Chapter 2 | Table of Contents |
Chapter
4
The Witness of the Stars
E. W. Bullinger
The First Book The
Redeemer (His First Coming) "The sufferings of Christ"
Chapter III The Sign Scorpio The Redeemer's conflict
9. Scorpio (the
Scorpion)
We come now right into the heart of the
conflict. The star-picture brings before us a gigantic scorpion
endeavouring to sting in the heel a mighty man who is struggling with a
serpent, but is crushed by the man, who has his foot placed right on the
scorpion's heart.
The Hebrew name is Akrab, which is
the name of a scorpion, but also means the conflict, or war.
It is this that is referred to in Psalm 91:13--
"Thou shalt tread upon the
lion and adder. The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under
feet."
David uses the very word in Psalm 144:1,
where he blesses God for teaching his hands to war.
The Coptic name is Isidis, which
means the attack of the enemy, or oppression: referring to
"the wicked that oppress me, my deadly enemies who compass me about" (Psa
17:9).
The Arabic name is Al Akrab, which
means wounding him that cometh.
There are 44 stars altogether in this
sign. One is of the 1st magnitude, one of the 2nd, eleven of the 3rd,
eight of the 4th, etc.
The brightest star, a (in the
heart), bears the ancient Arabic name of Antares, which means
the wounding. It is called by the Latins Cor Scorpii,
because it marks the scorpion's heart. It shines ominously with a deep red
light. The sting is called in Hebrew Lesath (Chaldee,
Lesha), which means the perverse. The stars in the tail are
also known as Leshaa, or Leshat. (Antares seems also
to have been known as Lesath).
The scorpion is a deadly enemy (as we
learn from Revelation 9), with poison in its sting, and all the names
associated with the sign combine to set forth the malignant enmity which
is "set" between the serpent and the woman's Seed.
That enmity is shown more fully in the
written Word, where we see the attempt of the enemy (in Exodus 1) to
destroy every male of the seed of Abraham, and how it was defeated.
We see his effort repeated when he used
Athaliah to destroy "all the seed royal" (2 Kings 11), and how "the king's
son" was rescued "from among" the slain.
We see his hand again instigating Haman,
"the Jews' enemy," to compass the destruction of the whole nation, but
defeated in his designs.
When the woman's Seed, the virgin's Son,
was born, we are shown the same great enemy inciting Herod to slay all the
babes in Bethlehem (Matt 2), but again he is defeated.
In the wilderness of Judea, and in the
Garden of Gethsemane the great conflict is renewed. "This is your hour and
the power of darkness," He said to His enemies.
The real wounding in the heel was received
at the Cross. It was there the scorpion struck the woman's seed. He died,
but was raised again from the dead "to destroy the works of the devil."
To show us this; to prevent any mistake;
to set forth the fact that this conflict only apparently ended in
defeat, and that it did not really so end, we have the first two
constellations belonging to this sign presented in one picture!
Indeed, the picture is threefold, for it includes the sign itself!
If these pictures had been separated, then
the conflict would have been separated from the victory; the deadly wound
of the serpent's head from the temporary wound in the Victor's heel.
Hence, three pictures are required, in which the scorpion,
the serpent, and the man, are all involved, in order to
present at the same time the triumphant issue of the conflict.
Hence, we must present, and consider
together, the first two sections of this mysterious chapter.
1. and 2. SERPENS and OPHIUCHUS The struggle
with the enemy
10. Serpens (the
Serpent) Ophiuchus (the Serpent Holder)
Here, Serpens, the serpent, is seen
struggling vainly in the powerful grasp of the man who is named
O-phi-u-chus. In Latin he is called Serpentarius. He is at one and
the same moment shown to be seizing the serpent with his two hands, and
treading on the very heart of the scorpion, marked by the deep red star
Antares (wounding).
Just as we read the first constellation of
the woman and child Coma, as expounding the first sign VIRGO, so we
have to read this first constellation as expounding the second sign LIBRA.
Hence, we have here a further picture, showing the object of this conflict
on the part of the scorpion.
In Scorpio we see merely the effort to
wound Ophiuchus in the heel; but here we see the effort of the
serpent to seize THE CROWN, which is situated immediately over the
serpent's head, and to which he is looking up and reaching forth.
The contest is for Dominion! It was the
Devil, in the form of a serpent, that robbed the first man of his crown;
but in vain he struggled to wrest it from the sure possession of the
Second Man. Not only does he fail in the attempt, but is himself utterly
defeated and trodden under foot.
There are no less than 134 stars in these
two constellations. Two are of the 2nd magnitude, fourteen of the 3rd,
thirteen of the 4th, etc.
The brightest star in the Serpent,
a (in the neck), is named Unuk, which means
encompassing. another Hebrew name is Alyah, the accursed.
From this is Al Hay (Arabic), the reptile. The next
brightest star is b (in the jaw), named, in Arabic, Cheleb,
or Chelbalrai, the serpent enfolding. The Greek name,
Ophiuchus, is itself from the Hebrew and Arabic name
Afeichus, which means the serpent held. The brightest star
in Ophiuchus, a (in the head), is called Ras al Hagus
(Arabic), the head of him who holds.
Other Hebrew names of stars, not
identified, are Triophas, treading under foot; Saiph (in the foot *
of Ophiuchus), bruised; Carnebus, the wounding; Megeros,
contending. ** In the Zodiac of Denderah we have a throned human
figure, called Api-bau, the chief who cometh. He has a hawk's head
to show that he is the enemy of the serpent, which is called Khu,
and means ruled or enemy.
