I have known for a while that it seems to be more than coincidence although maybe it is just that there is a Hebrew word with the transliteration nasa that is the same spelling as the name of the American space agency Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Agency). The hebrew word nasa means to lift away as mentioned with the note on Psalm 103:12 in the Scofield Refence Bible of the King James Version as one of the three Hebrew words for forgive. Although the word Nasa is not used in Psalm 103 it is used in other places such as Genesis 50:17, Exodus 10:17 and Psalm 25:18. However more related to space is that nasa is also the word for lift up your eyes such as in Genesis 13:14, Deuteronomy 3:27 and Isaiah 40:26. This word Nasa is also used for the translation of Elijah to heaven in 2 Kings 2:16 or the prophet Ezekiel to other parts of earth in Ezekiel 8:3, 11:24 and 43:5 and of some women in a vision of Zechariah that were taken to another part of earth in a flying ephah bushel measurement in Zechariah 5:9. The reference in Isaiah 40:26 certainly applies to space as follows: Lift up (nasa) your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. There could well have been some Jewish people or Christians with a knowledge of Hebrew in the group deciding the new name of America's space agency because then Christianity was much stronger in United States than now and it was only 10 years after the founding again of Israel as an independent nation in 1948. The modern Hebrew word nasa has a somewhat similiar word travelled or journeyed although there does seem to be a different unrelated word for launching rockets. However I would still be interested to hear from people what they think of this or what they might have heard especially from people with a knowledge of biblical Hebrew and of the early history of Nasa.
You may be aware of some astronomy including having some knowledge of the Milky Way galaxy but the Lord has recently led me along several lines of investigation to conclude that the main gateway to heaven is in the constellation Sagittarius at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. As I investigate this more I continue to gain more information from different sources including much in the Bible as well as history and science to support this. As you may know Sagittarius means The Archer and often has the symbol of an arrow. It is also one of the Zodiacal constellations through which the planets and the sun and moon appear to move. Also in the constellation Sagittarius is located according to modern science the galactic center. This can be viewed in infrared wavelengths to some extent but there are clouds of dust that block our view of the centre of the galaxy in visible and some other electromagnetic radiation wavelengths. This galactic center is at the intersection of the ecliptic along which the planets and sun and moon move and the galactic equator which is an imaginary line through the center of the milky way and is the approximate plane of our Milky Way galaxy which is like a flatenned disk with a central bulge. Many of the current constellations, 48, and their pattern and names are straight from the Greek astronomer Ptolomy and his work The Almagest in about 150 AD including all 12 Zodiac constellations. However some of these constellations are from much earlier from Babylon with Orion also mentioned in the Biblical book of Job 2000 to 2500 BC Job 9:9, 38:31 and later in the book of Amos (Amos 5:8). The figure for Sagittarius is often depicted as a Centaur a half horse half man mythological creature with a bow and arrow. These Zodiac constellations can be traced all the way to the beginning of the history of Babylon earlier than 2000 BC and probably to its earlier namesake Babel that also means the same thing "confusion". The first king or ruler of Babel or Babylon was Nimrod who was also called "a mighty hunter". The word hunt or hunter in the Hebrew in the Bible means "to lie alongside" or "to lie in wait" (to catch an animal). Although it doesn't specifically say directly, this certainly would be consistant with someone using a bow and arrow in hunting. There is evidence that Nimrod chose the name of The Archer from which we get our name Sagittarius to give a memorial of himself and his hunting ability in the sky for posterity. The Zodiac constellations and probably some other constellations were probably also assigned by Nimrod and his mother Semiramis who were the originators of Babylonian or western astrology with some use of astronomy. I heard the study of the msystical or divination study of astrology and the scientific study of the stars astronomy were quite intertwined until the time of the scientist Kepler around 1600 AD. I have heard the word "zodiac" comes from the Greek for animal sign or the babylonian for observatory. Semiramis and Nimrod were also the originators of most idolatry including the mother goddess and mother child cult after the flood of Noah. The scripture reference to Nimrod as a hunter (archer) in Genesis is as follows:
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Genesis 10:8-10
Although some people might think it is just a coincidence that Nimrod who was the first mighty hunter called the area of the sky or heavens with the galactic centre after himself I think there is evidence that there is a very good and specific reason for this. One thing mentioned in verse 5 is that the LORD came down (from heaven) to see the city and the tower which the people of Babel building the tower of Babel. Then later God says let us go down and there confound (confuse) their language that they might not understand their speech. Then the Lord scattered them over the face of the Earth and they stopped building the Tower of Babel. What I want to emphasize is that twice it is mentioned God came down from heaven and then down to the Tower of Babel. I can't say for sure but perhaps Nimrod as well as other people in Babel (or Babylon) saw what part of the sky God came from and it was from the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy where astronomers say is large black hole and Nimrod perhaps with the encouragement of his mother Semiramis in spite against God named the constellation named after him Sagittarius or the Archer for this region of the sky or the heavens in order to in pride put his memorial in that part of the heavens against this region of the sky where God showed himself and his power and the entrance to his kingdom of heaven. The scripture reference in Genesis 11 of God coming down from heaven to Babel to confuse their language and Nimrod and others probably eyewitnessing this and possibly showing spite to God by naming this part of the heavens after himself and his might and hunting ability and against God and His might is as follows:
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off the build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:5-9
Although I had thought of it before, the idea that a black hole especially the centre of a black hole could be a passageway or entranceway to heaven received a boost in my mind recently. I was talking with a Christian friend about many things including about science and the Bible and he said because the famous and extraordinary astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has been for some time very sick including being heavily paralyzed but perhaps also more generally affected and in danger of his life he often thinks about death. This friend said this results in Stephen Hawking having a deep seated idea that black holes are gateways to the spiritual realm in this case especially of a passageway for demons or fallen angels or evil spirits into our physical universe. Although I haven't received confirmation of this yet in my own research, I plan to look into this more soon myself and try to obtain confirmation in books from or about Stephen Hawking. Although I don't know if Stephen Hawking said anything special about the massive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, it can be noted that it is far more massive and larger and with greater gravity although not necessarily more intense gravity than other black holes in our galaxy. Although massive black holes have been found or deduced for the centres of other galaxies, they are not as close to us and not as directly connected to us as the massive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Also there are often reports of people who have Near Death Experiences (NDEs) or other similiar supernatural experiences of going through a long dark tunnel to often a beautiful environment and sometimes seeing a being of light. This could be along a passageway through a black hole especially the one at the centre of the galaxy to heaven to see Lucifer or Satan if the message they receive is contrary to the Gospel of salvation only through the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Bible Satan or Lucifer and his angels (demons) will continue to have access to heaven until the midpoint of the tribulation when they will be cast out for good in a war there with the Archangel Michael and the holy angels of God. In fact this scene of war in heaven in Revelation 12 gives rise to a main association in the Bible of a passageway in heaven probably a black hole with arrow and an archer of which the word Sagittarius is a translation. In this reference in Revelation 12 Satan or Lucifer among other things is called the Accuser of the Brethren. This refers to his saying slanderous things against believers of the Lord Jesus Christ especially that God won't forgive our sins even if we have confessed them through Jesus and tried to put them behind us. The devil or Lucifer or Satan also will accuse believers in other ways in saying things like you are missing out on all the pleasures of the world or you are not accomplishing much for God or it is just our imagination in God and the Bible and it won't avail us anything in the end. These are some of the lies of Satan or Lucifer as the Accuser of the Brethren Satan says before God the Father in Heaven for which Jesus claims His shed blood to avail for us as believers but which can be assaults to our faith in God and Jesus or His Word - the Holy Bible. These assaults are called in Ephesians the fiery darts or arrows of the wicked one. This is named after the ancient practice of dipping arrows in oil and lighting them on fire and them shooting them at one's adversaries. This of course speaks of an archer in a spiritual sense including from heaven and probably the location of the black hole at the centre of the universe in Sagittarius but it could also refer other gateways to heaven through other black holes including micro black holes that are everywhere in the universe including inside us at a scale below 10-35 metre at the Planck Wheeler length where space time is supposed to be disccontinuous with a foaming mix of vacuum and black holes according to science. This is at a scale much smaller even than elementary particles like electrons and protons. The fact that Satan and his angels will be cast out of heaven to the earth after this war in heaven and probably seen descend from heaven by people on Earth then in the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel will enable people on Earth to have an idea where the gateway to heaven is and possibly in the direction of the centre of the galaxy in Sagittarius especially if this event happens at night as it will for some people and possible in the right time of year when the sun is on the other side of the sky. The scripture reference of the war in heaven between Satan or Lucifer and his angels and Michael and his angels and Satan the Accuser of the brethren being cast out of heaven to the earth in Revelation 12 and the reference to Satan's accusations against believers as fiery darts arrows from a master archer from Ephesians 6 are as follows:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ (Messiah): for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:7-12
