The Lion
and Unicorn Testify of Christ, Part II: The Four Royal Stars
by John P.
Pratt
The
four "royal stars" are the bright stars in the four cornerstone
constellations discussed in Part
I. The Book of Enoch explains that the stars are named for the
Lord's most faithful servants, and the constellation symbolism is
clear enough to indicate just who these stars represent.
In Part
I of this two-part article, we discussed the four cornerstone
constellations in detail and concluded that they symbolized four
aspects of the life of Christ, as well as the four principal tribes
of Israel. Now let us consider the symbolism of the four bright
royal stars which they contain. Even as the source of the constellations
was described in the Book of Enoch as having been revealed by an
angel, so also was the key to understanding the symbolism of the
four royal stars revealed to Enoch.
Star Names
Enoch shares with us the great secret of the meanings of the stars
and their names, which has been overlooked until now. He states:
"I
beheld another splendour, and the stars of heaven. I observed that
he called them all by their respective names. . .
"I
inquired of the angel, and he explained to me secret things, What
their names were. He answered, A similitude of those has the Lord
of spirits shown thee. They are the names of the righteous who dwell
upon the earth, and who believe in the name of the Lord of spirits
for ever and ever." (Enoch 43:1-2).
This indeed
has been a great secret: The stars are named for the Lord's faithful
servants. Enoch mentions that he saw that there are seven principal
stars (Enoch 18:14)
and shortly after lists the names of seven angels (Enoch 20).[1]
Using the key of star naming, we can infer that those seven stars
are most likely named for the seven principal angels,[2]
all of whom at some time have lived or will live on the earth (D.&C.
130:5). Enoch also notes that four of those seven angels are the
most important; they are called the "presiding angels" in this article.
Similarly, there are four stars which were the most important to
the ancients and known as the four "royal" stars. As we shall see,
there is ample information available to deduce the identity of all
four of the noble and faithful servants of God whom these stars
represent.
The Four Angels
The Book of Enoch explains that the four creatures of the lion,
eagle, bull and man (four cornerstone constellations) correspond to
four angels, who are also associated with the four sides of the throne
of God. The four angels are not identical to the four creatures, but
rather they are angels associated with them (Enoch 40:2).
Enoch was shown that in addition to the four principal stars there
are twelve other stars which are captains and also many which are
leaders of a thousand each (Enoch 81:9-11).
Enoch tells
us,
"I
beheld the celestial stars come forth. I numbered them as they proceeded
out of the gate, and wrote them all down, as they came out one by
one according to their number. I wrote down their names altogether,
their times and their seasons, as the angel Uriel, who was with
me, pointed them out to me. He showed them all to me and wrote down
an account of them. He also wrote down for me their names, their
regulations and their operations." (Enoch 32:2-3).
Thus, Enoch
was shown all the governing stars and learned their names. Now let
us turn to identifying the four angels represented by the four principal
or "royal" stars. These stars are first, Regulus, the bright star
at the heart of the Lion. The second star is Antares, the red star
at the heart of the Scorpion, and also in the foot of the Serpent
Bearer. The third star is Fomalhaut, the bright star both in the
head of the Southern Fish and also in the stream of water being
poured out by the Water Bearer. The fourth royal star is Aldebaran,
the flaming red eye of the white Bull.
The Prophet
Enoch had a vision of the throne of the Lord of Spirits. He saw
that there were four angels, one on each of the four sides, each
praising and blessing the Lord of Spirits. He also beheld myriads
of other people (Enoch 40:1-7).
This vision was very similar to that of John in the Book of Revelation,
who saw beasts on the four sides of the throne which were like a
lion, a calf, a man, and a flying eagle (Rev. 4:7). The angel tells
Enoch not only the names of these four presiding angels, but also
their responsibilities:
"After
this I besought the angel of peace, who proceeded with me, to explain
all that was concealed. I said to him, Who are those whom I have
seen on the four sides, and whose words I have heard and written
down? He replied, the first is the merciful, the patient, the holy
Michael.
