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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, tags, etc.. Most Images cropped/reduced in size.

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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“Multitudes, multitudes in the ‘Valley of Decision’…

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for the day of the Lord is near in the ‘Valley of Decision’.”

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“The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining… 

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“The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem…

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“And the heavens and the earth shall shake…

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“But the LORD will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

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Joel 3:14-16

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AT THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE…

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As we all know, life is made up of one decision after another. Some are of seemingly little consequence. Others are apparently more important.

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And then there are those times which require life-changing decisions.

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The Bible speaks of the Valley of Decision…“Multitudes, multitudes in the ‘Valley of Decision’…for the day of the Lord is near in the ‘Valley of Decision’.”  Joel 3:14.

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Of course, this valley is a spiritual concept and not a literal place.

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But God has inscribed this very truth in the heavens. It is called “The Valley of Decision” Constellation. It speaks of that valley which each living soul must walk through at some point in his or her lifetime. It is, “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:9 

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LOCATING THIS CONSTELLATION GROUP…

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“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Micah 4:1, 2

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Look eastward in the early summer through fall. Find the Cassiopeia Constellation. Cassiopeia is the Mount of Blessing. In this sketch, it is the farthest mountain to the left. In the sky, it is the northernmost of these three mountains when facing eastward. It somewhat resembles a pyramid, as do the other two.

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Then find the second pyramid to its right (south).

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Then go a little further south to the next third pyramid. The third snow-cap is the Destroying Mountain Constellation.

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These three pyramids are the snow-capped portion of these three mountains in this sketch. (of course, you won’t see the snow-caps in the sky. They are just an embellishment in this sketch to present a concept-EDITOR).

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THE VALLEY OF DECISION CONSTELLATION GROUP.

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They appear in mid-summer in the eastern skies in pre-dawn hours. These are made of Cassiopeia (mount on left), and various stars from the Andromeda Constellation (valley) and  Pegasus (Mount of Cursing (middle mount) and the “Destroying Mountain” (right)), and Pisces (“The Broad Way to Hell”). The galaxy which appears to be climbing the Mountain of Blessing is the Andromeda Galaxy. 

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The above Wikipedia star-chart shows this amazing constellation group as it appears from June to fall, just prior to the winter constellation group. Actually, these Valley of Decision Constellations appear in early summer in the pre-dawn hours. (Editor of this website has sketched in this constellation group onto this above Wikipedia star-chart.) 

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VALLEY OF DECISION, PRIOR TO JUDGMENT DAY…

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“And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”  Zechariah 14:4, 5

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Now to be sure, the above passage is a very complicated one. But as one reads the description of this Valley of the Mountains, it seems to be speaking of this constellation, known as the Valley of Decision Constellation (sketch to right). This above passage almost seems to be speaking of this constellation group, instead of a literal mountain/valley.

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DUAL FULFILLMENT

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Now of course, there is a spiritual meaning to this above passage from Zechariah 14, which concerns our Salvation. But nevertheless, there seems to be a double fulfillment to this passage: a double fulfillment, which is discovered in the signs which God promised in Luke… 

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Listen… “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25

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ABOVE PICTURE: latter winter constellation in the west – Orion – Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades, Auriga, Pleiades, etc.) – Goodly Horse (Persius, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, etc.) – Holy Ghost Rider (Camelopardalis)

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THE FALL CONSTELLATIONS

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Just prior to the great battle drama appearing in the form of the Winter Constellations, a most fearful and foreboding constellation group (the Valley of Decision) begins to make its appearance in the eastern sky. But don’t wait too long to locate this constellation! Because once it crosses over to the western half of the night sky, it turns in such a way that it can no longer be seen. So these constellations can only readily be seen when they are in the east.

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The sketch here shows Cassiopeia Constellation, which is the snow-cap to the left in this sketch. The snow-cap to the right is part of the Pegasus Constellation. 

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And just as this constellation group appears for only a short time, so it is with the Valley of Decision’ that comes to each person! This constellation is called the Valley of Decision Constellation. And this constellation group points to the real Valley of Decision, in which each and every human chooses just who will be his or her master.

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THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATION NAMES

It is not the purpose, nor the desire of www.theheavensdeclare.net to give any validity or recognition to the Zodiac or any pagan deities. But unfortunately, the common names of many constellations (such as Scorpio or Sagittarius, etc.), must be given, solely for the purpose of locating them on star-charts.

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THIS VALLEY IS IN ONE’S HEART…

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None need travel a long distance to get there. The Valley of Decision comes to us…in our heart. And now that we are at the time of the final conflict, this phenomenon called the Valley of Decision will come to each and every human. Every person has a choice to make.

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Listen to Scripture… “[Jesus] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:9. 

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Yes, every person has an encounter with that light which lightens every person who comes into the world. And every person must make a decision: a decision about just whom they will serve!

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And when all have made up their minds who they will serve, then comes Armageddon. That battle of the great and terrible day…Judgment Day!

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But what does the Valley of Decision have to do with “The Day of the lord” & “Armageddon”?

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Question Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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MATTHEW HENRY ON “THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO”…

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Listen to Matthew Henry, that most notable Bible commentator concerning that great battle of Armageddon…

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“The field of battle—a place called Armageddon; that is, say some, the Mount of Megiddo, near to which, by a stream issuing thence, Barak overcame Sisera, and all the kings in alliance with him, Judges 5:19.

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And in the Valley of Megiddo, Josiah was slain. This place had been famous for two events of a very different nature, the former very happy for the church of God, the latter very unhappy; but it shall now be the field of the last battle in which the church shall be engaged, and she shall be victorious.

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This battle required time to prepare for it…”

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Matthew Henry Complete Commentary, Revelation Ch. 16

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Picture: Matthew Henry – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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ARMAGEDDON = “MOUNTAIN” & “VALLEY”…

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OK, so what does the Armageddon have to do with the Valley of Decision?  Notice that Henry refers to Armageddon as a Mount. Strong’s Concordance refers to Megiddo as coming from a Hebrew root (#1413) meaning, “to assemble by troop, to gather, to cut or split, to crowd (together)”.

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So literally the name Armageddon may be defined as Mountain-gathering, or Mount of split (valley?) of gathering.

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So this word, Megiddo, may possibly be interpreted as Valley of gathering. So Armageddon may possibly be defined as Mountain & Valley of Gathering. All this information may or may not even be of much importance. Certainly not worth a debate. 

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Picture: Matthew Henry – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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“THE STARS IN THEIR COURSES…”

(Judges 5:19, 20)…

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Well, listen to Judges, concerning Megiddo… “The kings came and fought… by the waters of Megiddo… They fought from heaven; THE STARS IN THEIR COURSES fought against Sisera.” Judges 5:19, 20.

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This passage makes a reference to Megiddo, but also to the, “stars in their courses”, fighting against Sisera. Could this be a somewhat veiled reference to this constellation group? Could the, “stars in their courses”, be referring to Signs of Heaven?

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So God is making reference to this story in connection to the, “stars in their courses”. Amazing? Yes!

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But ultimately the, “stars in their courses”, seems to be a reference to God’s people. God’s people are the ones who will defeat Sisera (Satan & his minions). Of course, Christ is the One who actually defeats Satan. But He does it through His Chosen and Elect. 

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ABOVE PICTURE: Orion the Soldier and the Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades & Pleiades, etc. – winter constellations – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use

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“HAR-MEGIDDO” TRANSLATES “MOUNTAIN-VALLEY”

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There are many who believe that Armageddon translates Valley-Mountain. This constellation group certainly agrees with that.

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Listen to this passage from Joel…

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“Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe…Multitudes, multitudes in the VALLEY OF DECISION: for the day of the LORD is near in the VALLEY OF DECISION.”  Joel 3:13-14.

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This verse begins with… “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe…” Just think of it! The Orion the Reaper Constellation comes up just after the Valley of Decision Constellation.

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This puts a tremendous exclamation mark on Joel’s announcement… “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe…Multitudes, multitudes in the VALLEY OF DECISION: for the day of the LORD is near in the VALLEY OF DECISION.”  Joel 3:13-14. 

