2017 Archives - Signs of the Rapture

The Venus and Jupiter Conjunction of November 12-13, 2017

November 10, 2017 By Bear Ian Leave a Comment

As the story goes, about 2020 years ago on Sept. 11, 3 B.C., wise men in the East noticed an unusually bright star in the western sky. We now know with a very high degree of certainty that the celestial object they saw was a conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter, which separately are the two brightest objects that can be seen in the evening sky. When the orbits of the two planets came together, one on top of the other like a figure eight, they would have formed the brightest celestial object ever seen by man. A conjunction involving Venus and Jupiter is not rare, it happens every year…often times during the day. What is rare is being able to see it. For the first time since the birth of Christ, a conjunction between Venus and Jupiter will be visible on November 12-13, 2017 on the Eastern horizon just before the sun rises. As the earth turns and the sun begins to rise, the incredibly bright ‘star’ will begin to fade into the daylight.Why do I mention this? I mention it because unlike some, I believe that Biblical astronomy is worthy of study, as it relates to signs of Jesus coming and signs which involve the ‘Sun, Moon and Stars’ as mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 21:25.

The upcoming conjunction of Venus and Jupiter is the last astronomical event this year involving a string of highly unusual events which began 3 1/2 years ago.

First, there were a series of four blood moons which fell exactly on the Jewish Feast Days of Passover and Feast of Tabernacles (Succot) for two consecutive years.
Then there was the Great Eclipse of 2017 which cut a swath of darkness across America from the northwest to the southeast.
Then there was the retrograde event of Jupiter for 9 months, 2 weeks and 6 days within the womb of the constellation Virgo, exiting on September 9-10.
Then there was the Revelation 12 Sign, an alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Stars which matched a literal reading of verses from Revelation 12:1-5.
Then there was the predawn conjunction of Venus and Mars, to which I can attest, appeared to be a much brighter star than usual.
And next is the predawn conjunction of Venus and Jupiter.

There are two very interesting, polar opposite theories about the Venus/Jupiter conjunction:

1) In Revelation 22:16 Jesus Himself allegorically states, “I am the bright morning star” which is another name for the planet Venus. Why would He say that? It is theorized that the Venus/Jupiter conjunction is symbolic of Jesus as the Head of the Church, coming together with Jupiter as the Body of Christ, for the first time in 2,000 years. We have already read about the symbolism of Jupiter as the Body of Christ, or the male child in Revelation 12 who is raptured to the throne of God. Jupiter symbolically representing the actual body of Christ as well, as portrayed in Isaiah 53, with stripes and with a bloody red spot where He was pierced on the side. When they are seen for the first time in 2,000 years coming together, Venus will set on top of Jupiter, symbolizing the head on top of the body.

2) Another theory is that Venus represents Satan who is also characterized in the Bible as the ‘morning star’ in Isaiah 14:12: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!” (NIV). The KJV and NKJV both translate “morning star” as “Lucifer, son of the morning.” The theory states that the church (Jupiter) after having been born from Israel (Virgo) is chased by Satan (Venus) before being ‘caught up’ to the throne of God (raptured).

Two other similar words used in the Bible used to describe Jesus and Satan are ‘lion’ and ‘ruler’: Jesus as King is the Lion of Judah, while Satan is the lion who seeks to devour and destroy.Jesus is King of the Universe (Melech ha’Olam), while Satan is referred to as the Prince of the power of the air, Prince of Darkness (Eph.6:12), or the ruler of THIS world (2 Corinthians 4:4) but with limited authority.

Between the two theories, I’d be more inclined towards the first one, since Jesus is also described as the Groom who goes to retrieve His bride, the Church, to take her away to the Father’s house.

Just as the Bethlehem Star did not signify a specific date to the wise men, but an event, it might just be that the series of unusual astronomical events these last few years should be viewed the same way, as portents of an upcoming event, not of a specific day. What if?

Eph 5:23 – Christ IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH: AND HE IS THE SAVIOUR OF THE BODY.

Col 1:18 – And he is THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Rev 22:16 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR.

Rev 2:18-29 – But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations – ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘

So it would seem that Rev. 2 does refer to the male child described in Revelation 12, who is given the same rod of iron and who is also given the ‘morning star’. Could this be a portrayal of the Church (male child/Jupiter) coming together with Jesus (Venus/morning star), or it could be said Jesus is going to give Jupiter the morning star (Venus).

A few mathematical date related oddities which relate to November 12/13 are:

777 days from the last Blood Moon on Sept. 28, 2015
444 days from a Jupiter/Venus conjunction on Aug. 27, 2016,
- which itself was 333 days after the last blood moon of September 28, 2015.
50 days after the Revelation 12 Sign of September 23, 2017.

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those
who are eagerly waiting for him.

– Hebrews 9:28

A few more thoughts about the Revelation 12 Sign of September 23, 2017

October 4, 2017 By Bear Ian Leave a Comment

Few people will probably read this, so my fear of ridicule is small. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been fascinated with the controversy and arguments surrounding the Revelation 12 Sign of 09/23/2017. Publicly, my personal position on the whole thing is and has been ‘Maybe’ and ‘What if?’ Because I honestly don’t know.

I’m intrigued by how compelling the narrative has become, the mathematical curiosities associated with it and the very long list of what are either associated coincidences, or possibly not coincidences. To my knowledge, historically speaking, nothing quite like this has very happened before, and I’m not just talking about the astronomical alignment, but how this topic has evolved and created such division. It’s difficult for me to understand how anybody can easily dismiss the observation that a literal reading of the Bible verses in Revelation 12:1-5 describes the astronomical alignment which occurred on 09/23.

