Banners
for
the
tribes
of
Israel
for the tribes
of israel
A Study of
Hebraic Symbols,
Types, and Patterns
copyright 2002
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe following people made significant contributions towards the fulfillment of this project.Artistic Continuity - Mary NaglerBanner Design - Mary Nagler, Wesley Bishop, Will PilcherBanner Construction - Sandra Santana, Jackie Richey, Wesley Bishop, Harrah LordBanner Display Design and Construction - Ed SmithGraphic Design Consulting - Rod WallacePhotography - Nancy SherryPainters:Judah, Joseph, Dan, and Issachar - Dwayne SmithSimeon, Gad, and Levi - Mildred Hodges Reuben - Angela VanceNaphtali - Maria Crane Asher - Roy Williams Benjamin - Wesley BishopZebulun - Mary NaglerResearch - Will PilcherDirector - Wesley Bishop Special thanks to:J.R. Young, Steve Marshall, Ken Wiemeyer, Jerry Hodges, Harry Skandera, Glen Wiemeyer, Grant Gereghty, Loran Biggs, Warren Hays
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following people made significant contributions towards the fulfillment of this project.
Artistic Continuity - Mary Nagler
Banner Design - Mary Nagler, Wesley Bishop, Will Pilcher
Banner Construction - Sandra Santana, Jackie Richey,
Wesley Bishop, Harrah Lord
Banner Display Design and Construction - Ed Smith
Graphic Design Consulting - Rod Wallace
Photography - Nancy Sherry
Painters:
Judah, Joseph, Dan, and Issachar - Dwayne Smith
Simeon, Gad, and Levi - Mildred Hodges
Reuben - Angela Vance
Naphtali - Maria Crane
Asher - Roy Williams
Benjamin - Wesley Bishop
Zebulun - Mary Nagler
Research - Will Pilcher
Director - Wesley Bishop
Special thanks to:
J.R. Young, Steve Marshall, Ken Wiemeyer, Jerry Hodges, Harry Skandera, Glen Wiemeyer, Grant Gereghty, Loran Biggs,
Warren Hays
A Summary of the Common Elements in All the Banners(Compare the numbers displayed on the opposite page with their corresponding numbers listed below.) 1 VERTICAL BORDERS: Representing the straps holding the breast plate worn by the high priest. (Exodus 28:12)2 POMEGRANATES: Worn on the high priests robe. Pomegranates are filled with seeds which are a symbol of fertility and multiplication.(Exodus 28:33)3 GEMSTONES: The colors are placed on the banner borders in birth order; the right side, then the left, from top to bottom. (Example: the firstborn is Reuben, at the top right; then to Benjamin, last born, bottom left.) The colors all have meaning, and differ as to hardness, distribution, processing of formation, etc.4 NAME IN HEBREW SCRIPT: For the tribe displayed.5 SILVER SAILS: Representing humanity.(Proverbs 25:4; Zechariah 13:9; Matthew 25:15)6 LEFT STREAMER: English translation of the tribal name.7 PAINTING: See painting commentary for each tribe.8 RIGHT STREAMER: A prophetic link to the gospel story.9 BANNER SIZE: Proportioned to the Ark of the Covenant two and a half cubits length by one and a half s cubits width. (Exodus 37:1)10 TRIBAL SYMBOL: Each tribe camped by its own standard. (Numbers 1:52) Israel uses a specific image for each tribe taken from the tribal prophecies. The standard was made of wood a symbol of humanity and redemption. 11 MESSIAH: Messiah in English, lettered in gold which represents deity. Messiah is our mercy seat. (Exodus 25:17)12 ASPECT OF GOSPEL: A prophetic declaration of the different aspects of the process of redemption and the character of Yeshua.The following pages provide specific references to each banner by using the basic schematic on the next page. The above numbers that are not repeated with each tribal banner are those elements common (generic) to all twelve banners.