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This line is found also in Revelation Chapter 14… “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man… and in his hand a sharp sickle…And another angel came… crying with a loud voice…’Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe’.” Revelation 14:14-16.

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These two passages remind us of the Orion The Reaper Constellation. 

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(The above sketch of Orion the Reaper is best seen in winter, although it can be seen in the wee hours before dawn, in mid summer. It is the Orion Constellation. When rising above the eastern horizon, Orion appears to be laying down. But as winter progresses, He becomes more and more upright. Orion is mostly located in mid sky in the northern hemisphere. But in lower latitudes of the world, he appears in the north. ) 

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WINTER CONSTELLATIONS = ARMAGEDDON…

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OK, so the Valley of Decision Constellation is visible just prior to the appearing of the Winter Constellations. Of course this makes sense.

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Scripture states… ” the ‘Day of the LORD’ IS NEAR in the valley of decision…” Joel 3:14.

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So from this verse we begin to see that this Valley of Decision Constellation represents the Valley in which God will bring into the heart and mind of each and every human being; a spiritual valley, in which both God and the Devil will each lay out their respective arguments.

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Of course, God speaks to man through the conscience. And obviously the Devil certainly won’t announce himself. The Devil does much better when people don’t believe he even exists. And so, all this will happen in the mind, as the human race goes about the duties of everyday life.

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And then when each human has listened to the arguments from both sides, they then will seal their own personal eternal destiny as they choose either Christ or choose the world to devote themselves to. And we must choose one or the other. No man can choose both Jesus and the world.

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Listen… “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple. ” Luke 14:33. So this is the choice which each man, woman, and child must make.

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Then begins the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This battle (Armageddon) is represented by the Winter Constellations.

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And then will the people of this world take their respective sides. Those who have chosen to follow the lowly Jesus, will go forth on the side of their Heavenly Commander.

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But those who have chosen the things of the world will fight along the side of evil angels in the army of their lord…Lucifer… “the god of this world” 2nd Corinthians 4:4. Then the evil forces of this world will fight against the people of God. This is the spiritual battle of which Revelation has given the title, Armageddon.

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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Early Winter in the east – Orion, Revelation 12 Woman (AKA Ursa Major) – Revelation 12 Dragon (AKA Hyades, Pleiades, etc.) – Goodly Horse in Battle with Rider (Camelopardelis, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, etc…) – www.signsofheaven.org – Not for profit use!

ABOVE PICTURE: latter winter constellation in the west – Orion – Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades, Auriga, Pleiades, etc.) – Revelation 12 Woman (Ursa Major) – Goodly Horse (Perseus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, etc.) – Holy Ghost Rider (Camelopardalis)

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WORD OF CAUTION:

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There are many who fall into the Devil’s trap unknowingly. That is, they think that all they need do is to keep believing in Jesus, and keep going to church and keep paying their tithes and offerings. But there are many who keep doing such good works as these, but fall into a life of worldly pursuits.

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The Lord speaks of such in the following passage… “for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” Ezekiel  33:31.

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And so, there are many who sit in the church pews each week, but have lost the vital connection with the Lord, and become “Christians In Name Only”. 

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The Bible speaks of these as being Antichrists. “…and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world…They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” 1st John 4:3, 5.

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They have moved unwittingly into the ranks of Satan, and now become tools in the hands of the Devil. Such only become a malignant cancer within the Church, because they now influence others in the Church to follow after their worldly ways.  They are now false prophets, preaching a religion mingled with the world with all its enticements, attainments, and aspirations. 

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For more on this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains, Part 3: The Abomination in My Heart”

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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel 

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“CHOOSE…THIS DAY, WHO YOU WILL SERVE”

Joshua 24:15

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“From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.” John 6:66

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There is a big false teaching in Christendom these days. It is this: “Once you have decided to follow Jesus, you cannot ever change your mind.”

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But the above verse shows that, “many disciples of Jesus turned back and walked with Him no more.” 

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This is a difficult part of Bible truth. There has been ongoing debate about this issue for hundreds of years. It requires much study. But above all, Christians must never become presumptuous about our Salvation.

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“But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys… when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land… that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.” Deuteronomy 11:11, 29.

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From this and other passages, we begin to see what this constellation group is all about. One mountain is full of blessings…blessings that come from obedience. But the other mountain is full of curses…curses that result from disobedience and turning away from the true Gospel according to Godliness, “…the truth which is after godliness…” Titus 1:1

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 “…choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the… gods, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15.

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This verse seems to capture the essence of the Valley of Decision. “Choose you this day whom you will serve”. This is what this constellation is portraying: The place where each and every man, woman, and child will have to decide whom they shall serve. Even a songster of the world once wrote a song, titled, “Ya Gotta Serve Someone”. And it’s so true…we must serve either the Devil…or the Lord Jesus Christ. 

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SO WHERE ARE THE “MULTITUDES”?…

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“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,” Isaiah 2:2, 3

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So where are the multitudes in this constellation? Well if you look at this sketch to the lower right, carefully, you will see an ENTIRE GALAXY making a slow trek up the steep slope toward the summit of one of the mountains. It is the mountain which is to the north in this sketch. This is the galaxy commonly called Andromeda. It is estimated to have possibly a trillion stars! Is a trillion stars a big enough multitude? Oh yes! Listen to God talking to Abraham…

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“And He (God) brought him (Abraham) forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” Genesis 15:5 

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But this mountain in which this multitude of stars is climbing represents a very awesome and wonderful Bible concept. This mountain in Scripture is known as Mount Zion. And it is also known as the Mount of Blessing. It represents that spiritual mountain which Believers must climb, in order to reach the City of God. 

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Listen to Scripture… “But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…To the…church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven…” Hebrews 12:22, 23.

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Well it sure seems that this verse is correct when it says the words… “which are written in heaven”! Because this galaxy in this constellation group is a wonderful picture of the Church as it makes its trek to the summit of this starry mountain; a picture of God’s Church…His faithful people…written in the heavens. These are the Signs of Heaven, promised long ago to be revealed before that “great and terrible Day of the Lord”…

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“And I will show WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” Joel

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Andromeda Galaxy – Adam Evans & Wikipedia – Share-Alike License

ABOVE STAR-CHART – Fall Constellations – Heavenly Mount Zion Constellation (Cassiopeia Constellation) – signsofheaven – Not for commercial profit use!

(Joel 2:30, 31 Drawing of Abraham counting stars – Wikipedia – public domain. Click here for full size.  Andromeda Galaxy by Adam & Wikipedia share-alike license)

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SECOND MOUNTAIN…CHOICE “B”…

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“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:9 

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Now there are two mountains in this constellation group. One mountain is symbolic of Zion, but also of the Mount of Blessing. So what is the second mountain?

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It is the mount of cursing…the law.

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Scripture refers to the law as the, “ministration of death and condemnation” 2nd Corinthians 3:7, 9. The law is that which shows the exceeding sinfulness of sin. 

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Listen to Romans… “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified…for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20.  This reminds us of those two mountains: Gerzim and Ebal…the Mount of Blessing and the Mount of Cursing.

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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Fall Constellations – Heavenly Mount Zion Constellation (Cassiopeia Constellation) – signsofheaven – Not for commercial profit use!

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MOUNT OF CURSING: AN IMPOSSIBLE CLIMB…

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“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no [such] commandment: Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Acts 15:24, 10, 11 

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Notice that the Mount of Blessing begins rather steep…but then begins to become less steep as you ascend.

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But the Mount of Cursing begins a rather gentle slope but gets impossibly steep the higher you ascend.

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This is exactly like the law. At first it looks like just ten little rules to follow. But just try to keep those ten little rules!

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For instance, just try to keep the first commandment. At first it seems simple. But before long, one begins to realize that his or her life is literally teeming with idols: perhaps a car, or a TV show, or a certain foods, or money, or shopping, recreation, career, sports, or… whatever! We all have idols that we don’t even realize are idols! These are what Scripture calls “Mammon”. And this law against idolatry, is just the first commandment!

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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Fall Constellations – Heavenly Mount Zion Constellation (Cassiopeia Constellation) – signsofheaven – Not for commercial profit use!

