(January 1, 2014)
Last Sabbath, December 28, 2013, a recent attendee at church came over to talk to me. I had spoken to him a number of times before at other services. The last couple of times we spoke it was about astronomy, in particular blood moons and the sun going dark that coincide with some of our soon coming Feast Days. This time he told me about a constellation of prophetic interest.
There is a constellation that brings up a few Biblical concerns and some thoughtful investigation. I will first show you a prophecy about a curse that puts some prophecy into question, then discuss the constellation and finally show you what the scriptures say conclusively.
The Curse
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
(Malachi 4:5 and 6)
Has Elijah come? Was it John the Baptist who warned us all to repent? Was it Herbert W. Armstrong who reinstituted the Sabbath observances both the weekly and the high holy days? Is there another? Have the hearts of the fathers turned to the children and the hearts of the children turned to the fathers? How many hearts must turn before God retracts His curse? (Genesis 18:20 to 33)
And what is this curse? The Bible says that God reveals all that He does to the prophets ahead of time (Amos 3:7, Genesis 18:17). So is the curse the great tribulation? Does anyone know? Perhaps the seven thunders will be cancelled (Revelation 10:4). Will the prophecies of the book of Revelation be an if clause such as we have in Leviticus 26, verses 3 and 14 to 16?
Will Christ return despite some prophetic curse not being fulfilled?
The Constellation
Some astronomers are claiming that the woman of Revelation 12:1 and 2, with twelve stars around her head and the moon at her feet, will appear in a constellation on September 20, 2017, see End Times Forecaster website (http://endtimesforecaster.blogspot.ca/2013/06/2017-and-woman-clothed-with-sun.html , please read this), and that will be one day before the Feast of Trumpets, September 21, 2017, a day that the church regards as picturing the return of Jesus the Christ. That is within four days of three and a half years or 42 months, 1256 days from the blood moon on April 15, 2014, which is the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But Jesus said he would cut back the days to prevent that no flesh would be saved alive (Matthew 24:22).
This constellation, they claim, is a possible sign for the second return of Christ. It is intriguing to see the coinciding of the timeframe, the 1260 days with the days cut back by four days. (See Revelation 11:3, 12:6, 13:5 and Daniel 9:27)
It seems to me, at this point in time, that for the great tribulation to begin as early as the next Feast of Unleavened Bread, some prophecy would have to be set aside. I do not see how the Beast, the last Emperor of the Roman Empire, and to have the designation of Who is like the Beast? Who can fight against it? (Revelation 13:4), can be established in such a short time.
Biblical Confirmation
Yes the Bible says when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction will fall upon them (1 Thessalonians 5:3). And they are saying peace and safety now. But we also know that the desolator, the beast, will rule for three and a half years, according to Daniel 9:27. 2 Thessalonians 2 starting in verse 3 states; Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for the Day (of the Lord) will not come until the final rebellion takes place and the Wicked One (the Desolator, the Man of Perdition, the Beast, the last Roman Emperor), appears, who is destined to hell. He will oppose every so-called god or object of worship and will put himself above them all. He will even go in and set himself up in the temple of God and claim to be God. So, who and where is this ruler and where is this temple? If Jesus is to appear on 9/21/2017 then we will see this Beast in action for the next three and a half years starting April 15, 2014 or maybe a few days earlier.
Conclusion
At this point, I think that the constellation, however interesting it is, does not announce the second coming of Jesus. It may be a ruse and interpretation of the signs of heaven by the Devil in order to try to deceive even the elect if it were possible (Matthew 24:23 and 24). Jesus told us in Matthew 24:36 that no one knows the day or hour of Christ’s return, not the angels in heaven nor the Son of Man but only the Father knows. Surely the advent of this constellation would have been known by Jesus. I might think differently in a few months.
This is more of a note than an essay. I am assuming that most of the people I am sending this to have considerable knowledge of Bible prophecy and will understand what I am talking about very well. For those who do not and need more explanation please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have.
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