The Ancients only Recognized, Named, and Recorded Seven Heavenly Bodies in our Solar System...
Our Solar System is currently defined as the gravitationally bound system of the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly, including the eight planets (which include: Mercury; Venus; Earth; Mars; Jupiter; Saturn; Uranus; Neptune) and five dwarf planets as defined by the International Astronomical Union. The solar system is made up of the sun and everything that orbits around it, including planets, moons, asteroids, comets and meteoroids. ... Scientists estimate that the edge of the solar system is about 9 billion miles (15 billion kilometers) from the sun.
But this is not how our solar system was identified in the ancient world. And the ancient way is the focus of this blog (and my book God's Amazing Star Secret) as this is what was given by Divine Inspiration to mankind and carries prophetic meaning and spiritual significance.
As Robert Stieglitz explains in his book, The Hebrew Names of the Seven Planets, the ancient world considered our solar system to be made up of seven heavenly bodies. The seven "planets" which comprised the ancient solar system were identified in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 156a) and were also listed by Epiphanius, the Bishop of Constantia from 367 - 402 AD. Epiphanius was born to Jewish parents and was a multi-lingual, ancient historian. His transcriptions of the Hebrew names for the planets and stars are the earliest recorded and the most accurate.
From these sources, the seven ancient heavenly bodies in our solar system (five of which are now classified as planets) are as follows:
1. Current Name: the Sun
Ancient Hebrew Name: Hammah or Chammah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "heat" or "the hot one"
The Hebrew name for the sun is Chammah (Strong's Concordance #2535), which means "the hot one". Heat, in Scripture, symbolizes spiritual life. To be spiritually alive is to be "hot", while to be spiritually dead is to be "cold". We certainly see this in Revelation chapter three, which says:
Even the positioning of the sun has spiritual significance. The center of the solar system was known to be the sun. All the other members of the solar system moved around it. Continuing this in symbol, the seven heavenly bodies, which were recognized by the ancient people of God, correlated to the seven branches of the menorah in the Sanctuary. Just as the six side branches of the Sanctuary menorah connected and centered upon the main center-stalk branch, so the heavenly bodies of our solar system center upon the sun. Notably also, the center-stalk branch of the menorah is called the Chamash or Shamash, which is linguistically connected with the name for the sun, which is Chammah.
2. Current Name: the Moon
Ancient Hebrew Name: Labanah or Lavanah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "white" or "clothed in white"
In the Bible, the word "moon" is often translated from the Hebrew word yareach (Strong's Concordance #3394). A new moon or month (which was the length of time it took to go from one new moon to another) was called a chodesh (Strong's Concordance #2320). But while these references for the the moon are certainly present in Hebrew, its primary name, which appears in the ancient references is Lavanah (Strong's Concordance #3842) or Labanah (as "v" and "b" are interchangeable).
The Hebrew name Lavanah was more literary or poetic, conveying the spiritual symbology and appropriate meaning for this heavenly body. In Biblical times, God's people knew to associate the moon with the woman. This is plainly seen in Jacob's immediate interpretation of Joseph's dream (Genesis 37). Jacob instantly interpreted the sun to be himself (the father of the family), the moon to be his wife (the mother), and the 11 stars to be the 11 brothers of Joseph. His ability to instantly associate these heavenly bodies from Joseph's dream with the appropriate family members indicates that this connection of the moon with the woman and the sun with the father was "common knowledge".
In Scripture, the saved people of God (His true Church) are represented in symbolic form. Two of the biblical symbols for the Church are the woman and the moon.
Scripturally, we can find the spiritual symbology of a woman when we see that the true Church, is known as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23-32). Like the moon, she is not the source of her own "light" or "glory", but reflects the "light" and "glory" of the sun (a symbol of the Bridegroom) (Ezekiel 16:14). Additionally, the Church is clothed in white (Lavanah), representing the righteousness of Christ (Revelation 3:5 & 18).
