IOPNA's series on the CONSTELLATIONS continues
with our 4th conversation:
Guess what!...now I keep on seeing 6-star 'Pleiades' badges on Subarus everywhere in
the traffic.
Life will never be the same, hey?  |
| Orion Nebula |
Yeah, so we found that the constellation of Orion and the Pleiades cluster are
distinguished three times in the Bible.
That seems rather special!
Wait - there’s one more… Isaiah 13 verse 10 is
the only time the word ‘constellations’ appears, from a plural form of the Hebrew
word: kesil - the same used for Orion! So Orion is not included in the Zodiac but it is distinguished in the Bible by being named 3 times, and now you tell me it seems to be given the distinction of representing all constellations in the night-sky?? Wow!
Is there anything else special about Orion?
It includes 4 of the 30
stars with greatest magnitude – more than any other constellation. That makes
it the brightest constellation of them all!
You’re kidding me!?
No. If that’s not
enough, Orion can be seen from the northern tip of Greenland all the way to the
shores of Antarctica and what’s more, the Earth’s equatorial line in space now
passes straight though his belt!
Gotcha! Orion is in the Bible 3 times, represents
all constellations, hovers over the equator so everybody can see him, is lit up
with brilliant stars and last but not least, is recognised by God Himself. So
we’re meant to notice Orion, hey?
.png) |
| Orion the hunter |
Sure, and God has a
surprise in store for astronomers as well.
Really? I’d love to hear it. How is Orion
depicted anyway?
Orion is the great Hunter holding a club in one
hand and the skin of the slain lion in the other, with his foot on Eridanus the
river – or was that originally meant to be a serpent?
So what does ‘Orion’ mean?
Apparently it means ‘coming light’ or ‘dawning in
the sky’ although that doesn’t quite line up with the Hebrew: kesil for ‘strong’ (or stout).
Is there anywhere in the Bible to give us a clue
as to why a constellation of stars representing a strong (stout) man called Orion,
or originally ‘kesil’, should be given so much distinction?
There is! Let’s go
back to Psalm 19, which scholars have long claimed to be a composite of 2
separate sections: The heavens from verses 1 thru 6, then the Word of God for
Man on corrupted Earth from verse 7 on.
So who set a tabernacle for the sun?
Well…God did.
Further, in the same
sentence…the original Masoretic text translates as ‘he (not ‘which’) is as a
bridegroom’ - rejoicing like a strong man about to run a race.
I’ve always thought it was the sun…but then
again, perhaps ‘he’ is really God. Why…I’ve
never seen it that way before! That makes verses 5 and 6 a unique section highlighting
this strong man – God Himself!
Yes, and rather than
using the Hebrew word kesil, David has chosen the more descriptive
gibbor, meaning ‘powerful’ but by extension: strong man or champion…
….like a groom on a mission - poised on the
starting blocks to run a blistering race around the universe!...
…linking
the heavens with the Word of God to man on Earth.
Acknowledgements:
Orion
Nebula / Rogelio Bernal Andreo / DeepSkyColours.com
Stellarium
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