But exclude the courtyard outside the temple _ a laymen's commentary. John 2:18-25

 The last time we spoke, we covered verses in John 2:11-18.

Having cleared the outer courts of money changers and merchants, the Jews then said to Him,

John 2:18 NASB “The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"

I could picture Jesus popping His hand against His chest, as He countered,

"Destroy this temple," Jesus answered, "and in three days I will build it again!"
John 2:19 CEV

He wasn't stupid; as a craftsman, He knew how long it took to make certain things, such as a 32-gallon granite water storage container, especially if it was lathed, or to construct a temple where many of its stones are considered by many to be megalithic.

(This lathing aspect has been substantiated through Archaeologists, in Israel, as about five years ago, they uncovered a stone lathing shop about a quarter mile outside of Nazareth; it may have been a source of income for Jesus while He was living there.)

Why did they challenge Him about His authority?

Because He had made a scourge, a short, multi-stranded whip, and with that whip He drove the money changers and merchants out of the outer courts of the temple. This is comparable to when He permitted the demons to go into the herd of swine, which immediately ran off a cliff and into the sea of Galilee, where they drowned. His actions negatively affected the local economy, not to mention it humiliated those challenging Him, and they, like the pig farmers, responded with anger and drove Jesus out of their region. It is also rather obvious that the chief priests and scribes had condoned having those vendors there because they were getting their share of the profits.

Jesus, who, by the standards of the gossips in Nazareth, was an illegitimate child. Now it may not have played a role in what transpired that day at the temple, but since I came to this realization, it has not left my thinking.

Deuteronomy 23:2 NASB "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD.”

The biblical “law” would have prevented Jesus from entering the Temple, a Synagogue, or a Rabbinical school, where most of us assume Jesus got His training in the Law and the Prophets. Oddly, this outer court distinction is rarely explained to us, but it would have allowed Jesus to go where these vendors were. These outer courts are also referred to as the court of the Nations.

For a moment, I referred to the courtyard outside the temple as the courtyard of the Gentiles. I thought I should substantiate this statement, but I could not find a direct quotation. Revelation 11:2 is translated as nations. Several of my concordances define nations as éthnos, and that leads us back to the Gentiles.

Nations, according to Strong's, is the Greek word éthnos, and its meanings include: A multitude, people, race, or belonging and living together.

The Word Study Dictionary states that: "In the Jewish sense, the nations, means the Gentile nations or the Gentiles in general as spoken of all who are not Israelites and implying idolatry and ignorance of the true God, i.e., the heathen, pagan nations."

So, it is safe to say that the outer courts have been given to the Gentiles.

Revelation 11:1-2 BSB Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there. 2) But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Revelation 11:2, which has its context enveloped within the first 42 months of the seven years that most deem to be the great tribulation.

How do I know that this is the time of the “Great Tribulation”?

The answer is embedded in time indicators.

Revelation 11:3-15 BSB “And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4) These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5) If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed. 6) These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. 7) When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them. 8) Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified. 9) For three and a half days, all peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will view their bodies and will not permit them to be laid in a tomb. 10) And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them. 11) But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them. 12) And the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched them. 13) And in that hour, there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14) The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming shortly. 15) Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

What do you see beginning in verse three?

When Jesus says, “I will empower my two witnesses,” He is affirming that they are His. He sends these two witnesses directly to Jerusalem, most likely upon the steps of the newly built temple. This understanding is validated by Revelation 11:1-2, and this alone conveys the idea that the temple will be built swiftly after the church is caught up. 1,260 days is equal to 42 months, and that is three-and-one-half years.

The other thing you see jumps out at you when you get to verse five.

“If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.”

It only stands to reason that, with the outer courts being given to the nations, the attempts upon the lives of these two witnesses would be constant. Those who try to kill them are killed in the same manner. We, the church, will not be here to witness any of this, so our relating or telling someone else about what is to come would be thought of as a deterrent for anyone longing to live outside of God's grace and mercy.

Notice verse 10.

10. “And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts.”

If you know anything about Muslims, then you know that even the most bloody of actions against the Jews, no matter if it is young children, are celebrated by giving sweets/gifts to each other. 

Does verse ten surprise you?

