Incredibly Strange Coincidences 1998

Happy New Year 5759!
The True Millennium
Tim McGraw
Comet SOHO
Meteor STORM!

Happy New Year 5759

Rosh Hoshanah 5759- that was the day Congress decided to release the videotaped testimony of President Clinton to the Grand Jury, fulfilling the New Testament prophecy that in the 'end times' every 'secret will be shouted from the rooftops.' It is also the start of the year in the Hebrew calendar that is exactly 2000 years after 3759 which by my calculations was the "TRUE" year of Jesus birth (see below).

Three meteor STORMS predicted for October/November 1998!

From October 8 to November 17 1998, keep looking skyward! Read all about it on Sky Publishing's Meteor Page(s)... http://www.skypub.com/meteors/3showers.html

Triple Witching day??? (November 12 1998)

The last "Triple Witching Day" was October 13th 1998. While many 'strange' things happened, the world did not end. The next date for which we are getting an indication that something 'strange' could happen is November 12 1998. If you want more details, please email me at gcmastra@mcs.drexel.edu.

The Third Secret of Fatima ?? (October 13 1917)

The first apparition took place on May 13 1917. Pope John Paul II was shot on May 13th 1981, the 64th anniversary of the first apparition. He credited the BVM with saving his life. Since then he has devoted his papacy to fulfilling all the commandments of Mary at Fatima. The prophecy said that if the Holy Father would consecrate Russia to her, then Russia would be converted from Communism and there would be a period of peace in the world. But there are other commandments and requirements that must be met in order to avoid the destruction of the world. While the Pope is trying in his own way to avoid this destruction, I'm not so sure we will collectively pass the test. Ronald Reagan evidently knew about Fatima and the significance of the dates of his shooting and the Pope's - after Reagan was shot, they started consulting an astrologer when putting together the President's schedule. When Reagan returned fom a summit with Gorbachev, he went to Rome for an audience with the Pope. The LAST apparition at Fatima was October 13th 1917. That was the date of the "miracle of the sun." http://www.fatima.org/miracle.html Other Marian visions have taken place on the 13th of the month. The apparitions in Conyers Georgia always take place on the 13th of the month- they are so predicatble that they can publish the schedule on the internet in advance... http://www.conyers.org/schedule.htm This October 13th is the 81st anniversary of the 'Miracle of the Sun." Many people are expecting something like that to be repeated. This October 13th hs already been announced to be the LAST appearance of Mary. WHY? After this month, all bets are off on what will happen in the world. From 1994 until now, either Jesus or Mary has appeared like clockwork, since we are protected by God's grace. After this month, Mary departs. Also from Conyers, Jesus appeared on October 13th in the years 1994 and 1995... http://www.conyers.org/jmonth.htm

Dating the "True" Millennium

What are we really talking about here? The "bi-millennium" of the birth of Jesus. Our current secular calendar is really the Gregorian calendar which is supposed to be synchronised with the start of the Christian Era or "Common Era." But is it??

This message was originally written on June 17 1998...

The conjunction of Venus & Jupiter on June 17, 2 B.C. is expressed in SOLAR calendar coordinates from our present Gregorian calendar- so TODAY with regard to the earth's position around the SUN we are currently less than ONE SOLAR YEAR before the 2000th anniversary of June 17th 2 B.C.

Significance?

This is my OPINION as far as the SIGNIFICANCE is concerned, which some people will accuse of me of being terribly Western judeo-christian culturally biased- but HEY- the significance of Christ is definitely a Christian-biased thing okay? If you are offended, you can leave this web page as easily as you can change the channel on your cable TV, okay??

STAR OF BETHLEHEM?

There was a conjunction of the two brightest planets (Venus & Jupiter) that occurred in June 17 2 B.C. and was visible from Palestine. The location in the constellation Leo near the bright star Regulus (Leo had significance for the Jews as the "Lion of Judah" was a powerful symbol) would have had great astrological significance. There were alredy Messianic prophecies in a time of Roman occupation and oppression, so people would have been searching for a sign, ANY SIGN, or the arrival of the Messiah or deliverer. I believe (IMHO) that the conjunction of 2 B.C. was THE conjunction that the "wise men" from Babylon would have interpreted as the "Star" of Bethlehem. And we BELIEVE historically that Herod Antipas did order a "slaughter of the innocents" based on the RUMORS of a "star" even if he didn't SEE the "star" himself.

DETAILS & RESEARCH

Here is a very detailed article from Griffith Observatory
http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSBidelman.html
which goes into ALL the candidate astronomical events from that epoch. Here is a link page they put together... http://www.griffithobs.org/StarofBethlehem.html

THE DATE

June 17th is a solar date. The Roman/Julian/Gregorian calendar is solar not lunar. But the HEBREW calendar that would have been used in Israel at the time is/was a solar/lunar calendar- so the REAL DATE of significance would have been the date in the HEBREW CALENDAR which would depend on the phase of the moon on that date. I have NOT YET done the calculation to determine which Hebrew month & day it occurred in. Can anyone help me? Know any web sites with the Hebrew calendar??

