Friday, March 22, 2013

Lesson 008 - Libra



The Transaction of Propitiation - The Law of the LORD is Perfect

In eternity before time, God, the one Being of Deity, the only God planned a creation of sons of God in His image - a kingdom of royal priests of sons of God.  This is God’s covenant with Himself - a legal binding agreement. 
The transaction or contract of the eternal covenant for sons of God in His image is pictured in the sign of Libra.  Beginning with Libra and following the path of the sun, the revelation in the stars tells what God is doing; it shows His plan of a holy calling of sons of God before the eternal ages.  
The message in the stars is obedience to the truth; sin is not the issue.  The issue is that man needs a forever-living body.  Man must be born again (John 3:3). 
In the gospel in the stars, God teaches man that the Law of the Lord is perfect – and He invites or “calls to” man giving him the opportunity to be a son of God. 
The Stellar sign Libra has several meanings:  “The Scale or Weighing,” “Purchase or Redemption,” “The Mediator,” “House of Propitiation or Station of Propitiation,” and “Yoke, Cross Bar or Balance Beam.” 
While the function of scales is for weighing, the primary purpose is to negotiate a transaction for possession.  The cross of Christ Jesus, the Yoke, Cross Bar or Balance Beam” was “the Scale” - “the Mediator’s” instrument for the transaction.  
Two root words of the word propitiation mean literally the Grace of the Branch,” a fitting synopsis of the simple but deeply profound message of Libra.  Grace is God’s great favor for man in the Son of His covenant, Jesus Christ, who is known by the title, “the Branch” (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12).  
The three star names of Libra are (1) “The Price Deficient,” (2) “The Price Which Covers” - “Swept Away and CoversHeaped Up Highand (3) “The Price of Conflict,” along with the decans of Libra, “The Cross,” “The Victim Slain” (“Lupus”) and “The Crown” accurately tell forth the details of the great favor of God in “the Branch.” 
God’s plan to have man in His image requires two bodies.  Men born in mortal bodies of the earth, bodies of flesh, are deficient of the image of a son of God.  The body of flesh falls short of the glory of the image of a son of God (Romans 3:23).  Man in the flesh needs a covering that is sufficient.  
Before God entered time, a contract or transaction took place in the counsels of the eternal God.  In order to accomplish His purpose to have sons of God in His image, God must have an image.  God’s life must be put in a mortal body of the earth; therefore, one of the beings of Deity must take a body of flesh.  One of the three personal beings of Deity must take a body for a material physical image of God, a body where God can be seen.  God is not a creation; God has no beginning or end – He is eternal.  A body must be brought forth so that God can be led forth to be seen.  One of the three personal beings of Deity must bear the same image as the man they purposed to create; one must be birthed in a body of human flesh but not birthed of the seed of man.  The seed of man will reproduce a “body that is dead because of sin” (Romans 8:10) – a body consigned to return to the dust of the ground.  One of the three personal beings of Deity must become a birthed Son of God birthed of a virgin in a mortal body of humanity of the earth earthy. 
God offers man propitiation (a meeting place) – “The Price Which Covers” for “The Price Which is Deficient (a body of flesh).  The Price Which Covers” is the resurrected body of the Son of God.  The resurrected body has “Swept Away” that which is deficient “and Covers”; Heaped Up High” is the glory of the resurrected body.  
Man needs a “Mediator.”  A Mediator is an arbitrator for legal counsel.  God would send the Mediator, the man Christ Jesus in the likeness of man, in a flesh body of humanity so that man might unite himself to God.  Deity unites Himself to His creation of man in a body.  
God the Father would prepare a body and enlife it for His birthed Son.  The body prepared for the birthed Son is a seed coat that covers the eternal life within.  In order for man to have a deathless body raised from the dead, it is imperative that he choose to unite himself with the incorruptible seed, the covenant Son, the begotten Son.  
The Word of God is the only incorruptible seed with the power of life eternal to raise a body out from the dead, deathless to die no more.  “The Mediator,” the meeting place – “the House of Propitiation” are the same.  The man Christ Jesus, God’s birthed son, is “the Mediator” between God and man; He is the negotiator.  His body of flesh prepared in the womb of the virgin enlifed by the Father is the meeting place, “the House of Propitiation.”  
God desires to build a household of sons of God, a royal priesthood.  The birthed Son is the incorruptible seed, the power of God unto salvation to whosoever will believe and receive the gift of life (Romans 1:16).  The body of Jesus is the tent of meeting.  The transaction for a possession, man in God’s image is accomplished in the eternal God before time began. 
The scale of Libra is perfectly balanced, although not identical, as indicated in the star names – “The Price Which is Deficient” and “The Price Which Covers.”  How can they be perfectly balanced when the star names are “The Price Which is Deficient” and “The Price Which Covers”
The pictorial is clear.  Having no power to be raised from the dead, man’s body of flesh is lifeless.  However, the birthed body of Jesus has the power of an endless life.  The birthed body of Jesus is the only body of humanity brought forth from the womb that holds immortality.  The birthed body of the child born is in the likeness of man, “the Price Deficient” for a son of God.  Jesus, the Son begotten from the dead, is “the Price Which Covers” – man in the image of God. 
