Rome may corrupt the words of the Book, but she cannot touch the stars of heaven! The Devil [pg 174] himself cannot move them from their places. He may choose and use his servants and agents for corrupting the Scriptures written in the Book, but he cannot change the Revelation of the stars.
There,—no woman's foot is seen upon the Serpent's head! There,—no woman usurps the place of the all-glorious Redeemer!
In Ophiuchus we see Him in dread conflict with the Serpent, and we see His foot upon the Scorpion's heart (Scorpio). We see Him, the Risen Lamb (Aries), binding Cetus, the great Monster of the Deep; we see Him in the glorious Orion, whose foot is coming down on the enemy's head (Lepus); we see Him in the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Leo), about to tread down that Old Serpent (Hydra) the Devil; we see Him in the mighty Hercules, who has his foot on the head of the Dragon (Draco), and his up-lifted club about to inflict the long-threatened blow; we see Him crowned in Cepheus, with all His enemies subdued, and His right foot planted upon the Polar Star!
True, we do see a woman in this heavenly and Divine revelation; for there are four women. Two are connected with the Redeemer, and two with the Redeemed. The Redeemer is seen in the one (Virgo) as the “promised Seed”; in the other (Coma), He is seen as the child born, the Son given. The Redeemed are represented in one as a captive chained (Andromeda), with no power to wage conflict with an enemy, but a prey to every foe; in the other (Cassiopeia), [pg 175] she is enthroned, with no necessity for conflict. For with one hand she waves the palm of a victory which another (Perseus) has wrought on her behalf, while with her right hand she is preparing and making herself ready for “the marriage of the Lamb.”
Thus pure and undefiled is this primeval fountain of Divine truth. Thus harmonious is it with the written Word of God. And He who gave them both to enlighten a dark world which lieth in the power of this wicked one, has filled both with one subject—“The sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.”
These are set forth by the Holy Spirit in a double sevenfold expansion of the prophetic promise of Gen. iii. 15, giving seven steps in His humiliation and seven in His glorification (Phil. ii. 5-11[76]).
CHRIST JESUS,
1. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery (a thing to be grasped at and held) to be equal with God;
2. But made Himself of no reputation (Gr. emptied Himself),
3. And took upon Him the form of a servant,