The Sounds of War (The Genesis Series Book 2)

by Sue Watkins

  “After Helel was ejected from the Celestial altars, El Elyon made a determination to implement a new way of communing to creation. Before he created man, he decided to show all men, for all time, a message. To develop man’s understanding, God validated certain truths, such as the value of light versus darkness. For this reason, he placed a great light in the Rakia, the sun.” Noah paused and looked up to the ceiling and pointed toward the symbol of the sun, “It provides light and warmth, which if we were without, life could not continue...the moon also has its benefits, yet, it is not a light giver, it is a light reflector, you still following?”

  “Yes, sir,” Enmerkar replied, “you make it easy to understand.”

  “Good, then let’s move to the significance of numbers. Numbers give emphasis or significance to what they measure, such as time and space, and they bring order. Order is the opposite of chaos. Remember the two trees in the garden?”

  Waiting until Enmerkar responded with a nod, Noah smiled and continued, “The tree of knowledge could also be understood as the tree which provokes a response from the soul. Its fruit, ingested by will, and digested by desire, gave the intellect the by-product of chaos. The curse of the tree was the mixing of chaos with divine order. The tree of knowledge was the knowing of order and chaos. The mixing of chaos with order always corrupts information.

  “The tree of life on the other hand represented the everlasting covenant between Elohiym and man. Its fruit provided for immortality. The promise of immortality is symbolized by one specific light within the cosmos, the sun. Without the sun, there is no life. The sun makes a statement: a promise of a certain man, who will have a divine nature and who will restore all things to life!

  “So, interestingly, all these things tie together, and come full circle, when you know the story. As you observe the light of the stars against the dark of the night sky, hopefully you will see the story and the symbolic meaning of light and sound, and you will see how the Rakia became a love message to humanity.

  “We begin with the sun because the light of the sun is observed during the day. At night, of course we have the moon. Our calendars are based upon the movements of both the sun and the moon. We measure or number the orbits of Earth around the sun, and the orbits of the moon around Earth. One gives us years and the other months. The movement of our Earth brings days and seasons. These two lights symbolize the forces that escort us through the passage of time and space to our ultimate designation. That designation is not only a place but also a position of everlasting life with Elohiym. The sun, moon, and stars were given as signs to measure or to number our days; to know seasons; to set the feasts and to count the years that measure the Celestial days.”

  Noah stood and walked to the middle of the room, pointing upward to the ceiling he continued, “The sky is divided into four quarters, and the signs of the four quadrants are the lion, the man, the bull, and the eagle, which as we proceed with our lessons, we shall see the eagle become the scorpion.”

  Enmerkar, following Noah with his eyes, noticed for the first time the drawings on the four walls.

  “These also illustrate the Chayyot of Aravot, the four living creatures, which are continuously before the throne of God. The north quadrant is the eagle, the east is the lion, the man is in the south, and the fourth primary reference point or the west, is the bull. El Elyon created four archangels to oversee the great and mighty host of Celestials. The archangels; Helel the eagle who soared over all others, Michael the might of God is the lion, Gabriel the voice of God is the man, and Raphael the one who serves is the bull. Their symbols carry these meanings: the scorpion is a deceiver; the lion is a warrior; the man serves as a son, and the bull plods the grain in the field.

  “Within the quadrants of the night sky, we have twelve major constellations.” Returning to the table without sitting Noah began pacing behind Enmerkar. “Now keep this in mind we have four directions: north, east, south, and west. Yet, don’t think of the constellations as being presented in any way but as a continuous story. The story as written by the constellation comes in three chapters or three phases. To understand that you must know the name and order of each constellation, knowing their order will help with the recollection of the full story. There are twelve constellations, but each constellation has a subset or decan of stars.

