There are many popular Bible teachers making the assertion that September 23, 2017, will be a significant date in Bible prophecy. Some are saying that on that date the rapture may or even will occur. They even claim this idea has strong Biblical support. Let’s take a look at this claim and see what the Bible really says about it.
Astrological Association Between Revelation 12 and the Constellation Virgo
Revelation 12:1-6 reads:
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
The reasoning goes something like this, beginning with the premise that the astrological signs were ordained of God from the beginning of time to herald prophetically significant events of the past present and future. The supposed Biblical support for this comes from Genesis and Job.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
Job 38:31-33
Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of Orion?
Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her satellites?
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or fix their rule over the earth?
In the Gen 1:14 example, the word “signs” is often assumed by many of these teachers to relate to prophetic signs. However, there is nothing in the context to indicate that these are prophetic signs and there are no other Biblical examples of the stars or constellations having any bearing on the prediction of future events other than for marking the passage of time. The only notable exception to this was the Star of Bethlehem. There are no specific prophecies in the Old Testament predicting that there would either be a star of Bethlehem or that a star would point the way to Messiah. How the Magi were led by this star is a matter of pure conjecture. However, it is most likely that God had somehow spoken to them to follow the star seeing He had directly given them instruction through their dreams to not return to Herod after presenting their gifts to Jesus. Matt 2:12 A more likely interpretation would be that the stars are signs “for” the seasons, days and years. In fact, the conjunction “and” and the preposition “for” do not appear in the original text. Numerous Bible translations render the phrase “…to act as signs for seasons, days, and years…” Those translations include CEV, CSB, HCSB, ISV, MEV, NET, NIV, and others. The idea that these signs were intended to represent some kind of proto-zodiac is not supported by the text.
In the second scriptural citation from Job, there are direct references to the constellations by name and in general. The Hebrew word for constellation is Mazzaroth. The mention of constellations in scripture in and of itself does not validate the idea that the astrological signs represent anything of significance prophetically.
The idea that God put a message in the stars was first postulated by an English woman named Frances Rolleston who published what she described as her life’s work, a book called Mazzaroth: Or, the Constellations in 1862. It was popularized by E. W. Bullinger in his book Witness of the Stars and by Joseph Seiss in his book Gospel in the Stars. Both of these 19th-century authors credited Rolleston as their source of information. This is the source of the idea that the constellation Virgo actually represents Mary as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 as part of a cosmic proto-gospel written in the stars.
Starting with this false premise, some Bible teachers are looking at Rev 12:1-6 as somehow being fulfilled on Sept 23, 2017. They do this by saying that the woman is the constellation Virgo and the crown of twelve stars is the constellation Leo. The constellation Leo has 9 stars give or take and on the 23rd of September the planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars will be in Leo for a total of 12. The man-child is said to be the planet Jupiter, which according to Roman mythology is the King of the gods. The proponents of this theory claim that such a conjunction has not occurred ever in history. However, one noted astronomer has documented this alignment occurring in 1056, 1293, 1483, and 1827.
Regardless, the only heavenly signs we are given with respect to future predictive prophecy were given by Jesus in the Olivet discourse. And these heavenly signs occur after the tribulation.
Matthew 24:29-31
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Following the interpretive principle of comparing scripture with scripture, we find another instance of this symbology in the book of Genesis. It relates to a dream that Joseph had in chapter 37. The passage in Revelation 12 has nothing to do with the constellation Virgo, it actually is harkening back to Genesis 37.
Biblical Prohibitions Against Astrology and Divination
Isaiah 47:13-15
You are wearied with your many counsels;
Let now the astrologers,
Those who prophesy by the stars,
Those who predict by the new moons,
Stand up and save you from what will come upon you.
Behold, they have become like stubble,
Fire burns them;
They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame;
There will be no coal to warm by
Nor a fire to sit before!
So have those become to you with whom you have labored,
Who have trafficked with you from your youth;
Each has wandered in his own way;
There is none to save you.
