Mystery Babylon: Who Is This Harlot Of Revelation?
By admin On January 8th, 2011.
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MYSTERY BABYLON:
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THE HARLOT OF
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REVELATION 17
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“I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast…
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
and upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”
Revelation 17:3-5
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THE TWO WOMEN OF SCRIPTURE
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Throughout Scripture there is a common thread found, beginning in Genesis, and running all
the way through to Revelation.
It is the story of two women: one good and one evil.
And many people are perplexed as to just who or what these two women represent.
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Perhaps the best way to explore this subject, is merely to look at some of the various places these two women are found.
And in so-doing, we might better understand just what these two women are all about.
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Jezebel – John Liston Byam Shaw – Wikipedia – Public Domain
Esther by Léon Benouville Odaliske 1844 wikipedia US public domain
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“GREAT SIGN IN HEAVEN…A WOMAN”
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“And there appeared a great wonder (sign) in heaven;
a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet,
and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”
Revelation 12:1
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The Apostle John was shown a, “great wonder in heaven, a woman…”.
This sign which John saw was a picture of the Church, which, by the way, God often referred to as a woman. Galatians speaks about the…
“Jerusalem which is above is free,
which is the mother of us all.”
Galatians 4:26.
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Paul also made this statement to the Church at Corinth… “for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 1st Corinthians 11:2.
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So this concept of a woman representing the Church (that is, the true-worshippers from both the Old & New Testaments) is a very well established Biblical concept.
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ABOVE STAR-CHART – Summer constellation – Woman of Revelation 12 In Travail (aka: Ursa Major which includes The Big Dipper) – www.signsofheaven.org
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REVELATION 12 WOMAN CONSTELLATION
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But God has likewise written this very same concept in the heavens. God said…
“Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God;
ask it either in the depth, or in the height above…
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:11-14 (condensed).
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Now why did God say to ask for a sign in the depth OR in the height above?
One very good reason is that this sign of a virgin with child was fulfilled down here on Earth, with Mary and Jesus.
This would be that sign, “in the depth”.
But what sign is given in the height above?
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ABOVE PICTURE: Winter – Revelation 12 Woman with Eagle Wings
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“A SIGN OF THE LORD…IN THE HEIGHT ABOVE”
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Well, God has created a constellation sign, of a woman with child in the height above.
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You see, in the summer this Revelation 12 Woman Constellation (also known as Ursa Major ) appears as a woman with child.
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But this same constellation in the winter flips upside down and now appears as a fleeing woman with wings as an eagle. This woman represents the Church-Faithful.
She symbolizes the five wise virgins in that famous Matthew 25 parable.
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This concept of the Church-Faithful also is picked up in Revelation Chapter 12…
“And there appeared a great wonder (sign) in heaven
; a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet,
and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”
Revelation 12:1.
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Here God speaks of a virtuous woman in Heaven, again symbolizing the Church-Faithful.
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Now if you would like to explore more about this Virtuous Woman of Revelation 12 Constellation, just click here… “Woman of Revelation 12 (Woman in Travail)”
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And so with this basic understanding, it is time to discuss the other woman of Revelation. The adulterous woman…
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PLEIADES: CONSTELLATION OF THE REVELATION 12 HARLOT
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As of January, 2013, it appears that the tail of the Revelation 12 Dragon represents the Harlot of Revelation.
This is the star-cluster known as the Pleiades.
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Now this cluster is actually a constellation which is roughly in the shape of this woman.
The red star in her mid-section is the cup of wine spoken of in Revelation.
Here is a picture of the Pleiades Constellation.
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EVE, THE 1ST ADULTEROUS WOMAN
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Even in the garden of Eden, did this theme of an adulteress begin, when Eve decided to commit spiritual adultery by eating the forbidden fruit.
Eve no longer was the virtuous woman she was created to be.
And so began Mankind’s woes upon Earth…
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Eve Tizian_eve-wikipedia-pub-dom
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ABRAHAM, SARAH, AND HAGAR
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The ‘two woman’ theme shows up with Sarah and Hagar in the Book of 
Genesis. Sarah, the legitimate wife of Abraham, and Hagar, the Egyptian hand-maid, who was thrust into a cursed relationship with Abraham.
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While Hagar may have been an innocent ‘pawn’ in this faithless scheme to produce a child for Abraham, Hagar was nevertheless an Egyptian.
And Revelation 11:8 exposes Egypt as a spiritual representation of apostate Jerusalem.
So Hagar is the symbol of the apostate portion of God’s people.
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This will be further discussed a little down the page.
So in this story of Sarah and Hagar, the Lord is establishing this concept of the two women of Scripture.
