Sound of Faith

Sharon Hardy Knotts: Greetings, friends and new listeners, and welcome to the Sound of Faith. I'm Sharon Knotts. Thank you for joining us today because we know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Today's message is part two of a three-part series I did on Genesis: the Recreation of Heaven and Earth.

In part two, we discuss days two, three, and four. In this exciting account, we discover the greenhouse effect the earth once enjoyed due to a canopy of waters that protected it. We will also learn about the Zodiac, how it declares the gospel, and how it has been corrupted in the Genesis series, part two.

R. G. Hardy: Before I discuss the 12 signs of the Zodiac, I would like you to turn with me to Psalm 19. I said a moment ago that God has written the story of the gospel in the stars. That's what Psalm 19 tells us. Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them has he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. His going forth (this is still speaking of the sun) is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof."

What we have here is a very poetic description of the heavens. We see the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth his handiwork. The heavens there is the common Hebrew word for heaven, *shamayim*, and it's plural. Shows forth his handiwork. Where it says declare, it means to recount, to relate. It basically means to tell a story.

The heavens tell a story, and the story they're telling is about the glory, about the honor and the majesty of God. The firmament shows forth, and that word shows forth there means to announce, to publish. It is being published across the heavens for every person on the earth to see. The entire population of the earth can read this story in the heavens.

Publishes his handiwork. It means his deeds, his acts, and his labors. Anyone that wants to look up the constellation of the 12 zodiac signs will be able to see the story that God is declaring and publishing about his works. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night shows knowledge. There is a continual testimony 24/7.

There is a continual testimony of God's creative power. The heavens are saying, they're declaring, look at us! There's a creator. Look at us! There's a designer. Look at us! We're telling you the story of man's redemption. Psalm 148:5 says he commanded and they were created, and he put them in the night sky.

Without the darkness of night, we would not be able to see the stars. How many stars do you see in the daytime? But in the darkness of night, that's when you can see the stars. I realize the earth now has a lot of smog, and so we don't see them like they would have back then in this time. Amen. Nevertheless, those who do study astronomy (I didn't say astrology, I said astronomy), they study and they take pictures, and we can go online and see them.

We can read them in books. Amen. Without the night sky, we would never see the stars and the constellation. Day unto day and night unto night, they're out there telling the story. Amen. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. They're telling the story, and it doesn't matter what culture you're from, where you live on the earth, or what language you speak. Amen.

It doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be translated into a language. You look at the constellations and you can read the story of God's plan of redemption because it's the language of the stars. Paul brought this out in Romans 1 when he was talking about those against whom the wrath of God was against them because he said they held down the truth of God's word.

They held it down. It's not like they didn't know it. In Romans 1, they knew it and they held it down. They stifled it. Amen. He says so that which may be known of God is manifest in creation. In other words, God was saying even if nobody came to you with a Bible, if you lived in where there was nobody or you couldn't read, God manifests the fact that there is a creator when you look at the creation.

He said for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. They are without excuse if they say there is no God. Because you look at the earth and how finely tuned it is for life, and that would be a whole another message. Amen.

It cannot just be random and accidental. There's too much complexity and design, and design requires a designer. The human body with its 60-plus trillion cells is so intricately made. It requires a designer. God says just look at the creation. I'll never forget I read a story about a man who lived in an area where they didn't read, they didn't write, and they knew nothing about God.

It would be a place of paganism and heathenism. But there was something stirring in him. He had no satisfaction from bowing down to the sun or bowing down to whatever gods they were bowing down to. One day he knelt down and cried out and said, "I don't know who you are or where you are, but I believe that there must be someone who created all these things. Someone had to create all these things.

Whoever you are and wherever you are, I want you to be my God, and I want to serve you." On the basis of that, that man was born again. Born again. Of course, he went on to know the Bible and all of that, but I'm saying the creation spoke to his spirit and said there has to be a creator. That's what God says; they're without excuse.

How is God going to judge certain people? Well, some of them he's going to judge by the creation. Amen. What about all those ones that are saying there is no creator? What kind of judgment are they going to get because they know and they've studied. Amen. Verse four says, "Their line," and that means their words, their speech, is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tabernacle for the sun. This is very poetic. A tabernacle really in Hebrew means a tent. It's like God has a celestial tent for the sun to go into. At night, the sun goes into that celestial tent, but every morning it comes out of its tent and moves across the circuit of the heavens. Amen.

The sun makes its course through the sky, and it says the sun goes through its circuit like a bridegroom coming out of his tent with strength and joy. Now, how many know a bridegroom is a very happy man? He's very happy. Life is wonderful. He's strong and he's got joy. The writer is saying the sun is like a happy bridegroom coming out of his tent to say, "Good morning, everybody! It's a beautiful world." Amen.

Betty and I were in Snider's the other day having dinner, and they were playing music and they were playing that song. I think to myself, it's a wonderful world. You know the one who made it famous was Louis Armstrong. Nobody sings it like him. What a wonderful world. The sun comes out every morning and says, "What a wonderful world! Let's get on with the day. There's a lot of good things ready to happen." Amen.