When the false prophet comes on the scene he performs signs comparable to what the two witnesses have been doing; such as what we see in Revelation 11:6. “These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.”

Where did the false prophet get the idea that he could do such things?

That implies that the false prophet is paying attention to the things that they do.

When you are giving serious consideration to Biblical study, then you have to understand that ONLY three people groups are being considered: The Jews, the nations, and the church.

The church is the body of Christ and includes anyone from the other two groups who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah who lived, died, and rose again from the dead so that we can live eternally with the Father/God.

The Jews - you should understand that the Jews, along with the Arabs, were descendants of Abraham; however, only the descendants of the promised son, Issac, would be considered the descendants of the promise. Don't get me wrong, we, like as in me, get to be grafted into the vine when we choose to believe.

This leaves the nations. The nations cover a vast and wide territory, effectively all those outside of the church, the bride of Christ. So we are talking about the Gentiles, the Arabs, and all those that fall between the cracks. No one is excluded, especially when we are talking about acceptance into the “family of God.”

Remember when I asserted that Jesus may have popped His hand against His chest when He spoke about raising up this temple in the last days?

Well, John tells us explicitly that He was talking about His own body.

John 2:21 NASB “But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

John goes on to validate this claim by including so many of the disciples who witnessed Jesus alive after being laid in the tomb.

John 2:22 NASB “So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

Since it is obvious that Jesus' time in Jerusalem was nothing short of tumultuous, you might think it is safe to ask, did Jesus have a positive effect on the people?

John 2:23 NASB Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.

Ah, but here is the flaw: people are spectators, much like with a horrific car crash.

John 2:24-25 NASB “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25) and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

Entrust is the Greek word pisteuō and can also be translated as trust, believe, or commit.

Jesus, knowing their shallow little hearts, would not commit to these people. They were really there for the snacks. John 2:24 tells us that He knew all men; that includes women.

Know is the Greek word ginōskō, which also means to perceive, understand.

Another example of knowledge comes from Paul's second letter to Timothy. Consider the depth and definition of this paragraph, as Paul explains that it is essential for “young” Timothy to comprehend not only what is to come but also what surrounds us on a daily basis.

Read the passage below. It opens with the term ginōskō and then defines, with multiple terms, what this looks like. 

Then ask yourself: if Timothy or Paul is dealing with people in the church and they are acting like this, what is the problem?

2 Timothy 3:1-9 NASB “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3) unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4) treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5) holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6) For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9) But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.”

The problem is, they came for the snacks. Obviously, they put on a good show for a time, but like everything else that this world has to offer, they got bored. Getting bored can happen to anyone, and like physical exercise, sometimes you just have to do it. 

Do what? 

Invest ourselves in the truth of God's word. If you have stumbled upon this, and you are silly enough to say, I don't have God's word to study, well, guess what, I have included portions of scriptures in everything I have posted. If you have internet, then you have access to the Word. Try the Blue Letter Bible (Bible Search and Study Tools - Blue Letter Bible) or Bible.com (John 2 | NASB1995 Bible | YouVersion )

While being announced by the Father is great, no one in the vicinity ofJesus understood. John 2: 13-22.

 Previously, Jesus, in what seemed to be a push into the public eye, began His ministry by getting baptized by His cousin, John, the baptizer. The Holy Spirit publicly announced the Father's acceptance of Jesus, His Son, by saying,

Matthew 3:13-17 NASB “Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14) But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" 15) But Jesus, answering, said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he *permitted Him. 16) After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17) and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

While being announced by the Father is dramatic, no one but Jesus understood what was being said as God spoke out (I suppose that leaves us with the inference that Jesus eventually explained what took place)

The next event was the Holy Spirit driving Jesus into the wilderness to be tested.

Mark 1:12-13 NASB “Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13) And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.”

The testing ended, and though we don't see the transition, His mother makes sure He and His new friends come to the wedding in Cana. The push by mom clearly indicates that this was a relative or a close friend.

The changing of the water into wine.

