On July 21 the Sun enters the constellation Cancer (The Holding Place).

Cancer is the eleventh chapter of the Star Bible, and it is a picture of our eternal home with God, commonly called Heaven. The modern name of Cancer, a Greek word meaning “Crab”, clouds the original meaning. It is a mistranslation of the Arabic name “Khan”, meaning “Inn”, and Cer, meaning “Encircling”, picturing a fortified home for travelers. Two other stars add to this understanding, Acubene (The Sheltering Place) and Tegmine (Holding). There is also a faint star cluster known as Praesope (The Multitude) reminding us of the multitudes of believers who will be gathered in Heaven.

Two other constellations associated with Cancer also suffer from linguistic confusion, Ursa Minor and Ursa Major, the little and big “Bears”, also popularly known as the Little and Big Dippers. The Hebrew word for bear, “Dohv”, was substituted by the Greeks for the actual name “Dohven”, meaning “Sheepfold”. Thus, the “bears” are actually the greater and lesser “sheepfolds”. Ursa Major is also called “The Assembled Together” in Hebrew, and the word “Assembled” is a linguistic cognate with the Greek word from which we got our word “Church”.

Ursa Minor (The Lesser Sheepfold) represents the holding place for the sheep, or believers, who lived before Jesus came. This understanding comes from the Star named Kochab which means “Waiting on Him Who Comes”, as those Hebrew and other believers had to look forward for the Messiah.

Ursa Major, (The Greater Sheepfold) represents those believers who came after Jesus, the Church. The Star named Dubheh Lachar, “The Latter Herd”, points to this meaning. And, in addition, the name of the star at the end of the handle of the Dipper, Alkaid, also means “Assembly”, the very name of the Church in Greek.

Comet Neowise is also streaking through Ursa Major this week, continuing to comfort the Church by pointing to its hope of eternal life in Heaven.

Cancer was the sign of the Summer season from the time of the Exodus to the Advent of Christ, covering the age of Israel. It was replaced, as the precession of the equinoxes moved sign of the Summer season, by Gemini (The United) which covers the time between the Advent and the Second Coming of Christ, and was a sign in the Sun, Moon, and stars of the Advent of Christ. Ursa Minor (the Lesser Sheepfold) in Cancer continues as Sign in the Sun, Moon, and stars of the Second Coming of Christ, as the precession of the equinoxes will move Ursa Minor’s bright star Polaris (the Turned Upon) directly over the North Pole in 2102 AD, signaling Christ’s dominance over the high point of Heaven.

Cancer is, of course, obscured from view now because it is hidden behind the Sun’s glare. However, the Greater and Lesser Sheepfolds dominate the northern sky and are always visible. The Lesser Sheepfold, Ursa Minor, is easy to find because it contains the Pole Star Polaris. The Greater Sheepfold, a.k.a. the Big Dipper, will be in the Northwestern sky during the evening hours, along with Comet Neowise.

Don’t be confused by the Crab and the Bears. Your home in Heaven is pictured in the stars.