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Editor's Note: I still love much of the material in the Zeitgeist films. For instance I love the material in the first film regarding the the 9/11 truth movement and the activist efforts to abolish the federal reserve system. That said the Zeitgeist movement the films started seems to be rebranded communism to myself and many others. That said, this post has nothing to do with that. I'm a real truther and will debunk anybody that I determine are spreading falsehoods. You don't have to be religious to see that the following research destroys this portion of the Zeitgeist film from both an esoteric perspective and a traditional one.
Many Christians believe that we are in the “end-times” and that Christ return is imminent. We constantly see earthquakes, famine, and war on the news. Is this a unique time in history or are we just paying closer attention?
These natural disasters have always been taking place, but at this time in history, we are much more sensitive to them. There are hundreds of books written to inspire this teaching such as the Left Behind series which focuses on the fact that one day all of Christ's followers will be taken off earth physically—known as the rapture—and will disappear, while the others are left behind to survive on earth. Are we in the Age that Jesus talked about signaling his return?
Chaos and Breakthroughs
There are many different views and beliefs about the spiritual crisis that is occurring within humanity at this time. People are evolving, shifting, and opening up their minds. Christians are starting to question things more and are trying to make sense of the destruction in the world and the loss in their own families.
More Christians are having unexplained psychic experiences that they can’t explain with their religious beliefs. People are suffering and are seeking answers to their personal experiences and many are turning to the “new age” philosophies for answers.
Medical technology is failing and the medical care that we are receiving is often not healing us, but making us sicker. Many people are seeking alternative therapies such as seeing chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncture specialists, energy healers, and new age practitioners to treat their health conditions.
This is a time of questioning, exploring knowledge, increasing our spiritual awareness and focusing on technological advances to help humanity survive in these trying times. Some believe that we are in the “Age of Aquarius” and there are many different opinions as to when this age actually starts.
It is evident that we are in an intense energetic time and we are all feeling it, but what is it that we are feeling?
Quantum Leaps?
We are experiencing the energetic shift of humanity and the transformation of consciousness. We are moving into the Age of Aquarius. In the Bible, it states, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the Ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11). We can no longer think or live as we have been.
Humanity needs to make changes to ensure its survival. We've all heard of global warming now and each day the weather is so chaotic that we don’t know what we are going to experience. One day it snows and the next it is extremely hot and weather anomalies are happening all over the world. Is this the end of the world or just a preparation for something much bigger than us?
Jesus talked in the Bible about the changes in the future that would signal his return. He said that there would be “Signs in the Sun, Moon, and stars” (Luke 21:25) signaling his return.
Aquarius rules astrology so maybe astrology will be taken more seriously by the masses during this new age. None of us can deny that he discussed earthquakes, famine, weather changes, and disasters. These things have been going on for decades since Christ so what makes now so important? Why are people so afraid that the end is near?
Astrological Ages
Astrologers denote an astrological age occurs approximately 2,150 years on average. There are many different ways of calculating it and many different theories. Some astrologers believe that ages affect mankind while others believe the ages correlate to the rise and fall of mighty civilizations and show cultural tendencies. It is believed that Jesus and Christianity started the Age of Pisces.
Pisces astrological symbol is the fishes, and the fish is associated with the Christian faith and was used secretly by them to identify themselves. Jesus was the “Fisher of Men” and was known to talk symbolically about fish.
Pisces traditionally rules spirituality, compassion, sacrifice, service to others, and faith. All these things were strong during the Piscean Age, and it was a time when one of the largest religion’s of the world was started.
High-Speed Innovation
If we are moving into the Aquarian Age, it is often associated with the “New Age” as Aquarius rules all things non-traditional, non-conforming, rebellious, questioning, technological, and scientific. Aquarius rules electricity, computers, airplanes, flight, democracy, humanitarian efforts, and astrology.
The appearance of these Aquarian developments over the last few centuries is considered by many astrologers to indicate the proximity of the Aquarian age. According to astrologers, “there is no uniform agreement about the relationship of these recent Aquarian developments and the Age of Aquarius.”
