Of Subaru and Orion

(Here’s what I shared recently in our church. For the title of this article, it will make sense later as you read.)

What do stars and constellations tell us? I am not talking about your Zodiac sign or consulting the horoscope. I don’t believe in them though many people do.

I am born under the Zodiac sign of Aries (Ram), which is from March 21 – April 19, which is this time of the year. Yes, I am having a birthday soon. According to my Zodiac sign, people who are born as Aries, are passionate, motivated, and confident leader who builds community with their cheerful disposition and relentless determination. I did not make it up, it really stated that.

A large percentage of people believe that they are who they are because of their Zodiac sign. In fact more people know their Zodiac sign that their blood type. It is reported that 29% of American regularly reads and consult the horoscope.

By the way, do you know where Zodiac and horoscope originated? From ancient Babylon or Mesopotamia.

Though there is real use and importance in scientifically studying the stars, not for zodiac and horoscope. In ancient times, stars and constellations were essential tools for survival, used primarily for navigation, agricultural planning, and timekeeping.

Before GPS, explorers and sailors used the night sky to find their way. Specific constellations guided ships, and travelers used landmarks in the sky to determine direction.

The appearance of certain constellations indicated the changing of seasons and thus help people in agricultural planning. Ancient Egyptians, for example, tracked the rising of constellations to predict the annual flooding of the Nile for farming.

For timekeeping, people used the rotation of the stars to measure time at night. Who needs an Omega Constellation watch when you can tell time by just looking at the constellations itself?

What can we learn from stars and constellations today?

Since the beginning of time, men marveled at the stars. I can just imagine the excitement of Adam and Eve when they first gazed at the starry night. Maybe Adam and Eve were excited for something else on their first night together, but I’m not going there. Let’s just talk about stars.

There are many verses in the Bible that talk about the stars. My favorite is in Psalms 8:3-4.

When we were still living in New York City, we were part of a church choir, and we have been invited to other churches, even to different states. The first song that we learned and one of our mainstay piece that we sang when we visit other churches was based on this Psalms 8:3-4. The songs goes like this:

When I gaze into the night sky, and see the works of your fingers.

The moon, the stars, suspended in space.

Oh, what is man that you are mindful of him?

I still get the tingling sensation in my spine when I hear this beautiful song.

Here’s another one, from Isaiah 40:26

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

When we look up into the heavens and see the stars, we see the mighty power of God.

Here’s another Bible text, in Matthew 2:2: “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”

Here, by studying the stars in heaven, this led the wise men to seek and worship the Savior. I hope that this will be our experience today too. We study the stars, and we’ll seek and worship God.

Pleiades and Orion which is our main study, was mentioned together both in the books of Amos and Job.

Amos 5:8 – “He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the LORD is his name.”

Here’s the Bible text in Job 38:31 – “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?”

For us to fully understand that text, let me give you first a brief synopsis of the story of Job.

Job was a righteous man, and a very wealthy man as well. One day, God told Satan, look at my servant Job, he is blameless and upright. But Satan said, Job is only upright because God is protecting him and blessing him. Then God allowed Satan to test Job.

And Job lost everything: all his possessions -7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many servants, plus all of his 10 children- in one single day! Then he developed boils from his head to his feet – but Job still remains upright. Even his wife told him to curse God and die. But Job replied: “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”

Then three friends of Job came – if you would call them friends – they accused Job that his suffering was a punishment for his sins and that he should confess his sins. But Job maintains his innocence and demands answers from God.

When God finally answers Job, He did not directly answer why he was suffering, instead He tells Job who He is. God tells him how all-knowing and almighty He is. God did not give explanation to Job’s questions, instead he gives him a revelation of who God is. Same for us today. When we have questions, when we’re going through trials, just know who God is, and that will be more than enough answer.

One of God’s prompting is for Job to look into the heavens, where He specifically mentions Pleiades and Orion in Job 38:31.

Let’s study more deeply Pleiades and Orion.

The Pleiades is a prominent, star cluster located in the constellation Taurus, visible to the naked eye. The name Pleiades originates from Ancient Greek mythology and language, referring to the “Seven Sisters,” the seven daughters of Atlas. The word Pleiades, derives from the Greek word plein (“to sail”), as their rising in the Mediterranean signaled the safe season for maritime navigation. Pleiades is globally recognized as a seasonal marker. 

