The Third Book: The Messianic Kingdom
(The Result of His Second Coming)
Taurus: The Bull
Chapter One: The Messiah Coming to Judge All the Earth
The Jewish leadership rejected Yeshua Messiah (Matthew 12:25; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:17-22 and John 7:20) and the Jewish people rejected Him (Matthew 27:15-26). The actual words of the prayer of the Jewish leadership and people inviting Christ back are found in four key passages of Scripture (Psalms 79 and 80; and Isaiah 53:1-9 and Isaiah 63:7 to 64:12). The Messiah returns to save the believing remnant of Jews at Bozrah (Isaiah 63:1-8), which precedes the eight stage campaign of Armageddon and finally the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem. Each chapter ends in glory and here we see the prophecy about the Coming Judge and His Messianic Kingdom (Isaiah 4:2-6, 11:1 to 12:6, 54:11-17, 60:1-22, 66:1-24; Ezeki’el Chapters 40 to 48).
Here in Taurus, the picture is that of a bull rushing forward with mighty energy and fierce wrath, his horns set so as to push his enemies, pierce them through and destroy them. It is the prophecy of Christ, the coming Judge, ruling and reigning from Jerusalem for a thousand years. Many Scriptures indicate clearly that the Messiah is to return. Yeshua Himself promises that He will come again. In His great discourse on the end times in Matthew Chapter 24 and 25, He says: Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Toward the end of the discussion we read: When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne (Matthew 25:30-31).838
The name of the sign in Chaldean is Tor. The Arabic name is Al Thaur and the Greek is Taurus. The more common Hebrew name was Shur, which is from a root that means both coming and ruling. There are several Hebrew words for bulls and oxen, but the most common is Reem, conveying the idea of loftiness, exaltation, power and supremacy. We can find the root in other languages and it can be traced in the name of Abram, which means supreme or high father. However, the corruption of the Tower of Babel (11:1-9)extended even unto the witness of the stars (Isaiah 40:26).Very quickly Nimrod and his followers willfully left the knowledge and worship of the true God and Creator and began to worship the creation instead.839 Later, the Egyptian zodiac of the Pharaohs called this sign Isis, who saves or delivers.
The stars in Taurus present a brilliant sight. There are at least 141 stars, besides two important groups of stars, which both form integral parts of the sign. The brightest star, alpha (in the bull’s eye), has a Chaldean name, Al Debaran, and means the leader or governor. The beta star (at the tip of the left horn) has the Arabic name of El Nath, meaning wounded or slain because the Lord, as the Lamb of God, was slain for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Then there is the cluster of stars known as the Pleiades (Job 38:31 and Amos 5:8). This word means the congregation of the judge or ruler. It consists of a number of stars (in the neck of Taurus) that appear to be near together. The brightest of them, eta , has an Arabic name, Al Cyone that means the center and some astronomers think that it is the center of the entire universe. The Syriac name for the Pleiades is Succoth, which means booths. This is very interesting because it is the Feast of Booths that is celebrated during the messianic Kingdom (Zechariah 14:16-19). The booths that were set up during this feast were a symbol of the hope for a future restoration of Isra’el.In fact the booth itself is known as the succah. They believed Godwhen He said through the prophet Amos,“In that day I will restore David’s tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be” (Amos 9:11).
Therefore, everything points to the important truth that Jesus Christ is returning to judge all the earth and then rule for a thousand years from Jerusalem. This is the central truth of all prophecy. The only hope for all creation, the earth, for Isra’el, the Church, and for you and me is blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).
1. Orion (The Coming Prince): This picture is to show that the coming one is no mere animal, but a man: a mighty, triumphant, glorious prince. He is pictured this way in the ancient Egyptian zodiac and his name was spelled Oarion, at that time from the Hebrew root that means light, so that Orion means coming into view as light. The ancient Akkadian was Ur-ana, the light of heaven. Isaiah looked forward to the day of His coming into the view as The Light: For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
Orion is the most brilliant of all the constellations, and mentioned by name and appearance by Job. Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion (Job 38:31 and Amos 5:8)? It contains 78 stars, two being of the first magnitude, four of the second, four of the third and sixteen of the fourth.
Just below the star iota (in the sword) is a very remarkable cloudy star. A common telescope will show that it is a beautiful mass of interstellar dust and gas. A powerful telescope reveals that it is collection of cloudy stars. These stars are surrounded by faint points of light, which a very powerful telescope would resolve into separate stars.
The picture of Orion shows Him with His left foot placed upon the head of the enemy. Around His waist is a belt with three brilliant stars and upon the belt is hung a sharp sword. Its handle is the head and body of a lamb. His right hand lifts a might club, while in His left he holds up the token of his victory – the head and skin of a lion. Who is this (Matthew 21:10)? The names of the stars give us the answer. The brightest, alpha (in the right shoulder), is named Betelguez, which means the coming (Malachi 3:2) of the branch. The next, beta (in the left foot), is named Rigel or Rigol, which means the foot that crushes.The foot of the Prince is lifted up and his heel is placed immediately over the head of the enemy. God spoke to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. His prophecy looked forward to the time when the Adversary will be completely crushed beneath the feet of the woman’s triumphant Seed, Jesus Christ.840 He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel (Genesis 3:15). This is what we see here in Orion. The next star, gamma (in the left shoulder), is called Bellatrix, which means quickly coming or swiftly destroying.