Astrology is merely one of many forms of divination. Others include numerology, tarot cards, crystal gazing, Ouija boards, etc. Divination is a method of foretelling the future or gaining secret knowledge by occult means. Scripture speaks to this practice as being one of the most detestable things a person can participate in, equating it with rebellion and idolatry. God specifically warns against it. Leviticus 19:26, Deuteronomy 18:9-14, 2 Kings 21:1-6, Jeremiah 10:2
These false teachers that are coming out saying that September 23, 2017, is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy will also vehemently deny that they are using astrology, yet they are attempting to foretell the future by the position of stars and planets which is the very definition of astrology. When examining the other things being taught by these modern-day so-called “Biblical” Astrologers, you will find that many of them subscribe to other forms of divination besides astrology. These often include Bible codes (numerology) and Pyramidology. Bullinger was a proponent of so-called Biblical numerology and Seiss was a proponent of Pyramidology. Both of these men were 19th century “Christian” occultists whose work provided the foundation for the astrological claims being made today.
The True Origin of Astrology
Even secular historians are in agreement that our western form of astrology is traceable back to Babylon. The Zodiac as we see it today comes directly from Babylon having been transmitted to the Egyptians, later the Greeks, and finally to the Romans. There are many similarities between the Chinese and Indian versions of astrology suggesting a common origin. Even Meso-American astrology shared zodiacal signs with Babylon. The Mayans had 2 constellations in common with their western counterparts, Scorpio and Gemini. The name of the Mayan version of what we call Scorpio was guess what? A scorpion! It is also no coincidence that the Babylonians, the Egyptians, and the Mayans were all pyramid builders. All three civilizations used numbers, astrology, and their pyramid temples to practice divination. In the book of Revelation, Babylon is mentioned nine times and always as the object of God’s judgment and wrath. The signs of the Zodiac were never intended to convey truth to the believers in the one true God nor to predict end-time events.
Mixing Truth with Error is an Abomination to God
This concept is found throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Many examples of this can be given, here are a few. In Genesis God gave the example of animal sacrifice as the way cover sin, yet Cain mixed fruit into his sacrificial offering and it was rejected by God. Aaron made a golden calf and said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Yet in the same breath, he said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” Thus mixing Egyptian idolatry with the worship of the true and living God. Ironically the conditions in the camp of Israel in Exodus 32 are very similar to today in that Just as Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, Jesus has delayed His return by 2000 years and in the same way His people are corrupting themselves with the idols of Egypt. King Jeroboam the first King of the divided kingdom of Israel corrupted the worship of the true God by making golden calves in Bethel and Dan repeating the sin of Aaron. This corruption so offended God that Jeroboam’s sin is mentioned no less than 29 times. Jesus warned about false teaching of the Pharisees which was adding to the word of God and elevating their tradition above the word of God. Paul warned that you cannot be justified by the works of the law and at the same time be justified by grace through faith. Mixing the truth of God with a lie is in itself a lie.
Setting Dates for the Rapture and Second Coming
There are many teachers in the past that have falsely predicted either the rapture or the second coming. William Miller predicted the second coming to occur in 1844. His false prediction led to what was called “The Great Disappointment,” which led to many falling away from the faith. This also led to the formation of the Seventh Day Adventist cult. Charles Russell the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses also falsely predicted the second coming multiple times. More recently many evangelical Christians inspired by Hal Lindsey, expected the rapture to occur in 1988. This was based on Israel’s rebirth as a nation in 1948. This was arrived at by an incorrect interpretation based on eisegesis of Matt 24:32-34. They said that the “fig tree” is the rebirth of Israel as a nation even though the text does not support this. Then they said the when Jesus said: “this generation” He meant 40 years. Therefore, Israel becomes a nation in 1948 plus 40 years and you end up with 1988. This was a false prediction that was repeated by many. What does the word of God say about this?
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
Jeremiah 23:16-22
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are leading you into futility;
They speak a vision of their own imagination,
Not from the mouth of the Lord.
