The Signs of the Zodiac, No. 6
RO139-02

The Signs of the Zodiac

The Bible today, of course, fills out the details of the original uncorrupted explanations of each star constellation. So, very briefly, here's the story in review – the story of Redemption is in three books.

Book 1 – The Redeemer

1. Virgo

   Chapter one was Virgo the virgin. This constellation portrays the birth of the sinless God-Man Savior, Jesus Christ. The message of this constellation is summarized in Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel."

2. Libra

   Chapter two is Libra the scales. This constellation portrayed the message of mankind falling short of God's demand for absolute righteousness to qualify for entrance into heaven. The message of this constellation is summed up in Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

3. Scorpio

   The third chapter in book one on the Redeemer is Scorpio the scorpion. This constellation portrays Satan bruising Jesus Christ on the cross. And the message of this constellation is summarized in Genesis 3:15: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman (that is, between Satan and the seed of the woman), between your seed and her seed. He (Jesus Christ) shall bruise your (Satan's) head, and you (Satan) shall bruise His (Jesus Christ's) heel.

4. Sagittarius

   The fourth chapter of the book on the Redeemer is the sign Sagittarius the archer. Here we have portrayed Jesus Christ defeating Satan on the cross. The message of this constellation is summarized in 1 John 3:8: "He that commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."

Book 2 – The Redeemed

1. Capricorn

   Chapter one of book two is the sign of Capricornus the sea goat, which portrays Jesus Christ dying to pay for the sins of the world. The message of this constellation is summarized in John 12:24: "Verily, verily I say unto you: except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit."

2. Aquarius

   Chapter two of book two is a sign of Aquarius, the water bearer. This portrays Jesus Christ pouring out the water of eternal life to all the earth and to all humanity. The message of this consolation is summarized for us in John 4:14: "But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

3. Pisces

   The third chapter of book two is the sign of Pisces the fishes. This represents a multitude of believers, who, though rejected by the world, will be made rulers of the world by the Lord Jesus Christ, the message of this consolation is summarized in 2 Timothy 2:12: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him."

4. Aries

   The fourth chapter of book two is the constellation Aries the ram. This constellation portrays the resurrected Jesus Christ ready to rule over all the nations on the earth. The message of this constellation is summarized in Revelation 5:12: "Saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.'"

Book 3 – The Redemption

1. Taurus

   Chapter one of the book on redemption is Taurus the bull. This sign portrays the Holy God exercising His holy war against unbelievers. The message of this sign is summarized in John 3:36: "He that believes on the Son has everlasting light; and, he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. So, the first point made in the third book, the book on redemption, in the story in the stars, is the fact that a righteous and a Holy God does punish sin. And it is foolish for any human being to think that he is going to escape the consequences of his personal sins, and the consequences of not having those sins forgiven through the redemption provided by Jesus Christ. I have been very, very much impressed, as I'm sure you have been, as we looked at Taurus the Bull, to see what a frightful presentation indeed that was of the judgment of God upon the human race.

2. Gemini

   So, we come now to chapter two of book three: the sign of Gemini. The message of Gemini is summed up in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord." In this sign, we have portrayed two beautiful people, who are sitting or standing side by side peacefully. And in an overall star chart, you will see that they are standing on the Milky Way. Their heads are inclined toward each other in a loving attitude. One figure holds a large club in the right hand, and has his left arm around the waist of his companion. The other figure holds a harp in the right hand, and a bow and arrow in the other. So, each of them has a weapon: a club; and, a bow and arrow. But you will notice that, as the figures were envisioned by the ancients in the sky, these were not weapons in actual combative use. They are what we in the military call "at ease" – standing at ease with the weapon. They are not in a mode of attack.