"The
second is he who presides over every suffering and every affliction
of the sons of men, the holy Raphael. The third who presides over
all that is powerful, is Gabriel. And the fourth, who presides over
repentance, and the hope of those who will inherit eternal life,
is Phanuel. These are the four angels of the most high God" (Enoch
40:8-9)
Thus we are
given the names of the four presiding angels and also their duties.
The duties of Michael are not mentioned here, but they were given
earlier in the Book of Enoch. Enoch was told that Michael presides
"over human virtue, commands the nations." (Enoch 20:5.)
Here we are
explicitly told that these four presiding angels are associated
with the four sides of the throne of God. The association of the
four directions with the four cornerstone constellations of the
Lion, the Eagle (with Serpent and Scorpion), the Water Bearer, and
the Bull was discussed in detail in Part I: the red Lion is associated
with the East, the black Scorpion with the North, the blue Stream
of the Water Bearer with the South, and the white Bull with the
West. Now we are told the names of the angels associated with each,
and also told that the stars are named for the faithful servants
of God. Thus, we can deduce that these four angels are not only
associated with the cornerstone constellations, but more particularly
with the four royal stars which they contain.
Before attempting
to identify just who the four angels are, let us note one other
Biblical prophecy which clearly ties the four colors of the four
directions to four angels:
"And
I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there
came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains
were mountains of brass.
"In
the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black
horses;
"And
in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled
and bay horses.
"Then
I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are
these, my lord?
"And
the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits
of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of
all the earth.
"The
black horses which are therein go forth into the north country;
and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward
the south country." (Zechariah 6:1-6)
Here we again
see the four directions associated with four colors of horses, similar
to the vision of John (Rev. 6:2-8), reviewed in Part I. This time,
however, the association with the four spirits of heaven is explicit,
as well as with the directions. Black is identified with north and
grisled with south, agreeing with the conclusions of Part I, where
grisled is substituted for blue, as was "pale" in John's vision.
The white horses, which should go west, instead follow the black
going north probably symbolizing Joseph's tribes accompanying Dan's
to the north countries.
Let us now
proceed to identify which angel goes with which star, and also what
the names of the angels were when they lived on the earth as men.
Let us now consider each angel in the order given by Enoch.
Michael
Michael is the angel of whom we know the most from the scriptures,
and who is even explicitly identified. Michael means "Like Unto God."[3]
Presiding
Archangel. Michael is identified in scripture as the "archangel"
(Jude 1:9, D.C. 29:26), meaning that he presides among the seven
holy angels. The Book of Enoch explicitly states that he presides:
"Michael, one of the holy and glorious angels who were with me,
and who presided over them" (Enoch 24:4).
He is often numbered as the seventh angel (D.&C. 88:112), but he
is the chief angel even as the seventh president of the quorum of
seventy presides over the others (D.C. 107:94). The fact that Michael
presides is an indication that Michael is associated with the Lion,
the King of Beasts, who presides over the four cornerstone constellations.
The Prince.
Michael is also referred to as the great "Prince" who will stand
up for his people in the latter days (Dan. 10:21, 12:1). Michael's
title of "Prince" is confirmed in modern revelation (D.&C. 78:16).
The title Prince is consistent with Michael's role as described
by Enoch as commanding the nations (Enoch 20:5).
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, but Michael is apparently next
in command under him as the Prince.
 |
The
Lion, with Regulus at his heart
The ancient
name of one of the four royal stars is a perfect match for Michael.
Regulus, a modern Latin name which was coined to reflect the ancient
name of the heart of the Lion, means the Little King, or "The Prince."[4]
Here we have a direct correlation where the modern star name exactly
correlates to one of the ancient symbols for one of the four angels.
Enoch was told that the stars represented faithful leaders, and
that the star names symbolized those people, and here we have a
perfect match. That is, Michael was called The Prince and one of
the four stars is still called The Prince. We can't expect all four
stars to have preserved their ancient names, but here we have a
strong clue that the star Regulus, the Prince of the royal stars
who presides over the others, correlates to Michael, the archangel.
