I’ve never had a fascination with the Zodiac – I still don’t – but I do believe that the Hebrew “Mazzaroth” may tell a story in the sky.
Dr. Chuck Missler from Koinonia House had an insightful take on this.
A Great Sign
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. (Rev 12:1-2 ESV)
Around September 23, 2017, people were spending terabytes of data searching for, following after and commenting on information regarding events that many claimed were prophetically significant and practically relevant to believers and non-believers alike.
Proponents of ‘The Revelation 12 Sign' held the view that the sign mentioned in these scriptures refers to the constellation commonly known as Virgo. Jupiter had been retrograding in Virgo’s womb for nine months prior to the unusual planetary alignment of Mercury, Mars and Venus in the Leo constellation. This caused there to be twelve prominent stars above Virgo’s head – instead of the usual nine commonly identified as the Leo constellation. With the sun like a sash on Virgo’s shoulder and the moon at her feet it was indeed a remarkable picture in the sky:
Depiction of the alignment of the moon, Jupiter, the sun, Mercury, Mars and Venus in the Virgo and Leo constellation as on September 23, 2017.
Watchmen and theologians published their theories and anyone and everyone shared their comments, sometimes hacking at each other’s opinions.
Geopolitical events, astronomical phenomena, record breaking storms worldwide and the significance of Jewish feast dates - together with many other biblical significant time periods - added to the sense of convergence of various ‘signs of the times' - patterns and signs that the Bible seems to describe as harbingers of the end of the age and the return of Christ.
Interpretation of apocalyptic literature in general has often been the subject of debate. The 12th chapter of the last book of the Bible, the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ, is certainly no exception. Date setters err when they claim insights hidden from the church for generations. Naysayers err when they throw out the baby with the bath water…
The message of the scriptures is
inexhaustible.
The study thereof ought to be
thorough;
working through
the
entire
Word.
While theologians and pastors are expected to give sense and meaning to passages shrouded in mystery, this is usually not expected from artists – and hence that was not my aim.
My experience leading up to and during September 2017 was both intellectual and personal.
I was one of those who spent hours watching and listening online. Now that the dust has settled and hindsight has brought more clarity on what some predicted with absolute certainty and others quietly hoped for in cautious expectation, I look back on those months with thankfulness and a newfound appreciation of the scriptures.
Whether or not the sign spoken of in these verses refers on some level to the alignment of planets as observed in September 2017, and whether or not its application is solely yet to be fulfilled midway during the time of tribulation,
the fact that our attention was drawn to creation above and the scriptures in our laps was to me a reminder that
God
does
speak.
The buzz had an effect. I picked up my Bible and I picked up a brush. I tried to capture a sense of the emotions I had when I looked up to the heavens during these controversial times. My goal was not to depict visually what the sacred scriptures transmitted by text, nor did I set out to explain in some way the meaning of the text.
The paintings are reminders of a season when the Lord recaptured my attention and rekindled my affection for His Word.
I believe that these paintings may at least stand its ground as works of art, but my hope is that it might draw your attention to the scriptures that they refer to,
for in it you will find what is
the true value,
the proper place
and the purpose of art and science
and
everything
else.
The celestial woman and lion painted on the Virgo and Leo constellations:
Again, I’ve never had a fascination with the Zodiac – and I still don’t.
I do believe, however, that the Hebrew “Mazzaroth” may tell a story in the sky.
Dr. Chuck Missler from Koinonia House had an insightful take on this.