   So, what we have conveyed, rather, is that the battle is over, and that these weapons are simply signs of what were used to achieve a victory. In Greek and Roman mythology, these two figures were viewed as twin brothers. The Greeks called them Apollo and Hercules. The Romans called them Castor and Pollux. The two brothers are described as sons of Jupiter, who had taken part with the Argonauts in the contest for searching and recovering the Golden Fleece. They displayed exemplary heroism in their military exploits: one, by the use of weapons; and, the other, by his horsemanship. So, they were viewed by the ancients as two invincible warriors who were leading armies to victory. They were purported to have cleared the seas around Greece of pirates. So, they were honored in the ancient world as the protectors of the navigators at sea.

   These were the figureheads which were on the ship that Paul was sailing on as he went to Rome in Acts 28:11. You may have wondered about that strange reference to the figurehead. As you know, in ancient ships, they would have an image on the prow of the ship as a protective charm, so to speak. And in this case, because the Gemini are associated with protectors of the navigators at sea, the very ship that Paul was sailing on, as reported in Acts 28:11, had these twins on the prow as the protectors of that vessel. The twins were reported sometimes to have their heads encircled with flames of fire, which happened during times of storms at sea. And when the flames would appear, the ancients said that the ocean would become calm.

   Now in all of this, please apply, in your own mind, as we go along, that the mythological story is a corruption of an original story about Jesus Christ. And you can see how that is shining through, even though they have distorted it.

   The two brothers were inseparable, and therefore, they were placed in the sky by Jupiter to honor the mutual affection that they shared toward one another, and the service that they were engaged in toward mankind. For this reason, the Greeks and the Romans highly esteemed the Gemini, and they sacrificed white lambs to them. As a matter of fact, they were viewed in such high esteem that the ancients, when they had to take an oath, would take it by this constellation of the Gemini twins. So, they would swear by Gemini. This has come down in corrupted form in our day, when we say, "By Geminy, I'm going to do something." You may not have realized that you were swearing upon these two gods. So, that's the origin of that little phrase.

   The twins, in general, are seen simply as devoted helpers of mankind. In the zodiac of Egypt, this sign was portrayed, however, as a man and woman who are walking hand-in-hand.

   Well, the word "Gemini" comes from a Hebrew root which refers to something completed rather than something that is born at the same time. The actual word "Gemini" does not mean so much "twins," as it means "a unity of something that has been brought to a state of completion."

   There's a conspicuous star in the left foot of the southern figure, which is named "Alhena." "Alhena" means "the hurt or wounded one." And, of course, you have here the picture of Jesus Christ wounded on the cross in payment for human sin. The main star in the head of the southern figure is called Pollux, which means "the ruler" or "the judge."

   So, again, the names of the stars give us a clue as to what the original intent was of these figures when God put them up there. Here's a picture of Jesus Christ judging unbelievers. The brightest star in the head of the northern figure is called "Apollo," which means "ruler" or "judge." So, the Gemini's sign represents the union of Jesus Christ and His heavenly people, the church. The Hebrew name for this constellation "Thaumin," which means "united."

   So, when God put the Gemini up there, He was telling a story about something that was going to come in the future, when there was going to be a special body of saints which were going to be uniquely related to the virgin's Son, Who was going to provide salvation, as no other group of people have been related to God in the past – not even the Jews. The southern figure holds a club of power which pictures Jesus Christ bruising Satan on the cross. The northern figure holds a bow and arrow, representing the church as the bride of Jesus Christ, equipped to engage in the angelic warfare through Bible doctrine training.

   So, here you can see that we Christians, here in the upper figure, represented with a bow and arrow, are equipped to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ through the training of the Word of God. The southern figure represents the Lord Jesus Christ with a club that finished off Satan. The Lord Jesus Christ and His church are inseparable, and they have been joined into a complete union. We have this, for example, in John 14:20 where, we read, "At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."

   Ephesians 1:22-23: And have put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church which is His body; the fullness of Him that fills all in all."

