Cancer the Crab

Cancer – The Crab

Cancer – The Crab

This is the 11th sign and we are nearing the end of the story.

In the midst of Cancer – The Crab is a one of the brightest nebulous clusters in the sky called Praesepe which means “The Multitude”, “The Offspring”, “The Innumerable Seed”.

God promised Abraham that his seed would be as the stars, too numerable to count.

The most obvious feature of a crab is its claws. This is a picture of the church being held fast by Christ. It attests to his keeping power. The church is being held as the possession of Christ. The crab lives in two elements, land and sea. The church lives in two elements, earth and heaven.

1 Peter 3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The Egyptian name for this constellation is Klaria which means “The Folds” or “The Resting Places.” The Syriac name is Sartano which means “The One Who Holds.” The word Cancer is related to the word “Kahn” that means “The Traveler’s Resting Place.” Ker or Cer means “Embraced” or “Encircled”

The star in its tail, Tegmine, means “The Sheltering” or “Hiding Place”.

Another star is Al Himerein which means “The Kids” or “The Lambs”

Another star is Ma’alaph which means “Assembled Thousands”

Cancer is a picture of the thousands that the Savior has held fast to that are assembled in the heavens.

Ursa Minor – The Lesser Sheepfold

First Decan

Ursa Minor in the modern zodiac this constellation is known as “The Little Bear”, but this is not the ancient meaning of this constellation. No bear ever had that long of a tail. The ancient meaning of this constellation was the sheepfold.

The brightest star in this constellation is at the end of the tail and is called in Arabic Al-Ruccaba. We know this star as Polaris or The Pole Star. This is the star on which all of the heavens turn. Because of the precession of the equinoxes this star has not always be the North Star. 6,000 years ago that star would have been Draconis which is the main star in Draco, the Dragon. At that time Satan deceived Adam and Eve and ruled over earth. Satan is no longer in that position.

The Greeks called the Pole Star Cynosure. We use this word in English and it means “The center of attraction, center of attention. “ Christ is central to the drama that will play out for the entire world to see. All of history revolves around Him.

The second brightest star in Ursa Minor is Kochab which means “waiting Him who Cometh”.

Another star which in Arabic is called Alpherkadain means “Redeemed Assembly”

This constellation is depicted as a sheepfold; an assembly of those who have been redeemed, and not as a little bear.

Ursa Major – The Greater Sheepfold

Second Decan

Ursa Major is known as The Great Bear, but we call it The Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is only a part of the entire constellation. This constellation is neither a dipper nor a bear. It is the greater sheepfold as depicted in the ancient zodiacs.

The Arabic name for this constellation is Al Naish meaning “The Assembled Together”.

The brightest star in this constellation is Dubheh which means “Herd of Animals” or “Fold”. This word is similar to the Hebrew word Dowb which means “The Bear”. This could possibly be the explanation for the change in meaning of this constellation.

Another star in this constellation is Merach, which means in Hebrew “The Flock” and in Arabic “Purchased”. We are his flock which he purchased with his blood.

Another star is Phaeda which means “Visited”, “Guarded”, or “Numbered”. We were visited by Christ. This is the word used to describe being guarded or garrisoned by soldiers encircling the city. We are kept and guarded by God unto salvation.

Other stars are: El Alcola “The Sheepfold”; Cab’d al Asad “Multitude of the Assembled”; El Kaprah, “The Protected” or in Hebrew, “The Redeemed” “The Ransomed”. Callisto again means, “The Sheepfold”

From the names of the stars there is no doubt as to the meaning of this constellation. From the names of the stars in these two constellations we see the vast multitude of those who have been redeemed, held and guarded by Christ who will one day gather all the elect to himself in a heavenly sheepfold.

Argo – The Ship

Third Decan

This constellation is outside of the elliptical at the present time. It is the figure of a large ship. Known as Argo and means The Ship, we have a picture of a ship safely in harbor with its sails rolled and tied up. It is not at sea, but is safely at home.

Our Astronauts were named for this constellation.

The root meaning of Argo means “The Company of Travelers”.

The brightest star in Argo is Canopus which means “The Possession of him Who Cometh”

Sephina means “The Miltitude”

Tureis means “The Possession”

There is a Lion’s Head on the prow of the ship. Ships always have the figurehead pointing forward but on Argo the figurehead is facing the nave of the ship, looking at the inhabitants of the ship. Christ is the one who is guarding and protecting the church. The word nave is used to describe the inside area of the church where the saints would be assembled.

The 11th group of stars, Cancer and its 3 decans, show a picture of Christ holding firm to the church and giving it safe passage to heaven. This is truly a picture of the rapture of the church.

“The Witness in the Stars” by E.W. Bullinger, published by Kregel Publications Reprint from 1893