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The Biblical cosmology of the Hebrew Menorah
renefretz@try-god.com
For those of you who were able to view the Menorah Solar System flash animation in our Try-God Video Vault, you have already seen a symbolic representation of what the ancient Greeks thought of as their "universe," the 5 naked-eye planets of our solar system, with our Moon & the Sun as the sixth and seventh. For those who haven't seen this animation, its a good idea to invest a minute and take a look at it, to get an idea of the subject of this study. According to conventional history, the concept of a heliocentric "universe" or solar system, originated with the ancient Greeks, specifically Aristarchus of Samos back in the second century BC. This idea however, did not catch on in a big way until Copernicus, who while reviewing some of Aristarchus' ideas siezed upon this concept and ran with it. He did this at his own peril due to the prevailing worldview of the time, especially that of the Roman Catholic Church, based on a geocentric view of the solar system espoused most famously by Ptolemy, which held sway in intellectual and religious circles for over 1500 years. Plate I below, is from the Harmonia Macrocosmica (Amsterdam 1660), illustrating the heliocentric cosmos, with the Sun at the center of the Solar System, encircled by the zodiac.
This article on Biblical cosmology will show that the idea of a heliocentric "universe" predates the Second Century BC and Aristarchus, by at least 1300 years, and its genuine roots are found in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. From a historical perspective this is somewhat of a radical statement, sure to have many critics, however, once the following Biblical evidence is viewed in light of the tenets of Biblical Astronomy, the foundations of this statement are inescapable. The subject of this article gives us an example of the potential revisionist power that Biblical Astronomy can have on the conventional view of the History of Astronomy. For Christian believers, knowledge of these truths provide an important historical perspective of the impact of the Biblical Patriarchs on the ancient world, which has been obscured by thousands of years of pagan myth and Astrology. By restoring some of the original historical luster to these heroes of the Faith, we gain a fuller perspective of their mighty stand in their personal and collective lives, upholding the truth of God's Word, in the precepts of their astronomical principles. As always, the key remains whether or not the general public, the church, or the scientific community specifically, have the inclination, or will take the time to allow the Word of God to have it's say, regarding these and other matters relevant to their fields of expertise. The staple argument of scientists has been that the Bible is not a science book, but a spiritual book, and the Holy Scripitures have no authority in matters of science. Those who adopt this view have never given the Creator his proper due as the Almighty Originator of All Creation, the effects of which man merely registers with his five senses, nor have they considered the truths of God's Word, or even the evidence from Creation that testifies to His Omnipotent power. This remains a primary goal here at Try-God.
This study examines the celestial symbolism of the sacred Hebrew Candlestick instituted under Moses and the Levite priests of the Old Testament. This seven branched Menorah was a divine piece of furniture that was kept in the holy place of the Hebrew Tabernacle, which contained the Altar of Insence and the Veil through which the Holy of the Holies was accessed by the High Priest, once each year on the Day of Atonement. As a powerful symbol from God’s Word, this Menorah embodies an extensive Biblical cosmology, including both the Hebrew zodiac of twelve major Constellations, with its 36 decans, and a heliocentric concept of the solar system, centuries before Homer wrote the Illiad and the Oddessey! God revealed the divine plans for the Tabernacle to Moses in the mid-2nd millennium BC, in the 14th century. The master-pattern & blueprint of God's celestial revelation, which impacts every Biblical Administration, starting in Original Paradise, is first seen symbolically in the two trees of the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Plate II. The North Poles of the ecliptic and Equator with Precession
This figure of the two trees; the tree of life, and of the knowledge of good and evil, when understood in the context of the Astronomy that God revealed to Adam, the first Biblical Patriarch, puts the record of the serpent’s temptation in an entirely different light. Figuratively, these 2 "trees" symbolized the bi-polar world axis, that originally set the relationship between God’s three-fold light in the heavens, revealed in His Word written in the Stars. Adam knew the details of these celestial oracles better than anyone, and he taught them to his offspring after the fall, personally for over 930 years of his life, following the Garden of Eden! We will be enlightened as we consider the view of these Patriarchal astronomers regarding the God-ordained precision of His collective symphony of the celestial gospel. They viewed the poles, ecliptic and Equator all relative to the orientation of Earth’s axis, showing the vast phenomena of the precession of the equinoxes as part of the Creator’s plan to illustrate a figurative geocentrism of the Earth’s symbolic central location in the firmament. This is part of the truth behind the Sun’s dual year, because the solar year depicts the Sun as the center of our solar system, featuring it’s daily illumination of the Earth, while the precessional cycle of the Sun’s 25,920-year retrograde motion through the zodiac, depicts the Sun’s light with respect to precessional ages, as dictated by the Earth’s slowly shifting axis orientation to the equatorial pole. Thus, the spiritual relevance of the precession of the equinoxes includes, not only the ages decreed by the Sun’s residence in a particular sign of the zodiac, but also Earth’s figurative central location in the firmament, as the garden home of Man, who is the reason for Creation. To emphasize this in the Creator’s Intelligent Design, the temporal order of all the celestial cycles are viewed relative to the orientation of the Earth’s axis, in context of the precession of the equinoxes. In this way, the view from our planet provides the lens through which the line-of-site truths of all celestial observation are revealed. The Creator's prevailing Symmetry becomes apparent here, since the base 60 numbers are viewed as the basis of the numerical order of celestial cycles in our local solar system, so they also provide the basis of the order of the 12 signs of the zodiac and all their decans, in the prevailing context of precession. The Earth is thus the figurative center of Creation, as the object of the three-fold celestial light shed from the heavens. The purpose and beauty of this three-fold heavenly light is to illuminate the Earth, which God initiated with the two aspects of the Sun's annual and precessional cycles, as seen in Joseph’s two dreams in Genesis 37. Since the ancient view of this knowledge of the Solar cycles, celestial signs, eclipses, and asterisms were based on line-of-sight relationships, that only have meaning from an Earth-bound perspective, over time this devolved into the view that the Earth was the literal center of creation, forming the basis of later geocentric theories, like those of Ptolemy. Similarly, as the Sun was a symbol of the Source of life, which became literalized by the heathens, it resulted in the idolatry of Sun worship inherent through much of ancient mythology and religion. The Earth of course is not the literal center of Creation, but God created it to house man, who is the object of God’s caring acts of love for His human family.
