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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
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