In my book, “The Language of God in the Universe,” the
celestial signs that appeared in the heavens over Jerusalem on September 11th, 3 BC, and for
a year before and after that date were discussed in relation to the Gospel in
the Stars, and Sacred Astronomy’s clear relationship to the Bible. However,
the information in that book regarding Christ’s Birth is incomplete, as it
does not go deeply enough into the events outside of the night of September
11th, 3 BC, and the night of August 27th, 2 BC to convince some skeptics of
the true importance of Sacred Astronomy, and its purpose.
The purpose of Sacred Astronomy, in contrast to Ancient
Astrology, was to determine the Will of Yahweh and His Son as revealed in the
heavens, and to speed the unfolding of their Will. As such, Sacred
Astronomers did all they could to thwart those who wished to hinder the
revealing of Yahweh’s Will, as Sorcerers using paganized Astrology
continually tried to do!
Enoch the Sethite, and great prophet of God who was
translated into heaven without experiencing death because of his
righteousness, called the heavens “the heavenly tablets.” In the Book of 1
Enoch, or Ethiopian Book of Enoch, the heavenly tablets are referred to
several times. This book tells us that Enoch was so righteous, and
God-fearing that he could converse with God’s holy angels. As a result, Enoch
understood the Language of God in the starry heavens, and Sacred Astronomy
better than anyone else of his era. Enoch said “the heavenly tablets”
contained the deeds of men and angels throughout time. This strongly suggests
that Enoch was referring to the forty-eight ancient constellations of the
Zodiac, which was correctly called by its Hebrew name “Mazzaroth” in the
Kings James Version of the Bible (Job 38:32). As was shown in my book, the
celestial storybook, or Gospel in the Stars that we call the Zodiac also
foretold the coming of the one future King, Priest, and Redeemer who would
conquer the fallen angel Azazel
(i.e. Satan), sin, and death forever. This was none other than Yahshua the
Messiah (a.k.a. Jesus the Christ)!
There are many reasons why September of 3 BC was a fitting
time for the Messiah of the Jews, and all humanity, to be born. First of all,
3 BC would have been the very last year of the Fourth Millennium since the
Creation of Adam and Eve in 4003 BC, based on a strictly biblical chronology
some Bible scholars such as myself follow. Now, as will be explained more
fully in a moment, the prophetic meaning hidden in the design of a
seven-branched menorah shows that the fourth, or middle lamp represents the
day the Sun was created, and also represents Yahshua as the Light, or
symbolic Sun of the Servant Lamp. It was also meant to indicate the
Millennial Day in which Yahshua would be born!
This idea that a millennium, or thousand years is as a day
to God is Scriptural:
Psalm 90:4 - “For a thousand years in Your sight are
like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.”
2 Peter 3:8 - “But, beloved, do not forget this one
thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day.”
Interestingly, the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets
(including Jupiter) were created on the Fourth Creation Day (Genesis
1:14-19). Therefore, some Jewish scholars thought that the Fourth Millennial
Day after Adam and Eve’s Creation would be when the Messiah, or “Sun of
Righteousness” (who is like the Sun and Jupiter in Glory), was to be
born:
Malachi 4:2 - “But to you who fear My name the Sun of
Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.”
 Intriguingly, this may be why Malachi put
the prophecy of the coming “Sun of Righteousness” into the fourth
chapter of his book! Also, the Fourth Day was when Yahshua, acting as
Creator, wrote His Word into the heavens, and created the awesome Gospel in
the Stars. It therefore would have been quite fitting for Him to be born as a
man during the corresponding Millennial Day. However, if Yahshua was born
anytime after 3 BC, this could not have been possible, and would not
allow all the prophetic symbols in the Old Testament Tabernacle, such as the
seven-branched menorah, to be fulfilled.
Since the most biblically based, traditional biblical
chronologies date the creation of Adam to Rosh Hashanah in either 4004 or
4003 BC, the year 3 BC would have marked the last possible year of that
Fourth Great Thousand-year Day. So, Yahshua would have had to be born before
Rosh Hashanah in 2 BC.
The Apostle Peter knew of God’s thousand-year days.
Furthermore, other ancient Judeo-Christian documents attest to the knowledge
that there would be six thousand-year days of human history before God was to
set up His righteous Kingdom on the Seventh Great Day. One of these was the
Epistle of Barnabus, which many Bible scholars such as myself view as
canonical. In this document, it says:
“And God made in six days the works of his hands; and he
finished them on the seventh day, and he rested the seventh day,
and sanctified it. Consider, my children, what that signifies, he finished
them in six days. The meaning of it is this; that in six thousand years the
Lord God will bring all things to an end. For with him one day is a thousand
years; as himself testifieth, saying, Behold this day shall be as a thousand
years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in six thousands years, shall all things be
accomplished. And what is that he saith, And he rested the seventh
day; he meaneth this; that when his Son shall come, and abolish the season of
the Wicked One, and judge the ungodly; and shall change the sun and the moon,
and the stars; then
he shall gloriously rest in the seventh day.” - Epistle of Barnabas, 13:4-6
The Epistle of Barnabas is attributed to the companion of Saint Paul named
Barnabas that is mentioned in the Book of Acts (Acts 11:22-26). It is dated
to around the time that Paul wrote his New Testament letters. Now, since this
idea of thousand-year ages was well-known among preachers like Barnabas and
Paul, and fishermen like Peter (who guided himself at sea by the stars),
God’s 6,000-year time line for human events most likely would also have been
known to the Wise Men. It would therefore be unlikely that they would ignore
the extreme significance of all the celestial events between
Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets in 3 BC, and Rosh Hashanah in 2 BC.
Significantly, the signs in the heavens on September 11th,
3 BC have much meaning when viewed in a Jewish context. First of all, that
date saw the dawning of a New Moon, or first day of a new month on the Jewish
calendar. Furthermore, it was also Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets.