Enlifed by the Father, the incorruptible seed has the power of life to be raised from the dead a Son of God, the Son given, “the Price Which Covers.”  Only the Son given, the begotten Son of God, the first-born from the dead provides “Redemption” for God’s creation of humanity.  Therefore, the balance of the scale of Libra is equal because of the Life of the incorruptible seed.  Held in the seed coat is Life everlasting (“the Price Deficient”) and the Seed is Life everlasting (“the Price Which Covers”) making the weight the same.  
The last price in the sign is the third star, “The Price of Conflict.”  For God the Son to step willingly out of eternity and into time and take upon Himself the likeness of the man He fashioned – a body that He retains forever and ever is an act of infinite condescension.  
God is other than His creation.  He is Spirit Being of Deity.  His choice was a voluntary service of supreme love.  There are three personal beings of one essence of Deity.  Deity is a being of spirit.  The three personal beings are one in essence, one spirit of life, love and light, having the same mind, the same will and the same emotions.  In every way, the three persons are equal in the essence of Deity, the essence of God.  A being of spirit – immaterial and invisible, does not have an image.  God does not have a visible, corporeal image. 
Choosing to cover His essence of Deity with a mortal body of flesh and blood and lay it down as a propitiation (meeting place) for mankind to be raised up in a body of Spirit is truly the act of love beyond understanding. 
“The Price of Conflict” agreed upon in eternity past was lived out in time in the Garden of Gethsemane and finished at the cross of Calvary.  It is one thing to weigh in the balance “the Price of Conflict” and another to go through that trial and live it!  
The first decan of Libra is known as Crux or the Cross.”  In the luminaires are four bright stars in a reasonably shaped cross.  Its ancient Hebrew name was Adom, which means “cutting off – it is finished.” 
Thus, “the Price of Conflict” in both the offering of the sacrifice; i.e., the flesh body – the seed grain of Jesus – and the offering of Himself, the troubling of His soul, was finished once for all.  God accomplished the work of redemption.  The shed blood of Jesus “cut off” the sin and death passed upon all men, and the resurrection of His glorified body finished the reign of that power.  “It is finished” (John 19:30). 
The second decan is most commonly known by its Latin name “Lupus” or “Victima,” “the Victim or the Slain.”  The contemporary Greek name is “Wolf or the Beast,” implying an enemy.  The Hebrew name means, “To Be Slain and in ancient times was referred to as “Sura,” a sheep or lamb.  Thus, the star names in this sign give a detailed message of that which is slain:  a victim - a Lamb, and an enemy - the wolf or beast. 
The victim slain (the lamb) and the enemy (the wolf or beast) are put to death by the Conqueror “Centaurus, the second decan of Virgo, coupling the two constellations Libra and Virgo.  Obviously, a lamb and a wolf are not the same animal any more than a victim and enemy are the same.  So what is the picture?  In the sign Virgo, “Centaurus” is portrayed as a conqueror, a mighty warrior, although the star names signify the “Despised One,” “the Pierced” and “He Who Pierces.”  The star names and the title conqueror are clearly at odds with one another.  
Nevertheless, Jesus as the “Despised One” – the despised sin offering rejected by men was the “Victim Slain” – the Lamb of God.  Pierced” by wicked hands, crucified and put to death is the conqueror for it is “He Who Pierces” the enemy the “Wolf or the Beast.”  “Centaurus” the executioner, “He Who Pierces,” puts the enemy to death.  
Within this decan are multiple revelations.  The wicked hands that put to death the Lamb of God belonged to the false prophets (the chief priests), which “appeared” as shepherds but were dressed in sheep’s clothing; inwardly, they are ravening wolves – beasts, enemies of God (Matthew 7:15; John 10:7-13).  While God permitted these wicked hands to put to death the Lamb of God, it must be understood that the Lamb of God willingly took upon Himself the sting of death – no man took His life from Him; Jesus laid it down voluntarily (John 10:18).  Jesus took the sins of all humanity on His body and destroyed the last enemy, death, by His resurrection.  Victory swallows up death.  But much more was accomplished by the grace of God.  At His second coming, the wolves, the false prophets and the beast will be put to death.  
Only the covenant Son has the power of righteousness required to slay the enemy death and provide the gift of everlasting life in a body of glory. 
The third and last decan of Libra is “Corona,” “the Crown.”  In Old Testament times, the victor of the race run was given a crown of woven vines.  The Hebrew name for “Corona” means “Royal Crown” and the brightest star in the decan means “the Shining.” 
“The Crown” follows “the Price of Conflict,” which is the Cross” and the Victim Slain.  The decan of “the Crown is a lovely semicircle of a half dozen stars and is one of the few decans that looks like the object for which it is named. 
Having run the race set before Him by His Father, Jesus finished the course and received not a woven crown that withers and perishes but a body of glory.  For suffering death, He was crowned with a body of glory and a kingdom of glory fitting the worthy Redeemer.  Jerusalem, the city of the king, will be the capital of the world; the king of glory will set his throne in her city and all the nations of the world will come and worship the LORD of hosts – Jesus, King of kings and LORD of Lords, the crowned victor – the King of glory, The LORD of hosts! 
In the end God will be all and in all.  He will have His kingdom of sons of God; He will have His royal priesthood.  He will have His sons of God.
God’s perfect plan is in the stars and God’s perfect plan is in His written Word – “For the Law of the LORD is perfect” (Psalm 19:7).  The Hebrew word for perfect means entire – whether literal, figurative or moral.  It means without blemish, complete, full, perfect, undefiled, upright, and whole.  
Libra is an overview of God’s entire story.  Indeed, “the law of the LORD is perfect.” 


