Signs of September

In 2017, people were talking about the astrological sign in the sky, September 23, 2017, saying it fulfills Revelation 12. I don’t know the full significance of this sign in the sky, but I understand that many believe that they will be raptured and saved from this telestial world. I’m not expecting that. But I do find the whole thing fascinating, and I believe that no one knows the timing of the Lord.

I read articles about the sign and even tried the software called “Stellarium.” I put in other dates — specifically, I tried September 22, 1827, in New York. For me, that is a historic day. Moroni gave the Golden colored Plates and Urim and Thummim to Joseph Smith on September 22, 1827. So I took a look at the sign of Virgo that is supposed to be the woman in Revelation 12 on that date. I guess you could count at least 12 stars above her head, and Jupiter is exiting her womb, the sun at her shoulder, and the moon (at her hand) not at her feet until the next day – September 23, 1827. Essentially the same setup people are talking about as the sign on September 23, 2017. But I think there are other dates when someone could essentially say that Rev 12 is in the sky. Even in 2020, it appears that Virgo will have the sun in the same place, and the moon below her feet. So, this does not seem to be any indication of fulfilling Rev 12.

September 22, 1827:

September 23, 2020:

Autumn Equinox

The day Joseph got the plates happened to coincide with an astrological event —  the Autumn Equinox  — when there is about the same hours of sunlight as there is night, hence the Latin name “equinox”— or equal night. September 22 is also the Autumn Equinox in 2017.

September 22, 1827, also coincided with the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah, or Feast of  Trumpets (also called The Day of Remembrance), which began in 1827 on the evening of September 21 at sundown. (On the Judaic calendar, this was the first day of the seventh month called Tishri–the new day beginning at sunset. Remember that each day starts at sundown on the Jewish calendar.) The Feast of the Trumpets continued on September 22, 1827. It is a two-day celebration.

In the year 2017, Rosh Hashanah began at sundown on Wednesday, September 20, 2017, culminating at dusk on Friday, September 22, 2017.

We also have the “harvest moon” in September or October on or near the Fall Equinox, which has to do with the gathering in of the last crop harvest. Farmers worked through the night by the light of the full moon. In 2017, the harvest moon was October 5, which is the first full moon nearest the Fall Equinox. In 2016, the Harvest Moon was a Supermoon. I think in 1827, the harvest moon was October 5, as the year 2017, since that was the next full moon that year.

Joseph and Emma went to the Hill Cumorah on the night of September 21, 1827, which coincided with the Feast of Trumpets. According to Joseph Knight, who was in the Smith home on that evening, he saw Joseph preparing to get the plates.

Interestingly, we have the symbol of Moroni blowing the trumpet on the temple. (Most temples have the angel Moroni on top, but eight do not.)

The traditional trumpet is called the shofar, and it’s a ram’s horn. The sound is lovely. My son gave me one, and he can make it work (which is not that easy.) Maybe Moroni should have a shofar in his hand instead of a modern-day trumpet.

“For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might…”(D&C 4:4)

“One Jewish commentator has said, ‘Expectantly, we await the sounding of the Trumpet of Liberation, when Zion will be free to receive its exiled children from all parts of the earth. ‘”(Ensign)

The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the universe is dependent upon the renewal of the divine desire for a world when we accept G‑d’s kingship each year on Rosh Hashanah. (ref)