This was seen not only as the beginning of a New Year, but as a special
biblical Holy Day dedicated to Yahweh that was accompanied with the blowing
of the Shofar, a Ram’s horn that Jews fashion into a trumpet for religious
purposes.
 The
signs in the heavens on September 11th, 3 BC also appear to have been
literally described in the Book of Revelation, which has many connections to
the Star Gospel, as was extensively shown in my book. This biblical
description of a great and wondrous sign in heaven appears in Revelation
12:1-2. As shown in the adjacent illustration, Miriam (Mary), the mother of
Yahshua (Jesus) was depicted in the sign of Virgo exactly as it appeared at
dawn on September 11th, 3 BC:
Rev. 12:1-2 -
“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the
moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being
with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.”
Now, if you give careful attention to the preceding
Scripture, you will note that Virgo must be clothed with the Sun. To
clothe her with light, the Sun should be in Virgo’s torso area, as it is in
the adjacent drawing. The Moon must also be under her feet,
which it is. Furthermore, there always has been a garland, or crown of twelve
distinct stars around the star Zavijava, which is considered to be the star
marking Virgo’s head. However, the stars around Zavijava may actually be too
faint to be considered the remarkable crown of twelve stars crowning the
Woman clothed with the Sun.
Instead, it may be that the sign of
Leo as it appeared with Jupiter on Regulus in September of 3 BC could be the
garland, or crown of twelve literal stars that was envisioned upon the
woman’s head in Revelation 12:1, especially because Jupiter represents the
Messiah King of Israel, and the star Regulus is often said to be prominent in
the heavens on the days great kings are born. In fact, there are eleven
fairly prominent stars marking the sign of Leo, and Jupiter on Regulus can be
seen as the twelfth star. But what makes this Day of Trumpets in 3 BC even
more significant than any other in history is what occurred on Yom Kippur, or
the Day of Atonement on Sept. 21, 3 BC, and on the first day of the weeklong
Feast of Sukkot, or Tabernacles, on Sept. 26, 3 BC - while Jupiter was still
very near to Regulus.
Let me stress the crucial importance of the star Regulus,
also known as Rigel, in conjunction with the Messiah planet Jupiter at the
time of Christ’s birth. Rigel marks one of Leo the Lion’s front paws. It
therefore seems highly likely that it is allegorically tied to the star named
Rigel, or “the Foot that Crushes” in the constellation Orion’s foot. Adding
to this hypothesis, Orion and Leo both represent Christ in His role as a
Conquering King, and Orion is tied to the entire Giza Pyramid complex, where
the Great Pyramid and Great Sphinx serve as symbols for Christ! See my book:
“The Language of God in Prophecy” for more about the fascinating correlation
of the Giza
archeological site with Orion, and Christ.
Though most translations of Revelation 12:1 say that the
garland, or crown of the Woman was upon her head, the Greek for that
word is “epi,” meaning “over, above, or upon!” Since it can, and probably does mean “over”
or “above” in this case, then my interpretation of seeing Leo the kingly lion
with Jupiter as the crown of twelve stars over Virgo’s head is not only
totally possible, but likely true!
In addition to these obvious matches between Revelation
12:1-2 and the heavenly sign of Virgo on September 11th, 3 BC, there are
other heavenly signs that seem to verify this date as a good choice for the
birthday, or imminent birth of Christ. For example the planet Venus (the
reflected light of Yahweh, or Christ as the Light of the World, or Morning
Star) was on Virgo's face, suggesting that Miriam (Mary) was shining from
within with the true light of the Light of the World, which is the Son of God
in her womb. In addition, Mercury, God's Scribe planet that records His Word
and Will was in Virgo’s breast, showing that Miriam was filled with the true
Word of God, who is the Son of God in her womb, as depicted by the Sun in her
torso area.
September 11th, 3 BC was fifteen days before the Feast of
Tabernacles, a holy festival week that began with the Full Moon on
September 26th, 3 BC, and depicts Yahshua’s Millennial Rule on Earth. Now
September 11th in 3 BC was a New Moon day marking Rosh Hashanah - also
called Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets. This feast is tied directly to
the First Trumpet announcing the crowning of Yahshua as the King of kings in
Heaven, as well as the Last Trumpet announcing the return of our Messiah King
to conquer the wicked, and reign on Earth. Ten days after the Feast of
Trumpets, the holiest day of the Jewish religious year occurs. It is called
Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, and represents the future Rapture of the
Saints into Heaven, as well as God’s full forgiveness of their sins.
Yom Kippur was the day that two goats, one called the
Scapegoat, or Azazel goat, and the other representing Christ as a sin
offering, were sacrificed to God to atone for all the sins of the Israelites.
The Scapegoat represents the fate of Azazel, or Satan, and all evil people
who follow him. Together, they are to be cast into the Lake of Fire
to be separated from God for all eternity. The goat used as a sin offering,
however, represented the coming of Yahshua as an atonement sacrifice to
redeem His people Israel from sin and evil, and to give them eternal life and
fellowship with God. This goat’s blood was saved, and sprinkled on the
Israelite people gathered in front of the Tabernacle to show that the goat’s
blood covered their sins, and gave them renewed fellowship with God.
The Day of Atonement first served as a symbol for Christ’s
atoning sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. At the very beginning of the Great
Tribulation, however, the Day of Atonement represents the deliverance from
evil called the Rapture, when Gentile saints grafted into Israel, and
Messianic Jews who love Christ will be translated directly into Heaven to
join the dead in Christ, who will already be with Yahshua, and ready to
attend the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, or the wedding of Christ to His Church
in His Father’s House (i.e. Heaven!). These saints will be with Yahshua in
Heaven until the Great Tribulation is drawing to a close, when they will
return with Yahshua from Heaven as his army of saints, and will vanquish the
Antichrist and his armies that have invaded Israel,
and surrounded Jerusalem.