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts (arrows) of the wicked (Satan). Ephesians 6:16
The first verse of this psalm looks forward to the 1000 year Messianic Age when the LORD (God the Father) and His Annointed One the Messiah (Jesus) reign over all the earth including all the isles or coastlands far from Israel. Then there will be worldwide peace, prosperity, righteousness and joy especially in the LORD and in His Messiah (Jesus) and His law and word. Verse 2 probably refers to the actual positon of the LORD in Heaven before he comes to reign on earth in the Millennial Kingdom with His Messiah Jesus, his holy angels and his saints (from the Church dispensation and some from the Old Testament period). The darkness round about the LORD could refer to the darkness of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy surrounding a tear in the fabric of space time at the centre of this black hole that is called a singularity. This could be a gateway to the third heaven where God's throne is and would allow spiritual beings to pass through as they wouldn't be confined to the crushing density or extreme gravity at the centre of this or other black holes although they would instantly crush and kill any people of flesh and blood or any other living things and crush and destroy any non-living material objects. This black hole is in the direction of Sagittarius and is perhaps also the direction God came from and was seen when he thwarted the building of the Tower of Babel and in the near future when Satan and the demons are cast out of heaven. The clouds could be the dust clouds in some of the spiral arms from 7000 light years from us to closer to the center of the galaxy that is itself about 25,000 light years from us. These dust clouds hide our view of the bright concentration of stars in the central bulge of our Milky Way galaxy that surrounds the central black hole. Verses 3 to 5 describe the appearance of the coming of the LORD at the end of the tribulation with the Lord Jesus at His Second Coming from heaven to earth very visibly in power and glory to initiate the 1000 year Messianic Kingdom. Verse 3 is consistant with passages like Malachi 4, 2 Thessalonians 1 and Matthew 26:64 and Matthew 24 where Jesus' coming is also compared to bright lightning. The scripture passage in Psalm 97 of the LORD (God the Father) coming with the Messiah (Jesus) and the holy angels and many saints from heaven, perhaps through the darkness of the black holy at the centre of the galaxy at the end of the tribulation and beginning of the Millennium is as follows:
The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. Psalm 97:1-5
In Job 26 God through his servant Job also mentions that God hides the location of his throne and Himself. God then says through Job that he does this through a cloud spread around him. Although I can't say for sure this could also indicate the clouds of dust and gas around the centre of the Milky Way and around the black hole in the central area. This black hole could be a doorway for God or angels to move through from the third heaven although I think the main location of the third heaven is beyond the farthest galaxies that are part of the second heaven. Although mortal humans or rockets or other material things would be completely destroyed by the black hole and its immense gravity it is possible spiritual beings like God and angels (and demons) could use black holes especially the one at the centre of the galaxy as short cuts to travel in the heavens. Believing Christians or other Biblical saints from the Old Testament or the tribulation when we get our resurrection bodies might in our spiritual mode also be able to travel safely through black holes including the one in the heart of our galaxy which could lead to God and His throne. The scripture reference from Job 26 of clouds possibly around the centre of the galaxy hiding God and His throne which could be accessible through the black hole at the centre of the galaxy is as follows:
He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it. Job 26:9
The prophet Isaiah was living in a time when Assyria had taken over the northern kingdom of Israel and were threatening the southern kingdom of Judah which Isaiah was concerned would also be defeated because of their immorality, idolatry and godlessness but who later turned back to God temporarily and were spared God's judgment for another 100 years or so when King Nebuchadnezzar finally led the Babylonians to defeat Israel around 600 BC. Isaiah was longing that the LORD, the God of Israel would come gloriously from heaven in his day and deliver Israel and put fear or reverance for Israel and their God and defeat their enemies. It is especially significant that it is said that the LORD would rend the heavens when he comes from heaven to rule the earth and deliver Israel. This is consistant with prophecies about the LORD's and His Messiah Jesus' (and his holy angels and saints (believers) coming at the end of the tribulation to start His Messianic Kingdom on earth including the previously described reference in Psalm 97. The rent in the heavens could be making a larger rent from the already existing rent in the centre of the black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy as a rent in the heavens is an accurate scientific description of a black hole. Also when the LORD and the Lord Jesus the Messiah (Christ) does come from heaven perhaps from the Milky Way's central black hole he could further rend or appear to rend the heavens if he clears a way through the dust clouds in the spiral arms in the direction of the black hole in the centre of our galaxy and more fully reveals the brightness of the concentration of stars around the center of our galaxy. The word rend as applied to the heavens could also apply in some other instances of opening a space warp like is used in science fiction for faster than light travel for manned or unmanned spaceships and that could be starting to be a reality with the research of people like Harold (Sonny) White who leads the Eagleworks NASA team that has made some progress of propulsion that produces thrust in a rocket nozzle using microwaves that is faster than physics allows because it so far seems to violate the law of conservation of momentum. Isaiah mentions the glory or fire of the LORD's coming melting the hills on earth and devouring Israel's adversaries that will also happen according to other scriptures such as in Zechariah 14. The scripture reference of Isaiah wishing the LORD (God the Father) to come in His glory from a rent in Heaven that could be through the centre of our Milky Way galaxy to deliver Israel and establish His kingdom on earth is as follows:
Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at they presence! Isaiah 64:1-2
The apostle John starts Revelation 4 with the statement after this, which means after the things about the Church and present Church age that will end with the soon coming rapture of the Church, before he describes his being caught up to heaven through an open door or an opening in heaven. This represent the whole Church, since John is a true Christian and member of the true Church, being caught up to Heaven at the end of the present Church Age. This incident of John being brought up to heaven through the opened heavens although perhaps somewhat different is a good analogy of a space warp as envisioned in science fiction or long term future science fact such as the Eagleworks team led by Dr. Harold (Sonny) White and their preliminary work toward an Albuciere warp drive that could open and then close a warp in space time in the second or celestial heavens between Earth and some point in space or eventually between two points in space-time (the second heavens) to transport people or robotic craft faster than light. The analogy from Revelation 4 of using a space warp by mentioning the apostle John representing the Church at the rapture being caught up to the third heaven and presence of God through opened heavens is as follows:
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. Revelation 4:1-3
The Mayan calendar called the Long Count calendar is supposed to date back to August 3114 BC and is related to the astronomical phenomena called "precession". This is like the effect of a wobbling, spinning top. The top is spinning on its axis but the top and its axis are themselves wobbling around a vertical axis in a certain period of time. This traces an angle of a certain number of degrees from the top being upright. This is also how it is with the earth with the earth tracing a circle in the sky of the fixed stars of about 23 degrees radius every 25,800 years. This is called the precession period or cycle. This precession also affects the positions of all the stars in the sky in a slow process including changing the pole star eventually such as having Thuban in the constellation Draco the Dragon in the time of the building of the great pyramids in Egypt just after 3000 BC and the North Pole Star now being Polaris in the Little Dipper or Ursa Minor the Little Bear. Anyway what is more important with the Maya and in this article is that precession also changes the place of the winter solstice sun slowly throughout this 25,800 year period. What is significant about the winter solstice in 2012 is that the winter solstice will be exactly in front of the galactic center. This also happens to be the intersection or cross of galactic equator, which is the plane of the disk of our Milky Way galaxy, and the ecliptic which is the plane of the sun, moon, and planets in our sky based on the planets and the and the earth orbiting the sun in the same plane as well as the moon orbiting the earth in this plane. According to the Maya civilization their calendar would end in 2012 which would end history as we know it and would bring in the reign of the gods under the man-god Kulkacan which is basically the same as the Aztec Quetzlcoatl which is associated with the planet Venus as the morning star. Under some of the Central American first nation people as well as many New Age devotees this is thought to be the beginning of their vision of an ideal society that has achieved peace and harmony and a collective consciousness.
