The First Book. The Redeemer.

The First Book. The Redeemer.(His First Coming.)“The Sufferings of Christ.”The First Book is occupied with the PERSON of the Coming One. It covers the whole ground, and includes the conflict and the victory of the Promised Seed, but with special emphasis on His Coming. The book opens with the promise of His coming, and it closes with the Dragon cast down from heaven.Chapter I. The Sign VIRGO.The Promised Seed of the Woman.Plate 1: Virgo (the Virgin)Here is the commencement of all prophecy in Gen. iii. 15, spoken to the serpent:—“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”This is the prophetic announcement which the Revelation in the heavens and in the Book is designed to unfold and develope. It lies at the root of all the ancient traditions and mythologies, which are simply the perversion and corruption of primitive truth.Virgois represented as a woman with abranchin her right hand, and some ears of corn in her left hand. Thus giving a two-fold testimony of the Coming One.[pg 030]The name of this sign in the Hebrew isBethulah, which meansa virgin, and in the Arabica branch. The two words are connected, as in Latin—Virgo, which meansa virgin; andvirga, which meansa branch(Vulg. Isa. xi. 1). Another name isSunbul, Arabic,an ear of corn.In Gen. iii. 15 she is presented only as a woman; but in later prophecies her nationality is defined as being of the stock of Israel, the seed of Abraham, the line of David; and, further, she is to be a virgin. There are two prominent prophecies of her and her seed: one is connected with the first coming in incarnation, Isa. vii. 14 (quoted in Matt. i. 23.)“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,And shall call his name Immanuel.”The other is connected with His second coming, leaping over the sufferings and this present interval of His rejection, and looking forward to His coming in glory and judgment, Isa. ix. 6, 7 (quoted in Luke ii. 11 and i. 32, 33)—“For unto us a child is born,Unto us a son is given;20And the government shall be upon His shoulder;And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Of the increase of His government there shall be no end.[pg 031]Upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom,To order it, and to establish itWith judgment and with justiceFrom henceforth even for ever.The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”It is difficult to separate the Virgin and her Seed in the prophecy, and so, here, we have first the signVirgo, where the name points to her as the prominent subject; while in the first of the three constellations of this sign, where the woman appears again, the nameComapoints to the child as the great subject.Virgocontains 110 stars,viz., one of the 1st magnitude, six of the 3rd, ten of the 4th, etc.Aratusthus sings of them:—“Beneath Boötes feet the Virgin seek,Who carries in her hand a glittering spike....Over her shoulder there revolves a starIn the right wing, superlatively bright;21It rolls beneath the tail, and may compareWith the bright stars that deck the Greater Bear.Upon her shoulder one bright star is borne,22One clasps the circling girdle of her loins,23One at her bending knee;24and in her handGlitters that bright and golden Ear of Corn.25Thus the brightest star in Virgo (α)26has an ancient name, handed down to us in all the star-maps, in which the Hebrew word (צֶמֶח)Tsemechis preserved. It is[pg 032]called in ArabicAl Zimach, which meansthe branch. This star is in the ear of corn which she holds in her left hand. Hence the star has a modern Latin name, which has almost superseded the ancient one,Spica, which means,an ear of corn. But this hides the great truth revealed by its nameAl Zimach. It foretold the coming of Him who should bear this name. The same Divine inspiration has, in the written Word, four times connected it with Him. There are twenty Hebrew words translated“Branch,”but only one of them (Tsemech) is used exclusively of the Messiah, and this word only four times.27Each of these further connects Him with one special account of Him, given in the Gospels.(1.) Jer. xxiii. 5, 6—“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,That I will raise unto David a righteous BRANCH(i.e., a Son),And a KING shall reign and prosper.”The account of His coming as King is written in the Gospel according to Matthew, where Jehovah says to Israel,“Behold thy KING.”(Zech. ix. 9; Matt. xxi. 9.)(2.) Zech. iii. 8.—“Behold I will bring forth my SERVANT the BRANCH.”In the Gospel according to Mark we find the record of Jehovah's servant and His service, and we hear Jehovah's voice saying,“Behold my SERVANT.”(Isa. xlii. 1.)(3.) Zech. vi. 12.—“Thus speaketh theLordof hosts, saying, Behold the MAN whose name is the[pg 033]BRANCH.”In the Gospel according to Luke we behold Him, presented in“the MAN Christ Jesus.”(4.) Isa. iv. 2.—“In that day shall the BRANCH of JEHOVAH be beautiful and glorious.”So that this Branch, this Son, is Jehovah Himself; and as we read the record of John we hear the voice from heaven saying,“Behold your GOD.”(Isa. xl. 9.)This is the Branch foretold by the starAl Zimachin the ear of corn.The star β is calledZavijaveh, which meansthe gloriously beautiful, as in Isa. iv. 2. The star ε, in the arm bearing the branch, is calledAl Mureddin, which meanswho shall come down(as in Ps. lxxii. 8), orwho shall have dominion. It is also known asVindemiatrix, a Chaldee word which meansthe son, orbranch,who cometh.Other names of stars in the sign, not identified, are—Subilah, who carries. (Isa. xlvi. 4.)Al Azal, the Branch. (As in Isa. xviii. 5.)Subilon, a spike of corn. (As in Isa. xvii. 5.)The Greeks, ignorant of the Divine origin and teaching of the sign, represented Virgo asCeres, with ears of corn in her hand.In the Zodiac in the Temple of Denderah, in Egypt, about 2000b.c.(now in Paris), she is likewise represented with a branch in her hand, but ignorantly explained by a false religion to representIsis! Her name is calledAspolia, which meansears of corn, orthe seed, which shows that though the woman is seen, it is her Seed who is the great subject of the prophecy.[pg 034]Passing to the three constellations anciently assigned to the sign Virgo, we come to what may be compared tothree sectionsof the chapter, each giving some further detail as to the interpretation of its teaching.1. COMA (The Woman and Child).The Desired of all Nations.The first constellation in Virgo explains that this coming“Branch”will be a child, and that He should be the“Desire of all nations.”The ancient name of this constellation isComah,28the desired, orthe longed for. We have the word used by the Holy Spirit in this very connection, in Hag. ii. 7:“The DESIRE of all nations shall come.”Plate 2: Coma (the Desired)The ancient Zodiacs pictured this constellation as a woman with a child in her arms.Albumazar29(orAbu Masher), an Arabian astronomer of the eighth century, says,“There arises in the first Decan,30as the Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians, and the twoHermesandAscaliusteach,a young woman, whose Persian name denotes a pure virgin, sitting on a throne,nourishing an infant boy(the boy, I say), having a Hebrew name, by some nations called[pg 035]IHESU, with the signification IEZA, which in Greek is called CHRISTOS.”But this picture is not found in any of themodernmaps of the stars. There we find to-day a woman's wig! It appears thatBerenice, the wife ofEuergetes(PtolemyIII.), king of Egypt in the third centuryb.c., when her husband once went on a dangerous expedition, vowed to consecrate her fine head of hair to Venus if he returned in safety. Her hair, which was hung up in the Temple of Venus, was subsequently stolen, and to comfortBerenice,Conon, an astronomer of Alexandria (b.c.283-222), gave it out that Jupiter had taken it and made it a constellation!This is a good example of how the meaning of other constellations have been perverted (ignorantly or intentionally). In this case, as in others, the transition from ancient to more modern languages helped to hide the meaning. The Hebrew name wasComa(desired). But the Greeks had a word for hair,Có-me. This again is transferred to the Latincoma, and thus“Coma Berenicæ”(the hair of Berenice) comes down to us to-day as the name of this constellation, and gives us a woman's wig instead of that Blessed One,“the Desire of all Nations.”In this case, however, we are able to give absolute proof that this is a perversion.The ancient Egyptian name for this constellation wasShes-nu, the desired son!The Zodiac in the Temple of Denderah, in Egypt, going back at least 2,000 yearsb.c., has no trace of any hair, but it has the figure of a woman and child.