Plate III. The Northern Polar Constellation Draco
The concept of the bi-polar world axis, represented as the two trees exerting their influence over temporal domains, has survived intact throughout the mythology, art and religion of the world. For example, the Yggdrasil World Tree of Norse Myths arises from the center of the Earth, with its branches forming the heavens, and its roots as the foundations of the Earth and the underworld, with a serpent's coils wrapped around the Earth's core. This image of a world-tree is also found in the recent film rendition of "The Lord of the Rings," pictured as a tree with its roots in the underworld, its trunk in "middle-earth," and its branches connected to the stars. The premise common in most of these ancient myths is the integration of Heaven and Earth, where the various idols and ancient gods were worshipped in many aspects of tribal life and early mythology. A Renaissance example of this archetypal myth can be found in the Art of the masters. A powerful case in point is Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel, of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden. This is pictured in Plate IV below.
Plate IV. Michelangelo's "Original Sin" 1
In Wilson Bryan Key's analysis of this Cistine Chapel fresco and its potential subliminal content, he makes somes interesting observations. First regarding the time dimension of this painting:
"On the right Michelangelo illustrated time after, or the future. The two cringing, trembling, humiliated, pathetic humans are driven from Paradise at swordpoint. We know, therefore, what happened to the couple after Eve received the apple from the snake. Now consider the present, the instant time was stopped by the artist as depicted in the scene on the left. The snake is represented with a human head. Just below the snake's left shoulder protrudes a female breast. The snake or the source of temptation, is female-one woman is tempting another toward destruction through sensuous indulgence. The snake is an ancient symbol of the forces of destruction, temptation, corruption and evil. In mythologies, the snake often relates to female symbolism. In the language of symbols therefore, the source of the forbidden fruit, the snake or the temptress of Eve-was a woman." 2
Key goes on to say that: "Eve has turned away from her lover to accept a sensuous indulgence from another woman." 3 This statement tells the tale of what Mister Key thought was the true essence of "the apple," not a literal piece of fruit but a figure of an image associated with human sexuality and fruitfulness, which for Eve was ultimately cursed in the pain of childbearing, as a result of her disobedience [Gen. 3:16]. We point out these elements of Mr. Key's analysis of Michelangelo's fresco to compare it with the truth of the Biblical record. This classic artwork has been hiding in plain sight for all the world to see for centuries, but there has been little discussion of these potent aspects of its symbolic protrayal. In this fresco, we find the serpent entwined around the trunk of the tree of knowledge, in female form, distracting Eve from her Godly & loving heterosexual relationship with Adam, her husband. Since these were the only two humans God created, formed and made, at this time, His Will regarding the Godly idea of who makes up a married couple, and what marriage was designed for, is clear.
Michelangelo's mural mirrors the Biblical scene, from Genesis 3. Once again we find the serpent rendered symbolically in the vestiges of his original dominion, even as Draco’s coils encircled both aspects of the world axis, in the celestial poles of the ecliptic and the archaic equatorial pole star in Thuban, marked celestially in the dragon’s tail. The tree in the painting, represents the temporal division between the lush prosperity of Original Paradise, and the barren reality of the corrupted world that Adam and Eve were banished to, where their sin had activated the physical Entropy we now witness in our world. Michelangelo's classic fresco implies, that as long as Eve kept her God-ordained affinity with Adam as his wife, all was well, but when she became fixated on her own image in the semblance of another "female lover," who was really the seemingly wise and beautiful serpent in disguise, the adversary seduced Eve via his projection of her own narcissistic self-image, captivating her, followed headlong by her husband, spreading the wages of their sin on all mankind. The serpent's many attempts to destroy the second Adam, the promised seed, as he tempted the first, are clearly documented throughout the gospel accounts of Satan's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. In both cases, Satan casts doubt on the true Word of God as Genesis 3:1 relates: Hath God Really said...? Jesus successfully defeated Satan's advances by responding with "It is written." We can certainly do no better than to follow the lord's example in defeating temptation in our own lives. The Scriptures are the key to our success. If Eve would have stayed with the truth of what God first told Adam in Genesis 2:15-17, unified with the truths written in the Heavens, that her husband Adam no doubt taught her, she would have avoided her calamity. The serpent caused the ruin of humanity & the Earthly kingdom of Original Paradise by sabotaging this Godly marriage relationship between Adam and Eve. This is a great lesson for all married couples, as the true foundations of the marriage relationship are recognized, in the of face the various temptations that arise in life.
