The Ultimate Sign

There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. (Lk. 21:25)

In my estimation, the greatest sign in the heavens that the LORD has ever given to the inhabitants of the earth has now completed or is near its conclusion.  Jesus predicted such things would happen before He returned and He wasn't being facetious.

The Revelation 12 Sign, which undoubtedly occurred on September 23–24 of last year, was the culmination of it, but was only one piece in a larger story.

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The walls rose high and you did not see;
The nation was restored and you did not hear;
The people returned and you did not take notice;
The city was repossessed and you did not draw near.

The LORD will appear a second time to deliver recompense to His enemies and to deliver those anxiously waiting for Him.

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A Prelude: The Dragon Roars

For months secular experts had said that this year's Draconids meteor shower would be a dud, likely producing no more than 15 shooting stars per hour at peak.  Indeed, this particular shower is usually one of the year's least eventful.  On an average year you might witness 2–5 meteors per hour at zenith.

They were wrong.

Along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, in spots across the Midwest, and across large swaths of Europe—where clouds and city lights did not obscure—thousands observed upwards of 200 shooting stars per hour.  And viewing conditions were exceptional because the shower coincided with a new moon.

It started with radio observers who detected a significant "outburst"—radio echoes from meteoroids pinging through the atmosphere.

Then reports started coming in all over social media from Massachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Ontario, and many places in Europe: France, Belgium, Poland, and elsewhere.

An astronomer from Belgium named Michel gave the following account:

The activity remained long time stable and modest until suddenly activity started to pick up; a period when about one per minute appeared.  The outburst had materialized well in advance of the predicted observing window.  However it did not remain with just short pulses.  The activity increased further out of nothing, multiple meteors were seen per minute, even two or three at the same instance!  Yes this was going hard: probably getting at a ZHR of about 100, certainly taking into account the low position of the radiant!  Everywhere nice long meteor trails at the sky thanks to the decreasing radiant position.  Not only faint stuff, but sometimes very nice meteors up to -2, even one small fireball!

Another observer from Slovenia saw numerous falling stars even with some cloud cover causing obscurity:

Observed 22:40-00:44 UT under mediocre conditions, LM about 6.5 and variable cloud cover (0-40%).  Peak seemed to be around 23:00-23:20 UT.  Rates were probably greater than 100/h, even with the radiant below 30 degrees.  Will be surprised if peak ZHR is not around several hundred.  Possible secondary peak around 00:00 UT.

Twitter lit up, too, with experts confirming the outburst:

Looks like the Draconid meteor shower is under outburst right now, with zenith hourly rate reaching ~130, con.sistent with earlier prediction. Data from Hirofumi Sugimoto's analysis: https://t.co/oZedisQTnh pic.twitter.com/0jIbkthQP2

— YE Quanzhi (@Yeqzids) October 9, 2018

The most exciting reports came from many people who didn't even know what was going on:

Serra and I just saw 21 shooting stars in the span of 30 minutes.  God’s handiwork is 10/10.

— mah-res (@sister_cath) October 9, 2018

Just came in from outside.  Looking up for about 10 minutes, I seen 15 meteors crossing the skies! #ShootingStars #meteors

— Scott Hixon (@KC8ITN) October 9, 2018

Amazed astronomers have been posting composite time-lapse images.  This is one from Switzerland:

Here is a shorter time-lapse image from Eastern France:

In any given year only the Geminids and Perseids are noteworthy and neither are along the immediate path of the dragon.  The Draconids are usually among the most faint and sparse, with only occasional years of outbursts (e.g., 1933, 1946, 1985, 2011).  But this year was exceptional because God has been telling a story...

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Setting the Stage: The Bethlehem Star Returns

When Christ appeared the first time, magi ("wise men") from the east followed a star to Jerusalem and ultimately to Bethlehem.  It is now widely thought that this "star" was none other than Jupiter in the years 3–2 BC, which had an unusually close conjunction with Venus.  You can read more about that here.

We've seen a similar repeat in the past few years.  It started in 2008 with an observation by Mark Biltz that a series of four Total Lunar Eclipses (Blood Moons) would fall on four consecutive Passovers and Tabernacles over a two-year period (2014–2015).  Like the magi of old, Christians everywhere began searching the skies for more clues.  It was soon discovered that an alignment in 2017 seemed to fit what the Apostle John saw in Revelation 12:1–2.