[pg 036]In our illustration we have given a copy of this very ancient picture, and not the wig of hair!We have been permitted to trace it from a work onEgyptian Sceneryby the late eminent astronomer, Edward J. Cooper, of Markree Castle, co. Sligo, who visited that Temple in the year 1820 with an Italian artist, Signor Bossi. The original drawing from which our tracing is made (and enlarged) was drawn by Signor Bossi on the spot, before it was taken to Paris in 1821.31We thus have before us the exact representations of one of these star-pictures at least 4,000 years old.Even Shakespeare understood the truth about this constellation picture, which has been so long covered by modern inventions. In hisTitus Andronicus32he speaks of an arrow being shot up to heaven to the“Good boy in Virgo's lap.”The constellation itself is very remarkable. Others contain one or two stars of the first or second magnitude, and then a greater or less variety of lesser stars; but this is peculiar from having no one very bright star, but contains so many stars of the 4th and 5th magnitudes. It contains 43 stars altogether, ten being of the 4th magnitude, and the remainder of the 5th, 6th, etc.It was in all probability the constellation ofComain which“the Star of Bethlehem”appeared. There was a traditional prophecy, well-known in the East,[pg 037]carefully preserved and handed down, that a new star would appear in this sign when He whom it foretold should be born.This was, doubtless, referred to in the prophecy of Balaam, which would thus receive a double fulfilment, first of the literal“Star,”and also of the person to whom it referred. The Lord said by Balaam (Num. xxiv. 17),“There shall come33a star out of Jacob,And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.”Thomas Hyde, an eminent Orientalist (1636-1703), writing on the ancient religion of the Persians, quotes fromAbulfaragius(an Arab Christian Historian, 1226-1286), who says thatZoroaster, orZerdusht, the Persian, was a pupil of Daniel the Prophet, and that he predicted to the Magians (who were the astronomers of Persia), that when they should seea new starappear it would notify the birth of a mysterious child, whom they were to adore. It is further stated in theZend Avestathat this new star was to appear in the sign of the Virgin. Some have supposed that this passage is not genuine. But whether it was interpolated before or after the event, it is equally good evidence for our purpose here. For if it was writtenbeforethe event, it is evidence of theprophetic announcement; and if it was interpolatedafterthe event it is evidence of thehistoric fact.The Book of Job shows us how Astronomy flourished[pg 038]in Idumea; and the Gospel according to Matthew shows that the Persian Magi, as well as others, were looking for“the Desire of all nations.”New stars have appeared again and again. It was in 125b.c.that a star, so bright as to be seen in the day-time, suddenly appeared. It was this that causedHipparchusto draw up his catalogue of stars, which has been handed down to us byPtolemy(150a.d.).This new star would show thelatitude, passing at that time immediately overhead at midnight, every twenty-four hours; while the prophecy would give thelongitudeas the land of Jacob. Having these two factors, it would be only a matter of observation, and easy for the Magi to find the place where it would be vertical, and thus to locate the very spot of the birth of Him of whom it was the sign, for they emphatically called it“His Star.”There is a beautiful tradition which relates how, in their difficulty, on their way from Jerusalem to find the actual spot under theZenithof this star, these Magi sat down beside David's“Well of Bethlehem”to refresh themselves. There they saw the star reflected in the clear water of the well. Hence it is written that“when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding joy,”for they knew they were at the very spot and place of His appearing whence He was to“come forth.”There can be little doubt that it wasa new star. In the first place a new star is no unusual phenomenon. In the second place the tradition is well supported by[pg 039]ancient Christian writers. One speaks of its“surpassing brightness.”Another (Ignatius, Bp. of Antioch,a.d.69) says,“At the appearance of the Lord a star shone forth brighter than all the other stars.”Ignatius, doubtless, had this from those who had actually seen it!Prudentius(4th cent.a.d.) says that not even the morning star was so fair. Archbishop Trench, who quotes these authorities, says“This star, I conceive, as so many ancients and moderns have done, to have been a new star in the heavens.”One step more places this new star in the constellation ofComa, and with new force makes it indeed“His star”—the“Sign”of His“coming forth from Bethlehem.”Will it be“the sign of the Son of Man in heaven”(Matt. xxiv. 30) when He shall“come unto”this world again to complete the wondrous prophecies written of Him in the heavenly and earthly Revelations?34Thus does the constellation ofComareveal that the coming“Seed of the woman”was to be a child born, a son given.But He was to be more: He was to be God and[pg 040]man—two natures in one person! This is the lesson of the next picture.2. CENTAURUS (The Centaur).The Despised Sin-offering.It is the figure of a being with two natures. Jamieson, in hisCelestial Atlas, 1822, says,“On the authority of the most accomplished Orientalist of our own times, the Arabic and Chaldaic name of this constellation is בזה.”Now this Hebrew wordBezeh(and the ArabicAl Beze) meansthe despised. It is the very word used of this Divine sufferer in Isa. liii. 3,“He isdespised(נִבְזֶה) and rejected of men.”Plate 3: Centaurus (the Centaur)The constellation contains thirty-five stars. Two of the 1st magnitude, one of the 2nd, six of the 3rd, nine of the 4th, etc., which, together with the four bright stars in the Cross make a brilliant show in southern latitudes.The brightest star, α (in the horse's fore-foot), has come down to us with the ancient name ofToliman, which meansthe heretofore and hereafter, marking Him as the one“which is, and which was, and which is to come—the Almighty”(Rev. i. 8). Sir John Herschell observed this star to be growing rapidly brighter. It may be, therefore, one of the changeable stars, and its name may be taken as an indication of the fact that it was known to the ancients.Another name for the constellation was in Hebrew,Asmeath, which means asin-offering(as in Isa. liii. 10).[pg 041]The Greek name wasCheiron, which meansthe pierced, orwho pierces. In the Greek fablesCheironwas renowned for his skill in hunting, medicine, music, athletics, and prophecy. All the most distinguished heroes of Greece are described as his pupils. He was supposed to be immortal, but he voluntarily agreed to die; and, wounded by a poisoned arrow (not intended for him) while in conflict with a wild boar, he transferred his immortality to Prometheus; whereupon he was placed amongst the stars.We can easily see how this fable is the ignorant perversion of the primitive Revelation. The true tradition can be seen dimly through it, and we can discern Him of whom it spoke,—the all-wise, all-powerful Teacher and Prophet, who“went about doing good,”yet“despised and rejected of men,”laying down His life that others might live.It is one of the lowest of the constellations,i.e.the farthest south from the northern centre. It is situated immediately over the Cross, which bespeaks His own death; He is seen in the act of destroying the enemy.Thus these star-pictures tell us that it would be as achildthat thePromised Seedshould come forth and grow and wax strong in spirit and be filled with wisdom (Luke ii. 40); and that as a man having two natures He should suffer and die. Then the third and last section in this first chapter of this First Book goes on to tell of His second coming in glory.[pg 042]3. BOÖTES (The Coming One).He cometh.This constellation still further develops this wondrous personage.He is pictured as a man walking rapidly, with a spear in his right hand and a sickle in his left hand.Plate 4: Boötes (the Coming One)The Greeks called himBo-ö-tes, which is from the Hebrew rootBo(בּוֹא,to come), meaningthe coming. It is referred to in Ps. xcvi. 13:—“For He cometh,For He cometh to judge the earth;He shall judge the world in righteousness,And the people with His truth.”It it probable that his ancient name wasArcturus35(as referred to in Job ix. 9), for this is the name of the brightest star, α (in the left knee).ArcturusmeansHe cometh.36The ancient Egyptians called himSmat, which meansone who rules,subdues, andgoverns. They also called himBau(a reminiscence of the more ancientBo), which means alsothe coming one.[pg 043]The star μ (in the spear-head) is namedAl Katurops, which meansthe branch,treading under foot.The star ε (just below the waist on his right side) is calledMirac, orMizar, orIzar.Miracmeansthe coming forth as an arrow;Mizar, orIzar, meansthe preserver,guarding.The star η is calledMuphride,i.e.who separates.The star β (in the head) is namedNekkar,i.e.the pierced(Zech. xii. 10), which tells us that this coming judge is the One who was pierced. Another Hebrew name isMerga,who bruises.37This brings us back again to Gen. iii. 15, and closes up this first chapter of the First Book (Virgo). It shows us thePersonof the Promised Seed from the beginning to the end, from the first promise of the birth of the Child in Bethlehem, to the final coming[pg 044]of the great Judge and Harvester to reap the harvest of the earth. This was the vision which was afterwards shown to John (Rev. xiv. 15, 16), when he says,“I looked; and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”This is the conclusion of thefirst chapterof this First Book. Here we see the woman whose Seed is to bruise the serpent's head, the Virgin-Born, the Branch of Jehovah, perfect man and perfect God, Immanuel,“God with us,”yet despised and rejected of men, and yielding up His life that others may have life for evermore. But we see Him coming afterwards in triumphant power to judge the earth.This is only one chapter of this First Book, but it contains theoutlineof the whole volume, complete in itself, so far as it regards the Person of the Coming One. Like the Book of Genesis, it is the seed-plot which contains the whole, all the rest being merely the development of the many grand details which are included and shut up within it. It is only one chapter out of twelve, but it distinctly foreshadows the end—even“the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow.”[pg 045]