Now at August 2014, more than half a year later than the end of the Mayan calendar, we can look back and see what actually happened compared to some of the hype leading up to the Mayan calendar end date. Of course the world didn't end or anything like that and to many observers nothing much has changed. However as a Christian who remembers how New Agers were trying to meditate or otherwise prepare for that time and many of whom probably knew enough to focus on the centre of the Milky Way or the sun and the evil host of heaven to try to realize their transformation I do not believe there was no effect. I saw an article on the internet by a new ager relating the Mayan calendar end date to the physics supersymetric particles and calling it a hologram. I have since found that this term of a hologram as applied to the universe relates to the New Age idea of the cosmos as having parallel universes and the hologram I think being the boundary between our universe and these other hypothesized but unproven ones. From a Christian viewpoint I think the New Agers could still be having an effect from their meditations on the fallen angels in heavenly places including UFOs and aliens and other ways that God allows but I think society has mostly adjusted to all this and does not notice the specific effect. This could all still lead to the general increased lawlessness until the tribulation and in the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel until Jesus' second coming when he will judge all the fallen angels and all the people that haven't trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour before His second coming. However one near catastropic thing that did or almost did happen in 2012 from a scientific and truthful perspective including from Christians is that there was a series of severe solar flars and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from our sun that were very strong and would have probably brought down the electrical grid in North America and other places on a long term basis if it was directed to Earth. However it was directed just a little ways from Earth so we were spared but this could have been a great disaster in 2012. Hopefully Canada and United States will try harder to protect our grids, satellites and other electrical or electronic facilities from solar Electro Magnetic Pulses (EMPs) in case God decides to cause or allow future severe solar events to hit earth before the tribulation although I agree that God is probably continuing to withhold that beyond the current Church Age and allow it more for the tribulation if he does allow it.
In Job 38, after the true and living God allowed his servant Job to be tried severely at the hand of the devil, God reveals some of the details of His created universe to Job. This is before God blessed Job for the suffering God allowed Job to go through to show to the devil that Job was a faithful servant to God. (God likely allows some Christians to also go through trials in this life to show to the devil and demons that they are faithful to God in this age.) One of the astronomical objects God mentions in Job 38 in His creation is Mazzeroth. According to the excellent and well-established Bible reference book Strong's Concordance I found this term Mazzeroth is a Hebrew word for the zodiacal constellations as a whole. Then this verse talking about God bringing Mazzeroth forth in their season is a refernece to God bringing the different zodiacal constellations to appear in the night sky in different months or seasons of the year as the earth orbits the sun. The reference to Mazzeroth and God bringing the different zodiacal constellations to appear in the night sky in different months or seasons of the year in Job 38 is as follows:
Canst thou bring forth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Job 38:32
Near the end of the sovereign or independent rule of the southern kingdom of God's chosen people the Israelites in Judah God raised up the godly king Josiah. In Josiah's rise to power he was led of the Lord to destroy remnants of idolatry from previous evil including idolatrous kings of Judah. This would be especially Manasseh who had ruled shortly before and had introduced much idolatry including worship of the host of heaven or astronomical bodies, and probably demons or fallen angels associated with them, in and around Jerusalem and even in the courts of Solomon's Temple where the Israelites were to especially to worship to true and living creator God Yahweh, Jehovah, the LORD or the Divine Trinity especially God the Father. Part of the idolatrous remnants that good King Josiah destroyed that rebellious King Manesseh had set up included what is called in the King James Version of the Bible that idolatrous priests offered incense to the planets. The word planet is from the Hebrew word Mazelot which means a zodiacal constellation in the singular. The King James Version translators probably chose the word planet here because the Israelite worship of the host of heaven with the word mazelot would be astrology based on the movement of the planets through the zodiacal constellations that was originally conceived in Babylon that is still widely practiced in both western and eastern societies of our present world through horoscopes etc. and new age or eastern mystical practices. Some of this worship and offering of incense to these astral or celestial gods, including to that associated with the zodiacal constellations or the planets going through the zodiacal constellations was carried out on the top of the flat roofs of the houses of people living around Jerusalem. This worship of the host of heaven including the zodiacal constellations on flat roofs and offering of incense to the planets or stars in these constellations is also mentioned at the same time in God's word in Jeremiah 19:13, 32:29, Zephaniah 1:4-6, 2 Kings 21:3. Although the penalty exercised by God through His servant king Josiah was quite severe on the idolatrous including astrologer priests it should be remembered that at that time God was working through His chosen earthly people Israel under the law of Moses but today we are still in the Church Age or Age of Grace, although at the very end of it, and that what God wants for people that are convicted of practicing astrology or idolatry is to ask God's forgiveness in prayer through His Son Jesus Christ and new life in God through Jesus and then to seek God's strength and assistance instead of just relying on our own to live the Christian life for Him. Mazelot in this verse translated planet but meaning more generally a zodical constellation or sign in which a planet could pass is the singular of the Hebrew word Mazzeroth which is a term for all the 12 zodical constellations as a whole. The scripture reference in 2 Kings 23 of God raising up good King Josiah to destroy the idolatrous priests and any shrines they made to lead the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship the host of heaven including the zodiacal constellations and the planets that pass through them is as follows:
And he (King Josiah) put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. 2 Kings 23:5
In addition what is described in 2 Kings 23 the scripture passage in 2 Kings 23 would include worship of the planets and the zodiacal constellations as part of worship of the host of heaven. These were also included in worship of the host of heaven in 2 Kings 23 as well. The passage in Zephaniah 1 is at the same time and circumstances as in 2 Kings 23 and also under good King Josiah as mentioned in Zephaniah 1:1. However God through His prophet Zephaniah also mentions His judgment against many of the ungodly people of Jerusalem and Judah for worshipping the false god Baal that was a fertility god and I think also a sun god and against those who tried to be syncretistic or combine worship of the true God, the LORD, with worship of the Ammonite false god Malcham or Molech and against the people of Jerusalem and Judah that departed from the LORD (from following or worshipping Him). The scripture reference from Zephaniah 1 of God's judgment against the Israelites from Jerusalem and Judah who committed astrology including worshipping of the planets and zodiacal constellations and other idolatry and who departed from the LORD is as follows:
I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. Zephaniah 1:4-6
In another parallel passage to 2 Kings 23 and Zephaniah 1 is a passage in Jeremiah 19 which God mentions through His servant the prophet Jeremiah that as God would judge the idolatry in Tophet in the Hinnon Valley at the south of Jerusalem so He would also judge the worship of the host of heaven by the people of Jerusalem on their housetops. This would include worship of the sun and moon and planets and zodiacal constellations as mentioned in 2 Kings 23 and seeking to be guided by their perceived influence over the people as in astrology. The people also offered incense to these celestial objects they worshipped and were some of their false gods. This could have provoked the appearance of UFOs such as orbs or other lights or unexplained objects that demons or fallen angels that moved in with the worship of the people of these celestial objects might try to manifest themselves as to get further worship of the people on created things or demonic manifestations rather than the Creator and living and by now in His Son Jesus Christ Saviour God. The scripture reference from Jeremiah 19 of the mention in Jeremiah of the idolatry of the people of Jerusalem in worshipping the host of heaven both celestial objects and fallen angels that came to be associated with them and God's warning of judgment if they continued to do that and didn't ask His forgiveness for is as follows:
And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet: And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. Jeremiah 19:13
