Although the Jews mourn the destruction of these Temples to Yahweh, and are seeking to build another one in Jerusalem today, true believers in Yahshua rejoice that they no longer have to go to a physical location to find forgiveness, guidance and communion in the presence of God. Instead they can go directly to the Holy Spirit within them and seek solace, comfort, strength and protection from God at any time, whether they are alone, or in the company of other believers. The 9th of Av can commemorate this, as well as the coming day of the Catching Away or Rapture - when the Saints will take part in the First Resurrection, and be raised up with immortal bodies that will forever after be the perfect dwelling places for the Holy Spirit.
,For these reasons, Tisha B'Av is highly significant in relation to the Born Again Saints that will be taken up in the Rapture because they collectively represent the pure white stones of the new and final Temple to Yahweh that will dwell in the New Jerusalem. These Saints are signified by the Five Wise Virgin Handmaidens of the Bride of Christ. The five wise handmaidens in the Parable in Matthew Chapter 25 represent those New Covenant Saints who are committed to keeping the Ten Commandments, loving one another, and who are also watching and waiting for the return of their beloved Messiah Yahshua or Jesus. This also makes them members of the Church of Philadelphia.
Contrary to some modern day teachers that are vehemently attacking those who are hoping in the Rapture with their opinion that the Rapture is at the end of the Great Tribulation, the Rapture is NOT the Second Coming described in Revelation Chapter 19. At the Second Coming, which will be marked by the End Time War called the Battle of Armageddon, the Bible says that Yahshua will return to fight and be victorious over the armies of the Antichrist. In comparison, at the time of the Rapture, Yahshua will appear in the clouds above the Earth with many legions of His Holy Angels alone. These angels will rescue Yahshua's Saints as He looks on, and then temporarily carry them away to safety in Heaven.
Therefore, the Rapture must be before the Wrath of God begins to be poured out. The beginning of the pouring out of God's Wrath is described in Revelation Chapter 6, at the opening of the Sixth Seal. The catastrophic events marking the Sixth Seal judgement, as partly described in the adjacent illustration, will herald the beginning of the Great Tribulation described in the Book of Revelation, Chapters 6 through 19. The great worldwide earthquake at that time will move mountains and islands out of their place, and cause much death and destruction that the Saints are promised to escape. But there will be no place on the Earth to escape the affects of this earthquake, which will be accompanied by destructive meteor showers, which are described in the Bible as fire and brimstone falling down to Earth from the heavens, massive coastal tidal waves (aka tsunamis), and the toppling of whole cities worldwide from the violence of the earthquake that will shake the entire Earth. It is likely that the results of this earthquake and celestial bombardment is being described in Isaiah, Chapter 24, where it says:
people of the earth.
will be caught in a snare.
the foundations of the earth shake.
19 The earth is broken up,
the earth is split asunder,
the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth reels like a drunkard,
it sways like a hut in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion
that it falls—never to rise again."
Two important scriptures that are describing the Rapture of the Saints are found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 and Isaiah 27:12-13, where it says:
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| Mat. Ch. 24, Vss 29-31 |
Isaiah 27:12-13 - "In that day the Lord will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, Israel, will be gathered up one by one. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem."1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 - "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words."
Along with the Verse Image of Matthew Chapter 24, verses 29 through 31 pictured above, these scriptures suggest that the Saints will be rescued from the Earth - as opposed to being sheltered upon it. Although many scholars place the Sign of the Son of Man at Yahshua's Second Coming, I believe that the Rapture will take place when this Sign appears in Heavens. This will be before the Wrath of God is poured out, since the Saints are not subject to God's Wrath, and will be spared from it (See 1 Thessalonians 1:10 & 5:9). Although some scholars say the following quoted scripture in that same chapter as the description of the Sign of the Son of Man is a passage describing the Messiah's judgment of the lost at His Second Coming, I believe that the Rapture is being described, as follows:
Matthew 24:38-44 - "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Although I have previously seen the Sign of the Son of Man as being a Sign in the Heavens tied to the Mazzaroth and the Gospel in the Stars, it may also be referring to the actual sighting of Yahshua and His rescuing angels coming in the clouds to rescue the Saints that are grafted into Israel by Faith. Since Yahshua will not actually touch down on the Earth at that time or be killing the wicked with His power, this is not the same event as Christ's Second Coming, when the Earth's surface will be scorched, dried up and devoid of most vegetation and animals due to God's Wrath. The Rapture will occur before God's Wrath is unleashed, and Yahshua's Second Coming will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation.