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Hagar – Wikipedia – public domain
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SAMSON & DELILAH
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What about Delilah, who betrayed Samson?
Was she a picture of the Harlot Woman of Revelation?
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Very much so.
Sadly, the story of Samson has a striking parallel to the God’s people.
Just as Samson loved strange women, so too, God’s people have united with the world many times and in many ways.
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Dore Samson And Delilah from creationism.org public domain
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RUTH AND ORPHAH
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RUTH AND ORPAH…Likewise, the story of Ruth and Orpah is a picture of a ‘virtuous woman’ and a ‘not-so-virtuous woman’.
Ruth, the heroine of this story, decides to stay with Naomi (her widowed Israelite mother-in-law), and Orpah returns to her pagan people.
Of course, this story has everything to do with those who choose to serve God and those who turn back from following God, to return to the idolatry of the world.
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WHAT IS THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ADULTERESS & THE FAITHFUL WOMAN?
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We all sin, don’t we? Well then, why is this Adulteress any different from any Believer?
Is there any one quality of this “adulterous woman” that makes her different from the true worshippers of God?
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Here is the attitude of a child of God.
Listen to Ezra here...
“And [Ezra] said, O my God,
I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to Thee, my God:
for our iniquities are increased over our head,
and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.”
Ezra 9:6.
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Now listen to God’s assessment of His defiant people…
“and thou [God’s people] hadst a whore’s forehead,
thou refusedst to be ashamed.”
Jeremiah 3:3.
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Compare the two attitudes found here in these previous two verses.
Here is the difference between the Believer and those known as “false brethren”.
A true Christian may sin, but will be filled with sorrow and repentance.
There will be seen a genuine consternation over the matter of failing to be Christ-like in every way.
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On the other hand, the false brethren cannot, and will not know such a sorrow for sin.
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Tissot – The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spies – Wikipedia – public domain
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THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN
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Who is the virtuous woman?
Proverbs deals heavily on the subject of the adulteress as well as the virtuous woman.
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Just listen… “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband…” Proverbs 12:4.
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JEREMIAH 
Jeremiah also speaks of her… “How is the faithful city become an harlot” Jeremiah 1:21.
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Jeremiah speaks of Jerusalem as a harlot.
And Paul revealed that the apostate Church is, “Jerusalem which is now, and is in bondage with her children” (This is explained farther down the page).
So we must never get the idea these Old Testament prophecies have no relevance to the Church.
Otherwise Paul would have no reason to warn us with this concept.
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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain
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EZEKIEL
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Ezekiel speaks of two adulterous women… “Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister…Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem is Aholibah.” Ezekiel 23:5. Here again, God compares His people to two adulterous sisters.
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HOSEA
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Hosea was told by the Lord to, “Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms…for the land hath committed great whoredom, [departing] from the LORD.” Hosea 1:3.
This little book of Hosea, is based on God comparing His people to the harlot Hosea is commanded to marry.
So the Lord is comparing this new harlot wife of Hosea to Israel.
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Jeremiah at the Potter’s House Wikigallery US public domain
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PAUL FINALLY REVEALS WHAT
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THESE TWO WOMEN REPRESENT
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So now we come to the New Testament.
And Paul makes the most incredible and bold comparison of Abraham’s wife Sarah and her handmaid, Hagar to the Old and New Covenants!
Just listen carefully to the below passage…
“Which things (Sarah & Hagar) are an allegory:
for these are the two covenants;
the one from the mount Sinai,
which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar.
For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia,
and answers to Jerusalem which now is,
and is in bondage with her children.
But Jerusalem which is above is free,
which is the mother of us all.”
Galatians 4:24-26
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This is the great recurring theme in Scripture: two women, a virtuous woman and an adulterous, whorish woman.
Paul correctly interpreted the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar and their children as a picture of the Church, both the apostate portion and the True Worshippers of God.
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Sarah & Hagar – Foster Bible Pictures – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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JEZEBEL IS BACK AGAIN!
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“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee,
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,
which calleth herself a prophetess,
to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication,
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
And I will kill her children with death;
and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts:
and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”
Revelation 2:20, 23
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In the 2nd Chapter of Revelation, no longer is Jezebel a literal person, but now is an allegorical figure.
Now she represents “Apostasy”.
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THE REVELATION 18 HARLOT
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THAT SITS ON MANY WATERS
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In Revelation 14 the Second Angel declares, “Babylon is fallen”. Listen…
“And there followed another angel, saying,
Babylon is fallen, is fallen,
that great city,
because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Revelation 14:8
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Babylon is a picture of God’s apostate people.
