One thing I have always enjoyed has been laying out on a blanket while
camping staring into the night sky. When I was little my Father would point out
the different constellations. On some occasions we would climb out my window
and sit on the roof while we watched the sun set or count asteroids as they
fell. One cannot help but feel small as you stare into the night sky. For the
Lord has said “worlds without number have I created and I also created them for
mine own purpose (Moses 1:33).
Like Moses we can easily arise at the conclusion “that man is nothing”
(Moses1:9), that
we are a small grain of sand on an immense beach. However, as I have learned
more about the regular motions of the stars I have found what for me personally
has been a witness that there is a supreme Creator reaching out to let us know
he is there.
For “even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and
its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do
witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).
Sun
It is the sun that is the bestowed light and life to the world. In ancient Egypt the sun God Ra played a dominant role among the high Gods. In their writings the sun’s qualities as creator and nourisher of the earth and its inhabitants are glorified. Each Day Ra travels across the sky. It was thought that Ra “died” each evening. Throughout the night he traveled through the world of the dead coming off conqueror over death and was reborn in the morning.
The analogy presented of the Savior by the sun is clear.
Christ is “the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 11:11, D&C 12:9, D&C 39:2). He gave himself
for the world. He overcame the power of death and was resurrected. As the sun
rises in the east, so too will Christ come again.
Moon
The sun the moon
and the stars were given “for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”
The significance of the moon for me as a reminder of Christ is a unique one as it had significance during Christ’s own life and death.
Some fourteen
hundred years before Christ was born the Israelites were enslaved to the
Egyptians. Through a series of plagues brought upon the land of Egypt the Lord
showed forth his power to the pharaoh in order to encourage him to let His
people go. With each new plague pharaoh hardened his heart and would not free the
Israelites. In the final plague the Lord brought death to all the firstborn of
both man and beast foreshadowing the sacrifice of his own firstborn to bring
salvation to his people. After this final plague
“the Pharaoh rose
up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was
a great cry in Egypt… and He called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, Rise
up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel;
and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said” (Exodus 12:31).
And the LORD God
brought forth the Israelites out of Egypt by night (Deut. 16:1). I think
it is significant that the release of the children of Israel occurred under the
guiding light of a full moon. We know this because from that time forth the Children of Israel were
instructed to keep the Passover on the day of their release so as to always remember their deliverance. This celebration
begins on the eve of the 14th day of Nisan every year.
Incidentally for
members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints there is a belief
that Christ was born on April 6th not December 25 as commonly celebrated today.
If this was the case and He was born on April 6th in 1 BC he was also born on
the day of a Passover. As the shepherds watched over their flocks it would have
been a full moon that shone overhead. The exact birth day and year of the Savior
is debatable but if this was the one the symbolism would be striking. Christ a lamb without blemish, the only
begotten and firstborn of the father came into the world as the pascal lamb from
his very birth. It was not until after his mortal ministry was over, some 33
years later, that he would be slain.
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Again, for members
of the LDS church, there are other significant correlations. First, the church was organized on April 6, 1830. This was the day before Passover in that year.
For me the significance was that on this day the paterfamilias of a Jewish
household led his family through the house by candlelight, looking in nooks
and crannies for any leaven in the house. No leaven was supposed to be in the
home during the Passover. Not infrequently, Jews would sell their leaven to
their Gentile neighbors and buy it back after the eight days of unleavened
bread. In this situation on this eve of the Passover you could see the
symbolism of the leaven being sold or passed from the Jews to the Gentiles. The
parable of the Leaven is significant.
And again he said, Where unto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (Luke 13:20-21)
The leaven was
passed onto the Gentiles the day the church was organized. It was from here
that the full light of the gospel should be reflected into the world. And the
evening of the Next day began Passover with the full light of the moon shining once
again on the inhabitants of the earth. In time and through missionary labors
that leaven would again be given back.
Secondly, Christ's body was restored to Him on
the Sunday following the paschal full moon so to was there to be a modern
restoration to the body of the church. On April 3, 1836 the Savior, Moses,
Elias and Elijah appear in succession in the Kirtland temple to restore the
priesthood keys required for this dispensation to the church. Passover in the
year 1836 fell on Friday April 1. This meant that Sunday April 3, 1836 was the
symbolic day that Christ was resurrected. As Christ's spirit was restored to his
body, so too was the spirit of Elijah returned to the saints in like manner.