   2 Corinthians 11:2: "For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." This describes for us how Christ and Christians are joined together as one body. He is the head. We are his body. He is the bridegroom. We are the bride. There's a very intimate union. The union of the Lord Jesus and His church bride will, of course, be completed at the rapture. We are now His body. We are not yet His bride. We are promised that, at the rapture, we become His bride. And we have that told us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

   At that time, the Lord Jesus returns to this earth; takes His saints out; and, then subsequently returns with them to defeat the nations of the world that have rallied around Satan; and, then, after His Second Coming, to set up His millennial kingdom here on this earth. Then follows the marriage supper of the Lamb. This takes place during the 1,000 years of the millennium, where we celebrate our marriage to Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:7-9 give us the details of that.

   1. Lepus – The Enemy Trodden Down

      Now the decans, the sidepieces, that are associated with Gemini – the decans always give us a little more explanation, and a little further understanding of what the original constellation has to say. So, we call this paragraph one. This is entitled "The Lepus the Enemy." The subject of this paragraph is "The Enemy Trodden Down." What we have here is a giant rabbit. The ancients view this as a huge hare up in the sky. It's one of the animals that mythology tells us that Orion most liked to hunt. And in the sky, as you look on an overall sky chart, you will see Orion's foot over the hare's head in a position where he is about ready to bruise him. So, here you again have Orion representing Jesus Christ. Here is another creature representing Satan in the form of this rabbit. And Orion is about ready to do him in. This pictures the total defeat of Satan when there is the union between Jesus Christ and the church. We are going to be part of the helpers that are going to put Satan off this earth, and remove him from his position of influence.

      The brightest star in the hare, about where the heart would be, is called "Arnebo." This is a Hebrew word, and means "the enemy of him that cones." It is very significant that the brightest star should be called "the enemy of him that comes," obviously referring here to Satan. The decan thus pictures the final defeat of Satan by Jesus Christ and His bride, the church.

   2. Canis Major – The Prince Coming in Glory

      The second side sidepiece is called Canis Major, which means "big dog." This is paragraph two, and the title is "The Prince Coming in Glory." It portrays a large hunting dog who, in the overall star charts, again, you will see, is attacking Lupus the hare. This constellation has the most brilliant star to be found in the sky. It is called "Sirius." It's a first magnitude star, and it means "the prince." This star was associated in ancient times with judgment and burning fire. Sirius was once prominent during the hottest part of the year, and therefore, those hot days were referred to as "the dog days." Now, as time has gone by, and there has been progression of movement between the earth and the relationships of the constellation of stars, Sirius is not prominent in the sky during the hot season. But we still refer to the hot summer days as the dog days. The reason for that was, when people looked up in the sky, and they saw this constellation appear in prominence, and the star Sirius was very easily seen up in the sky with the naked eye, they knew that they were in for the hot days, and they therefore referred to them as "the dog days."

      Sirius is the prince of the stars, of course, because it's so bright, representing Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of the Kings of the earth. Acts 5:31: "Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a prince, and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

      Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a Child is born. Unto us, a Son is given. And the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

      Revelation 19:16: "And He has on His vesture, and on His thigh, a name written: 'King of Kings and Lord of Lords.'"

      It's these Scriptures that really show you that we are not just pulling something out of the air, and coming off the wall here, in suggesting that God put these constellations up in these particular arrangements in order to convey a message which He explained to people, originally, and which are now passed on through Scripture itself.

      There's a bright star in the left forefront of the big dog. It's called "Mirzam." It means "prince" or "ruler."

      This dog is usually seen in an attacking mode, which pictures Lord Jesus Christ as the divine judge, executing His judgment upon unbelievers. And again, we have that picture of Jesus Christ very clearly portrayed. No matter what unbelievers like to think about God, He is going to punish evil. No matter what unbelievers like to think about little babies suffering with AIDS, it is the consequence of the old sin nature, and of the fact that God has placed judgments upon certain evil actions. This is demonstrated very clearly in Psalm 149:7-9: "To execute vengeance upon the nations, and punishments upon the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the judgment written: "This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord.'"