A question: how many people at the wedding reception were aware of this dramatic miracle? We are not told how many people were in attendance, nor do we know how many people were aware that there had been a problem, but it would be a reasonable assumption to think that this handful of disciples, such as Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and Nathanael, might have been. This was, evidently, a large wedding reception, a social event not to be outdone, and it is easy to assume many of the crowd had expensive tastes. In the televised series “The Chosen,” the host, a “rich” man, made a big deal of the splendid taste of the fresh wine which Jesus made (although he never knew that Jesus played a role in creating the wine). Consider for a moment the thought that Jesus made wine (whatever the extent and definition of that wine)

In John 2:13, we see that the Passover was near, but there might have been a problem.

John 2:13 NASB “The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

It was now thought of as the Passover of the Jews. In my last post, I pointed out that the Passover had been Jesus' Passover.

Where do we find the initiation of the Passover?

The Passover is presented to us in Exodus chapter 12 and is part of God's wrath meant to motivate Pharaoh to release God's people. On the 10^th day of the first month, each household was to take a lamb into their houses. To remember this day is to remember God's mercy on His people.

Exodus 12:2-3 NASB "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3) "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.”

I can assure you that many of the people, categorized as God's people, had no understanding or confidence in the God of Moses; why, even Moses, who pulled aside to see this bush that was burning and yet not consumed, had to be taught a few quick lessons about God. This statement concerning the overall lack of knowledge is not true of all the people, such as Moses's mother and family, because this is where Aaron comes from, and the command is not exclusive, because once we see Israel outside of Egypt, we find an excellent man called Caleb, who was NOT a Jew. Our understanding of Caleb has to include the possibility that an Israelite invited Caleb and his family into their home. However, based upon the directions that we see in Exodus 12:3, where each household was to take a lamb, it was NOT directed exclusively to the Jews. This implies that Caleb's family joined in and followed the directions. Again, we have questions that we may struggle to answer.

Clearly, it is the Lord's Passover.

Exodus 12:11 NASB 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.”

Nonetheless, Jesus is now headed to Jerusalem. John 2:14

John 2:14 NASB “And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.”

None of these people and their activities would have been allowed in the temple, so we should be reminded that they were only allowed in the outer courts, the court of the Gentiles.

No one, that I can remember, as I sat on a bench seat at church, said anything that expounded on the whip.

John 2:15-16 NASB “And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16) and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."

Years ago, I went to a men's camp. The entirety of the camp was based upon a book written by John Eldredge, called Wild at Heart. The book and camp focused upon the brokenness within the heart of almost every man. Those who claim no damage are probably lying. In one of the talks, the speaker brought out how Jesus, with purpose, planning, and intent, fashioned this scourge and then used it. We are not told that sellers received lashes, but that scourge played a role in their clearing out of the temple courts.

In Matthew's account, we are simply told that He overthrew their tables and drove them out.

Matthew 21:12 NASB “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.”

Perhaps the reason for this lack of elaboration may lie in the fact that the Greek word phragellion is only used once in scripture. It can be portrayed as a whip or a scourge (the Roman soldiers who whipped Jesus used a specific type of scourge meant to cut deep and draw blood) If you are like me and had a father that used his belt and fists to punish you, whether you deserved it or not, then you may struggle with anger issues and think that the belt, or a whip, is the answer to everything life throws at you.

Paul, in writing to the church in Corinth, tells us that God made His Son, who knew no sin, to be sin. He did this on the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB 21) “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus was sinless. How is that possible when He deliberately made a scourge, and probably hit a few of these vendors, as He chased them out of the temple courts?

I can guarantee you that if I had done that, there would be sin involved. The difference between Jesus and humanity has everything to do with the fact that Jesus has NO human DNA in Him. No, He is not an alien, but He is certainly not of this world. God created an egg, fertilized by Himself – no sex involved- and then He contracted with Mary, a young girl who was willing to carry that embryo to its maturity, knowing full well that she would be an outcast. An outcast? Well, yes, because, in the Jewish world where prophecy is pattern, however, no pattern demonstrated such a thing, and before her pregnancy, nothing like this had ever happened before.

A brief attempt at an explanation:

Sin was introduced into a “perfect” world, the garden.

(Stop here a moment. Ask yourself a question. Was sin a new thing that day? The answer is NO, and God, who knows everything, knew the definition of sin. Some would try to tell you that Satan only created one thing, sin. I don't think so, but I do think that Satan saw what looked like an opportunity to overthrow God's leadership by destroying the two people that God put on this earth, having dominion over everything, and to take care of it. I do not believe this caught God off guard. I also believe that this mutiny was, therefore, included in God's plan with the purpose of, once and for all, stripping sin and its effects out of existence.)

