|
LESSON 12 THE GOSPEL IN THE STARS Verse Center: Romans 1:20:For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Review Center: Review for lessons 8-11 Make 4-8 ½ x 11 (or more if have more than 8 students) pages with sun, moon and star pattern around the outside edge of each; have students color them. Provide a small stone for each student as a marker, hopefully of different colors. Provide extra stones for points. Have each student pick a # card and question card. If they answer it right they move that many spaces around the board. If they cross “start” again they get an extra stone. Play till the time is up. The student with the most stones wins. They should replace question card in center of table. Teacher should read all questions and answers through the first time. Provide 2 sets of 2 ½ x 3 cards with # 1,2,3,4 on each. Make cards with the following questions. 1. What do paleontologists study? 2. Name one evidence of catastrophe. 3. Can a footprint be a fossil? 4. Resin fossils are preserved in ___. 5. It takes a lot of what to make a fossil? 6. Charles Darwin thought all kinds of intermediate __ would be found in future to prove evolution. 7. Acts 17:26 says all people are of one __. 8. I Cor 15:39 says the families of __ and man are distinct. 9. II Peter 3 says the scoffers are one who are willingly __ of the flood.10. What is the Cambrian Layer? 11. How many wooly mammoths are near the North Pole? 12. How could the dinosaurs grow so big? 13. What does “saurus” mean? 14. If we don’t warn the world of future destruction what will? 15. Leviathan was king over all the children of __. Job 41:34 16. Because of the genealogies of the Bible when did Mr. Ussher think the world was created? 17. Mr. Alvarez said if evolution were true, the animals would also have to be __ to survive a major impact to earth. 18. In 1915 Mr. Wegener proposed a super continent called __. 19. Lyell’s Geologic Scale (works or doesn’t work) when there’s 1 billion years missing. 20. Does the Bible talk about mountain building?
Answers 1. Fossils 2. Fossils, mountains, volcanoes…3. Yes, 4. Amber 5. Water 6. Fossils 7. Blood 8. Animals 9. Ignorant 10. First one with fossils 11. 5 million 12. Canopy and no seasons 13. Lizard 14. Stones 15. Pride 16. 4004 BC 17. Lucky 18. Pangea 19. Doesn’t work 20. Yes.
Visual Aids: 3-12-1 or a drawing of the sky for your area from the internet..
Aims: Students will be able to recite the underlined part of the verse and describe what one of the constellations meant.
Bible references to stars: Gen 1:16; 15:5; 22:17; 26:4; 37:9; Ex 32:13; Num. 24:17; Deut 1:10; 4:19; 10:22; 17:3; 28:62; Judges 5:20; II Kings 17:16; I Chron 27:23; II Chron 33:3-5; Neh. 4:21;9:6,23; Job 3:9; 9:7-9; 22:12; 25:5; 38:7, 31,32; Ps 8:3; 19:1; 33:6; 136:9; 147:4; 148:3; Ecc 12:2; S. S. 6:10; Is 13:10; 14:12; 13:34:4; 40;26; 45:12; 47:13; Jer 8:2; 19:13; 31:35; 33:22; Ez 32:7;" TARGET="_blank">Ez 32:7; Dan 8:10; 12:3; Joel 2:10; 3:15; Amos 5:8, 26; Obadiah 4; Nahum 3:16; Zeph 1:5; Matt 2:2-10; 24:29; Mk 13:25; Lk 21:25, 26; Acts 7:42, 43; 27:20; I Cor 15:40, 41; Phil 2:15; Heb 11:12; II Pet 1:19; Jude 13; Rev. 1:16, 20; 2:1,28; 3:1; 6:13; 8:10-12; 9:1; 12:1, 4; 22:16. TEACHING THE LESSON
In the years between Adam and Noah’s flood, there were “Prophets from the beginning of the world” Luke 1:67-72. Verse 72: Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father is speaking about Jesus; “As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began?” Peter speaks to the Jews about Jesus, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:18-21) Jude 14, 15 says, “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all….”
The names of these fathers and sons, in Christ’s genealogy from Adam to Noah were Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. Adam lived 930 years. Lamech, Noah’s father was born 56 years before Adam died. This means they probably knew each other. Abraham was born 58 years before Noah died. This means that they probably knew each other also. This means that whatever Adam knew Abraham could have known too. We can assume Adam’s children and grandchildren would have asked why there was suffering and sin in the world and Adam would have had to admit to them that he’d sinned and God punished him and that all his descendents were under the curse. But he also would have told them that God had promised a “Seed” of the woman that would crush Satan’s head (Gen 3:15). They all would have sacrificed a lamb for their sin, as Abel had; looking forward to the cross as we look backward to the cross.