(His First Coming.)

“The Sufferings of Christ.”

The First Book is occupied with the PERSON of the Coming One. It covers the whole ground, and includes the conflict and the victory of the Promised Seed, but with special emphasis on His Coming. The book opens with the promise of His coming, and it closes with the Dragon cast down from heaven.

Chapter I. The Sign VIRGO.The Promised Seed of the Woman.Plate 1: Virgo (the Virgin)Here is the commencement of all prophecy in Gen. iii. 15, spoken to the serpent:—“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”This is the prophetic announcement which the Revelation in the heavens and in the Book is designed to unfold and develope. It lies at the root of all the ancient traditions and mythologies, which are simply the perversion and corruption of primitive truth.Virgois represented as a woman with abranchin her right hand, and some ears of corn in her left hand. Thus giving a two-fold testimony of the Coming One.[pg 030]The name of this sign in the Hebrew isBethulah, which meansa virgin, and in the Arabica branch. The two words are connected, as in Latin—Virgo, which meansa virgin; andvirga, which meansa branch(Vulg. Isa. xi. 1). Another name isSunbul, Arabic,an ear of corn.In Gen. iii. 15 she is presented only as a woman; but in later prophecies her nationality is defined as being of the stock of Israel, the seed of Abraham, the line of David; and, further, she is to be a virgin. There are two prominent prophecies of her and her seed: one is connected with the first coming in incarnation, Isa. vii. 14 (quoted in Matt. i. 23.)“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,And shall call his name Immanuel.”The other is connected with His second coming, leaping over the sufferings and this present interval of His rejection, and looking forward to His coming in glory and judgment, Isa. ix. 6, 7 (quoted in Luke ii. 11 and i. 32, 33)—“For unto us a child is born,Unto us a son is given;20And the government shall be upon His shoulder;And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Of the increase of His government there shall be no end.[pg 031]Upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom,To order it, and to establish itWith judgment and with justiceFrom henceforth even for ever.The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”It is difficult to separate the Virgin and her Seed in the prophecy, and so, here, we have first the signVirgo, where the name points to her as the prominent subject; while in the first of the three constellations of this sign, where the woman appears again, the nameComapoints to the child as the great subject.Virgocontains 110 stars,viz., one of the 1st magnitude, six of the 3rd, ten of the 4th, etc.Aratusthus sings of them:—“Beneath Boötes feet the Virgin seek,Who carries in her hand a glittering spike....Over her shoulder there revolves a starIn the right wing, superlatively bright;21It rolls beneath the tail, and may compareWith the bright stars that deck the Greater Bear.Upon her shoulder one bright star is borne,22One clasps the circling girdle of her loins,23One at her bending knee;24and in her handGlitters that bright and golden Ear of Corn.25Thus the brightest star in Virgo (α)26has an ancient name, handed down to us in all the star-maps, in which the Hebrew word (צֶמֶח)Tsemechis preserved. It is[pg 032]called in ArabicAl Zimach, which meansthe branch. This star is in the ear of corn which she holds in her left hand. Hence the star has a modern Latin name, which has almost superseded the ancient one,Spica, which means,an ear of corn. But this hides the great truth revealed by its nameAl Zimach. It foretold the coming of Him who should bear this name. The same Divine inspiration has, in the written Word, four times connected it with Him. There are twenty Hebrew words translated“Branch,”but only one of them (Tsemech) is used exclusively of the Messiah, and this word only four times.27Each of these further connects Him with one special account of Him, given in the Gospels.(1.) Jer. xxiii. 5, 6—“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,That I will raise unto David a righteous BRANCH(i.e., a Son),And a KING shall reign and prosper.”The account of His coming as King is written in the Gospel according to Matthew, where Jehovah says to Israel,“Behold thy KING.”(Zech. ix. 9; Matt. xxi. 9.)(2.) Zech. iii. 8.—“Behold I will bring forth my SERVANT the BRANCH.”In the Gospel according to Mark we find the record of Jehovah's servant and His service, and we hear Jehovah's voice saying,“Behold my SERVANT.”(Isa. xlii. 1.)(3.) Zech. vi. 12.—“Thus speaketh theLordof hosts, saying, Behold the MAN whose name is the[pg 033]BRANCH.”In the Gospel according to Luke we behold Him, presented in“the MAN Christ Jesus.”(4.) Isa. iv. 2.—“In that day shall the BRANCH of JEHOVAH be beautiful and glorious.”So that this Branch, this Son, is Jehovah Himself; and as we read the record of John we hear the voice from heaven saying,“Behold your GOD.”(Isa. xl. 9.)This is the Branch foretold by the starAl Zimachin the ear of corn.The star β is calledZavijaveh, which meansthe gloriously beautiful, as in Isa. iv. 2. The star ε, in the arm bearing the branch, is calledAl Mureddin, which meanswho shall come down(as in Ps. lxxii. 8), orwho shall have dominion. It is also known asVindemiatrix, a Chaldee word which meansthe son, orbranch,who cometh.Other names of stars in the sign, not identified, are—Subilah, who carries. (Isa. xlvi. 4.)Al Azal, the Branch. (As in Isa. xviii. 5.)Subilon, a spike of corn. (As in Isa. xvii. 5.)The Greeks, ignorant of the Divine origin and teaching of the sign, represented Virgo asCeres, with ears of corn in her hand.In the Zodiac in the Temple of Denderah, in Egypt, about 2000b.c.(now in Paris), she is likewise represented with a branch in her hand, but ignorantly explained by a false religion to representIsis! Her name is calledAspolia, which meansears of corn, orthe seed, which shows that though the woman is seen, it is her Seed who is the great subject of the prophecy.[pg 034]Passing to the three constellations anciently assigned to the sign Virgo, we come to what may be compared tothree sectionsof the chapter, each giving some further detail as to the interpretation of its teaching.1. COMA (The Woman and Child).The Desired of all Nations.The first constellation in Virgo explains that this coming“Branch”will be a child, and that He should be the“Desire of all nations.”The ancient name of this constellation isComah,28the desired, orthe longed for. We have the word used by the Holy Spirit in this very connection, in Hag. ii. 7:“The DESIRE of all nations shall come.”Plate 2: Coma (the Desired)The ancient Zodiacs pictured this constellation as a woman with a child in her arms.Albumazar29(orAbu Masher), an Arabian astronomer of the eighth century, says,“There arises in the first Decan,30as the Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians, and the twoHermesandAscaliusteach,a young woman, whose Persian name denotes a pure virgin, sitting on a throne,nourishing an infant boy(the boy, I say), having a Hebrew name, by some nations called[pg 035]IHESU, with the signification IEZA, which in Greek is called CHRISTOS.”But this picture is not found in any of themodernmaps of the stars. There we find to-day a woman's wig! It appears thatBerenice, the wife ofEuergetes(PtolemyIII.), king of Egypt in the third centuryb.c., when her husband once went on a dangerous expedition, vowed to consecrate her fine head of hair to Venus if he returned in safety. Her hair, which was hung up in the Temple of Venus, was subsequently stolen, and to comfortBerenice,Conon, an astronomer of Alexandria (b.c.283-222), gave it out that Jupiter had taken it and made it a constellation!This is a good example of how the meaning of other constellations have been perverted (ignorantly or intentionally). In this case, as in others, the transition from ancient to more modern languages helped to hide the meaning. The Hebrew name wasComa(desired). But the Greeks had a word for hair,Có-me. This again is transferred to the Latincoma, and thus“Coma Berenicæ”(the hair of Berenice) comes down to us to-day as the name of this constellation, and gives us a woman's wig instead of that Blessed One,“the Desire of all Nations.”In this case, however, we are able to give absolute proof that this is a perversion.The ancient Egyptian name for this constellation wasShes-nu, the desired son!The Zodiac in the Temple of Denderah, in Egypt, going back at least 2,000 yearsb.c., has no trace of any hair, but it has the figure of a woman and child.