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| Revelation Ch 19, Vss 11-14 |
Instead of snatching away the Sanctified Saints who are watching for Yahshua's return, and whisking them off to a place of safety, the Second Coming of Yahshua will feature the immortal Saints clothed in white robes and riding on white horses, along with Yahshua and His angelic armies. These armies will assist and watch as Yahshua destroys the wicked followers of the Antichrist. Although some wish that God would forgive everyone, and that no one would perish, He will judge everyone based on how they loved one another and followed His Moral Laws that define how to show a true love for God and others. Those who hate others and do not follow God's Commandments will be slaughtered, as described in
Revelation Chapter 19. See the adjacent Scripture image to read some of that chapter.
One major reason why the 9th of Av beginning on July 26th, 2023 could be the day of the Catching Away described by the Apostle Paul is because this day can be annotated as 7-26, or 726, and the number 726 in the Strong's Greek Concordance signifies the word Harpazo, which means "Catching Away"! This event is popularly known today as the Rapture. The word Rapture is an English transliteration of the the Medieval Latin word Raptura, which was derived from the Ancient Latin word Rapio. The Latin word Rapio is used in place of the Greek word Harpazo in the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible, and means the same thing as Harpazo or Catching Away.
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| Strong's # 726 Translation |
Since I am a Sacred Astronomer and am proficient at deciphering the meaning of the End Time Signs in the Heavens that Yahshua told us to watch for in Luke Chapter 21, I want to take you on a guided tour of the Heavenly Signs on July 26th and 27th, and on August 1st and 2nd, 2023. These are the dates for Tisha B'Av and Tu B'Av - two very important dates on the Jewish Calendar. Let's see if there are any clues there concerning the timing of the Rapture or last stage of the First Resurrection. The most obvious Heavenly Signs connected to the Rapture on that day appear in connection with the Signs of the Mazzaroth called Libra, Virgo, Leo and Cancer.
On July 26th and 27th, three wandering stars or planets will be clustered around Regulus the King Star in the Sign of Leo the Lion, while the Sun will be in the neighboring sign of Cancer the Crab, as seen in the illustration at the top of this article. The Sign of Leo signifies Yahshua as the Lion of Judah, and the Conquering King of Israel and the Universe. Meanwhile, Cancer is symbolically connected to the Ingathering of the Saints into the Kingdom of Israel during Yahshua's Millennial Rule. Cancer is also directly connected to the Israelite Tribe of Issachar. Those in the Tribe of Issachar are filled with the strength and courage to be powerful warriors fighting for the establishment of the Kingdom of Yahweh on the Earth while being uplifted by the Holy Spirit as they fight for Yahshua, who is signified by the Sun. This is revealed in Malachi 4:2, where the Messiah is called the Sun of Righteousness.
Looking at the focused Heavenly Sign graphic below the next paragraph, it more clearly reveals clues to the interpretation of the Signs on the 9th of Av on July 26th and 27th, 2023. First and Foremost, the half phased Moon will be at the feet of Virgo the Virgin signifying some fascinating women of the Bible, including Eve, Rachel, Sarah, and Mary the virgin mother of Yahshua. Interestingly, Virgo was considered to be the first Sign of the ancient Zodiac or Mazzaroth, which made Leo the Lion the last Sign of the 12. So together, Virgo and Leo are tied to Yahshua as the First and the Last (See Isaiah 44:6, Revelation 1:11, 22:13).
Along with the three inner planets clustered around Regulus the King Star in Leo the Lion of Judah, this symbolism of the Moon at Virgo's feet is noted in Revelation Chapter 12 as a sign of the Woman clothed with the Sun, with the 9 principle stars of Leo and the 3 planets in that sign signifying her Crown of 12 stars. Although she is not directly clothed with the Sun on this day, the placement of the Sun in Cancer is directly tied to Virgo and the Moon, since Cancer is ruled over by the Moon , and Cancer signifies a mother's touch in turning a house into a home,
On the 9th and 15th of Av, the Sun is going to be near to the Beehive Star Cluster - a group of stars in Cancer that has been allegorically tied to Yahshua's manger in His Nativity story, and the manger or feeding trough of the two donkeys that Yahshua rode into Jerusalem a week before He died, These donkeys are signified by Cancer's 2 brightest stars, which can be seen as the eyes of the Crab. However, the word used for manger in the Aramaic version of the New Testament may be referring to the sukkot or booths that were used by the Jews in connection with the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot (Booths).
