The Great Sign in Heaven
Revelation 12 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. [SUP]2 [/SUP]Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. [SUP]4 [/SUP]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. [SUP]5 [/SUP]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. [SUP]6 [/SUP]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.
This sign is pictured above. This can be independently verified by downloading the Stellarium software, inserting the relevant criteria such as:
Location: Jerusalem
Date: 23 September 2017
Time: 18h00
What is fascinating is that this sign appears in this way only once, on this date. Researchers have gone back over 6000 years into history, as well as gone forward 1200 years into the future, and are unable to replicate this sign in any way that meets with all of the criteria.
The constellation of Virgo is the Woman, The Garland of 12 stars is made up of the stable 9 stars from the constellation of Leo (which are always above the head of Virgo), plus the addition of an additional 3 stars (Mercury , Mars and Venus) all coming into alignment on this same period of time. The Sun is located next to the head of the woman, and the Moon moves under her feet at this moment in time. Since the moon is the fastest moving object in the sign above, it gives an indication within a few hours of when the time of the sign is fulfilled, as the scripture indicates that the moon is under her feet. 18h00 as a time point is the completion of the Sabbath day in Israel. The point of note here, since the scriptures refer to the woman bringing forth a child, is that the planet Jupiter has been in gestation for exactly 42 weeks up until this point, which corresponds to a maximum full term pregnancy. At no other time in history, or in the future, has all of these individual signs come into perfect alignment and timing. We therefore believe convincingly that this sign in the skies is the Revelation 12 sign spoken of by the Apostle John in his Revelation from the Lord.
What do the symbols mean?
The Woman: The woman is believed to represent the nation of Israel. She is pictured with 12 stars above her head, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. We can also see reference to this very thing in the interpretation of Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37v9 and then interpreted in Genesis 37v10.
The Child: The Child represents Jesus Christ, as it refers to male Child in verse 5. Yet here is where the great mystery of the end times is also solved, and which we will prove below. Jesus ascended to the clouds in the sight of His disciples Acts 1v9, and we know that He is now at the right hand of the Father in heaven Acts 7v55. Yet the word for “taken up” in Acts 1v9 is the greek Strongs word “Epairw” which means to raise, lift or take up. There is no snatching or suddenness. Yet the word used in Revelation 12v5 for “caught up” which is the greek Strongs word “Arpazw” or “Harpazo” which means catch away, pluck, pull, or seize by force. It also means to snatch out of the way. So the snatching away of the Child is a very sudden event, just as the Dragon is waiting to devour the Child. This then refers to the “Rapture” of the church. The ones raptured are the bride of Christ, who are the body of believers who are found “faithful” on the Lords return in the clouds (Luke 18v8b). There are many who are left behind and the door on them will be shut; Matthew 24v48-51 and Matthew 25v1-13. The Lord is also coming for those who eagerly await His return; Hebrews 9v28b and Philippians 3v20. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. He is the Head of the Body. We as believers are the Body. We are together one body. Jesus ascended to the throne, and the rest of the body will ascend in the rapture to meet the Lord in the air. This is a corporate birthing of the church (we are born again individually, but at this moment of time, we are corporately birthed together – as Israel was born on a single day, so too is the church born corporately on a single day). It however also means the end of the Church Age and a transition into the end-times events as detailed in the Book of Revelation and elsewhere in the bible. The church has been birthed out of Israel (Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, so Jesus came from the Woman), and all those who are in Christ, are in His body, and are included as the Child.
The Dragon: Refers to Satan
The Third of the Stars of Heaven: Refers most likely to the third of the angels who rebelled with Satan – these are fallen angels or demons.
It is important to understand the above distinctions as we delve deeper into the Word of God. This will become very clear as scriptures point to this.