[pg 036]In our illustration we have given a copy of this very ancient picture, and not the wig of hair!We have been permitted to trace it from a work onEgyptian Sceneryby the late eminent astronomer, Edward J. Cooper, of Markree Castle, co. Sligo, who visited that Temple in the year 1820 with an Italian artist, Signor Bossi. The original drawing from which our tracing is made (and enlarged) was drawn by Signor Bossi on the spot, before it was taken to Paris in 1821.31We thus have before us the exact representations of one of these star-pictures at least 4,000 years old.Even Shakespeare understood the truth about this constellation picture, which has been so long covered by modern inventions. In hisTitus Andronicus32he speaks of an arrow being shot up to heaven to the“Good boy in Virgo's lap.”The constellation itself is very remarkable. Others contain one or two stars of the first or second magnitude, and then a greater or less variety of lesser stars; but this is peculiar from having no one very bright star, but contains so many stars of the 4th and 5th magnitudes. It contains 43 stars altogether, ten being of the 4th magnitude, and the remainder of the 5th, 6th, etc.It was in all probability the constellation ofComain which“the Star of Bethlehem”appeared. There was a traditional prophecy, well-known in the East,[pg 037]carefully preserved and handed down, that a new star would appear in this sign when He whom it foretold should be born.This was, doubtless, referred to in the prophecy of Balaam, which would thus receive a double fulfilment, first of the literal“Star,”and also of the person to whom it referred. The Lord said by Balaam (Num. xxiv. 17),“There shall come33a star out of Jacob,And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.”Thomas Hyde, an eminent Orientalist (1636-1703), writing on the ancient religion of the Persians, quotes fromAbulfaragius(an Arab Christian Historian, 1226-1286), who says thatZoroaster, orZerdusht, the Persian, was a pupil of Daniel the Prophet, and that he predicted to the Magians (who were the astronomers of Persia), that when they should seea new starappear it would notify the birth of a mysterious child, whom they were to adore. It is further stated in theZend Avestathat this new star was to appear in the sign of the Virgin. Some have supposed that this passage is not genuine. But whether it was interpolated before or after the event, it is equally good evidence for our purpose here. For if it was writtenbeforethe event, it is evidence of theprophetic announcement; and if it was interpolatedafterthe event it is evidence of thehistoric fact.The Book of Job shows us how Astronomy flourished[pg 038]in Idumea; and the Gospel according to Matthew shows that the Persian Magi, as well as others, were looking for“the Desire of all nations.”New stars have appeared again and again. It was in 125b.c.that a star, so bright as to be seen in the day-time, suddenly appeared. It was this that causedHipparchusto draw up his catalogue of stars, which has been handed down to us byPtolemy(150a.d.).This new star would show thelatitude, passing at that time immediately overhead at midnight, every twenty-four hours; while the prophecy would give thelongitudeas the land of Jacob. Having these two factors, it would be only a matter of observation, and easy for the Magi to find the place where it would be vertical, and thus to locate the very spot of the birth of Him of whom it was the sign, for they emphatically called it“His Star.”There is a beautiful tradition which relates how, in their difficulty, on their way from Jerusalem to find the actual spot under theZenithof this star, these Magi sat down beside David's“Well of Bethlehem”to refresh themselves. There they saw the star reflected in the clear water of the well. Hence it is written that“when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding joy,”for they knew they were at the very spot and place of His appearing whence He was to“come forth.”There can be little doubt that it wasa new star. In the first place a new star is no unusual phenomenon. In the second place the tradition is well supported by[pg 039]ancient Christian writers. One speaks of its“surpassing brightness.”Another (Ignatius, Bp. of Antioch,a.d.69) says,“At the appearance of the Lord a star shone forth brighter than all the other stars.”Ignatius, doubtless, had this from those who had actually seen it!Prudentius(4th cent.a.d.) says that not even the morning star was so fair. Archbishop Trench, who quotes these authorities, says“This star, I conceive, as so many ancients and moderns have done, to have been a new star in the heavens.”One step more places this new star in the constellation ofComa, and with new force makes it indeed“His star”—the“Sign”of His“coming forth from Bethlehem.”Will it be“the sign of the Son of Man in heaven”(Matt. xxiv. 30) when He shall“come unto”this world again to complete the wondrous prophecies written of Him in the heavenly and earthly Revelations?34Thus does the constellation ofComareveal that the coming“Seed of the woman”was to be a child born, a son given.But He was to be more: He was to be God and[pg 040]man—two natures in one person! This is the lesson of the next picture.2. CENTAURUS (The Centaur).The Despised Sin-offering.It is the figure of a being with two natures. Jamieson, in hisCelestial Atlas, 1822, says,“On the authority of the most accomplished Orientalist of our own times, the Arabic and Chaldaic name of this constellation is בזה.”Now this Hebrew wordBezeh(and the ArabicAl Beze) meansthe despised. It is the very word used of this Divine sufferer in Isa. liii. 3,“He isdespised(נִבְזֶה) and rejected of men.”Plate 3: Centaurus (the Centaur)The constellation contains thirty-five stars. Two of the 1st magnitude, one of the 2nd, six of the 3rd, nine of the 4th, etc., which, together with the four bright stars in the Cross make a brilliant show in southern latitudes.The brightest star, α (in the horse's fore-foot), has come down to us with the ancient name ofToliman, which meansthe heretofore and hereafter, marking Him as the one“which is, and which was, and which is to come—the Almighty”(Rev. i. 8). Sir John Herschell observed this star to be growing rapidly brighter. It may be, therefore, one of the changeable stars, and its name may be taken as an indication of the fact that it was known to the ancients.Another name for the constellation was in Hebrew,Asmeath, which means asin-offering(as in Isa. liii. 10).[pg 041]The Greek name wasCheiron, which meansthe pierced, orwho pierces. In the Greek fablesCheironwas renowned for his skill in hunting, medicine, music, athletics, and prophecy. All the most distinguished heroes of Greece are described as his pupils. He was supposed to be immortal, but he voluntarily agreed to die; and, wounded by a poisoned arrow (not intended for him) while in conflict with a wild boar, he transferred his immortality to Prometheus; whereupon he was placed amongst the stars.We can easily see how this fable is the ignorant perversion of the primitive Revelation. The true tradition can be seen dimly through it, and we can discern Him of whom it spoke,—the all-wise, all-powerful Teacher and Prophet, who“went about doing good,”yet“despised and rejected of men,”laying down His life that others might live.It is one of the lowest of the constellations,i.e.the farthest south from the northern centre. It is situated immediately over the Cross, which bespeaks His own death; He is seen in the act of destroying the enemy.Thus these star-pictures tell us that it would be as achildthat thePromised Seedshould come forth and grow and wax strong in spirit and be filled with wisdom (Luke ii. 40); and that as a man having two natures He should suffer and die. Then the third and last section in this first chapter of this First Book goes on to tell of His second coming in glory.[pg 042]3. BOÖTES (The Coming One).He cometh.This constellation still further develops this wondrous personage.He is pictured as a man walking rapidly, with a spear in his right hand and a sickle in his left hand.Plate 4: Boötes (the Coming One)The Greeks called himBo-ö-tes, which is from the Hebrew rootBo(בּוֹא,to come), meaningthe coming. It is referred to in Ps. xcvi. 13:—“For He cometh,For He cometh to judge the earth;He shall judge the world in righteousness,And the people with His truth.”It it probable that his ancient name wasArcturus35(as referred to in Job ix. 9), for this is the name of the brightest star, α (in the left knee).ArcturusmeansHe cometh.36The ancient Egyptians called himSmat, which meansone who rules,subdues, andgoverns. They also called himBau(a reminiscence of the more ancientBo), which means alsothe coming one.[pg 043]The star μ (in the spear-head) is namedAl Katurops, which meansthe branch,treading under foot.The star ε (just below the waist on his right side) is calledMirac, orMizar, orIzar.Miracmeansthe coming forth as an arrow;Mizar, orIzar, meansthe preserver,guarding.The star η is calledMuphride,i.e.who separates.The star β (in the head) is namedNekkar,i.e.the pierced(Zech. xii. 10), which tells us that this coming judge is the One who was pierced. Another Hebrew name isMerga,who bruises.37This brings us back again to Gen. iii. 15, and closes up this first chapter of the First Book (Virgo). It shows us thePersonof the Promised Seed from the beginning to the end, from the first promise of the birth of the Child in Bethlehem, to the final coming[pg 044]of the great Judge and Harvester to reap the harvest of the earth. This was the vision which was afterwards shown to John (Rev. xiv. 15, 16), when he says,“I looked; and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”This is the conclusion of thefirst chapterof this First Book. Here we see the woman whose Seed is to bruise the serpent's head, the Virgin-Born, the Branch of Jehovah, perfect man and perfect God, Immanuel,“God with us,”yet despised and rejected of men, and yielding up His life that others may have life for evermore. But we see Him coming afterwards in triumphant power to judge the earth.This is only one chapter of this First Book, but it contains theoutlineof the whole volume, complete in itself, so far as it regards the Person of the Coming One. Like the Book of Genesis, it is the seed-plot which contains the whole, all the rest being merely the development of the many grand details which are included and shut up within it. It is only one chapter out of twelve, but it distinctly foreshadows the end—even“the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow.”