  “I am going to take you through the Mazzaroth, briefly now, but later we will break down each grouping. That is the reason for the charts I laid on the table. The story begins with a virgin. She marks the beginning of the twelve major constellations. We call her Bethulah. She bears a branch in her right hand and an ear of corn in her left. From her comes the Promised Seed. He will not be born from man’s desire. The young woman must be untouched by man. The brightest star of her constellation bears the name of Tsemech, and it’s the starting point of the branch she holds. The second brightest of her stars is Zavijaveh means gloriously beautiful. The third star to remember is, Al Mureddin, meaning who shall have dominion.

  “If I continued naming the stars within Bethulah you would have a description of the Promised Seed. You know that we desire him because he is the ultimate sin offering, and the promise he carries is the promise of everlasting redemption.

  “The second major constellation is the Monzanaim, the scales of justice. The Promised Seed will pay a price for justice. This constellation, like many of the others has three decans, the first is Adom, a man and the second is Asedah, that means ‘the one who is slain,’ and the last decan is the Atarah, which refers to his royal blood. Putting these meanings together, we know the Promised Seed will be of a royal house and a man who shall be killed.

  “The third major constellation is Akrab the scorpion. Akrab portrays the conflict or the war between the scorpion and the Promised Seed. The scorpion is Helel. A decan of Akrab is Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus represents the one who wrestles a serpent. Another decan depicts a mighty man who is down on one knee as if wounded, yet he is not defeated for he holds a club in his hand ready to strike the serpent in the head.

  “So, the story with Akrab, the enemy, the serpent shall wrestle with the Promised Seed. The Promised Seed, who is a mighty man, will go down as if wounded but he will not be defeated because he shall destroy the serpent by hitting him in the head.” Noah suddenly became still, and then tapping Enmerkar’s shoulder he instructed, “Look up, directly over your head, you see that constellation?”

  “Mmm,” Enmerkar nodded, “yes, the Archer.”

  “Yes, it is the fourth constellation in our story. The Archer is depicted as the triumphant warrior with bows and arrows. The Archer’s decans reveal an eagle holding a lyre, an altar, and Draco the deceiver.” Leaning over Enmerkar, Noah pointed toward each decan as he named it. “The Promised Seed is a warrior with a double nature, man and God. He gladdens the heavens with a prophetic sound as a soaring eagle, he builds a fire for atonement, and then he casts down the Draco, the dragon. The Archer will destroy the dragon. I shall not break down all of the details, for now remember there are three stories divided into three distinct subjects…”

  “Excuse me,” Enmerkar interrupted, “aren’t you placing the constellations in the wrong order?”

  “No, we must go from wrong to right or, if you prefer, left to right. We’re viewing the Rakia at the winter solstice, and the story progresses in this manner. Have you seen the Sphinx?”

  Enmerkar nodded, “Yes, after my father moved to his new palace, we traveled one winter to visit my Uncle Mizarim, it is the head of a woman on the body of a lion.”

  “Well there you have it.” Noah patted Enmerkar’s back, “If you remember the Sphinx, you will always know to start with the virgin and end with the lion, easy huh?”

  Shaking his head in amusement, Enmerkar looked up and smiled, “Got it.”

  Returning the smile, Noah rounded the table and sat, “The first chapter refers us to the person of the Promised Seed, the second illustrates his works, and the final chapter portrays the end to come, it predicts the fin
al kingdom and the Promised Seed as its King.

  “The second part of the Rakia messages begins with the constellation known as the goat that has the tail of a fish. The goat depicts the sinful nature of man since the fall of Adam and Eve. However, this goat transforms into a fish that symbolizes the redemptive process. The sinful nature of man will be immersed into water and there find life. This is the work of the Promised Seed, to transform sinful man into an acceptable righteous being.

  “The first decan of the goat is an arrow that is used by the Archer, who brings sovereign divine justice. While I could go on and on, at this point in your education I just want to hit the highlights, so let me just say the stars in the fifth constellation tell of a Redeemer who will live again after being fatally wounded, and of those who will live because, he became their Redeemer.