In poetic representation of Christ and His Bride, Song of Solomon has this to say about Lavanah:
3. Current Name: Venus
Ancient Hebrew Name: Nogah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "bright one" or "brightness" and "bright morning star".
4. Current Name: Mercury
Ancient Hebrew Name: Kokab or Kokah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "star"
5. Current Name: Mars
Ancient Hebrew Name: Ma'adim
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "red" as blood "bloody"
6. Current Name: Jupiter
Ancient Hebrew Name: Tsedeq or Tsedek
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "Righteousness" and "He Who Judges in Righteousness"
6. Current Name: Saturn
Ancient Hebrew Name: Sabbatai or Sabbetay
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "the Sabbath Day's Planet" (It is from the root word Shevet, meaning "rest").
The earliest Hebrew text containing the names of these anciently identified planets or heavenly bodies is Bereshit Rabba, a compilation of midrashim on the Book of Genesis, probably first put into writing in the fifth century AD. Neptune and Pluto are not visible to the naked eye and were not listed in any ancient identifications.
Our Solar System is currently defined as the gravitationally bound system of the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly, including the eight planets (which include: Mercury; Venus; Earth; Mars; Jupiter; Saturn; Uranus; Neptune) and five dwarf planets as defined by the International Astronomical Union. The solar system is made up of the sun and everything that orbits around it, including planets, moons, asteroids, comets and meteoroids. ... Scientists estimate that the edge of the solar system is about 9 billion miles (15 billion kilometers) from the sun.
But this is not how our solar system was identified in the ancient world. And the ancient way is the focus of this blog (and my book God's Amazing Star Secret) as this is what was given by Divine Inspiration to mankind and carries prophetic meaning and spiritual significance.
As Robert Stieglitz explains in his book, The Hebrew Names of the Seven Planets, the ancient world considered our solar system to be made up of seven heavenly bodies. The seven "planets" which comprised the ancient solar system were identified in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 156a) and were also listed by Epiphanius, the Bishop of Constantia from 367 - 402 AD. Epiphanius was born to Jewish parents and was a multi-lingual, ancient historian. His transcriptions of the Hebrew names for the planets and stars are the earliest recorded and the most accurate.
From these sources, the seven ancient heavenly bodies in our solar system (five of which are now classified as planets) are as follows:
1. Current Name: the Sun
Ancient Hebrew Name: Hammah or Chammah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "heat" or "the hot one"
Revelation 3:15-16 "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My Mouth."
Not only is the sun (Chammah) the Source of Heat and warmth, it is also the giver of Light. In the creation story it is called the greater light or rather light-giver (ma'or):
"And God made the two great light-givers; the greater light-giver to rule the day, and the lesser light-giver to rule the night: He made the stars also" Genesis 1:16.Light is a Scriptural symbol for Truth (Psalm 119:105). Thus, the sun is a fitting representation of God Himself, Who is the Source of Life and Light.
Even the positioning of the sun has spiritual significance. The center of the solar system was known to be the sun. All the other members of the solar system moved around it. Continuing this in symbol, the seven heavenly bodies, which were recognized by the ancient people of God, correlated to the seven branches of the menorah in the Sanctuary. Just as the six side branches of the Sanctuary menorah connected and centered upon the main center-stalk branch, so the heavenly bodies of our solar system center upon the sun. Notably also, the center-stalk branch of the menorah is called the Chamash or Shamash, which is linguistically connected with the name for the sun, which is Chammah.Psalm 19:1-6 "...The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line (ecliptic path) is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat (Chammah) thereof."
2. Current Name: the Moon
Ancient Hebrew Name: Labanah or Lavanah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "white" or "clothed in white"
In the Bible, the word "moon" is often translated from the Hebrew word yareach (Strong's Concordance #3394). A new moon or month (which was the length of time it took to go from one new moon to another) was called a chodesh (Strong's Concordance #2320). But while these references for the the moon are certainly present in Hebrew, its primary name, which appears in the ancient references is Lavanah (Strong's Concordance #3842) or Labanah (as "v" and "b" are interchangeable).
