Thursday, July 27, 2017

September 23, 2017, Revelation 12 Sign; What Should We Expect?

            The prophetical arm of Christianity is well and active. Something unusual is going to happen on September 23, 2017, they contend! Prophecy-loving Christians are captivated and are eagerly waiting for September 23rd to dawn.

What Will Happen On September 23rd, 2017?

            Christian apologetics website, Answers in Genesis, explains the event that is to occur on September 23rd, 2017:1

On this date, the sun will be in the constellation Virgo (the virgin), along with the moon near Virgo’s feet. Additionally, Jupiter will be in Virgo, while the planets Venus, Mars, and Mercury will be above and to the right of Virgo in the constellation Leo. Some people claim that this is a very rare event (allegedly only once in 7,000 years) and that it supposedly is a fulfillment of a sign in Revelation 12. Revelation 12:1–2 (ESV) reads:
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
So we have here a woman (Virgo) in the sky (heaven), along with the sun, and the moon at her feet. What about the 12 stars?...there are nine stars in Leo, but with the addition of the three planets (which appear as bright stars), there are 12 stars. Since Leo is to the upper right of Virgo’s head, one might see this as a crown of 12 stars, though these 12 stars will be far above Virgo’s head. (Emphasis Mine.)

Why Is This Event Significant To Christians?

            Some well-meaning Christians believe that this heavenly event will mark the commencement of the end times wherein the Lord’s return is to be expected & the Church would be raptured. Tribulation period would commence. Israel would be attacked by the anti-semitic forces and Iran may be invaded by the Sunni Muslims.

            (These events are a random listing, not in any order. There are quite a few schools of thought within the prophetic wing of Christianity. Some schools of thought passionately oppose the belief that September 23rd would usher the rapture of the church, for they maintain that the signs pertain only to Israel.)

Is This Prophecy Flawed?

            The celestial arrangement on September 23rd, 2017 should be linked to Revelation 12 only if it is a rare event. It cannot be connected to Revelation 12 if this event occurs intermittently.

            This is not a rare event, contends Christopher M. Graney, who is the Professor of physics and astronomy at Jefferson Community & Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky (USA). He affirms that this event has occurred in the past:2

the sun in Virgo, the moon at Virgo’s “feet”, and Jupiter in the constellation are regular occurrences. This leaves the planets at the “head” (the number depending on the number of stars granted to Leo) as the determining factor in making a “momentous” celestial arrangement. Indeed – while various Internet sources speak of the specific celestial arrangement here as being “unique in human history” or “once in 7,000 years” – in fact, it is not unique to September 23, 2017.
This basic arrangement happened before — in September 1827, in September 1483, in September 1293, and in September 1056. These are all shown at the end of this post. I only searched back one thousand years, from 2017 to 1017 — there are undoubtedly other examples outside of that time period, and probably a couple examples that I missed within that time period…
Bottom line: From the standpoint of astronomy, there’s nothing unique or unusual about the sun, moon and planets – or the constellation Virgo – on September 23, 2017, despite claims on the Internet of a unique and significant celestial event, supposedly “mirroring” the Bible’s Book of Revelation. In the past 1,000 years, this same event has happened at least four times already, in 1827, 1483, 1293, and 1056.
        The presence of Jupiter near Virgo, very specifically, is also not an rare event, “Some people claim that this year Jupiter will be near what is supposed to be the womb of Virgo, so it represents the child that the woman is about to give birth to. Jupiter takes nearly 12 years to orbit the sun, so this is the period with which Jupiter moves through the zodiacal constellations, spending about a year in each one. In fact, I first saw Jupiter when it was close to Virgo in 1969—I have watched Jupiter pass through four complete orbits since. This means that Jupiter appears in the part of Virgo corresponding to her womb, along with the sun in Virgo and the moon at her feet for a day or two every 12 years or so. The last time this happened was in 2005, so why was that event not heralded for its prophetic significance? I suspect that it is because YouTube was very new then, having started in February of that year. This year, with the huge popularity of YouTube, it is much easier to propagate these ideas.”3