  “The message of constellation number six is that of the Man of Aravot who will pour water upon the Earth from a Celestial vase. The water becomes a mighty stream. The fish of the previous constellation’s decan are seemingly swimming in the water that becomes a mighty stream. The sixth constellation also illustrates a winged horse upon which the Redeemer rides when he pours out the waters. The Redeemer goes into Aravot, is also a Judge. He goes to Aravot and then returns to Earth making a full circle, flying swiftly as he goes and comes.

  “The seventh constellation pictures the twin fish. Two houses divided, and at the same time tethered together by a band that is held in place by the foot of the ram. The ram is the eighth constellation...” Pausing, Noah rubbed his hands across his bearded face before adding, “Within the seventh constellation we have the beautiful woman whose wrists and ankles are chained by Draco. Perhaps, this is a bit complicated, but the stars in her decan mean the broken, the weak, the afflicted, and the chained. This would not make sense unless you realize the one who is her bridegroom is guarding her. He is the Redeemer, the Promised Seed, the Archer, the Mighty Man, and so forth and so on it goes. If we understand this, we know the Promised Seed is to have a bride. He, the bridegroom takes her into Aravot and to the Tree of Life. And the story then comes full circle. It has always been El Elyon’s intention that man eat from the Tree of Life.

  “Before we go on I need to say something quickly about the ram. The eighth constellation has the hoof of the ram resting over the band that binds the two schools of fish together. The woman attacked by the sea monster is in chains. But the Breaker, the Aryan, becomes her protector. As this chapter unfolds, the woman is afflicted but the Breaker removes her chains. Then in the next constellation, we have the Reem, the bull. The bull is described by the constellation’s decans as a vanquisher, one who brings judgment, and a ruling shepherd. At this point, the enemy becomes casted down by a prince coming in glory with a host of princely followers, and is finally defeated.

  “The last constellation is Arieh the lion. He is the Melek of Righteousness, he banishes the serpent forever and the carcass of the serpent is devoured. The Minchar Al Sugia I spoke of last evening is within this constellation, it is story of the piercing of the Deceiver. And by the way, I forgot to mention the first decan of the bull is Orion, the hunter with a club in his right hand, and the skin of a slain lion in his left, his left foot is in the act of crushing the head of the enemy. The name Orion means he who cometh forth as light, the brilliant, the swift, and he is so strong no one can overtake him. His belt is made of three brilliant stars that bring Celestial judgment; the bull of Orion is an invincible avenger.

  “Before we take a break, there is yet one more thing to be said. I give you the same warning I received as a lad, you must remember and heed this warning if you are to be a true student of the stars. The stars speak of only one Promised Seed.” Noah stood, stretched and then motioning for Enmerkar to follow, headed for the door, “Let’s go eat, I am past the point of hunger.”

  17

  Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad, and Kalneh, in Shinar. Genesis 10:8-10, NIV

  The Branch, yet to be born, will come through a virgin, who carries a stalk of corn. His wounds will balance the scales and offset the weight of sin. However, the scorpion will sting His heel, yet from Aravot arrows will come, and the Archer, by wisdom and skill, will achieve victory without end, He will turn the sinful nature of man.

  A Mighty Man will pour rivers of healing waters, forming two houses into a great multitude while the Ram, who was been slain, will sit upon His throne. As the Bull, he will crush the head of the great serpent,

  Who subjected the mother and attacked the Bride. The Promised One will go and come again, bringing a countless company. The Lion of the Aravot will overthrow the serpent; Evil forever will have met its demise.

  Enmerkar learned the mnemonic Noah had taught him, and as he memorized it, he learned the names and placement of all twelve constellations and all associated decans as well. Every night, for months, he joined Noah in the observatory. Together they climbed the stairs to the walkway, and when weather permitted, Noah allowed Enmerkar to roll back the rooftop. For hours, they would view the night sky through Noah’s star finding glasses. As they searched and mapped the various stars and planets, Enmerkar began to understand the secret contained within the stars. He saw his destiny. His father was right; he would someday rule Earth.

