September 23, 2017 star sign prophecy

The September 23, 2017 star sign prophecy, also referred to as the Revelation 12 sign by adherents is an apocalyptic belief that an astronomical alignment on September 23, 2017 fulfilled the concept known as the Woman of the Apocalypse that appears in the first two verses of Revelation 12. This date coincided with the Autumnal equinox and the end of the Catholic September Ember Days. This theory, promoted by some Christians, starting on YouTube in 2011, and Christian news organizations such as Unsealed World News, proposed that a literal fulfillment of the prophecy made in the Book of Revelation 12:1-2 occurred on this date over Jerusalem.
The passage in the Book of Revelation 12:1-3 describes "a woman clothed with sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." (NIV). People who hold this theory believe that an astronomical alignment involving the constellations Virgo and Leo, the sun, moon, and planets Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter that occurred in September 2017 fulfilled this prophecy word-for-word. The sign is also known as the Woman of the Apocalypse. Some of the most common Christian interpretations of this passage interpret the woman as Mary or ancient Israel, the man child as the incarnate Jesus and the child (Greek: teknon) being the Body of Christ, and the woman's other offspring as the Church that forms during the tribulation. Also in 2017, Luis B. Vega connected the sign to a "Conception Comet".
The Apocalypse of John describes "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head." Proponents of the Revelation 12 Sign say that the woman represents the constellation Virgo and the crown of twelve stars represents the nine stars of the constellation Leo in conjunction with Mercury, Mars, and Venus. In the computer program Stellarium, Leo has nine stars connected to it. The moon appears to be under the "feet" of the constellation Virgo in September 2017 and the sun will be passing through the constellation, which proponents interpret as the woman being "clothed with the sun". Jupiter exits the lower part of the "womb" 42 weeks later, which is the approximate length of a human gestation (normal gestation periods lasting from 37 to 42 weeks).
It was also discovered that the apparent retrograde of Jupiter in the womb of Virgo was preceded by C/2017 E1 (Comet Borisov) which is being called the Conception Comet. This comet traveled from the loins of the constellation Leo to the womb of the constellation Virgo on November 17, 2016, which in 2017 began on the evening of September 20 and ended on the evening of the 22nd . Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year celebration, in this case marking the end of the year 5777 (sometimes abbreviated to the ) and the beginning of 5778.
Interpretations of Revelation 12 vary, but the general consensus of those who promoted this theory was that the September 2017 alignment was the Great Sign which is described in this passage of Scripture: that the woman represents the nation of Israel, which they believe is about to enter into a multi-year period of Tribulation, and the male child represents the global Church, which might be raptured to Heaven before the Tribulation period begins according to Revelation 12:5. Many proponents say that in order for people to escape before this impending judgment on the world and be "raptured", they must accept that the Christian Messiah Jesus Christ died for their sins, rose again, and is the only means of being reconciled to God. These views are shared by all of the major proponents of the Revelation 12 Sign Prophecy.
See Brenda Weltner on YouTube for further teaching regarding the Revelation 12 sign as the start of Daniel's final week, the last 7 years prior to the return of Christ to rule the world. The 23rd September 2017 was also the date of the 'Filial Correction' of Pope Francis.
Media attention and criticism
The theory has received media attention including from The Washington Post,
An AT&T original documentary, The Sign, explored the intersections of science, religion, and history behind the debate over the astronomical event and Revelation 12. It aired on Audience on September 14, 2017.
Critics include Answers in Genesis author Dr. Danny Faulkner, Christian author Joel Richardson, Jan Markell from Olive Tree Ministries, Christian bible prophecy author Craig C. White, Christian blogger and author Tim McHyde. and The Catholic Astronomer.
A number of critics have offered rebuttals of the purported sign. Some make arguments based on astronomy, such as that the astronomical event is not unique or is only astrology. Examples of rebuttals include Faulkner's statement that "Jupiter appears in the part of Virgo corresponding to her womb, along with the sun in Virgo and the moon at her feet for a day or two every 12 years or so", Many of these critics also criticize the idea on a theological grounds.
Examples include Craig C. White's statement that "the Apostle John says that 'there appeared a great wonder in heaven'. He doesn't say 'there will be a great wonder in heaven'. He doesn't tell us to 'look for a great wonder in heaven'."
Christopher M. Graney on EarthSky criticized the alignment, arguing that it has happened 4 times in the last thousand years.

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