At sunset on September 20th, the most solemn day of the
Jewish liturgical year began. That night, the Moon (signifying spiritual
renewal) was prominent in Aquarius, the symbol representing Yahshua’s giving
of the Torah, and the Holy Spirit to mankind. The Moon was a symbol of
spiritual renewal through repentance, and doing good works before the First
Advent of Christ. After His Resurrection, the Moon also came to represent the
renewing presence of the Holy Spirit in born-again disciples. This is highly
complimentary to Aquarius, which represents Yahweh’s giving of the Law, as
well as Christ’s enormous outpouring of the Holy Spirit after His
Resurrection!
Meanwhile, on that same night of September 20th, 3 BC,
Mars - the planet of blood sacrifice - was in Capricorn, the sign
representing both Noah, and fallen mankind’s need for salvation from sin.
This perfectly reflects what Christ did for us on the Cross - as also
represented by Passover. When Christ died, He served as an atonement
sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Furthermore, Christ’s Resurrection
opened the way for Christ to give mankind the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
Just like Passover, Yom Kippur has a past, as well as
future application. In all cases, the Day of Atonement signifies our need for
everlasting redemption from sin. Now, I believe Scripture teaches that there
will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, and the Rapture is an event
tied to the First Resurrection, which marks our everlasting redemption from
sin. None of this would have been possible, however, if Christ had not been
born!
Looking at Virgo an hour after sunrise on Sept. 21, 3 BC,
Mercury (the Word of God) and the Sun (the Son of Righteousness) appear in
near conjunction with Spica, the star signifying Yahshua as the Righteous
Branch of Jesse! Incidentally, this conjunction appears right where Virgo’s
birth canal is allegorically located, signifying that the coming of the Messiah
who would offer the ultimate redemption of the world was near at hand! It
also allegorically marked the breaking of the water, or beginning sign of
this woman’s labor to give birth! Meanwhile, Jupiter (the Messiah planet) was
in Leo (the Lion of Judah) in near conjunction to Regulus (the King star),
and Venus (signifying Yahshua as the Light of the World, and Morning Star)
was at Virgo’s heart, which likely signified the virgin Miriam’s happiness
that she was about to give birth. Finally, Saturn (signifying mankind’s
Sabbath rest from evil works) was in Taurus, the sign representing Yahweh’s
salvation given to the Gentile nations through the Last Supper symbolism of
Communion, and our New Blood Covenant with Yahshua, our King (as seen in
Orion, and at Giza).
Now, five days after the Day of Atonement, or fifteen days
from Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets, the weeklong Feast of Tabernacles
(also called Booths or Sukkot) begins. Though the Feast of Tabernacles
signifies the fellowship believers automatically receive when they truly
repent, and accept Christ as their Savior, this week also represents two
future events. First, it represents the Wedding Supper of the Lamb in Heaven.
According to Jewish wedding customs at the time of Christ, most wedding
feasts lasted 7 days, which symbolizes the seven years of the Wedding Supper
of the Lamb in Heaven. Secondly, it depicts the Great Tribulation “week” of
years - with a focus on the sixth year of that time as a time of great
trouble for the Tribulation Saints, and the Jews. Thankfully, the seventh
year of the Great Tribulation will be cut short by the return of Christ with
His Bride. At that time, the Tribulation Saints, and newly converted
Messianic Jews will join Yahshua and His Bride at another Supper on Earth
celebrating the Marriage of the Lamb with all those who are sanctified by
their worship of Yahshua, and are thereby invited to the feast.
On the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot on
September 26th, 3 BC, the signs in the heavens added more to this already
remarkable story in the stars announcing the Messiah’s birth. The most
important of these signs was that the Sun (the Son of Righteousness) and
Mercury (the Word of God) were near Virgo’s kneecaps, just where any newborn
baby that had just fully cleared a woman’s birth canal would be! This is a
clear sign that Yahshua was likely born on that day, or very shortly
thereafter! Thus, the Son of God would truly have come to Tabernacle, or dwell
with mankind, just as the Feast of Tabernacles allegorically alludes to.
Meanwhile, Jupiter (the Messiah planet) was still in Leo (the Lion of Judah)
in near conjunction to Regulus (the King star), and Venus (signifying Yahshua
as the Light of the World, and Morning Star) was in Virgo’s belly, which
likely signified Miriam’s overwhelming joy upon beholding her newborn son for
the very first time.
Now, remember that the Scripture says Yahshua was
supposedly laid in a manger. However, as discussed in my books,
Middle-Eastern cave-style barns can be disgustingly dirty, and smelly places.
No one but a shepherd who often sleeps near his herd can usually tolerate the
stench. It stands to reason, then, that God the Father would not allow the
blessed virgin Miriam to give birth in a dirty, smelly place like a cave used
as a barn! Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that God would allow His
one and only Son to be born in a smelly, manure-filled, fly-infested, dirty
place! This would not only be a humbling experience, but a totally
humiliating, and nightmarish event for Joseph, Miriam, and her newborn son!
It seems, rather, that God would place His Son in a Sukkah, or booth that
served as a symbol of Yahweh’s ingathering of all His children to Himself
through His Son!
Luke 2:12 - “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a
Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger (i.e. booth).”
Note that the above verse declares that this babe in a
booth is a sign, just as the heavenly signs of the Zodiac were. Note also
that the word used to describe Christ is “babe,” from the Greek word
“brephos,” which can only mean infant, and cannot mean “young child,” as
Christ is described in Matthew 2:11. Also, the evidence of the textual
criticism being carried on by Messianic Jews and Christian scholars today
indicates that Luke’s Gospel may have first been written in Hebrew or
Aramaic. This would have been in keeping with Christ and Paul’s mandate to
deliver the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the Jews first, and to the
Gentiles afterward (Matthew 15:22-28; Acts 3:26, 13:46). Furthermore, based
on similar textual criticism, the Greek translators may have mistranslated
the Hebrew/Aramaic word “sukkah” or “booth” into the incorrect word “manger,”
though they translated the word for “infant” correctly.