In Jeremiah 32 God identifies to the Israelites of Judah and Jerusalem the people He will use to bring His judgment on His chosen earthly people of Israel for continuing to worship false gods like Baal and the host of heaven instead of Himself, the LORD Yahweh or the Divine Trinity especially God the Father but also the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This judgment would be upon both the people and their houses through fire and other means. However God also promised to the Israelites of Judah and Jerusalem including those who were from there but were already in Babylon in other scriptures including in other parts of Jeremiah such as Jeremiah 29:7, 13-14. Soon after God gave this urgent warning to the Israelites of Jerusalem and Judah and they continued to disregard God through His prophet Jeremiah the judgment fell with the invasion and assault by the Babylonians in Jeremiah 39:1-10. I would encourage the reader to as soon as possible if you haven't done so already to trust in God through His Son Jesus Christ Who died on the cross for our sins including idolatry but also unbelief in God, self-centredness, pride, theft, violence, occult activity, immorality as well as idolatry and other sins and forgiveness of our sins and rose again to give us new life and a relationship with God so you also can be brought to heaven with Jesus and the rest of the true Church or God's called out family from the world and not be left for the judgment of people still of this world system in the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel and Jesus' second coming to earth at the end of the tribulation to set up God's kingdom first for 1000 years and then on the new earth and heavens and Jerusalem forever. The scripture reference from Jerusalem 32 of one of the last warnings of God to the Israelites to turn from astrology including worship of the host of heaven on the housetops back to worship of Himself before bringing His judgment on them through the Babylonian armies of Nebuchadnezzar is as follows:
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 32:26-30
In Isaiah 51 God is talking through His prophet Isaiah of some of the things that will accompany the time in the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom after the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the tribulation that God will do to show His glory or goodness. One of these things mentioned in the future tense is that God may plant the heavens. The Hebrew word for plant is used in other passages in the Old Testament and is usually used to set up nations or individuals with God's blessings or in a literal sense to plant different types of vegetation. All these uses could be combined if God means here to allow humans including mortal ones to go by rockets or other types of technological travel to planets or major moons or asteroids of our solar system or terrestrial planets or moons of other stars to set up manned bases or colonies or even terraform to make more earthlike some of those bodies or else more widely plant some of any native or indigenous plants or animals on those bodies to other parts of those bodies if a way could be found to sustain them with an improved envirnoment. There have now been confirmed to be over 2000 planets of other stars with about 30 that could be habitable and there are most likely to be many more of each category. There are some means of technology that could get cargo or even humans to even planets of other stars, especially nearby stars, that is available or could soon be such as solar sails or nuclear fusion rockets and there is some progress at a very basic level of possible interstellar warp drive technology with the Albuciere drive by people like Harold Sonny White and the Eagleworks team at Nasa that could enable people to look like they went faster than the speed of light and have more parts of our galaxy within reach if this technology can be further developed. All these or other technologies could be what is referred to in God saying He will allow people to plant the heavens in the 1000 year Messianic Kingdom or Millennial Kingdom if God allows the use of technology and space travel or colonization. If God does allow the use of this technology it would most likely just be for peaceful uses not conflicts since the devil and demons will be bound in the bottomless pit and will also not be able to influence matters or people in the astronomical heaven during the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom. The scripture reference in Isaiah 51 of God allowing people to plant the heavens then which could mean that He will allow also mortal people to reach, colonize or even terraform other plants or celestial objects is as follows:
But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people. Isaiah 51:15-16
Bildad was a friend or acquaintance of the man of God, Job, and Bildad was also associated with philosophy centred on the God of the Bible. In this chapter I believe the true and living God gave Bildad a revelation of the earliest history of the universe. In verse 2 of this chapter believe high places means heavenly places as this word high is the same as is used for the term the high God talking about the God of the Bible and is different in the Hebrew than the word high used for the pagan high places that were on the top of earthly hills or mountains. I believe God making peace in the high places refers to God casting out of heaven Satan and the demons or angels that became fallen angels after rebelling with Satan against God to restore peace in heaven or the heavens including the astronomical heavens or God's high places. These high or heavenly places are part of God's dominion and where God would also want fear or reverence to Himself. I think the rebellion of Satan or Lucifer the devil and his angels described in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 occurred after Adam and Eve were created but before Satan through the serpent tempted Eve in Genesis 3. There could have been up to a couple hundred years between the end of Genesis 2 and the beginning of Genesis 3 that would provide sufficient time for Satan and his angels to rebel against God and make plans to bring about the fall of our first parents and the human race. The reference to God's armies here in verse 3 I think refers to God's heavenly armies or his holy angels which are sometimes called the heavenly host or heavenly armies. The reference to the stars not being pure in God's sight applies at least partly to the physical or astronomical stars and planets that are in some way cursed due to and since the rebellion of the devil and his angels before the fall of man and curse of the earth and perhaps a further curse of the heavens although the latter is not specifically mentioned in Genesis 3. The stars not being pure in God's sight could have a secondary meaning to some of the angels that aren't pure in God's sight since the angels are sometimes called stars in the Bible. In that case they would be falled angels that rebelled against God before the fall of man with Satan or Lucifer the devil and became spiritually impure. The scripture reference from Job 25 of the restoration of order but still cursed state of the heavens and some of the angels due to the rebellion led by Satan the devil or Lucifer near the beginning of history is as follows:
The answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, Dominion and fear are upon him, he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise? How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm? Job 25:1-5
God says in verse 15 that the heavens are not clean in his sight which means there is some sin that has occured there or sinful beings. This is most likely due to the presence of demons or fallens angels since they fell probably between the creation and fall of the first man Adam and his wife Eve. There could be further uncleanness added to the heavens due to humans on earth worshipping or contacting these fallen angels through what is called spirit guides today and what used to be called a spirit of divination or familiar spirit. The scripture reference from Job 15 of the heavens not being clean in God's sight probably due in some way due to the presence and activity of demons or fallen angels in the heavens sometimes called the host of heaven is as follows:
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. Job 15:15
In verses 13 and 14 of Isaiah 14 especially the rebellion of Lucifer who later became better known as Satan or the devil is described. He also probably took about 1/3 of the formerly good or holy angels with him in his rebellion against God and his rule over the universe and these other rebellious angels became the demons. Lucifer or Satan, before he rebelled against God and fell from God's favour, was one of the most exalted angels and was likely an archangel even as powerful or perhaps more powerful and favoured of God that the good archangel Michael or the leading holy messenger angel Gabriel. Lucifer or Satan is called in the parallel passage in Ezekiel 28 about his rebellion and fall from God's favour as the cherubim or angel that covereth the glory of God which would have been a most privileged position. Unfortunately though someone he fell into the sin of pride wanting more than being perhaps the most exalted of God's creations when he came to covet and then out that rebellious coveting to replace the true God as the leader, master or God of the universe or heaven and earth. The devil is called in Isaiah 14 verse 12 Lucifer which is Latin for morning star and he is also called son of the morning referring to the earliest time of God's creation as he was likely created on the 1st or 4th day of creation with all the other angels before humans and animals were on the 6th day of creation. I don't believe a pre-Adamic angelic creation between the 1st day of the 6 day creation week is best supported by interpreting God's word the Holy Bible literally in context. When the devil is called Lucifer or son of the morning it is also said he sought to exalt his throne above the stars of God that was likely especially a reference to his seeking to have power over all the other angels that were sometimes called stars other times in the Bible, although it is also true likely that he wanted to set up his throne in heaven above all the second or astonomical heavens and all the physical stars including planets there.