      Zechariah 14:12: "And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet. And their eyes shall consume away in their holes. And their tongues shall consume away in their mouth."

      Isaiah 2:12-17: "For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon everyone who is proud and lofty, and upon everyone who is lifted up, and he shall be brought low; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall, and upon the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."

      Finally, Revelation 19:15: "And out of His mouth toes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron. And he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Jesus Christ is going to come, and He's going to come charging on the scene like a powerful guard dog. That's the picture that the ancients had of Him here.

   3. Canis Minor – The Princely Following

      The third sidepiece explaining Gemini, paragraph three of this chapter, is Canis Minor, which means "small dog." And on your overall chart, you will see a small dog running after a big dog. The title of this paragraph is "The Princely Following." It portrays a smaller dog following the big dog. The brightest star (and it is a bright star) is a first magnitude star. It is in the body of the dog Procyon? It means "redeemed."

      We talk about astronomy, and we take our kids to camp, and we teach them about the constellations up in the sky, and we give them certain names, but we don't tell them what these names mean – these Greek and Hebrew and Latin names that came from ancient times. It is the meaning that is significant. It means a great deal to see that this little dog has a prominent star, and that that star means "redeemed."

      It also has another star. The second brightest star is named "AlGomeisa." It's an Arabic name, and that means "the burdened one." So, here you have again two stars that are telling us that this little dog portrays again a relationship to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the big dog, and the church is the little dog which is following Him. The church is united with the Lord Jesus Christ, and it will come to reign with Him on earth, and to share His life. But it is He who is in preeminence. And we are the small ones who are following, and being the beneficiary of, His eminence. The church saints carry the burden of proclaiming salvation to the lost. But the church is the beloved one of Jesus Christ with whom He will share His glory and His authority.

3. Cancer – The Savior's Redeemed One

   The third of the last book on redemption is the constellation Cancer the crab. This is chapter three, and the title is "The Savior's Redeemed One." The message of this constellation is summarized in Genesis 22:17: "That in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies."

   The sign portrays a giant crab with legs from both sides, and two giant pincer arms. The brightest star is located in the tail of the crab, and its name is "Tegmine," which means "holding." There is a cluster of bright stars in the center of the crab, which is named "Praesepe," which means "a multitude of offspring." What this is portraying for us is the family of God raised up by the Lord Jesus Christ. For this reason, the modern name for this little cluster of stars right on the crab is called the Beehive.

   This sign portrays the Lord Jesus Christ retaining full possession of His redeemed ones, and carrying them safely to their heavenly rest. This is what John 10:28 tells us. Nobody can take you out of God's hand once you're born again.

   1 Peter 1:4-6 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 tell us that we're going to be caught up to meet Him in the air. All of these verses make it clear that once you are born again, nobody pulls you out of the hand of the Savior. That is the message of this particular constellation – the crab.

   The Egyptians called this sign "Klaria," which means "the resting places." Cancer speaks, in short, of the joy of eternal rest secured through Jesus Christ.

   1. Ursa Minor – The Lesser Sheepfold

      Now we come to the sidepieces that expand the meaning of Cancer. Here are two very famous constellations that all of you are acquainted with. We call them the Big and the Little Dipper. On the star charts, they're called, first of all, Ursa Minor. Ursa Minor means "the little bear." This is paragraph one of chapter three. It is entitled "The Lesser Sheepfold." It is not a bear. We have here a real problem that has come down to us from ancient times upon the image that we have had conveyed to us of this particular constellation. A bear doesn't fit the image of the stars, and the names of the stars. Not the least problem is: when have you seen a bear with a raccoon tail like that? That is a major problem, and it has bothered the observers of the sky over the centuries – that something is wrong with the figure imposed on these stars. Someplace along the line, something got out of kilter.

      In most of the ancient zodiacs, as a matter of fact, where we have illustrations preserved, it is not a bear, which confirms that, originally, the message was not conveyed through that of a bear. The ancient records do portray that whatever the image is on these two constellations, they are related. They are the same.