Thus, the first
of the four seems to clearly be that Michael is at the heart of
the lion, being Regulus, the Prince.
Michael:
Adam. The scriptures explicitly identify Michael as being the
same as Adam, the first man created and the father of the entire
human family, the Ancient of Days (D.&C. 27:11). That identification
was known even to Adam himself and to the faithful of his day. Here
is the account of the appearance of the Lord at the great conference
in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, near the end of Adam's life:
"And
the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam,
and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel.
"And
the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him: I have
set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of
thee, and thou art a prince over them forever.
"And
Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding
he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted
whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation."
(D.&C. 107:54-56)
Thus, there
is no question that Michael is Adam. Many symbolic details fit perfectly
with this identification. The name Michael, "Like Unto God" is reminiscent
of the fact that Adam was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27).
Another clue is that the name "Adam" means "red," and red is the
color associated with the Lion. Adam also presides over the nations
as the father of nations, even as Michael commands the nations.
The star Regulus represents Adam.
Raphael
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The
Caduceus
The Healer.
Enoch was told that Raphael is over all healing. In fact, the name
Raphael means "God is a healer,"[5] so healing is
clearly associated with Raphael. As discussed in Part I, one of the
four cornerstone constellations is also clearly tied to healing. The
Serpent Bearer has a serpent coiled around him, in a very similar
fashion to the serpent coiled around the staff of the caduceus, emblem
of medicine. The Serpent Bearer has been wounded, but he is crushing
the head of the source of the pain and suffering. Thus, the Serpent
Bearer is apparently a symbol of he who "was wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities... With his stripes we are healed" (Isa.
53:5). In fact, the Serpent Bearer probably represents the Savior
in his role of the great Healer who ultimately crushes even Death
itself. Thus, Raphael seems to associated with the Serpent Bearer.
That would mean his star is Antares, at the heart of the Scorpion.
Antares means "Like Aries" or "Rival of Aries," referring to it's
red color causing it sometimes to look like the planet Mars (Aries
to the Greeks) when they are near each other. But who is Raphael?
The identity
of Raphael has not been revealed in scripture. We know that Raphael
has returned to earth and restored the keys of his dispensation
along with the other presiding angels Michael and Gabriel (D.C.
128:21). Bruce R. McConkie, a latter-day apostle and modern scripture
commentator, has proposed that Raphael may be Enoch.[6]
He deduced that based on the fact that Raphael restored the keys
of his dispensation and that Enoch was certainly a great prophet
who held keys to a dispensation, and who is not mentioned otherwise
as having returned with his dispensation keys.
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The
Scorpion, with his red heart Antares
Raphael:
Enoch. There are some indications both in the Book of Enoch
as well as in constellation symbolism that Raphael is indeed most
likely Enoch.
One is that
in the Book of Enoch, usually when the four are mentioned together,
the order is: Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Phanuel. What order
are they in? It is not the priesthood order, because Gabriel stands
second to Michael in priesthood authority as we will see in the
next section. It may be chronological order of their birth, which
argues for Raphael being Enoch. It may also be the order of the
four in the circle of the zodiac, which also would argue for Raphael
being the Serpent Bearer.
Another indication
that Raphael is Enoch might be found in the unusual name for Enoch,
the "Wild Man" (Moses 6:38). That seems like a strange name for
a man who is also called a "seer" in the same verse. Why was he
called the wild man? The name perfectly fits the constellation of
the Serpent Bearer, who is wrestling a serpent. The other men in
the constellations have milder occupations, such as a king, a charioteer,
and a hunter. But a serpent wrestler might easily be called a wild
man.
Perhaps the
best witness that Enoch is Raphael is found in the Book of Enoch
itself. Enoch records that the Lord commanded the angel Raphael
to deliver a judgment to the fallen angel Azazyel for his wickedness:
"Again
the Lord said to Raphael, Bind Azazyel hand and foot; cast him into
darkness. . .All the earth has been corrupted by the effects of
the teaching of Azazyel. To him therefore ascribe the whole crime."
