This Sunday, June 4, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday.
Pentecost was one of the seven Hebrew feasts established by God in the Torah. The first three, Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits, were celebrated in the spring, coinciding with and evoking Christ’s death and resurrection. The final three, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles, were celebrated in the fall and speak of the second coming of Christ. Pentecost was set on the seventh Sunday following the First Fruits feast, and also the seventh Sunday following the resurrection. The ancient feast was also known as the First of Harvest (See Ex 23:16), and it was on Pentecost in A.D. 30 that the Holy Spirit came down in power to enable the church to begin its harvest of believers.
The Star Bible memorializes Pentecost in the sixth chapter, Aquarius (the water pourer). The water of Aquarius is a biblical symbol for the Holy Spirit, and the water of Aquarius is shown being poured into the related constellation, Pisces Austranis (the southern fish). The fish is, of course, one of the early symbols of the church, and the fish of Pisces Austranis represents the Jewish Church at Pentecost in A.D. 30, before the addition of the Gentile fish to form the two-fish sign of the church: Pisces. To make sure we get the message, the brightest star of both constellations is Formalhaut (the mouth of the fish), a reminder that the sign of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was speaking with other tongues.
Aquarius and its associated constellations, Pisces Austranis (the southern fish), Pegasus (the winged horse) and Cygnus (the swan), rise after midnight and are visible in the east before dawn. Also, just before dawn, the bright morning star, Venus—which pictures Christ, the seed of woman—will be at its maximum brightness. It can be found in the constellation the band, which joins the two fish of Pisces and represents the unity of the church. Following along behind Venus is the little comet Panstarrs, which highlights the message of church unity.
So if you are up early having your devotion on Pentecost Sunday, step outside and spend a little time with the Lord and His starry reminder of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the harvest of the believers and the unity of the church. {eoa}
Ron Allen is a Christian businessman, CPA and author who serves in local, national and international ministries spreading a message of reconciliation to God, to men and between believers. He is founder of the International Star Bible Society, telling how the heavens declare the glory of God, and the Emancipation Network, which helps people escape from financial bondage, and co-founder with his wife, Pat, of Corporate Prayer Resources, dedicated to helping intercessors.
