The Lion and Unicorn Testify of Christ,The Cornerstone Constellations
The four "cornerstone" constellations, which date back to the Prophet Enoch, correspond to the four faces of the cherubim and the four principal tribes of Israel. Their symbols of the lion, eagle/serpent, man and wild ox (unicorn) are emblazoned on family coats of arms and the banners of nations. But most importantly, each testifies of a different aspect of the life of Jesus Christ.
The Prophet Enoch over 5,000 years ago testified of antediluvian knowledge of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Now let us focus on four of the most important constellations, and their four bright "royal stars."
The Four Royal Stars
Several ancient cultures designated four bright stars in the zodiac as the "four corners of the earth" or the "four royal stars." At the time the constellations were drawn by Enoch, these four stars were near the sun's location in the heavens on the first day of autumn, winter, spring and summer, and were thus in four of the most important locations in the sky. The identity of these four stars is well known because there are, in fact, four bright stars which fit these requirements admirably. First, the star Antares is a bright red star, which anciently marked the autumnal equinox, that is, the place in the sky where the sun appears on the first day of autumn. The next star in the sequence is Fomalhaut, which is also a bright star, marking winter. The next star is Aldebaran, another very bright red star located 180.0 around the ecliptic (the apparent path of the sun through the stars) from Antares. Thus, it precisely marked the spring equinox when Antares marked the autumn. Finally, the bright star Regulus, located almost exactly on the ecliptic, marked summer. Regulus, meaning "the Prince," was traditionally the leader of these four royal stars.
Each of the four royal stars is in one constellation of the zodiac, which is the circle of twelve constellations around the ecliptic. Antares is located at the heart of the Scorpion (Scorpius). Fomalhaut is located at the end of the rivers of water being poured out by the Water Bearer (Aquarius). Aldebaran is located at the eye of the Bull (Taurus). Finally, Regulus is located at the heart of the Lion (Leo), which is the king of the constellations, even as the lion is called the king of beasts. These are called the four cornerstone constellations in this article because they form the corners of a great square in the sky and also provide a foundation for understanding gospel symbolism.
Two of the royal stars are listed by the ancients as being shared by two constellations. Antares is not only the heart of the scorpion, it is also the heel of the Serpent Bearer (Ophiuchus), who was encircled by a great serpent (Serpens) and who is stepping on the body and head of the Scorpion. Fomalhaut is not only in the stream of the Water Bearer, it is also in the Head of the Southern Fish (Piscis Australis).
In the case of the Scorpion/Serpent pair, there is a third constellation which is very closely associated with them. It is the Eagle (Aquila), which is located near the tail of the Serpent. The Eagle has been considered to typify the enemy of the serpent and is often shown holding the Serpent in its claws, even as the Serpent Bearer is crushing the Scorpion.
The Four Cornerstone Constellations
Four Faces of the Cherubim.
Both Ezekiel and John the Revelator describe creatures which correspond to the four cornerstone constellations. Ezekiel describes creatures with four faces: the face of a lion, of an ox, of a man and of an eagle, and later identifies them as cherubim (Ezek. 1:10, 10:14, 20-22). The first three of those forms correspond to the Lion, the Bull, and the Water Bearer constellations. The fourth apparently corresponds to the Eagle, the constellation which is often substituted for the serpent/scorpion when symbolizing the celestial aspect of the fourth cornerstone.
John the Revelator also describes four creatures, each of which is found on one side of the throne of God. One was like a lion, one like a calf, one like a man, and one like a flying eagle (Rev. 4:7). Here again we find the same four creatures which correspond to those four constellations, in this case given in the reverse order as they are found in the zodiac, which puts the leader first. The fact that these four symbols are found in a heavenly vision of the throne of God is strong corroboration of the claim in the Book of Enoch that an angel revealed the figures of the constellations to the Prophet Enoch.
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