(Enoch 10:6,
12)
The clue that
Raphael is really Enoch himself is that it is Enoch who delivers
this condemnation to Azazyel. A few chapters later Enoch himself
fulfills the charge that Raphael had been given. First, he tells
Azazyel of the great sentence pronounced against him: "Then Enoch,
passing on, said to Azazyel: Thou shalt not obtain peace. A great
sentence is gone forth against thee." (Enoch 13:1).
Azazyel and his followers then beg Enoch to petition the Lord for
forgiveness for them. Enoch does so, but he reports back to Azazyel,
"Judgment
has been passed upon you: your request will not be granted you.
From this time forward, never shall you ascend into heaven; He has
said, that on the earth He will bind you, as long as the world endures."
(Enoch 14:3-4)
While this
is not solid proof, it appears that the charge given to Raphael
of condemning Azazyel was apparently fulfilled by the Prophet Enoch.[7]
Thus, we have an indication from the Book of Enoch itself that Raphael
is Enoch.
Understanding
the identity of Enoch as Raphael, who is identified with the color
black, may be a clue to understanding how color is sometimes used
in scripture. For example, the Kingdom of God in the latter-days
is represented in the Book of Enoch by a great white bull with black
horns (Enoch 89:47).
Why black horns? Perhaps it represents the fact that the city of
Enoch will return and join them (Moses 7:63).
Gabriel
The angel Gabriel plays an important role throughout history.
It was Gabriel who revealed truths to Daniel, and who announced
the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias, and of Christ to Mary
(Daniel 8:16, Luke 1:19, 26). Gabriel has been given the keys of
the office of Elias, that is, "the keys of bringing to pass the
restoration of all things spoken of by the mouth of all the holy
prophets since the world began, concerning the last days" (D.C.
27:6-7).
Power.
The angel told Enoch that Gabriel presides over "power". Which of
the four cornerstone constellations does that indicate? The blessing
of Reuben told him that he represented "the excellency of power"
(Gen 49:3). We saw in Part I of this article that Reuben was associated
with the Water Bearer, who in turn is the symbol used by the Lord
when speaking of the saints being "endowed with power" (D.&C. 38:32,
43:16, 105:11). Blessings would be poured out upon them (Sec. 110:9),
even as the river is being poured out by the Water Bearer onto the
head of the Southern Fish. Thus the word "power" seems to have very
specific meaning. If this identification is correct, then Gabriel
is to be associated with the star Fomalhaut, located both in the
head of the Southern Fish and also in the stream being poured out
upon it. Fomalhaut come from the Arabic words for "the Fish's Mouth,"
but it's proper location is probably nearer the top of the head.
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The
Water Bearer with Fomalhaut ending the Stream
Supporting evidence
for the identification of Gabriel with the Water Bearer is that
the name "Gabriel" means "Man of God." Of the four faces of the
cherubim, the man's face corresponds to the Water Bearer. Thus Gabriel's
very name indicates the Water Bearer, even as Raphael's indicated
the Serpent Bearer (Healer), and Michael's indicated Adam (both
"red" and "like unto God").
But who is
Gabriel?
Gabriel:
Noah. The scriptures do not identify Gabriel directly, but the
Prophet Joseph Smith did. He declared, "...Noah, who is Gabriel:
he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called
of God to this office, and was the father of all living in this
day, and to him was given the dominion."[8]
Here we also
learn the important concept that Gabriel is second in authority
to Michael, which fact is not mentioned in the Book of Enoch, nor
elsewhere, to my knowledge. Being second in authority would also
tie Gabriel to the Water Bearer because that constellation is in
the position opposite of the Lion in the zodiac. Even as the "12"
on a clock (the Lion) dominates because it marks the hours, so also
does the "6" (the Water Bearer) rank second because it marks the
half hours. The Scorpion and the Bull mark the quarter hours, so
they rank below the Lion and the Water Bearer.