However morning star or Lucifer is also applied in Latin to the planet Venus especially when it appears in the morning before sunrise. Since we now know that the planet Venus is cursed now in the sense it is certainly not habitable, it could have been habitable before as some secular astronomers believe. However if the planet Venus was habitable as it was originally created by God it probably was rendered not habitable when the devil carried out his rebellion sometime in the couple hundred years between the original creation week when everything in God's creation was good and the fall of man in Genesis 3 by which time the devil and the angels that joined his rebellion and became demons or fallen angels had already rebelled against God and become cursed by God and become enemies of God and human beings. Therefore the turning of the planet Venus into an unhabitable planet as well as probably Mars becoming unhabitable about the same time would have been when the heavens or stars became not clean or pure in God's sight as in the scriptures in Job above and this could have been 6,000 to 10,000 years ago rather than billions. The scripture reference of God cursing the heavens, with special refernece to His cursing the planet Venus to make it unhabitable, being at the time of the rebellion of the devil and demons led by Satan the devil then Lucifer between the creation and fall of human beings about 6,000 to 10,000 years ago is as follows:
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Isaiah 14:12-15
In Jeremiah 39 we have described for us one of the accounts in God's word - the Holy Bible, the defeat of Jerusalem and by implication the Jewish temple or house of the LORD there by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his princes or generals and his armies or hosts. This was in the 11th year of Zedekiah king of Judah in the 4th month that they broke through the walls of Jerusalem. It was in the 5th month of the same year 588 or 586 BC that the Babylonian forces under the captain of the guard or top general under Nebuchadnezzar attacked, set fire to and destroyed Solomon's Temple or that phase of the house of God or house of the LORD with the other generals of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar probably joining Nebuzar-adan in destroying Solomon's Temple or the house of the LORD in Jerusalem as well as generally attacking and destroying Jerusalem the city of God. This destruction of Solomon's Temple is mentioned in Jeremiah 52 and 2 Kings 25 as well as the attack by Nebuchadnezzar and his generals or princes including Nergal-sharazar in the 4th month of the 11th and last year of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. In verse 3 of Jeremiah 39 it is mentioned that one of the generals of Babylon joining Nebuchadnezzar in the attack against Jerusalem the holy city of God is a man named Nergal-Sharezer. His name according to the Scofield Reference Bible's reference section Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names at the back of this Bible means literally means Nergal protect the king (of Babylon - Nebuadnezzar) while from 2 Kings 17:30 Nergal means lion. Even though God gave permission to Nebuchanezzar and his generals including Nebuzar-adan and Nergal-sharazar to destroy His city Jerusalem and His house or temple at Jerusalem or Solomon's Temple because of the general idolatry, forgetting Him or the LORD, Jehovah or Yahweh the true God and many other sins of His people the Judah part of the Israelites, God was still grieved to see His city, house or temple and people destroyed by the Babylonians who were followers of false gods such as Nebo, Marduk and Nergal that were empowered by demons or fallen angels. In Isaiah 13 and 14, particularly Isaiah 13:1 and 14:4, God prophetically gives judgment to Babylon both by there human enemies in Old Testament times by the Medes under Darius and eventually by God and His Messiah Jesus of Narareth in the tribulation and Second Coming to earth to estblish God's visible Kingdom on Earth against the Babylon idolatrous system contrary to God and the due worship of Him as the true God in Isaiah 13 and 14. This judgment of Babylon mentioned in Isaiah 13 and 14 was against Babylon led by Nechadnezzar and his princes or generals including Nebuzar-adan and Nergal-sharazar who soon after Isaiah's lifetime around 700 BC destroyed God's holy city Jerusalem and his holy temple or house - the house of the LORD or Solomon's Temple where God's presence was in the holy of holies on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. On page 8 of the secular book Mars Beckons by author John Noble Wilford Nergal is described as the Babylonian name of the planet Mars because of its red colour associated they (and many other cultures) associated with war and blood and sometimes also death and disease. Scientifically this red colour is iron oxide on the top most surface layer of Mars caused by reaction of oxygen with iron and Mars might not have originally had this top red layer or appeared red if there hadn't been as much atmospheric oxygen that reacted with the surface iron in its earliest history when it still had flowing water, water rain, and a more extensive atmosphere perhaps including a stronger magnetic field andmore oxygen and therefore then a more habitable planet to earth type of life. This catastrophic change in Mars that made it curses and no longer habitable or certainly not as habitable to physical life as it was in the early history of creation was probably at the same time as the rebellion of Satan or Lucifer the devil with some angels or stars that followed him as Lucifer the morning star or star of the morning in rebellion against God and against His temple on the mount of His holy city in heaven as described in Isaiah 14. There could be a link in God's cursing of Mars with the event and time of the event of God's general cursing of the heavens and of solar system objects like the planet Venus Lucifer or the morning star because Satan or Lucifer the devil is addressed through the king of Babylon or the nation of Babylon especially under Nebuchadnezzar in Isaiah 13 and 14 with the devil or some other demons inspiring the idolatry and other ungodly culture of Babylon and to encourage Nebuchanezzar king of Babylon and his princes or generals including Nergal-sharazar to attack the true God's holy city Jerusalem, His house or earthly dwelling place at that time or Solomon's Temple and His earthly people the Jerusalem or Judah part of the Israelites. The possible or likely association of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar and his generals including Nergal-sharazar, their destruction of God's city of Jerusalem, people of Israel and holy house on Earth Solomon's Temple with Satan the devil or Lucifer, who is the motivating influence with other demons or stars of Isaiah 14 of Babylon, their king and princes attacking Jerusalem etc. and Babylon's idolatrous culture and the devil -Satan - Lucifer's and some of his demons, armies or host of heaven who much earlier in history joined him in attacking and trying to overthrow the true God and His heavenly city and temple or house and the resultant judgment of the devil the morning star or Lucifer and his angels and perhaps the astronomical or starry including planetary heavens including the solar system planets Venus (the morning star - Lucifer) and Mars (Nergal) to make them not clean or pure including less habitable in Jeremiah 39, 52 and on page 8 of the book Mars Beckons by author John Noble Wilford are as follows:
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army (or host) against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, they they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought hi up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath (in Syria modern Hamas in Syria), where he gave judgment upon him. Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon. And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. Jeremiah 39:1-9
Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army (or host), against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath (in Syria now the modern city of Hamas, Syria); where he gave judgment upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. Now in the fifth month (now called the Jewish month of Av or Ab), in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem. And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: And the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. Jeremiah 52:1-15
The most alluring aspect of Mars was its distinctive color. The Viking scientists in 1976 were as one with their ancient colleagues in their fascination with the planet's redness. Red evoked imagery of blood and fire, and from the time of the Sumerians, the planet was seen as a symbol of war. In the earliest written records of the Babylonians 3,000 years ago, the planet is called Nergal. it was the abode of Nergal, their god of death and pestilence. "When Nergal is dim, it is lucky; when bright, unlucky," according to a surviving Babylonian cuneiform text, reflecting the early place of Mars in the astrological firmament. ... Even (modern) astronomers, acknowledging the planet's traditional repute (as associated with war or the god of war), employ in their learned papers symbol for Mars that represents a shield and a spear, the ancient implements of war." (Of course this symbol is sometimes used as a symbol for the human male sex while the symbol for Venus that is supposed to be a mirror (for helping her look after her appearance) is a symbol of the human female sex.
