Cancer: All Conflict Is Over
Chapter Three:
The Flock Sheltered by the Great Shepherd
The most important aspect of the Messianic Kingdom is universal peace. While differences between nations will arise, such differences will no longer be settled by military conflicts, but only by the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Even the art of war will be forgotten. ADONAI prophesies through the prophet Isaiah and says: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths. The Torah will go out from Zion, the word of ADONAI from Jerusalem. He will judge between the Gentile nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore (Isaiah 2:3-4).
The Arabic name is Al Sartan, which means who holds or binds, and may be a form of the Hebrew word bind together. There is no ancient Hebrew word known for crab. It was an unclean creature and would be included in the general term vermin. The Syriac word Sartano also means bind together. The Greek name is Karkinos, which means holding or encircling, as does the Latin, Cancer, and therefore is applied to the crab. The Arabic name Ker or Cer also means encircling; however, the ancient Akkadian name of the month is Su-kul-na, the seizer or possessor of seed.
In the center of the sign there is a remarkably bright cluster of stars, so bright that they can sometimes be seen with the naked eye. It looks like a comet and is made up of a great multitude of stars. Modern astronomers have called it the Beehive, but its ancient name has come down to us as Praesepe, which means a great number, or offspring.
The sign contains 83 stars, one of which is of the third magnitude, and seven of the fourth magnitude. The brightest star, zeta (in the tail), is called Tegmine, or holding. The star alpha (in the lower large claw), is called Acubene, which, in Hebrew and Arabic means the sheltering or hiding place. Psalm 32:7a says: You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble. Other stars not identified are named Ma’alaph (Arabic), assembled thousands, and Al Himarein (Arabic), the kids or lambs.
With this sign we are coming to the end of the witness of the stars. The Cancer sign points to His redeemed, and the next and last sign, Leo, points to His enemies. The three accompanying constellations develop this truth. We have the little flock (those of faith looking forward to the Millennial Kingdom), the large flock (those of faith during the Millennial Kingdom) and the ship that shows the travelers and a great number brought safely home; all conflict is over.
1. Ursa Minor (The Little Bear): The Bible describes God as our Maker (Job 4:17, 35:10; Proverbs 14:31; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Isaiah 54:5), and Job declares that He is the Maker of the Bear. Later, ADONAI questions Job’s knowledge about the movement of the stars. He asks Job rhetorically: Can you bring forth the constellations (which is another translation for the planets or the zodiac) in their seasons or lead out the Bear with it cubs (Job 38:32)? So although a Little Bear and a Large Bear represent the constellations, they have a deeper meaning, as we shall see.
The constellation that we will call the Little Flock, contains 24 stars, one of the second magnitude, two of the third and four of the fourth. The brightest star, alpha (at the point of what is today the tail), is the most important star in the whole heavens. It is named Al Ruccaba, which means the turned or ridden on, and is the Polar or Central Star. It does not revolve in a circle as every other star does, but moves very slowly and steadily across the sky in what seems to be a fixed position. When these constellations were formed the Dragon, or Satan (one of the constellations of Sagittarius) occupied this important point. But it has ever so slowly moved to the point of the star Ruccaba, so today it is known as the Central Star.
As the sheep are foremost on the mind of the shepherd, those of faith are foremost on the mind of the LORD. He cares for us, protects us and nurtures us. In that sense, we are the most important flock in the whole universe.
The Little Bear is a picture of those of faith looking forward to the Second Coming of Yeshua and the Messianic Kingdom. They are the ones entering through the narrow gate and rejecting the wide gate of human achievement. The wide gate leads to destruction, whereas only the narrow gate leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14). That is exactly why it is little. Most of the travelers choose to go through the wide gate, which is attractive, appealing and crowded, but that gate only leads to destruction; so we have two groups, traveling through two gates and heading for two destinations.
Those who go through the wide gate are the pagans, atheists, religionists, theists, agnostics, humanists, Jews and Gentiles – every person from whatever age, background, persuasion and circumstance who has not come to saving obedience in Jesus Christ. In the day of judgment many will claim to be followers of the Meshiach, but He will answer: I don’t know you or where you came from (Luke 13:24-27).
However the group that goes through the narrow gate is destined for eternal life and is few in number. When Jesus said: Do not be afraid, little flock (Luke 12:32), the word He used for little was micros, from which we got our prefix micro, meaning something small. For many are invited, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14), but the actual number of believers is not limited in any way. Anyone can go through that gate, if they go through the LORD’s way, in repentance for their sins and in trust to Yeshua Messiah to save them. Neither is the number few because heavenly space is limited. God’s grace and heaven’s dwellings are unlimited; nor is the number few because ADONAI desires that most would be spiritually lost. Quite the opposite: He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone would come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9b).842 No, the gate you go through is the gate you have chosen to go through. We all have a choice.
2. Ursa Major (The Large Bear): The Large Bear is a picture of the great number of those of faith during the Millennial Kingdom. These are those who entered by the narrow gate and will rest in peace and cry out to ADONAI,“You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). They will also say: You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings (Psalm 61:3-4).
It is a large and important constellation, containing 87 stars, of which one is of the first magnitude, four of the second, three of the third and ten of the fourth. It always presents an impressive appearance and is the best known of all the constellations. The Arabs still call it Al Naish, or Annaish, the assembled together, as sheep in a flock. The brightest star, alpha (in the back), is named Dubhe, which we have seen means a herd of animals, or the flock, and gives its name to the entire constellation. The star beta (below it) is named Merach (Hebrew) the flock, or (Arabic) the purchased. The star gamma (to the left of beta) is called Phaeda, or Phacda, meaning numbered as a flock, because He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name (Psalm 147:4).
That ADONAI will assemble the flock and watch over them is written as plainly in the Bible as it is in the heavens. For this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after My sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I Myself will tend My sheep and have them lie down, declares Adonai ELOHIM. I will search for the lost and bring back the outcasts. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice (Ezeki’el 34:11-16).
3. Argo (The Ship): Each chapter ends in glory and the same is true here. Throughout the long history of Israel, the Gentiles of the world have commonly attacked the Jews of Isra’el. But during the Messianic Kingdom, the Jews will find they are an attraction to the Gentiles, but this will not be to gain favor with them, or repay them for their suffering. Neither will it be to recognize them as a superior race. It will be to share with them in the worship of the Lord, and when the Gentiles come, they will bring two things with them, Israel’s sons and daughters and the wealth of the world (Isaiah 60:11, 61:6; Haggai 2:7-8; Zechariah 14:14).
Argo means company of travelers, and as soon as the Jews receive word of ADONAI’s triumph at the Campaign of Armageddon, they will set sail. Isaiah tells us that the speed of the ships is like the swiftness of doves returning to their nests. He says he sees a fleet of ships whose sails seem like clouds on the horizon of the Mediterranean Sea, and the great seagoing ships of Tarshish lead the way (see the commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Jv – The Attraction of the Gentiles).
There are 64 stars in Argo, one of the first magnitude, six of the second, nine of the third, and nine of the fourth. Its brightest star, alpha (near the keel), is called Canopus or Canobus, which means the possession of Him who comes. Other stars not identified are Sephina, the multitude, Tureis, the possession and Soheil (Arabic), the desired. This will be a very precious cargo. But after one thousand years of the absence of conflict, there is still the fulfillment of the ultimate triumph in the last sign.
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