This week the internet was ablaze with rumors that a 2.5 mile wide comet was going to strike Earth in September.
There are thousands of professional and amateur astronomers who search every night for “Near Earth Objects” like the Phantom Comet. They may miss smaller objects like the one that struck Russia on February 15, 2013 (See our Blogs of 2/13/13 “A Celestial Warning Shot” and 2/20/13 “Meteor Mania”), but the large objects have been mapped. So NASA finally felt compelled to quiet the false reports and panic by issuing a statement that no such comet existed.
However, in the midst of the panic, another comet made its appearance almost unheralded. This comet, known as Panstarrs C/2014 QI, won’t get any closer than 110 million miles, and won’t be any brighter than 5th magnitude. Yet it will bring an important message.
On July 18 the comet will join with triple conjunction grouping of Venus (The Seed of Woman), Jupiter (The Suffering Savior) and the bright star Regulus (Treading Underfoot) (See our Blog of 6/24/15 “The Triple Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus”). To this grouping will be added the Crescent Moon (The Believers) which will be only 2 degrees away from both Venus and the comet. The comet will then move along the constellation Hydra (The Snake) for the next two months before disappearing.
The significance of the close grouping, all in the judgement constellation of Leo (The Lion) begins with the date. It was on July 18, 586 BC that Nebuchadnezzar broke through the walls of Jerusalem and the daily sacrifice at the Temple stopped. Incredibly, on the same date, July 18, 70 AD, the daily sacrifice at the Second Temple stopped as the Romans advanced through Jerusalem. In both cases the judgement of God fell on people who had refused to repent and follow God. The grouping of July 18, 2015 brings together the Star Regulus (Treading Underfoot), warning of destruction for the rebellious, the comet which points to Hydra (the Snake), a picture of a snake cut to pieces in judgment, and the Moon (The Believers), which reminds us here that judgement begins in the House of the Lord.
At the same time the grouping includes Venus (The Seed of Woman), which points to Christ’s suffering and triumph over Evil, and Jupiter (The Suffering Savior), which reminds us that the way of Salvation is still open to those who will repent and follow Christ. Yet the location of the gathering in Leo warns the lukewarm Church to repent of its toleration of sin lest it too be judged.
The July 18 gathering can be seen just after sunset on the western horizon. You will need a good pair of binoculars to find the comet.
So we can rejoice that the world is not going to be destroyed by the imaginary comet, but let us heed the warning of the real comet and not be destroyed by our sins.