Either:

a) it is legitimate to be watching for a literal fulfillment of what is described in Rev. 12:1-5 or

b) it is purely symbolic.

If ‘a’, then the ‘Great Sign’ will involve the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. Our only common knowledge of anything representing a ‘woman’ in the sky would be a constellations of stars.

Of the 88 constellations covering the entire sky in the northern and southern hemispheres, I believe only 3 are of women; Andromeda, Cassiopeia and Virgo.
Of these three constellations, only Virgo appears in the ecliptic, which is the path that the sun travels across the sky from sunrise to sunset.
Virgo is the only constellation in which both the Sun and the Moon are ever in proximity to.
So by the process of elimination, the sign would involve the constellation Virgo (symbolic of the Virgin) the Sun, the Moon and 12 stars.

If ‘b’, then any attempt to apply a literal fulfillment to the ‘Great Sign’ would be a waste of time. But I don’t think there are any examples of ‘signs’ which were not manifested in the physical world. By definition, a ‘sign’ would suggest that there is evidence of something specific.

Revelation is a tricky book to decipher. What is symbolic and what is not? and Who is to say?

Revelation 12 Sign a Birth Story of the Church

June 22, 2017 By Bear Ian Leave a Comment

Here is a relatively short, fresh, sober article published 3 days ago by Pete Garcia, an independent prophecy student who makes some very good points.

http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8461

Apparently John Darby, William Kelley, William Blackstone and H.A. Ironside all held a similar view of Rev. 12 as being a Pre-Tribulation Rapture sign.

Garcia’s article references this interview with Michael Svigel, who is a Department Chair at Dallas Theological Seminary > http://mydigitalseminary.com/pre-tribulational-rapture-interview-michael-svigel/

In the 2013 interview Svigel said, “I argue that the symbol of the male child in Revelation 12:5 is best identified as the body of Christ, the church, and the child’s catching up to God and His throne is best identified as the catching up of the body of Christ elsewhere described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.”

So here we have a reputable, contemporary opinion that the Revelation 12 speaks of the Rapture which is portrayed as a ‘birth story’ of the Church. The Church wasn’t ‘born’ at Pentecost 2,000 years ago, it was conceived at Pentecost. In keeping with the premise that the Church is the Body of Christ, the “Immaculate Conception” happened before the birth of Christ.

Even more interesting now?

Peace and Safety 2017

December 31, 2016 By Bear Ian Leave a Comment

This video compilation was uploaded December 2009, if it were re-created today it would be 3x as long.

Peace and Safety, Peace and Security.

With trepidation, I look forward to the upcoming January 15th Peace Conference in Paris, which should adopt the slogan “Peace and Security” or “Peace and Safety”.

As of late, this scripture comes to mind often as being tied to to Revelation 12,

1 Thessalonians 5:3

For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

Revelation 12:1-6

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. ²Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

³And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. ⁵She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. ⁶Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Revelation 12:1-6

It’s notable that 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 speaks of the Rapture, using the Greek word ‘harpazo’, which is the same word used in Revelation 12 to describe the male child being rescued, or caught up to heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words.

So in summary, the similarities between these 3 scriptures is that they mention a woman in childbirth, and include the phrase ‘caught up’ from the Greek word ‘harpazo’ which is the Rapture. It seems to me that they might be connected on a timeline… Peace and Safety, the woman gives birth, the church is raptured and saved from the fiery red dragon but those left behind will not escape, and the 7 year Tribulation begins.

There’s not much time

December 30, 2016 By Bear Ian Leave a Comment

So it’s almost New Year’s Eve 2016…

Obama has expelled 35 Russian diplomats as punishment for Russia allegedly hacking Democratic National Committee computers, releasing damning emails written to and from Hillary Clinton.

The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334 condemning Israel and declaring all settlements illegal as well as declaring East Jerusalem ‘occupied territory’.

It’s no secret that the US Navy’s Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is on it’s way home from the …but it’s not being relieved by another aircraft carrier. So the United States will have no carrier group in the Middle East for at least 2 months, leaving our #1 ally, Israel, virtually unprotected by it’s big brother. It’s been reported that the United States does have one flat top naval ship in the Persian Gulf with a number of helicopters on it, but combat helicopters can not provide the same type of support that fighter jets can. This concerns me.

There has been a string of BIG earthquakes along the Ring of Fire these last 2 months.

So, I’m burdened with the constant awareness that there is not much time left, that Jesus is coming back soon.

In Daniel 12:4, the angel tells Daniel to “shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end” and that “knowledge shall be increased.”
Perhaps this is the ‘time of the end’ the angel was speaking of, and perhaps the increase of knowledge is not limited to advancements in science and technology, but to biblical understanding as well. If this is true, then only those who pray for wisdom and are actively seeking knowledge and understanding will obtain it…everyone else will be stuck yesterday’s understanding of biblical prophecy, equivalent to believing the earth is flat even after enlightened scientists and mathematicians have proven otherwise.

It is apparent to me that most Christians these days are not ‘watching’ for Jesus’ return. They are consumed with day to day living, their job, their family, and have little time left for studying God’s Word.

Excluding online ‘friends’, I feel somewhat alone in my beliefs that Jesus could be coming back soon, possibly on Feast of Trumpets 2017 which spans 2 days, September 23rd and September 24th. I do leave room in my prophecy saturated mind for the possibility that the Rapture is not September 2017, but if it’s not, then the Revelation 12 Sign could be a road sign, warning of an impending change that is soon approaching. Either way, ‘Maranatha!’