Besides the possibility that the New Testament was first
written in Aramaic and Hebrew, there are many good reasons to believe that
Christ was not laid in a manger, but a Sukkot booth, or Sukkah. First
of all, a Sukkah is a gaily decorated, temporary shelter with no roof, so
that the men sleeping in it outside at night could see the stars. This
is how the Feast of Sukkot or Tabernacles was celebrated at the time of
Christ. The men stayed outdoors at night in the booths, while the women slept
inside with the children.
Since there was no room for Miriam, or Mary in the Inn with the other women who had gathered to celebrate
Sukkot with their husbands and families, Miriam had to sleep outside in the
Sukkah with the men. This is where she likely went into labor, and had her
special baby son in a sweet-smelling booth that was decorated with flowers
and fruits, and in full view of the Gospel in the Stars that announced
Christ’s birth! Secondly, the Romans, who knew that the Jews would all be
gathered in their home towns to celebrate Sukkot at that time, would
likely have chosen that time to hold their Census of the Jews. This agrees
with the Scriptural account very well:
Luke 2:1-7 - “And it came to pass in those days that a
decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
This census took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be
registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee… to
the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he
was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his
betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there,
the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her
firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger
(i.e. booth), because there was no room for them in the inn.”
The Feast of Sukkot began 15 days after September 11th, 3
BC, or on September 26th, at the Full Moon (which can be a symbol for
a pregnant woman who is at full term, or has just given birth), so it
is a good guess that Yahshua was born very near to that time, when temporary
Sukkot booths had already been set up in the yards of Jewish homes in
preparation for Sukkot, or Tabernacles. This time of year was early autumn in
Jerusalem,
making Sukkot a Harvest Festival. This is partly why Yahshua alluded to
Himself as “the Lord of the Harvest” (Mat. 9:38; Luke 10:2)! Since it
was dry and mild in Israel
this time of year, it was a good time to give birth. It also would have been
a time when the shepherds would be camping outdoors watching their sheep at
night:
Luke 2:8-11 -“Now there were in the same country
shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord
shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which
will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord.’”
This scene of the shepherds outside with their sheep could
not have occurred in the wet, rainy Decembers of Israel, since the shepherds
would have gone to live in town, and gathered their sheep to weather the
winter in nearby caves, only taking them out to pasture during the day, and
when it was dry. If we tie all the above factors with the vision described in
the Book of Revelation 12:1-2 showing Virgo as it looked on September 11th, 3
BC as a symbol of a pregnant Miriam ready to give birth, there is more than
ample Scriptural support to show that Yahshua was born in September of 3 BC.
However, though it is commonly believed that the Magi found Yahshua when He
was an infant, it is far more likely that they found the Messiah a little
over a year after He was born! The first clue to this is Matthew’s
Gospel, where it tells us that Yahshua was a young child, or toddler when
the Magi found Him:
Matthew 2:11 - “And when they had come into the
house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and
worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts
to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
Now, the Greek word translated as “young child” in the
preceding passage is “paidion,” and usually describes a young child, or, in
our vernacular, a toddler - not an infant! If Yahshua had been
born in September of 3 BC, He would most certainly have been a toddler by
December of 2 BC, when the Magi may have actually found Yahshua in Bethlehem. We will
explore this possibility in the final two sections of this article.
After writing my book on the Star Gospel, it became
apparent that the celestial signs between September 11th, and September 26th,
3 BC were directly tied to the events between August 27th and December 25th,
2 BC. In fact, it appears that the celestial signs between September 11th and
26th, 3 BC shows the beginning of the story that marked the actual
fulfillment of the first two verses of Revelation 12:1-6, while the events
between August 27th and December 25th, 2 BC marked the end of the
fulfillment of the last three verses of Revelation 12:1-6, which say:
Rev. 12:3-6: “And another sign appeared in heaven:
behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven
diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw
them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to
give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child
who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up
to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has
a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two
hundred and sixty days.”
In this Scripture, the Red Dragon represents Herod the
Great, and the oppression of Rome in the past, while in the future it
represents all the antichrists and kingdoms/nations throughout history that
have hated God’s people. In the Gospel in the Stars, this Red Dragon is
depicted in several ancient constellations, namely Hydra the Sea Serpent,
Cepheus the Sea Monster, and Draco the Dragon. On September 11th, 3 BC, and
on August 27th, 2 BC, the Gospel message in the Stars that announced Christ’s
birth incorporated the long, twisting form of Hydra, the Sea Serpent to
depict the Antichrist, and all the little antichrists like him. Uncannily,
this malevolent sign runs along the entire length of Virgo and Leo, though
Hydra’s head is beneath the front paws of Leo. This suggests that the
conquering Lion of Judah is poised to crush the serpent that is Satan
forever, just as the very first prophecy in the Bible announced that Christ
would do (Gen. 3:15).
 Matthew’s
Gospel tells us that the visit of the Magi to Jerusalem prompted the little
antichrist known as Herod the Great to slaughter countless newborn through
toddler age boys in a mad attempt to kill the true Messiah and King of
Israel! This was truly the fulfillment of Revelation 12:3-4 in the past,
while in later times it signified the slaughter of countless Jews and
Christians by dictatorial madmen throughout history, though thankfully many
Jews and Christians survived in exile. This exiled state of true believers in
Yahweh alludes to their wilderness sanctuary mentioned in Revelation 12:6. As
an interesting side note, America
has acted as a true sanctuary for Jews and Christians, and it was once a
wilderness! America’s
place in Bible prophecy is further elaborated upon on in my book: “The
Language of God in Prophecy.”
