When God restored the heavens and the earth, He spoke celestial bodies into being. These luminaries in the heavens had a specific purpose.
Genesis 1:14:
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons [Hebrew mo’ed], and for days, and years.
The Hebrew word mo’ed is used 223 times in the Old Testament and refers to an appointment, a fixed time or season, a festival, and an assembly or meeting place. It comes from the Hebrew word ya’ad, which means to fix upon, as when people meet or assemble, or as when a bride and groom are betrothed. The essence of this word is a fixed time set aside for a specific meeting. Who is meeting, and when are they meeting? Who is Jesus Christ and those he redeemed by his finished work over the Devil. When describes periods of time in human history.
It Is Finished: The Messiah’s Work Accomplished
The WHO is Jesus Christ. He fully finished what his Father sent him to do. Jesus had single-minded focus to redeem mankind. God proved the Messiah’s victory when He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His own right hand. Jesus is the beginner and finisher of our faith in him.
Hebrews 12:2:
Looking unto Jesus the author [beginner] and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
During his earthly ministry, Jesus spoke of the work that he was to accomplish. He carried out his mission unto his last breath upon the cross.
John 4:34:
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 5:36:
But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
John 17:4:
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
John 19:30:
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, ascended to glory, and will return again someday. He carried out his mission as: the promised redeemer who would be victorious, the complete payment for sin, the deliverer who would overcome the serpent, the exalted conqueror in glory, the complete atonement for all mankind, and the great blesser who will return.
The following list shows the relationships of zodiac signs to each other. The following diagram shows these same relationships, and also how each sign of the zodiac lies within 3 decans of the sky. Please note on the list that the first six signs foretell and promise what the Messiah would do, and the final six show the fulfillment of those promises. The arrows on the diagram indicate how each promise and its fulfillment are directly across from each other in the Celestial Word. God’s great order in the heavens is astounding!
- Virgo (promised redeemer) fulfilled by Pisces (redeemer in victory)
- Libra (payment for sin to come) fulfilled by Aries (payment for sin made)
- Scorpio (evil serpent to be overcome) fulfilled by Taurus (deliverer having come)
- Sagittarius (coming conqueror to be praised) fulfilled by Gemini (exalted prince in glory)
- Capricorn (coming atoning one) fulfilled by Cancer (completed atoned ones)
- Aquarius (blesser who will return) fulfilled by Leo (blesser returned)
Click here to see diagram
Next is a chart showing how Jesus Christ fulfilled the promises of what the Messiah would do. The chart shows the 12 signs of the zodiac in their order as seen on the ecliptic that the sun passes through in the course of a year. Jesus Christ overcame the Devil in this great conflict. Note that each promise and its fulfillment are color-coded to show their relationship to each other.
The Conflict Part One: The Suffering Redeemer |
Virgo – The Promised Redeemer |
Libra – The Payment for Sin to Come |
Scorpio – The Evil Serpent to Be Overcome |
Sagittarius – The Coming Conqueror to Be Praised |
The Conflict Part Two: His People Redeemed |
Capricorn – The Coming Atoning One |
Aquarius – The Blesser Who Will Return |
Pisces – The Redeemer in Victory |
Aries – The Payment for Sin Made |
The Conflict Part Three: The Victorious Redeemer |
Taurus – The Deliverer Having Come |
Gemini – The Exalted Prince in Glory |
Cancer – The Completed Atoned Ones |
Leo – The Blesser Returned |
Fixed Time Periods in God’s Written Word
We have seen the WHO. The WHEN describes periods of time in human history. Bible teachers often describe all of human history in terms of God’s dealing with people. Conditions change dramatically throughout time, and God is ever able to help people as much as they are willing to receive His goodness and love.
There are six divisions of “fixed time” throughout the Bible that have been revealed to mankind seen in both God’s Celestial Word and His Written Word. One division of time was hidden in both the stars and the writings of the prophets. These revealed times are the “seasons” spoken of in Genesis 1:14, knowledge made known in the stars.
Psalms 19:1,2:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
God’s truth has been revealed in the heavens for those who want to understand God’s “times” and “seasons.”
Romans 1:20:
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
God’s Celestial Word declares God’s eternal power and godliness. The “invisible things,” like God’s seasons in relation to mankind, have been “clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” The stars and constellations are part of those things that are made.
The truths in the heavens are for “seasons” that agree with the fixed times declared in God’s Written Word. The following chart shows one way of looking at God’s relation to mankind over time. This is only one of many groupings of time that have been observed by Biblical students.
Time Period | Biblical People | Scripture | Messiah’s Relation |
Garden of Eden | Adam and Eve | Genesis 2:4—3:24 | Promised seed of the woman |
Time Before the Law | Adam’s descendants: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc. | Genesis 4:1—Exodus 18:27 | Abraham’s seed, in whom all nations would be blessed |
The Law | Moses until Christ | Exodus 19:1—Malachi 4:6 | A prophet like unto Moses, etc. |
The Messiah | Jesus Christ who fulfills the law; and those with him | John 1:14—Acts 1:26 | Present in earthly and risen ministry |
The Great Mystery
(God’s Grace) [Not in the stars] |
Those living from the time of Pentecost until the return of Christ in the future | Acts 2:1— I Thessalonians 4:13-17 | At God’s right hand making intercession; then returning |
Future judgment | Those alive after the body of Christ is gathered together | Events following:
I Thessalonians 4:13-17 |
Separating the sheep from the goats; he is judge of the living and the dead |
Forever with the Lord | Those born-again; then all others saved and resurrected | IThessalonians 4:17; I Corinthians 15:24-28; ending Revelation 22:21 | King of Kings and Lord of Lords; finally, he hands over all authority unto the Father |
Fixed Time Periods in God’s Celestial Word
The WHEN of God’s Celestial Word also describes periods of time in human history. Both the Celestial and Written Word declare the Living Word, Jesus Christ. Whereas the WHO showed the Messiah fulfilling each promise with constellations directly opposite each other on the zodiac’s ecliptic, the WHEN is seen by constellations in their adjacent positions. The signs form six pairs that correspond with a time period seen in the following diagram:
Click here to see diagram
The following list shows how each pair of adjacent constellations corresponds to these time periods:
- Virgo/Libra – Garden of Eden [promised seed]
- Scorpio/Sagittarius– Time Before the Law [as promised to Jacob]
- Aquarius/Capricorn – The Law [goat of atonement]
- Pisces/Aries – The Messiah [Passover lamb]
- Empty Place in the North – The Great Mystery (God’s Grace) [not revealed in the heavens]
- Taurus/Gemini – Future Judgment [coming to judge in glory]
- Cancer/Leo – Forever with the Lord [adversary destroyed]
Amazingly these pairs of constellations fit with the time periods described in the Bible and also align with an empty place, or gap, in the northern part of the sky.
