September 23 2017 astronomy event

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

ColumbiaNX01

Red blooded white American male
Joined
Oct 30, 2009
Messages
1,755
Reaction score
21
Location
Somewhere
This is gonna be interesting. What do all the astronomy people think? I guess this event has not occured in about 6,000 years?
 
I had to Google this to find out.

For those that are curious, apparently there's a "rare" occurrence of the Sun, Moon, and three planets to be all within the constellation Virgo and this is being taken as something mentioned in the bible.

Someone mentioned in the article I read about it, and I have to agree, that if god did really want to give a sign wouldn't he make it something more clear to see by the masses? With the Sun being involved you won't be able to see the constellation and planets so you can only really tell what's going on by looking at a star chart or computer screen.

Reaching for meaning where there is none I think.
 
from an astronomy standpoint has this happened before? As time gets closer can you see this through a telescope in your backyard if your away from city lights?
 
You have to remember...
The bible is a collection of tales.
When it was written;
Before Science and the understanding of it, simple things explained today were considered biblical: Even punishment for one reason or another.
This planet was seeded. Either directly or by Genetic Manipulation.
Humans are the only animal on this planet that don't fit.
The sun causes eye damage and cancer for a couple examples.
Our so called ancestors were much more suited for this planet.
Why do you think there is a missing link between them?
And why does it seam over night, in geological time, we suddenly grew large brains and reasoning.
RIB is 100% spot on.
That which is not understood, must be means of some higher power.
So we conger up what ever suits our needs to sooth the mind.
 
Yea you are right. They did not know science. But what I find is there are things in the good book that explain the events that are taking place in the sky on September 23rd all before science.

I would like to see it in the sky.
 
Last edited:
Yea you are right. They did not know science. But what I find is there are things in the good book that explain the events that are taking place in the sky on September 23rd all before science.
With some imagination I suppose it could possibly point to that event.

I would like to see it in the sky.
All you'll see is the sun.
 
At the risk of this turning into a religious discussion, which I am trying to avoid, let me say that Bible uses apocalyptic language when describing earthly events. For instance, in Genesis 1, when God creates the sun and moon, it says that the sun is to "rule over" the day, and the moon is to "rule over" the night.

When ancient kingdoms fell (like Babylon, Assyria, etc.), the events of those wars are often described as "the moon shall turn to blood, and the sun shall not give up its light, and the stars shall fall to the earth." This was the language of the day, and the power of it stresses the cataclysmic nature of the upheaval of a kingdom.

I personally do not believe that any astronomical sign in the Bible is intended to be taken literally. Obviously, the moon never turned to blood, the sun never stopped shining, and stars cannot fall to the earth (they're too big).

People who read the Bible and take these things literally are imposing their 21st century, western way of thinking onto the text. Ancient middle-eastern language were very metaphorical. For instance, the Psalms frequently call God a rock, or picture him as a bird sheltering people under his wings, or stretching out his arm, or breathing in the prayers of his people, etc. Only later, in the New Testament, which was written in Greek, do we get more straightforward, western ways of thinking.

The scripture referenced in the article, "A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth … She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod," has already happened. This is the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, giving birth to the Messiah. Israel had 12 patriarchs (12 stars), and was described as the bride of God. Being "clothed with the sun," and having "the moon under her feet" was just a way of establishing Israel's tremendous significance in God's plan to redeem the world. The male child, destined to rule the world, is Jesus Christ. And all this happened 2000 years ago, give or take.

September 23, 2017 will come and go, and will be an average day with no theological significance. On September 24, if the world is still here, you can come back and tell me I was right. :wink:
 
...
September 23, 2017 will come and go, and will be an average day with no theological significance. On September 24, if the world is still here, you can come back and tell me I was right. :wink:

Well said. That's the problem with taking metaphorical language and trying to apply literal meaning - regardless of source.

If I tell my son that if he stays in the bath too long that he'll "turn into a raisin", we both understand I'm not being literal.

Rocketry-related: My rockets do not literally punch a hole in the sky. Trees do not actually eat rockets.
 
the moon shall turn to blood, and the sun shall not give up its light, and the stars shall fall to the earth....ever see a lunar eclipse. a solar eclipse or a meteor shower? Sometimes poetic language is a subtle way of describing reality, especially in a time where the science was unknown.
 
Response reconsidered.

This discussion doesn't belong here.
 
Last edited:
On September 15, 2017 NASA will change the orbit of Cassini to enter the atmosphere of Saturn and crash onto it.
Ending it's over decade long missing of exploring Saturn, it's moons, and landing Huygens lander on Titan.
I know this will happen in September...
 
At the risk of this turning into a religious discussion, which I am trying to avoid, let me say that Bible uses apocalyptic language when describing earthly events. For instance, in Genesis 1, when God creates the sun and moon, it says that the sun is to "rule over" the day, and the moon is to "rule over" the night.

When ancient kingdoms fell (like Babylon, Assyria, etc.), the events of those wars are often described as "the moon shall turn to blood, and the sun shall not give up its light, and the stars shall fall to the earth." This was the language of the day, and the power of it stresses the cataclysmic nature of the upheaval of a kingdom.

I personally do not believe that any astronomical sign in the Bible is intended to be taken literally. Obviously, the moon never turned to blood, the sun never stopped shining, and stars cannot fall to the earth (they're too big).

People who read the Bible and take these things literally are imposing their 21st century, western way of thinking onto the text. Ancient middle-eastern language were very metaphorical. For instance, the Psalms frequently call God a rock, or picture him as a bird sheltering people under his wings, or stretching out his arm, or breathing in the prayers of his people, etc. Only later, in the New Testament, which was written in Greek, do we get more straightforward, western ways of thinking.

The scripture referenced in the article, "A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth … She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod," has already happened. This is the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, giving birth to the Messiah. Israel had 12 patriarchs (12 stars), and was described as the bride of God. Being "clothed with the sun," and having "the moon under her feet" was just a way of establishing Israel's tremendous significance in God's plan to redeem the world. The male child, destined to rule the world, is Jesus Christ. And all this happened 2000 years ago, give or take.

September 23, 2017 will come and go, and will be an average day with no theological significance. On September 24, if the world is still here, you can come back and tell me I was right. :wink:

Thank you..

Teddy
 
Back
Top