* In 1604 a new star
appeared in the eastern foot of Ophiuchus, but disappeared again in
1605.
** There is an ancient Greek fable which calls Ophiuchus
Aesculapius, the son of Apollo. Having restored Hippolytus to life, he
was everywhere worshipped as the god of health, and hence the serpent
entwined around him is, to this day, the symbol of the medical art!
This, however, is, doubtless, another perversion of the primitive truth
that the Coming One in overcoming the serpent, should become the great
healer of all the sorrows of the world, and cause all its groanings to
cease.
All these combine to set before us in
detail the nature of the conflict and its final issue. That final issue
is, however, exhibited by the last of the three constellations of this
chapter. The Victor Himself requires a whole picture to fully set forth
the glorious victory. This brings us to--
3. HERCULES (The Mighty One) The mighty
vanquisher
11. Hercules (the Mighty
One)
Here the mighty one, who occupies a large
portion of the heavens, is seen bending on one knee, with his right heel
lifted up as if it had been wounded, while his left foot is set directly
over the head of the great dragon. In his right hand he wields a great
club, and in his left hand he grasps a triple-headed monster
(Cerberus). And he has the skin of a lion, which he has slain,
thrown around him. *
* Cerberus, or the serpent with three heads, was
placed by Hevelius (1611-1687) by the side of Hercules. Bayer had
previously placed the apple branch in his hand. This was symbolical of
the golden apples of Hesperides, which he obtained by killing
this three-headed hydra, by whom they were guarded. In our
picture these are combined, and a bow and quiver added from other
ancient authorities.
In the Zodiac of Denderah we have a human
figure, likewise with a club. His name is Bau, which means who
cometh, and is evidently intended for Him who cometh to crush the
serpent's head, and "destroy the works of the devil."
In Arabic he is called Al Giscale, the
strong one.
There are 113 stars in this constellation.
Seven are of the 3rd magnitude, seventeen of the 4th, etc.
The brightest star, a (in his
head), is named Ras al Gethi, and means the head of him who
bruises.
The next, b (in the right arm-pit,
is named Kornephorus, and means the branch, kneeling.
The star k (in the right elbow) is
called Marsic, the wounding.
The star l (in the upper part of
the left arm) is named Ma'asyn, the sin-offering.
While w (in the lower part of the
right arm) is Caiam, or Guiam, punishing; and in Arabic,
treading under foot.
Thus does everything in the picture
combine to set forth the mighty works of this stronger than the strong man
armed!
We can easily see how the perversion of
the truth by the Greeks came about, and how, when the true foreshadowings
of this Mighty One had been lost, the many fables were invented to supply
their place. The wiser sort of Greeks knew this perfectly well. ARISTOTLE
(in his Metaphysics, x. 8) admits, with regard to Greek mythology,
that religion and philosophy had been lost, and that much had been "added
after the mythical style," while much had come down, and "may have been
preserved to our times as the remains of ancient wisdom." Religion, such
as it was (POLYBIUS confesses), was recognised as a "necessary means to
political ends." NEANDER says that it was "the fragments of a tradition,
which transmitted the knowledge of divine things possessed in the earliest
times."
ARATUS shows the same uncertainty as to
the meaning of this constellation of Hercules. He says:
"Near this, and like a
toiling man, revolves A form. Of it can no one clearly speak, Nor
what he labours at. They call him simply 'The man upon his knees': In
desperate struggle Like one who sinks, he seems. From both his
shoulders His arms are high-uplifted and out-stretched As far as
he can reach; and his right foot Is planted on the coiled Dragon's
head."
Ancient authorities differ as to the
personality of Hercules, and they disagree as to the number, nature, and
order of what are sometimes called "the twelve labours of Hercules." But
there is no doubt as to the mighty foretold works which the woman's Seed
should perform.
From first to last Hercules is seen
engaged in destroying some malignant foe: now it is the Nemean lion; then
it is the slaying of the boar of Erymanthus; again, it is the conquest of
the bull of Crete; then the killing of the three-headed hydra, by whose
venom Hercules afterwards died. In the belly of the sea monster he is said
to have remained "three days and three nights." This was, doubtless a
perversion of the type of Jonah, introduced by LYCOPHRON, who (living at
the court of PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS, under whose auspices the Hebrew
Scriptures were translated into Greek) would have known of that Divine
miracle, and of its applicaiton to the Coming One. Bishop Horsley believed
that the fables of the Greek mythology could be traced back to the
prophecies of the Messiah, of which they were a perversion from ignorance
or design. This is specially true of Hercules. In his apparently
impossible tasks of overthrowing gigantic enemies and delivering captives,
we can see through the shadow, and discern the pure light of the truth. We
can understand how the original star-picture must have been a prophetic
representation of Him who shall destroy the Old Serpent and open the way
again, not to fabled "apples of gold," but to the "tree of life" itself.
He it is who though suffering in the mighty conflict, and brought to His
knee, going down even to "the dust of death," shall yet, in resurrection
and advent glory, wield His victorious club, subdue all His enemies, and
plant His foot on the Dragon's head. For of Him it is written--
"Thou shalt tread upon the
lion and adder; The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under
foot." Psalm 91:13
"Come, Lord and burst the
captives' chains, And set the prisoners free; Come, cleanse this
earth from all its stains, And make it meet for Thee!
Oh, come and end Creation's
groans-- Its sighs, its tears, its blood, And make this blighted
world again The dwelling-place of God."
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Chapter
4
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