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 YE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE…

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“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:3, 4 

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Of course, most have been educated to claim Salvation by grace. Nevertheless there are many who try to get by only trying to be good…while still clinging to the world and its pleasures and pursuits.

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Such will ultimately become slaves of the Dragon (Satan) , and slaves to “self”.

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ABOVE PICTURE – Fall Constellations – Valley of Decision Constellation & Revelation 12 Dragon

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THE THIRD MOUNTAIN…CHOICE ‘C’…

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“Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” Jeremiah 51:25   

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In Jeremiah 51:25, we find Babylon referred to as the Destroying Mountain. It is the name of this counterfeit mountain. It is Satan’s kingdom, made up of all Satan’s followers, both humans and evil angels. Satan’s kingdom also includes this fallen world, with all its governments and ideologies. It is that great city…Mystery Babylon! The world! Satan’s prison-house of sin and selfishness!

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Now that this basic concept of the first two mountains has been presented, it is time to take note of this third mountain; a counterfeit mountain.

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Oh yes, such a simple choice is just far too easy for the Dragon (Satan) to accept. No, Satan’s main deception in this world is to create counterfeit “look-alike” alternatives; attractive choices. Satan really knows how to complicate and confuse the simplicity of the Gospel.

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Hence the name, Babylon, which means City of Confusion (Isaiah 24:10). A perfect and fitting name for Satan’s kingdom!

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Café de Flore coffee house – Wikipedia – public domain

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THE END

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PART 2, BABYLON, O DESTROYING MOUNTAIN

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To continue this section on the 3rd mountain Constellation, just click here… “Mystery Babylon…The Destroying Mountain”.

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Babylon – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 4.0

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A HEAVENLY HOBBY

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“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things; that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah 40:26

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ABOVE PICTURE – Starry Night at La Silla – cropped  and altered image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license

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The above verse is a plea from God to look up at the Heavens and behold Who has created these things.

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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and worries, and habits, to name just a few.

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But as the child of God devotes his or her life to God, there should be a jealous guarding of one’s own heart… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.

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The Christian wants nothing to get in the way of running that Christian Race.

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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…

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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”

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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.

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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!

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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.

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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.

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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.

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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25

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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)

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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS

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The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).

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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Church (7 Stars).

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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).

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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.

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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.

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ABOVE PICTURE: Orion the Soldier and the Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades & Pleiades, etc.) – winter constellations – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use

ABOVE PICTURE – 7 Stars Constellation as the Cross (aka Big Dipper) – winter – signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses

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ANOTHER HEAVENLY HOBBY: PRAYER-WALKS

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Now if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go on nightly walks, and you live in an area where you can safely view the stars, here is another Heavenly Hobby which Signs Of Heaven endorses…

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Why not combine star-watching with prayer, as you walk? What a great way to draw closer to God!

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It cannot be over-stressed, just how wonderful it is to walk under the dark canopy of Heaven, while lifting up one’s heart to our Heavenly Father! There is a closeness to God that cannot be described with words!

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(And even if you cannot safely do this, you can always do such prayer-walks in the daytime, in a safe place, such as a mall, which is every bit as effective, prayer-wise.

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And for those who are in confinement, one can view these starry signs on the Internet, or simply listen to Scripture on audio.

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Either way, all such may enjoy God’s richest blessings at this very time in which God is pouring out all Heaven’s treasures upon anyone willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus!)

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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and latered image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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THRICE-DAILY PRAYERS

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Now of course, the Bible commands us to, “pray without ceasing“. The Christian is to constantly talk with our Heavenly Father throughout the day.

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But the Bible also holds up the godly life of Daniel, who, when captive in Babylon, still set aside three times daily, in which he knelt for special prayer.

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And furthermore the Bible also says… “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17.

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Even those who are bed-fast or in a prison cell can begin to imitate Daniel in this way. And if one is fortunate to be able to walk, then this thrice-daily prayer regimen can be combined with three walks daily and even nightly.

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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – public domain

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Click on image credit links below each photo, for licensing names, details, tags, etc.. Most Images cropped/reduced in size.

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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This is a continuation of “Moon Into Blood” Pt. 1 (click here)  &  “Moon Into Blood” Pt. 2 (click here), or you may go to “Moon Into Blood Part 3” (click here)

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“For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh,

the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life,

is not of the Father,

but is of the world.”

1st John 2:16

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THE THREE GREAT SINS

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When Jesus was tempted by the Devil, there were just three temptations by the Devil.

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When Eve considered eating the forbidden fruit in the garden, there were just three considerations, presented by the serpent. When John wrote his first epistle, he enumerated three basic sins of the world. And John summed it up so nicely:

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1. The lust of the flesh.

2. The lust of the eyes.

3. The pride of life.

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These were the three basic sins which John laid out, that Satan tempted Jesus with, and Eve doted over in her own mind, prior to eating the forbidden fruit!

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Hebrews 4- www.thebiblerevival.com -Public Domain

Eve – Tizian – Wikipedia – pub-dom

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SIGNS WRITTEN IN HEAVEN

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The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are the three basic sins of Mankind, according to Scripture. And God has miraculously inscribed these sins upon the face of the Moon.

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Oh yes, this sounds too incredible to be true! But it is very true! And this article will finish the Moon Into Blood Trilogy, with this 4th article, which is a surprise ending, to a very intricate and stunning message.

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So come along, and open up both your your Bible and your mind! And try to have the faith of a little child, which is a basic requirement for Signs Of Heaven (“And (Jesus) said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3).

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You will not be disappointed, once you truly witness these signs in the heavens.

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Eve – Tizian – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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THE SWINE: “LUST OF THE FLESH”

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“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1st John 2:16

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This article will introduce this third beast-like face, inscribed in the Moon: a swine. And it will be shown that the three beast-like faces in the Moon, represent the concept taught in the above verse concerning “the lust of the flesh…the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. 

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It has become apparent that the second face in the Moon, besides appearing as a wolf-like beast, also appears as a Swine. Let’s explore this concept, for a moment.

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First of all, when a person sees the second face up in the sky, it’s arguable whether or not it looks like a swine. But it must be conceded that the photos do indeed make it appear as if this character has a “sawed-off” snout like a swine. And of course, a swine is spoken of quite frequently in Scripture.

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Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

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“GRACE ABOUNDING TO THE CHIEF OF SINNERS”

by J. Bunyan

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John Bunyan, the author of the earth-shaking allegorical tale, “Pilgrim’s Progress”, seems to have caught the essence of the meaning behind clean and unclean beasts. He saw why God made a distinction based on the feet as well as the diet of these beasts, as stated in the following Bible verse…

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“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth… Nevertheless… the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.” Leviticus 11:2,4,7 

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Why did God makes the feet and the diet of the beasts of the earth the criterion for this distinction between clean and unclean beasts? How odd!

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Engraving of Pilgrim: “Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress” – Wikipedia – U.S. public domain.

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BUNYAN SPEAKS ABOUT CLEAN & UNCLEAN!

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Well, just listen to what Bunyan states in his other classic, “Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners”…

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JOHN BUNYAN: “I was almost made, about this time, to ‘see something concerning the beasts that Moses ‘counted clean and unclean. I thought those ‘beasts were types of men; the clean, types of ‘them that were the people of God; but the un’clean, types of such as were the children of the ‘wicked one.

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Now, I read that the clean beasts ‘chewed the cud; that is, thought I, they show ‘us we must feed upon the Word of God. They ‘also parted the hoof; I thought that signified we ‘must part, if we would be saved, with the ways ‘of ungodly men.

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And also, in further reading ‘about them I found, that though we did chew the ‘cud as the hare, yet if we walked with claws like ‘a dog, or if we did part the hoof like the swine, ‘yet if we did not chew the cud as the sheep, we ‘were still, for all that, but unclean ; for I thought ‘the hare to be a type of those that talk of the ‘Word’…

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” Excerpt from “Grace Abounding To The Chief of Sinners” by John Bunyan.

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John Bunyan – Wikipedia – public domain

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CLEAN = THE SAVED

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UNCLEAN = THE UNSAVED

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So Bunyan saw that swine were “a type” of those who have parted with the ways of the world symbolized by the “split hoofs”. This would symbolize church-goers. The diet of swine is just about anything he can find to swallow, which symbolizes those who make a profession of serving God, but still eat of the sin and pollution of the world. Listen to the prophet Isaiah…  

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“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?… eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live.” Isaiah 55:2, 3. 