The name of the fourth star, delta (one of the three in the belt), carries us again back to Genesis where Jesus’ heel was bruised, but His wound was not fatal (because of the resurrection). Its name is Al Mitak, the wounded one. Similarly the star kappa (in the right leg) is called Saiph, or bruised, which is the very word used in Genesis 3:15. This is the witness of Orion’s stars, which day after day and night after night tell the old, old story about Yeshua Messiah. And when He comes, there will be physical changes upon the earth.
2. Eridanus (The Messianic River): All the pictures show that this river comes from the foot of Orion, crushing the head of the enemy. During the Messianic Kingdom a river flows from Christ and the Temple compound (Joel 3:18 and Ezeki’el 47:1-2). It first leads east until it passes the eastern gate and then bends down southward toward where it will be divided into two branches. The western branch will flow down the mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 30:29) and empty into the Mediterranean Sea. The eastern branch will flow into the Dead Sea, which will begin to swarm with life (Ezeki’el 47:8-10). The branching out of these waters toward the areas designated for growing food on both sides of Jerusalem will provide the necessary water for the growth of crops (see my commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Ge – Your Eyes Will See the King in His Beauty).841
It is an immense constellation and consists of 84 stars; one of the first magnitude, one of the second and eight of the third. The brightest star, alpha (at the mouth of the river), bears the ancient name Achernar, the after part of the river. In the Egyptian zodiac it is a river under the feet of Orion. It is named Peh-ta-t, which means the mouth of the river. The next star, beta (at the source of the river), is called Cursa, because the river bends down southward where it divides into two branches. The next star, gamma (at the second bend in the river), is called Zourac (Arabic), flowing and Ozha, the going out.
At the first bend in the river, the sea monster Cetus, or Satan,tries in vain to stop its flow by putting his claw across it. But this has always been the case. After the garden of Eden, in vain he tried to corrupt the human race so it would not have been capable of receiving salvation (6:1-4). In vain he encouraged open rebellion against God at the Tower of Babel (11:1-8). In vain Satan sought to kill the baby Jesus through the hands of Herod (Matthew 2:13-18). In vain the tempter tried to get Messiah to accept a short-cut to glory (Luke 4:1-13) and therefore keep Him from the cross of salvation, and once on the cross, five times Christ’s messianic claims were mocked. The Roman soldiers mocked Him in the Praetorium in Jerusalem (Matthew 27:27-30 and Mark 15:16-19); those who passed by the cross mocked Him (Matthew 27:39-40 and Mark 15:29-30). In the same way Messiah was mocked by the chief priests, teachers of the Law and elders (Matthew 27:41 and Mark 15:31-32a). The Roman soldiers mocked Him at the cross (Luke 23:36-37), and in a final insult, those crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him (Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32b and Luke 23:39). They all challenged Him to come down from the cross. This was Satan’s final attempt to avoid the payment for lost souls for all time.
Satan still mocks us and hurls insults on us today. He tries to prevent us from being saved, and once saved, his only remaining goal is prevent us from being effective believers and witnessing to others. There is nothing worse than being in a battle and not realizing it. Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. How do we do this? The same way Messiah did – with Scripture (Matthew Ch 4, verses 4, 7 and 10).
3. Auriga (The Shepherd): We have seen the prophecy of Christ, the coming Judge, fulfilled. We have seen the messianic River and now we see the Good Shepherd. Yeshua Himself said: I AM the Good [True] Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me – just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father – and I lay down My life for the sheep (John 10:14-15).
He is seated upon the Milky Way, holding up a she goat on His left shoulder. In His left hand He supports two baby goats. The star marking the kids is called Gedi (Hebrew), for kids. In His right hand He holds a slingshot to protect them. They are safe now, resting safely in the protection of the Good [True] Shepherd. Nothing can harm them.
Auriga is from a Hebrew root that means a shepherd. It is a beautiful constellation of 66 stars; one of the first magnitude, two of the second and nine of the fourth. The brightest star alpha (in the body of the goat), points her out as the prominent feature of the constellation, for its Hebrew name, Alioth, means a she goat. It is known today by its Latin name, Capella, which means the same thing. The next star beta (in the shepherd’s right arm), is called Menkilinon, and means band orchain of goats. This points out the truth that those in the care of the Good [True] Shepherd are never to be lost again (Jeremiah 50:6 and Luke 15:1-7), but to be bound, with bands of love forever. Jesus said: All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day (John 6:37-40).
But, there is another important bright star in His right foot called El Nath (like the brightest star in the forehead of Aries the Ram), which means wounded or slain. This is the Seed of the Woman, who was once bruised or wounded in His heel (3:15 NKJ). This is not only the Good [True] Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:11), but also the Great Shepherd of the sheep, brought back from the dead (Hebrews 13:20), and is now seen as the Chief Shepherd, ruling and reigning from Jerusalem for a thousand years. The heel of the Shepherd is pierced by the horn of the bull. This points to the fact that Yeshua’s death was wholly voluntary in obedience to the will of the Father: No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord (John 10:18). Therefore, after the prophecy of His coming, we see His reign in grace.
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