      Now the misunderstanding of this image may be due to a misreading of the Hebrew names on this constellation. And, of course, these names came down to us from the Hebrew, because God was conveying these originally. And there is possibly this as the explanation. The Hebrew word "dovr" means "a fold" or "a pen," like a sheepfold. There is a very similar Hebrew word: the word "dov." And "dov" means "bear." So, you can see how between "dovr" and "dov," somebody could have made a mistake someplace along the line in writing things down, or reading, as they were putting the images together, and they converted from a sheepfold (a pen) into the image of a bear, which is not what was the original picture at all? The original name, then, was a fold.

      The principal star in Ursa Major is "Dubheh," and "Dubheh" means "a herd of animals." There it is right there. So, the main star in the big bear has a name that means "a pen of animals." So, this constellation Ursa Minor is more properly called "the lesser sheepfold." It's the lesser sheepfold, and it refers to the church, the body of Christ. I wish somebody could come up and just draw some kind of a sheepfold pen out of those stars, which do look like a dipper, and that's how we envision them. The Greeks call this constellation "Aryas," which means "the stronghold of the saved," which again confirms that idea of a holding pen of sheep. These are the sheepfold of believers.

      The brightest star at the end of the tail is one you're well acquainted with in the little bear. It is called "AlRuccaba." "AlRuccaba" means "the turned on" or "the ridden on." This is the North Star. This is the Polar Star around which all the heavens at night revolve. All the other stars will make a streak on the film of a camera whose lens is left open. But the North Star will stay where it is. It doesn't move. It is the center of the sky.

      The heavens originally, you remember that I told you previously, revolved around Alpha Draconis in the constellation Draco, which represents Satan. At that time, the dragon was the Polar Star constellation, and it symbolized Satan's era of authority before the cross. Today, the sky circles around the North Star in the lesser sheepfold, thus portraying for us the fact that now the church and the Lord Jesus Christ are in authority. Once the central control of creation was in Satan's territory. Now it has moved over into that of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is amazing that these stars, which were named thousands of years ago, should have had a name given that foretold, in effect, that the center of the heavens was going to shift over from a constellation dealing with Satan to a constellation dealing with Christ and His church.

      The second brightest star in the little bear is "Kochab," which means "waiting him who comes." That is clearly a reference to the church who is waiting for the arrival of Jesus Christ.

   2. Ursa Major – The Greater Sheepfold

      Then the accompanying sidepiece, paragraph two, is called "the greater sheepfold." This pictures a large bear with a long tail, and we today call it the Big Dipper. The original image imposed on this constellation was probably a sheepfold also, which is what it should be by the name of the stars. We have indicated that the name of the brightest star, "Dubheh" means "a herd of animals" or "a flock."

      The second brightest star is "Merach." And "Merach" in Hebrew also means "the flock."

      In the center of the tail is a star called "Mizar." It means "an enclosed place." So, all these names again are indicating that you have a sheepfold. You have a pen – not a bear at all.

      The Arabs called this constellation "AlNaish," which means "the assembled together ones" This constellation then portrays the fact that Israel here is part of God's sheepfold. Here you have the little bear with believers as the heavenly descendants of Jesus Christ, and indeed of Abraham. Then you have the big bear representing those who are part of Israel, which also belong in the family of God. But they are in a separate group. Ezekiel 34:12-16 refer to Israel as God's greater sheepfold. Greater in number as the sands of the seashore to which they are compared.