They keep saying to those who despise Me,
‘The Lord has said, “You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’
But who has stood in the council of the Lord,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has given heed to His word and listened?
Behold, the storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
The anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
In the last days you will clearly understand it.
I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.
But if they had stood in My council,
Then they would have announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.
God said, “In the last days you will clearly understand it.” If God is not speaking of these false prognosticators of our day then who else is He speaking of?
Pre-tribulationists Breaking Their own Rule of Imminence
There are many pretrib teachers pointing to future dates for the rapture while still maintaining a belief in imminence. This position is logically inconsistent. If a person were to correctly ascertain a future date for the rapture, then from the time the prediction is made until the event itself occurs, imminence no longer applies.
According to Dr. Gerald Stanton, a well-recognized authority and proponent of pre-tribulationism: “(1) While no one knows the time of Christ’s return, He may come at any moment and it is possible that He might come today… (2) The Rapture is signless, and will be unannounced and largely unexpected… (3) No clearly prophesied event must transpire prior to the Rapture, for this might date the time of His coming.” [1] I will say at this juncture that I totally disagree with the idea that the rapture is imminent as defined above. However, Dr. Stanton’s definition accurately articulates the majority view among pre-tribulationists. Now let’s define date setting. In this case, I will offer my own definition. The reason being, that many pre-tribulationists add disclaimers when they set dates to insulate themselves from being called out for making false predictions. It typically starts out with a statement like, “I’m not saying the rapture is going to happen on ____ but it might, and here is why…”
One of the most recent examples of this comes from Bible Prophecy Teacher, Doug Woodward, who is also known as “Doomsday Doug.” He is one of those predicting that the rapture is likely to occur on September 23, 2017. The headline of this blog post reads: “THE SEPTEMBER 23 SIGN IN THE HEAVENS – WILL THE RAPTURE HAPPEN THEN?” Granted it is posed as a question but the inference is that it may and it certainly puts in the mind of the reader that they may expect the rapture on September 23, 2017. At this juncture, I’m going to make a prediction. The rapture is not going to happen on that date, and if that date has already passed, then I have already been proven correct.
Who is Predicting the End on September 23?
Here is a list of people you should mark as false prophets especially after September 23, 2017:
There are many others. Please leave comments naming anyone else promoting this false teaching and include a link documenting their propagation of this false prediction so others can be warned.
NearIy 2 years on and I still have egg on my face because I fell for Scotty Clarke’s heresy. But I fell for it because I was a pre-trib believer first. I know now that good bible believing saints can and do fall for cunningly devised fables. So it is a worry to think how deceptive the antichrist will be, and how my friends will cope. The pre-trib deception is so strongly entrenched at my fundamental Baptist church that bringing up the issue is dangerous to our unity. Especially because Steven Anderson’s teaching on pre-wrath rapture mingled with replacement theology has caused splits in some associated churches. Anyway, thanks for your work on this site that I just found today.
Thank the Lord for good bible teachers. It would be a real advantage to anyone interested in Eschatology to have a look at David Nathan’s 2017 Eschatolgy series on YouTube. Highly recommended to all. Thank you Jacob Prasch.
I think we should stop panicking over the 23rd of September. Apparently there has been a mistake. He miscalculated and meant to say the 24th.
http://www.alankurschner.com/2017/09/23/failed-date-setter-scott-clarke-now-says-the-rapture-is-not-sept-23-but-sept-24/
Thank goodness for that. If the world would have ended yesterday I would have missed curry night.
The teaching of “astrology” and “the constellations” originated with the fallen angels according to 1 Enoch. I am not suggesting that 1 Enoch is equivalent to the scriptures but it does give some good information that agrees/compliments scripture.
Enoch 6:
“And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all 2 colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, ‘Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven . . .”
Well, just like Y2K, crackpot Harold Campings rapture dates, and Crackpot Mark Biltz’s Blood Moons – September 23rd has come and gone (Virgo and all) and we are all still here. The boy has cried wolf once again. Gee, it is awful – I had a Going Away Party For Nothing!
