SAGITTARIUS - THE ARCHER
"the gracious one - the redeemer's triumph"
Star Names
"He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names." (Psa. 147: 4)
"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." (Is 40:26)
"And God said, Let there be lights (stars) in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years." (Gen. 1:14)
When the Lord gives something a name, that name becomes significant. It often can not only describe the thing named, but be prophetic. Names given to Old Testament heroes of the faith at their births were often such. The name "Joshua" (which is the same as "Jesus"), the assistant of Moses, was prophetic of his role of a deliverer of Israel.
Of course, we cannot be any more certain of the meanings of those star names and constellations without knowing their original. The oldest Zodiacal star names must take precedence over changes made by later peoples, especially the names of those stars in Hebrew. Studying those ancient star names will bring one to see clearly how those starry designations and arrangements were truly "for signs."
Truly the constellation signs tell of the coming of the "seed of the woman" and of his conflict with the "old serpent, the devil."
Wrote one author on the subject (here):
"The theory of “the gospel in the stars” is that God actually named the brightest stars and major constellations long, long ago, back in the earliest generations of humanity. He did this to tell an important story: stringing these constellations together, they foretell the message of the gospel.
A similar alternative theory is that God communicated his plan of redemption to the earliest people (to people like Adam or Seth) and they named the stars as a witness to this plan.
For instance…
Virgo represents the virgin who would give birth to the promised Messiah.
Capricornus represents the goat of atonement, slain for the redeemed.
Orion represents Christ, the heavenly light of the world.
Leo is the lion of the tribe of Judah.
…and so on.
Under this theory, early human cultures understood these original pictures in the sky, but then some time after the Flood, as sinful human beings spread all over the world, they attached their own names to the stars, and thus the pagan practices of astrology began.
This theory became popular in the late 1800s. Ms. Frances Rolleston’s book, Mazzaroth, published in the 1860s, was the first to propose this theory. Joseph Seiss’s book, The Gospel in the Stars, came out about 20 years later. E.W. Bullinger’s book, The Witness of the Stars, came out the last decade of the 19th century. The theory also has a number of modern proponents, probably the most famous being Dr. D. James Kennedy."
Wrote another in "Mazzaroth – Story in the Sky" (here):
"The Hebrew name for the zodiac is the Mazzaroth. Amazingly, is it possible that the twelve constellations in the Hebrew Zodiac (Mazzaroth) tell a fascinating story of God's plan for mankind's redemption?
1. Virgo – The virgin holding a branch and an ear of corn; the promised seed of the woman.
2. Libra – The scales; the price deficient balanced by the price that covers.
3. Scorpio – The scorpion; the attack of the enemy; the redeemer's conflict.
4. Sagittarius – The archer; the gracious one; the redeemer's triumph.
5. Capricornus – The sea goat; the goat of atonement slain for the redeemed.
6. Aquarius – The water bearer; the living waters of blessing poured forth for the redeemed.
7. Pisces – The fishes; the multitudes who will follow; the blessings of the redeemed.
8. Aries – The ram or lamb; wounded and slain, the blessings of the redeemed consummated.
9. Taurus – The bull; the congregation of the judge; the coming judge of all the earth.
10. Gemini – The twins; two natures; the reign of the prince of peace.
11. Cancer – The crab; assembled together; the redeemer's possessions held fast.
12. Leo – The Lion of the tribe of Judah; the consummated triumph of the redeemer in the end."
Notice that Sagittarius means "The archer; the gracious one; the redeemer's triumph."
That is exactly how Christ as the rider on the white horse is described. The entire Apocalypse of Christ as pictured in Rev. 6: 2 and 19 shows him acting as a "redeemer" in "the day of redemption."
