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A Closer LookI have chosen to illustrate Orion, Taurus, Eridanus and Auriga. Orion is brilliant and well known constellation easily identified by most people. It is visible in North America from October through March and dominates the evening sky. Since Orion, Eridanus, and Auriga are decans of Taurus and work together to tell a story, we will look at all four. Orion, the Coming One, Coming Forth as LightOrion (see illustration) is a mighty man with a club in his raised right hand and the skin of a slain lion in his left hand. His left foot is crushing the enemy. He wears a girdle around his waist from which hangs a sword. In the oldest illustrations of Orion, the hilt and handle of the sword are drawn as the head and body of a lamb. From his raised foot flows a river.
Orion means Coming Forth as Light (John 8:12; John 1:4-5; Isaiah 9:2). The brilliant star in his right shoulder is Betelgeuse and means coming of the Branch (Isaiah 11:1; Jer. 23:5). The star in his left shoulder is Bellatrix and means hastily coming (Rev. 22:7). Rigel, the star in his raised foot means who treadeth under foot (Psalm 91:13-15; Romans. 16:20). Al Nitak, a star in his belt means the wounded (Isaiah 53:5). Saiph, in the foot (leg) means Bruised (Isaiah 53:5). Taurus, Coming to Rule (Judge); Save MightilyTaurus is not just a bull, it is a type of the wild ox of long ago, a fierce, mighty and untamable creature (Numbers 24:8; Job 39:9-10). With horns lowered, he is in the act of charging the enemy. Taurus portrays the power of Christ to save mightily, to rule, to judge (Deut. 33:17; Psalm 72:2, 8; Micah 5:2; John 5:26-27). The bright, reddish star in the bull's eye is Aldeberan and means the leader, the governor, counselor (Psalm 22:28). The bright star at the tip of the left horn is Elnath, the wounded. Riding on the shoulder of the wild ox is the beautiful Pleiades, a circlet of stars meaning Congregation of the Judge (1 Cor. 6:1-3). Eridanus, The River
Issuing from the foot of Orion, is
a river. This is an immense constellation. Star names include
the after part of the river, flowing, water, and bent down.
Bible verses describing it include Isaiah 66:12, Ezekial 47:9; Psalm 46:4.
It is the river of peace, the sweet river for multitudes of fish, and the
one spirit in which the fish feed. Auriga, The Shepherd Above Orion and Taurus sits a shepherd. He is holding two of his flock in his lap. They are safe and protected in his arms. Star names include El Nath in his foot, which means wounded (and is a shared star with Taurus). The brightest star is the the mother goat), a Capella which means atonement. The Two-Fold Message (in Scripture & Stars) Luke 1:76-69, "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Orion and Eridanus) John 12:46, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." (Orion)
Isaiah 40:10-11, "See, the Sovereign LORD comes
with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his
recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers
the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads
those that have young." (Taurus, Auriga) The Message CorruptedAll God's creation is good. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Gen. 1:31). It is also true that anything good can be used for evil. Satan's distortion of truth is evident through all ages. In the Patriarchal age, nation after nation took the shapes (or images) from the stars, reproduced them in stone, wood or metals and worshipped them rather than the Creator (Isaiah 44:16-18). The Greeks rewrote the constellations into the legends and fables of mythology. It is not surprising that Satan is depicted in the constellations just as He is in the written Word. He is the Serpent, The Great Dragon, a Scorpion, a Lion, and Cetus, the monster in the sea. In every picture, he is conquered by the Redeemer. (See Rev. 12:9; 1 Cor. 15:56; 1 Peter 5:8.) While helping my daughter research a report on religions of the Bronze Age (the timeframe of much of the Old Testament), I was struck by the number of idols (from many nations) that were duplicates of images from the starry host. Baal, for example, is usually a statue of Orion. There is no doubt that the prophecies associated with the constellations were changed into idolatry. The Lord of Hosts, (2 Samuel 6) had been replaced by worship of the hosts (idols from the star signs). A Christian EvidenceScientists dig in the dirt of civilizations past, and Christians rejoice when the archeological and scientific records confirm the Biblical record. It doesn't matter whether you look through a microscope or a telescope, the facts of science will never disprove the Bible -- nature and the Bible have the same Creator and Author. Instead, the Bible shines as a light on the past (no matter how ancient) as well as the future. Should we be surprised that God's signature is written across the vastness of space as well as the tiniest of atoms? The starry evidence is circling continuously above us night after night. Not only is God's power displayed, but his purpose, too, from before the creation of the world (1 Pet. 1:20). My hope for writing is to encourage others to develop new spiritual insights and application of God's written word by interpreting the constellations (star signs) as figures or types of Christ. Astrology is everywhere today -- in the newspapers, magazines -- whole shelves of books are devoted to it in bookstores. How much better, and correct, to point to a constellation and say, "That is Orion - this group of stars reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the World . . . " Psalm 19: 1-4 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 display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, Their words to the ends of the world. Books AvailableIf interested, I recommend reading one of the many books that are available on this subject. Always read and reflect on God's Word for truth. These books are available in some Christian bookstores or online. Sources
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