How about Orion? Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky, visible worldwide and featuring the famous “belt” of three stars. Orion is known as the Hunter in Greek mythology. This constellation is most prominent during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It contains bright stars like Rigel and Betelgeuse.

Wait a minute, why the Greek names? When was the book of Job written and who was its author? Jewish tradition attributes it to Moses, though some scholars think it is somebody else. If Moses wrote it, it must be around 1450 -1400 BC. The names of the constellation of Pleiades and Orion are from Greek mythology, and the Greeks weren’t around until 700-800 BC.

Did the author of Job used different names for these constellations? And if he did, are they the same constellations that the Greeks are alluding to? The answer is yes, and yes!

In the original Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the Pleiades are referred to as Kimah, which translates to “a cluster” or “heap”. It was mentioned three times (Job 9:9, 38:31; Amos 5:8). So Kimah is describing the same cluster of stars that we know today, that the Greek named as Pleiades. During the English translation of the Bible it used the name Pleiades.

By the way, in Japanese, the constellation of Pleiades is known as Subaru. Subaru means “to unite” or “gather together.” Make sense when you see Subaru’s logo. Hopefully whenever you’ll see a Subaru it will remind you of this message.

How about Orion? The original Hebrew term used to described the constellation is Kesil, which literally translates as “fool” or “ungodly.” The term is often associated with the figure of Nimrod.

Who is Nimrod in the Bible? In Genesis 10, he was described as the “mighty hunter before the Lord.” He built powerful kingdom in Mesopotamia, but he was traditionally viewed as a tyrant and he rebelled against God, and often associated with the construction of the Tower of Babel.

Thus the constellation of Kesil in Hebrew, which looks like a hunter, but also referred as a fool for rebelling against God. Orion, in Greek mythology, is also a hunter – so the 2 cultures are describing the same constellation that we know today.

When God ask Job the question, can you bind the cluster of Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion, what does He mean?

In older interpretation, it is thought to refer to the changing of the seasons. For example, I read an old script by Charles Spurgeon, a renowned 19th-century British preacher, and gave this sermon on June 28, 1868. He explained that in the Bible, the Pleiades constellation signifies the arrival of spring and the season of new life, often associated with “sweet influences” (KJV) due to its rising in April. Pleiades is linked to the agricultural planting in ancient Near Eastern culture; also associated with calm sailing seasons. 

Orion on the other hand symbolizes the onset of winter and the cold season, often referred to as being “bound” by its bands. Orion is depicted as a powerful, wintery constellation whose appearance brings storms, frost, and, in ancient contexts, turbulent weather.

According to the sermon of Spurgeon: “the whole verse asserts that nobody can stop the revolutions of the seasons: when God ordains the spring, the shining months come laughing on; and when again he calls for winter, snow and ice must rule the dreary hour….this is the simple teaching of the verse, telling Job that as he could not alter the seasons or the ordinances of heaven, so neither could he change the purposes of God in the events of providence.”

So one interpretation of this verse is only God can control the evolving seasons. Makes sense, right?

But how would you explain the specific term of “binding” of Pleiades and “loosening” of the belt of Orion? Perhaps before it was almost impossible to fully grasp this, but now with the advancement of knowledge and with further scientific endeavors, we can understand this verse better.

On April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into space. We were able to see stars and galaxies that we have not seen before. It has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Then in December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), was launched into orbit and has been operational since July 2022. It is the newest, largest, and most powerful space observatory. It specializes in infrared astronomy to observe the universe, galaxy formation, and exoplanet atmospheres. Since then, it has captured images of galaxies we have not seen before.

With the space telescopes and with other advance technology, we now understand better when God says, “can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?”

When God challenged Job’s ability to “bind the cluster of Pleiades.” It’s as if He was saying, “Hey Job, you think you can keep Pleiades together? Well, I can!”

As it turns out, the Pleiades, known as “Seven Sisters,” has six stars that are easily visible with the naked eye, with the seventh star just at the limit of human vision in terms of brightness. In actuality, they are more than 7.

It is classified as an “open cluster” because it is a group of stars formed from the same cosmic cloud and have roughly the same chemical composition. Most importantly, they are bound to one another by a mutual gravitational attraction.

Above is an annotated image of Pleiades taken by Hubble telescope.