            This celestial event will not be completely visible to all people, hence it need not be a sign from God, “One of the purposes that God ordained for the stars is for them to be signs (Genesis 1:14). However, to truly be a sign, shouldn’t such things be obvious, at least to a few people? Since the sun will be in Virgo at the time, virtually none of Virgo’s stars will be visible. The three planets in Leo will be visible in the early morning that day, but all will be low in the southeastern sky. Venus is very bright, so it will be relatively easy to spot; however, Mars and Mercury will not be, because they will be much fainter, and they won’t rise until about the time morning twilight begins. The thin crescent moon will be visible in the evening sky, low in the southwest. Jupiter may be visible lower in the southwest, though it will be difficult, since it will set before evening twilight ends. That is, not all of this “sign” will be visible, and those parts that will be visible won’t be visible at the same time. While this event may show up nicely on a computer screen, God set the lights in the “firmament of heaven” (not on computer screens) to be for signs.”4 (Emphasis Mine.).

Reminisce The Four Blood Moons Prophecy

            Failed prophecies are not new to us!

            Do recollect the most recent four blood moons prophecy in 2014-15, “The four blood moon event is creating considerable interest in certain segments of Christianity that anticipate the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy about Christ’s second coming or the end times. The four blood moon event in 2014-15 is also predicted to bring a change / disaster upon the nation of Israel.”5

            The Christian world has not yet fully recovered from the utter failure of the four blood moons prophecy, “Pastor John Hagee and Pastor Mark Biltz’s noses are bloodied after the recent four blood moons episode. They aroused the end times passions of millions via their electric four blood moons prophesies about Christ’s return, significant changes to Israel and probable disasters upon our world. Christ has not returned. Israel exists without any historic shifts. The activities of our world are rather routine. The prophecies of Pastors Hagee and Biltz are absurd.”6

How Should We Respond To This Current Prophecy?

            Respond with utmost caution. Be cognizant of the presence of a substantial repudiation of this prophecy. But there is a greater danger here and I have emphasized it before, “There is a real danger in these end-times prophecies. These end-times prophecies deceptively indulge our egos to make us feel like gods.

            God alone knows the future perfectly well. We desire to know our future. If and when we know our future, we feel like God.

            When these (godly) figures prophesy, the god in us is invigorated. Silently yet effectively, they play the same card that Satan played with Eve, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…” (Genesis 3:5, NIV, Emphasis Mine). We then fall prey to Satan’s deception,

            We want our eyes to be opened about the future. We want to be like God.

            Who wouldn’t want to get to know the future? Our life and hope is built on our future. It gives us immense pleasure to know what lies ahead. We feel like God when we know our future.

            When people predict the future, they seat us on a presumptuous throne of God. Since we love to be God, we love prophecies. These end times prophecies tickle the god-bone in us.

            If we do not know our future, we will depend on God. But when we know our future, our need for God diminishes.

            It doesn’t matter if their noses are bloodied now. They would not worry. They are not accountable, you see.

            They will continue doing their business. As long as we are gullible, we would keep buying their prophetic antics. Their business is to continue prophesying for they are certain of a dogged audience drooling eagerly to devour their predictions.

            As long as we Christians support their ridiculously asinine end times prophecies, the non-christian world will enjoy and laugh at this farce of a comedy show in Christendom. Yes, we are those farcical and foolish actors.

            When we buy these incredibly insane prophecies, do you really think that the non-Christian world will buy the gospel of Christ?”7

            Prophecies have its place in Christianity. But beware of the false prophets! Please think and pray about your response to such prophesies.

Endnotes:

1https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/stars/what-will-happen-september-23-2017/

2http://earthsky.org/human-world/biblical-signs-in-the-sky-september-23-2017

3https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/stars/what-will-happen-september-23-2017/

4Ibid.

5http://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.in/2014/03/four-blood-moons-in-2014-15-christs.html

6http://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.in/2015/10/four-blood-moons-2-bloody-noses.html


7Ibid.

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