   3. Argo – The Pilgrims Safe at Home

      The third constellation, filling out the story of Cancer the crab is "Argo" the ship. This is paragraph three, and the title of this paragraph is "The Pilgrims Safe at Home." This portrays the mythical ship Argo, whose crew of Argonauts, under the famous Greek hero Jason, captured the Golden Fleece from the king of Colchis. We get this story from a poem which was written in the 10th century B.C. by the Greek poet Homer. The Golden Fleece, in the mythological story, was hidden in the grove of Mars – Mars, the fierce god of justice, at a place called Colchis, which means "the citadel of atonement." We're told that the fleece was guarded by a serpent with ever-wakeful eyes, so that none could take it. No mortal could approach the Golden Fleece until finally Jason and his crew of Argonauts arrived. They captured this fleece after considerable suffering and many terrible trials. Then the Argo and its heroes sailed through many obstacles with the Golden Fleece, and finally arrived safely at home.

      Here again, you can see coming through the picture of what Jesus Christ is doing, with taking His people safely home to heaven. You have in this constellation, really, a testimony to the eternal security of the believers. And all the sidepieces further confirm that picture.

      When they got home, Jason and the Argonauts rested from their labors, and they enjoyed security from their foes. The name Argo means "a company of travelers."

      The brightest star in this constellation, in one of the oars, is "Canopus." It means "the possession of him who comes." What a name! "The possession of him who comes." That has to be significant in this ship which portrays the mythological story that it does. The divine story of this constellation, of course, is that the Golden Fleece symbolize the treasures of human innocence and righteousness which were lost in Eden. That was the Golden Fleece that man had. Along came Satan disguised as a serpent, and he stole the Golden Fleece. Then he presented mankind from ever regaining it again, because man, on his own, could not secure the Golden Fleece of absolute righteousness.

      So, Jason, who represents Jesus Christ, came onto the scene. And the Lord on the cross, after much suffering, as Jason through much suffering in his journey to where the Golden Fleece was kept, defeated Satan the serpent, and made absolute righteousness available to believing sinners. The safe return trip home with the fleece pictures believers, with their absolute righteousness, sailing safely through the storms of life in Satan's world, into the port of heaven, and to their eternal rest. That is a picture of safety home in heaven because our captain is Jesus Christ, as Jason was the captain on the Argo that made that safe trip possible. That is the message here – the safety that we have through Jesus Christ.

      I stress this because there are scads of Christians out there who still strain with the difficulty and the concern that they may lose their salvation, and that they're never going to safely make it into heaven's harbor. John 14:1-3 say, "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 unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." The Lord could not have been more explicitly clear that what He intends to do is to bring you into the heaven that He has gone ahead to prepare for us. He has not gone to prepare for us some dwelling places in heaven which we are never going to be able to enjoy.

      In Hebrews 4:9, we have the same idea presented: "There remains, therefore, a rest to the people of God." There is a genuine rest ahead for the people who are born again: no more sorrow; no more pain; no more suffering; and, no more tears. And that rest is not going to be denied to any genuine born-again believer.

      Revelation 7:9-17 give us a very dramatic presentation of what the ship Argo represents in its ultimate victory. John says, "After this, I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.' All the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the thrown on their faces and worshiped God; saying, 'Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.' And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, 'Who are these who are arrayed in white robes, and from where did they come?' And I said unto him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are they who came out of the Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more; neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them; nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them; shall lead them into living fountains of water; and, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

      That is the tremendous promise of the Lord Jesus – that He is safely going to take every believer into His heaven. Nobody is going to be left behind. And indeed, as by that Scripture, some of us are going to go into that heaven through a lot of suffering; through a lot of trial; and, through a lot of painfulness this side of the Promised Land of eternity. But our destiny is absolutely assured.

      One more: Revelation 21:4 sums it all up. This is what Cancer the crab is all about: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death; neither sorrow; nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain. For the former things are passed away."

      The people in ancient times looked up in the sky, and they shared these stories with one another. And they looked forward to the time when all of these hopes would be fulfilled. You and I no longer look forward. For us, the reality is here. And these things have, for us, been fulfilled. But all of the messages which are up in the sky, now written out in Scripture, are just as true for us today as it was for those before the Word of God was written down.

Dr. John E. Danish, 1988

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