For Adam and Eve, the law boiled down to one command, “Do Not eat from that tree.” We are told that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not, and he made a choice. An acquaintance of mine said, " What was Adam thinking?" The thought process of Adam and the ramifications of his wife's death were beyond understanding.

Having gone through the ordeal of forced mask usage just to fight off some man-made virus, we should have some understanding that modern science has created vaccines that can change your DNA.

Eating the fruit off the forbidden tree changed their DNA; as a result, every human since Adam carries the exact same damaged genetic pattern, a genetic sequence that is now understood to be a common marker throughout all of humanity. This particular sequence (and no, I don't know which one it is) is the “sin” that motivates us - primarily, to do what we want, not what God wants us to do. In short, it is sin that lives within us, and God will NOT allow sin into the Holy City or eternity.

John 2:15-16 NKJV When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16) And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

At some point, someone said, " You can see that, Jesus said to those who sold doves, take these things away!" Whoever pointed this out was trying to demonstrate how Jesus was gentle with such a delicate creature. I am not sure if this is relevant, but it does not seem to be in the character of Jesus to harm something that cannot protect itself; that, and we never saw Jesus harm innocent people. In other words, He only went after the scribes and the Pharisees.

John 2:17 NKJV Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE HAS EATEN ME UP."

Give some consideration to the context that includes this passage.

Psalms 69:6-9 NKJV Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. 7) Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. 8) I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's children; 9) Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

In effect, the passage is talking about those who wait for you. It goes to plead with God for those who choose to adopt His ways, when David says, “Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me” (Considering the behavior of King David, especially with Bathsheba – a married woman with whom he committed adultery, and her husband – whom David had killed, then I can totally understand why he would make such a statement.)

To be honest, I am lost on this statement.

“Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face.”

He did not take Bathsheba as a present from the Lord, so what is he talking about?

My Dake's Annotated Bible states, “This verse could refer to both David and Christ. Both suffered reproach and shame from enemies and friends.”

Examples that King David wrote, but also speaks about Jesus.

Psalms 22:6-8 KJV But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. NKJV 7) All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8) "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

We are told that Jesus was the lamb of God slain for us. How did David know that? In the television series “The Chosen,” they portrayed Jesus, the lamb, entering Jerusalem through the sheep gate. He did that, and it is fascinating that the producers chose to point that out to us.

Psalms 44:22 BSB Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

After clearing the outer courts of the temple in Jerusalem, we see the disciples saying this,

John 2:17 BSB “His disciples remembered that it is written: 'Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

His zeal oozed out in a manner they did not expect.

John 2:18 BSB “On account of this, the Jews demanded, 'What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

What would they have said if He called down fire from heaven? He could have easily done that. Remember that James and John espoused doing that when a town rejected them. Jesus response to the young men who were willing to use such a radical approach was that killing such a vast number of people, just to prove a point, is not how we are going to operate. In other words, Jesus did merely beat them up verbally.

His response.

John 2:19 BSB Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

I can easily picture Jesus popping His hand against His chest, as He said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

Having looked at Dr. McGee's commentary, he points out the Greek word that Jesus used for destroy is lúō. You have to dig a bit to find the concept of destruction. In contrast to destroying another option for translation, and that's to loose or unbind.

The Word Study Dictionary tells us something that seems to stand in opposition to destroy, “whatsoever you shall loose on earth," (a.t.) or declare as not a part of the individual anymore, such as his sins, having been forgiven.

Here is the problem. Some people will say to you, “I will only use the authorized version, the King James version, of the bible”. So, at the demand of the state church, at that time, the translation went through multiple changes to suit the Catholic/State church. At that time, there were functional, readable, “English” translations, but that was not good enough, nor did it serve the purpose of the Catholic church.

Obviously, one of those changes can be seen in “Destroy this temple...” when the reality of Jesus' statement comes across much less harshly.