Each of these
events occurred when the light of the moon was at its fullest (or the Sunday
following). To me this light is a reminder of the Savior who is the light that
shines into the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:1). Many
eternally significant events happened under the reflecting light of a full moon
but the world did not pay attention.
There are yet other ways in which the moon reminds of the Savior. The
characteristics of the moon are interesting. For one it has a gravitationally
locked (tidal locked) rotation with the earth. The result of this is that the
same side, or face, of the moon is always visible from the earth. Christ has
said “I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away
from them.” (Jeremiah 32:40) The moon is continually facing toward us and will
not turn away. This stands as a reminder that no matter
what we do Christ will be turned toward us to reflect his light into our life.
It is where we place the Savior that will determine how much light we will
receive.
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| http://astroyogalove.com/the-planets/the-moon/ |
The moon also is exerting an incredible force on the earth. It reaches out
in attempts to pull the earth closer to it. The earth doesn’t move but the
water does. It is this pull that causes the rising and falling of the ocean.
Some scientist believe that it was the ebb and flow of these tides which lead
to the creation of life on earth. It certainly effects the times and seasons at
it continually reaches out to the earth to pull it closer. For me the moon
provides a beautiful analogy of the Savior as the creator and bringer of life
as well as one who continually reaches out to each of us individually in
attempts to draw us closer to Him.
Scientists believe that without the moon life on the
earth could not exist. By intelligent design the moon attracts almost every
comet, meteor and or asteroid that may have otherwise hit the earth. The moon
is completely covered with craters as a result of a bombardment of foreign
bodies floating through space. The earth on the other hand contains very few.
If it were not for the moon acting like a huge vacuum cleaner sweeping back and
forth across the sky life on earth may have ended as it did for the dinosaurs. As
I look at the scars on the surface of the moon borne from dangers that would
have otherwise hit us here on earth I can’t help but think of the wounds made
in Christ's own body for our salvation from spiritual death. “Surely he hath
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows… smitten of God, and afflicted… he
was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah
534-5).
The final way in which the moon represents Christ for me is as it relates
to a prophesy of his second coming for
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that
great and notable day of the Lord come” (Acts 2:20).
A total lunar eclipse occurs whenever the sun the earth and the moon line
up with the moon on the far side of the earth from the sun. Direct sunlight is
completely blocked by the earth's shadow. The only light seen is refracted
through the earth's shadow. This light looks red for the same reason that the
sunset looks red, due to rayleigh scattering of the more blue light. Because of its reddish
color, a total lunar eclipse is sometimes called a blood moon. The sun can be
turned to darkness when the moon is located between the earth and the sun
resulting in a solar eclipse. These phenomenons have happened many times since
Christ was crucified and will continue to happen many more before he returns. For
me there is also a spiritual interpretation of this scripture. How is it that the sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon will be turned into blood simultaneously? As the world turns more
fully away from the Savior the divine light cast upon us will have no power to
light our way. At the same time, if we stand in front of that light it will
forever be changed turning the moon to blood as it were. Besides a physical
manifestation could this prophesy also be symbolic of a world that has turned
completely from the light of the Saviour in such a way as to block even its
reflective rays into the lives of those that live upon it?
Ironically, if Christ was crucified during the Passover in 33 A.D. His crucifixion occurred during a lunar eclipse. The eclipse began at 3:00 pm during the exact moments Christ was suffering on the cross. By the time the moon rose above the horizon the eclipse was well underway and as a result it would have appeared blood red. (the following image was made with the help of Stellarium)
What is even more significant is that lunar eclipse results in a syzygy. If there is an eclipse in one direction there is an eclipse in the other direction as well. If you were standing on the moon during that syzygy of 3 April 33, you would see a total eclipse of the Sun. The blotted Sun would be in the heart of the constellation of the Ram (Aries). Truly even the sun the moon and the stairs paid homage to the Lamb who was slain.
In the old testament God commands the Israelites to “Observe the month [hebrew: chodesh חֹ֫דֶשׁ (Stong’s no. 2320), may also be
translated new moon] of Abib and keep the Passover…” (Deuteronomy 16:1). Here,
the word “observe” in the Hebrew is shamar שָׁמַר and also means “look narrowly for,
search” (Strong’s No. 8104). The
Holladay Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon defines it as watching in the sense
of looking. The command is to look for, wait for, watch and mark the new moon.
