I told you a couple of Nuggets ago that from all the uncountable zillions of stars, twelve constellations were chosen each with their three decans or associated constellations making up 48 constellations in all. This is not a modern selection process. These chosen groups of stars were selected by the people in ancient civilizations from long ago. We know them now as the Signs of the Zodiac. In the Nugget we looked at Louie Giglio’s video showing us how the stars sing, along with whales and all of nature. But as Louie Giglio asked, what might they be singing? Louie added Chris Tomlin’s song – How Great is Our God- to nature’s composition in order to give us a suggestion of what all of creation might be singing.
We are told by Scripture that the heavens declare the glory of God. Paul of Tarsus tells us in Romans 1:20 that we are without excuse for not knowing God or His heart. What if the heart of God is laid out in the stars for all to see? What if the stars show us the glory of God in yet another way, in order to leave us speechless and without excuse.
The Hebrew word Mazzaroth simply refers to the same concept to which the Greek term Zodiac refers. This collection of stars are selected from all the myriad of stars in the heavens on a pathway 15 degrees either side of the circular (elliptical) track across the heavens laid out by the movement of the earth as it revolves around the sun through a lunar year. The ancients selected the star constellations associated with that pathway. We know them these days as the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Many of us believe they predict the path our lives will take in the year to come. We consult horoscopes daily to see what the day will hold for us. But what if these chosen stars had a different message for us?
Since it is a circular selection of stars where should we break into the circle? Horoscopes suggest we start with Aquarius (January 20th to February 18th). The dawning of the age of Aquarius and all that. But that doesn’t quite cut it because to cover the year beginning January 1st we have to go back to Capricorn.
- · Aquarius (January 20 to February 18)
- · Pisces (February 19 to March 20)
- · Aries (March 21-April 19)
- · Taurus (April 20-May 20)
- · Gemini (May 21-June 20)
- · Cancer (June 21-July 22)
- · Leo (July 23-August 22)
- · Virgo (August 23-September 22)
- · Libra (September 23-October 22)
- · Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
- · Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
- · Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
It’s all a bit messy isn’t it? Given the fact, it’s a circle where do you start? Well, let’s allow the ancients to tell us. It is curious that the names for the signs and the associated constellations (decans) had the same meaning in many of the ancient languages of the world. Let’s follow the lead of the ancient world.
The constellations of the Mazzaroth are found on the floor in the Temple of Esneh in Egypt. Curiously the Sphinx is placed in the arrangement between Virgo the woman and Leo the lion. The Sphinx depicts a lion with the head of a woman. Is the positioning of the Sphinx in the Temple of Esneh meant to tell us something? The word Sphinx in Greek means “to bind closely together”. The Sphinx is a very familiar Egyptian symbol. From the evidence found in the Temple of Esneh, the Egyptian Zodiac began with the woman (Virgo) and finished with the lion (Leo).
From a Christian perspective and from the point of view of logic it would seem natural to start with the Virgin and conclude with the Conquering Lion of Judah. So that is what I intend to do.
In the next Nugget we will begin with the Constellation of Virgo.
Very good lessons on the mazzaroth, thank you for these.
I was very interested in this study, thank you! I am wondering how the Mazzeroth might fit into understanding our 7000 years of mankinds timeline? and what the chart might look like for Virgo-Leo along a yearly calendar that starts with Nisan (as God told Moses) Just a thought. Thanks alot for these concise teachings.
Yes it fits very well into a Biblical time frame. See what I wrote in the latest Nugget about how the Antikythera Mechanism changes our perspective. There is abundant evidence from al sorts of interdisciplinary approaches which suggest the age of the earth and the universe fits a young earth perspective rather than following the time frames of evolutionary thought. Of course there is much more to say about that. Email me Rebecca at [email protected] or let’s talk via phone or Zoom or Skype. Name your preferred media. Or sign up on my site to get Gems and Nuggets sent direct to your email.
I am enjoying this series so much, thank you! As for two festival seasons, spring and fall, it appears to me that when the earth swings wildly like a drunkard (Isa. 24:20), it is turning over to a new set of poles, and that the last time this happens will be at the end of the Tribulation, where it will “fall, and not rise again,” and the heavens will “roll up like a scroll,” (Isa. 34:4) as the familiar night sky sinks below the horizon like a scroll rolling up on one side, while an unfamiliar night sky is “unrolled.”
This understanding of swapped compass points helped me make sense of Ezekiel 40-48 and Zech. 14:4. I realized that the two sides of the Mount of Olives must be pulling apart like an accordion (like the mid-Atlantic ridge), revealing the hidden Promised Land underneath (probably Eden), rather than grinding past each other like the San Andreas fault.
I must stop now as you have written so much I want read!
Ciao Rebecca ti consiglio di accedere al sito ravshaul.com e leggere il libro ( La creazione grida )
“It was taught in the School of Elijah, the world will endure 6,000 years – 2,000 years in chaos, 2,000 with Torah, and 2,000 years will be the days of the Messiah.” [Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a] The last 1000 years would be the millennial reign of Mashiach Yeshua. Also, ironically, the precession of equinoxes supposedly run approximately 2150 yrs—it could be more or less. The first precession Taurus would’ve started at creation for the first two millennia. The second precession would’ve been Aries the next few millennia. We are currently coming to “the end” of the 3rd set of “2150” years in Pisces. Look at what occurred during those millennium in correlation with the star meanings. The final age would be Aquarius.
Because of the precession of equinoxes, we’ve been in the Age of Pisces and “nearing” the end of it. However, horoscopes have not adjusted and must still be operating from a previous age (either Aries or Taurus) or another source. Also, the sun doesn’t spend an equal amount of time in each constellation. There are variations. Current correct star dates can be found online and you can verify for yourself on any star app or telescope by watching when the sun enters & leaves a constellation.
I came across the word, Mazzaroth while I was studying Job 38 re the controversy flat vs globe earth.
Wow, I stayed away from Astronomy due to all the issues around horoscopes and fortunetelling.
Gee, I never knew what rich pictures God gave us in the constellations. And that he named the constellations. Thank you so much for this information. I am passing it on. God bless you.
You are welcome. Feel free to pass it on Judy. You will find all sorts of snippets like this I have written about in the Nuggets. Also in many in depth comments on the text of Scripture in the Gems. Browse to your heart’s content. If you want to have the Gems posted via email simply sign up at the foot of any page on my website. Ian