If I compared Jesus' response here to a comparable response when He said, the only sign I will give you will be the Prophet, Jonah. Why Jonah? Because Jonah, in an attempt to commit suicide, was dead for three days in the belly of the great fish. Yes, they have such a fish in the Mediterranean Ocean, called the Megamouth shark; they eat krill, but their mouth can handle swallowing a human. If being loosed can be related to death, then yes, Jesus would experience death; that death, however, meant life for us, should we accept it.

John 2:20-22 NASB “The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22) So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

These verses show that the Jews did not understand that He was speaking of His body, but the disciples, although it took some time, did understand once He rose from the grave.

Understanding the Great Sign of Revelation 12:1

 Yes, I know, I haven't posted for some time now. Excuses, I have none, but life certainly gets in the way, and I went through a dry spell.

Revelation 12:1 NASB

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

I am focusing on this passage because, within my relatively small circle of teachers, this was a hot topic for several years, and many of these teachers were not afraid to point out that we are in the season in which Jesus will come to snatch away the church.

If you have been a follower of my posts, then you know I equated this season to the American Baseball World Series. We recently finished the World Series in October of this year. To bring you up to speed on why this is poignant to Revelation 12, the World Series has variables built into the game, and so does the great sign.

The King James conveys Revelation 12:1 in this manner:

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:” 

I advocate studying the simplest words and phrases, so let's start with this.

A great -

The Strong's number is G3173. It is the Greek word mégas; fem. megále, neut. Méga. It is an adjective (a word that describes;) and implies great size, largeness, or physical magnitude.

The Word study dictionary also speaks of men or creatures, indicating great size or stature.

Without explanatory details, we can understand that this "sign" is enormous.

Sign -

Sign is the Strong's # G4592. It is the Greek word sēmeion. It is a noun and means sign, mark, token, or a miracle with a spiritual end and purpose.

An obvious factor is that we know this is NOT a miracle, therefore we will cling to it being a sign, mark or token.

What can I make of this so far?

In John's writings, it is portrayed as something of tremendous size whose purpose is to mark an end. John wrote about a time in the future, and we live in that time.

Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?

Revelation 12:1 KJV  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

There appeared -

Feel free to look at other translations if you can access another.

Appeared is the Greek word optánomai. This is Strong's # G3700 – and the reference implies with eyes wide open.

There is a clear sense that the Spirit wants us to take this in and understand.

If this is the arrangement of stars and heavenly bodies that make up the constellation Virgo, you can be confident that, for us, this constellation did not merely appear in the sky. What changed, and rather suddenly, was that other planets and moving objects, such as moons, comets, and asteroids, combined to create this sign.

According to the website “EarthSky.org”, this was initiated around September 17, 2017, and has continued to demonstrate God's prophetic word ever since. This “scientific” website also tells us that the constellation represents a harvest goddess.

In searching for answers, I stumbled upon this website: https://www.torahtimes.org/writings/date-clarified/article.html – here, we look at this constellation from a Jewish point of view. Considering that the entirety of our mindset should be Jewish, I thought this would be important. The following are excerpts from their site.

• “The word “sign” is first mentioned in Gen. 1:14¹, where it is explained, “Then they will have been for signs and for appointed times, and for days, and years.”

• “The woman is the constellation Virgo. This is an autumn seasonal sign when the sun conjuncts with it. The sun is also said to be in it in the autumn, or in front of it.”

  The sun's placement and timing would not seem important; however, it plays a role as the scene demonstrates God's plan of redemption and salvation of humanity, should they decide to jump on board.

  As a youth, these “night objects” were nothing more than interesting and pretty lights in the sky. What began to change my thinking was that the magi from the east, whom we understand to have been trained by Daniel while he, too, was in Babylonian captivity, the Magi used those lights to lead them to the Messiah. Add to this that Herod ordered the Scribes and Pharisees of the Jews to testify before him as to what sign the Magi had followed and the significance of such a sign. They knew that it was an indication of the birth of Jesus the Messiah, and they had chosen not to ascribe to it as the Magi had.

• The “torahtimes.org” goes on to say that “Virgo is the greatest of the constellations which mark the course of the sun, just as the text says, “a great sign.”” Of all the ecliptic constellations, it is the second largest. The largest constellation is Hydra, but this one does not lie along the ecliptic course of the sun, and it is only slightly larger.