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This passage is a plea by God for us to stop eating from the polluted troughs of this world. And this passage is likewise a plea to begin eating the Heavenly Manna, i.e., the Word of God.

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swine feeding – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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“KEEP THYSELF PURE”

1st Timothy 5:22

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“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”  James 4:8 

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Like never before in history, the Christian must fight the battle against ungodly influences. In this high-tech world in which we now live, it is possible with just the touch of a button to bring all the filth and moral pollutions this world has to offer, right into one’s own living room! This seems to be the “present truth” for this day.

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And like never before in history, the Christian must maintain a vigilance against letting in these modern-day influences into the heart! And Scripture leaves no question as to the devastating results that come from evil communications…

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“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1st Corinthians 15:33. 

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This is what this swine inscribed in the Moon’s surface is all about: the lusts of the flesh, which are so readily available in today’s world. The question which each professing Christian must ask his or her self is this: “Am I really serious about overcoming? Do I really want to become Christ-like? Can I say with Paul, ‘ I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…’?” Philippians 3:8. 

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 Photo: Sow with piglet – WIKIPEDIA – PUBLIC DOMAIN

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THINK ON HEAVENLY THINGS

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Yes the “True Worshipper” will desire to be purified. He or she will pray earnestly for deliverance from the pollutions of this corrupt world. Paul exhorts each and every Christian to fill his or her heart with good things.

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Just listen… “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. This verse is one of the most well-known, and yet, least heeded of all Bible verses!

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Paul Shipwrecked Acts 27:41-44-www.lavistachurchofchrist.org–public domain

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CHRISTIANY NOT JUST A LOBOTOMY

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Now there are those who try to pervert this passage into saying we should become some sort of “lobotomized, secular, happy-face”. While this passage is indeed, emphasizing a positive, “glass-half-full” outlook, it is definitely NOT an alternative to meditating day and night on the Word of God!

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But there are times when the Christian meditates on Bible verses. But also, there are times when the Christian translates these verses into practical everyday experience. “How can I handle this situation in a more Christ-like manner?” This is a question which the Christian is constantly asking his or her self. This is the essence and everyday-mechanics of the Christian life.

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And this above passage is likewise encouraging us to filter out the evil of the world around us, and try to focus upon the things in life which are worthy of imitation.

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Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father – by-www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – US public-domain

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CASTING PEARLS BEFORE SWINE…

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“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”  Matthew:7:6.

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Obviously, God is not concerned here with mere animals. This is about people. God is warning Believers to use discretion regarding offering too many Bible “pearls of wisdom” to those who are still involved with the pollutions of this present evil world. They don’t wish to hear it, and may just retaliate in some way.

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Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

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LEGION OF DEVILS ENTER INTO SWINE…

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“So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.  And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.”  Matthew 8:31,32.

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This is a picture of a spiritual concept.  The sea is a picture of this fallen world. The swine are those who profess to serve God but still love this present evil world, and have no intention of becoming self-denying like Jesus was. And so, Christ allowed the evil angels to enter into the swine and drive them into the sea, representing how false-brethren in the Church will ultimately be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, by their own worldliness.

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Public Domain photo of two ferrel swine, by NASA.

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PRODIGAL SON EATS CORN HUSKS WITH SWINE…

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 “And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.” Luke.15:16.

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This story of the “Prodigal Son” tells how those who stray back into the world and away from God, often find that the glitter and glory of worldliness eventually turns sour, represented by the son eating corn husks with the swine. And though these apostate ones (represented by swine) still may be active in church, they will often have Bible studies that are of little or no value, being void of the Spirit of God (represented by corn husks).   

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Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

Prodigal Son – www.wikigallery.com – public domain

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UNSANCTIFIED: UNCLEAN BEASTS…

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 “…They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.”  Isaiah 66:17.

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Here Isaiah is painting a portrait of those within the Church who feed off the false teachings and irreligious lifestyle of false brethren, represented by swine and mice (2nd & 3rd faces in the Moon, respectively)

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And of course, the eating of swine’s flesh and the abomination is code language for eating of the sin and pollutions of this present, evil and selfish world!

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2nd face in moon “The Swine”

Photo of swine courtesy Messybeast & Wikipedia – share-alike license. 

3rd Face in Moon-scavenger-www.signsofheaven.org

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HIGHER PASSIONS VS. LOWER PASSIONS

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The three major sins, 1. The lusts of the flesh, 2. The lusts of the eyes, and 3. The pride of life, are represented by these Moon-Beasts. Of course this 3rd Beast, The Swine, represents “The lusts of the flesh”. Now the lusts of the flesh are predominantly those lower passions, such as adultery, and drunkenness, perversions, gluttony, and other like-passions.

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Now, the other beast (lower picture left), the Evil-Eyed Pharisee-Scorner represents the so-called “higher” sins. And of course, this Pharisee-Scorner is more given over to the sins of pride: the “higher” sins, such as pride, judging, phariseeism, self-righteousness, greed of gain, self-importance, and other such-like sins.

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Now one advantage that those given to lower passions have, is that quite often these lower passions are easy to see. For instance, a smoker cannot deny the pungent smell of cigarette smoke on his clothing. Likewise, the drinker cannot hide for very long, the smell of alcohol on his breath, nor his tipsy behavior. And because society tends to look down on and scorn those who are given to such addictions, these addicts are constantly reminded that they have sinful addictions.

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Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

Highbrow drunkard – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License

ABOVE PICTURE – Moon – 2nd Face – Pharisee Scorner

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SINS OF PRIDE NOT SO EASILY SEEN

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But those given over to the so-called, “higher” passions, are not nearly so easily detected. “Pride” is often misconstrued as virtuous. “Judging” others often goes un-noticed. “Self-importance” so often blends in with Christian virtue. And so society is not nearly so condemning of these “higher” passions.  

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And the children of pride, quite often have their lives in good order, and may not be slaves of bad habits and lower passions. Therefore, those with the so-called “higher” sins, quite often fit right in with church society. And if this Pharisee Moon-Beast pays his tithes, and volunteers for a church office, then he is usually a very welcomed and respected member of his local congregation.

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For more on the wolf/dog Pharisee Moon Beast, please read “Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 2nd Face: The Pharisee Scorner”

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ADULTEROUS WOMAN COMPARED TO

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SWINE WITH GOLD RING…

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Well, getting back to our Swine/Eater Moon/Beast, here is another interesting concept which the wise man, Solomon observed.

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Listen… “As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.” Proverbs 11:22.

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This verse is almost comical, until one realizes that God is speaking of more than a mere woman. While this proverb has an application to everyday situations, it is really about the apostate portion of God’s Church, represented by the fair woman (see Ezekiel Ch. 23). God here is warning not only to stay away from strange women, but also to stay away from the Apostate Church.

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For a further exploration into this subject of an adulterous woman representing God’s apostate people, just click here… “The Harlot of Revelation” 

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Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

Drawing of “Whore of Babylon” courtesy Wikipedia Public Domain.

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ISAIAH SPEAKS OF UNCLEAN THINGS AGAIN…

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“A people that provokes me to anger continually to my face…which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.” Isaiah 63:3-5 (condensed)

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This is another supporting verse from Isaiah about the Apostate Church who, in their spiritual pride, look down their nose at others they feel spiritually superior to, and yet are still eating of the sin and pollutions of this present evil and selfish world.

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And if we look down on others in the Church, whom we feel are less holy than we, then we may indeed be likewise guilty as well, of this condemnation spoken here by Isaiah. We need to constantly “pray without ceasing” for ourselves and for others who may be “turned out of the way” (Heb. 12:13).    

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Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

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OFFERING AS SWINE’S BLOOD…

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“He that kills an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrifices a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offers an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burns incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.” Isaiah 66:3.

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God here is expressing His displeasure with the Apostate Church. Though this was spoken to the Old Testament Children of Israel, it also has a great warning for the Christian today (the Lord also considers us to be the “Israel of God”).