Jacob Prasch is the best Bible teacher I have encountered in my 40 some years of Bible study. I have a tough time checking his words as Act 17:11 indicate that I should. I have come to trust him but I don’t worship him. The Holy Spirit is still my teacher.
These men have made themselves to “pass through the fire”. They should be marked as heretics.
Mazzaroth is not from the Book of Revelation but from Zohar, it is not exegetical but cabalistic, not spiritual but mystical, and not Judeo-Christian but Babylonian Gnosticism. It is the very same error and deception from the pagan East that Isaiah warned Israel & Judah against in the Pre Christian era (Isa. 2:6 ) and is the domain of sorcerers (wizards – Isa. 8:19), not of Holy Spirit guided expounders of God’s Word. Far from the illumination and guidance of the Holy Spirit, this counterfeit spirituality is the occult craft of those who are today referred to as those with New Age spirit guides, but in scriptures are defined as those with ‘ovot’; that is “familiar spirits”.
As we are told in Ecclesiastes: “there is Nothing New Under the Sun”.
The symbolism of Revelation 12 derives from Joseph’s vision in the Book of Genesis 37:9 where Joseph is a prophetic foreshadowing of Christ (and which relates to Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49). It involves prophetic messianic typology straight from the scriptures and not a demonically inspired delusional redefinition of the literary symbolism actually employed in scripture , not as the basis of doctrine, but as the illustration of it, and not as a timepiece for speculative date setting for the parousia which Jesus Himself specifically issued an unambiguous caveat against doing.
What we have is the doctrinally ignorant being deceived by false teachers cum religious con-artists who are themselves deceived (Tim. 3:8-13). We can call them Mr. Tapley or whoever – but their real name is Jannes and Jambres – spiritual counterfeiters whose instrument is the cult and whose market is the doctrinally unlearned.
In Jesus, Jacob Prasch
Can you explain the Revelation 12 passage?
Your question is vague and too general. Can you be more specific?
i would like to say that this obsession with the Mazzarot is a purely Pretrib problem, but alas it is not. Post-Trib Tim Warner is teaching a very similar thing, though I don’t think that he is date-setting. http://www.answersinrevelation.org/Mazzaroth.html
Personally speaking Warner, I think Warner is going very off track. Aren’t the Scriptures enough to tell us what is going to happen? Do we need the Zodiac as well? Absolutely not.
Scottie Clarke and Jerry L Toney have enthusiastically promoted this False Rapture Hype on You Tube and Face Book, with a large followimg of deluded sheeple hanging on their every word , convinced they will exit Planet Earth on 23rd September.
1 – History – did you know that while Marco’s dad was visiting the Khan in Xanadu Genghis was almost in Warsaw? Why aren’t we all Mongolians? Somehow sea-trade won the day and Europe colonised the world
The only conceivable reason for including history in school curriculi is that maybe one child somewhere, someday will actually learn from it. The human record is devoid of evidence that this has happened.
2 – Flat Earth – I have a photograph of the whole earth “at night” as my screen background. How can people looking through circular apertures expect to see things straight?
3 – Thank Scott for your expertly placed combination of knock-out punches.
4 – Diligently seek HIM – in His Word [preferably older translations] – and use a Hebrew Greek dictionary.
All good stuff … but people rarely mention, when talking about false predictions, that both Martin Luther and John Wesley gave dates for the Second Coming that proved to be wrong. There seems to be some selectiveness when branding people as ‘false prophets’!
I’m not aware that Luther or Wesley set dates for the second coming. Regardless both men were far from perfect in their understanding of Biblical doctrine. Both were previously Priests. Luther was Catholic, and Wesley was Anglican. Luther became extremely antisemitic and his views of the Jews was foundational to the Jew-hatred that ultimately led to the Holocaust. Wesley was a sacramentalist that believed Christians could reach a state of sinless perfection. Today, Methodism has been reduced to a social gospel which rejects the authority of God’s word. Both men I believe started well. But my faith is not in man or a movement. It is in Jesus Christ and His word.