Symbolically we are to also look for wait for, watch and mark the signs that
will announce the return of the Savior an event that if we do not take care to
notice the signs we may
miss.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. Jupiter was known to astronomers of
ancient times. The Romans named it after their god Jupiter. When viewed from Earth, Jupiter can
reach an apparent magnitude of −2.94, bright enough for its reflected
light to cast shadows, and making it on average the third-brightest object in
the night sky after the Moon and Venus. For me the symbolism of this planet as a reminder of Christ is as
follows:
First, Jupiter is by far the largest planet, and as such there is something
kingly in its nature. The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “Zedek is [My]
King.” Zedek, was the Jewish name given to the planet Jupiter, remaining so in
the astronomy of the Jews in later ages. Zedek also has the meaning of
“righteousness” or “justice.”
Many theories for the Star of Bethlehem, which invoke celestial alignments,
have Jupiter as one of the bodies involved. Jupiter was always seen as the
Planet of Kings, and thus its rise and alignment would have signified to the
Magi (Three Wise Men) that a ‘King’ was to be born.
We are told in
the New Testament that Jesus was born of a virgin. And precisely on December
25, 2 B.C., Jupiter “stopped” in the constellation of Virgo, the Virgin (in the
middle of the constellation). On that day the “King, planet” stopped its
lateral motion through the stars and remained stationary for about six days. To
an observer on earth it would
have appeared completely
stationary in the midst of Virgo. An event such as this one would be noticed by
astrologers and may have signalled the Magi to begin their quest for the Christ
Child. From Jerusalem it would have appeared directly overhead Bethlehem.
If Christ was born on April 6, 1
B.C. it would have also been during the exact time Mary (the Virgin) was
carrying the Christ Child. If he was born on the 25 of December it would have
been unlikely that there would have been shepherds abiding in the field as this
was usually done from early spring to early fall.
Another possible
celestial sign was given earlier that year on June 17, 1 B.C. During this
evening one of the most impressive conjunctions occurred with the two brightest
planets passing each other in the sky. Jupiter the king of planet joined Venus, called Meleket
ha-Shamayim, "the queen of heaven," in (Jeremiah 7:18). All of this occurs near the constellation of Leo
the Lion which was the symbol of Juda. In
the middle east, the two planets were in contact at sunset (in the western
sky). Venus passes Jupiter at about 2' arc per hour. The eye has a resolution
of 1' arc so the two appeared as one only for a little more than 1 hour. To add
yet one more celestial coincidence this all occurred under a full moon. Again
if we take this as an annunciation of Christ birth and we use April 6th
as the date this event occurred there was roughly nine months that fall between
these events. (To see these events for yourself download Stellarium change the location to Jerusalem looking
at the western horizon on the following date June 17, -1 at 11:00 pm which
would correspond to June 17, 2 B.C. as Stellarium uses a 0 to represent 1 BC - there
is no 0 AD)
To me I think it is significant that Jupiter takes 12 years to circle the
sun. Each year Jupiter is in a different sign of the Zodiac. There are twelve
celestial constellations that stand as witteness of the majesty of Jupiter.
Jupiter is also significant in that it gives off twice as much energy as
it receives. In other words unlike earth that receives more energy from the sun than it gives off Jupiter creates energy of it own. The symbolism here is that Christ also has life in himself not
relying on outside forces.
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| This image shows the heat given off by Jupiter seen at infrared wavelengths. |
Jupiter, like the moon, is vital to the very survival of life on earth thanks to it's location and sheer size. The king of planets acts as a gatekeeper
sweeping up comets and asteroids that might otherwise crash into earth. It also 'shepherds' the asteroid belt, preventing the asteroids from falling into the sun and thus keeping them away from harming us.
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| http://www.physics-astronomy.com/ |
As the king of all planets I think Jupiter has much to teach us about the
symbolism of Christ.
Saturn
Saturn was
referred to as Shabbatai שבתאי, Meaning: "the
restful one," since Saturn is the slowest-moving visible planet. The name
has reference to the 7th day when God rested, incidentally
Saturn is the 7th
brightest object in the sky (The brightest object being the Sun followed by the
moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and then Saturn). In many ancient religions dominion passes from Saturn to Jupiter. Jupiter
(Zeus) became the chief god after supplanting Saturn (Kronos). As I looked at
Saturn for the first time through a telescope I was amazed at the rings
surrounding the planet. You see pictures in school but actually seeing with
your own eyes is a sight to behold. If Jupiter reminds me of Christ, then Saturn
reminds me of God his father. As I looked at this planet through the telescope
the thought came to my mind that the rings surrounding this planet were made up
of the primordial elements that would make up a planet floating in concentric
circles around the main body. As I thought about this I could not help but think
of the scripture in Abraham:
I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences... Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was;and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. (Abraham 3:21-23)
Sirius
Sirius is a star system and the brightest star in the Earth's night sky. The name
"Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek Σείριος (Seirios), meaning "glowing" or "scorcher".