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And though Christians don’t offer literal sacrifices today, they nevertheless are offering spiritual sacrifices in the form of good works…such as paying tithes or feeding the hungry, or other similar humanitarian services. God is not pleased with such offerings, when at the same time, they are living a world-loving lifestyle. 

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ABOVE PICTURE – Moon – 3rd face – Swine-eater – www.signsofheaven.org

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UNCLEAN BEASTS & GENTILE UNBELIEVERS…

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“And [Peter] saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean…but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10:11-14, 28.

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Here Peter is plainly showing us that “unclean” animals were actually a picture of people of the world. The “worldly”.

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Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

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ANGRY PAGANS IN EPHESUS 

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AS “UNCLEAN BEASTS”…

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“If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus.” 1st Corinthians 15:32. Paul here is comparing the pagans in Ephesus to wild beasts.

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“One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true.” Titus 1:12, 13. Again, God is comparing the Apostate Church to unclean animals.

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“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you…But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;  2nd Peter 2:1, 12. Another comparison between false teachers and common animals.

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“For there are certain men crept in unawares…ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness… But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.” Jude 1:4, 10. Another comparison between the Apostate portion of the Church and wild beasts. 

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 “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee.”  Psalms 73:22. Here a true Believer is confessing himself to be as an unclean beast, in his murmuring against God.

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“O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt… and planted it… The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it…” Psalms 80:4,8,12,14. God here is saying that His Church in its apostasy, will be destroyed by this “Boar” and by the wild beast of the field. 

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Twin swine by Wikipedia share-alike lic. Click here for link.

Moon – Public Domain – 3rd face Swine-Eater – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

Bearded – Pigs – by Art G & – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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GOD FORETELLS OF APOSTASY

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 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.” Jeremiah 31:27. This revealing verse plainly states that the Church will be corrupted with those unsanctified false brethren who here are represented by beasts (animals).

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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel 

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THREE FACES IN MOON…

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“Awake, O sword… smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered… And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried…I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”  Zechariah 13:7-9.

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Here, God is dividing His Professed People into three parts. Two-thirds will be destroyed, This reminds us of the three parts of the Moon; two parts being beast/man combinations, and one part fully human.   

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ABOVE PICTURE – moon – 3rd face – Sadducee Seeker

ABOVE PICTURE – Moon – 2nd face – Swine-eater – www.signsofheaven.org

Moon – 1st face – Night Watchman – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use

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WORSHIPPING BEASTS

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 “And He said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.” Ezekiel 8:9, 10.

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Here is perhaps the most revealing passage of all the passages in this article! God is showing here that His people are worshipping animals instead of worshipping a Holy God. When we regard sin and sinners and have fellowship with worldly persons, we are in essence in rebellion against God. We are commanded to…

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?…for ye are the temple of the living God…Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN [thing]; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 (condensed).

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God has purposely composed this passage to compare the ungodly with unclean beasts. And though we may need to care for and even nurture relations with unsaved family members, we still need to be Christ-like.

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ABOVE PICTURE – Moon – 2nd face – Swine-eater – www.signsofheaven.org

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 THE 3 GREAT SINS…

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The three animal faces inscribed in the Moon are the three great sins of Mankind.  The three beast-like faces are representative of what the Bible terms… 1. the lust of the flesh (swine to the right), 2. the lust of the eyes (rabbit/mouse to lower right), and 3. the pride of life (wolf/dog/fox on left)”.  1st John 2:16. The Bible boils down all the sins of this fallen world into just three categories: the 1. lust of the flesh, the 2. lust of the eyes, and the 3. pride of life”. Listen to 1st John…

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“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, 1. the lust of the flesh, and 2. the lust of the eyes, and 3. the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world… Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” 1st John 2:15-18.

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Notice that just after enumerating these three sins, that God begins speaking about the many Antichrists that are in the world. This is no accident. Because Antichrists are merely the people of this fallen world. Their big sin, besides their rebellion, is that they are greatly motivated by these three sins.

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When Eve was tempted in the garden, these were the very same three sins presented to her by the serpent… 1. Good for food (lust of flesh), 2. pleasant to look upon (lust of eyes), 3. makes one wise (pride of life).

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ABOVE PICTURE – Moon – 2nd alternative face – Swine-eater – www.signsofheaven.org

ABOVE PICTURE – Moon – 2nd Face – Pharisee Scorner

ABOVE PICTURE – moon – 3rd face – Sadducee Seeker

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JESUS TEMPTED

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And these three sins were the very same sins that Satan tempted Jesus with… 1. turn stones to bread (lust of flesh), 2. showing him all the kingdoms of world (lust of the eyes), 3. showing Himself invincible by jumping of temple (pride of life). 

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While Jesus did not give in to Satan’s “Big Three” temptations, Eve did. Thus it was that Eve brought the entire world under the banner and rule of the great Antichrist beast… Satan. And these three big sins have become the curse which has brought woe and misery upon the entire human race. And it was these same three sins which Jesus came into this world to conquer on our behalf.

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Christ battles Satan – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain

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CONCLUSION:

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So these three sins, which are inscribed in the Moon’s face, are the fundamental sins of Mankind. But Christ is not a God who simply lets sin become the victor!

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In the beginning this world was brought into captivity, by that “Great Dragon”, Satan. But it was God’s purpose to purify for Himself a people. This is God’s Church, symbolized by a “Virtuous Woman”. The “Signs of Heaven” point to a great sign in the heavens, A woman with child, who is persecuted by another great sign…a Dragon spewing water out of his mouth after the Woman. The Woman flips around and becomes a Woman with eagle’s wings, with which she flees to safety from the Dragon. At the last of the winter , this Woman chooses to enter the “Strait Gate”, instead of the “Broad Way” (which is made from the water coming out of the Dragon’s mouth).

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This “Wide Gate” symbolizes all the things of the world, in which Satan offers the world’s inhabitants; all the 1. lusts of the flesh, and 2. lusts of the eyes, and 3. prideful things of the world. And these three great lusts can be offered to those in the secular world, but also are offered in the pseudo-gospels, so prevalent today. It doesn’t matter to Satan how a person joins Satan’s ranks. One can come to him as an atheist-agnostic, or as a “conservative” Christian. Just as long as he remains under the power of one or more of these big-three sins.

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ABOVE PICTURE – The Narrow Gate & Wide Gate (this view of these stars can only be seen like this when laying on one’s back on the ground with head toward west and feet toward east!)- Late winter – Ursa Major – www.signsofheaven.org- you may use with credit – NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE

Revelation 12 Woman & The Two Gates

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SHIP IS SOON DEPARTING

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Satan would have us to believe that life without these three sins would be unbearably dull and depleted. But Christ came to this Earth to set an example of love incomprehensible, and complete His Bible, which promises us “joy unspeakable”, if we will only renounce this sin-laden world, and begin upon a spiritual journey up that pathway that leads to the Narrow Gate…Orion’s Gate. It is the gate to Heaven itself! And all are invited to join this vast throng.

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And anyway, what do we have to lose? A dying planet? A hopeless future? The sorrow and confusion that permeates society? Sickness? and ultimately a hopeless death?

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That’s not much to look forward to here, now, is it?

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ABOVE PICTURE: The Gospel Ark (ship) of Salvation

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THE END

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NEXT ARTICLE SUGGESTION:

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LUNAR ECLIPSE & SPIRITUAL ECLIPSE…(click here)

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How can a Lunar Eclipse give us understanding of just how a Christian wanders away from the Lord, only to enter into Spiritual Darkness? Read this article and find out.

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This is a drawing of a winter-time total lunar eclipse, first published in Bilder- (Picture Atlas of the Stemenwelt) in 1888

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A HEAVENLY HOBBY

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“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things; that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah 40:26

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ABOVE PICTURE – Starry Night at La Silla – cropped  and altered image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license

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The above verse is a plea from God to look up at the Heavens and behold Who has created these things.

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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and worries, and habits, to name just a few.

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But as the child of God devotes his or her life to God, there should be a jealous guarding of one’s own heart… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.

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The Christian wants nothing to get in the way of running that Christian Race.

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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…

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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”

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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.

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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!

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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.

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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.

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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.

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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25

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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)

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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS

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The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).