A Summary of the Common Elements in All the Banners
(Compare the numbers displayed on the opposite page with their corresponding numbers listed below.)
1 VERTICAL BORDERS: Representing the straps holding the breast plate worn by the high priest. (Exodus 28:12)
2 POMEGRANATES: Worn on the high priests robe. Pomegranates are filled with seeds which are a symbol of fertility and multiplication.(Exodus 28:33)
3 GEMSTONES: The colors are placed on the banner borders in birth order; the right side, then the left, from top to bottom. (Example: the firstborn is Reuben, at the top right; then to Benjamin, last born, bottom left.) The colors all have meaning, and differ as to hardness, distribution, processing of formation, etc.
4 NAME IN HEBREW SCRIPT: For the tribe displayed.
5 SILVER SAILS: Representing humanity.(Proverbs 25:4; Zechariah 13:9; Matthew 25:15)
6 LEFT STREAMER: English translation of the tribal name.
7 PAINTING: See painting commentary for each tribe.
8 RIGHT STREAMER: A prophetic link to the gospel story.
9 BANNER SIZE: Proportioned to the Ark of the Covenant two and a half cubits length by one and a half s cubits width. (Exodus 37:1)
10 TRIBAL SYMBOL: Each tribe camped by its own standard. (Numbers 1:52) Israel uses a specific image for each tribe taken from the tribal prophecies. The standard was made of wood a symbol of humanity and redemption.
11 MESSIAH: Messiah in English, lettered in gold which represents deity. Messiah is our mercy seat. (Exodus 25:17)
12 ASPECT OF GOSPEL: A prophetic declaration of the different aspects of the process of redemption and the character of Yeshua.
The following pages provide specific references to each banner by using the basic schematic on the next page. The above numbers that are not repeated with each tribal banner are those elements common (generic) to all twelve banners.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Banks, William, The Heavens Declare, Impact, 1985.
Booker, Richard, Jesus in the Feasts of Israel, Bridge, 1987.
Bullinger, E.W., Number in Scripture, Kregel, 1967.
Bullinger, E.W., The Witness of the Stars, 1893 re-print.
Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database by Biblesoft, 1998.
Halley, Henry, Halley's Bible Handbook, Zondervan, 1927, rev 1963.
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database by Biblesoft,1996.
Kennedy, James, The Real Meaning of the Zodiac, TCRM, 1993.
Laney, Jewel, The Tabernacle in the Wilderness, Brentwood, 1989.
Michas, Peter, Book of Genesis tapes, Messengers of Messiah.
Missler, Chuck, The Book of Genesis, Koinonia House, 1995.
Missler, Chuck, The Book of Joshua, Koinonia House, 1996.
Missler, Chuck, The Feasts of Israel, Koinonia House, 1994.
Missler, Chuck, The Twelve Tribes of Israel, Koinonia House, 1996.
Mordechai, Ave Ben, Signs in the Heavens, Millenium 2000, 1996.
Morris, Henry, The Biblical Basis for Modern Science, Baker, 1984.
Morris, Henry, The Genesis Record, Master Books, 1976.
Morris, Henry, Many Infallible Proofs, Master Books, 1974.
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers,1986.
Pink, A.W. Gleanings from Genesis, Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 1922.
Rolleston, Frances, Mazzeroth: Or the Constellations,1850 (out of print).
Seiss, Josesh, The Gospel in the Stars, Kregel, 1967.
Shaw, Gwen, The Tribes of Israel, End-Time Handmaidens, 1982.
The New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982.
The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Originally pub. by Moody Press of Chicago, IL,1988.
Wharton, Gary, Compact Topical Bible, Zondervan, 1972.
Wilson, Marvin, Our Father Abraham, Eerdmans, 1989.
Wright, R.V. and Chadbourne, Gems and Minerals of the Bible,
Keats, 1970.
