Title: What to Do about a Falling Star Problem
Topic: Second Coming
Summary: We look at stars from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, and see how unstarlike they sometimes are. Stars in Scripture are subject to (1) darkening, and (2) falling, even to the earth. What does this mean?
Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.
References:
Genesis 1:14; 15:5; 37:9
Numbers 24:17
Deuteronomy 1:10; 10:22; 28:62
Job 9:7
Ecclesiastes 12:2
Isaiah 13:10
Joel 2:10; 3:15
Genesis 37:9-10
Daniel 8:10
Job 9:2-9; 15:15; 25:4-6; 38:1-7
Psalms 148:1-3
Ecclesiastes 12:1-2
Isaiah 13:9-10
Ezekiel 32:7-8
Daniel 8:3; 12:3
Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15
Matthew 2:2, 9-10; 24:29
Mark 13:25
Luke 21:25
1 Corinthians 15:41
Revelation 8:12
Matthew 24:29
Mark 13:25
Revelation 6:13; 8:10; 9:1; 12:4; 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1; 6:13; 8:10; 9:1; 12:1, 4; 22:16
#91 What to Do about a Falling Star Problem
Ngu Jonathan S. Rose
Numbers 24
1
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4
He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9
He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10
And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11
Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.
12
And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13
If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
14
And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18
And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19
Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22
Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24
And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25
And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
Arcana Coelestia #1756
1756. All these matters presented above are those which in general are embodied in the internal sense of this chapter; but the whole train of thought, and its beauty, cannot be seen when every single thing is explained according to the meaning of the words, as they would be if they were comprehended in a single idea. When all are comprehended in a single idea those things which hitherto have lain scattered now appear beautifully joined and linked together. The situation is as with someone who listens to another speaking but pays attention solely to the words he uses. In this case he does not grasp the speaker's idea nearly so well as he would if he paid no attention to the words and their particular shades of meaning; for the internal sense of the Word in relation to the external or literal sense is very similar to speech in relation to the actual words used when these are scarcely listened to, still less paid attention to, as when the mind is intent on the sense alone of the things meant by the words used by the speaker.
[2] The most ancient manner of writing represented real things by the use of persons and of expressions which they employed to mean things entirely different from those persons or expressions. Secular authors of those times compiled their historical narratives in this way, including those things which had to do with public life and private life. Indeed they compiled them in such a way that nothing at all was to be taken literally as written, but something other was to be understood beneath the literal narrative. They even went so far as to present affections of every kind as gods and goddesses, to whom the heathen subsequently offered up divine worship, as every well-educated person may know, for ancient books of that kind are still extant. This manner of writing they derived from the most ancient people who lived before the Flood, who used to represent heavenly and Divine things to themselves by means of visible objects on earth and in the world, and in so doing filled their minds and souls with joys and delights when they beheld the objects in the universe, especially those that were beautiful on account of their form and order. This is why all the books of the Church in those times were written in the same style. Job is one such book; and Solomon's Song of Songs is an imitation of them too. Both the books mentioned by Moses in Numbers 21:14, 27, were of this nature, in addition to many that have perished.
[3] Because it had come down from antiquity this style was later venerated both among the gentiles and among the descendants of Jacob, so much so that whatever was not written in this style was not venerated as Divine. This is why when they were moved by the prophetic spirit - as were Jacob, Genesis 49:3-27; Moses, Exodus 15:1-21; Deuteronomy 33:2-end; Balaam, who was one of the sons of the east in Syria, where the Ancient Church continued to exist, Numbers 23:7-10, 19 24; 24:5-9, 17-24; Deborah and Barak, Judges 5:2-end; Hannah, 1 Samuel 2:2-10; and many others - they spoke in that same manner, and for many hidden reasons. And although, with very few exceptions, they neither understood nor knew that their utterances meant the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom and Church, they were nevertheless struck and filled with awe and wonder, and sensed that those utterances carried what was Divine and Holy within them.
[4] But that the historical narratives of the Word are of a similar nature, that is to say, that the particular names and particular expressions used represent and mean the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, the learned world has not yet come to know, except that the Word is inspired right down to the tiniest jot, and that every single detail has heavenly arcana within it.