God's mercy will be established in a greater way and continue to be increased especially starting with the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His Church to judge the world and establish His Kingdom through restored Israel but also with the saved of the nations. God will start to establish faithfulness in the heavens when he enables the archangel Michael and his angels to defeat Satan and his angels (the demons) and and kick the devil and his angels out of heaven half way through the tribulation as mentioned in Revelation 12. Probably the remaining fallen angels or demons will be kicked out of heaven at Jesus' second coming when it says in Matthew 24 that the powers or heaven will be shaken. These acts will establish God's faithfulness in the heavens and take away the uncleanness of the fallen angels that have dwelt there until that time. The scripture reference from Psalm 89 of God establishing His faithfulness in the heavens in the tribulation period or 70th week of Daniel is as follows:
For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. Psalm 89:2
In the Bible references to astronomy especially in the Old Testament are given from the perspective of the Jews which didn't have much interest or knowledge of the heavens in a scientific way or in the way of psuedoscience like astrology. This was probably because God severely and repeately warned the Israelites not to worship the host of heaven (stars and planets, the sun or moon or comets etc.) so as not to fall into the idolatry of the surrounding pagan nations. Some of the planets are mentioned in connection with foreign false gods of other nations in the Old Testament and to some extent New Testament. Also the planet Venus is referred to in symbolic terms of Jesus' coming again especially in the rapture in the New Testament and is probably referred to concerning the devil or Satan or Lucifer with Lucifer Latin for morning star. However these warnings were not to worship the host of heaven was only partly successful as the Israelites periodically fell into the sin of worshipping the celestial objects including the planets especially near the end of their period as an independent nation and this was one of the main reasons God judged them by bringing the Assyrians to take away the sovereignty of the northern kingdom of Israel and then about a century later the Babylonians to take away the sovereignty of the southern kingdom of Judah. God also stated in the initial creation week that the purpose of the celestial objects including planets was "for days and years and signs and seasons" in Genesis 1:14. The Jews would be made aware of the study of the planets in a more scientific sense from the time of the rise of Greek culture from about 300 BC to into the New Testament period in the 1st century AD. However even the Greeks and most likely the Hebrews only thought of the planets as points of light in the heavens and rarely as additional worlds like the earth.
To the ancient people, probably also the Jews or Hebrews as they would be influenced by the Gentiles or people of the nations especially the Greeks at the New Testament times, the fixed stars were seen as more pure and noble as they were thought of as unchanging and more divine or heavenly. In contrast to this the planets or wandering stars as they were often called were seen as less lofty because of their continual change or movement. (The word planet means wanderer.) I was recently reading a book about astronomy and the Bible that made these points although I don't think they pointed out there is actually a use of the term wandering star in the Bible. Probably because of the negative or unheavenly idea of the planets because of their movement this use of the term in the book of Jude is for the eternal destiny of the unsaved especially false teachers. I am not sure how this relates to the general portrayal of unbelievers in the lake of fire for their eternal destiny but the Lord JEsus Christ at least on one occasion in the gospels referred to "outer darkness" as the destined place for those who die in their sins. Anyway the reference in the book of Jude to the destined place of probably especially false teachers with the negative connotation of planets or wandering stars is as follows:
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities ... wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. Jude 8, 13
After Assyria, an empire centred in what is now northern Iraq, defeated the northern kingdom of Israel in about 720 BC they brought people from other parts of their empire, many of which were idol worshippers, to settle in the northern kingdom including its capital of Samaria where the Israelites had already had a long established centre of idolatry in Dan and Bethel set up by their first king Jeroboam. Later in Israel or Samaria's history before their conquest by Assyria they set up pagan high places where there would be idolatry and possibly worship of the host of heaven. Anyway when people from other nations were brought to the northern kingdom or Samaria by the Assyrians some of them were inhabitants of Cuth or Cuthah which was a city of Babylon. One of their chief gods was Nergal which was the god of war, death and pestilence. Nergal was also associated with the planet Mars which the people of Cuth and other Babylonians also saw as symbolizing death, war and pestilence because of its red colour. These people also thought Nergal dwelt on Mars although they didn't have any of our modern scientific knowledge of Mars as another world that is probably the most earthlike in our solar system although they might have still thought along these lines anyway. A priest of the Samaritans tried to teach people to fear the LORD or Jehovah (Yahweh) or God the Father but the people tried to serve the LORD and still alse commit idolatry including worshipping the host of heaven. The scripture reference of the people of Cuth and other Babylonians worshipping their god Nergal and the planet Mars is as follows:
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence(there); and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land (the LORD or Jehovah). Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim. So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. 2 Kings 17:27-33
In the invasion by the Babylonians under their king Nebuchadnezzar in 589 BC to defeat Jerusalem and the house of the LORD (the Jewish temple or Solomon's temple) one of the leading officials was called Nergal-sherezer. He was also called the Rab-mag and later was assigned to bring the prophet Jeremiah out of the prison and was brought to the Judah puppet king Gedaliah who let Jeremiah stay in his home in peace. Nergal as part of the name Nergal-sherezer was no doubt named after the Babylonian god of war, death and pestilence associated with the planet Mars. This Nergal-sherezer was a Babylonian prince who married one of Nebuchadnezzar's daughters and later murdered Nebuchadnezzar's son, his brother in law Evil-merodach and became king of Babylon himself in 560 to 556 BC. The scripture reference to Nergal-sherezer and his role in the defeat of Jerusalem and bringing Jeremiah to safety in Jeremiah 39 are as follows:
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchanezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month the city was broken up. And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, Rab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal- sharezer, Rab-mag, and all the king of Babylon's princes; Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people. Jeremiah 39:1-3, 13-14
In Jeremiah 52 there is a brief mention of Evil-Merodach that according to Unger's Bible dictionary was the son of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and the king that ruled following him. Merodach or Marduk was a chief Sumerian false sun god although there were about 50 associations of his name and other false gods or godesses. What is mentioned about Evil-Merodach is that he brought the puppet king of Judah from prison and pardoned him and treated him well such as giving him better clothes and let him eat dinners with the house of the King of Babylon during the Babyonian captivity of Judah around 575 BC. Although it is correct that New Agers associate the planet Nibiru with Marduk the false sun god and it is correct that there is a planet mentioned in some of the ancient Sumerian documents such as the Enuma Elish or Myth of Creation that people like Zecharia Sitchen mention, it is false that Nibiru is a planet beyond the planet or dwarf planet Pluto that periodically comes close to Earth and causes catastropic gravitational or other effects on Earth and its inhabitants. This is partly because there is no record that the ancient Sumerians knew any planets in our solar system except those visible with the naked eye and the sun and moon that they considered planets according to an article The Myth of a Sumerican 12th Planet: "Nibiru" According to the Cuneiform Sources by Michael S. Heiser Professor of Ancient Semitic Languages University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mr Heiser also said that the references to Nibiru which means generally "crossing" including in some references a bridge or pass in hills but in astronomical references planet of the crossing. It is often associated with Marduk and was the star or planet of Marduk usually the planet Jupiter but sometimes the planet Mercury or just a star in general. It is also not likely in a scientific sense that a planet could come more than once and cross the orbits of Jupiter or other giant planets like Saturn and not have its orbit severely disrupted or cast out of the solar system as New Agers say that Nibiru has often crossed from the vicinity of Pluto to near Earth. The scripture reference to the Babylonian king Evil-Merodach that includes the name of the false god Marduk that the planet Nibiru was associated with in Jeremiah 52 is as follows:
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prision, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life. Jeremiah 52:31-34
There is an interesting and unusual verse in the prophet Amos chapter 5 that mentions some false gods the Israelites worshipped when they strayed from worshipping the LORD or Jehovah (Yahweh) the Father of the New Testament and the true and living God. Moloch was a detestable god of the Ammonites which featured offering of children in its red hot arms as sacrifices which the Israelits unfortunately adopted at different times in their history. However what I want to focus on is the god names Chiun. Although images are associated with these gods so their must have been images or idols made of them but interestingly it is mentioned especially with regard to Chiun that it was the star of your god. This means it was what is sometimes called an astral deity or a deity associated with worshipping one or more of the stars or planets in the heavens. According to Unger's Bible dictionary under False Gods, Chiun further information is provided about this astral god. In that book he says that the romanization should more accurately be Kaiwan or Kewan associated with the Akkadian Kaiwanu which was a name for the planet Saturn. Akkadian was an ancient language of the Sumerian people that lived in what is now Iraq from about 3500 to 2000 BC. The scripture reference to this astral god Chiun representing the planet Saturn which the Israelites worshipped when they strayed from their God the LORD the true and living God in Amos 5 is as follows:
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye have made to yourselves. Amos 5:26
There is a reference by the church father Stephen in his address to the Israelites before his martydom where he rehearsed their history including many of their examples of unfaithfulness to the LORD before his martyrdom. Stephen also mentions an astral god called Remphan which the Israelites made a figure of image of to worship in the form of a star so this is definitely a god of a planet or star. In the context in Acts 7 it is clear that the Israelites made this image and worshipped it when they were in the Sinai wilderness which would be quite annoying to the LORD and to Moses although there is some indication that the astral god Chiun mentioned in Amos 5 was also worshipped in the wilderness by the Israelites on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land of Israel or Canaan. Stephen quoted the LORD as he also said in Amos 5 that he would send the Israelites beyond Babylon or Damascus which he did from around 608 to 588 BC when Israel was invaded by and defeated by the Babylonians and especially the most rich and influential Israelites were taken to the Babylonian empire. According to Unger's Bible Dictionary also under false gods, Rephan the following additional information is given about this false god Rephan or Remphan. The reference in Acts is a garbled version of Kaiwan or the Akkadian Kaiwanu the name of Saturn which was regarded as the god Chiun. This is the god mentioned in Amos 5 that the Israelites also worshipped in the wilderness which are just different versions of the same astral god and both represent the planet Saturn. This is a primary specific example of one of the astral false gods that the Israelites worshipped when they strayed from their God the LORD the one true and living God and the Creator. This is an example of reference to celestial objects in the Bible but in this case an example of idoltatry in which people in this case God's chosen earthly people the Jews worship some of God's creation when they stray from worshipping God the Creator Himself. This is also increasingly common in our time and is a further indication of the nearness of the tribulation when God will judge the world for their forgetting or rejecting Him as the one true God and Creator who has shown himself personally in His Son Jesus Christ and also has shown Himself through His Word the Holy Bible and in His Creation. The reference to the worship by the Israelites of the false god Remphan or Chiun representing the planet Saturn when their were in the Sinai desert as an example of specific references to celestial bodies in God's Word - the Holy Bible in Acts 7 is as follows:
Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Acts 7:42-43
One of the judgments in the first half of the tribulation, the second trumpet judgment, is quite interesting and very timely from an astronomical viewpoint. As one of my other interests in astronomy I am also a member of The Planetary Society the largest grassroots space exploration advocacy organizations in the world. why I mention them here is one of their preoccupations especially recently is detecting and giving warnings or in the future trying to take precautions against near earth asteroids or asteroids that might be on a collision course with earth. Although there haven't been any major incidents with collisions with asteroids since the rise of modern science except that in Tunguska in Siberia in 1908 that was probably a comet colliding with earth this scripture says to me at least that there will be a significant collision with an asteroid in the first half of the tribulation. This would be within 3 1/2 years after the rapture of the church and immediately following signing of the covenant with the antichrist and Israel to build their temple on the temple mount which could all happen any time. Anyway a great mountain would be about the size of some asteroids which are about 2 to 5 miles across and it burning with first would be a good first century description of the fire around an asteroid going through earth's atmosphere caused by the friction between the asteroid and the earth's atmosphere since the asteroid would be going very quickly through the atmosphere probably in the 10s of thousands of miles or kilometers per hour. Since about 70 % of the earth's surface is covered by water especially the oceans and large seas, it is most likely that this is where an asteroid would strike as the bible here says will be the case for this one. This impact of the asteroid will do serious damage to the animals in the ocean or sea where it hits and to ships (and those aboard them) and will also likely cause a tsunami that would dwarf that of the one in the Indian Ocean caused by an earthquake I think in 2004. This would result in much more damage and loss of life. In light of this I would encourage the reader if he or she hasn't done so already to trust in the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour with all your heart that he died for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead to give you new life so you can be taken in the rapture or catching up of the church before the tribulation and you won't have to be concerned about being affected by this judgment or any of the other ones in the tribulation but will be safely in heaven enjoying the full fellowship of God, His Son Jesus Christ the holy angels and other believers. The scripture reference from Revelation 8 of the impact of a fiery great mountain from heaven that is probably the impact of a medium sized asteroid with the earth in the first half of the tribulation and its damage is as follows:
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Revelation 8:8-9
The vial or bowl judgments are the last of the three series of judgments in the tribulation and this is the fourth in this series and occurs with the following fifth, sixth and seventh vial or bowl judgments at the end of the second half of the tribulation just before and leading up to the Battle of Armageddon. The angel God commissions to carry out this judgment is given power to alter the sun to make it shine more brightly and probably give more intense radiation that will scorch men with fire perhaps with what some astronomers call now coronal mass ejections or CME which are ejections of great masses of charged material from the corona or outer atmosphere of the sun and that come to earth at high velocity. Although our magnetic field and atmosphere to some extent protect us from these CMEs in the past and recently, perhaps God will diminish this protection at the end of the tribulation for this plague so as to make these Coronal Mass Ejections or whatever else is this fire from the sun such as just intense solar flares so this hot charged material from the sun (fire) will scorch men more. These Coronal Mass Ejections or solar flares could scorch people with great heat partly directly from the solar radiation but perhaps also partly with the effect this solar radiation would have in heating up the Earth's atmoshpere. The unfortunate result, especially in God's sight, is that at least most of the then still unsaved people on Earth blaspheme God including taking God's or Jesus' name in vain and show no signs of repentance or humbling themselves before God and asking His forgiveness of their sins and to receive strength to live a godly new life through God's only begotton Son Jesus Christ. However on a program I recently heard on the radio from standeyo and two other scientists, there was quite convincing evidence presented that supported the idea that the current moderately excessive radiation from the sun is heating the Earth not just in our atmoshpere but also the body or rocky part of the earth as well resulting in more volcanic eruptions and earthquakes than would otherwise be the case. The volcanic eruptions and earthquakes would be ways in which the earth could release excessive heat partly given by the current excessive radiation from the sun such as in more than usual solar flares and larger and more active sun spots. However what I think God showed me and what I want to point out especially on this Starry Heavens web page in association with this plague of God sending an angel to manipulate the sun to make it shine more intensely and scorch people on earth is the following. This more intense solar radiation at the end of the tribulation will likely be the cause of the most intense that will ever occur on earth in the history or future of human existence here. This earthquake will be God's means of judging all the ungodly people and cities including places such as casinos, crack houses, marijuana grow places, brothels, strip joints, occult or non Christian religious buildings, gang club houses and many other ungodly places encouraged or accepted by other people including people's homes used for ungodly or selfish not God and Jesus Christ centred lives. This will probably be associated with most of the references in the Old Testament of the moon being turned to blood and the sun being darkened through the effect of smoke from instigation of volcanic eruptions from this earthquake. The scripture reference in Revelation 16 of God judging unrepentant people on earth by sending his angel to intensify the solar radiation to scorch men is as follows:
And the fourth angel poured out his vial (bowl) upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. Revelation 16:8-9
The last judgment of the tribulation, the seventh bowl or vial judgment which completes God's judgments of the tribulation with the expression it is done or completed. Then there were voices, thunderings and lightnings that are similiar to other scenes around God's throne and around Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb when God came down from heaven to give his law to Israel through his servant and their leader Moses. Then there was a great earthquake that was unprecedented and had never been matched in the history of mankind. This earthquake also destroys all the cities of the earth. This caused the great city of Babylon (Rome) to be divided in three parts and experience God showing he remembered their sins. It is possible that this is pictured as God's wrath in the form of a cup of wine because Rome is noted for and continues to practice the Mass or Eucharist in which she badly interprets the scripture thinking she and her priests can recreate the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ instead of just remembering it. This unprecedented earthquake will surely be associated with great volcanic eruptions of huge quantities of dust, gas and smoke expelled high into earth's atmosphere and circulated around the earth. This will cause the moon to look red or blood coloured and the sun to be darkened as happened historically recently in 1882 be the powerful eruption of the volcano Krakatoa in Indonesia but this final earthquake and volcanic eruptions will be even more intense. This earthquake will also cause the mountains to not be found or cast into the sea and islands fleeing away or being knocked down. There will also be a plague of great hail then with each hailstone of a talent's weight which I think is about 100 pounds or about 3 or 4 inches or about 10 centimeters across. These earthquakes will probably be caused by the immediately preceding intense solar radiation striking the earth and causing a build up of energy in the rock as well as the atmosphere of earth that will be released with this unparalled earthquake. The scripture reference in Revelation 16 of this unprecedented earthquake probably as a result of the extreme solar radiation that brings to a completion God's judgments on the earth in the tribulation is as follows:
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in rememberance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. Revelation 16:17-21
This part from verse 30 is clearly about the conditions during the tribulation while verses immediately preceding are more likely about the 1000 year Messianic age. God says he will cause wonders in heaven and earth at that time. The fire and pillars of smoke will probably be especially from volcanic eruptions either separately or in connection with earthquakes and in either these cases either independently of or at the extreme end of the tribulation such as with the unprecedented earthquake probably by the effect of intensified solar radiation including solar flares and possible coronal mass ejections. All these volcanic eruptions will in turn put much smoke, gas and dust in earth's atmosphere such as happened relatively recently in 1882 with the violent eruption of the volcano Krakatoa in Indonesia. Similiar but more powerful eruptions at the end of the tribulation will cause the moon even more to be turned into a red colour as seen from earth or to the colour of blood and the sun to be darkened. This changing of the appearance of the sun and earth from these eruptions will also be at least part of the wonders in the heavens although there could be direct miraculous effects on the heavenly bodies as well. This will all be before but just immediately before the great and notable day of the Lord or the Second Coming in power and great glory of the Lord Jesus Christ with God the Father the holy angels and at least Church age believers comes. Although God will be manifesting his wrath then he will still with the other hand offer grace, love and forgiveness to those on earth then if they call on him through his son the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and repentance. The statement in Mount Zion and Jerusalem shall be deliverance most likely means there will be deliverance there when the Messiah and God the Father land there from heaven to set up his kingdom and defeat all the ungodly armies in the Battle or Armageddon at the end of the tribulation. This scripture states there will also be deliverance in the remnant God will call. This probably refers to God offering salvation through the gospel and kingdom message of the Jewish remnant of the 144,000 Messianic Jews or Jews who believe in Jesus and in the two witnesses probably Moses and Elijah all in the first half of the tribulation mentioned earlier in Revelation. The scripture reference in Joel 2 of these signs in the moon and sun probably resulting from unprecedented earthquake and volcanic eruptions probably resulting from excessive and intense solar radiation at the end of the 7 year tribulaton is as follows:
And I will shew 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 terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:30-32
The lightning coming from the east to the west means that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ again will be very brilliant and unmistakable and that he will come from the east and this is consistant with him landing on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem and marching into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives through the East Gate of the Temple Mount or Mount Zion. Jesus says so shall the coming of the Son of Man be refers to a common title to himself borrowed from Daniel 7:13-14 about Messiah's glorious coming from heaven with God the Father (the Ancient of Days). The next verse about the eagles feeding on the carcases refers to similiar passages in Revelation 19 and Ezekiel 39 about the birds or fowls of the air feeding on the slaughtered ungodly armies that come up againt Jerusalem as the last refuge of the Jewish people, God's chosen earthly people, and against their Messiah the Saviour of the world the Lord Jesus Christ. Immediately after the tribulation this passage says the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light. This will probably be the same as the previous passages of the sun being darkened and the moon being darkened to a blood or red colour as a result of a great earthquake and volcanic eruptions and smoke at the end of the tribulation. The stars falling from heaven could refer partly to the physical stars being blotted out by all the smoke of the volcanos and partly by stars spoken symbolically as fallen angels or demons falling from heaven and being bound for 1000 years of the Messianic Age with Satan or Lucifer the devil. The statement the powers of the heavens being shaken is also consistant with this idea. The phenomena of the Son of man then coming with the clouds of heaven could refer partly to physical clouds but at least partly to clouds or multitudes of holy angels and saints or Church Age born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ through faith in his death for our sins and resurrection from the dead to give us new life. The Son of Man Jesus the Messiah or Christ coming in power and great glory would be partly his own glory and power but partly that of God the Father or the LORD or Jehovah or Yahweh or the Ancient of Days etc. This is probably what is meant by Jesus in the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 when he says concerning God the Father or the Heavenly Father thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory or at least partly what he meant. At this event all the tribes of the earth will mourn referring to the ungodly or faithless or unrepentant people of all the tribes. However there will be also believers then on earth that will be gathered then to populate the earth in the 1000 year Messianic Kingdom and God's elect from one end of heaven to the other which means probably holy angels or believers in heaven such as Church Age or risen Old Testament saints or believers. The scripture reference from Matthew 24 of signs in the sun and moon associated with Jesus' second coming or the great and terrible day of the LORD is as follows:
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Gospel of Matthew 24:27-31
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