The Promised Seed of the Woman.

Plate 1: Virgo (the Virgin)

Here is the commencement of all prophecy in Gen. iii. 15, spoken to the serpent:—“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”This is the prophetic announcement which the Revelation in the heavens and in the Book is designed to unfold and develope. It lies at the root of all the ancient traditions and mythologies, which are simply the perversion and corruption of primitive truth.

Virgois represented as a woman with abranchin her right hand, and some ears of corn in her left hand. Thus giving a two-fold testimony of the Coming One.

The name of this sign in the Hebrew isBethulah, which meansa virgin, and in the Arabica branch. The two words are connected, as in Latin—Virgo, which meansa virgin; andvirga, which meansa branch(Vulg. Isa. xi. 1). Another name isSunbul, Arabic,an ear of corn.

In Gen. iii. 15 she is presented only as a woman; but in later prophecies her nationality is defined as being of the stock of Israel, the seed of Abraham, the line of David; and, further, she is to be a virgin. There are two prominent prophecies of her and her seed: one is connected with the first coming in incarnation, Isa. vii. 14 (quoted in Matt. i. 23.)

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,And shall call his name Immanuel.”

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

And shall call his name Immanuel.”

The other is connected with His second coming, leaping over the sufferings and this present interval of His rejection, and looking forward to His coming in glory and judgment, Isa. ix. 6, 7 (quoted in Luke ii. 11 and i. 32, 33)—

“For unto us a child is born,Unto us a son is given;20And the government shall be upon His shoulder;And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Of the increase of His government there shall be no end.[pg 031]Upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom,To order it, and to establish itWith judgment and with justiceFrom henceforth even for ever.The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

“For unto us a child is born,

Unto us a son is given;20

And the government shall be upon His shoulder;

And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government there shall be no end.

Upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom,

To order it, and to establish it

With judgment and with justice

From henceforth even for ever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

It is difficult to separate the Virgin and her Seed in the prophecy, and so, here, we have first the signVirgo, where the name points to her as the prominent subject; while in the first of the three constellations of this sign, where the woman appears again, the nameComapoints to the child as the great subject.

Virgocontains 110 stars,viz., one of the 1st magnitude, six of the 3rd, ten of the 4th, etc.

Aratusthus sings of them:—

“Beneath Boötes feet the Virgin seek,Who carries in her hand a glittering spike....Over her shoulder there revolves a starIn the right wing, superlatively bright;21It rolls beneath the tail, and may compareWith the bright stars that deck the Greater Bear.Upon her shoulder one bright star is borne,22One clasps the circling girdle of her loins,23One at her bending knee;24and in her handGlitters that bright and golden Ear of Corn.25

“Beneath Boötes feet the Virgin seek,

Who carries in her hand a glittering spike....

Over her shoulder there revolves a star

In the right wing, superlatively bright;21

It rolls beneath the tail, and may compare

With the bright stars that deck the Greater Bear.

Upon her shoulder one bright star is borne,22

One clasps the circling girdle of her loins,23

One at her bending knee;24and in her hand

Glitters that bright and golden Ear of Corn.25

Thus the brightest star in Virgo (α)26has an ancient name, handed down to us in all the star-maps, in which the Hebrew word (צֶמֶח)Tsemechis preserved. It is[pg 032]called in ArabicAl Zimach, which meansthe branch. This star is in the ear of corn which she holds in her left hand. Hence the star has a modern Latin name, which has almost superseded the ancient one,Spica, which means,an ear of corn. But this hides the great truth revealed by its nameAl Zimach. It foretold the coming of Him who should bear this name. The same Divine inspiration has, in the written Word, four times connected it with Him. There are twenty Hebrew words translated“Branch,”but only one of them (Tsemech) is used exclusively of the Messiah, and this word only four times.27Each of these further connects Him with one special account of Him, given in the Gospels.

(1.) Jer. xxiii. 5, 6—

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,That I will raise unto David a righteous BRANCH(i.e., a Son),And a KING shall reign and prosper.”

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,

That I will raise unto David a righteous BRANCH

(i.e., a Son),

And a KING shall reign and prosper.”

The account of His coming as King is written in the Gospel according to Matthew, where Jehovah says to Israel,“Behold thy KING.”(Zech. ix. 9; Matt. xxi. 9.)

(2.) Zech. iii. 8.—“Behold I will bring forth my SERVANT the BRANCH.”In the Gospel according to Mark we find the record of Jehovah's servant and His service, and we hear Jehovah's voice saying,“Behold my SERVANT.”(Isa. xlii. 1.)

(3.) Zech. vi. 12.—“Thus speaketh theLordof hosts, saying, Behold the MAN whose name is the[pg 033]BRANCH.”In the Gospel according to Luke we behold Him, presented in“the MAN Christ Jesus.”

(4.) Isa. iv. 2.—“In that day shall the BRANCH of JEHOVAH be beautiful and glorious.”So that this Branch, this Son, is Jehovah Himself; and as we read the record of John we hear the voice from heaven saying,“Behold your GOD.”(Isa. xl. 9.)

This is the Branch foretold by the starAl Zimachin the ear of corn.

The star β is calledZavijaveh, which meansthe gloriously beautiful, as in Isa. iv. 2. The star ε, in the arm bearing the branch, is calledAl Mureddin, which meanswho shall come down(as in Ps. lxxii. 8), orwho shall have dominion. It is also known asVindemiatrix, a Chaldee word which meansthe son, orbranch,who cometh.