There was no actual Babylon during the writing of the New Testament.
But the New Testament Babylon was a symbolic city.
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MYSTERY BABYLON IS THE CHURCHES
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Now many would like to think that Revelation 18 is only referring to literal Jerusalem and Judah
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But the fact is, literal Jerusalem was vacated by Christ, 2,000 years ago.
This seems then, that it must be speaking of Jerusalem, “which is now, and is in bondage with her children”, that is, the apostate churches.
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The reason it seems this can only be speaking of the churches, is because Salvation only has to do with the Church, in these New Testament times.
Literal Jerusalem has been void of all these things for 2,000 years, now.
So it only further gives weight to the theory that it is actually speaking of the apostate churches.
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Ninth Av Stones Western Wall wikipedia public domain
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GOD’S PEOPLE TAKEN CAPTIVE
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“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (Babylon), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4
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Let’s return back to the Constellation Pleiades for a moment.
As we discussed at the beginning of this article, the Pleiades is symbolic of the Mystery Harlot of Revelation, Babylon The Great.
But the Constellation Pleiades is a double-entendre.
It has a dual fulfillment, it seems.
That is, it can also be seen as a captive angel.
This Captive Angel represents God’s people who have been taken captive in spiritual Babylon.
You see, God has a people in Babylon.
Yes, Mystery Babylon is the Mother of Harlots.
And of course, many times in Scripture, God compares His people to a harlot.
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The sketch below shows her riding this beast with 7 heads and 10 horns.
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But in that spiritual “City of Confusion”, there are those who still love God to a certain degree.
And before the final plagues are poured out upon her, God will call His people out of her…
“And I heard another voice from heaven,
saying, Come out of her (Babylon), My people,
that ye be not partakers of her sins,
and that ye receive not of her plagues.”
Revelation 18:4
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And so in addition to The Pleiades appearing as the Harlot Mother, we also see this second depiction of The Pleiades as an angel, which symbolizes God’s people, walking the downward pathway to destruction.
These must be called out of Babylon before it’s too late!
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ABOVE PHOTO: The Pleiades (Above constellation can be seen in colder months in mid sky, traveling east to west through the night. With the eyes alone, it would appear much smaller than this. But with binoculars, it would appear more like this photo). NASA photo by Robert Gendler
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ONE WORD
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Obviously a rather thick book could be written on this subject, and probably there are many already written.
And though we could just barely touch on these Bible villainesses and heroines, yet time still doesn’t permit to speak of Deborah, or Lydia, or Athaliah, or Bathsheba, etc..
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But the comparison has been made between these two women of Scripture.
And not only does this (hopefully) clarify just who is this Harlot Woman of Revelation, but hopefully, it also clarifies just who is this Virtuous Woman of Revelation as well.
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PICTURE – Constellation- Woman of Revelation 12 flees to the mountains Mark 13:14 This is not a star-chart, but merely a concept picture, but made up of real constellations (Ursa Major & Auriga, Hyades, etc…, howbeit not in their actual positions in the night-sky)
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THE END
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ETERNITY NOT SPENT SITTING ON CLOUD
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“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18
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In the beginning, God placed our first parents in a beautiful garden. But as a result of sin, this world lost much of its beauty. The curse has marred, to a great extent, the pristine condition of nature.
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There are perhaps many, who are under the impression, that God’s redeemed will spend all eternity sitting on a puffy little cloud, strumming a harp. Nothing could be further from the truth! “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:” Revelation 21:1
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Do we really imagine that the same God who created that incredible garden for our first parents, would then put us through all this sorrow and hardships, only to now stick us in some boring situation, for eternity? Such people don’t know God nearly well enough.
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The beauty and innocent joys of this present world, are just a faint reflection of what awaits all those who persevere on the upward pathway to that Celestial City of God.
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LET’S CATCH A VISION OF THAT PROMISED LAND
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So Signs Of Heaven encourages the reader to begin to get a vision of the New Heaven and New Earth, and begin to get excited about it. When we hear the cry of a new-born baby, or the innocent laughter of little children. When we see a little forest creature having fun, or we enjoy a walk along the sand at the ocean, and hear the majestic roar of the crashing waves. These, and the many other joys of life were created by the One who has also gone to prepare an even more beautiful place for us to live. He knows our needs, and will provide a place far more wonderful home than this sin-cursed Earth.
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And when we finally cross that river, and we stand together on the shores of that world to come, we will look in amazement at what He has in store for us there. And then we will know for certain, that, “His mercy endures forever”, because “God is love”!
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Wildpferde Tripsdrill wikimedia commons share-alike license
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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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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 Chur
ch (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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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