Then an incredible astronomical event occurred just three months before the final Blood Moon in the tetrad: a close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus occurred in the same constellation (Leo) and on the same day of the year, as the Bethlehem Star of 3 BC.  God was trying to get our attention.

A year later, in August 2016, another close Jupiter-Venus conjunction occurred.  It was the closest conjunction of the two planets in over 350 years.

Finally, another year later, an incredible Total Solar Eclipse passed over the entire length of the contiguous United States.  The shadow of the sun covered Casper, Wyoming (Casper is Chaldean for "wise man") and passed over seven different towns called Salem—the shortened form of Jerusalem.

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Revelation 12

With the discovery of the upcoming Revelation 12 Sign, ancient Scriptures from the Old and New Testament were brought to light, which described the rapture of the Church and Tribulation in terms of a woman in labor with a corporate male child (e.g., Gen. 3:15–16; Isa. 26:17–21; 66:7–9; Jer. 30; Mic. 5:3; Gal. 4:26; 1 Thess. 5:3–4).  The historical protestant understanding of the male child of Revelation 12 as the Church, which had been hidden for decades, was unearthed, as well (see here).

For those with eyes to see, it was more concretely recognized that the Book of Revelation is filled with literal truth and when John said He saw a sign in the heavens he wasn't speaking in mere allegory.

We were able to piece together how these themes stretched across the entire length of the Bible and had parallel meanings:

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A Cosmic Conception

A few months after the last 2016 Jupiter-Venus conjunction, a once-in-history comet denoted "Borisov," appeared to enter the womb of the constellation Virgo after leaving the loins of Leo the Lion.  This coincided with the planet Jupiter entering Virgo's belly, as well.  It was the perfect depiction of a virginal insemination and after this go-round the comet will never be seen again.

Around the same time, a tragic fire in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, scorched almost everything in sight—save a page from Joel declaring "the day of the LORD is at hand."  And in New York, the nations of the world voted to divide Jerusalem after the U.S. backed away from Israel's defense.  On the other side of the world, record wildfires ravaged Israel.

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The Great Sign: September 23–24, 2017

Fast forward 9–10 months (the length of a human pregnancy) and the Revelation 12 Sign was upon us.  It was 33 days after the Great American Eclipse, which itself might have been the first part of another prophecy preceding the Day of the LORD.  An astronomical alignment of the sun, moon, and stars occurred that perfectly fit the description given in the first two verses of Revelation Chapter 12:

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

The sign was widely publicized and scrutinized, but, in the words of Greg over at A Little Strength:

Because that's just about what the first sign was.  It was thunderingly clear and compelling...there was just no getting around it.  I mean, even the most ambitious efforts to debunk it just bounced off it like Nerf balls off the USS Nimitz.  Every critic who attacked it ended up looking like a misinformed clown—and there were hordes of them, content to keep tossing out the same tired old canards, not one of which held a thimbleful of water.  It was almost comical.  Even some reputable ministers and celebrity authors jumped on the bandwagon and made themselves look like complete fools in the run-up to 9/23/17.

Brother Paul, who many know as "Zeus Mossbender" released an excellent dissection of the ignorance on display as people futilely attempted to debunk God's sign:

As incredible as it was that an astronomical alignment in our lifetime perfectly matched what the Apostle John recorded in AD 90, it simply is what it is.  It has already proven its merit.  Now, one can certainly argue that it wasn't the fulfillment of Revelation 12:1–2, but no one can argue that it doesn't match the description.  It matched it perfectly and was a once-in-history event.

But to make this startlingly clear picture even clearer, God, in His infinite wisdom, decided to send two hurricanes our way, which would complete the picture of a second nativity.  Luke wrote that there would be "signs in the sun, moon, and stars," and that people would be perplexed by the "roaring and tossing of the sea."  September 2017 was both, together.  The only sign in the Bible featuring sun, moon, and stars at the same time (Rev. 12:1–2) occurred simultaneously with two hurricanes called Mary and Joseph.