  Significant information.

• “The sun moves into a new constellation almost every month. In September the sun lies in front of the constellation of Virgo. So this sign is giving us the seasonal date of Messiah’s birth.”

  Wouldn't it be awesome if this was the year that it marked the return of Jesus, the Messiah, to collect His bride?

• “Now when the sun is in a constellation sign its glare keeps the stars from being seen. However ancient astronomers back to Persian times (think about Daniel when you read this) knew exactly which stars the sun was in conjunction with even though they could not see past the sun. They determined this by observing the constellation at night in another season and then calculating the sun’s position when it moved into the sign. We must consider that Yoɦanan is seeing with the eyes of the Ruaɦ Elohım (this is the Hebrew equivalent to the Holy Spirit,) in the vision, and that though the constellation is clothed with the sun, he (John the beloved,) is enabled to see it and the selected stars at the head of it.”

  “The stars are there, but he (John) is only shown twelve. There are really many more than twelve stars.

  He is only shown twelve stars because the stars are supposed to give an additional message to the reader. These stars are the twelve tribes of Yisra‘ɛl (Israel). So we see a second message layered within the astronomical sign—about Yisra‘ɛl.

  Later in the passage, we also see that the woman is more than just a constellation.”

  “The position of the moon is given under the feet of the woman. In order to appreciate this we have to know at what angle this sign is typically viewed. As viewed from earth near sunset at the start of the feast day the vision appears like this simulated image. The atmosphere setting for the Stellarium 0.14.1 software has been turned off in the simulation. Otherwise the glare of the sun would fill the whole constellation. This makes the metaphor “clothed with the sun” sensible.”

  “The position of the moon on three days is as follows:

8/30 after sun sets   The Moon is under the hip and not visible.  
8/31 after sun sets   New Moon first visible (Tishri 1) under feet and legs. 
9/1 after sun sets.   Moon under empty space, (Tishri 2)       between Libra and Virgo. 

“The correct position is for sunset 8/31(August), which is the beginning of Yom Teruah, a scriptural feast day, also called Rosh Hashanah or the Feast of Trumpet”(s.)

"The sun only covers (“clothes”) the constellation Virgo in the fall, and this recurs every year. Likewise, when the moon is near the sun to the east of the sun, then it is likely to be a new moon. The lineup with the legs shows that it is a new moon. I should note that in Hebrew and also the Greek used by the Jews, the word “feet” also means “legs.”

The lineup of the moon, as described, does not occur nearly as well in other years, and in some years, not at all. This is because the sun varies its location in the constellation as the new moon day moves back and forth for about 30 days. And often the locations are not ideal.”

“Interpreting the Parable of Rev. 12:1-2”

“The simple astronomical explanation given above corresponds to all the details in the passage."

"The constellation of Virgo is a woman who is clothed with the sun in the fall, and under her feet was the new moon, and there are at least twelve stars near the head."

The constellation is a sign."

It is also a great sign.

"At the time of the sign, the woman was in labor to give birth. The only year that matched the sign exactly, and exactly with the priestly divisions, was 2 BC on August 31. (Which happened to be the birth of Jesus.)

Yet, most amazingly, and most incredibly, almost everyone in the Christian world hastens to DENY that this is what the sign means.”

“Yeshu‘a has his reasons, and he stated them in part here (See Matthew 13:10-17)². Messiah did not just tell parables himself while on earth. But through the Spirit he tells parables in the Scripture. There are quite a number of chronological ciphers both in the Torah and Prophets and also in the Apostolic Writings (a.k.a. New Testament). Revelation 12:1-2 is one of them.”

Wouldn't it be awesome if God decided it was time for Jesus to come and harvest His bride?

Many tried to make me aware of this sign, and I did what most of you do; I ignored the information because it was too much, and I integrated the demonic association of the stars (astrology) with astronomy, a scientific observation of the universe.

in heaven -

Strong's #G3772. It is the Greek word ouranos and means the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God).

Now, we can ascertain that this great sign will be in the heavens, the sky, among the stars.

a woman -

Woman is the Greek word gune. It is the Strong's #G1096 and means a woman, specifically a wife: G1135.

She represents Israel, Eve who is the birth mother that led to Israel, and Jesus.