Firstly a bit about Israel and the Gentiles
Romans 11
[SUP]24 [/SUP]For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
[SUP]25 [/SUP]For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [SUP]26 [/SUP]And so all Israel will be saved,[SUP][[/SUP][SUP]g[/SUP][SUP]][/SUP] as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
[SUP]27 [/SUP]For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”[SUP][[/SUP][SUP]h[/SUP][SUP]][/SUP]
What we can glean from what Paul is writing to the church in Rome is this. That the Gentiles are to be humble in their consideration of Israel. The Gentiles were the wild olive branches grafted into the olive tree. It is by grace that this salvation offer has been gifted to the Gentiles. It is only because of Israel’s rejection of her Messiah that we have the door opened to the Gentiles. See what Paul writes a few verses earlier: Romans 10v19-21 [SUP]19 [/SUP]But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” [SUP]20 [/SUP]But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” [SUP]21 [/SUP]But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”
As a result of Israel’s corporate rejection of their Messiah (many did believe and are included in the Church, but by and large most of them did not, to this very day), God has given them over to blindness in part UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles come in.
What this means is that today we still have Messianic Jews (Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah), but by and large the vast majority do not, and they are awaiting the first coming of their Messiah. They have been blinded in part. Yet this blindness is NOT forever. It is “UNTIL” the fullness of the Gentiles have come in.
We can conclude that the church today is by far and large mostly made up of Gentile believers. For 2000 years since Christ, He has been calling upon the world, by the Holy Spirit, to repent and turn to Jesus Christ in faith. While the church of God today is still vast in terms of numbers, it is also likely that many believers who call themselves Christians may in fact not truly be serving the Lord. For the Word says:
2 Timothy 2 v19 [SUP]19 [/SUP]Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[SUP][[/SUP][SUP]c[/SUP][SUP]][/SUP] depart from iniquity.” And we know that within the corporate church we are not seeing the standard of holy living required by the Word of God.
The current Church Age, which some believe began on the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago, is now coming to its fulfilment. This I believe to be the time of the fullness of the Gentiles. There are a number of believers who God will save before He concludes this current Church Age, and then the blindness will be removed from Israel.
So what exactly is this “event” which triggers the change in the Ages? Could it be the “harpazo” or rapture of the Church believers? From the Revelation sign above it certainly looks like the Child is “snatched away” in an instant. If this were to happen, we could surmise the sudden shock to the world of what has just transpired. The Gentiles who called themselves Christian, yet were not willing to make Him Lord over their lives will be left behind. The Jews will mourn and weep and repent as they see this event as a confirmation that the Holy Bible is true, and they did not discern that Jesus Christ truly was the Messiah. And then you have the third category – people of the world who cared not for the things of God, nor had at any stage committed their lives to God. They themselves will be left dumbfounded and searching for an explanation for these things which have come to pass. Irrespective of what category people fall into after this “event”, they are all at risk of deception. 2 Thessalonians 2 v9-12 [SUP]9 [/SUP]The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, [SUP]10 [/SUP]and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [SUP]11 [/SUP]And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, [SUP]12 [/SUP]that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Because people did not receive the love of the truth in this Church Age, because they did not accept Christ as Saviour AND Lord, because they loved their sins (unrighteousness) more than the gospel message of peace with God, God Himself sends them a strong delusion that they will believe the lie that’s about to be unleashed upon the world. This comes in with the new world leader (the Antichrist) and his false prophet.
The Rapture
Jesus returns in the clouds on this particular event to receive to Himself the bride who has prepared herself. She is caught up into the air in an instant: 1 Thessalonians 4 v15-17 [SUP]15 [/SUP]For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. [SUP]16 [/SUP]For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [SUP]17 [/SUP]Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
But who does the Lord come for? Is it everybody who calls themselves a Christian? Let’s see what the scriptures say: Ephesians 5v27 [SUP]27 [/SUP]that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. And again we see this in 1 Thessalonians 5v23 [SUP]23 [/SUP]Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again Revelation 19v7 [SUP]7 [/SUP]Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” [SUP]8 [/SUP]And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Many Christians today are not living unspotted lives from the world. The world has once again crept into their lives. They are adulterers, liars, hating one another, unforgiving, backbiting, resentful, bitter, lustful. The list goes on and on. God’s Word is clear. We are to be sanctified – set apart (from the world) – holy. Why do you, Christian, have double mindedness? You cannot serve two masters. Choose today whom you will serve. By God’s grace, the power of victory is in your grasp if you will only believe. Let go of these worldly things and devote yourselves fully to Christ. For if you will not, you are in danger of being left behind. And I can assure you that the next “week of years” will come upon you as a trap.