The Hebrew name Lavanah was more literary or poetic, conveying the spiritual symbology and appropriate meaning for this heavenly body. In Biblical times, God's people knew to associate the moon with the woman. This is plainly seen in Jacob's immediate interpretation of Joseph's dream (Genesis 37). Jacob instantly interpreted the sun to be himself (the father of the family), the moon to be his wife (the mother), and the 11 stars to be the 11 brothers of Joseph. His ability to instantly associate these heavenly bodies from Joseph's dream with the appropriate family members indicates that this connection of the moon with the woman and the sun with the father was "common knowledge".
In Scripture, the saved people of God (His true Church) are represented in symbolic form. Two of the biblical symbols for the Church are the woman and the moon.
Scripturally, we can find the spiritual symbology of a woman when we see that the true Church, is known as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23-32). Like the moon, she is not the source of her own "light" or "glory", but reflects the "light" and "glory" of the sun (a symbol of the Bridegroom) (Ezekiel 16:14). Additionally, the Church is clothed in white (Lavanah), representing the righteousness of Christ (Revelation 3:5 & 18).
In poetic representation of Christ and His Bride, Song of Solomon has this to say about Lavanah:
Song of Solomon 6:4, 9-10: "Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners... My dove, my undefiled (clothed in His righteousness) is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon (Lavanah), clear as the sun (Chammah), and terrible as an army with banners?"
3. Current Name: Venus
Ancient Hebrew Name: Nogah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "bright one" or "brightness" and "bright morning star".
4. Current Name: Mercury
Ancient Hebrew Name: Kokab or Kokah
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "star"
It is interesting that the Hebrew word for star is kokav, which is the name for this planet.
5. Current Name: Mars
Ancient Hebrew Name: Ma'adim
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "red" as blood "bloody"
6. Current Name: Jupiter
Ancient Hebrew Name: Tsedeq or Tsedek
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "Righteousness" and "He Who Judges in Righteousness"
6. Current Name: Saturn
Ancient Hebrew Name: Sabbatai or Sabbetay
Meaning of the Hebrew Name: "the Sabbath Day's Planet" (It is from the root word Shevet, meaning "rest").
The earliest Hebrew text containing the names of these anciently identified planets or heavenly bodies is Bereshit Rabba, a compilation of midrashim on the Book of Genesis, probably first put into writing in the fifth century AD. Neptune and Pluto are not visible to the naked eye and were not listed in any ancient identifications.
Are you loving God's Star Messages? Now you can go deeper with God's Amazing Star Secrets!
Get Shauna Manfredine's book!
For more information about the Mazzaroth (God's constellation tapestry) and His Messages in the 48 original constellations, request your own copy of Shauna Manfredine's book, God's Amazing Star Secret (book trailer).
Turn your Church or Venue into a Planetarium for a Night (or Weekend)! Now you can share God's Amazing Star Secrets with your whole family, church, or gathering! Request Shauna Manfredine to give her inspiring and well-researched, planetarium-style God's Amazing Star Secrets presentation.
In her presentation(s), Shauna shows the meaning of Psalm 19:1-4 and the original names of the stars based upon earth's first recorded language(s). She shows archaeological evidence of the original constellations and the amazing connection between the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 primary constellations. And she explains the Plan of Redemption in the original star and constellation names. More information...
Interesting about the ancient Hebrew name for Saturn as related to the Sabbath Day of rest.
ReplyDeleteThings have become so perverted that Saturn is now recognized as Satan's purview.
Yes, but then the devil has tried to claim all of the Mazzaroth in one way or another (he's turned the stars into astrology)... sun worship... moon worship... and on and on... But Yahweh is reclaiming what is rightfully His!
DeleteYes, Shauna I agree, the enemy tries to duplicate and prostitute everything and exalt himself above YHVH. Thank you for your faithfulness in teaching.
ReplyDelete