Author of many well known books, J. A. Seiss in "Gospel in the Stars" (here) wrote:
"And thus the "arrows" of the divine Hero of the text "are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies." His war is with the whole Serpent-brood, and His going forth is for their destruction. Whether we understand it of the moral and renovating power of the Gospel, or of the judicial administrations of the Son of man at the end of the present Gospel dispensation, or more naturally of both, it is the office and purpose in all the doings of the glorified Christ to pierce and wound the Serpent, to destroy all his works and power, and to disable him for ever. And this is shown in the sign, just as it is declared in the Gospel." (pg. 41)
Seiss also wrote:
"Swiftness is another idea included in these names; and hence of quick and resistless power, of which horses and horsemen are the biblical images, particularly in connection with the scenes of the great judgment which Christ is appointed to enact. And the coming again of Christ is everywhere described as being with great power and glory, quickly, suddenly, like the lightning's flash."
The Arrow of the Archer is pointed at the heart of the Scorpion (star "antares" meaning "wounding"). That is significant. Notice these passages.
"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you." (Luke 10:19)
"Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet." (Psalms 91:13)
"To tread on serpents and scorpions. The promise is doubtless literal, so far as necessary to manifest higher spiritual power. In view of the connection we must accept an allusion to Genesis 3:15 : ‘bruise the head of the serpent,’ and perhaps to Psalms 91:13 also." (Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament)
In the star-picture of Scorpio we see a gigantic scorpion endeavoring to sting the heel a mighty man who is struggling with a serpent, but is rather crushed by the man, who has his foot placed right on the scorpion's heart. In one scene the foot of the glorious seed of the woman is seen in the act of stepping on the head of the scorpion and in the other we see him as an archer shooting his arrow at the heart of the scorpion. The Hebrew name is Akrab, which is the name of a scorpion, but also means 'the conflict,' or 'war.' The Coptic name is Isidis, which means 'the attack of the enemy,' or 'oppression;' referring to 'the wicked that oppress me, my deadly enemies who compass me about' (Ps. 27:9). Said Paul:
"And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." (Rom. 16: 20)
In "The Witness of the Stars" E.W. Bullinger wrote:
"The names that God gave to the stars and the constellations was revealed to Adam, Seth, Enoch, and the first patriarchs of our race. The same is true with the gospel message that was revealed to those ancient prophets and which, together with the names God had given of the stars; it was written in "twelve chapters," each chapter being one of the twelve drawn constellations (or "houses") with their Decans. Starting from Virgo and going all the way around to Leo one will have the gospel story of the Messiah.
Of the major stars in Sagittarius and their star names and meanings:
1. "Vega" (the North Star) means "He shall be exalted, the warrior triumphant"
Is that not what Christ's appearance on the white horse demonstrates?
2. "Naim" means "the gracious One"
Again, all the scriptural testimony is to this fact about the character of the promised victor.
3. "Nehushla" means "the going, sending forth"
Is that not we see in Rev. 6: 2 when heaven says to our Lord "go"? He is the one who was sent here in his incarnation and who is to come a second time. He is throughout the scriptures called "the coming one." All these terms are likewise descriptions of Christ, the "seed of the woman," as are found in the scriptures.
Decans of Sagittarius (associated constellations)
1. Lyra – the harp (denoting praise for the triumph of the warrior prince)
2. Ara – the altar (turned upside down and spewing out a fiery deluge denoting wrath poured)
3. Draco – the dragon (like serpent, hydra, and scorpion, a symbol of Satan)
The constellation names are:
• Latin is Sagittarius, meaning “archer.”
• Hebrew & Syriac is Kesith, meaning “the archer.”
• Arabic is Al Kaus, meaning “the arrow.”
• Coptic is Pimacre, meaning “the graciousness, or beauty, of the coming forth.”
• Greek is Toxotes, meaning “the archer.”
Al Shaula (Arabic for “the dart”),
Al Warida (Arabic for “who comes forth”),
Ruchba er rami (Arabic for “riding of the bowman”),
Nun-ki (Akkadian for “Prince of the earth”) and in the Denderah he is called Pi-maere (same as Coptic- “beauty of the coming forth”).
These names give us a clear indication that the rider is the “beautiful bowman” who is “riding forth” to conquer Satan and redeem His loved ones at His second coming (Rev 19:11).
Dr. D. James Kennedy, who also believed that Rev. 6: 2 referred to Christ, also spoke on Sagittarius being an emblem of the Messiah as he comes to destroy the serpent and his brood. (see here)
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