Revelation 12 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. [SUP]2 [/SUP]Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. [SUP]4 [/SUP]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. [SUP]5 [/SUP]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. [SUP]6 [/SUP]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.
This sign is pictured above. This can be independently verified by downloading the Stellarium software, inserting the relevant criteria such as:
Location: Jerusalem
Date: 23 September 2017
Time: 18h00
What is fascinating is that this sign appears in this way only once, on this date. Researchers have gone back over 6000 years into history, as well as gone forward 1200 years into the future, and are unable to replicate this sign in any way that meets with all of the criteria.
The constellation of Virgo is the Woman, The Garland of 12 stars is made up of the stable 9 stars from the constellation of Leo (which are always above the head of Virgo), plus the addition of an additional 3 stars (Mercury , Mars and Venus) all coming into alignment on this same period of time. The Sun is located next to the head of the woman, and the Moon moves under her feet at this moment in time. Since the moon is the fastest moving object in the sign above, it gives an indication within a few hours of when the time of the sign is fulfilled, as the scripture indicates that the moon is under her feet. 18h00 as a time point is the completion of the Sabbath day in Israel. The point of note here, since the scriptures refer to the woman bringing forth a child, is that the planet Jupiter has been in gestation for exactly 42 weeks up until this point, which corresponds to a maximum full term pregnancy. At no other time in history, or in the future, has all of these individual signs come into perfect alignment and timing. We therefore believe convincingly that this sign in the skies is the Revelation 12 sign spoken of by the Apostle John in his Revelation from the Lord.
What do the symbols mean?
The Woman: The woman is believed to represent the nation of Israel. She is pictured with 12 stars above her head, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. We can also see reference to this very thing in the interpretation of Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37v9 and then interpreted in Genesis 37v10.
The Child: The Child represents Jesus Christ, as it refers to male Child in verse 5. Yet here is where the great mystery of the end times is also solved, and which we will prove below. Jesus ascended to the clouds in the sight of His disciples Acts 1v9, and we know that He is now at the right hand of the Father in heaven Acts 7v55. Yet the word for “taken up” in Acts 1v9 is the greek Strongs word “Epairw” which means to raise, lift or take up. There is no snatching or suddenness. Yet the word used in Revelation 12v5 for “caught up” which is the greek Strongs word “Arpazw” or “Harpazo” which means catch away, pluck, pull, or seize by force. It also means to snatch out of the way. So the snatching away of the Child is a very sudden event, just as the Dragon is waiting to devour the Child. This then refers to the “Rapture” of the church. The ones raptured are the bride of Christ, who are the body of believers who are found “faithful” on the Lords return in the clouds (Luke 18v8b). There are many who are left behind and the door on them will be shut; Matthew 24v48-51 and Matthew 25v1-13. The Lord is also coming for those who eagerly await His return; Hebrews 9v28b and Philippians 3v20. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. He is the Head of the Body. We as believers are the Body. We are together one body. Jesus ascended to the throne, and the rest of the body will ascend in the rapture to meet the Lord in the air. This is a corporate birthing of the church (we are born again individually, but at this moment of time, we are corporately birthed together – as Israel was born on a single day, so too is the church born corporately on a single day). It however also means the end of the Church Age and a transition into the end-times events as detailed in the Book of Revelation and elsewhere in the bible. The church has been birthed out of Israel (Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, so Jesus came from the Woman), and all those who are in Christ, are in His body, and are included as the Child.
The Dragon: Refers to Satan
The Third of the Stars of Heaven: Refers most likely to the third of the angels who rebelled with Satan – these are fallen angels or demons.
It is important to understand the above distinctions as we delve deeper into the Word of God. This will become very clear as scriptures point to this.