It rises from one end of heaven and moves in its circuit, and then it sets. There is absolutely nothing hidden from its heat. That's a good thing. Amen. It is Satan who has perverted the story of the Zodiac, and he's caused pagan empires to rise up and create alternative stories about the stars and its message.

He's conditioned us to be afraid of the Zodiac and stay away from the Zodiac. Now I must say, you should stay away from astrologers who try to use the signs of the Zodiac. "What's your sign? When were you born? Oh, you're under this sign. Well, let me tell you your horoscope. Let me tell you your fortune." You don't want to do that.

God forbids it. There are verses in the Bible where he says it is an abomination unto him. He forbids it for a reason. He says you shall not go to those who observe times and tell fortunes. You can find that in Leviticus 19:26 and Deuteronomy 18:10. He says it is abomination unto the Lord. You don't want to do that. You can open the door to a spirit of fear.

The devil would be glad to get a Christian to come get a reading. Whatever way it gets read. Your palm, the tarot cards, or the Zodiac. He would love to get a reading because he's going to tell you something bad that's going to happen so fear can jump on you. Don't do it. Even in your newspaper. Don't think it's just fun.

They put it with the comics. They always put it next to the comics and the crosswords, like it's some benign thing. Don't open the door to that suggestion. Amen. That's what Satan has done to pervert it. But the constellations of the Zodiac were created by God to declare his plan of redemption. Amen.

Says in Psalm 147:4, "He appoints the number of the stars, and he gives names to all of them." Very quickly, I'm going to go through some things in the time that I have left. Here are a few examples. I'm going to go right to the signs. Each one of these 12 Zodiac signs within their constellation, there's a lot of other stars. They're called decans.

We can't discuss them all, but I'm going to hit on some major ones. The Zodiac starts with Virgo and goes around and ends with Leo. Number one is Virgo. We go around and we end with number 12, Leo. Very quickly, let me give you some information. Virgo is a picture of a virgin woman with a branch in her hand.

This represents the seed of the woman, the virgin that Isaiah said behold this shall be a sign to you, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and he shall be called Emmanuel, which means God with us. It's a picture of a woman. She would be the seed that God said in Genesis 3:15 is going to crush the head of the serpent.

Her three decans under Virgo: Coma represents the woman with her desired son. Centaurus represents the dual nature of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, her son. Bootes represents a shepherd, the coming of a shepherd to guard over his sheep. It's also very important, the word branch. I don't have time to go to these verses, but let me tell you what they are if you want to look them up.

Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5 and 6, Zechariah 3:8, and Zechariah 6:12. They talk about the coming Messiah, and he shall be called the Branch. It will be spelled in all caps in your King James Bible. It's talking about Messiah. 11:1 of Isaiah says, "And there shall come a root out of Jesse," and Jesse was the father of David. They're of the tribe of Judah, and Messiah has to come from Judah. Amen. "And he shall be called the Branch."

That's what the sign Virgo is. Moving on to the sign two, Libra. Libra is a picture of scales, the old kind of scales with the chains and the little cups down the bottom. The way they used to weigh things back then. That represents the price. What will be the price that is going to have to be paid? We were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, but God put the soul of mankind, all the souls of men on one side of the scales, and the only way he could balance it is to put the blood, but the precious blood of the Lamb of God, of Christ without spot and without blemish.

The three decans of Libra: Crux is the mark of the cross and refers to the Messiah on the cross. Lupus is a slain victim, showing Messiah will die and be the sacrifice for sin. Corona is a crown. That same Messiah is going to be crowned. Amen. Number three, Scorpio. It's called Scorpio. It's a picture of a scorpion.

It represents how that the evil one is going to try to come and wound the Messiah, the son of the woman. The three decans of Scorpio: Serpens represents the serpent struggling with the woman. But remember Genesis 3:15, the seed of the woman is going to crush the head of the serpent. Ophiuchus represents the mighty one holding the serpent so that the serpent cannot take the crown.

Hercules is the mighty man, the mighty one victorious. We are told in scripture, Jesus said, "I give you authority over all the power of the enemy. You'll tread on the serpent and the scorpion under your feet. Amen. We're like Hercules." Number four, Sagittarius. The picture is half-man, half-goat, but the man is an archer, and he's got a drawn bow in his hand.

This represents the victorious Redeemer. The three decans of Sagittarius: Lyra is a harp. A harp means we're going to praise the victorious Redeemer. Ara is a burning pier, which is when they burn dead bodies like they do in India and some other nations. It's showing the judgment that's being prepared for the evil serpent, Satan and his angels.

The last one is Draco. It's the dragon, and he's cast down. Amen. Because we read in Revelations 12, and there's war in heaven, and that old serpent, that dragon Satan is cast out of heaven. Amen. Eventually into the pit, and then into the lake of fire. Number five, Capricorn, is the picture of the goat.

This is representative of Jesus, who is the scapegoat. If you read in the Old Testament, he not only had to be the lamb, but in addition to that sacrifice that day, they had to take a scapegoat, put their hands on him and pronounce all the sins of Israel on the scapegoat, and then send him out in the wilderness so he could die there and never bring the sin back into the camp of Israel.