Notice how the WHO and the WHEN also correspond. All that the Messiah was to do and has done fits with this celestial order.
- Virgo and Libra show the promised redeemer who would be the payment for sin to come–as promised in the Garden of Eden
- Scorpio and Sagittarius show that the evil serpent would be overcome by the coming conqueror to be praised–as promised to Abraham and his descendants
- Aquarius and Capricorn show the blesser who will return and is the great atoning one–the blessings of the Messiah and his atoning like the goat in the Law of Moses
- Pisces and Aries show the redeemer in victory who made the payment for sin–the redeemer gaining victory by dying as the Passover Lamb in his earthly ministry
- A large hole in the Northern Sky–The Great Mystery (God’s Grace)
- Taurus and Gemini show the deliverer having come and exalted as a prince in glory–Jesus Christ, the deliverer and exalted prince bringing God’s judgment to all
- Cancer and Leo show those completely atoned by the blesser who returned–all atonement and judgment has come to pass and “forever with the Lord” in all the blessings that he brings
The Empty Place in the North: The Great Mystery
We have seen some of the amazing celestial truths revealed in the Book of Job. Note what accurate and precise details of truth that Job spoke about a blank space in the Celestial Word.
Job 26:7:
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
When we follow the zodiac across the ecliptic, there is an “empty place” between Aries and Taurus. This gap is obvious to any observer, and is located high in the northern sky. This gap corresponds exactly with the time period–the “manner of time”–between two key points of Jesus Christ’s life that Peter described.
I Peter 1:10,11:
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit…which was in them did signify [of Christ], when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
God grace was shown throughout His relationship with mankind. Look at the grace God showed in promising Adam and Eve to send a redeemer; in saving Noah and his family from the flood; in promising Abraham that all nations would be blessed in his “seed”; in giving Moses a Law to act as a schoolmaster until Christ; in forgiving David and promising that David’s ‘son,’ the Christ, would reign forever; in promising to send a prophet like Elijah to herald the coming of Christ!
Yet the prophets diligently enquired and searched for the “salvation” by “grace” that should come unto those who would believe on Jesus Christ. True grace came with Jesus Christ. Our salvation is by grace, not works.
John 1:17:
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth [true grace] came by Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:5-8:
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Chronologically, there is a time that lies between the sufferings and accomplishments of Christ in the past, and his coming in glory in the future. This empty place in the sky, spoken of by Job so long ago, sits exactly between Pisces/Aries (representing Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry) and Taurus/Gemini (representing Jesus Christ coming in future judgment).
This gap in the heavens corresponds to the time of God’s grace in which we live today. This is the time between when people were first born again by faith in Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost, until Jesus Christ comes back to gather together his body in the future. Here is a drawing of the “empty place” that God stretched the north out over.
The Hidden Mystery Now Revealed
God kept a mystery, a secret that was not even written in His Celestial Word. It was a part of the story of the redeemer–so important that it was kept secret since the world began.
Romans 16:25,26:
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.
This great mystery, or secret, had been hidden since the world began. It was not known in God’s Celestial Word, and it was not written in the scriptures. Yet there was an “empty place” in the sky, and a “manner of time” looked for diligently by the prophets. This was God’s “hidden wisdom.” Why did God keep such good news a secret?
I Corinthians 2:7-10:
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world [Satan and his ruling evil spirits] knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us.
What an amazing truth! Had Satan and his host of evil spirits known what Jesus Christ would accomplish by his death, resurrection, ascension, and bringing the gift of holy spirit–they would NOT have crucified Jesus Christ. This is how wonderful a thing it is that God has “prepared for” us who love Him.
This hidden wisdom, kept so long a secret by God, was eventually revealed to the Apostle Paul. It is that anyone, from any religious or worldly background, can be a part of the body of Christ when they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead (Romans 10:9,10). That person then has eternal life (John 3:16), is born again of incorruptible seed (I Peter 1:23), and has “Christ in” them (Colossians 1:27).
Ephesians 3:3-6,9:
How that by revelation he made known unto me [Paul] the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
And to make all men see what is the fellowship [full sharing] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.
This mystery, that Judean and Gentile alike could become part of the church of God (I Corinthians 10:32) as members of Christ’s body, had been “hid in God” since the beginning of the world. It was never revealed in God’s Celestial or Written Word. Yet it was carried out by God’s Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the “great mystery” of Christ and his church.
Ephesians 5:32:
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
As Christians living in this “age of Grace” between Pentecost and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Praise God for protecting this truth from the Devil and his hosts–and bringing about our gracious salvation through the work of His Son!
NEXT: God’s Celestial Word: Myth vs. Truth
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One reply on “God’s Celestial Word: For Seasons”
Wow, what a great teaching !