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Tisha B'Av Heavenly Signs,
Focus on Libra, Virgo and Leo |
This suggests that the Ingathering of the Two Houses of Israel formed by Jews and grafted-in Israelites that is celebrated during the Feast of Tabernacles may occur before that Autumn Feasts this year, and could be around the 9th or 15th of Av this summer. This Ingathering at the time of the Rapture could also be fulfilled on or around the joyous minor Feast of Israel that is celebrated on the 15th of Av. This minor Feast is known as Tu B'Av, and it begins on August 1st, 2023 at dusk, and ends on August 2nd at dusk. This minor Feast looks forward in anticipation of the Autumn harvests, when all sorts of joyful, well-fed people dance, sing, play music, rejoice and thank their God fore a bountiful harvest.
Long ago, Tu B'Av figured prominently in the lives of the the young, unmarried men and women of Israel because it was the day that the unmarried women of Israel would dance in the vineyards and orchards while the unmarried men looked on. The women did this in hopes of catching the eye of one of the Israelite men gathered there who were looking for a wife to wed. This may be why, in modern Israel, it is a day often reserved for betrothals, weddings and expressing love for one's family, friends and spouses.
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Heavenly Signs on the 15th of Av
(TU B'AV), August 2nd, 2023
(Click to Enlarge) |
When I looked them up in my Astronomy Program, I found the Heavenly Signs on Tu B-Av to be even more compelling as a possible herald of the Rapture than Tisha B'Av. This is partly because the Moon, which represents the Bride of Christ, will be at its fullest phase on Tu B'Av. As shown in the Heavenly Sign Graphic above this paragraph showing the morning panorama of Signs on August 2nd, the Full Moon will be in the tail portion of the Sign of Capricorn. This tail is a lively fishes' tail that stands in contrast to the constellations' dying goat half, and it is so depicted because it represents the time before the Great Flood of Noah, when the Nephilim began to pollute all of the human bloodlines with their part angelic and part animal DNA. The goat half of Capricorn signifies the Nephilim, and their master Lucifer.
In contrast, this placement of the Moon in the tail is an auspicious sign because the fishes' tail is a symbol of the genetically pure humans who survived the Great Flood by seeking refuge inside Noah's Ark. The Great Flood occurred to end the wicked reign of the Fallen Angels and Nephilim over the Earth. This is important in relation to the catching away because only those covered by the blood of Yahshua who have symbolically eaten His Body and drank His blood through the Communion ritual that Yahshua instated during the Last Supper, which was essentially adapted from the closing act of sharing a communal cup of wine and pieces of a shared loaf of unleavened bread. This binding ritual was enacted at the end of every Passover Meal, and is the essence of the Christian rite of Communion.
This is extremely relevant today as genetically modified foods are beginning to creep into almost every conceivable processed food on the international market, making the use of convenience food a perilous procedure unless one is covered by the Blood of Yahshua and is praying for purity despite what we are being forced to eat. Even organic foods are to be considered suspect these days because of cross contamination of organic crops with the pollen coming off of nearby genetically modified or GMO crops. For those covered by Yahshua's Blood via Belief in, Faith in and Love of Him, there is nothing to fear because God knows that it is not what goes into our mouth that is important, but what we confess about that consumption that can bless or curse us. I will provide a brief story at the end of this article about what I am talking about here.
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Tu B'Av Heavenly Signs -
Focus on Taurus, Aries and Pisces |
For now, let's explore the spiritual meaning of some of the other Signs in the Heavens on August 2nd, 2023. Focusing on the planets or wandering stars resting in Taurus and Aries, I will unlock the meaning of the symbolism of these constellations and planets in relation to Yahshua and His relationship with us. First of all, note that the graphic above emphasizes that Taurus and Aries signify a Heavenly Horned Altar, with the horns of the bull and the ram signifying the four horns of the altar to Yahweh in the Temple of God that once stood in Jerusalem.
Interestingly, the bull and the ram both served as sacrifices for sin on that altar daily when the physical Temple to Yahweh was still standing. In addition, the sacrifice of both animals signified the forgiveness of sins that would one day be offered to all by the shed blood of Yahshua, which cleanses those symbolically sprinkled with it by Faith from all sin. This imagery is even more profound with the placement of Uranus signifying the faithful servants of God in the Sign of Taurus. In addition, the massive gaseous giant planet called Jupiter signifying Yahshua's Crucifixion is also resting with Uranus on the Heavenly Altar formed by Taurus and Aries. What this shows is that the Saints who love Yahshua that are signified by Uranus have given their lives to him, and like the Apostle Paul, it is no longer they who live, but Yahshua who lives in them (See Galatians 2:20).