  Learning not only the placement of the stars but also the planets, Enmerkar spotted at least one planet every evening and from Noah he learned the planets ruled the night sky and predicted the season within Earth. In accordance with the positions of the stars and planets, certain advents could be foretold, it would all depend on what planet existed in what constellation. To this understanding, Noah added the Mansions of the Moon. The twenty-eight positions the moon passes through as it orbits Earth. However, to Enmerkar, his greatest accomplishment was that he could identify all twelve major constellations by their brightness and importance in the Mazzaroth. He knew each constellation and their associated decans and could name every star that had been charted in each decan.

  The days he spent with Noah turned into weeks, and the weeks became months. The seasons passed and a year had come and gone. Then one day Noah came into the room where Enmerkar studied and announced, “You have not seen a Great Year but you have the understanding of one who has.” His great-grandfather smiled as he picked up the scroll Enmerkar had been studying and with great care rolled it, fastened the leather ties around it, and then remaining wordless Noah laid the scroll down on the table and turned away. Walking from Enmerkar, he began to explain his actions. “We’ve discussed much, and you my son, have learned much.” Continuing his journey across the room, he lifted two fingers to accentuate his next statement, “However, there are two more charts, and I want to show you. I feel they contain information that shall someday be important. So, before we put the charts away and declare your education complete, let me get these two.”

  Noah opened the doors of a small wooden cabinet that sat in a recess of the room’s back wall. Enmerkar had not noticed the small breakfront before. He was mystified as he watched the slow but deliberate movements of his great-grandfather. He wondered what could be on any chart that he had not yet seen.

  “I’ve not taken these out in a long time,” Noah said as he removed an ornately carved wooden box from the cabinet and then set it down on a small nearby table. Inside the box were two leather cases. He lifted each, one at a time, treating them with such care that Enmerkar could not help but think they were great treasures.

  “These two are drawings; I received both from my grandfather Methuselah, one was given to him by his father Enoch, and the other was drawn by Adam’s son, Seth.” Noah laid the two leather cases gingerly on the table in front of Enmerkar.

  “I keep these tightly sealed because of their age. I ask you handle them very carefully, especially this one.” Noah picked up the small
er of the two cases and opened it. Slowly removing the contents he explained, “This one came from Seth. It’s not just hundreds of years old, but more likely has been around for over a thousand years. As you can see, it’s on the tanned hide of a goat. It wasn’t put on the goat skin because they didn’t have anything else to write on, but because skins will outlast clay or other mediums.”

  Eager, Enmerkar stood as he waited to see what information the skin would reveal. Smiling at his great-grandson’s obvious excitement Noah continued his explanation, “Seth received most of his revelation from his father Adam. However, this skin contains a pictograph of Seth’s own revelation after Adam’s passing. I assume he gained this knowledge from the Malakhim because he was the Melek. These pictures are a code but the understanding is there if you look for it.

  “I’ve only shown my son Shem this skin.” Noah chuckled as he unrolled the goatskin and carefully laid it on the table in front of Enmerkar. “Principally because he’s the only one of my sons who has inquired. The other two have shown no interest. Oh, Japheth has asked questions from time to time, but your grandfather?” Noah smiled as he whispered the answer, “Never.”

  Drawn against the tan of the leather in black ink were two circles. They were presented side by side and etched through each circle were curved lines and along the outside of each circle was a Hebraic letter representing a number. Upon closer observation, Enmerkar noted the value of the number increased as they went up or down from a center line that split each circle in half.

  “These circles represent Earth. See the center line on each circle?” Noah pointed to one of the lines he referred.

  Enmerkar nodded.

  “That’s the aleph line. It bisects north from south, and each circle represents east, west. See that emblem there and there?” Noah pointed to the design above the first circle, then again to the second. “Those symbolize east and west. Before the flood, there were great ships, each built to hold men as they sailed the oceans of Earth. I suppose that’s where Japheth got his love of the sea. Many men explored all the landmasses, and Seth was principal among those explorers. His curiosity was enormous, he was an amazing man and it was he, who personally drew this chart.