Messiah was the scapegoat. The three decans of Capricorn: Sagitta is an arrow, again, showing God's judgment against sin. That judgment is going to come against his Messiah on the cross. Aquila, the falling eagle, the pierced one is falling. Delphinus, the dolphin, springs out of water because that represents his resurrection.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." He said, "I am he that was dead and am alive, and behold I'm alive forevermore." Number six, Aquarius, is a water bearer carrying water. That is an obvious picture of Messiah. He said in John the 7th chapter that he is the living water. Amen.

The living water that if we drink this water, he told the one woman at the well in John 4, drink this water, you'll never thirst again. The three decans of Aquarius: Pisces, it's a picture of the fish, and it means receiving that living water in its fullness. Pegasus is the winged horse, and he represents the soon return of the Redeemer.

Cygnus is a swan and represents the sure return of the Redeemer. Number seven, Pisces, two fish. They represent the ingathering of the souls, the remnant that will come to Messiah. Jesus said to his disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Amen." We know one time when they were out fishing, the 12 disciples fished all night and caught no fish.

Jesus showed up and said, "Throw your net on the right side." They brought in so many fish, it broke the net. It's showing the harvest for the gospel. Amen. The three decans: the band, it's a cord, meaning the Redeemer will be bound. Andromeda represents the chained woman. She's in chains because Israel, who is the woman, is still chained by unbelief. Amen.

By and large, the Jewish people are in chains of unbelief. Cepheus is the crowned king, the deliverer coming to rule. Number eight, the ram. We know that the ram is Messiah. It represents the Messiah, the Lamb of God. John said in John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

Then in Revelation, John saw him, even then, even then in heaven, in glory, he saw somebody sitting on the throne and he said, "He looks like a lamb who was just slain. Amen." The three decans of Aries the ram is Cassiopeia, an enthroned woman preparing to get married. Cetus, the sea monster, the great enemy has been subdued and bound.

Perseus, the breaker, the mighty deliverer. Number nine is Taurus the bull, represents the Messiah coming to judge. To judge and to rule. The three decans of Taurus are Orion, which represents the Prince of Glory coming in the brightness of his coming. Eridanus represents a river of fire.

God's wrath will be poured out on Satan and his enemies. Auriga is a shepherd. God's people will be protected in the day of wrath. The shepherd protects and lays down his life for his sheep. Number 10, Gemini, the twins, represents the dual nature of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man.

He is both King of Kings and yet he is our Savior. The three decans of Gemini: Lepus, an enemy being trodden underfoot. Canis Major Sirius represents the Prince coming in glory. Canis Minor Procyon represents the Redeemer, the Redeemer coming. Number 11 is the crab, represents the Messiah as a protector in a secure resting place.

The three decans of Cancer are Ursa Minor, the sheepfold, also the Great Bear, protecting. The sheep are protected. Ursa Major, it's the flock assembled, protected by the shepherd. Argo is the ship in a safe harbor. The travelers finally are coming home to safe harbor. Number 12, Leo the lion, King of the jungle.

Messiah is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the victor who destroys all of his enemies. Let me tell you the three decans: Hydra is a serpent. The old serpent is destroyed, trampled underfoot. Crater, a cup. The cup of God's wrath is poured out on the kingdom of the serpent and the dragon. Corvus the raven. The raven represents the devouring of the old serpent because ravens are carnivorous. Amen.

They're eaters of meat. One more I want to tell you. I want to give you a fourth one in this last one. I'm not sure if I'm saying it right, but Denebola. It means the Lord who comes. You see that redemption and the gospel was written in the stars. Yet Satan is the one who has corrupted it. Amen.

Sharon Hardy Knotts: Amen. I hope you are following us in this comprehensive study from my Genesis series, part two: the recreation days two through four. In this eye-opening account, we discuss the greenhouse effect of the firmament that once covered the earth, making it a virtual paradise with universal warm temperatures and lush vegetation before there was rain.

What happened to the firmament that altered this canopy of waters? You may be surprised to learn that day two is the only day God did not speak of his handiwork saying, "It is good." Why? Find out who is entrenched in the heavens and why God did not bless this day. The Bible forbids astrology and consulting the signs of the Zodiac because they are corrupted by Satan.

Yet scripture says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth his handiwork." Discover what each of the 12 signs of the Zodiac relate in the story of Messiah, the serpent's demise, and man's redemption. If you'd like more of this teaching, the entire three-part series is available on three CDs for your love gift of only $20 or more for the radio ministry.

You will receive part one: the recreation of heaven and earth. Part two: recreation days two through four. And part three: recreation days five through seven. Send your minimum love gift of $20 to Sound of Faith, PO Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland 21203, or go to our e-store at soundoffaith.org where MP3s are also available.

But to order the Genesis series, the complete set of three CDs by mail, send your love gift of $20 or more to PO Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland 21203. Request SK777. Until next time, this is Sharon Knotts saying, "Maranatha."