Assuming you have been paying attention, then you know that the first scriptural reference that demonstrates the plan of salvation and redemption of humanity, even if they should reject that plan, is through the woman Eve, with not only the birth of Israel, once again, but also the birth of Jesus.

Why Jesus?

Since the fall of humanity in the garden, we are ALL tainted in our DNA and carry traits that motivate us to SIN.

The Defenders Study Bible tells us that Genesis 3:15 is

“the first promise of redemption (Gen_3:15) is commonly known as the protevangel (first gospel). In its essence, the gospel (good news) is the message that the Creator is also our Redeemer and coming King and that true faith in Him—faith which produces salvation—will also produce loving obedience to His Word.”

I will tell you that I had never heard the term protevangel until the 70^th year of my life. However, I was adept enough to realize that the plan of redemption, though somewhat masked in terminology, was there in God's adversarial opposition to Satan.

The passage reads like this.

Genesis 3:15 MKJV  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.

A more readable translation.

Genesis 3:15 BBE  And there will be war between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed: by him will your head be crushed and by you his foot will be wounded.

Pay attention to words and phrases such as enmity (what does that mean?) and “between your seed and her Seed.”

Enmity can be interchanged with hostility, antagonism, ill-will, and hatred. As you can see, the Bible in Basic English says there will be a war. When you read that the war began long ago in the heavens, you might wonder why it has continued for so long.

In the Gospel of Luke, it is recorded:

Luke 10:18 MKJV  And He said to them, I saw Satan fall from Heaven like lightning.

Satan did not merely trip and fall off the edge; he fought against the heavenly forces and lost. God himself threw Satan out of heaven. You might think that God was sufficient to kill Satan like a bug, but Satan, like the angels, is an eternal being and cannot be killed; therefore, Satan is still alive, and we see him in the Book of Job, approaching God with the Sons of God. Note: God does not waste time with idle threats, and that is why we will also see Satan locked up for a thousand years and then permanently, forever.

Ezekiel also describes the end result of this battle.

Ezekiel 28:15-16 MKJV  You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created until iniquity was found in you.  16  By the multitude of your goods, they have filled your midst with violence, and you have sinned. So I cast you profaned from the height of God, and I destroy you, O covering cherub, from among the stones of fire.

And Isaiah speaks of Satan being brought down.

Isaiah 14:13-15 MKJV  For you have said in your heart, I will go up to the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.  14  I will go up above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.  15  Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the Pit.

We are still considering Genesis 3:15.

As many will tell you, the woman does not carry the seed but the result of the interaction of a seed from the male with the egg of the woman. In the case of Mary, from the point in which she agreed to be a participant, the Holy Spirit came upon her, and she became merely the carrier of a fertile egg that He created, and that became Jesus.

Why couldn't God use one of the eggs from Mary's womb?

Because of the actions of Adam and Eve in the Garden, where they both partook of the fruit that changed their DNA, they impacted the lineage of all humanity.

Let's assume you don't believe that could happen.

What do you think is happening when you take a mRNA vaccine that is openly declared to change your DNA? It changes your DNA. This is why God had to make a fertilized egg absent the typical path of fertilization, and Mary simply carried it as a surrogate mother through the birth process. Jesus, by this process, may have looked and acted like a human, but He did NOT have damaged DNA that pushed and motivated Him to sin, as it does us, and, therefore, had no sin.

So, Satan has been in a perpetual war with the seed, the lineage of Eve, ever since that day.

Proof?

Genesis 4:8 MKJV  And Cain talked with his brother Abel. And it happened when they were in the field; Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

The firstborn child of Adam and Eve killed the secondborn over a sacrifice, which was easy to resolve by following the instructions. We, in scripture, do not see the specifics of those instructions, but the understanding that it happened is there if you are willing to look for it.

The “logical” mind will say this verse does not say that Satan killed Abel. It does not have to. We already know that Satan will try to kill off the seed of the woman, and as you continue to study, you will find that God uses people motivated by Satan and his demons to carry out the destructive side of evil.

1) Genesis 1:14 BSB  And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.

2) Matthew 13:10-17 BSB  Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”  11  He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  12  Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  13  This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’  14  In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  15  For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’  16  But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  17  For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.