The role of
Gabriel as the Elias who is to restore the truths of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ fits perfectly with the imagery of the Water Bearer
who brings the living water. Truth will "flood" the earth in the
last days. Moreover, Noah is also associated with water flooding
the world physically. Some L.D.S. authorities have proposed, based
on the above scriptures, that it was Noah who was the Elias who
came to the Kirtland temple to restore the keys of the dispensation
of the Gospel of Abraham (D.C. 110:12).[9]
Thus, Noah,
the number two man in priesthood authority throughout the history
of the earth, is apparently represented by the star Fomalhaut.
Phanuel
The angel Phanuel is not mentioned in the canonized scriptures
although one allusion to him may be found where Jacob names a place
Peniel (Phanuel), perhaps after the angel he is thought to have
wrestled with (Gen. 32:24-30). The name Phanuel, given in the Book
of Enoch, means "the Face of God." There are several clues to help
us identify just who Phanuel might be.
First, Enoch
was told us that Phanuel "presides over repentance, and the hope
of those who will inherit eternal life" (Enoch 40:9).
In a way, that clue alone really narrows down the prospects. After
all, how many men is history have a legitimate claim to be the one
who presides over the hope of all who will inherit eternal life?
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The
Bull with his red eye Aldebaran
Second, the
constellation corresponding to Phanuel must be the Bull, because
the other three all seem to be clearly identified with one of the
other three angels. Moreover, the order in which the angel's names
were given matches the order of the four cornerstone constellations.
As was discussed in Part I, one symbolism of the Bull is that it
represents the Kingdom of God which will be set up in the last days
to bulldoze the nations and to gather Israel. Thus it seems likely
that Phanuel is associated with the Kingdom of God in the last days.
The third clue
is the location of the bright star in the constellation. Aldebaran,
which means "the Follower," is located at the eye of the Bull. The
eye is often the symbol of a seer. In Part I we discussed how the
star's location in the figure is important: Regulus as the heart
of the Lion representing emotions, Fomalhaut in the head of the
Southern Fish representing the mind, and Antares as the heart of
the Scorpion representing judgment and strength. This constellation
is identified with Joseph of Egypt, who was a great seer.
Who then could
fit the description of being a great seer who would lead the Kingdom
of God in the last days to gather Israel, and upon whom the hope
for eternal life for even those in past ages would depend? Could
it be anyone other than the Prophet Joseph Smith?[10]
Phanuel:
Joseph Smith. The Prophet Joseph Smith was known even by name
to his ancestor Joseph of Egypt, who prophesied that a "choice seer"
would be raised up in the last days from his seed to restore the
gospel (2 Nephi 3:6-21). The Bull was associated with the tribe
of Joseph, and Joseph Smith is identified as being a literal descendent
of Joseph of Egypt. In addition to being the great Seer, he founded
the Kingdom of God, which the white Bull represents so graphically
in the prophesies of Moses and Enoch. He follows the other prophets
chronologically, just as does the Bull, and prepares the way for
the return of Adam, the Prince, at Adam-ondi-Ahman (DC 116), as
well as for the return of the Savior, the King of Kings.
The strongest
argument supporting the proposal that Phanuel is Joseph Smith is
his presiding over the "hope of those who would inherit eternal
life." It was through his ministry that the great temple work was
established to provide the required ordinances for all those who
have lived through the ages, who had not a chance to receive them
during their mortal life. Consider just how much the Prophet Joseph
Smith did for the salvation of mankind:
"Joseph
Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus
only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man
that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has
brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift
and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two
continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which
it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth
the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine
and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for
the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the
Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name
that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes
of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient
time, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood" (D.C.
135:3).
It has not
always been clear to me how the Prophet Joseph Smith could be second
only to Christ in accomplishments for the salvation of mankind,
and yet below both Adam and Noah in priesthood authority. Now the
Book of Enoch and the constellation symbolism together resolve that
apparent dilemma admirably. The key is that the "salvation of men"
was a special priesthood assignment to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Even though other angels ranked above him in priesthood authority,
they had other specialties such as commanding the nations.