Now, though Yahshua was likely born in September of 3 BC
because of how it fulfilled the Autumn Feasts of Israel, it is fairly certain
that the heavenly signs on August 27th, 2 BC may have actually been the signs
that prompted the Magi to determine that the King of the Jews they sought had
already been born. The heavenly show that morning was very spectacular, and
very symbolic of the nature and purpose of the Messiah, as can be seen in the
illustration on this page showing the Zodiac constellations of Leo and Virgo
on August 27th, 2 BC. Knowing the meaning of the Gospel in the Stars, the
Magi would have seen these signs in the following way:
A major conjunction of planets had formed between Virgo
and Leo, the first and last signs of the Zodiac. As shown in my book: “the
Language of God in Prophecy,” the Great Sphinx, with its lion’s body, may
signify the Zodiac sign of Leo, while its woman’s face likely signifies the
sign of Virgo the Virgin, as well as the sign of Aquarius, which is
associated with the Millennial Rule of Christ! As such, the Sphinx at Giza may represent the
beginning and ending signs of the Zodiac, or Mazzaroth story joined together
as one book with twelve related Zodiac sign chapters.
The Great Sphinx may also dualistically signify the
beginning and end of time as we know it, since Creation may have begun during
the 2,160 year precessional Age of Leo, while the New Heaven and New Earth
may become a reality at the end of the precessional Age of Aquarius (See
Books One and Four of the Language of God Book Series for more about this).
This enormous sphinx therefore was likely meant to represent Yahshua as “the
Word of God,” “The First and the Last,” “The Beginning and the
End,” and “The Alpha and the Omega,” just as Yahshua is designated
by Isaiah, the Apostle called John, and the Book of Revelation (Isaiah 44:6,
48:12; John 1:1; 1 John 5:7; Rev. 1:11, 2:13, 22:13). The meaning of the
Great Sphinx has been captured in the following illustration.
The significance of this sign was immense! It was
announcing what God’s prophet Isaiah had testified about, and what the writer
of Revelation proclaimed: that the Alpha and Omega, and the First and the
Last had come in human form at last. This was further confirmed by the
allegorical meaning of the celestial bodies assembled at the junction between
the first and last signs of the Zodiac. For example, the “star” called
Jupiter that the Magi followed to Bethlehem
was in conjunction with Mars, signifying Christ’s blood redemption. It was
also very close to the Sun in Virgo, signifying Christ as the divine Son of
God, and human son of Miriam (Mary).
Adding to this messianic theme was Venus, signifying
Christ as the Morning Star, or Light of the World; and Mercury, signifying
Christ as the faithful Scribe, or Word of God! Finally, the Moon (symbolizing
the spiritual renewal found in the Holy Spirit of God, and Christ) was in
conjunction with the king star Regulus in Leo, symbolizing the Lion of Judah.
This would have been a clear sign to the Magi that the long-awaited Messiah
and King of the Jews had been born! Since they also knew that Jupiter was the
Messiah’s planet, the Wise Men were likely filled with excitement as they
hurriedly packed and left Parthia,
and followed Jupiter’s movements to determine where to travel.
The Star of Bethlehem - Temporary, or Everlasting?
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Magi likely
followed the movements of the planet Jupiter in order to find Christ’s
whereabouts. The reasons for this are numerous, and are founded on the idea
that Jupiter is the planet that mystically-minded Jews associated with their
Messiah. As the most massive planet in our Solar System, and with the most
satellites, Jupiter seems fitting as the celestial representative of the only
man who ever lived who never sinned, and who was also fully God incarnate! It
also seems more in keeping with Yahweh’s nature that the sign, or star
announcing the birth of His one and only Son would be an everlasting sign,
not just one that shined temporarily. Now, in order to prove the possibility
that Jupiter is, was, and always will be the Star of Bethlehem, and the star
of the Messiah, let’s take a close look at Jupiter’s behavior around the
dates associated with His birth in this article.
In my book, I mention the phrase “in the East” in
Matthew 2:2 as possibly meaning that the Wise Men were in the East when they
beheld the star, or stars of the King of the Jews:
Matt 2:2: “Where is He who has been born King of the
Jews? For we
have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
However, a recent word study revealed that the Greek
phrase translated as “we have seen His star in the East” can be
alternatively rendered as “we beheld as together his star after its
rising” or, in more common English: “we beheld in conjunction his star as it
rose.”
Here is the Greek, the accepted translation, and my
translation in three rows:
Eidomen gar autou ton astara en tee anatolee
We have seen ***
his *** star
in the East
We beheld as together his star after its rising
Based on context, the Greek word
“anatolee” can mean several things, including “east,” “rising,” and
“sunlight.” The context changes the meaning of words within each sentence. In
one context the word “anatolee” can mean east. In another, it can mean
rising, which always occurs in the east, just as the Sun also always
rises in the east. Analogies were in common use back then, just as they are
today. By analogy, something rising always rises in the east, and can set in
the west, just like the Sun. Therefore, my translation of the Greek - though
a bit rough - is viable. This means that the preceding Scripture could very
well be saying that, after the Magi had seen the unprecedented number of
conjunctions of Jupiter with Venus, Regulus, and the Sun in the past year,
they knew that the King of the Jews they were seeking had to have been born.
The remarkable conjunctions that the Magi likely witnessed were:
- August 12, 3 BC: Jupiter and Venus in conjunction
in Leo
- Sept. 11-14, 3 BC: Jupiter in Conjunction with
Regulus in Leo
- Feb 17th, 2 BC: Jupiter in Conjunction with Regulus
in Leo
- May 8-9, 2 BC: Jupiter in Conjunction with Regulus
in Leo
- June 17th, 2 BC: Jupiter and Venus in conjunction
in Leo
- August 27th, 2 BC: Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and
Mercury in conjunction with the Sun in Leo, and the Moon in Virgo
- Oct. 1st - Oct. 20th, 2 BC: Jupiter and Venus very
close together near Virgo’s head star Zavijava, appearing southeast of
east over the horizon just before sunrise.