A most excellent reply; you took the words right out of my mouth!
It would be good if Mr Tebboth would provide more information on his assertion, I am always willing to learn.
Luther certainly wasn’t perfect as you so rightly say, but what a great move of God he started? Nevertheless we ought ever to remember “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” John 1.11?
I would agree with B.W.Newton when he said “it is a very great sin to speak lightly of the Reformation.”
Wesley wrote that Revelation 12:14 referred to the years 1058–1836, “when Christ should come”.
Luther predicted the end of the world would occur no later than 1600.
You can find more information and references in Wikipedia.
I have just logged on to Wesley’s Wikipedia page (that great bastion of ‘truth’!)
Luther just ‘escaped’ popery, and as for Wesley, I hate his Arminian theology with every bent of my body; his ‘persecution’ of Toplady, and his many errors! nevertheless he is my brother in Christ, for he preached salvation by God’s grace ALONE-he was no papist!
I am sure that these two great men of God had eschatological thoughts, but ever remember they lived in the dark ages per se; we SEE Israel back in the land as the Scriptures prophesied; in unbelief, we have considerable hindsight! They were “scratching in the dark” as it were!
Wesley hardly “persecuted” Toplady. They were mutually antagonistic toward each other. Now what Calvin did to Servetus, that was persecution.
I do struggle to believe exactly what Wesley did, but believe it I do, for there were trustworthy witness accounts. What Wesley may have done had he been in Calvin’s shoes, is another matter. I agree with Calvin’s soteriology, NOT everything he did! There is a BIG difference!
I believe they were more than “mutually antagonistic toward each other”, but certainly ‘persecution’ is too strong a word, although persecution can be mild as well as severe!
It might be true to say that you are the subject of a mild form of persecution from a certain Mr Lessing? Imagine if you lived next door to him!
These people don’t fear God. When I read the verses in the article above it made my stomach jump to even think of saying something prophetic which may be my own words, I’ve never prophecied anything before and hopefully never will. I would never do it, to scary and I could never intentionally mislead people. I think most true believers also have this feeling in their hearts. People with no fear and people who are self promoting don’t have fear of God and real love in their hearts.
From Harold Camping to the crackpot Mark Biltz to the Y2K fiasco – Joe Teeter is absolutely correct.
What we have is a satanically orchestrated “Boy Who Cried Wolf” scenario so that when events of actual prophetic significance transpire
people will think bit is just another crackpot kook, religious con artist, deluded date setter etc.
The main proponent of this nonsense is a guy named Scottie Clarke. Another guy with a bunch of YouTube videos I personally met a few months ago is Adam Fink. I have literally shared dozens of proofs from the Bible, many that you have shared in your article, that this whole thing is a sham. It boggles the mind how they can doggedly hang on to this in the face of overwhelming evidence that they are wrong!
For some strange reason modern Christians do not seem to learn from our past mistakes. It has not been long since the “Blood Moons” nonsense. I wonder how many asked for a refund on the price of their “Blood Moons” book, from Mark Blitz or John Hagee? By the way, I just walked over to my bookshelf to see how many “e”s are in “Hagee”…
With all the Bible passages that teach against prognosticating, divination, astrology etc. you would think these people would be very wary behaving the way that they do? But apparently not! is it for nothing that the Saviour said in ALL the synoptics “a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall be no sign given unto it…”? Is not THIS generation the very SAME generation as when the Lord uttered those words? Prophetic indeed!
The Saviour also said “..it needs be that offences come; but woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh!” These ‘prophets’ are playing a dangerous game, such is the spirit of deception. I believe these people can see a market place for their false teachings, and there are those with “itching ears” who will listen to them, which is no doubt part of the fulfillment spoken of in 2 Timothy 4.3.
When I look at those stars in the night sky, I often think we are actually looking at the heavenly host-i.e. the angelic host. But then I am a flat-earther, but that is altogether another subject!