The astronomical figure of the tree of life, seen here in Genesis, the Bible’s first book, is established in the Bible's last book, in Revelation 22.
Rev. 22:1-2 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. [2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
These twelve manner of fruits yielded every month exhibit not only to the twelve months of the luni-solar and precessional years, but also unveils the witness of the celestial Red Thread—the image of Jesus Christ the light of the world and promised redeemer, returning as shown throughout the 12 signs of the Hebrew zodiac and their related decans. The healing of the nations is dependent upon man’s alignment and harmony with the Creator, via the Jesus Christ the main branch (zemach) or vine of this tree of life, providing fellowship and access to the Heavenly Father. It was God the Father, Who wrote the story of redemption in the stars before it ever took place, as only He could have, Who sees the end from the beginning, and boldly proclaims things that are not as though they are. These last chapters of the Bible relate how this holy city, whose builder and maker is God, has no need of the Sun or Moon to shine in it, for the glory of God enlightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof [Rev. 21:23]. The context of these early verses of Rev. 22 above continues below in verse 5:
And there shall be no night there; and they shall need no candle, neither light of the Sun; for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign forever and ever.
The Greek word for "candle" above is from the same root as "candlestick" in Revelation 1:13, which we will look at shortly. It is not coincidental that the sunlight and the candle are compared so closely in this verse, as we will soon see. These and many other truths of the Astronomy of the Biblical Patriarchs, were preserved following the Patriarchal Administration, in the celestial symbolism of the Old Testament Mosaic Law. This symbol of the tree of life was carried on in an important way during the Mosaic Law Administration in the furniture of the Tabernacle.
The Hebrew Tabernacle was a multifaceted celestial symbol as we have already seen in The Celestial Symbolism of the Hebrew Temple and Tabernacle, article of our web-site. As the central meeting place between God and man on Earth during the Mosaic Law period, the holy of the holies, containing the Ark of the Covenant was the place where God’s presence was revealed to the High Priest once a year, on the Day of Atonement. As the Israelites travelled through the wilderness of Sinai, the presence of God sheltered them from the desert heat in the form of a cloud pillar during the day, and warmed them in the desert cold, as a pillar of fire by night. Both of these pillars were found directly over the Ark of the Covenant, carried through the wilderness by the priests of Aaron. Located in the holy place of the Hebrew shrine was the Menorah or candlestick, along with the Table of Shewbread and the Altar of Incense. God’s instructions to Moses regarding this candlestick are set in Exodus:
Exodus 25:31-40
31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. 36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. 37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. 40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
Verse 37 indicates the purpose of the lamps of the Menorah: "that they may give light…’ It is noteworthy that this is the same purpose of the celestial luminaries stated in Genesis 1:14-16. Interestingly, the word for "lights" in the firmament [Gen. 1:14, 16: *H216-maor] is the same word used in reference to the lamps of the Menorah, (Exodus 20:27, 35:14). Moreover, the same Hebrew word that refers to the Menorah's individual lamps, also refers to the individual celestial lights of the Sun and Moon in Gen. 1:16. Thus we have a perfect correspondence between the purpose of the individual celestial lights and the individual lamps of the candle-stick, to shed light upon the Earth. The emphasis with a Sun-centered system is placed on the Light of God. This Light is the Source of Life on Earth, even as God is the Source of Light. The celestial lights support this order from the Hand of the Creator, which is established with the Holy Jerusalem, the city of God that will descend to the Earth in the Final Paradise Administration.
Genesis 1:14-16 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, and for days, and years: [15] And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. [16] And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Since the same Hebrew words are used in reference to both the luminaries of the firmament and the lampstand of the Tabernacle, we are wise to notice some details of the Menorah’s celestial symbolism. We find other hints of this celestial symbolism in the Book of Numbers.
Numbers 4:9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it.
According to some Biblical scholars the cloth of blue above, represented in part, the firmament of the heavens containing the planets of our solar system, and the stars of the zodiac, figuratively viewed here in the lamps of the candlestick of light. As the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed, we can find evidence of this symbolism revealed in detail in the Book of Revelation, where all these things are fulfilled. Here John’s vision of the future in the Revelation Administration begins:
Revelation 1:10-20
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 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. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou 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.