As shown in the preceding list,
the messiah planet Jupiter could be seen in conjunction with many other
allegorically meaningful celestial bodies around the proposed time of the Christ’s
birth.
Now, to further determine the
nature of the Star of Bethlehem, let’s look at another mention of it in
Matthew 2:9:
Matt 2:9: “When they heard the king, they departed; and
behold, the
star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood
over where the young Child was.”
Looking at my concordance, the Greek for “the star
which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over
where the young Child was” can be rendered as follows:
Ho aster hon eidon en tee anatolee proeegen
autous
the star which they had seen in the
East went before them
the star which they beheld at its rising went ahead of them
heeos eithoon esthatee epanou hou
een to paidion.
till
it came stood over
where was the young child
until it appeared standing over where
was the young child
So, Matthew 2:9 could be rendered
as saying: “the star which they beheld as it rose went ahead of them until
it appeared standing over where the young child was.”
This suggests that the Wise Men were looking for the
Messiah’s star Jupiter as it rose before sunrise, so they could follow
its position in the sky. Now, it is important here to note that Bethlehem is southwest of Jerusalem, and that is the direction over
the horizon that Jupiter and Virgo appeared to move from August 27, 2 BC to
February 25th, 1 BC! At the same time each morning, and before sunrise,
Jupiter could be seen near midpoint in Virgo as it moved steadily further to
the southwest over the horizon during that time. This was true until shortly
after February 28th, 1 BC, when Jupiter was no longer visible just before
sunrise, but it was still near the midpoint of Virgo. Interestingly, the
location of Jupiter in Virgo during this entire time suggests the Messiah as
He is nursing at His mother’s breast!
It is therefore likely that Jupiter served as the Star of
Bethlehem. As such, the Magi would have noted Jupiter’s position every
morning to see where is was over the horizon. Then they would have traveled
in the direction it pointed to on the horizon. In this way, they used Jupiter
as their compass until they arrived in Bethlehem
- which was very likely on December 25th, 2 BC, during Chanukah that year.
Incidentally, since Yahweh is a God of miracles, it is possible that God
supernaturally caused Jupiter’s luminosity at this time to outshine Venus in
brilliance, making Jupiter the most brilliant object in the sky at that time
outside of the Sun and Moon. After all, Jupiter is the planet of the Messiah,
and the Messiah had just recently been born!
It is likely that the Magi, or Wise Men were from the kingdom of Parthia,
whose borders contained all of ancient Babylonia (a.k.a. Persia). In 3 BC, it was a
powerful and prosperous kingdom of the East that rivaled Rome. As members of the Parthian elite, the
Wise Men probably traveled with their own military guard, and a large
entourage of servants. Herod would therefore have accorded them the warm
hospitality given to elite members of a friendly rival power. Wise Men were
highly educated scholars who had gained knowledge in many types of wisdom.
They were therefore likely well acquainted with Astrology, and Sacred
Astronomy. As such, they were often called upon to crown kings, give advice
to them, and to interpret signs and omens for them, and their court
officials. The Prophet Daniel was a Wise Man like the Magi, and like them, he
was probably very familiar with Sacred Astronomy, especially since he was put
in charge of all the Wise Men and Astrologers in the Persian King’s court
where he worked (Daniel 1:17-20, 2:48, 5:11).
Followers of the Zoroastrian faith, as well as a
significant population of Diaspora Jews primarily inhabited Parthia. Though it is commonly
believed that the Magi were Gentiles who followed the Zoroastrian religion,
it seems more likely that these Parthian sages were either Jews, or
Zoroastrians who had converted to Judaism. After all, if they were devout
Zoroastrians, why would they be interested in the coming of a king of a rival
culture and religion? Furthermore, why would they wish to worship this
foreign King like a god unless they actually knew who He was, and why He had
come?
Now, if the Magi left Parthia
at the end of August, they would have arrived in Judea in late December after
traveling for four months via caravan routes between Parthia and Jerusalem. Therefore, when the Magi
arrived, a year had already passed since Yahshua was born! Furthermore, the Scriptures
tell us that Yahshua was no longer lying in a “manger” or “sukkah.”
Instead, he was in a house with his mother Miriam. Being in a house
would make especially good sense if it was a rainy, wet December, or winter
in Judea.
Though some scholars assert that December 25th was picked
as Christ’s birthday to help convert Pagans to Christianity more easily, it
appears that the Magi may actually have presented Yahshua with their gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh on that very date! Furthermore, December 25th,
2 BC fell during the week long Feast of Dedication, or Chanukah that year. In
addition, the Winter Solstice, or shortest day of the year occurred on
December 23rd that year, and this celestial event fell during Saturnalia, the
weeklong celebration of the birth of the Roman Sun god. Nonetheless, Chanukah
always begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Jewish Lunar Calendar, and since
Chanukah usually falls in December, it may be that December 25th was picked
as Yahshua’s birthday in an attempt to connect it to Chanukah - not the
Winter Solstice. However, even if December 25th was connected to Saturnalia,
the Sethite descendents of Enoch viewed Astronomy as a sacred science, and
would correctly have seen the Winter Solstice as a symbol for the triumph of
light over darkness. Incidentally, this is what Christ’s birth, life, death,
and resurrection, and Chanukah - as a Festival of Light - also celebrate.
If the Magi actually discovered Christ’s whereabouts, and
worshipped Him on December 25th, then this also explains why this date was
wrongly associated with Christ’s actual birthday. However, due to this wrong
dating for Christ’s birth, many Christians have missed the prophetic
importance of the Jewish harvest festival known as the Feast of Tabernacles,
and how it was fulfilled, and will be fulfilled again through Christ’s birth,
death, resurrection, ascension, and return. They also have missed the fact
that the events surrounding Yahshua’s infancy and toddlerhood are all
directly tied to the biblical feast days that Jews have celebrated for
thousands of years! This even applies to Chanukah, or the Jewish Festival of
Lights that was instituted long after the other Jewish feast days were
described in the Torah.
Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the menorah, when the
Temple’s
menorah lamps burned for eight days on one day’s worth of oil. This occurred
during the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabbees led a successful war to
liberate Judea from foreign control. The Temple had to be cleansed
and re-dedicated after being desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes, the ruler of
the defeated Seleucid Empire, which was Hellenistic. As a Pagan and a
Hellenist, Antiochus served as an ancient counterpart of the coming
Antichrist. Since Chanukah recalls the victory of the Jews over Pagan
foreigners, it honors Jewish culture, and serves as a celebration of their
unique religious heritage. Therefore, if the Magi discovered Yahshua, and He
was conceived at Chanukah, it suggests that Yahshua desires all those who
believe in Him as Lord and Savior to seek to preserve their unique New
Covenant religious heritage, and to remain separate from all worldly,
secular, and paganistic cultures, just as good Jews and Christians have
strived to do throughout history. Scriptures like John 15:19; John 17:14-16;
Ephesians 1:4-5; Colossians 2:20-22; and 1 Peter 2:9-12 support this view.
The time of the Maccabees is not recorded in the
Protestant Bible except in reference to Yahshua’s presence in the Temple
courts on Chanukah, which was also known as the Feast of Dedication:
John 10:22: “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was
winter. And Jesus (Yahshua) walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.”
Due to the heavenly signs at sunrise on December 25th, 2
BC, it appears that the heavens were also declaring the coming of the Wise
Men who found Yahshua! For instance, at dawn on December 25th, 2 BC, Jupiter
(which represents Christ as a human being who is filled with God’s wisdom, or
the Son of Man) was in its stationary midpoint position in Virgo in the
south over Bethlehem, while three planets - Mars, Neptune, and Venus -
were aligned in Ophiuchus/Scorpio, which is a symbol for evil and sin
(Scorpio) being vanquished by Christ (Ophiuchus). Now, could this alignment of
planets be the source of the legend that there were three Wise Men who,
incidentally, represented repentant sinners who had come to worship their
Savior and King?
In contrast to the meaning of Jupiter, the Sun serves as a
symbol for Christ as the fully divine Son of God, and Mercury serves as a
symbol for Christ as the Word of God, or Scribe who wrote the Gospel in the
Stars. Significantly, the Sun and Mercury were in Sagittarius the Centaur on
December 25th, 2BC. Sagittarius is a dual symbol showing Christ as an archer,
or warrior, and Christ as an animal sacrifice combined. Therefore, the
skies were foretelling that - even as a toddler - Yahshua had figuratively
put an arrow into his bow, in preparation for shooting it through the heart
of Scorpio, or Satan on Calvary, and forever
redeeming the Wise Men (and women) who worship Him! The heavenly signs around
December 25th, 2 BC were therefore clearly indicating that the Wise Men would
find redemption from evil and sin because they were wise enough to worship
Yahshua! Similarly, all of us saints who follow in their footsteps have been
redeemed, and will continue to be redeemed until Christ returns in Glory, and
we are resurrected to conquer, reign, and rule with Him forever!
The illustration above shows the two centaurs in the
Zodiac that represent Christ as a conquering King and atonement sacrifice
combined. These are the Zodiac sign Sagittarius, and the decan constellation
Centaurus, and they appear on either side of Scorpio, the Zodiac sign
associated with Satan, the Antichrist, and the Tribe of Dan. In my book: “The
Language of God in the Universe,” these star signs are explained within a
biblical context, especially as they relate to prophecies concerning Yahshua,
the Messiah.
There are five more facts that seem to confirm the dating
of Yahshua’s birth to 3 BC. The first is found in an event that dates
Yahshua’s birth to sometime before January of 1 BC. This is Josephus’ record
of a total lunar eclipse over Jerusalem
that occurred immediately after Herod the Great had two Rabbis killed for
supposed sedition. Within two weeks after this event, Herod died from a
physical illness. In the book “Signs in the Heavens” by Messianic Jew Avi Ben
Mordecai, it is explained that this total lunar eclipse was likely not the
one that occurred on March 13th, 4 BC, but on January 10th, 1 BC.
The second fact is found in the knowledge that, if Herod’s
court astrologers calculated the date for Christ’s birth based on what the
Magi had told them, this is likely why King Herod ordered the cold-blooded
murder of all the baby boys of Bethlehem that were two years of age and
under (Matthew 2:16). The age range of the murdered boys suggest that
Yahshua was no more than two years of age prior to January 1 BC, making a
September 3 BC birthday more plausible.
The third fact that appears to confirm Yahshua’s birthday
around Sukkot in 3 BC surrounds the timing of John the Baptist’s birth.
Luke’s Gospel tells us much about the interesting chain of events leading up
to John’s birth:
Luke 1:5-14: “There was in the days of Herod, the king
of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the
division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
And they were both righteous before God… So it was, that while he was serving
as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of
the priesthood, his
lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord… Then an
angel of the Lord appeared to him… and fear fell upon him… But the
angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard;
and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name
John.’”
First of all, we are told that John the Baptist’s father
was the Levite priest named Zacharias, and John’s mother Elizabeth was descended from Aaron, the
first High Priest of Israel, and Elizabeth was Yahshua’s mother Miriam’s
cousin. This also shows that John the Baptist was a Levite from the priestly
line of Aaron, and he was therefore fully qualified to call people to repent,
and turn away from sin. Furthermore, John was also authorized to baptize
people as symbolic living sacrifices that had chosen to “die” to sin, and
live within God’s Law.
Now, John’s priestly father Zacharias served in the Temple during the
division of Abijah, which fell in the tenth week of the Jewish religious
year. That year began in March during this time in history, and the division
of Abijah fell ten weeks from then - in June. Since Elizabeth likely conceived that June, she
would have been at full term nine months later. This would date John the
Baptist’s birth to sometime in March of the following year, which was around
the time of Passover Week.