Firstly a bit about Israel and the Gentiles
Romans 11
[SUP]24 [/SUP]For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
[SUP]25 [/SUP]For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [SUP]26 [/SUP]And so all Israel will be saved,[SUP][[/SUP][SUP]g[/SUP][SUP]][/SUP] as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
[SUP]27 [/SUP]For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”[SUP][[/SUP][SUP]h[/SUP][SUP]][/SUP]
What we can glean from what Paul is writing to the church in Rome is this. That the Gentiles are to be humble in their consideration of Israel. The Gentiles were the wild olive branches grafted into the olive tree. It is by grace that this salvation offer has been gifted to the Gentiles. It is only because of Israel’s rejection of her Messiah that we have the door opened to the Gentiles. See what Paul writes a few verses earlier: Romans 10v19-21 [SUP]19 [/SUP]But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” [SUP]20 [/SUP]But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” [SUP]21 [/SUP]But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”
As a result of Israel’s corporate rejection of their Messiah (many did believe and are included in the Church, but by and large most of them did not, to this very day), God has given them over to blindness in part UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles come in.
What this means is that today we still have Messianic Jews (Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah), but by and large the vast majority do not, and they are awaiting the first coming of their Messiah. They have been blinded in part. Yet this blindness is NOT forever. It is “UNTIL” the fullness of the Gentiles have come in.
We can conclude that the church today is by far and large mostly made up of Gentile believers. For 2000 years since Christ, He has been calling upon the world, by the Holy Spirit, to repent and turn to Jesus Christ in faith. While the church of God today is still vast in terms of numbers, it is also likely that many believers who call themselves Christians may in fact not truly be serving the Lord. For the Word says:
2 Timothy 2 v19 [SUP]19 [/SUP]Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[SUP][[/SUP][SUP]c[/SUP][SUP]][/SUP] depart from iniquity.” And we know that within the corporate church we are not seeing the standard of holy living required by the Word of God.
The current Church Age, which some believe began on the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago, is now coming to its fulfilment. This I believe to be the time of the fullness of the Gentiles. There are a number of believers who God will save before He concludes this current Church Age, and then the blindness will be removed from Israel.
So what exactly is this “event” which triggers the change in the Ages? Could it be the “harpazo” or rapture of the Church believers? From the Revelation sign above it certainly looks like the Child is “snatched away” in an instant. If this were to happen, we could surmise the sudden shock to the world of what has just transpired. The Gentiles who called themselves Christian, yet were not willing to make Him Lord over their lives will be left behind. The Jews will mourn and weep and repent as they see this event as a confirmation that the Holy Bible is true, and they did not discern that Jesus Christ truly was the Messiah. And then you have the third category – people of the world who cared not for the things of God, nor had at any stage committed their lives to God. They themselves will be left dumbfounded and searching for an explanation for these things which have come to pass. Irrespective of what category people fall into after this “event”, they are all at risk of deception. 2 Thessalonians 2 v9-12 [SUP]9 [/SUP]The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, [SUP]10 [/SUP]and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [SUP]11 [/SUP]And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, [SUP]12 [/SUP]that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Because people did not receive the love of the truth in this Church Age, because they did not accept Christ as Saviour AND Lord, because they loved their sins (unrighteousness) more than the gospel message of peace with God, God Himself sends them a strong delusion that they will believe the lie that’s about to be unleashed upon the world. This comes in with the new world leader (the Antichrist) and his false prophet.
The Rapture
Jesus returns in the clouds on this particular event to receive to Himself the bride who has prepared herself. She is caught up into the air in an instant: 1 Thessalonians 4 v15-17 [SUP]15 [/SUP]For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. [SUP]16 [/SUP]For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [SUP]17 [/SUP]Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
But who does the Lord come for? Is it everybody who calls themselves a Christian? Let’s see what the scriptures say: Ephesians 5v27 [SUP]27 [/SUP]that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. And again we see this in 1 Thessalonians 5v23 [SUP]23 [/SUP]Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again Revelation 19v7 [SUP]7 [/SUP]Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” [SUP]8 [/SUP]And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Many Christians today are not living unspotted lives from the world. The world has once again crept into their lives. They are adulterers, liars, hating one another, unforgiving, backbiting, resentful, bitter, lustful. The list goes on and on. God’s Word is clear. We are to be sanctified – set apart (from the world) – holy. Why do you, Christian, have double mindedness? You cannot serve two masters. Choose today whom you will serve. By God’s grace, the power of victory is in your grasp if you will only believe. Let go of these worldly things and devote yourselves fully to Christ. For if you will not, you are in danger of being left behind. And I can assure you that the next “week of years” will come upon you as a trap.
