September 23, 2017- Doomsday
September 23, 2017- Doomsday
By J.L. Robb
Here we go again.
If you have yet to hear the rumors of what is happening this date, get ready. It is our latest “sign in the heavens” phenom and may be bigger than the Blood Moons bust.
A nice lady in New Jersey who proofs my books sent me a link to the September 23 story, asking if I knew anything about it and what did I think?
I had seen a few articles pop up on the internet about this date but paid little attention. By the time I went through the Jupiter Effect in the ‘80s, the Harold Camping prophecies of The End on May 21, 2011 and then his next prophecy for The End on October 21 when the May 21 date did not work out, I was pretty disappointed in the accuracy. Bible prophecy comes true; man prophecy does not.
Then there was the Blood Moon Tetrad that was surely a sign in the heavens; only the moons were not blood-red but orange and had happened numerous times in the past. Lots of books were written and money made, but it was a stretch.
Those of us with an interest in the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled sometimes have a tendency to make stuff happen to help the fulfillment along a bit. We have been looking for signs in the sky, hoping to be a part. We should be careful what we hope for.
There are numerous verses in the Bible pertaining to “signs” that God will send mankind in the last days. This should be no surprise since God has often used signs throughout history, but the signs in the last days will be different. There will be no question.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” Luke 21:25 NIV
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Genesis 9:12-13 NIV
These two examples refer to signs provided by sun, moon and stars and a sign provided as a rainbow, the first time it is mentioned in human history. Remember that there were no telescopes or any visual aids to enhance the images of the sun, moon and stars; but the night sky was clear, even in the city. There was little light pollution to block the heavens from view.
According to reports, there will be yet another special alignment of the stars and planets, indicating that something big is about to happen on September 23 of this year. There is even a web page that keeps you abreast of the countdown. The gist of the new prediction is that it will fulfill the great sign of Revelation 12.
The Jupiter Effect, written in 1974 by John Gribbin and Stephen Plagemann, detailed a future alignment of all the planets on one side of the sun. This planetary alignment would basically warp the solar system, causing great distress to Earth and the other planets; and the event was to happen in 1982, only it didn’t. Like Harold Camping, Gribbin made an adjustment and revised The Jupiter Effect, claiming it happened in 1980 and was the cause of the Mt. St. Helen’s eruption. Only problem with the revision, the planets were not aligned in 1980. In 1999, Gribbin admitted in another book that his predictions had been wrong.
The alignment of stars, moon and planets this coming September 23 appears to fulfill the prophecy in Revelation 12, at least at first glance:
“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” Revelation 12:1 NIV
According to another website, this event could be September 23 because of a very unusual alignment in the heavens, a sign.
The sign of Revelation 12 has many details that are common, but uncommon when all put together. The first part of the sign is the woman clothed with the sun. This happens every year, but it narrows the time down to one month around the autumnal equinox. That woman is represented by Virgo–the virgin. She is clothed by the sun from mid-September to early October. September 23, 2017 meets these requirements.
The next requirement is that the moon must be under the feet of Virgo. With the sun in Virgo and her feet to the east, the moon must be a few days past new moon. Since the Hebrew Calendar is lunar and the Feast of Trumpets (September 21, 2017) is on the new moon, September 23-25 places the moon in the correct position. This happens every year on the Hebrew Calendar as long as the new moon did not occur too early or too late in relation to the equinox, which would put the sun too high or low in Virgo. Here it is perfect. The requirement of the moon and sun narrows it down to a few days of the year. The rest of the parts of the sign must then coincide with this time if we are able to observe this sign.
On September 23, 2017 there are four planets in the vicinity that complete the sign and its ultimate uniqueness. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter play their parts. Above the head of Virgo is the constellation Leo. In Leo at this time there will be Mars, Venus, and Mercury. With Leo being a constellation of nine principle stars, the three wandering stars make it twelve at this time. Thus the garland of twelve stars is upon the woman. For three planets to be in Leo at this time with all of the other preconditions makes this rare. Combined with the final piece of the picture below is what makes this sign difficult of not nearly impossible to replicate anywhere close to the time in which we live. How rare? A search 150 years before and 150 years after September 23, 2017 produced no results.
I must admit that this rendition is nothing I really considered, that the signs would have anything to do with astrology. Why would God give us an astrological sign when He made astrology a sin, and it was a serious sin? It came with a death penalty.
If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant, and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky, and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NIV
Additionally, the Israelites were told not to study the Zodiac; so how would they know to look for signs in the signs? In this case, the signs would be in the future, and now astrology is in many homes and newspapers. Bookstores are full of astrology books.
If this alignment is indeed a sign, who would see it? Not those of us who live where there are city lights or Walmarts. Most folk would not have a clue where to even look in the night sky to find Leo and Virgo.
My guess is this: Another false sign, like the orange Blood Moons, that will make eschatology look foolish.
When the signs pertaining to the Last Days occur, we will not need to scratch our heads and ask: Is that a sign? We will know.
We do not have to make it happen.