APPENDIX
The Mazzeroth Connection
The Book of God in the Heavens: The Gospel in the Stars
Henry Morris, a well known creation scientist, had this to say in his 1974 book, Many Infallible Proofs (p.334, Appendix B, Creation-Life):
"There is possibly yet another distinctive evidence of God and His truth that deserves to be considered. As in the case of numerical designs in Scripture...this evidence is controversial and should not be considered on par with the evidences discussed in the main body of the text. Nevertheless, it is most intriguing and does seem to have some support in the written Scriptures, as well as in the nature of the evidence itself.
"Long before there were any written Scriptures that we know about, men, of course, needed to know about God and their relation to Him, especially His plans for their salvation. There had been prophets of God in the antediluvian world (e.g. Abel, Enoch, Lamech), as well as in the postdiluvian world before Moses (e.g. Melchizedek, Abraham, Joseph). As noted ...the various portions of the book of Genesis give evidence of having been written by the early patriarchs and edited later by Moses. For over two thousand years the world was without written revelation from God. Yet the Bible says, 'For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men....because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen.' (Romans 1:18-20) "In the heavens, so that all could know that there was a God who is just. Therefore hope was imparted. Everyone on earth could see the night sky. In the book of Job, generally allowed to be the oldest in the Bible, there are references to this stellar revelation (Job 38:31-33) called the 'ordinances of the heavens.
God created the firmament on the second day of Creation (Genesis 1:6-8). Also, 'He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.' (Psalms 147:4) And, 'Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number. He calls them all by name.' (Isaiah 40:26) And, 'Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing.' And, 'The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.' (Psalms 19:1-4)" During the 19th century, Frances Rolleston, in her book (now long out of print), Mazzeroth: or The Constellations, did massive research on the ancient names of over a hundred of the principal stars, much of it from Arab, Persian, Babylonian and Hebrew astronomy. E.W. Bullinger wrote, "No one can dispute the antiquity of the signs of the zodiac, or of the constellations. No one can question the accuracy of the ancient star names...which are preserved in every good celestial atlas. And we hope that no one will be able to resist the cumulative evidence that, apart from God's grace in Messiah there is no hope for the sinners now; and apart from God's glory...there is no hope for Israel, no hope for the world, (and) no hope for a groaning creation. (Romans 8:22) So God has created, counted, and named the stars of heaven. If we turn to history and to tradition, we are at once met with the fact that the twelve signs are the same, both as to the meaning of their names and as to their order in all the ancient nations of the world. That is to say that the names of the stars and constellations are the same in all the diverse ancient civilizations. Before the Flood, the civilizations were concentrated in the Middle East."
God created the firmament on the second day of Creation
(Genesis 1:6-8). Also, 'He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.' (Psalms 147:4) And, 'Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number. He calls them all by name.' (Isaiah 40:26) And, 'Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing.' And, 'The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.' (Psalms 19:1-4)"
During the 19th century, Frances Rolleston, in her book (now long out of print), Mazzeroth: or The Constellations, did massive research on the ancient names of over a hundred of the principal stars, much of it from Arab, Persian, Babylonian and Hebrew astronomy. E.W. Bullinger wrote,
"No one can dispute the antiquity of the signs of the zodiac, or of the constellations. No one can question the accuracy of the ancient star names...which are preserved in every good celestial atlas. And we hope that no one will be able to resist the cumulative evidence that, apart from God's grace in Messiah there is no hope for the sinners now; and apart from God's glory...there is no hope for Israel, no hope for the world, (and) no hope for a groaning creation. (Romans 8:22) So God has created, counted, and named the stars of heaven. If we turn to history and to tradition, we are at once met with the fact that the twelve signs are the same, both as to the meaning of their names and as to their order in all the ancient nations of the world. That is to say that the names of the stars and constellations are the same in all the diverse ancient civilizations. Before the Flood, the civilizations were concentrated in the Middle East."