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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Church (7 Stars).

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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).

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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.

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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.

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ABOVE PICTURE: Orion the Soldier and the Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades & Pleiades, etc.) – winter constellations – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use

ABOVE PICTURE – 7 Stars Constellation as the Cross (aka Big Dipper) – winter – signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses

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ANOTHER HEAVENLY HOBBY: PRAYER-WALKS

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Now if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go on nightly walks, and you live in an area where you can safely view the stars, here is another Heavenly Hobby which Signs Of Heaven endorses…

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Why not combine star-watching with prayer, as you walk? What a great way to draw closer to God!

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It cannot be over-stressed, just how wonderful it is to walk under the dark canopy of Heaven, while lifting up one’s heart to our Heavenly Father! There is a closeness to God that cannot be described with words!

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(And even if you cannot safely do this, you can always do such prayer-walks in the daytime, in a safe place, such as a mall, which is every bit as effective, prayer-wise.

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And for those who are in confinement, one can view these starry signs on the Internet, or simply listen to Scripture on audio.

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Either way, all such may enjoy God’s richest blessings at this very time in which God is pouring out all Heaven’s treasures upon anyone willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus!)

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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and latered image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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THRICE-DAILY PRAYERS

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Now of course, the Bible commands us to, “pray without ceasing“. The Christian is to constantly talk with our Heavenly Father throughout the day.

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But the Bible also holds up the godly life of Daniel, who, when captive in Babylon, still set aside three times daily, in which he knelt for special prayer.

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And furthermore the Bible also says… “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17.

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Even those who are bed-fast or in a prison cell can begin to imitate Daniel in this way. And if one is fortunate to be able to walk, then this thrice-daily prayer regimen can be combined with three walks daily and even nightly.

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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – public domain

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Click credit links below each pic, for licensing names/details/tags/etc.. Most pics cropped/reduced in size

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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You may also click here to read Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4

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STORY…

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“FINDING BIBLE CONSTELLATIONS”

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Part 1

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“The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

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It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell…

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Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

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Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

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To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

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Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.”

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The last 8 lines of this well-known song were penciled on the wall of a narrow room in an insane asylum by a man said to have been demented. The profound lines were discovered when they laid him in his coffin.

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ABOVE PICTURE – winter constellations – Orion & Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades, Pleiades, etc…) seen at Eagle Ridge – Signs Of Heaven.org – Not for profit use!

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3am, August, of 1988 (or thereabouts)

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My eyes were opened!

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I looked up!

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It was scary…kind of! Things looked different up there! Only several hours had passed, but things were definitely not the same! For one thing, the moon was gone!

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Now, sleeping for several hours this time, the heavens had changed since a few hours earlier. The stars were different! It was truly awesome! Just laying there in a flimsy sleeping bag on this late August night, looking up at the vast expanse of the heavens. The stars were bright. The night black.
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And there I was…all alone…and looking up!

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Staring in amazement at the massive size of the constellation which was now directly overhead. Probably Orion, or the Big Dipper or something! The open night sky of Eagle Ridge provided the perfect backdrop for this heavenly scenario! Never really paying a whole lot of attention to the stars before this.  I always just…well…took them for granted. And not previously realizing they moved so quickly through the sky during the night. Moving westward.

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I fell back asleep.
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A few hours later, waking again, the constellations had moved again. “WOW! These constellations are so enormous. It’s almost scary!” Makes the heart beat a little faster; to look up at such a vast universe. The bigness of the heavens is truly overwhelming. This campground was pretty much empty of campers, which made things even more dramatic. And the silence, except for the little night-sounds of summertime…

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Things up here in the foothills of the Cascades were really beautiful! Much more so, since becoming a Christian! And just being released, I was now enjoying my new-found freedom!

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 DEEPER MEANING… This was the beginning connection with the starry hosts of the heavens. Since becoming a Christian, I had a heightened awareness and appreciation for nature in general. Knowing now, that this world had a Creator; and ever since someone stated that Christ would be coming back through ‘the open space in Orion’ (whatever that meant!) There sure was something very wonderful and really awesome about the heavens! Since becoming a Christian, I guess it could be said, that all of nature…and…all of life had taken on a much more profound meaning!
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Sketch: “Two of the five Winter Constellations”

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JOSEPH’S DREAM & THE GLORIOUS CROWN

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ON THE ROAD… That summer of 1988, I decided to go hitchhiking. I spent some weeks on the road. And so as long as there was nothing stopping me. No leather straps around my hands and feet. No bars on the windows anymore. So, why not go?  

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On the long trek over the Cascades to get to Ashland, I began to notice two constellations. One looked like a cross, and the other looked like a circle with a star in the middle. Obviously, the Cross I understood. But this circle of stars…what did it mean?

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Now I had been in Christianity long enough to know the story of Joseph’s dream. And these stars, which looked like a crown seemed reminiscent of the story of Joseph’s dream, in which he saw 11 stars bowing down to him. This constellation, however, had 12 stars, plus 1 star in the middle. But this made complete sense, because this could be a picture of Jesus as the star in the middle, plus 12 stars around, representing the 12 apostles, or perhaps, the 12 tribes of Israel.

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What I didn’t realize is, that this Crown would show up again, years later. And when it did, it would be in conjunction with other Bible constellations which, together and in order, told the wonderful Gospel story! 

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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Summer constellation – Five Wise Virgins Stars & The Glorious Crown – Corona Borealis – signsofheaven.org – Not for profit uses!

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A SOLA SCRIPTURA RAINSTORM!

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During this time I only had my sleeping bag and my backpack which was filled with religious and health books, plus a nice King James study Bible.

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I had made it across the Cascade Mountains. And as I was walking toward Ashland, it began to downpour. From early that morning till late at night it rained hard…really hard! I was totally soaked! After a number of hours, the rain began to feel like I was being stabbed by thousands of little needles! So for hours, I could only just barely endure this very painful downpour!

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After half a day walking through Ashland in the rain, my backpack became heavier and heavier. All my books were getting water-logged. Finally, I couldn’t stand the weight of those books any longer! Seeing a large dumpster, I sadly threw out all those water-logged health and religious books!

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Miraculously, the only book still completely dry…was my Bible!

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I began to suspect that my Bible being dry when all the rest of my books were soaked might just be Divine Providence. This is because about a month or two earlier, a more well-seasoned Christian advised me that I was depending too much on other religious books. I was getting too confused by all these books. I was still somewhat of a novice Christian, and the Devil was taking advantage of my lack of Christian maturity, causing me to do extreme things. As I said, that Christian lady advised me to put all my other books away for a while, and just start reading the Bible only. So I began to wonder if me getting caught in this rainstorm was God’s way of confirming the advice of that Christian lady.

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But still the rain kept pouring down. Still it felt that I was being stabbed by thousands of little needles! Finally, about 9 PM, after 17 or so hours in this rain, I couldn’t take it any longer!

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I remembered running into a Christian at a church service I went to the previous day, who gave me his number in case I ever needed help. I found the business card he gave me. When I came to a phone booth I called him. He was very happy to drive me to a local mission in Medford, a few miles away, where I was issued dry clothes and a very nice bed. The place was filled with other vagabonds! I looked around at all the other people who had just come out of the rain, men, women, and even children. We all looked like a bunch of water-soaked birds who just found our way to a dry shelter! Shaking off all our water! Everyone looked as happy as me, to be dry and warm and out of the rain.

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A week or two was spent in that little Shakespearian community of Ashland Oregon. Nights were spent outside of town, on National Forest land, if memory serves correctly. Days were spent in Lithia Park, next to the Shakespearean Amphitheater. I read my Bible during the days. It was late summer, and the ripe apples and Bosc pears from old orchards in the area, was all I had to eat. This was my first encounter with Bosc pears. Normally I wouldn’t even touch those ugly-looking brown pears. But now they tasted mighty good! And also, there was one particular apple tree in an old orchard that yielded very sweet apples! So it was Bosc pears and Jonathon apples! (Just giving you this information to kind-of personalize and hopefully make this somewhat interesting to read).