Verse 12 above relates the description of the "Son of Man" as the one in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, shining as the sun in his strength, [v.16]. This identifies the Sun, personified as Christ, [Mal. 4:2] holding seven stars, shining in the center of the seven branches of the candlestick. These seven celestial bodies are associated with the angels of the seven churches in Rev. 1:20. Here God's Word draws a direct comparison, first, between the Sun in the center of the Candlestick, and Christ who embodies its light. This sets the context wherein we can understand the symbolism of the other branches of the Menorah. Secondly, the angels of the seven churches are embodied in Seven Stars held in Christ's right hand. At this point, we should be reminded of the mythological roots of planetary symbolism, and how the planets Mercury-Gabriel, Mars-Micheal, Saturn-Satan, & the Sun as the light of the world-Jesus Christ, also called the Covenant Angel named Wonderful, are associated with these archangels. The following quote from V.P. Wierwille, regarding the ancient Biblical symbolism of planets, establishes the basic context of our investigation of Biblical planetary symbolism:
"Writers have dealt at length with the spiritual significance of the constellations and their respective stars, but little has been said of the significance of the planets from a Biblical point of view. Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, has long been characterized as the messenger god…In Acts 14:12 Paul as the chief speaker is called Mercurius. This same characteristic of being a message-bearer is attributed to Gabriel, God’s archangel, whom God sent to Mary in Nazareth in Luke 1:26. Venus…is known in Astronomy as the Morning Star because of its prominent position and brightness in the dawn sky. Biblically it is associated with Jesus Christ the "bright and morning star" in Rev. 22:16. Mars, the first planet farther away from the Sun than Earth is in mythology associated with war. In its genuine spiritual light this characteristic is best seen in the Archangel Michael, whom God commissions to stand and fight for His people; [Dan. 12:1], and is seen fighting the Devil in Rev. 12:7. Jupiter in mythology was the father of the gods, the ruler and king who reigned over all else. Jupiter was associated with royalty. Interestingly, the Hebrew name for the planet Jupiter is "ssedeq," meaning "righteousness." The Messiah who would come from David’s genetic line was to be the "righteous branch," according to Jeremiah 23:5, who would reign as a king and execute righteousness...thus Jupiter has characteristics that would associate it with the Messiah, the Christ. Saturn’s significant associations have been obscured more than others, although Saturn is identified as the god responsible for agriculture and the harvest. In astrological lore, Saturn is an evil star signifying death and darkness. Likewise in Judean tradition, its usual signification is negative, for its associated with death, destruction, weeping, and grief. It was felt to have a hindering and inhibitive force in its negative aspect, especially when in Conjunction with another planet. Perhaps here is a clue to its association with Satan, the fallen archangel. The similarity between the names Saturn and Satan points to a possible common etymological origin. No known ancient beliefs surround Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, the three remaining planets in our solar system, because being invisible to the naked eye, they were generally unknown to the ancients. The above associations and meanings proposed for the planets cannot be affirmed with finality. However they are very interesting when viewed in a Biblical light."4 [emphasis mine]
This foundational understanding of the Biblical symbolism of the five major planets in ancient Astrology and mythology has been corroborated from other independent scholarly sources, and authorities in the astronomical study. For example, much of the intrinsic value of Mayan Astronomy is revealed from our view, in how their tzolkin cycle correlates to the cycles of Venus, in her transits and Morning/Evening Star cycles, and secondly to the other planets in their synodic returns. We have already seen the Biblical relevance of certain aspects of Mayan Astronomy related to the Draconid Meteor Showers leading up to the birth of Christ, and we will consider other elements of the Maya in the section of our web-site dedicated to their expertise in Astronomy. When we correlate these planetary cycles such as Venus, in their orbits through the Constellations, we find a celestial witness of the Morning Star’s dual aspects revealed, first regarding Lucifer, the archaic Morning Star, and second in relation to Christ the ascendant Morning Star. Some additional background on the planets Mercury, and Venus will be helpful here for a fuller understanding of this celestial symbolism.
Venus is the third brightest sky object next to the Sun and Moon, this bright and Morning Star, "reaches its brightest magnitude as a Morning Star, in Virgo every 8 years. This signifies Jesus’ birth, while as an Evening star, Venus reaches its highest degree of magnitude in Capricorn, signifying his sacrifice for all mankind."5 Here we find another illustration of the sufferings and glory of the ascendant Morning Star. The sufferings are shown in his sacrifice symbolized in Capricorn, while the glory of the Morning Star in rising, is seen in the new birth of Venus’cycle of brightness in Virgo every 8 years. These truths come to light as we take note of the sign of the zodiac that the planet in question appears in. When we associate the symbolism of the planet with the Biblical significance of the celestial sign wherein the planet appears, we find a combined message contained in the separate symbols of the planet associated with the Constellations and their star names. Unlike other planets in our solar system, Venus’ 225-day around the Sun is from East to West, setting itself apart in beauty and distinction. Like Mercury, it shows lunar-like phases in its orbital cycle, as it transits across the face of the Sun, which has reminded some of Revelation 19:17.