Other names of stars in the sign, not identified, are—

Subilah, who carries. (Isa. xlvi. 4.)

Al Azal, the Branch. (As in Isa. xviii. 5.)

Subilon, a spike of corn. (As in Isa. xvii. 5.)

The Greeks, ignorant of the Divine origin and teaching of the sign, represented Virgo asCeres, with ears of corn in her hand.

In the Zodiac in the Temple of Denderah, in Egypt, about 2000b.c.(now in Paris), she is likewise represented with a branch in her hand, but ignorantly explained by a false religion to representIsis! Her name is calledAspolia, which meansears of corn, orthe seed, which shows that though the woman is seen, it is her Seed who is the great subject of the prophecy.

Passing to the three constellations anciently assigned to the sign Virgo, we come to what may be compared tothree sectionsof the chapter, each giving some further detail as to the interpretation of its teaching.

1. COMA (The Woman and Child).The Desired of all Nations.The first constellation in Virgo explains that this coming“Branch”will be a child, and that He should be the“Desire of all nations.”The ancient name of this constellation isComah,28the desired, orthe longed for. We have the word used by the Holy Spirit in this very connection, in Hag. ii. 7:“The DESIRE of all nations shall come.”Plate 2: Coma (the Desired)The ancient Zodiacs pictured this constellation as a woman with a child in her arms.Albumazar29(orAbu Masher), an Arabian astronomer of the eighth century, says,“There arises in the first Decan,30as the Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians, and the twoHermesandAscaliusteach,a young woman, whose Persian name denotes a pure virgin, sitting on a throne,nourishing an infant boy(the boy, I say), having a Hebrew name, by some nations called[pg 035]IHESU, with the signification IEZA, which in Greek is called CHRISTOS.”But this picture is not found in any of themodernmaps of the stars. There we find to-day a woman's wig! It appears thatBerenice, the wife ofEuergetes(PtolemyIII.), king of Egypt in the third centuryb.c., when her husband once went on a dangerous expedition, vowed to consecrate her fine head of hair to Venus if he returned in safety. Her hair, which was hung up in the Temple of Venus, was subsequently stolen, and to comfortBerenice,Conon, an astronomer of Alexandria (b.c.283-222), gave it out that Jupiter had taken it and made it a constellation!This is a good example of how the meaning of other constellations have been perverted (ignorantly or intentionally). In this case, as in others, the transition from ancient to more modern languages helped to hide the meaning. The Hebrew name wasComa(desired). But the Greeks had a word for hair,Có-me. This again is transferred to the Latincoma, and thus“Coma Berenicæ”(the hair of Berenice) comes down to us to-day as the name of this constellation, and gives us a woman's wig instead of that Blessed One,“the Desire of all Nations.”In this case, however, we are able to give absolute proof that this is a perversion.The ancient Egyptian name for this constellation wasShes-nu, the desired son!The Zodiac in the Temple of Denderah, in Egypt, going back at least 2,000 yearsb.c., has no trace of any hair, but it has the figure of a woman and child.[pg 036]In our illustration we have given a copy of this very ancient picture, and not the wig of hair!We have been permitted to trace it from a work onEgyptian Sceneryby the late eminent astronomer, Edward J. Cooper, of Markree Castle, co. Sligo, who visited that Temple in the year 1820 with an Italian artist, Signor Bossi. The original drawing from which our tracing is made (and enlarged) was drawn by Signor Bossi on the spot, before it was taken to Paris in 1821.31We thus have before us the exact representations of one of these star-pictures at least 4,000 years old.Even Shakespeare understood the truth about this constellation picture, which has been so long covered by modern inventions. In hisTitus Andronicus32he speaks of an arrow being shot up to heaven to the“Good boy in Virgo's lap.”The constellation itself is very remarkable. Others contain one or two stars of the first or second magnitude, and then a greater or less variety of lesser stars; but this is peculiar from having no one very bright star, but contains so many stars of the 4th and 5th magnitudes. It contains 43 stars altogether, ten being of the 4th magnitude, and the remainder of the 5th, 6th, etc.It was in all probability the constellation ofComain which“the Star of Bethlehem”appeared. There was a traditional prophecy, well-known in the East,[pg 037]carefully preserved and handed down, that a new star would appear in this sign when He whom it foretold should be born.This was, doubtless, referred to in the prophecy of Balaam, which would thus receive a double fulfilment, first of the literal“Star,”and also of the person to whom it referred. The Lord said by Balaam (Num. xxiv. 17),“There shall come33a star out of Jacob,And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.”Thomas Hyde, an eminent Orientalist (1636-1703), writing on the ancient religion of the Persians, quotes fromAbulfaragius(an Arab Christian Historian, 1226-1286), who says thatZoroaster, orZerdusht, the Persian, was a pupil of Daniel the Prophet, and that he predicted to the Magians (who were the astronomers of Persia), that when they should seea new starappear it would notify the birth of a mysterious child, whom they were to adore. It is further stated in theZend Avestathat this new star was to appear in the sign of the Virgin. Some have supposed that this passage is not genuine. But whether it was interpolated before or after the event, it is equally good evidence for our purpose here. For if it was writtenbeforethe event, it is evidence of theprophetic announcement; and if it was interpolatedafterthe event it is evidence of thehistoric fact.The Book of Job shows us how Astronomy flourished[pg 038]in Idumea; and the Gospel according to Matthew shows that the Persian Magi, as well as others, were looking for“the Desire of all nations.”New stars have appeared again and again. It was in 125b.c.that a star, so bright as to be seen in the day-time, suddenly appeared. It was this that causedHipparchusto draw up his catalogue of stars, which has been handed down to us byPtolemy(150a.d.).This new star would show thelatitude, passing at that time immediately overhead at midnight, every twenty-four hours; while the prophecy would give thelongitudeas the land of Jacob. Having these two factors, it would be only a matter of observation, and easy for the Magi to find the place where it would be vertical, and thus to locate the very spot of the birth of Him of whom it was the sign, for they emphatically called it“His Star.”There is a beautiful tradition which relates how, in their difficulty, on their way from Jerusalem to find the actual spot under theZenithof this star, these Magi sat down beside David's“Well of Bethlehem”to refresh themselves. There they saw the star reflected in the clear water of the well. Hence it is written that“when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding joy,”for they knew they were at the very spot and place of His appearing whence He was to“come forth.”There can be little doubt that it wasa new star. In the first place a new star is no unusual phenomenon. In the second place the tradition is well supported by[pg 039]ancient Christian writers. One speaks of its“surpassing brightness.”Another (Ignatius, Bp. of Antioch,a.d.69) says,“At the appearance of the Lord a star shone forth brighter than all the other stars.”Ignatius, doubtless, had this from those who had actually seen it!Prudentius(4th cent.a.d.) says that not even the morning star was so fair. Archbishop Trench, who quotes these authorities, says“This star, I conceive, as so many ancients and moderns have done, to have been a new star in the heavens.”One step more places this new star in the constellation ofComa, and with new force makes it indeed“His star”—the“Sign”of His“coming forth from Bethlehem.”Will it be“the sign of the Son of Man in heaven”(Matt. xxiv. 30) when He shall“come unto”this world again to complete the wondrous prophecies written of Him in the heavenly and earthly Revelations?34Thus does the constellation ofComareveal that the coming“Seed of the woman”was to be a child born, a son given.But He was to be more: He was to be God and[pg 040]man—two natures in one person! This is the lesson of the next picture.

The Desired of all Nations.

The first constellation in Virgo explains that this coming“Branch”will be a child, and that He should be the“Desire of all nations.”

The ancient name of this constellation isComah,28the desired, orthe longed for. We have the word used by the Holy Spirit in this very connection, in Hag. ii. 7:“The DESIRE of all nations shall come.”