The Waterbearer in the Bible
Some astrologers believe that the New Age is experienced before the Aquarian Age arrives because of a cuspal effect or Orb of Influence. Other astrologers believe the appearance of Aquarian developments indicate the actual arrival of the Age of Aquarius and believe that we are currently experiencing it. Jesus was the one who announced the Age of Aquarius and said, “A man will meet you carrying an earthen pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he goes in” Luke 22:10. Since ancient times Aquarius was called the “water-bearer” and is symbolized by the Face of a Man in the Book of Revelation as one of the fixed signs of the zodiac.
Aquarius is symbolized by a man carrying a jug of water and this symbol existed since ancient times. It's interesting that Jesus tells us to “follow the water-bearer.” Jesus was telling his followers to follow the Aquarian Age and enter the house he goes in, which can mean he was helping us prepare for the future by telling us to follow this new spiritual expansion and rebirth. Jesus was educating the disciples and warning them about this crucial time in human history and preparing them for it in advance.
Science and Spirituality
The Age of Aquarius is all about enlightenment and represents spirituality coming together with science. It is a time in history where religion and science need to unite and create better medical innovations and medical technologies to help humanity. It is a time where we can use science to help validate religion and God instead of fighting over the “creation theory.” There are so many books that are written now by scientists, such as What the Bleep Do We Know, that proves that there is a soul inhabiting the body. There is research that our thoughts are powerful and can cause illness in the physical body, and a lot of research is being done to show the connection of emotions, meditation, and prayer on healing and physical ailments. These things are the blessings of the Aquarian Age.
Christ's Return
Esoteric Christians such as the Rosicrucians believe that the Age of Aquarius will bring human beings into real knowledge and discovery of the deeper Christian teachings which Christ spoke about in Matthew and Luke. In the Aquarian Age, they believe that it is expected that a great spiritual teacher will come and will give the Christian religion a push in a new direction. They talk about the Christ Consciousness which will be awakened within human beings and they will realize their oneness with Christ teachings.
Opening the Mind and Heart
For many people, today this is a time of questioning and people feel a sense of foreboding. The anxiety that many of us feel is related to the energy of change. Change is hard for human beings and it takes us time to adjust. There have been so many technological and spiritual changes in the world. These changes took place at an alarming rate. The Aquarian Age is dawning upon us or we are already in it. Either way, this is a time for all of us to start to question our beliefs and open our minds to the teachings of Christ and the great religions.
It is a time to come together as a society and help each other instead of focusing on who is right and wrong and which religion is true or false. It is a time to live the teachings that Christ taught. As he said, “take up your cross and follow me.” Christ did not want us to merely argue our beliefs, he wanted us to “walk the way” and be like him. He wanted us to live the life he taught, which was forgiveness, loving our fellow man, accepting others regardless of their material situation and working together in peace. That is what the Aquarian Age is all about. We should all continue to embrace this Aquarian energy and not just merely accept what we are told, but to question and to truly look at the teachings of Christ from all different perspectives.
The Myth of Jesus: A Refutation of the Zeitgeist — Part 7
Zeitgeist, the Movie is heavily dependent on the idea that the Bible and Christianity have their roots in astrology and the Zodiac. — In “The Myth of Jesus: A Refutation of the Zeitgeist — Part 6,” I debunked such claims that Jesus’ birth sequence was astrological and that the 12 disciples are representative of the twelve constellations of the Zodiac. Both claims are completely reliant on the “in-English-only” play on words that Jesus is a solar deity or sun god, in that “Son” of God it equivalent to “Sun” of God. The problem is that this doesn’t work in the Biblical languages of Greek and Hebrew so therefore is superficial.
Before actually attempting to further tie Jesus with the Zodiac, Zeitgeist claims,
The ancient Egyptians along with cultures long before them recognized that approximately every 2150 years the sunrise on the morning of the spring equinox would occur at a different sign of the Zodiac. This has to do with a slow angular wobble that the Earth maintains as it rotates on it’s axis. It is called a precession because the constellations go backwards, rather than through the normal yearly cycle.