Mercury, symbolized in the myth of the winged-footed Mercurius, indicates the speed and urgency with which the archangel Gabriel carries the teachings and messages of God, depicted in this planet’s rapid 88-day orbit of the Sun. The range of Mercury’s orbit is compatible with the Earth’s tropical borders, delineating the rectangular borders within which the celestial light of the Sun, Moon and Stars, is shed upon the circle of the Earth. The word "tropic" has its roots in the Greek word tropos; [*G5157], used in James 1:17 of a shadow cast by the turning of a heavenly body. This is understood better when we realize that the Solstices are the farthest points from Earth, for the Sun’s position, and thus the seasonal turning points of the calendar, where the days lengthen in summer, and shorten in winter. Because Mercury’s orbit takes it as much as seven degrees North, or South of the Equator, Mercury is seen as figuratively bringing the light of God’s message to the Earth by giving us our bearings on the celestial pathway within which this threefold light is shed. This heavenly highway of fourteen degrees called the zodiacal band, distinguishes the planets and stars outside this band generally un-named, by God in the firmament, from those whose names have been with us since antiquity, within this band. As the messenger archangel of light, Mercury symbolizing Gabriel, defines a pathway in which God’s three-fold light is shed upon the Earth. These tropical borders will also determine the two interlocking polar borders of the great circles of the ecliptic and Equator in the cycle of obliquity, relating to the varying degree of the earth’s axis tilt.
It is important to realize Mercury’s symbolic portrayal of the ministry of the arch-angel Gabriel, and how this translates into the science of Astronomy, relating to the boundaries of the tropics. We find here a truth and correlating principle in the revelation of God’s threefold celestial light in Biblical Astronomy, as it reveals principles of scientific Astronomy. As this threefold celestial light is systematically unveiled on the Earth, a pattern emerges where it becomes evident that a standard for scientific astronomical truth was set in the past. Even as the orbit of the planet Mercury is compatible with the borders of the zodiacal band, so these borders will mirror the boundaries of the tropics on Earth. Thus, Mercury-Gabriel establishes the boundaries wherein the celestial light is revealed upon the Earth, not only in a spiritual sense, when Gabriel brings a message of God directly to the people, but also in a practical scientific sense. The ancient astronomers of cultures across the face of the Earth documented the extreme rising and setting points of the Sun's Solstice, as witnessed for example in the Great Sphinx and Stonehenge. One of our goals is to uncover the roots of the Astronomy of the Biblical Patriarchs that underlie the vast reservior of ancient astronomy, and give credit to the influence exerted by the wisdom of these early Men of God. In this way, the study of Biblical Astronomy, can reveal an authentic fountainhead of knowledge in ancient Astronomy, which was perverted in later star religions of the Old World. The three levels of revealed light; physical, natural and spiritual, are not disconnected, but light revealed on one level holds symbolic and practical truth on the other levels also. We will see more evidence of this in operation in The Four Kingdom's of Life article on our web-site. Let's return now to the context of our study of Revelation 1:10-20 above.
The word for "stars" in reference to the seven stars held in Jesus’ right hand in the Greek is the word aster [*G792]. This word is used in reference to both angels and to celestial bodies like the planet Jupiter [Matt. 2:2,7,9 & 10]. Matthew 2:2 is especially interesting in this light because here the Magi address the first question of the New Testament; "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him."
As we have seen throughout other areas of our web-site, Jupiter is proven to be the star of the Messiah, and as the King planet, it is significant that it is mentioned by the Magi as indentifying Jesus as the King of the Jews. Another celestial indentity for Jesus is the Morning Star, (Rev. 2:28, 22:16). This correlates to the planet Venus, significant for its morning and evening star appearences. This title of the Morning Star only occurs one other place in God’s Word, (Isa. 14:12), in reference to Lucifer while still in his first estate. As the first bright and Morning Star, Lucifer was second only to God in authority, but his dominion over the angelic realms was stripped from him when iniquity was found in him at his attempted coup’ in heaven. Christ has superceded him as the Morning Star, and Lucifer's former authority over the archangels Michael and Gabriel has since transferred to Christ, seated at the right hand of the Father. Since Christ Jesus supercedes Lucifer’s original ministry as the Bright and Morning Star, Venus signifies both an angelic and spiritual dominion as the "covenant angel named wonderful," [Judges 13:18]. This covenant angel whose name was not revealed, but kept secret in this record in Judges in the Old Testament, because as part of Jesus’ future angelic dominion, had the princes of this world, or the operatives of the fallen Satan gotten wind of it, they never would have crucified the Lord of Glory, [I Cor. 2:8]. This Hebrew word for "wonderful" also appears in a famous prophecy of the Son of God in Isaiah 9:6.
As a result, Venus historically has taken on a dual transitional symbolism, because in the early days it aligned with the archaic Morning Star--Lucifer in his first estate, but later was associated with Christ the risen Morning Star, who supercedes the dominion of the fallen dragon. Thus the celestial significance of Venus must be determined based on the timing of her celestial movements, her associations with other celestial bodies, and the context of any related planetary Conjunctions which may be occurring at that time. Jupiter is known as the King planet and thus linked with the Messiah as the King of the Judeans, [Matt. 2:2] signifying his dominion over humanity.
