiades is Succoth, which means booths. This cluster has been known from ancient
times as the seven sisters. See
Job 9:9, Amos 5:8, and Revelation 1:16 for Scriptural reference to the seven
stars or Pleiades.
Al Cyone (Arab.) – the
centre. Al Cyone is the brightest
star in the Pleiades.
The Hyades (Gr.) –
the congregated. This is also a star cluster. The Pleiades and Hyades are
sometimes spoken of as constellations, but this is a mistake; they are integral
parts of Taurus.
Palilicium (Heb.) – belonging to the
Judge.
Wasat (Arab.) – centre or foundation.
Al Thuraiya (Arab.) – the abundance.
In Taurus, the picture is that of a Bull
rushing forward with mighty energy and fierce wrath, his horns set so as to
push his enemies, and pierce them through and destroy them. It is a prophecy of Messiah, the coming
Judge, and Ruler, and “Lord of all the earth.”
The Bull is clearly represented, and in all the zodiacs which have come
down to us is always in the act of pushing, or rushing.
In ancient Egypt, this bull was named Isis
and Apis. These were also the
names of Egyptian gods. By the meanings
of their Egyptian names (see above), they looked upon the picture of this
constellation as representing a mighty or strong leader and deliverer. At that time in Egypt, Israel was held
captive and their prophets foretold of a deliverer who would come and deliver
them out of the bonds of Egypt.
A few years before the birth of Moses, a number of
rare signs began to appear in Taurus.
These rare conjunctions and massing of planets continued over a period
of a few years. At that time Pharaoh and
his astrologers looked upon these signs with amazement (see the beginning of
the movie The Ten Commandments, which was written and produced using
historical information from ancient historical documents as well as the Bible
mentioned in the introduction to the movie).
They believed that they were signs that the deliverer of the Jews was
soon to come into the world. It was at
that time that Pharaoh commanded that all the male newborn babies of the Jews
should be killed at birth in order to cut off the deliverer of Israel who at
that time turned out to be Moses.
This is similar to what Herod did when the stars
portrayed that the deliverer or King of Israel had been born in his time, who
turned out to be Yahshua (Jesus).
Fortunately, both the Pharaoh and Herod were unsuccessful in cutting off
Moses and later Messiah when he was young.
For more detailed information on the celestial signs
that occurred around the birth of Moses see the second DVD in the Biblical
Astronomy DVD set and also the article The
Birth of Moses and the Exodus in
the March/April 2004 edition of Biblical
Astronomy, which are
available on the Biblical Astronomy Website in the Products section and Newsletters
section respectively at www.biblicalastronomy.com
The bull representing Taurus is actually a reem,
which is a now extinct animal. The
following excerpts are from Joseph Seiss’s The Gospel in the Stars,
pp.100-102 speaking of this reem.
“Two passages prove that it was a great two-horned
and mighty creature, now, so far as known, entirely extinct, but once common in
North-western Asia, Assyria, and Middle Europe.
Remains of it have of late years been discovered in the north of
Palestine, and Caesar, in the account of his wars, describes it as being hunted
in the Hercynian forest of his day. It
was known as the primeval ox, or wild bull, different altogether from the bison
or the great antelope, sometimes taken for it.
It was a formidable animal, ‘scarcely less than the elephant in size,
but in nature, color, and form a true ox.’
Its strength and speed were very great, and it was so fierce that it did
not spare man or beast when it caught sight of them. It was wholly intractable, and could not be
habituated to man, no matter how young it was taken. This fact is set out in the book of Job
(39:9-12), where it is said: ‘Will the reem be willing to serve thee, or
abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the reem
with his band in the furrow? Or will he
harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou
believe him that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
In mythology this bull was always accounted snow-white,
the color of righteousness and royal judgment.”
The reem in this constellation picture represents
Messiah coming to the earth in royal judgment and pouring forth his wrath on
his enemies. The color of the reem’s
hair has always been accounted snow-white.
The star Aldebaran in the left eye of the reem is a bright flaming
red giant star. The star cluster the
Pleiades in the reem was in ancient times know as the seven stars and have been
connected to the seven stars that represent the angels of the seven churches of
Revelation 1:16, 20. The following
scriptures describe how Messiah appeared to John just prior to Messiah passing
judgment on Earth.
Revelation 1:12-14, 16, 20 (KJV) – “And I turned to
see the voice that spake with me. And
being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks:
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son
of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a
golden girdle. His head and His
Hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were
as a flame of fire… and He had in His right hand seven stars… The
mystery of the seven stars which though sawest in My right hand, and the seven
golden candlesticks. The seven stars are
the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest
are the seven churches.”
This was the description that John gave of Messiah,
the coming Judge of all the earth, which is also seen in part in this
constellation sign. The bull is seen
springing forth from Aries the ram, which represents Messiah the Lamb
who was slain as a propitiation for our sins and whose blood has saved us from
the wrath to come and has redeemed us to God by that blood and by it the Lamb
is also found worthy to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof in
Revelation 5:1-14 and following.
The top horn in this constellation picture is seen
piercing a foot. The bright star at the
end of that horn is El Nath, which means wounded or slain. The foot that the horn is piercing belongs to
Auriga, the Great Shepherd. This
is a picture of Messiah taking the wrath of God that is meant for his enemies
upon himself for those who believe in him and are born from above. For those who are saved through and by his
name. For those who have confessed and
believed Romans 10:9, 10. For all who are in the body of Messiah, we
are not appointed to the wrath to come (I Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9). Praise Yahweh and Praise Yahshua.