The major problem here is that Zeitgeist gives the false impression that the ancient Egyptians long understood the precession of the equinoxes. The truth is that the the Greek astronomer Hipparchus is credited as being the discoverer of the precession of the equinoxes around the years 146 to 130 BC. (text link) — Also, the Zodiac in Egypt is not particularly ancient when compared to the civilization itself. The truth is that is was introduced from both Babylon and Greece as late as the Greco-Roman period! (click here) From these facts it is obvious that the film makers didn’t do enough research.
The film next goes on to talk about other “astrological-astronomical metaphors” which it alleges are in the Bible. These metaphors are about the references to the “age” that are made in the Bible. To elaborate on this claim, Zeitgeist explains about the Zodiac ages,
The amount of time that it takes for the precession to go through all 12 signs is roughly 25,765 years. This is also called the “Great Year,” and ancient societies were very aware of this. They referred to each 2150 year period as an “age.” From 4300 b.c. to 2150 b.c., it was the Age of Taurus, the Bull. From 2150 b.c. to 1 a.d., it was the Age of Aries, the Ram, and from 1 a.d. to 2150 a.d. it is the Age of Pisces, the age we are still in to this day, and in and around 2150, we will enter the new age: the Age of Aquarius.
Since this particular claim itself is not wrong, so far there is no refutation needed. From this Zeitgeist simplifies how it interprets the Bible in order to make it fit into the Zodiac ages. The problem, however becomes that these interpretations are ludicrous.
Zeitgeist claims that the Bible shows symbolic movement through 3 ages and foreshadowsa fourth age. It then begins with an interpretation of Moses,
In the Old Testament when Moses comes down Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, he is very upset to see his people worshiping a golden bull calf. In fact, he shattered the stone tablets and instructed his people to kill each other in order to purify themselves. Most Biblical scholars would attribute this anger to the fact that the Israelites were worshiping a false idol, or something to that effect. The reality is that the golden bull is Taurus the Bull, and Moses represents the new Age of Aries the Ram. This is why Jews even today still blow the Ram’s horn. Moses represents the new Age of Aries, and upon the new age, everyone must shed the old age.
The claim Zeitgeist makes that the Golden Calf was Taurus the Bull has no support from the context in Exodus chapter 32. There is a much more plausible explanation as to what the Golden Calf represented. We have to take into account that at this point in time the Hebrews had just escaped Egyptian slavery. The Golden Calf is most likely the Egyptian god, Apis, the sacred bull of Memphis which is an incarnation of either Osiris or Ptah. (Source) — It goes without saying that an explanation from history is much more believable than a suggestion that has no support from the context.
The film claims that Moses was not truly angered at the fact that his people were worshiping a false god, but rather because he represents the Aries. — The fact is that this claim has absolutely no textual support. I would question if the film makers have even read the Biblical story because the context completely supports the idea that Moses’ anger was kindled by false worship. There is nothing in the entire story that suggests that Moses represents the Age of Aries or that he is the reason why Jews blow the rams horns. And if anyone would like to argue with me on this then I would tell them to read the Bible and see for themselves. Zeitgeist is simply inserting details in the text that just aren’t there.
It should be noted, as the film points out, that the Age of Aries had begun in 2150 BC. — According to Biblical dating, the Exodus happened in 1437 BC. It was 713 years way too late for Moses to get angry that his people had not caught onto the “new age.”
Next, Zeitgeist attempts to connect the symbol of the Christian fish to the Zodiac,
Now Jesus is the figure who ushers in the age following Aries, the Age of Pisces the Two Fish. Fish symbolism is very abundant in the New Testament. Jesus feeds 5000 people with bread and “2 fish.” When he begins his ministry walking along Galilee, he befriends 2 fisherman, who follow him. And I think we’ve all seen the Jesus-fish on the backs of people’s cars. Little do they know what it actually means. It is a Pagan astrological symbolism for the Sun’s Kingdom during the Age of Pisces. Also, Jesus’ assumed birth date is essentially the start of this age.