This message is enhanced by the placement of the planet Neptune under the Ephraim fish of Pisces, the two Fishes that are tied to Cetus the Sea Monster by the constellation called the Bands that hold the Fish of Pisces captive to the whims of Cetus the Sea Monster. This monster represents the Beast from the Sea, as well as the New World Order of the Antichrist. These two Fish represent the Two Houses of Israel identified in several Old Testament prophecies as Judah and Ephraim.
While the Fish swimming towards the Andromeda constellation signifies the natural Jews identified with the Tribe of Judah, the Ephraim Fish swimming toward the Living Waters being poured out by Aquarius signifies the grafted-in Israelites who enter the Kingdom of God because of their steadfast Faith in and love for Yahshua, and regardless of their original cultural heritage. Meanwhile, the planet Neptune is a symbol for the New Testament Saints that understand the power that they have by Faith in the Word of God given to us by the Messiah or Christ.
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Tu B'Av Focus on the Heavenly Signs
In Aquarius, Capricorn and Sagittarius |
Now, let's focus more on the meaning of the Signs of Aquarius, Capricorn and Sagittarius in relation to the planet Saturn, the Moon and the dwarf planet Pluto, which are part of the Heavenly Signs that will be visible in the night sky on Tisha B'Av and Tu B'Av. In addition to what I already discussed about the placement of the Moon in Capricorn's Tail, the many prominent rings of the planet Saturn that is resting in the body of Aquarius signifies the crowns that Yahshua wears, and those that he has given to his Saints. Right now, the waters of Aquarius representing Yahshua as the deliverer of the Living Water of his Word and healing blood is bathing Saturn's rings or crowns, suggesting that those who are going to receive those crowns are being given the grace and power of God in abundance right now to carry them through difficult times.
These crowns signify the honor and power given to the Saints that Satan and his demons have attempted to steal from them throughout the ages. Thankfully, judging by these Heavenly Signs, the day of our deliverance from Satan and his demonic band of thieves is possibly close at hand. In the meantime, the dwarf planet Pluto reminds us that we always need to guard our borders and boundaries that pertain to our health and welfare, and that of those we love. Although no one knows the exact day or hour of the Catching Away or Rapture, the signs in the Heavens on the 9th and 15th of Av are looking promising. So let's keep looking up and staying positive as a way of claiming and perpetuating our spiritual authority in Christ today, and everyday!
Before I close this article, I want to finish sharing something that I brought up earlier. I had mentioned that I would tell an illustrative story connected to the meaning of the position of the Full Moon in the fish tail portion of Capricorn, and how it relates to eating genetically modified foods.
Here is a concrete example of what I was inferring about this in relation to blessing and cursing oneself and others. Let's say there are two women getting ready to prepare a meal for their families. One of them has little faith in God and is fearful about everything, fretting about the purity of the food she is planning to cook and serve, and is fearful of the repercussions of eating foods that they have not grown or butchered on their own. She also worries about the purity of the water she is using to cook with. As a result, she cooks and eats everything in a state of fear and worry , and instills that same worry in her family.
Meanwhile, the other woman - who has done her best to buy non GMO foods and to filter the local water supply if needed - is singing worship songs in between praising God for His provision of the food, and asking Him to purify it as she prepares it so that anyone eating it will not be harmed by anything bad in it, and that it will only nourish and strengthen them by eating it. This is an example of how one can put their TRUST and Faith in God into action so that they do not worry about anything, but show thanks and gratitude to God for promising to protect and shelter them from evil in every circumstance, and to bless them according to his pleasure.
Using this example, it should be clear that the woman full of fear about her diet is under a curse of her own making, while the woman who is at peace due to her trust in God is under a fountain of blessing. Let's emulate the Faith-filled Woman and live with an attitude of trust, gratitude and love for God while we wait and watch for Yahshua's soon return.
With Love and Blessings From
Your Sister in Yahshua,
Helena Lehman of the
Pillar of Enoch Ministry
Sacred Astronomer, Bible Scholar and Author of the
Language of God Messianic Christian Research Book Series:
