Andromeda, The Woman In Chains: Mazzarotte Series Part 23

Isaiah 54:6-8

“For the Lord has called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
“For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.”

Andromeda is the final decan in the story of Pisces and the Mystical Fish people.  She appears to be a healthy young woman in a seated position with chains on all four limbs.  Her head is usually bowed as if despairing of help.   Her dress has been torn exposing one breast, having been ravaged or taken advantage of.

Greek Mythology.

The Greeks told the following story about this woman.

Andromdea was the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, two other constellations we will later discuss.  Her uncle, “Phineas,” was in love with her, but she didn’t love him.  The other “gods” were so angry they sent the sea monster, “Cetus,” to pillage the countryside becasue the nymphs fo the land, who were her competitors, were jealous of her.

Jupiter Ammon at last decreed that Andromeda be chained to a rock near Joppa in Palestine to be devoured by Cetus.  Luckily for her, she was rescued by Perseus who married her.  Her name in Greek means, “Man-ruler.”

Picture Of The Church?

Some have suggested that this woman signifies the Church, but I sincerely doubt it.  Remember the two fish of Pisces?  One was headed toward Aquarius, a picture of Jesus.  But the other was headed in a completely different direction.  That fish just “Happens” to intersect with this star sign.  Why?

If you understand why Jesus initially come to earth, it isn’t hard to fight out.  He initially came to reach out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Yes, He died and saved the whole world.  But the Gospel wasn’t given to the Gentiles until after He returned to His Father.

(For more on that topic, follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/jesus-primary-mission-part-4-of-16-rightly-dividing-the-word-of-god/)

It was the Jewish people who wandered off on their own path.  They wandered for some 2,000 years and were subject to all kinds of persecution and abuse, the worst of which was the Holocaust, a gigantic stain on human history.  The Bible calls Israel, “Virgin daughter,” in Jeremiah 31:3-5

“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.

Even so, God has not forgotten them nor forsaken them.  They are Jesus’ natural family!  He loves them with an EVERLASTING love.  Though He turned He turned and dealt with the Gentiles for 2.000 years, He never stopped loving them, though He was hurt by their rejection.

Then in 1948, out of the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish people were given a place to call, “Home,” again.  They were brought back to their own land again and God has been with them, fighting for and defending them against all odds.  Click on the link below to read some interesting, though perhaps little known, history of the early days of that tiny nation.  Without God, they would not have survived!

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/the-19th-book/

Ancient Names For The Sign.

The Hebrews give us the most ancient name for constellation: “Sirra,” which means “The Chained.”  They had another name for it which paints a picture: “Persea, The Stretched Out.”  Sounds like torture to me!

You read above that the Greeks called her, “Andromeda.”  Her name also carries this meaning:  “Set Free From Death.”  One of their poets, Aratus, the poet, referred to her as “Desma, The Bound.”

This certainly doesn’t sound like the Church to me, though the early Church did suffer persecution and we have seen pockets of it from time to time. But no other nation on earth has suffered as much as the Jewish people.  NONE.  They have been hounded, harassed, hunted, tortured, murdered, and unfairly blamed for everything that goes wrong in the world.  

Ancient Names Of The Stars.

In harmony with the names for the star and the mythological lore, the names of the stars are even more enlightening.  The first in order of brightness, located in her head, is called, “Al Phiratz,” which means, “The Broken Down,”in Arabic.

The second brightest star carries a Hebrew name:  “Mirach,” which means,“The weak.”  The third brightest located in her left ankle has two different Arabic names: “Al Maach and Al Amak.”  Both mean “The Struck Down.”

Here are a few more names of stars in Hebrew that are associated with this Sign but we don’t know their exact position anymore: “Adhil,” which means, “The Afflicted, and “Mizar,” which means, “The Bound.”

An Arabic name that has come down to us would be totally unbelievable were it not of such obvious antiquity: Al Mosealah: Delivered From The Grave, Sheol, Hades, or Hell.”  

Remember the valley of dry bones?  Literally out of the ashes of the Holocaust God raised up the Jewish people to became a nation once again.  The names of the sign and of the stars all seem to describe in excruciating detail their sad, gut-wrenching story.

In The Denderah we will see further evidence that this can only be talking about the Jewish people.

The Denderah.

The ancient Egyptians of the temple at Denderah identified in hieroglyphics this sign as “Set,” as in “Set up as a King or Queen.”  There are also hieroglyphic characters below her picture calling it by the first Hebrew name:  “Sirra:  The Chained.”  They saw her as a regal female personage who is touching the bands of Pisces.

To sum it all up, Andromeda appears to be a beautiful, regal woman who has been ravaged, seated and chained for a time.  But her situation is only temporary for she has a Champion, a Savior, a Lover who is coming to rescue her whom we will meet next in Cepheus!  It perfectly echoes Paul’s words in Romans 11:25-27.

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

The Band: Mazzarotte Series Part 22

Hosea 11:3-4

“I taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by their arms;
But they did not know that I healed them.
I drew them with gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.
I stooped and fed them.”

At one time it was believed that these bands were simply a part of Pisces. But actually, they are the first decan associated with the Fishes.  Understating them with help unravel the mystery of what these two fish represent.

The Band.

The Band connects these two fish, being secured to the tail of both.  It’s clear they are inexorably bound to one another. It makes two very interesting intersections.  The middle of it is secured to the back of the head of Cetus, the sea monster.  One side leads directly up to the tail of the fish swimming upward.

Curiously,  the foreleg of Aries, the Ram, intersects with the other side whose distal end is bound to the fish swimming along the ecliptic with the sun’s course, toward Aquarius.  This indicates His ownership or control of the Fish and therefore His right of possession of those whose “reins” He holds in His hands.

What does it all mean?

Two Covenant People.

God has two groups of Covenant people in the earth:  The Jewish people and the Church.  These two fish are pictures of the two groups.  One is under grace, the Church, having intersected with Jesus; the other under law, the Jewish people. who rejected their Messiah.  As a result, they are going a different direction.

Cetus, the sea monster, is a picture of the devil.  At one time, he had control over both groups. But Jesus came and changed all that, though the Jewish people are still somewhat subject to his attacks as they only have a partial covenant.  The full Covenant would include Jesus.

(For a more detailed discussion on this topic, you may follow the link below:

The Church.

The Fish representing the Church are going along in the direction of the sun.  They are heading toward our water pourer, a picture of Jesus, Who told us in John 4: 14, “…whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”  And in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.”

This is a beautiful picture of our Good Shepherd Who leads us in the paths of righteousness.  We are hungry for His word and desire to be filled with the water of life that pours forth from Him.

Israel.

As for Israel, Paul has this to say to remind us that it is because of the Jewish People that we have a Redeemer in the first place, for Jesus was born as a Jew.  HE HAS NOT, NOR WILL HE EVER, FORGET ISRAEL.

Romans 11:25-29

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Trespass Offering.

Jesus knew that the Jewish people would ultimately reject Him as their Messiah.  That’s why He wept so loudly and vehemently just before entering Jerusalem the week of His death.

When He hung on the cross, one of the things He prayed over them was this:  “Father, forgive them.  They know not what they do.”  In effect, He put the whole nation under the Trespass offering.  That was offered to cover sins of which the offerer was UNAWARE.  Their rejection of Jesus qualified in that category!

Follow the link below for a more complete discussion on that topic.

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/the-kingdom-of-heaven-part-6-of-16-rightly-dividing-the-word-of-god/

Unfortunate Intersection.

Though God has not forgotten Israel, because of their rejection, they went their own way and got into trouble.  When they were dispersed into all nations of the world in 70A.D., after the Temple was destroyed, they wandered from place to place, rejected by the peoples of the nations into which they traveled.

This is sadly depicted by this Fish intersecting with another of the decans of Pegasus, “Andromeda: The woman in chains.”  They were quite literally in chains on many occasions during their wanderings.

Ancient Names For The Sign.

The ancient Arabs called this constellation, “Al Risha: The band, or bridle.”  Why a bridle?

In the Old Testament, the same root word in Hebrew used for risha, “Resen,” is used in Psalm 32:9 which says, “Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.”

James 2:2-3 gives us New Testament clarity, saying,  “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.

Ancient Names For The Stars.

Unfortunately, no names have been preserved for us which is a shame because, as you can see by the picture above, there are many of them.  We’ll have to rely on the messages from the other decans to gain some more understanding.  But first, let’s check out the Denderah.

The Denderah.

Last but not least is the Egyptian take on this sign.  They saw it as human figure with a tail, walking.  The hieroglyphics of this constellation indicate that he is “He comes.”  Their name for it, “U-or,” means “He who comes,” or literally, “He to come, He to come,” repeated twice, which indicates the certainty of His return.

In Conclusion.

All of these clues put together so far indicate that we have two groups of covenant people that are inexorably bound together.  Both have been impacted by Jesus:  One in a positive way, one more negatively.

Satan used to have a claim over both groups but Jesus came and changed all that.  He took over the reigns and gained back control of the mystical Fish people, i.e. The Church and natural Israel.  The latter is still in bondage to the law being ignorant by and large to the Gospel, though many Jewish people today have discovered their Messiah.

And last of all, this Great King Who sacrificed everything for the fish, is going to return very soon.  His coming will be swift, perhaps like the twinkling of an eye?  There are two returnings:  One for the Fish people, the other with the Fish people in two as He returns to judge the world.

Please follow the link below to Part 22 where we’ll learn about Andromeda.  Who is this woman in chains?

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2018/09/15/andromeda-the-woman-in-chains-mazzarotte-series-part-22/

Pisces, The Fishes: Mazzarotte Series Part 21

Matthew 4:19

”Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

Mark 1:17-18

“Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

The next major constellation in our story in the stars is, “Pisces.”  Obviously, it has to do with fish.  There seems to be an awful lot about water and fish in this story, isn’t there?  I assure you, this is not the end of it.

The Fishes.

You’re probably wondering why there are two opening scriptures that pretty much say the same thing, though you’ll notice they are not exact:  One from the Gospel of Matthew; the other from Mark.  Good question!  I’m glad you asked.

For those who may not know, Matthew was written specifically to the Jewish people.  Mark, on the other hand, was written to non-Jewish people.  God has two groups of people in this world that are special to Him:  The Jewish people and the Church.  This star sign deals with both groups of people, separate, swimming in different directions, yet connected.  For more on this topic, you may follow the link below.  In the article is another link to another piece which going into even more detail:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/ephraim-and-the-house-of-judah-part-8-of-9/

Pisces is the 7th major sign in the heavens.  That’s a very nteresting number!  Seven is the number of “Completion,” in Bible numerics.  You see, numbers, names, and places in Hebrew have meanings.  It’s not something superstitious, mind you.  Our God loves to hide things in His word for those who are hungry enough to search them out.  To learn more about Bible numbers and their meanings, follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/bible-numerics/

This constellation consists of two fish connected by a rope or ribbon tied around their tails.  They are going in two different directions, one toward the center of the heavens toward the pole star, and one going with the flow toward The Water Pourer, Aquarius.

The middle of the ribbon, or rope, is attached to the back of the head of a sea monster, “Cetus,” a picture of the devil.  Aries, the Ram, has his right foreleg draped over the side of the ribbon attached to the fish going with the flow.

Theories Of Times Past.

First of all, when we met the great Southern Fish of the last segment of our story, we discovered that fish are a symbol of believers.  A Big Fish represents the Church as a whole.

In Pisces, we have two smaller fish obviously tied together that are going in different directions.  Could they represent two different kinds of Christians?  Are they two different groups of people special to God?  Do they represent real Christians on one side and those who are Christian in name only?  Or maybe, could they depict legalistic Christians versus Gospel believing Christians?

One very telling detail is that the fish swimming up toward the pole star overlaps the decan, “Andromeda,” the woman in chains.  When we study that constellation, this sing will clear up more of this mystery.

Ancient Names For The Sign.

The Hebrew name for this sign is, “Daigim,” which means, “Fish (plural).”  This star sign is not just about two fish but many, many fish, though two separate groups of fish.  The Arab people called it, “Al Haut:  The Fish.”  It reminds us of the brightest star in the Southern Fish.

The ancient Syrians had a name for this sign.  They called it, “Nano,” meaning, “The fish lengthened out,” as in posterity.  This is a picture of generations of “Fish!”

The Egyptians called in, “Pi-Cot-Orion,” meaning, “The Fish, Congregation, or Company of Him Who Comes.”  Pretty descriptive of the Church!  The Greeks called it, “Icythus,” meaning “Fish.”  It is also an acrostic of Jesus’ name in Greek.”

But it is the Roman name that is most familiar: “Pisces,” which of course means, “Fish.”  This Latin word also carries with it the connotation of “Multilplying.”  Reminds us of what Jesus said:  “Go into all the world and make disciples.”  The Church has certainly done that!

Ancient Names Of The Stars.