The claim now is that the Christian fish is a symbol for the Age of Pisces which Zeitgeist is careful to mention is represented by “two fish.” — It then points out the miracle of Jesus feeding a crowd of 5,000 with bread and “two fish.” (Luke 9: 13, 14) — It’s careful to mention the number of fish but yet it neglects to mention the number of five loaves of bread because it has no parallel with the zodiac and throws off the symbolism.
The next alleged “parallel” with the Age of Pisces is that Jesus befriended “two fisherman,” — again, the reference to two fish. However this is faulty as well because even though it is true that Jesus befriended some fishermen, there weren’t just two. As a matter of fact there were a total of four fishermen listed among Jesus’ disciples, not two. (Mark 1: 16, 20). This difference in number is enough to refute the connection between them and Pisces.
Even though Zeitgeist implies that Christians lifted the fish from paganism, there are more internal reasons for the Christians to have adopted it. According to Mark 1: 17, Jesus commissioned his followers as “fishers of men.” — Also, in Greek, the word for fish (ΙΧΘΥΣ) is also an acronym for “Ιησους Χριστος Θεου Υιος Σωτηρ.” — In English this translates as “Jesus Christ, God’s Son is Savior.” — The symbol of the fish was used during the first centuries when Christians were being persecuted by the Romans. It is said that it was used by Christians in secret to identify other Christians. (Text Link) So the fact is that Christians had enough reasons to use a fish without any pagan influences, much less influence from the Zodiac.
Also, the attempt made by Zeitgeist to date Jesus’ birth to 1 AD (the first year of the Age of Pisces) is misguided. It is more likely that Jesus was born between 7 to 2 BC. So, close but no cigar. Jesus’ birth doesn’t mark be beginning of the new age.
Next, Zeitgeist tries to link a certain statement Jesus made in Luke 22: 10 to a fourth age of the Zodiac,
At Luke 22:10 when Jesus is asked by his disciples where the next passover will be after he is gone, Jesus replied: “Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water… follow him into the house where he entereth in.” This scripture is by far one of the most revealing of all the astrological references. The man bearing a pitcher of water is Aquarius, the water-bearer, who is always pictured as a man pouring out a pitcher of water. He represents the age after Pisces, and when the Sun (God’s Sun) leaves the Age of Pisces (Jesus), it will go into the House of Aquarius, as Aquarius follows Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. Also Jesus is saying is that after the Age of Pisces will come the Age of Aquarius.
To anyone who has actually read the passage that Zeitgeist cites here to support a parallel between the New Testament and the Zodiac, it is clearly obvious that the film takes the Biblical passage completely out of context.
Zeitgeist claims that in this passage Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus where they will celebrate the Passover “after he is gone.” — Even though the words “after he is gone” do not appear in the transcript of Zeitgeist, they are added in the film itself and therefore warrant a refutation. — The truth is that nowhere in the context (Luke 22: 7, 12) do the disciples ask about the next Passover “after he (Jesus) is gone.” As a matter of fact, they didn’t ask him anything. However in the separate account in Mark 14: 12, 15 the disciples do ask him where he wants to celebrate the Passover, but nothing is mentioned about the next Passover after Jesus’ death. Zeitgeist is inserting details in the Biblical text that are not there.
As for the claim that the man with a pitcher of water is representative of the coming Age of Aquarius — This is completely taken out of context. Also, the suggestion that “Jesus is saying is that after the Age of Pisces will come the Age of Aquarius” is way off the charts of what the New Testament says. — Remember, Mark says that Jesus’ disciples asked him where he wanted to celebrate the Passover. If Jesus replied to their question in such a manner that Zeitgeist claims then that would have given his disciples lots of reason to say “Huh? We didn’t ask that.”