Luke’s Gospel also says that Miriam was overshadowed by
the Holy Spirit, and became pregnant with Yahshua when her cousin Elizabeth
was in her sixth month of pregnancy (Luke 1:24-31). This means that Miriam
conceived in December of that year, probably during the Feast of Chanukah, or
Dedication! So, the Wise Men may not only have visited Yahshua during
Chanukah in 2 BC, but our Savior was likely conceived during Chanukah in 4
BC! If Yahshua were conceived
in December of 4 BC, Miriam would have given birth to Yahshua nine months
later - around the time of Sukkot in 3 BC. Therefore, September 11th, 3 BC
may indeed have been the day Yahweh announced the imminent birth of His only
begotten Son, Yahshua our Messiah. Interestingly, if Yahshua was born in
September 3 BC, He would have been about 13 months old when the Magi located
him with Miriam in a house in Bethlehem
during Chanukah.
The fourth fact that appears to confirm Yahshua’s birthday
around Sukkot in 3 BC concerns Luke’s statement that Quirinius was the governor
of Syria when Yahshua was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:2). Some scholars scoff
at this information, saying that Quirinius was not appointed as Governor of
Syria until 7 AD. However, they are
overlooking the fact that Quirinius was not appointed to govern over Syria,
but the newly named Roman Province of Palestine in 7 AD. Roman records
also indicate that, on orders from Augustus Caesar, Quirinius was called to
temporarily govern over Syria
in 3 BC. In addition, the Paphlagonian Inscription, and the Armenian
historian Moses Khorene recorded that Augustus Caesar ordered all people to
swear allegiance to Rome
in 3 BC, when they were also to be counted in a census. So, the time frame
for Christ’s birth that Luke was referring to was 3 BC, not 7 AD.
The fifth fact that appears to confirm Yahshua’s 3 BC
birthday is tied to Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27).
This prophecy states that there would be 483 years (seven weeks and sixty-two
weeks of years) from the edict to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until “Messiah the Prince.”
Modern scholars have interpreted this prophecy in various ways in an attempt
to back several dates surrounding the life of Christ, who is the Prince and
Messiah Daniel spoke of. 457 BC is the most widely accepted date for the
issuing of the Persian king Artaxerxes’ edict to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. If we go
ahead 483 years from 457 BC, we arrive at the year 27 AD, which was the
likely year when Yahshua began His public ministry. 27 AD would also mark the
beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, which means that his prophecy that the
Messiah would literally be cut off, or killed 3 and one half years later
would have occurred in 31 AD. In my book “The Language of God in Humanity,”
these dates are shown to fit the facts of history very well. Nonetheless,
some could argue that 27 AD isn’t the date Daniel foresaw, because Yahshua
didn’t technically appear on the world scene in 27 AD, but at His birth!
Thankfully, there is another viable, if somewhat
controversial way to apply the first 69 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy to align
with Yahshua’s birth. This is found in the fact that 486 BC marked the end of
the 70-year Babylonian Captivity of the Jews, which began with the
destruction of Jerusalem
by Nebuchadnezzar. Though historical records seem to indicate this happened
in 586 BC, a strict biblical chronology dates this event to 556 BC. Now,
since this captivity was divinely set to last 70 years, and meticulously kept
Jewish records place the destruction of Jerusalem
at 556 BC, the captivity had to have ended by divine command in 486 BC. The
Bible indicates that it was in the first year of the Persian King Cyrus’
reign that the Jews were allowed to go back to Jerusalem, and rebuild
Yahweh’s Temple (Ezra 1:1). Fascinatingly, 486 BC was the actual first year
of the reign of King Xerxes 1 of Persia, which likely makes him the biblical
Cyrus, who was also called Ahasuerus in the biblical story of Esther. As part
of His divine plan, Yahweh caused this king to wish to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.
To fulfill His desire, God also inspired 42,360 Jews to return to Jerusalem at that time
(Ezra 2:64). Now, if we go ahead 483 years from 486 BC, we arrive at 3 BC,
Yahshua’s proposed year of birth!
All of the preceding information in this article points to
the fact that Yahshua did indeed come to fulfill all of the prophecies
concerning Him, including those prophecies that are inherent in the seven
God-ordained feast days, and the Feasts of Purim and Chanukah added later on.
Since each of the feast days associated with Yahshua’s birth (Tabernacles),
life (Chanukah), baptism (Pentecost), death (Passover), and resurrection
(Firstfruits) have messianic themes, and a past and future prophetic purpose,
Yahshua proved that He came to fulfill the Old Testament Law, and save us all
with His perfect, redeeming Grace (John 1:16-17; Matthew 5:17-18).
“Baruch Ha Shem Yahshua Ha Mashiach!” or, “Blessed be the
Name of Yahshua, the Anointed One!” May you be more fully blessed every fall
and winter Holiday Season whenever you recall how Yahshua has already
fulfilled so many biblical and celestial prophecies, and how He will fulfill
many more when He returns to reign in Glory forever!
Please Note: This article, and the illustrations in
it are copyrighted. It was designed as a supplement to Helena Lehman’s
430-page book, “The Language of God in the Universe,” ISBN 0975913107, which
is available at the POEM web site at http://www.pillar-of-enoch.com/Language_of_God_in_the_Universe/,,
It is also available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and
BooksAMillion.com.
This article may be freely distributed as is, or quoted
from in part, in any digital, or printed non-profit publication, as
long as Helena Lehman is cited as the Author and Artist for this article, and
its illustrations, and her Pillar of Enoch Ministry web site at http://pillar-of-enoch.com is mentioned in a footnote or bibliography. If
used for profit, contact the author at helena@pillar-of-enoch.com to discuss purchasing one-time rights for its
use.
All Scriptures quoted taken from
The New King James Version of the Bible
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