Sirius is also known colloquially as the "Dog Star", reflecting its
prominence in its constellation, Canis Major (Greater Dog). For the Egyptians the heliacal rising of Sirius marked the flooding of the Nile and which brought life and fertility
to her lands. For the ancient Greeks it marked the "dog days" of
summer or the hottest part of the summer. Its heliacal rising was of such
importance that its arrival was anticipated or heralded by an announcing star. Mirzam
a less bright star is situated to the east of Sirius. Mirzam would rise above
the horizon shortly before Sirius. In fact the name is derived from the Arabic Al Murzim, "The
Announcer."
The symbolism that Sirius
signals the renewing of new life to the world is a beautiful one. Also the fact
that Sirius is the brightest star cannot be overlooked. Christ has said “I am
the light and the life of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12) it is also significant
that Sirius is preceded by Mirzam. Again the scriptures teach “Behold, I will
send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1). John the
Baptist said of himself “He… who [comes] after me is preferred before me, whose
shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”
(John1:24) So as John was to come
before the Savior to herald his coming so to does the rising of Mizram announce
the immediate rising of the still brighter star Sirius.
Polaris (The North Star)
And when Abraham said to his father Azar, 'Takest thou idols for gods? I see thee, and thy people, in manifest error.' So We were showing Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and earth, that he might be of those having sure faith. When night outspread over him he saw a star and said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'I love not the setters.' When he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'If my Lord does not guide me I shall surely be of the people gone astray.' When he saw the sun rising, he said, 'This is my Lord; this is greater!' But when it set he said, 'O my people, surely I am quit of that you associate. I have turned my face to Him who originated the heavens and the earth, a man of pure faith; I am not of the idolaters.' His people disputed with him. He said, 'Do you dispute with me concerning God, and He has guided me? I fear not what you associate with Him, except my Lord will aught. My Lord embraces all things in His knowledge; will you not remember? How should I fear what you have associated, seeing you fear not that you have associated with God that whereon He has not sent down on you any authority?' Which of the two parties has better title to security, if you have any knowledge? Those who believe, and have not confounded their belief with evildoing -- to them belongs the true security; they are rightly guided. (Surah Al-An'am [6:74-82])
In this story Abraham was looking for a God he could rely on. One that was not of the "setters". Just as the North Star does not set so to can we trust in Christ. For Christ is "the same today and tomorrow, and forever" (Moroni 10:7)
Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, The great I am, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, The same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic host of heaven, before the world was made" (D&C132:66)
Uranus and Neptune
Although Uranus is visible with the naked eye it was not generally recognized as a planet until about 1783. Uranus is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus the father of Cronus (Saturn) and grandfather of Zeus (Jupiter). For me one of the most fascinating aspects of Uranus was that through observations of its movements the observer was pointed to something more, something unseen.After the discovery of Uranus, astronomers noticed that the planet was being pulled slightly out of its normal orbit. After being unable to reconcile this data one such astronomer perceptively remarked the following:
"... I leave it to the future the task of discovering whether the difficulty of the reconciling [the data] is connected with the ancient observations, or whether it depends on some foreign and unperceived cause which may have been action upon the planet" (Alexis Bouvard)A few decades later John Couch Adams of Britain and Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier of France, used mathematics to predict that the gravity from another planet beyond Uranus was affecting its obit. Through their calculations they figured out not only where the planet was, but also how much mass it had. A young astronomer, Johann Gottfried Galle, decided to search for the predicted planet and observed Neptune for the first time in 1846.
As I think of how Neptune was discovered I can't help but think of how the scriptures hint to me that there is something more, something that although is true cannot be seen and that not all knowledge is given at once. Instead knowledge is given line upon line and precept upon precept; through studying the scriptures one can gain an understanding of things not yet seen. We can also gain hope that questions that do not have adequate answers today will someday be made so clear that even a small child will be able to provide an answer, even as any child now could tell you what planet exists beyond Uranus.
For me these similarities
between Christ and the movements of the stars is striking. They have reminded
me of my loving Saviour who brought life and light into the
world and who has
reached out through the regular motions of the universe to let us know He is
there. Whether or not the above mentioned motions were divinely
appointed is debatable but if their movements can turn our view toward the Savior
I don’t think this is a
bad thing.
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)
their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)
