Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Lucifer and the Stones of Fire

The Book of Job, the oldest book of the Bible, mentions many known celestial objects by name:

31. "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? 32. Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children?" (Job 38:31-32 [RSV]) The Pleides are a cluster of stars in the northeastern skies also known as the Seven Sisters. Orion is the most easily recognizable constellation in the winter skies and is also associated with the evil Nimrod of the Tower of Babel fame. Mazzaroth is another name for what we commonly refer to as the Zodiac. It is also noteworthy that the Latin Vulgate interprets Mazzaroth as "Luciferum." (This same word is translated "constellations" in 2 Kings 23:5.) The Bear is a great northern constellation that includes the very familiar Big Dipper within it.

I am beginning to think that the Book of Job, which gives a great insight into the relationship of Satan with God and how the Lord interacts with "the sons of God," the Angels, (Job 1:6; Job 2:1 and Job 3:8), may actually mention by name a planet that no longer exists, but did at one time in the ancient past. This planet's remnants have been left behind in what is now the asteroid belt that orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. I believe this planet's name was "Rahab."

11. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at His rebuke. 12. By His power He stilled the sea; by His understanding He smote Rahab. 13. By His wind the heavens were made fair; His hand pierced the fleeing Serpent. (Job 26:11-13 [RSV]) "Rahab" literally means "blustering pride." It was pride that was the downfall of Lucifer: "Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you." (Ezekiel 28:14 [RSV]. See also Isaiah 14.) I do not believe it is a mere coincidence that we are told the Lord smote Rahab and that He also pierced the fleeing Serpent in the same paragraph. We are told specifically in the Book of Revelation just who this Serpent is and where he was cast down to: it was the Earth: "And the great Dragon was thrown down, that ancient Serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the Earth, and his Angels were thrown down with him." (Revelation 12:9 [RSV])

The word translated above as "smote" in Job 26:12 is "machats" which literally means to smash or dash asunder. This very much describes what has been left behind in the asteroid belt. So it very possibly may be that "the stones of fire" Lucifer walked among as we are told in Ezekiel 28:14 just may refer to the planets themselves. But I could be wrong.

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