It seems that Job who lived approximately 2-300 years after the flood, knew about the Solar Zodiac Star Constellations, as he mentions them in his book. The constellations (groups of stars) were called “solar” because they follow the path of the sun during the day. The word Zodiac simply means path. This is the path that the sun takes across our sky. In winter it is more south but goes from east to west. The planets take this same path across our sky as their orbits are in the same plane as earth’s. The stars from our Milky Way Galaxy that follow this same path are said to be in the ecliptic path of the sun. These stars and their groupings or constellations are what is referred to as the Solar Zodiac Constellations. According to historical record the pictures of the Solar Zodiac Constellations were named as well as the stars that made them up.
Babylon later corrupted these creations of God into a religion (astrology) that worshipped the stars instead of their Creator. Astrology is a false religion claiming to foretell the future, and determine the characteristics of individuals, by studying the supposed influence of heavenly bodies on human affairs. Astrology is condemned in the Bible as an abomination to God. [Thomas Thigpen, “Stories in the Sky” (IL: Cook Pub.1986) p. 156] But they originally were meant to show God’s salvation to redeem (pay the price ) man from his sin. Isaiah 40:26 and Psalms 147:4 say that God named the stars. If he did then I think it’s safe to assume that God told Adam the names of their meanings and then he would have told his descendents. The book of Job mentions 5 of the Solar Zodiac Constellations: Arcturus (Big Dipper), Orion, Pleiades and the chambers of the south (Scorpio). Job 26:13- the crooked serpent (Hydra) and Job 38:32 - Mazzaroth (all 12 signs) are mentioned also. How did the wise men at Christ’s birth know that the star indicated a king, their Lord would be born? Was this information well known by all nations by then? There are a lot of historical records indicating that the Solar Zodiac Constellations were known by all nations and their meaning too. What are their names and meanings?
The following information has come down to us from many ancient civilizations: Egypt, Arabian, Chaldean, Chinese, Japanese, and Northern Europe to name a few. To save Adam it was necessary that Adam should know of it [the Gospel] and to save his descendents it was necessary that the same knowledge should be transmitted to them also.
Jesus refers to himself in John 12:21-24 as the Seed that needed to die to bring forth much fruit. This is what God meant by telling Adam that the “Seed of the woman” would crush Satan’s head.
In 1863 Frances Rolleston wrote a book called “Mazzaroth or the constellations” E. Claxton and later Joseph Seiss republished it in 1972 and called it “The Gospel in the Stars” (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel). Original pictures had been drawn by Ulugh Beigh in 1420 giving Coptic and Egyptian translation of their names and some taken from the Arabian astronomer Albumazer of 850 AD. Most of this information comes from these books.
Each of the 12 constellations had 3 “decans” or smaller constellations near them with meanings. The pictures can be seen in most almanacs or on the internet. (www.heavens-above.com) The first four are about Christ the Redeemer, the second four are about the plan of Redemption, and the last four are about the Redeemed, that have accepted Christ as Savior. The sons of Jacob are compared to the stars, the host of heaven Deut 4:19 and are listed with the constellations and the jewels of heaven. Refer to the book “The Gospel in the Stars” for more detailed information.
# 1. Virgo, a woman that has a sheaf of wheat (seed) in her hand and a branch, representing Mary and Christ Jesus. Zebulon, Jasper.
# 2. Libra, a picture of balances, as thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting; our sinful condition. Levi, Sapphire.