When we consider the Menorah or candlestick we are primarily concerned with the original model exhibited in the Tabernacle of the Israelites. Later, in the Temple there were 10 candlesticks utilized in a different manner than at first. In (Plate II.) below, we see the first candlestick, or Menorah in the form of what James Strong has called a "stylized tree." Strong gives a geometric description of Exodus 25:33 quoted below:
33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick."
Strong's geometric synopsis of this verse states: "It will be perceived that each section of the semicircles of which these lines are the radii is composed of two members: the shank (a plain tube) and the bulb (or swell), and that each has a third part or base (a circular double flange, as a means of connection, hence an actual joint) only where it is united to a different kind of piece; i.e., at the bottom and top of the central shaft and of the six arms, including the intersections of the shaft with the arms."6 [emphasis mine]
Plate II. The Hebrew Menorah 7
When we apply what we have already seen in the Biblical teaching of the Sun’s dual symbolism of its annual and precessional cycles, to the Menorah, it takes on a new light, associating the Sun not only with the solar system, but also the circular zodiac. By expanding on Strong’s analysis of the Menorah this will begin to come to light. In Strong’s smaller geometric model of the Menorah above, we note bulbs or "knops" on the six branches of the candlestick as projections of the central bulb, from whence all the radiating lines of the central light emanate. These projections of the central light on the six branches, (five naked eye planets & the Earth) depict how these luminaries reflect the Sun’s light in their separate orbits, upon the Earth. On a scientific level, we can see these truths reflected in Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, and also Bodes Law, but these represent a fundamental level of God's order of the solar system. Upon closer inspection, we also find these mathematical patterns consistently evident throughout the Natural World. Specifically, we find a combination of binary and Fibonacci series of numbers forming the foundation of the polar graph. For a more detailed treatment of the Fibonacci patterns in our solar system, check the following link, especially the sublink on the animation of Binet's Formula, which provides a 4D conception of the spiral polar grid, by which God has composed the celestial symphony of our solar system:
(www.spirasolaris.ca/sbb4c.html)
A common 2D use of the polar graph is found in maps of the terrestrial or celestial poles, that combine the straight "x-y axes" with a circle, together forming a polar map grid. Since ancient times this knowedge was applied in cartography in what we know as "Mercator projections," named after the Flemish map-maker. The graphic below exhibits the lines of the polar graph as the unite at the Northern Celestial Pole in the Constellation Draco, whose coils are seen under the arm of Cepheus, the crowned king in the northern skies.
These principles allowed the geodesic principles of the curved surface of a sphere to be accurately depicted on the flat surface of a map. Archaelogical evidence from the study of ziggurats, or stepped-pyramids of ancient Babylon and Egypt attests to the ancient's knowledge of these principles, as stated by Livio Stechini:
"These stepped Towers of Babel, long a mystery to mankind, turn out to incorporate several Mercator projections, several thousand years before the advent of the Flemish cartographer. For the purpose of mapping, the Northern hemisphere was reduced to a series of flat surfaces represented by the faces of a stepped ziggurat. The area between the Equator and the pole was divided into 7 bands or zones, as the Greeks called them, diminishing in width relating to the shrinking degree of longitude. The base line represented the Equator, the first step the 30th parallel. Thus, each facade represented a 90° quadrant of the hemisphere."8
These common geometrical elements, evident in both the Menorah and the ziggurats of ancient Babylon, along with the pyramids of Egypt, not only represent the the geography of our planet, complete with an accurate knowledge of the Earth's Latitude and longitudinal grid [Ps. 19:4], but the symbolism of the planets of our solar system was evident also in these ziggurats. Stechini points this out in the following statement:
"Ziggurats at Ur, Uruk, and Babylon reached a height of 300 feet. The ziggurat of Nabu at Barsipki was called The House of the Seven Bonds of Heaven and Earth, and was in seven stages said to have been painted in seven planetary colors."9
Stechini's quote points out the practical theme of the integration of Heaven and Earth in relation to the stepped pyramids of the ancients, which was depicted in the world axis of the tree of life discussed above. Thus we can see a systematic Biblical cosmology inherent in the Menorah, bringing attention to the temporal periods and orbits of each naked-eye planet in our solar system, relating to the Sun’s light. This was initially revealed in the mathematical context of the base 60 standard, a primary characteristic of the Creator’s celestial order. The Menorah symbolism is multi-leveled however, because it also includes the geography of the globe of planet Earth, and the circle of 12 signs of the zodiac. Strong’s emphasis above on the geometric design of the stylized tree of the Menorah, exhibits the 12 tribes of the Hebrew zodiac as listed in Genesis 49, as Jacob prophesied over his twelve sons. Again, the basis that was founded in Genesis, is completed in Rev. 21:12 where the names of the 12 gates of the New Jerusalem relate to the 12 tribes of the Children of Israel. It is also noteworthy that these tribes are arranged around this foursquare city, three tribes towards each of the Cardinal Directions, even as the order of 12 tribes of Israel were found in their encampment around the the Tabernacle during their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness. [Num. 2:2ff] This aligns with the idea that the stepped pyramids of ancient Egypt and Babylon were also oriented toward the Cardinal Directions.
