Serpens & Ophiuchus, The Struggle With The Enemy

 

Here, Serpens, the serpent, is seen struggling vainly in the powerful grasp of the man who is named Ophiuchus.

 

In Latin he is called Serpentarius. He is at one and the same moment shown to be seizing the serpent with his two hands, and treading on the very heart of the scorpion, marked by the deep red star Antares (wounding).

Just as we read the first constellation of the woman and child Coma, as expounding the first sign VIRGO, so we have to read this first constellation as expounding the second sign LIBRA.

 

Hence, we have here a further picture, showing the object of this conflict on the part of the scorpion.

In Scorpio we see merely the effort to wound Ophiuchus in the heel; but here we see the effort of the serpent to seize THE CROWN, which is situated immediately over the serpent's head, and to which he is looking up and reaching forth.

The contest is for Dominion! It was the Devil, in the form of a serpent, that robbed the first man of his crown; but in vain he struggled to wrest it from the sure possession of the Second Man.

 

Not only does he fail in the attempt, but is himself utterly defeated and trodden under foot.

There are no less than 134 stars in these two constellations. Two are of the 2nd magnitude, fourteen of the 3rd, thirteen of the 4th, etc.

 

 

 
 

The brightest star in the Serpent, a (in the neck), is named Unuk, which means encompassing. Another Hebrew name is Alyah, the accursed.

 

From this is Al Hay (Arabic), the reptile.

 

The next brightest star is b (in the jaw), named, in Arabic, Cheleb, or Chelbalrai, the serpent enfolding.

 

The Greek name, Ophiuchus, is itself from the Hebrew and Arabic name Afeichus, which means the serpent held.

 

The brightest star in Ophiuchus, a (in the head), is called Ras al Hagus (Arabic), the head of him who holds.

Other Hebrew names of stars, not identified, are Triophas, treading under foot

 

Saiph (in the foot of Ophiuchus), bruised

 

Carnebus, the wounding Megeros, contending.

 

In the Zodiac of Denderah we have a throned human figure, called Api-bau, the chief who cometh.

 

He has a hawk's head to show that he is the enemy of the serpent, which is called Khu, and means ruled or enemy.

All these combine to set before us in detail the nature of the conflict and its final issue. That final issue is, however. The Victor Himself requires a whole picture to fully set forth the glorious victory.

 

1. Serpens, The Serpent
2. Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder

 

With one foot lifted from the scorpion's tail as stung and hurt, he is in the act of crushing the scorpion's head with the other.

 

The man appears as the one who holds power over the serpent and over death, holding, disabling and destroying them though himself wounded in the conflict with them.

 

Krishna, the Hindoo god (called an incarnation of Vishnu) is found represented in a similar fashion in two ancient sculptured figures.

 

This would indicate that he may have originally symbolized the constellation Ophiuchus, but during the passage of the ages the true meaning of what was foretold became lost and the symbol itself became the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Hindoo religion.

 

What is really pictured here is the wrestling and agony which the Seed of the Virgin experienced in "the hour of the powers of darkness", as He himself explained, when He came to the final act of discharging the debt for the sins of a condemned world.

 

It was the sting and poison of the great Scorpion (Satan), striking the Son of God, causing Him to suffer such great physical anguish that every pore issued blood.

 

The Greek name of the constellations of Ophiuchus, is itself from the Hebrew and Arabic name "Afeichus", which means, "the serpent held".

 

The brightest star (in the man's head) is called, in Arabic, "Ras Alhegue" or "Ras al Hagus", meaning "the head of him who holds".

 

The meaning of other star names in this constellation are "Triophas"; "treading under foot";

 

"Saiph" (in the man's foot); "bruised";"·

 

Carnebus; "the wounded"; "Megeros"; "contending".

The serpent Serpens pictured held by the man Ophiuchus is, of course, to be construed with the Scorpion. The Hebrew name of the brightest star (in the Serpent's neck) is called Alyah, meaning "the accursed".

 

Another name for the same star is "Unuk", meaning "encompassing".

 

The next brightest star is Cheleb (Arabic), meaning "the serpent enfolding".

 

This figure of a serpent has ever been the universal symbol and representative of that Evil Spirit which is called the "Dragon", that "Old Serpent", the "Devil", and "Satan".

 

It is the symbol of the arch enemy of all good, the opponent of God and the Deceiver of men.

 

The Scriptures, everywhere, assure us of the existence of a personal Devil and Destroyer, just as it everywhere described a personal God and Redeemer.

 

The doctrine of a Saviour necessarily implies the doctrine of a Destroyer. Men may doubt and question, and treat the idea of a personal Devil as a foolish myth.

 

People may jest of it., but the doctrine is found in the oldest, worthiest, and most divine record ever made for human enlightenment; a doctrine held in the common belief of all nations and peoples, from the beginning of mankind.

 

Here we have it pictured and repeated at every turn of the starry configurations, precisely as we find it presented in the sacred Scriptures. We should honestly receive and believe it for some day we will find this story of the Serpent to be a terrible reality.

 

We do not necessarily see the physical image of the Devil and Satan; often he is only the dark and subtle intelligence operating within a person to deceive and destroy. No sooner did Christ come into the world than the Dragon sought to devour Him through Herod.

 

Satan symbolized in the constellation of Serpens by the serpent, is pictured looking up and reaching forth to seize the crown (Corona Borealis).

 

He is being kept from taking it only because he is held fast by Ophiuchus, representing Jesus Christ.

 

A further confirmation that we are correctly interpretating this figure can be seen in the fact that in the preceeding picture a celestial crown was held forth for Him who was to suffer on the cross.

 

From The Witnesses of the Stars, Bullinger and  The Glory of The Stars E. Raymond Capt

• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.

 

•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

(Leviticus. 26: 28-46) God warned Israel that if they persisted in continually breaking His Laws, not only would curses come upon them.

He would punish them for seven times, (a time being 360 years, seven times would be 2520 years) and would banish them from the land of Palestine and scatter them among the heathens (like lost sheep)

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25