# 3. Scorpio represents Satan that Old Dragon, seeking whom he may devour. Eagle (John) Dan, Chalcedony.
# 4. Sagittarrius which represents Christ, as it is 2 natures, God and man pictured by half horse/half man. He is an archer with a bow, the bow is raised ready to shoot Satan. Asher, Emerald
# 5. Capricornus which represents Christ as wounded on the cross, wounded in the heel. Naphtali, Sardonyx
# 6. Aquarius who pours forth water as the living word; record of pouring forth with a fish drinking it; as we get our sustenance from the Bible. (Luke) Reuben, Sardis
# 7. Pisces, two fishes representing the Old Testament saints and the New Testament saints, tied together, both living by faith. Simeon, Chrysolite
# 8. Aries, a lamb, gentle, sacrificed to procure our righteousness through Christ. Gad, Beryl
# 9. Taurus, the bull, represents Christ coming to judge the world (Tribulation) (Mark) Joseph, Topaz
# 10. Genimi which represents the Bride and the Bridegroom together in heaven- the Rapture. Benjamin, Chrysoprasus.
# 11. Cancer which represents Christ holding 2 young goats safely in his arms. Both dippers are in this one representing the safe sheep fold. Issachar, Jacinth
# 12. Leo the Lion representing Christ throwing Satan in hell; hunting down his prey. (Matthew) Judah, Amethyst
Here is a quote from the author; Joseph Seiss: “God gave Adam special revelations. After his fall Jehovah made known to him his purposes concerning the Serpent and its seed and the woman and her seed. The whole gospel revelation and promise was therein included and was given to him, not for himself alone, but to be made known to all his posterity [descendants] as the great and only hope of man. What Adam knew, Seth knew and so would Enoch, as they all lived together at the same time. Over them were the virgin stars only waiting to be named and grouped and hung with the records and symbols of the precious treasures of promise and prophecy on which the world’s hopes depended, that they might become the everlasting witnesses to men of the God given faith and hopes which shone in the serene imaginations of these great grand fathers of all sacred prophets. These verily were men who drew these celestial hieroglyphics [pictures], named and grouped the stars, laid out the Zodiac and their signs, and made the heavens a picture gallery for all the world…. There mankind might gaze and read the wondrous story of the promised Redeemer, the redemption and the redeemed. And this, and this only will account for the sacred reverence in which all the ancient peoples held these starry emblems, and even fell to worshipping them and ascribing to them all sorts of divine and prophetic virtues. If put there by inspired prophets, and explained by them as symbols of the divinest things of God’s revelation and promises, then can we understand why they were so much made of in the sacred mysteries [Babylon religion] why these were so seriously consulted as horoscopes, and why the early nations lapsed into the idolatry of worshipping them as gods. They are of holiest origin, and relate to the dearest hopes and anticipations of man; therefore have they been so prized in all the ages, and therefore the Perverter of all good set himself to turn them to evil, for which he could have found neither hold nor leverage had not some great and commanding sacredness gone before to seat them in the esteem of man.”
Marmonides states that the old Jewish fathers considered and held these signs in the heavens to be of divine origin. Cicero (Roman) affirms that these things [Zodiac] were part of divine instruction of how to live in peace and die in hope, hence as from God himself. Sallustius, Greek, treats the constellations of divine origin through whom they came as prophets and who were divinely inspired men. These pictures and meanings of the stars came down to all the early nations and was spread all over the world after the Tower of Babel. Josephus, Jewish historian said that Abraham, a former Chaldean, taught the Egyptians the names of the stars. Seiss says also that “On the basis of astronomy’s own records… we are thus inevitably carried back to a period within the life time of Adam and his sons for the original of the Zodiac and with it the whole system of our astronomy.” Albertus Magnus says, “All the mysteries of the Incarnation from conception on to the Ascension into heaven, are shown us on the face of the sky and are signified by the stars.” ibid. Bailly , On the Zodiacs of Esne and Denderah, pp. 38-40 … Bailly undertook to write the history of astronomy he found at the outset certain fragments of science which proved to him the existence of a system in some remote age and anterior [before] to all regular history … as all the emblems in the similarly divided Zodiacs of India, Chaldea, Bactria, Arabia, Egypt and nearly alike it would seem they had followed some common model; and to whom should we attribute its invention but to their common ancestor.” Roberts in his “Letters to Volney” says , “The stars refer to the ’primeval promise of the Messiah and his work in conquering the Serpent through His sufferings.” Dupuis in L’Origine des Cultus has collected a vast number of traditions prevalent in all nations of a divine person, born of a woman, suffering in conflict with a serpent, but triumphing over him at last, and finds the same reflected in the figures of the ancient constellations.” The heavens declare the glory of God, and they also told of the coming of Christ.
Supplies for art: Make a copy of 3-12-1 for each student . Crayons
Directions for art: Have the students color each constellation.
Other pages in this section
No one has commented on this article. |
Tom Bentley