We should note that the lines noted by Strong as "the radii of the semi-circle," reflecting the symbolic light of the world, if extended into a complete circle, the radii would divide it into 12 equal parts of 360 degrees of the circle according to the pi ratio. We can be safe in making this conceptual leap in the implied design of the Menorah, because we have already seen this pattern depicted in the Temple pillars: Jachin & Boaz. This makes the Menorah, a complete celestial symbol of the structure of both our solar system and the zodiac. It is complete because it is the third aspect we have observed that utilizes the pi ratio, following on the 2 great pillars at the entrance of the Temple, and the Brasen Sea in the outer court, all following the east-west axis line into the holy place, containing the Menorah. These aspects of The Celestial Symbolism of the Temple and Tabernacle utilize, the pi ratio to depict Israel's circular calendar of 12 months of 30 days in the sacred 360-day year utilized by Noah. But the Menorah goes beyond this, to embrace the planets in a heliocentric model of the ancient solar system, long before the Greek Aristarchus of Samos proposed it in the 2nd century BC.
The Menorah's application of these principles also departs from the teaching of the pi ratio in the temple pillars and the brasen sea, due to how it incorporates it's seven lamps. The truths of the Menorah's semi-circular shape come to light when we view it as an intentional ellipsis, or a figurative emphasis of a circular model of the ecliptic, where the eastern, western and southern points of the horizon are depicted on the Celestial Sphere, but the North is again purposely omitted, as we found in Psalm 75:6 & Numbers 24:5-9. The Semi-circular structure of the Menorah also carries a bi-lateral Symmetry utilized by the Creator in numerous other aspects of His Creation, as a prime principle of divine Symmetry that provides evidence of His Intelligent Design. What also sets the Menorah apart is it's east-west axis line symbolizing the ecliptic, holding the seven lamps of the Menorah, or the seven luminaries of the naked-eye solar system, showing the scientific truth that the plane of the ecliptic plane, is the path in which all these planets travel in their orbits around the Sun. The Menorah's east-west axis depicts the Tabernacle's basic ground-plan, showing the eastern access to the holy of the holies, which carried over into the Temple architecture. On one level, this supports the scientific truth we saw above, regarding the borders of Earth's tropical zones, within which the celestial light of the Sun, Moon and Stars is shed upon the circle of the Earth. Even as the tropical band surrounding the terrestrial Equator is brightened with the light of these celestial luminaries, so the worshipping pilgrim was enlighted, as he tread the sacred pathway into personal atonement with the Heavenly Father. Even so, for the Christian Believer today is truly made whole in body, soul and spirit via his fellowship with the Heavenly Father through the only begotten Son and High Priest Jesus Christ our Passover.
In the geometry of the Menorah however, this east-west axis serves a further purpose of altering the perfect circle of the pi ratio geometry, so that the elliptical orbits of these planets may be included in the Menorah's symbolism. This implies knowledge of the elliptical planetary orbits, as part of the Menorah symbolism, in the 14th Century BC. It is not neccessary to assume all the priests who ministered in the Temple & Tabernacle of Israel, understood all the mathematical implications that are contained within the symbolism of the Menorah, but this does assume that Our Heavenly Father, Who is the Source of all the detailed knowledge inherent in the structure of His Creation, was certainly aware of these details. Is there not a cetain Symmetry in the idea of elliptical planetary orbits communicated through a figurative ellipsis in the structure of the Menorah? In his landmark book, Figures of Speech used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger defines ellipsis as a figure of Omission. He states that: "The omission arises not from want of thought, or lack of care, or from accident, but from design, in order that we may not stop to think of, or lay stress on, the word omitted, but may dwell on the other words which are thus emphasized by the omission."10 [empahsis mine]
Since the design specs of the Menorah were given to Moses by divine revelation from God, just like the rest of the plans for the Tabernacle, we can expect to find elements of the Creator's Intelligent Design in both His Words and the Works of His Hand. Since the Creator put His desired emphasis where He wanted it placed in His Word, via the use of Figures of Speech, so we can see these principles applied in the blueprints of His divinely designed furniture, fulfilling His sacred purposes. Thus, the Menorah’s implicit use of the pi ratio incorporates the previous usage of this principle in the Brasen Sea and the Temple pillars, while extending beyond the symbolism of the basic heliocentric solar system, to include the elliptical orbits of the planets, all incorporated into a single model.
These original principles of "sacred geometry" are part of a Godly system of revelation in the heavens, which exhibits the mathematical relationships and geometric measures of His Creation. We have seen these principles applied to the precession of the poles, as the pole star circumscribes the "gap" in the Northern sky, seen as the two interlocking 360-degree circles of the vesica or Venn Diagram at the celestial North pole. As the geometry of the polar graph accurately applies to the geography of the globe of our planet, so it applies with precision to the celestial poles of the ecliptic and Equator in the firmament.We will see further applications of these principles relating to the precession of the equinoxes, emphasizing the spiritual significance of precessional ages. The geometry of this image will be developed in greater detail in the article on The Biblical Astronomy of the Great Pyramid.
