Zodiac Reclaimed

‘The Heaven’s declare the glory of God … day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.’ These verses from psalm 19 are beautiful but. Are they meaningless? The psalm goes on the say ‘there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.’ I have to admit I haven’t heard their voice. Am I deaf? Blind?

Did I missed something? Yes! In Genesis 1:14 the record says God put the lights in the sky to be signs and for seasons. This means much more than simply Summer through to Spring. There is a story woven somewhere, somehow in the sky. When creation took place, in far fewer years than the billions being mooted, Humanity could see that story. Since the flood of Noah’s time, two things have happened to that story I the stars. One, the Heavens keep expanding. A scientific reality and Biblical testimony (Job 37:18. Isaiah 40:22. 42:5. 44:24. 45:12. 51:13).

It is remarkable the amount of references to the stars in the book of Job. How did he know that his Redeemer lives? That He would stand upon the earth and Job would see Him, even after Job’s death. (Job 19:25-27). Surely, psalm 50:6 sums it up, ‘The Heaven’s proclaim his (God’s) righteousness.’ What a shame the human heart has sullied it. That helps us understand why the Lord God raised up a nation with prophets to record His program and purposes. Even then the contest between God’s revelation and the perverter of Scripture (and the story in the stars) was unrelenting. Still ongoing.

The second is the corruption of the story. It has been turned into the ‘Horoscope’ which I would write as the ‘Horror-scope!’ The account of Babylon’s foundation and history (Genesis 10:6-20. 11:1-9) bear witness to the corruption of God’s story in the sky. Why would anyone or thing want to do that? Because God spelt out His redemptive plan before it was committed to tablet then parchment and books. The spiritual power behind Babylon didn’t like it because it revealed his doom. He wanted to usurp the Messiah and remove God from His throne. Read Isaiah 14:12-15. 47:8)

In Job 38:32 this ‘story in the stars’ is called ‘the Mazzaroth.’ The Study Bible by Bullinger has a whole section on this matter. There is far too much to include in a blog. I’d like to highlight the following: He has recorded the Redeemer’s role. I’ve put alongside it some verses I considered relevant. This story is connected with Israel and the promised Messiah.(The Church, the Body of Christ on earth was the Lord’s surprise and masterstroke, Ephesians 3.Romans 16:25-26)

The 1^st book in the story of the stars. The Redeemer’s first coming.

Virgo.             The prophecy of the promised seed                     (Genesis 3:15. Isaiah 7:14.)

Libra.             The Redeemer’s work                                            (Matthew 20:28 John 3:14-21.)

Scorpio.          The Redeemer’s conflict.                                      (Psalm 91:13. Psalm 22.)

Sagittarius.   The prophecy fulfilled.                                           (John 12:31-32. Matthew 27.)

The 2^nd book in the story of the stars. The Redeemer’s work and results.

Capricornus. The prophecy of deliverance.                                                 (Isaiah 53).

Aquarius.      Results of His work given.                                                       (Hebrews 1.)

Pisces.            The results of His work enjoyed.                                            (Hebrews 2.)

Aries.              The promised deliverance fulfilled.                                       (1 Peter 1.)

The 3^rd book in the story of the stars. The Redeemer’s second coming.

Taurus.          The prophecy of coming Judgement.                  (John 5:22-30.Revelation 20)

Gemini.         The Redeemer’s reign in glory.                              (Psalm 24. Revelation 21-22)

Cancer.           The Redeemer’s possessions are safe.                 (2 Peter 1.)

Leo.                The prophecy of triumph fulfilled.            (The Lion of Judah. Revelation 5:5.)

Our faith isn’t in the stars. It is founded upon the Sacred writings Jesus believed in and held as inspired. We stand on the ground Jesus ‘paved’ for His apostles with ‘The Comforter … He shall teach you all things, and bring to remembrance, whatever I have told you.” (John 14:26. 16:7-15).

©Ray Hawkins July 16 2017.

Environment and the Cross

Key verse. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed (then) the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Romans 8:19,21.

Six days it took for God to create the world and proclaim it very good. One moment of rebellion shattered it all. The account in Genesis chapters 1-3 is simple, sometimes terse and to the point. Adam’s sin is so profound it not only enveloped his offspring, it tainted all of creation. Yahweh then cursed the ground which turned some of what was pronounced “good” into thorns and weeds. Compounding this tragedy we are informed in Ephesians 2:2 that Satan set up his control centre ‘in the air.’ Since that time the universe has been under the sentence of extinction, “They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded” (Psalm 102:26). Climate change is evidence of this!

“If God places no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is vile and corrupt and drinks up evil like water” (Job 15:15-16)! Why are the heavens impure? Many of the constellations, including the signs of the Zodiac, became objects of worship and subjects of idolatry. “The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me (God) to anger” (Jeremiah 7:18).

Further, the actions of Humankind has polluted the very ground it has walked upon. “Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it” (Numbers 35:33). It becomes very apparent that Creation has been in bondage and under a curse since that day Adam violated his trust around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. How easy it is for us to take lightly the doctrine of sin and its wicked and degrading power. This is part of the reason why the Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments reveal a new heaven and a new earth coming. When that takes place righteousness and peace will rule.

Before the Day of the Lord ushers in such a wonderful new Creation, the curse on the old creation must be lifted. The prince of the power of the air must be dethroned. The polluted land, saturated by innocent and unrequited bloo

d must be atoned for. How could this happen? Who could bear the curse, purify the heavens and atone for the land? Of course we know it could only be the Creator. In becoming a curse upon the tree (Galatians 3:13) Jesus lifted from all Humankind and Creation the horror begun in Eden. The tree on Calvary provided the ‘fruit’ for the condemned sinners that would heal them of the curse. It also provided the power to transform the environment, one day, into atmosphere of Eden. Isaiah 11:6-9 describes that time, usually named the Millennium, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them …The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest… the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord…”

In the Romans’ passage the Apostle gives redeemed creation personification as it anticipates the day of liberation. Similar to us who are saved and looking forward to its ultimate fulfilment, creation awaits the promise of God written in Isaiah’s passage. It’s as though creation knows something more about the future glory than we do, even with the completed Scriptures. It is waiting for the day when the sons of God are revealed. That surely points to the completion of God’s purposes in salvation and purification. What a wonderful day it will be when all the saved enter into God’s millennium kingdom, for which we have prayed in the Lord’s Prayer!

When Jesus was grappling with all the issues of sin, curses and judgement the heavens covered the scene with its dark shroud. It was as though it too was ashamed of its part in the cross. What a change Sunday morning of the resurrection would have brought. Salvation was for Humankind and a return to Eden’s pre-fall time was assured for Creation.

Reflection. Do I have a sense of expectancy similar to Creation’s about enjoying God’s reign on earth with his throne set in Jerusalem?

Cross thread. My word that goes out from my mouth it will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire…Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed. Isaiah 55:11,13.