We have the
recorded testimony of all four of these angels. All of them bore
witness of Jesus Christ who has been known unto mankind as the Savior
of the World from the beginning of time. Adam taught his children
to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Moses 6:55
7:1). The following table includes some of their testimonies in
their own words.
| Michael's
Testimony
"Blessed
be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes
are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in
the flesh I shall see God." (Moses 5:10)
|
Gabriel's
Testimony
"Believe
and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall
receive the Holy Ghost" (Moses 8:24)
|
| Phanuel's
Testimony
"...this
is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That
he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and
we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten
of the Father That by him, and through him, and of
him, the worlds are and were created..." (D.&C. 76:22-24).
|
Raphael's
Testimony
"I saw
the Lord and he stood before my face, and he talked with me,
even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; and
he said unto me: Look, and I will show unto thee the world
for the space of many generations." (Moses 7:4)
|
First Presidency
of the Earth? The four cornerstone angels may constitute a priesthood
First Presidency of the earth throughout history, with Adam as President,
Noah as first counselor, Joseph Smith as second counselor, and Enoch
as secretary. If that is correct it would explain why Enoch is called
the "Scribe of Righteousness" by the Lord (Enoch 12:5,
15:1):
He may be the secretary of the presiding quorum over the earth.
It would also suggest what some of the assignments for the other
three might be. When Adam was on the earth, the continents formed
one land and he presided over the entire earth. Noah, the first
counselor, might well be assigned to the Eastern Hemisphere, and
the Prophet Joseph Smith to the Western Hemisphere. If Enoch is
the quorum secretary, it would also explain why it was Enoch who
recorded the great prophecy of Adam at Adam-ondi-Ahman (D.&C. 107:56-57):
it was his priesthood assignment to record the prophecies of his
quorum president. And it would explain why the Prophet Joseph Smith
never stated who was third in the priesthood authority over the
earth, after Adam and Noah, because it is he himself.
Note that there
is a similar assignment in the First Presidency of Heaven, which
includes the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Book of Abraham,
Facsimile 3, Fig. 1). While the Father presides over all, one special
assignment of the Son, who is a counselor in that presidency, is
clearly "the salvation of mankind." The Holy Ghost has a very different
assignment, which includes witnessing and spiritual communication.
Thus, the similarity of the roles of Jesus Christ and of Joseph
Smith becomes more clear because they are apparently both counselors
in a presidency and they have the same assignment. Both needed to
be martyred, and both were sacrificed as lambs going to the slaughter.
It has been proposed that the deaths of both were represented by
the daily ritual sacrifice of two lambs according to the law of
Moses (Num. 28:3-8), the one in the morning representing Jesus Christ
and the sacrifice near the end of the day representing Joseph Smith.[11]
The relationships
of the four cornerstone constellations and stars discussed in both
the first part and this concluding part of this article are summarized
in the following table.