Hurricane Maria (Spanish for "Mary") formed on September 16th and struck the Caribbean islands, becoming the third-costliest tropical cyclone in the entire world.  Ever.  Nearly $100 billion in damages.  Over 3,000 killed.  Puerto Rico is still recovering.

Hurricane José (Spanish for "Joseph") formed on September 5th and dissipated two days after the Revelation 12 Sign, so both Hurricane Maria and José were simultaneously tearing through the Atlantic during the The Great Sign and the world was quite literally perplexed, frightened, and overwhelmed by the roaring and tossing of the sea.

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The Birth and Rapture Depicted

On October 13, 2017—Shemini Atzeret—which is the very last festival on the biblical calendar, Jupiter appeared to leave Virgo's belly.  It was 42 weeks to the day from the United Nations' vote to divide Israel on December 23, 2016—the length of a perfect pregnancy.

Then one month later, on November 13th, the planet Jesus Himself identifies with (Venus; see Rev. 22:16; 2:28), came into close conjunction with Jupiter just outside of Virgo.  It was the perfect depiction of the LORD meeting His Church in the air:

Now many of us, myself included, had been so excited to see the LORD it was difficult to patiently watch the whole story play out, but in retrospect, so much more was revealed.  The story continued.

When the rapture really happens, what happens after we meet the LORD in the air?  We are presented before God's Throne and undergo the Bema Seat Judgment.

On Christmas Day 2017, Jupiter entered Libra:

Some depictions of Libra resemble a throne, but it most often represents either the scales of justice (judgment) or an altar.  According to Revelation 8:3 the heavenly altar is immediately in front of God's Throne.  No astronomical picture could more perfectly show the Church in Heaven while simultaneously undergoing the Bema Seat Judgment.

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A Building Crescendo

Over the course of the next year the world witnessed many more significant events all pointing to the nearness of Christ's appearing:

1. The world again voting to divide Israel.

2. Turkey invading Syria (one of the several nations specifically involved in Ezekiel 38).

3. A once-in-150-year "Super-Blue-Blood Moon."

4. The passing of Billy Graham at 99, as well as Chuck Missler.

5. The 70th anniversary of Israel, embassies opening in Jerusalem, and Third Temple coins minted.

6. The first Passover sacrifice near the Temple Mount since 68 AD.

7. Massive Israeli air raids in Syria following an Iranian attack.

8. The Israeli flag flying on the Temple Mount for the first time in 50 years (a Jubilee).

9. Talk of a 10-nation military confederation in Europe (perhaps a type or shadow of the 10 horns to come).

11. The end of the Iran deal.

12. President Erdogan of Turkey finally gaining dictatorial power.

13. The passage of the Jewish Nation-State Bill—an event of prophetic significance on par with 1948 and 1967.

14. The longest Blood Moon of the century, visible over Israel, which, when coupled with the Great American Eclipse a year earlier, may have formed the second fulfillment of a prophecy from Joel.

15. A game-changing deployment of S-300 air and missile defense interceptors to Syria in just the past week.

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Enter the Dragon

In Revelation 12, two separate astronomical signs are depicted.  The first, as we now know, was fulfilled last September.  The second, called "another sign" by John, may have just occurred, complete with a "great" red dragon ready to strike the male child and a tail sweeping down one-third of the stars in the sky.  I explain this in much more detail here, but in summary, the dragon has always been up in the sky waiting to devour the child (composed of Hydra, Lynx, Draco, the serpents in Hercules and Ophiuchus, the heads of Serpens, and the crowns of Corona Borealis).

But this arrangement was not sufficient in itself to fulfill the second sign of Revelation 12 until now.  For one, the first two verses of Revelation 12 were not fulfilled until last year, and chronologically-speaking, the dragon sign occurs afterwards.  Second, after the rapture of the Church we shall never again be separated from Christ.  Venus is (as of right now) right back where it was last year when it conjuncted with Jupiter.  Jupiter itself is about to leave Libra, which for all intents and purposes ends all of the astronomical depictions in Revelation 12.