Isabel Lewis of the United States Naval Observatory said, “Astronomers have identified 250 stars as actual members of this group, all sharing in a common motion and drifting through space in the same direction.” (Most recent studies are saying that there may be more than just the 250).

Dr. Robert J. Trumpler (astronomer) said, “Over 25,000 individual calculations of the Pleiades stars are now available, and their study led to the important discovery that the whole cluster is moving in a southeasterly direction. The Pleiades stars may thus be compared to a swarm of birds, flying together to a distant goal. This leaves no doubt that the Pleiades are not a temporary or accidental cluster of stars, but a system in which the stars are bound together by a close kinship.”

So why are these stars marching together, bound in formation toward the same destination in unison? Because God made them so, just as He described them in Job.

The next section of the verse, God once again challenged Job, this time to “loose the bands of Orion.” God was referencing the “belt” of Orion; the three stars forming the linear “band” at Orion’s waist. God appeared to be challenging Job in just the opposite way he had in the first portion of the verse. Rather than bind the Pleiades, God challenged Job to loosen Orion. It’s as if He was saying, “Hey Job, you think you can loosen Orion’s belt? Well, I can!”

When we think of a belt, it is something that you tighten to keep something in place, like your pants. But God is saying here, He is loosening Orion’s belt.

First of all, what if I tell you that the 3 stars that forms the Orion’s belt, which appear to be in perfect line and are equally spaced from each other, is not just 3 stars. Really? Really!

The 2 outer stars are actually star systems, meaning they consist of multiple stars located close to one another. The outer right (Mintaka) consists of 5 stars. The outer left (Alnitak) composed of 3 stars. Only the middle star (Alnilam) is a single star, which is also the farthest star among the stars in the Orion’s belt, which means it is a very large and bright star.

Here’s the most amazing fact: the stars in Orion’s belt are moving away from each other on different directions, though when we view them from Earth they don’t seem to be changing in formation. In fact, the whole system of the constellation Orion is gravitationally unstable and is steadily expanding outwards.

Garrett P. Serviss, a noted astronomer, wrote about the bands of Orion in his book, Curiosities of the Sky:“The great figure of Orion appears to be more lasting, not because its stars are physically connected, but because of their great distance, which renders their movements too deliberate to be exactly ascertained.“

The gravitational “bands” holding the constellation together have indeed been “loosened,” and the stars of this constellation are moving in different directions and are not bound together. Unlike the Pleiades clusters, the stars in the band of Orion do not share a common path. Orion’s belt is loosened, just as God told Job.

The time that I mulled about these constellations of Pleiades and Orion, was a few years back, when we were in a place that we can see the stars clearly, for it was a remote place with not much light pollution. We were in a place somewhere with a tropical climate, that can be described as paradise. We may be in paradise, but my mind was not.

Just before we went for that vacation, I had my annual physical exam and my blood test showed that my PSA was high. But before further tests can be done, we went for that trip. So in my mind, there were lots of questions. Being a doctor who have insight of the possibilities of the diagnosis, I have thought of the different scenarios, including the worse scenario, which is prostate cancer.

While I was having questions and doubts about my future, I found solace by looking at the stars. God was telling me through the stars and the constellations, He was in control. If God can hold Pleiades together, he can certainly hold me. If God can loosened Orion, he can certainly release me from the problem binding me.

Since that time, eventually I was found to have a small tumor on an MRI of my prostate. Though through prayers and life style change that small tumor disappeared. Last month, I had another MRI of the prostate for surveillance, and the tumor is still nowhere to be found.

Above is an image from NASA taken by JWST – this nebula is 17,000 light-years away, created by the energetic remains of a supernova. What does it look like? This is aptly named the Hand of God Nebula. God’s hand is definitely holding our whole universe.

Is your family relationship drifting farther and farther apart? Do you have a son or a daughter who have wandered away? Do you feel that your life is breaking apart?

The same God who is binding Pleiades together, can bind us with His love. He can bind our lives and keep it from tearing apart.

Do you feel that you are being bound by an illness. Are you being shackled by an addiction? Are you being enslaved by sins that you cannot let go?

The same God who loosened the belt of Orion, He can loosen you and me, from the binds of sickness, addictions and sins. He can set us free.

We cannot bind Pleiades. We cannot loosened the Orion. But we can trust the One who can.

(*all photos taken from the web)