Also a man carrying a pitcher of water 2,000 years ago is way to generic to automatically assume a parallel with Aquarius. Before indoor plumbing, carrying water in pitchers was not unusual at all. Does it make sense to apply Zeitgeist’s logic to these cases and assume everyone who fetches water in a pitcher represents Aquarius? — No, I didn’t think so.
The last attempt that Zeitgeist tries to tie the New Testament to the Zodiac are the references it makes to “the age.”
Now, we have all heard about the end times and the end of the world. Apart from the cartoonish depictions in the Book of Revelation, the main source of this idea comes from Matthew 28:20, where Jesus says “I will be with you even to the end of the world.” However, in King James Version, “world” is a mistranslation, among many mistranslations. The actual word being used is “aeon”, which means “age.” “I will be with you even to the end of the age.” Which is true, as Jesus’ Solar Piscean personification will end when the Sun enters the Age of Aquarius. The entire concept of end times and the end of the world is a misinterpreted astrological allegory.
Zeitgeist claims that the King James Version of the Bible mistranslated Matthew 28: 20 the term “aeon” the Greek word for age as “world.” The film implies that Jesus is saying Jesus’ Age of Pisces ends as the Age of Aquarius begins and that therefore the idea of the “end of the world” is a “misinterpreted astrological allegory.”
— Actually, the term used is “αιων” which is pronounced “aion.” (Text Link) — It is true that the term means “age.” But contrary to the claims made by Zeitgeist, the term used in the passage also means forever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, universe and even the worlds. So the fact is Matthew 28: 20 can be translated as “I am with you always, even to the end of the universe.” (Text Link)
— So much for the claim that Jesus was not talking about the actual end of the world. It is clear that just because the term “age” is used in the New Testament, that does not indicate that it is therefore referencing the Ages of the Zodiac. As a matter of fact, the Greek word for “age” is used in several contexts in the Bible where it would be ridiculous to suggest that the Zodiac is being referenced. (For example, Luke 1: 70 and 1 Corinthians 2: 6)
It is pretty obvious that the Film, Zeitgeist, as well as many other “Jesus-Mythers” are willing to tie any reference in the Bible of fish to Pisces, any Bull or calf to Taurus, or water to Aquarius no matter how ludicrous these “connections” are. No reputable scholar would ever make such weak connections between the Zodiac and the Bible.
Despite the fact that Zeitgeist makes the claim that the Bible “has more to do with astrology than anything else” — The Bible actually discredits Astrology and Stargazing as acts of Divination,
Surely they [astrologers and stargazers] are like stubble; the fire will burn them up.They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. (Isaiah 47: 14 NIV)
Also the claim that Jesus is a Sun god is also can be dismissed due to the Judeo-Christian opposition of the worship of both the Sun and the constellation which is shown in the Bible. — 2 Kings 23: 5 talks approvingly about Josiah, the King of Judah, who abolished such practices during his reign,
[Josiah] did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.
Such passages are not what one would expect to find in a book that promoted astrology. Considering the fact that Judaism opposes Sun worship, it is not likely for the first Christians (who were Jews themselves) to consider Jesus a god of the sun. Such a thing was against their religion. As I have mentioned before, the claims made by Zeitgeist that Jesus is the “Sun” of God which is a play on words with “son,” are moot because this only works in English. And the Bible was not written in English.
There is no evidence that Jesus was ever considered a solar deity or that Christianity is based on the worship of the sun. Likewise, the connections that Zeitgeist attempts to make between the Bible and the constellations of the Zodiac have no basis in what the Biblical passages it refers to actually say. Every single case is taken out of context to support a view that no competent historian or scholar would ever endorse.
The Spirituality that the Film Zeitgeist Misses in Plain Sight While Getting Many Things Right
https://mindtreasury.blogspot.com/2022/03/jordan-maxwell-tribute-rip-deeply.html
Jesus Is A Copycat God - DeBunked
http://debunkingdeath.blogspot.com/2023/03/d19-jesus-is-copycat-god-debunked.html