There are only two star names that have come down to us, though we don’t know their exact position:  “Okda,” a Hebrew name meaning “The United,” and “Al Samaca,” and Arabic name meaning “The Upheld.”  Both are descriptive of the congregation of the redeemed.  We are united by His blood and upheld by His strong right hand.

Now let’s see how the Egyptians viewed this sign.  Their take is always both unique and illuminating!

The Denderah.

The Egyptians called this constellation, “Piscis Hori: The Fish of Him Who Comes.”  They saw this sign as a walking human figure with a tail and an animal’s head.  The figure is holding in his hand the midpoint of the bands, half of which goes in a straight line to each fish.  They are either upheld and restrained by it.

The animal head of the figure indicates its sacrificial role in the lives of the fish while the tail points out that he is coming quickly.  Both his name and the fact that he is holding on to the bands connected to the fish indicates his right of ownership.

More will be learned about these strange fish in the minor constellations, or decans, of Pisces.  Follow the link below to Part 21:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2018/09/12/the-band-mazzarotte-series-part-21/

Cygnus, The Swan: Mazzarrote Series Part 20

John 14:1-3

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

The next decan of Aquarius is Cygnus, the Swan.  In this celestial figure we have another creature that, though it isn’t a composite of two different species, is nonetheless comfortable in two different environments:  Earth and sky.

The swan is the most beautiful and graceful of creatures.  It flies effortlessly, gracefully, through the skies, reminding us of our altogether lovely Jesus, full of grace and truth!  He is the One Who has gone away for a little while but is coming back.

Unlike the Falling Eagle belonging to the previous segment of this story, Cygnus is not falling down in death, but soars far above.  It is full of life!  Just as the swan is comfortable in two environments, so Jesus is comfortable in both heaven and earth.

Notice in the picture above that the stars of this constellation are roughly in the shape of a cross, reminding us that the God-Man, Who came to earth, won our freedom by way of the cross.

Known as the king of waterfowl, because of its grace and beauty, it is often associated with music, beauty, and poetry.  But it is also associated with death.  You’ve heard of a “Swan song?”  This is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement.

Ancient Names For The Sign.

This decan is called, “Cygnos,” by the Greeks and “Cygnus,” by the Romans.  Both names mean the same thing:  “He who goes and comes, or Circles.”  It reminds us of what the opening scripture says:  That the One Who came to us from heaven will return again one day to take us home to be with Him forever!

Ancient Names For The Stars.

As you can see in the picture above, there are four names preserved for us.  The brightest is “Deneb: The Lord or Judge Comes,” located in the lower middle of its back.  We met another star bearing this same Hebrew name in Capricorn.  They also called this same star, “Adige,” which means “Flying swiftly.”

The second brightest star bears an Arabic name:  “Al Bireo: Flying Quickly,” located in its beak.  Next in order of brightness is, “Sadr,” which means “Who returns in a circle,” in Hebrew, located in the lower shoulder. Kind of sounds like a boomerang, doesn’t it?

Two more stars, located in the tail, are “Azel,” meaning “Who goes and returns quickly,” and “Fafage,” which means, “The glorious shining fourth.”  The last ancient star name we have is, “Arided:  He shall come down.” All three are Hebrew names.

Though from different languages and cultures, the message nevertheless clearly seems to be the same: This Man from heaven Who came to earth is coming back and will return quickly.

The Denderah.

The temple at Denderah in Egypt, the oldest map of the heavens, agrees with all the above.  They called this decan, “Tes-Ark: This (One) from afar.”  It echoes what the angels said to the disciples as Jesus was taken back to heaven:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Be Ready!

Pretty descriptive!  Every part of this star sign speaks of Jesus as having left but returning to earth at some point.  The star names remind us of the scriptures in Revelation 22 where He says, “Behold, I am coming quickly.”

His return will be swift.  He wants us to be ready, and by that He means, “Be born again.”

People, Jesus is the only acceptable sacrifice for sins.  There is NO OTHER NAME given among men by which we can be saved.  

No one can come before the Father without presenting an acceptable sacrifice, so make sure you have said, “Yes!” to what has been freely offered to you while there is still time.

–

Please follow the link below to Part 20 if you wish to continue this study of the story in the stars. We’ll be looking at the next major constellation: “Pisces: The Fishes:”

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2018/09/11/pisces-the-fishes-mazarotte-series-part-20/