With the depiction of the Church's rapture, judgment, and glorification complete, the dragon and his angels are cast down to the earth.  That sign may have been exactly what the world witnessed last night as hundreds of "stars" appeared to fall from Heaven to the earth from Draco (remember that Serpens constitutes the seven heads, thus Draco is part of the body or tail of the dragon).  Small showers from the Aurigids, Orionids, and Sextantids were happening simultaneously along the dragon's tail.

A Japanese astronomer measured last night's large (and rare) Draconids outburst and found the peak rate of shooting stars to hit about 175 per hour.  Between the 195 and 196 markers below represents a 24-hour period.  The sharp rise in red between the two represents the main outburst that people all over the East Coast and Europe witnessed yesterday evening.  "ZHR" on the left is a measure of the number of meteoroids detected by radio per hour.  What you see below is roughly 1,000 total meteors—"stars" falling to earth—over the course of the past day.

Given that under absolutely perfect conditions (no clouds, city lights, or obstructions on the horizon) an observer on the earth can never see more that 4,548 stars from any given vantage point, the total number of falling "stars," when factoring in the entire Draconid period (October 6–10) and the simultaneous Aurigids, Orionids, and Sextantids, may very well be approximately one-third that number.  Thus, we see an actual depiction of one-third of the stars of Heaven falling to earth.

This is where it gets interesting.  The outburst was large and unusual, but several years over the past century have exceeded it (1933, 1946, 1985, and 2011, being examples).  Does that make this year's outburst less significant?  To the contrary.  Scripture is precise and perfect.  Some of those other years' showers, for example, likely had a ZHR exceeding 1,000.  That means that over the course of those outbursts, more shooting stars appeared to fall to earth than there are visible stars in the sky.  That would not fit with the prophecy given in Revelation 12.  The meteor shower this year seems to have been just significant enough to match the prophecy.

Most observers though will only ever see one or two thousand stars at a time, because viewing conditions are rarely ever perfect.  For many who witnessed the stars falling last night, they could very well have been seeing the fulfillment of Revelation 12:3–4 without realizing.

But God has apparently desired to further confirm this story.  Revelation 12:7–9 tells us that the Archangel Michael, at the helm of God's angelic army, is the one who casts satan and his hordes out of Heaven.

Daniel 12:1 says:

At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.  There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then...

Is it then any wonder that yesterday, the very day of the Draconid meteor storm, Hurricane Michael formed as it churned through the Gulf of Mexico towards the United States?  Meteorologists expect it to hit the southeast United States as a Category 4.  This hurricane "stood up" on the very day that one-third of the stars appeared to fall.

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What Happens Now?

As I mentioned above, Jupiter will leave Libra in the next day or two and the picture will be complete.  Venus then appears to reverse course, undergoing retrograde motion, and returns to Virgo (Israel).  This fits perfectly with the prophecies that show that Christ doesn't return His focus to Israel until after God has taken a people to Himself out of the Gentiles (Acts 15:14–18; Rm. 11; Mic. 5:3).

The picture is almost complete.

The heavenly signs preceding the Day of the LORD have reached or are nearing their very end.  What follows is the actual fulfillment of what these signs represent: the rapture of the Church into Heaven (Rev. 12:5; 1 Thess. 4:16–18; Isa. 26:19–21), the casting out of satan and his angels (Rev. 12:7–9), and the onset of the Day of the LORD.

Will there be a gap between the end of these signs and the actual prophetic fulfillments of what they represent?  No one knows the day or hour, but I pray that we will all in unison obey the words of Our LORD Jesus Christ:

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (Lk. 21:28)

If you are not right with the LORD, get right with Him now.  That includes all of you who would be justified by the Law because you have fallen from grace.  You have been given plenty of time to turn back and all of creation is groaning in labor pains for the children of God to be revealed.  The LORD loves you and wants you to be His, but He will not force your conversion.  His plan marches forward and time is all but up.

All of us have made a terrible mess of our lives and God has offered to clean up the mess, but the lawless and legalists, alike, either don't recognize their need for cleaning or have too much pride to come to the LORD to be cleaned.

Come and be cleaned.

~ MARANATHA ~

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Further Reading:

A PROPHETIC REVIEW

THE SIGN

THE RED DRAGON

THE DAY OF THE LORD

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

THE BLESSED HOPE

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