More than that, the skies were crystal clear, as there were neither rain clouds nor pollution. Add to this the fact that the average life span was much longer, so that those with interest in the heavens would have several hundred years, and the wisdom of many generations, to become familiar with the heavens. Many became very good astronomers, even without telescopes. The common base of knowledge was carried by all the peoples when they were dispersed after the great Flood. The work of Frances Rolleston showed further that the patterns, meanings, and interpretations of the Mazzeroth constellations were based on the brightness of the stars in them from the brightest to the dimmest. Thus it was the brightness of the stars, rather than their arrangement into any sort of coherent pattern, that determined how the constellations were named and interpreted. If these common interpretations are taken in order, beginning with Virgo, they summarize the Gospel of God for all to see long before the Bible was written. God thus was revealing His plan for His Son, our Redeemer, from the Fall to the resurrection. Now, as Henry Morris and many others have pointed out, this interpretation does not have the same kind of biblical proof that characterizes much of modern biblical hermeneutical interpretation, and this should be borne in mind in today's world. We felt that this understanding was so compelling that it should be included to increase your awareness for further study and research. There are a number of books that have been written concerning this Gospel in the heavens, some of which are listed in the bibliography. (See bibliography) On page 18 of The Witness of the Stars, Bullinger presents the following layout of how the Lord instructed Moses to have Israel camp in the wilderness surrounding (protecting) the tabernacle. The tribe of Levi from which came Moses, Aaron and Miriam camped in the center of the tabernacle. Ancient Jewish authorities declare that each tribe had one of the signs as its own (p.15).
More than that, the skies were crystal clear, as there were neither rain clouds nor pollution. Add to this the fact that the average life span was much longer, so that those with interest in the heavens would have several hundred years, and the wisdom of many generations, to become familiar with the heavens. Many became very good astronomers, even without telescopes. The common base of knowledge was carried by all the peoples when they were dispersed after the great Flood.
The work of Frances Rolleston showed further that the patterns, meanings, and interpretations of the Mazzeroth constellations were based on the brightness of the stars in them from the brightest to the dimmest. Thus it was the brightness of the stars, rather than their arrangement into any sort of coherent pattern, that determined how the constellations were named and interpreted. If these common interpretations are taken in order, beginning with Virgo, they summarize the Gospel of God for all to see long before the Bible was written. God thus was revealing His plan for His Son, our Redeemer, from the Fall to the resurrection. Now, as Henry Morris and many others have pointed out, this interpretation does not have the same kind of biblical proof that characterizes much of modern biblical hermeneutical interpretation, and this should be borne in mind in today's world. We felt that this understanding was so compelling that it should be included to increase your awareness for further study and research. There are a number of books that have been written concerning this Gospel in the heavens, some of which are listed in the bibliography. (See bibliography)
On page 18 of The Witness of the Stars, Bullinger presents the following layout of how the Lord instructed Moses to have Israel camp in the wilderness surrounding (protecting) the tabernacle. The tribe of Levi from which came Moses, Aaron and Miriam camped in the center of the tabernacle. Ancient Jewish authorities declare that each tribe had one of the signs as its own (p.15).
Bulllinger continues, ... "The figures themselves are perfectly arbitrary. There is nothing in the groups of stars even to suggest the figures.....The picture, therefore is the original, and must have been drawn around or connected with certain stars, simply in order that it might be identified and associated with them; and that it might be remembered and handed down to posterity." On page 335 of Many Infallible Proofs, Morris writes, "The most important of these primordial truths seems actually to have been impressed upon the stars themselves. It almost seems as though certain antediluvian prophets, in view of the impending destruction of the earth and its civilizations in the coming Flood, desired to preserve these revelations by engraving them upon the only indestructible systems they knew about namely the starry heavens." And on page 337, Morris continues with, "The most important of the star symbols are, of course, the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the Mazzaroth of Job 38:32. Each sign corresponds to a given month of the year and is referenced to the group of stars which is located on the sun's ecliptic (its apparent path through the sky)."
Foundations
Click right booklet corners
or page Number bar
to open pages