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sunny rain storm – public domain

Lithia-Park-Ashland-Creek-by Demi for Wikipedia-share-alike license

453px-Hedrick_(1921)_-_Beurre_Bosc wikipedia public domain

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ORION AND THE DRAGON (c. 1988)

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As time went by, and winter approached, the constellation Orion was much more easily recognizable (I had first learned about Orion a few years earlier.) “Yep. There’s Orion! Yep. He does look like a soldier!” A soldier with a shield in his left hand, and a sword in his right hand. But who was he fighting against, up there in the night sky? I was going through terrific battles in my own life, so seeing this soldier in the night sky was a real encouragement for me… “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13.

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And because of all the troubles I had with satanic forces, as far as I was concerned, it was the evil day right this very moment!

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Thinking about this question, it became noticeable that to Orion’s left, there was another constellation. It simply looked like a large, sideways ‘V’. It kind-of looked like a crocodile’s mouth, wide open. “Could that mouth represent Satan’s mouth?”  

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At some point in time, the Book of Revelation, Chapter Twelve began to become part of this story. This Bible chapter told the story of Michael the Archangel, fighting against the dragon.

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“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven…there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.” Revelation 12:1,7 

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And so it made sense. If the constellation Orion’ was a picture of Revelation Chapter 12, then there would have to be a dragon up there also, just like Revelation 12 speaks about. But only the mouth of the dragon was visible. His body was not apparent, at least not to me! However, there was a cluster of stars that could possibly be the dragon’s eye, but I later found out this cluster of stars was known as the Pleiades. The Bible spoke of the Pleiades, in the book of Job…

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“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?” Job 38:31. But what did that mean!?! “Can you bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion!?!” I DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE!!!  
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The Pleiades Constellation can be seen in colder months in mid sky, traveling east to west through the night. NASA photo by Robert Gendler (click on picture for link)

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But even though it was a just a mouth, it was definitely a dragon’s mouth. And I knew Satan has a body, even though we can’t see that body (or so I thought).

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But what I didn’t realize is, that years later, I would be shown some more stars that together appear in the shape of a wave of water coming forth out of his mouth. And this wave of water was going in the direction of a constellation that looked like a woman with eagle wings. This all is found in Revelation 12. You can read all about these things in DISCOVERING SIGNS OF HEAVEN-(PART 2) and also in DISCOVERING SIGNS OF HEAVEN  (PART 3)  .

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SEVEN BOWLS OF GOD’S WRATH (1988)

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About this same time, the Big Dipper began to be seen as the 7 Angels of Revelation which had the 7 bowls of wrath. They seemed to relate to the book of Revelation Chapter 15, 16. The handle being composed of  3 stars (or 3 angels). And the bowl itself composed of 4 stars (or 4 angels).

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This was validated by the fact that as summer turns to winter, this bowl held by 3 stars (angels) slowly turns up as if it begins to pour out its contents (God’s wrath) upon the Earth.

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Listen to Scripture… “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.” Revelation 16:1 

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Having said all this, I didn’t realize that this same constellation also appears as a giant cross on a hill in mid winter. And makes a great statement concerning just what these bowls of wrath are all about! But you will have to wait for DISCOVERING SIGNS OF HEAVEN-(PART 2) to read about this aspect.

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BOOK OF REVELATION OFTEN USES NUMBER “7”

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This same constellation also began to appear as representing the 7 stars of Revelation chapters 1, 2, 3 in which Jesus is holding 7 stars, which represent the 7 churches of Asia (representing all churches through the entire New Testament era)… “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20. After all… these seven stars were so big and bright and prominent in the night sky, that it was obvious that God is trying to make a statement with this beautiful constellation. A big statement!

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“What statement?”, you ask?

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Well, for one thing, Orion seemed to represent Christ and The Seven Stars (the Big Dipper), The Church. (and Orion is made primarily of 7 very bright stars as well). And of course, Christ and His Church is the foundation of God’s Kingdom in Heaven. And so these brightest two constellations of all constellations, seemed to be the two foundational constellations in the night sky.

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1 FLOWER & 2 BIRDS

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Needless to say, it’s a lot nicer to walk on a nice warm summer night, than in a frozen Klamath Basin winter evening.  And walking is an excellent time to pray. To just walk down the street, and pray makes much more sense, in combination with the much-needed exercise.  So, daily (nightly, actually) walks were just what the Doctor ordered.

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But winter finally let go its grip on the Basin, and summer returned. Now being summer once again,  the Summer Constellations again returned.

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One appeared that looked somewhat like a cross.

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Another that looked like two twin seagulls flying westward, one in front of the other. But later on I would realize that these were not seagulls, but another, very special type of bird that was used in the Old Testament temple service!

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FLOWER …    And there was another constellation that looked like a flower. Did this 7 star flower represent the 7 churches of Asia? Or not? These constellations were visible in the summer months. But recently, it’s looking as if there may be an 8th star in this constellation. And when the earth’s axis shifts, there are two more stars which could easily be considered part of the stem of that flower. So that would make a total of 10 stars. So it’s not so clear as to just how many stars are in this constellation.

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But what I didn’t realize at this point, that this flower has great significance in the Signs Of Heaven story. This flower presents one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture. And you can read about this in  DISCOVERING SIGNS OF HEAVEN  (PART 3)

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THE GOOD SAMARITAN…MEXICAN STYLE

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From Ashland, I decided to hitch-hike down to Mexico. The weather was warmer down there, and it was already close to fall. So I did. I got a ride as far as Yreka California. I attended a church service there. The next morning, I began walking southward. I walked to the next town, Weed California. I spent my walking time memorizing Bible verses. After dark, I looked at the night sky again, with all its stars, as I walked along.

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The next morning, I could barely walk. After all, I had just walked 30 or 40 miles the previous day! So I hobbled to a freeway entrance.  I held out my thumb, and the first or second car stopped, and gave me a ride. This ride took me several hundred miles! I was kind of nervous however, because my driver drove about 80 MPH or more. But I kept quiet. And in no time at all, I was let out in Bakersfield, perhaps. From there, I can’t remember so much. But it wasn’t too long until I was in Los Angeles. From there, I found a special bus for $10.00, that took me to Tijuana, Mexico!

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I’m kind of a “play-it-by-ear” type of person. So I really didn’t have much of a plan. I figured that God would provide. And up to this point, He did.  

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Anyway, I was there at a bus station, but I had no idea where I was going. I was trying to ask someone for help with the little Spanish that I knew. A Spanish lady, somehow perceived that I needed help, so she came over and told me to follow her. So I did. Before long, we were on a bus. I had no idea where I was going. But several hours later, I found myself in Ensenada. Ensenada was a tourist town on the western Pacific coast. I followed the lady off the bus, and she said goodbye, and went her way.

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Weed_CA wikipedia share-alike license

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OK….so now what? I had about 5 dollars or so. So I went into a little market and bought some Mexican pastries, which I stuffed myself with. That night I went down to the tourist area, and walked the streets, and looked at all the tourists on this Friday night. Finally I found my way down to a public beach. There were a lot of people on the beach, drinking and making noise. I decided to lay low, so I went to a dark quiet place on the sand and got into my sleeping bag.

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The next morning I sat on the beach. I had been having great success lately memorizing Bible verses. So I spent the entire day there on the beach. By nightfall I had memorized the entire Book of James. Oh it’s just a short book. But I was really happy about my newly acquired ability to memorize Scripture. It was truly a red-letter day, spiritually speaking!

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ENSENADA

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That night, however, was not exactly a red-letter night. Just the opposite! As I was walking down to the beach to go to sleep, two teens were following me. They came up behind me and tripped me, with some fancy little foot-maneuver, which they no doubt had been practicing. They wanted to know what was in my backpack. I had no money, and so they had really picked the wrong guy to rob. And in my backpack, there was only my Bible. I decided to try to shame them, by offering my study Bible. I began waving my Bible and saying over and over, “Mi Biblia! Mi Biblia” I really didn’t expect them to take it. I just wanted to shame them. But to my surprise, they shrugged their shoulders and took it. They walked away, no doubt happy to have successfully robbed this American tourist. But I’m sure when they got home, they most likely disposed of my study-Bible. (I think they were mostly in this little caper for the sport of it.)