Plate 2: Coma (the Desired)

The ancient Zodiacs pictured this constellation as a woman with a child in her arms.Albumazar29(orAbu Masher), an Arabian astronomer of the eighth century, says,“There arises in the first Decan,30as the Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians, and the twoHermesandAscaliusteach,a young woman, whose Persian name denotes a pure virgin, sitting on a throne,nourishing an infant boy(the boy, I say), having a Hebrew name, by some nations called[pg 035]IHESU, with the signification IEZA, which in Greek is called CHRISTOS.”

But this picture is not found in any of themodernmaps of the stars. There we find to-day a woman's wig! It appears thatBerenice, the wife ofEuergetes(PtolemyIII.), king of Egypt in the third centuryb.c., when her husband once went on a dangerous expedition, vowed to consecrate her fine head of hair to Venus if he returned in safety. Her hair, which was hung up in the Temple of Venus, was subsequently stolen, and to comfortBerenice,Conon, an astronomer of Alexandria (b.c.283-222), gave it out that Jupiter had taken it and made it a constellation!

This is a good example of how the meaning of other constellations have been perverted (ignorantly or intentionally). In this case, as in others, the transition from ancient to more modern languages helped to hide the meaning. The Hebrew name wasComa(desired). But the Greeks had a word for hair,Có-me. This again is transferred to the Latincoma, and thus“Coma Berenicæ”(the hair of Berenice) comes down to us to-day as the name of this constellation, and gives us a woman's wig instead of that Blessed One,“the Desire of all Nations.”

In this case, however, we are able to give absolute proof that this is a perversion.

The ancient Egyptian name for this constellation wasShes-nu, the desired son!

The Zodiac in the Temple of Denderah, in Egypt, going back at least 2,000 yearsb.c., has no trace of any hair, but it has the figure of a woman and child.[pg 036]In our illustration we have given a copy of this very ancient picture, and not the wig of hair!

We have been permitted to trace it from a work onEgyptian Sceneryby the late eminent astronomer, Edward J. Cooper, of Markree Castle, co. Sligo, who visited that Temple in the year 1820 with an Italian artist, Signor Bossi. The original drawing from which our tracing is made (and enlarged) was drawn by Signor Bossi on the spot, before it was taken to Paris in 1821.31We thus have before us the exact representations of one of these star-pictures at least 4,000 years old.

Even Shakespeare understood the truth about this constellation picture, which has been so long covered by modern inventions. In hisTitus Andronicus32he speaks of an arrow being shot up to heaven to the“Good boy in Virgo's lap.”

The constellation itself is very remarkable. Others contain one or two stars of the first or second magnitude, and then a greater or less variety of lesser stars; but this is peculiar from having no one very bright star, but contains so many stars of the 4th and 5th magnitudes. It contains 43 stars altogether, ten being of the 4th magnitude, and the remainder of the 5th, 6th, etc.

It was in all probability the constellation ofComain which“the Star of Bethlehem”appeared. There was a traditional prophecy, well-known in the East,[pg 037]carefully preserved and handed down, that a new star would appear in this sign when He whom it foretold should be born.

This was, doubtless, referred to in the prophecy of Balaam, which would thus receive a double fulfilment, first of the literal“Star,”and also of the person to whom it referred. The Lord said by Balaam (Num. xxiv. 17),

“There shall come33a star out of Jacob,And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.”

“There shall come33a star out of Jacob,

And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.”

Thomas Hyde, an eminent Orientalist (1636-1703), writing on the ancient religion of the Persians, quotes fromAbulfaragius(an Arab Christian Historian, 1226-1286), who says thatZoroaster, orZerdusht, the Persian, was a pupil of Daniel the Prophet, and that he predicted to the Magians (who were the astronomers of Persia), that when they should seea new starappear it would notify the birth of a mysterious child, whom they were to adore. It is further stated in theZend Avestathat this new star was to appear in the sign of the Virgin. Some have supposed that this passage is not genuine. But whether it was interpolated before or after the event, it is equally good evidence for our purpose here. For if it was writtenbeforethe event, it is evidence of theprophetic announcement; and if it was interpolatedafterthe event it is evidence of thehistoric fact.

The Book of Job shows us how Astronomy flourished[pg 038]in Idumea; and the Gospel according to Matthew shows that the Persian Magi, as well as others, were looking for“the Desire of all nations.”

New stars have appeared again and again. It was in 125b.c.that a star, so bright as to be seen in the day-time, suddenly appeared. It was this that causedHipparchusto draw up his catalogue of stars, which has been handed down to us byPtolemy(150a.d.).

This new star would show thelatitude, passing at that time immediately overhead at midnight, every twenty-four hours; while the prophecy would give thelongitudeas the land of Jacob. Having these two factors, it would be only a matter of observation, and easy for the Magi to find the place where it would be vertical, and thus to locate the very spot of the birth of Him of whom it was the sign, for they emphatically called it“His Star.”There is a beautiful tradition which relates how, in their difficulty, on their way from Jerusalem to find the actual spot under theZenithof this star, these Magi sat down beside David's“Well of Bethlehem”to refresh themselves. There they saw the star reflected in the clear water of the well. Hence it is written that“when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding joy,”for they knew they were at the very spot and place of His appearing whence He was to“come forth.”

There can be little doubt that it wasa new star. In the first place a new star is no unusual phenomenon. In the second place the tradition is well supported by[pg 039]ancient Christian writers. One speaks of its“surpassing brightness.”Another (Ignatius, Bp. of Antioch,a.d.69) says,“At the appearance of the Lord a star shone forth brighter than all the other stars.”Ignatius, doubtless, had this from those who had actually seen it!Prudentius(4th cent.a.d.) says that not even the morning star was so fair. Archbishop Trench, who quotes these authorities, says“This star, I conceive, as so many ancients and moderns have done, to have been a new star in the heavens.”

One step more places this new star in the constellation ofComa, and with new force makes it indeed“His star”—the“Sign”of His“coming forth from Bethlehem.”Will it be“the sign of the Son of Man in heaven”(Matt. xxiv. 30) when He shall“come unto”this world again to complete the wondrous prophecies written of Him in the heavenly and earthly Revelations?34

Thus does the constellation ofComareveal that the coming“Seed of the woman”was to be a child born, a son given.

But He was to be more: He was to be God and[pg 040]man—two natures in one person! This is the lesson of the next picture.

2. CENTAURUS (The Centaur).The Despised Sin-offering.It is the figure of a being with two natures. Jamieson, in hisCelestial Atlas, 1822, says,“On the authority of the most accomplished Orientalist of our own times, the Arabic and Chaldaic name of this constellation is בזה.”Now this Hebrew wordBezeh(and the ArabicAl Beze) meansthe despised. It is the very word used of this Divine sufferer in Isa. liii. 3,“He isdespised(נִבְזֶה) and rejected of men.”Plate 3: Centaurus (the Centaur)The constellation contains thirty-five stars. Two of the 1st magnitude, one of the 2nd, six of the 3rd, nine of the 4th, etc., which, together with the four bright stars in the Cross make a brilliant show in southern latitudes.The brightest star, α (in the horse's fore-foot), has come down to us with the ancient name ofToliman, which meansthe heretofore and hereafter, marking Him as the one“which is, and which was, and which is to come—the Almighty”(Rev. i. 8). Sir John Herschell observed this star to be growing rapidly brighter. It may be, therefore, one of the changeable stars, and its name may be taken as an indication of the fact that it was known to the ancients.Another name for the constellation was in Hebrew,Asmeath, which means asin-offering(as in Isa. liii. 10).[pg 041]The Greek name wasCheiron, which meansthe pierced, orwho pierces. In the Greek fablesCheironwas renowned for his skill in hunting, medicine, music, athletics, and prophecy. All the most distinguished heroes of Greece are described as his pupils. He was supposed to be immortal, but he voluntarily agreed to die; and, wounded by a poisoned arrow (not intended for him) while in conflict with a wild boar, he transferred his immortality to Prometheus; whereupon he was placed amongst the stars.We can easily see how this fable is the ignorant perversion of the primitive Revelation. The true tradition can be seen dimly through it, and we can discern Him of whom it spoke,—the all-wise, all-powerful Teacher and Prophet, who“went about doing good,”yet“despised and rejected of men,”laying down His life that others might live.It is one of the lowest of the constellations,i.e.the farthest south from the northern centre. It is situated immediately over the Cross, which bespeaks His own death; He is seen in the act of destroying the enemy.Thus these star-pictures tell us that it would be as achildthat thePromised Seedshould come forth and grow and wax strong in spirit and be filled with wisdom (Luke ii. 40); and that as a man having two natures He should suffer and die. Then the third and last section in this first chapter of this First Book goes on to tell of His second coming in glory.