Symbolism of the Service of the Temple Priests
There is much to be learned from the symbolism of the temple service of the priests of Israel, involving the Altar of Insence and the Menorah. The priests who offered sacrifices & cleansed the Altar of Insence and Candlestick in the Holy Place, were chosen by lot. While the lamb was being sacrificed, the two priests who were designated to trim the lamps of the Menorah, and prepare the Altar of Insence, would enter the Holy Place. Edersheim tells us that:
"As the blood of the lamb was being sprinkled on the Altar of Burnt Offering, the second priest ascended the three steps hewn in stone which led up to the candle-stick. He trimmed and re-filled the lamps that were still burning, removed the wick and old oil from those which become extinguished, supplied fresh, and re-lit them from one of the other lamps. But the large central lamp...might only be re-lit by fire from the altar itself. Only five, however, of the lamps were then trimmed; the other two were reserved to a later period of the service."11
This gives us a clue as to why the priest who trimmed the lamps of the Menorah, only re-lit the central lamp from fire of the altar, whereas the other lamps could be re-lit from fire of another lamp that was still burning. Spiritually, the central lamp-light is embodied in Christ, from whom all the luminaries receive their light. The five naked-eye planets reflect the light of the Sun, in each of their orbits, even as the branches of the other candlesticks extend off of the central branch. Even so, as living epistles today, the believers of the Church embody the light of Christ in our own lives, as we let our light shine by speaking His Word in love, and living by the principles of this truth. [II Pet. 1:16-19]
Edersheim enlightens us to the fact that it was during the time that the Insence was being prepared to be burnt on its Altar, that the angel Gabriel probably appeared to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. The record is found in Luke.
Luke 1:9-11 "According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn Insence, when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of people were praying without at the time of Insence. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar in Insence."
Here Gabriel delivered the prophecy to Zacharias concerning the birth of his son John. Gabriel identified himself in verse 19, as "Gabriel that stands in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings." We have already seen in Revelation 1:10-20, the association of the seven stars with the angels of the seven churches. If we look closer however, we find a further association in Gabriel's statement that he stands in the presence of God, linking him to the seven Spirits which are before the throne of God, in Rev. 1:4. The usage of the word "Spirits" in this verse, refers to the good angels and ministering Spirits of God. They are uniquely linked with Jesus Christ and the figure of the Menorah, as we have seen above, and in Rev. 5:5-6, we can see further connections with these angels and the ministry of the only Begotten Son of God. Verse 5 is the famous verse that identifies Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who has prevailed to open the book and loose the seven seals thereof. Verse 6 tells of the Lamb of God, whose seven eyes are the are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the Earth. This imagery is further established in Rev. 8:2-3, where the seven angels which stood before God... were given seven trumpets. Verse 3 bears the context of the true Altar of Insence before the Throne of God in heaven, exhibiting the idea from Hebrews 8:5, that teaches how the symbolism of the Tabernacle serves unto the example and shadow of heavenly things... Verses 3-4 also mention the Insence which was offered along with the prayers of all the Saints upon the golden altar which was before the Throne.
During the Old Testament temple service, once the prayers of the nation of Israel were completed, the priest who had trimmed the candlestick earlier in the service, came again into the Holy Place to re-light the remaining two candles which were left unlit earlier. As the smoke of the Insence in Rev. 8:4, with prayers of the Saints ascended up before God, so our prayers arise directly into His presence in the throneroom, as a sweet smelling savour unto Him.
Thus we can see how God's Word teaches us the intimate links between the seven angels and the seven stars, and as we consider these truths from the perspective of Biblical Astronomy, we will find additional truths in support of what we have just seen in the temporal periods and orbits of the planets of our solar system. We can witness these truths, not only in how the planets reflect the light of the central lamp of the Sun, but also in how they associate with the seven angels that stand in the presence of God, as they appear in the Constellations. Today we are the living epistles, that carry God's light to a dark and perverse world. As we speak His truth to those who are thirsting for it, our light will shine as Christ reaches out to those in need, via each of us. So let your light shine boldly & brightly!
God created the celestial lights as a witness to the structure of His eternal Kingdom and Power, and in the careful study of His Word, amazing truths are revealed that provided the original basis of scientific Astronomy in antiquity. More than this however, we see how Jesus Christ, the light of the world embodies the essence of this truth, prophesied in the stars, before the Scriptures were ever written down.
Footnotes:
1. "The Original Sin and Expulsion from the Garden of Eden" Fresco from the Cistene Chapel, by Michelangelo
2. The Clam-Plate Orgy, Wilson Bryan Key p. 45
3. IBID p.48
4. Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, V.P. Wierwille ppg. 36-38.
5. Biblical Astronomy Newsletter, Bob Wadsworth
6. The Tabernacle of Israel, James Strong p. 68-69 fn. #69.
7. IBID (picture credit)
8. Secrets of the Great Pyramid, Peter Thompkins, ppg. 184-185
9. IBID
10. Figures of Speech used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger
11. The Temple, Alfred Edersheim p. 125
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