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So there I was! No Bibles anymore! But at least I still had my sleeping bag! “That’s good!”

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ABOVE PHOTO: Ensenada-at-night wikipedia-public domain

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The next day, I really can’t remember what I did. Well, I do remember going into town. It was Sunday, and I decided to find a church in service, in hopes of acquiring another Bible. After some time, I saw a little church. There was a whole lotta singing going on inside. I went in towards the end of their service. Everyone was singing and clapping hands. I was from a very traditional and “proper” denomination, so I was a little uncomfortable by this happy and noisy service. After the service, I went to the pastor, and asked if he had an English Bible. He finally came back with a New Testament in Spanish on half the page and English on the other half. I thanked him so much.

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I was hungry, so I wandered around till I found a Mexican restaurant. I had no money, however. But a restaurant employee came out and threw into the dumpster, about four or six unopened packages of flour tortillas. Of course, I waited till he went back inside to get them. And were they ever good!! They weren’t corn tortillas, but were those soft flour tortillas. Much better than corn tortillas, when eating uncooked!

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WELCOME WAGON RETURNS!

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That night however was not so good! As I was walking down to the beach again, I was confronted by four men. Three were walking, and the fourth was riding a horse. One of them came up to me and decided to entertain his friends. He put his arm around me, like he was my buddy. He said something in Spanish, and then he hit me in the face. He then repeated this little scenario several times. Finally, the man on horseback told him to stop it. He hit me one more time and then they all left. I quickly got out of there. But I had dropped my sleeping bag in the commotion. So now, I had no religious books. No study Bible. And now…no sleeping bag! And it was night. But there was no way I was gonna go back down to the beach! So I went back to the restaurant where I found those tortillas, I spent the night standing in front of the restaurant. It was a nice night, so I wasn’t cold. Miraculously, after cleaning off a little blood, I was surprised to find that I had almost no physical damage. Some guy came up while standing in front of that restaurant, who spoke English, and we talked for several hours. I no doubt spoke to him about the Bible and Christianity.

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And I must admit, it was a nice warm evening. But more than this, my mind was totally at peace! All through the long night, standing there in front of that restaurant.

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THE LONG WALK HOME…

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The next morning, I decided that I wasn’t going to spend another night in that town. I just couldn’t take any more of their “welcoming committee”. So I began walking. I kept looking for a sign to tell me how far it was back to the U.S.. I finally passed a sign. It was 100 kilometers to the border. I tried to recall how many miles that was. I decided it was about 67 miles or so.

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I walked about 20 miles. No water and no food. It was still about 45 miles to the border. Just then I saw something waving at me, in the wind, on the side of the road. I walked closer to see if it was what I thought it was. It looked like money. Paper money…just waving at me. I picked it up and squinted to see how much I had found. It looked like 20,000 Pesos. But how much was 20,000 Pesos? Maybe $100.00 American! I just didn’t know. Maybe much less.

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My first thought was find a bus going to San Diego. But I had already come twenty miles…on an empty stomach! And no water! But it was still 45 miles to the border.

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So, I decided to go for the sure thing. I turned around and walked back toward Ensenada. I knew there was a bus depot there. But the thought of walking back 20 miles was…uh…less than a pleasant idea. But what else could I do?

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After about 2 miles, I looked down on the side of the road and saw a white sack. The kind of sack you might get from a restaurant, with food to go. So I picked it up, and slowly opened it up. It was a sack full of burritos. And at this point I didn’t care if they were poison burritos! I was willing to take that chance!

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So in a few minutes, I had a full belly, and eighteen or so miles to walk…back to the town of Ensenada. Ensenada… where I was robbed one night, and beaten, on another!

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Just about then, an old pickup truck pulled up. An old man waved for me to get in. So I did. He didn’t speak a lick of English, and I only spoke a lick of Spanish, but managed to get through to him to take me to Ensenada.

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We drove without talking, and this Good Samaritan dropped me off at the Ensenada bus depot. I thanked him profusely and he said goodbye and drove away. I walked into the depot, still not knowing how rich I was, with my newly acquired wealth. Inside, I found out quickly just how wealthy I now was. My 20,000 Pesos bill was enough to get me on a bus to San Diego, with about $5.00 American, left over. The bus trip was $2.25 American, so the total of this 20,000 Pesos bill was $7.25 American, at that time. Oh well. It wasn’t too much, but it sure was enough! And as I looked out the bus window at the places I had just walked, I was thankful to God for providing enough for me to get back to San Diego. So with a full stomach from those burritos (I didn’t even get diarrhea from them!) to the old man and his old pickup truck, to the divine 20,000 pesos bill on the side of the road, I knew that the Lord was the true Good Samaritan here, who took care of me.

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Burrito Papa – chevos – wikipedia – share-alike license

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BEATEN AND ROBBED…AND LEFT FOR DEAD…BY THE DEVIL

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And one main reason for telling this story is because it pretty much tells what the next twenty years held in store for me…as far as my spiritual life was concerned. Little did I know, that very soon I was to find myself spiritually bankrupt. Very soon, I was about to lose my ability to study the Bible as I had been so blessed with, prior to all this. I was just about to enter a new chapter in my life. And getting robbed of my study Bible and beaten in this little Mexican resort was a fitting portrait of my future.

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So it was about 1989. I had been a Christian for about 8 years or so. But now, the Devil was waiting to ambush me (spiritually speaking). I was about to be robbed of my spirituality. I was about to go through a spiritual dementia that would last for the next 7 years. And the Devil would make the next 7 years…uh…not so pleasant. And then after 7 years, I would find myself climbing back up that spiritual mountain from which I fell a long way down. And receiving the Signs in the Sun, and Moon, and Stars, would be put on hold…for the next twenty years.

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If you want to read the detailed account of just how the Devil manifested himself in my life, you may click here… “Judgment Day, RX-7”

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Good Samaritan – (Watts) – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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Please go to the “Discovering Bible Constellations Part 2”

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THE END

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A HEAVENLY HOBBY

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“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things; that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah 40:26

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ABOVE PICTURE – Starry Night at La Silla – cropped  and altered image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike license

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The above verse is a plea from God to look up at the Heavens and behold Who has created these things.

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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and worries, and habits, to name just a few.

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But as the child of God devotes his or her life to God, there should be a jealous guarding of one’s own heart… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.

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The Christian wants nothing to get in the way of running that Christian Race.

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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License

Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license

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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…

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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”

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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.

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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!

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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.

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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.

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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.

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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25

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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)

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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS

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The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).

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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Church (7 Stars).

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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).

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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.

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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.

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ABOVE PICTURE: Orion the Soldier and the Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades & Pleiades, etc.) – winter constellations – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use

ABOVE PICTURE – 7 Stars Constellation as the Cross (aka Big Dipper) – winter – signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses

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ANOTHER HEAVENLY HOBBY: PRAYER-WALKS

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Now if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go on nightly walks, and you live in an area where you can safely view the stars, here is another Heavenly Hobby which Signs Of Heaven endorses…

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Why not combine star-watching with prayer, as you walk? What a great way to draw closer to God!

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It cannot be over-stressed, just how wonderful it is to walk under the dark canopy of Heaven, while lifting up one’s heart to our Heavenly Father! There is a closeness to God that cannot be described with words!

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(And even if you cannot safely do this, you can always do such prayer-walks in the daytime, in a safe place, such as a mall, which is every bit as effective, prayer-wise.

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And for those who are in confinement, one can view these starry signs on the Internet, or simply listen to Scripture on audio.

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Either way, all such may enjoy God’s richest blessings at this very time in which God is pouring out all Heaven’s treasures upon anyone willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus!)

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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and latered image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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THRICE-DAILY PRAYERS

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Now of course, the Bible commands us to, “pray without ceasing“. The Christian is to constantly talk with our Heavenly Father throughout the day.

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But the Bible also holds up the godly life of Daniel, who, when captive in Babylon, still set aside three times daily, in which he knelt for special prayer.

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And furthermore the Bible also says… “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17.

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Even those who are bed-fast or in a prison cell can begin to imitate Daniel in this way. And if one is fortunate to be able to walk, then this thrice-daily prayer regimen can be combined with three walks daily and even nightly.

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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – public domain

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