| Constellation |
Lion |
Bull |
Water
Bearer |
Scorpion |
| Royal
Star |
Regulus |
Aldebaran |
Fomalhaut |
Antares |
| Star
Location |
Heart |
Eye |
Head |
Heart |
| Tribe
of Israel |
Judah |
Joseph |
Reuben |
Dan |
| Tribe
Name Means |
Praised |
Increased |
Behold
a Son |
Judge |
| Cherubim
Face |
Lion |
Ox/Calf |
Man |
Eagle |
| Tribal
Banner |
Lion |
Bull |
Man |
Serpent |
|
Blessing |
Lion |
Wild
Ox |
Power,
Water |
Serpent |
| Balaam's
Prophecy |
Lion |
Wild
Ox |
Pour
out water |
Break
bones |
| Color |
Red |
White |
Blue |
Black |
| Horse
Color |
Red |
White |
Grizzled,
Pale |
Black |
| Direction |
East |
West |
South |
North |
| Element |
Fire |
Air |
Water |
Earth |
| Living
Soul |
Blood |
Spirit |
Water |
Dust |
| Baptism |
Fire |
Holy
Ghost |
Water |
Burial |
| Aspect
of Life |
Emotional |
Spiritual |
Mental |
Physical |
| Symbol
of Aspect |
Heart |
Might |
Mind |
Strength |
| Angel |
Michael |
Phanuel |
Gabriel |
Raphael |
| Angel
Name Means |
Like
Unto God |
Face
of God |
Man
of God |
God
is Healer |
| Angel's
Duties |
Commands
Nations |
Salvation |
Power |
Healing |
| Star
Name Means |
Prince |
Follower |
Mouth
of Fish |
Like
Ares |
| Star
Symbolizes |
Adam |
Joseph
Smith |
Noah |
Enoch |
| Gospel
Story |
Millennial
King |
Gather
Israel |
Bless
Church |
Conquer
Death |
| Christ's
Role |
King |
Lord
of Hosts |
Teacher |
Judge/Healer |
Table
1. Cornerstone Constellation Symbolism.
In summary,
what began as a simple observation that the constellations might
actually declare the glory of God (Psalms 19:1), has led to discovering
an incredibly rich and multi-leveled symbolism of the organization
of the priesthood, the roles of some of the key prophets, and above
all, an understanding of how the heavens witness of Christ. As we
begin to understand the depth of information contained in these
constellations, we might exclaim with Enoch,
"I blessed the Lord of glory, who had made those great and splendid
signs, that they might display the magnificence of his works to
angels and to the souls of men; and that these might glorify all
his works and operations; might see the effect of his power; might
glorify the great labor of his hands; and bless him forever." (Enoch
35:3)
References
[1]. Actually the text of the Laurence translation
referenced in this article only contains six names. Other texts include
a seventh which is usually Jerahmeel or simply Remiel. What appears
to be the correct missing name is actually given several other places
in the Book of Enoch: Phanuel.
[2]. The seven angels are probably also associated with the seven
planets, but that remains to be the topic of a future article. This
article refers to the fixed stars.
[3]. The phrase "like unto God" might refer to Michael in other
places in scripture. For example, Abr. 3:24 could be read, "there
stood one among them who was Michael."
[4]. R. H. Allen in Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning (New
York: Dover, 1963) observes that its ancient name arose from the
belief that "it ruled the affairs of the heavens,a belief
current, till three centuries ago, from at least 3000 years before
our era." p. 255.
[5]. The Book of Enoch translation by E. Isaac in The Old Testament
Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth, (New York, Doubleday,
1983), vol I, p. 17, fn 10g.
[6]. Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p. 119, and
Mormon Doctrine, p. 618.
[7]. So just who were these Watchers who became fallen angels when
they lusted after women on earth and lay with them? And why would
they come to Enoch to plead their case to the Lord? The only answer
that has occurred to me is that this episode occurred after Enoch
and his city had been translated. The Watchers were angels from
his city. That would explain why they were angels, how they could
fall, why they would importune Enoch for help, and why Enoch was
assigned to deliver the judgment to them. He was their priesthood
leader.
[8].Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.157.
[9]. For example, Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions,
vol 3, p. 140. John the Revelator also held those same keys, and
could also be considered as a candidate (D.C. 77:14).
[10]. Moses is also a consideration because he held the keys of
gathering Israel (D.C. 110:11) and apparently had the "Face of God,"
having been created in the similitude of the Savior (Moses 1:6).
However, he gave those keys which were dormant in him, to Joseph
Smith to exercise. Moreover, Joseph Smith may also have the face
of God because the Lord said that he was "like unto Moses" (2 Nephi
3:9, Moses 1:41). And here is word of caution for readers, knowing
how Joseph Smith loved to wrestle, eager to identify the angel with
whom Jacob may have wrestled as Phanuel. There is reason to believe
that the angel was Enoch, who had been translated and had a body,
but Phanuel is not ruled out as a possibility because they could
have wrestled all night in the spirit world of dreams.
[11]. Pratt, John P., "What Every Mormon Should Know About Astronomy,"
Meridian
Magazine, 12 May 2000.
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