Glossary for Libra
Names of the Stellar sign of Libra: 
“The Scale or Weighing”
“Purchase or Redemption”
“The Mediator”
“House of Propitiation or Station of Propitiation”
“Yoke, Cross Bar or Balance Beam” 
Star Names in Stellar sign Libra: 
“The Price Deficient”
“The Price Which Covers – Swept Away and Covers – Heaped Up High”
“The Price of Conflict”
Names of Decans in Libra: 
“The Cross” – Adom - cutting off – it is finished; no star names preserved. 
“The Victim or the Slain” (“Lupus”) - Hebrew name means, “To Be Slain and in ancient times was referred to as “Sura,” a sheep or lamb.  Contemporary Greek name means “Wolf or the Beast” – the name implies an enemy; no star names preserved. 
“Corona” -“The Crown” – “Royal Crown” Ornament or Jewel
Star name:  “The Shining”  
House of Propitiation – means a meeting place. 

Incorruptible Seed – is the first begotten Son of God from the dead. 

Mediator – is an arbitrator or negotiator – the Man Christ Jesus – the meeting place – the house of propitiation – redemption between God and man. 

Price Deficient equals the Price Which Covers – because the birthed body of Jesus has the power of an endless life – the child born is in the likeness of man (seed coat), the Price Deficient for a son of God.  Jesus, the Son begotten from the dead (Incorruptible Seed), is the Price Which Covers – man in the image of God.  
Lesson 008 Libra Stars 


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