The Despised Sin-offering.

It is the figure of a being with two natures. Jamieson, in hisCelestial Atlas, 1822, says,“On the authority of the most accomplished Orientalist of our own times, the Arabic and Chaldaic name of this constellation is בזה.”Now this Hebrew wordBezeh(and the ArabicAl Beze) meansthe despised. It is the very word used of this Divine sufferer in Isa. liii. 3,“He isdespised(נִבְזֶה) and rejected of men.”

Plate 3: Centaurus (the Centaur)

The constellation contains thirty-five stars. Two of the 1st magnitude, one of the 2nd, six of the 3rd, nine of the 4th, etc., which, together with the four bright stars in the Cross make a brilliant show in southern latitudes.

The brightest star, α (in the horse's fore-foot), has come down to us with the ancient name ofToliman, which meansthe heretofore and hereafter, marking Him as the one“which is, and which was, and which is to come—the Almighty”(Rev. i. 8). Sir John Herschell observed this star to be growing rapidly brighter. It may be, therefore, one of the changeable stars, and its name may be taken as an indication of the fact that it was known to the ancients.

Another name for the constellation was in Hebrew,Asmeath, which means asin-offering(as in Isa. liii. 10).

The Greek name wasCheiron, which meansthe pierced, orwho pierces. In the Greek fablesCheironwas renowned for his skill in hunting, medicine, music, athletics, and prophecy. All the most distinguished heroes of Greece are described as his pupils. He was supposed to be immortal, but he voluntarily agreed to die; and, wounded by a poisoned arrow (not intended for him) while in conflict with a wild boar, he transferred his immortality to Prometheus; whereupon he was placed amongst the stars.

We can easily see how this fable is the ignorant perversion of the primitive Revelation. The true tradition can be seen dimly through it, and we can discern Him of whom it spoke,—the all-wise, all-powerful Teacher and Prophet, who“went about doing good,”yet“despised and rejected of men,”laying down His life that others might live.

It is one of the lowest of the constellations,i.e.the farthest south from the northern centre. It is situated immediately over the Cross, which bespeaks His own death; He is seen in the act of destroying the enemy.

Thus these star-pictures tell us that it would be as achildthat thePromised Seedshould come forth and grow and wax strong in spirit and be filled with wisdom (Luke ii. 40); and that as a man having two natures He should suffer and die. Then the third and last section in this first chapter of this First Book goes on to tell of His second coming in glory.

3. BOÖTES (The Coming One).He cometh.This constellation still further develops this wondrous personage.He is pictured as a man walking rapidly, with a spear in his right hand and a sickle in his left hand.Plate 4: Boötes (the Coming One)The Greeks called himBo-ö-tes, which is from the Hebrew rootBo(בּוֹא,to come), meaningthe coming. It is referred to in Ps. xcvi. 13:—“For He cometh,For He cometh to judge the earth;He shall judge the world in righteousness,And the people with His truth.”It it probable that his ancient name wasArcturus35(as referred to in Job ix. 9), for this is the name of the brightest star, α (in the left knee).ArcturusmeansHe cometh.36The ancient Egyptians called himSmat, which meansone who rules,subdues, andgoverns. They also called himBau(a reminiscence of the more ancientBo), which means alsothe coming one.[pg 043]The star μ (in the spear-head) is namedAl Katurops, which meansthe branch,treading under foot.The star ε (just below the waist on his right side) is calledMirac, orMizar, orIzar.Miracmeansthe coming forth as an arrow;Mizar, orIzar, meansthe preserver,guarding.The star η is calledMuphride,i.e.who separates.The star β (in the head) is namedNekkar,i.e.the pierced(Zech. xii. 10), which tells us that this coming judge is the One who was pierced. Another Hebrew name isMerga,who bruises.37This brings us back again to Gen. iii. 15, and closes up this first chapter of the First Book (Virgo). It shows us thePersonof the Promised Seed from the beginning to the end, from the first promise of the birth of the Child in Bethlehem, to the final coming[pg 044]of the great Judge and Harvester to reap the harvest of the earth. This was the vision which was afterwards shown to John (Rev. xiv. 15, 16), when he says,“I looked; and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”This is the conclusion of thefirst chapterof this First Book. Here we see the woman whose Seed is to bruise the serpent's head, the Virgin-Born, the Branch of Jehovah, perfect man and perfect God, Immanuel,“God with us,”yet despised and rejected of men, and yielding up His life that others may have life for evermore. But we see Him coming afterwards in triumphant power to judge the earth.This is only one chapter of this First Book, but it contains theoutlineof the whole volume, complete in itself, so far as it regards the Person of the Coming One. Like the Book of Genesis, it is the seed-plot which contains the whole, all the rest being merely the development of the many grand details which are included and shut up within it. It is only one chapter out of twelve, but it distinctly foreshadows the end—even“the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow.”

He cometh.

This constellation still further develops this wondrous personage.

He is pictured as a man walking rapidly, with a spear in his right hand and a sickle in his left hand.

Plate 4: Boötes (the Coming One)

The Greeks called himBo-ö-tes, which is from the Hebrew rootBo(בּוֹא,to come), meaningthe coming. It is referred to in Ps. xcvi. 13:—

“For He cometh,For He cometh to judge the earth;He shall judge the world in righteousness,And the people with His truth.”

“For He cometh,

For He cometh to judge the earth;

He shall judge the world in righteousness,

And the people with His truth.”

It it probable that his ancient name wasArcturus35(as referred to in Job ix. 9), for this is the name of the brightest star, α (in the left knee).ArcturusmeansHe cometh.36

The ancient Egyptians called himSmat, which meansone who rules,subdues, andgoverns. They also called himBau(a reminiscence of the more ancientBo), which means alsothe coming one.

The star μ (in the spear-head) is namedAl Katurops, which meansthe branch,treading under foot.

The star ε (just below the waist on his right side) is calledMirac, orMizar, orIzar.Miracmeansthe coming forth as an arrow;Mizar, orIzar, meansthe preserver,guarding.

The star η is calledMuphride,i.e.who separates.

The star β (in the head) is namedNekkar,i.e.the pierced(Zech. xii. 10), which tells us that this coming judge is the One who was pierced. Another Hebrew name isMerga,who bruises.37

This brings us back again to Gen. iii. 15, and closes up this first chapter of the First Book (Virgo). It shows us thePersonof the Promised Seed from the beginning to the end, from the first promise of the birth of the Child in Bethlehem, to the final coming[pg 044]of the great Judge and Harvester to reap the harvest of the earth. This was the vision which was afterwards shown to John (Rev. xiv. 15, 16), when he says,“I looked; and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”

This is the conclusion of thefirst chapterof this First Book. Here we see the woman whose Seed is to bruise the serpent's head, the Virgin-Born, the Branch of Jehovah, perfect man and perfect God, Immanuel,“God with us,”yet despised and rejected of men, and yielding up His life that others may have life for evermore. But we see Him coming afterwards in triumphant power to judge the earth.

This is only one chapter of this First Book, but it contains theoutlineof the whole volume, complete in itself, so far as it regards the Person of the Coming One. Like the Book of Genesis, it is the seed-plot which contains the whole, all the rest being merely the development of the many grand details which are included and shut up within it. It is only one chapter out of twelve, but it distinctly foreshadows the end—even“the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow.”

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