Palestine was under Roman occupation at the time, so for official Roman law they would have been using the Julian Calendar- but that is not exactly the calendar we are using today either, because of the Gregorian correction in the year 1555. So if there were a roman log entry in Pontius Pilate's planner, it would NOT correspond to "Junius XVII."

HAIL DILBERTUS

From Ponty's desk, Junius XVII: "While on desert maneuvers, saw big star pointed out by some rejoicing shepherds; dinner for the troops was lamb surprise and some wine." Cartoon at the bottom of the page: "Tell me, Dogbertus: Why does the pointy-haired centurion always get the best tent?"

The MILLENNIUM MATTERS!

Does any of this matter to anyone else but ME?!?!
Oh come on- the MILLENNIUM Matters!!

The Next SUPER-CONJUNCTION

Interestingly, in June 2000 there is a conjunction of Venus & Jupiter that is JUST AS CLOSE as the one in 2 B.C.- there have been no other such conjunctions this close in the intervening 2001 years- that one also occurs in the same lunar month as the summer solstice- that would mean almost exactly the 2001st anniversary of June 17 2 B.C. It is also the last in a "swarm" of very close planetary conjunctions that occur from April - June 2000, which start with a dramatic evening conjunction of the planets on the night of April 7 2000- the eve of my 40th birthday, coincidentally.

Go here for more details:
Planetary Groupings and the Millennium: Why Panic?

My "spin" on these events...
The REAL "Jupiter Effect"

LINING UP THE YEARS- Year 0 or Year 1 ??

Lining up years- there was no "year 0" in the Gregorian Calendar so the year 2001 lines up with the year 1 A.D., the year 2000 correspond to 1 B.C. and 1999 corresponds to 2 B.C. hence June 17 1999 is 2000 years after June 17 2 B.C. But everyone is in almost universal agreement that Jesus was not born on December 25th 1 B.C. (which would be Christmas 2000). I believe Jesus was born in the spring. There probably was no SNOW on the manger.

Origins of the Gregorian Calendar

AWAY IN A MANGER

The "manger" reminds me- there is an open question of whether the star occurred on the day of Jesus birth, or if the Magi started their journey on the day of the star and arrived at the manger on the day of the birth- if the legend of the Magi's gifts is to endure, this will need to be settled. Mary and Joseph would not have stayed in the "manger" more than a day or two- this was an EMERGENCY childbirth center because there was NO ROOM at the Inn. Once Mom & baby were stabilized, Joseph would have kept them on their journey. So by the time the wise guys arrived, where would they have found the baby? They would have been asking around Jerusalem, the Jewish capitol, rather than in Bethlehem. And that was how Herod got word of it, and ordered all babies under 2 years old killed- so Joseph and family had to FLEE to Egypt.

Tim McGraw sung a great song one one of last year's Christmas shows- "It wasn't his child" honoring Joseph for standing UP for his wife and adopted child. In those days, sex out of wedlock was a STONING offense! Here is his good friend Mary knocked up with no husband- rather than see her suffer, he STEPS IN and says "I am the father" and takes her as his wife. Now he has to TAKE THE HEAT from everyone- including Herod's WRATH- and flee with them to Egypt to keep is family intact! What greater LOVE story can YOU think of??

That's why it endures forever, whether it is history or myth. Some of it has been mythologized- SURE! So was George Washington cuting down the cherry tree and all that. It BECOMES LEGEND as people become GREAT! The Jesus myth is similar to Buddha and others- but also different, in some ways the antithesis. Buddha was a rich kid who renounced wealth as evil. Jesus was born POOR AS DIRT- "no room at the inn??!?!" That the LORD of the UNIVERSE should send his ONLY SON to be born in a stable where GOATS are born... !?!?!? Its the ultimate irony- that the ways of the world are wicked, that the ways of men's vanity and worshipping "mammon" completely invert the value system so that MONEY AND STATUS are more important than human rights or dignity- does any of that sound FAMILIAR?!? The world into which the LORD OF HOSTS felt it necessary to send the REDEEMER into our midst... is it that different than the WORLD TODAY?!?!?

The hour is NIGH!

Jesus, Tim McGraw, and Me

Tim McGraw was adopted.  His mother didn't tell him that he was the
illegitimate son of a famous person until he was older.  Like ME... Tim
grew up with a different last name than he was born with, and grew up
loving his father and being part of a happy family.  He had no clue his
father wasn't his biological father. 

In Tim's case, at some point, his mother had to tell him that he was
really the son of baseball player Tug McGraw.  I wish I knew the real
story- there was probably a reason she decided to tell him- maybe his
health was in question and she had to disclose his real medical
history.  That was one of the reasons my wife and I  bothered to look up
my real heritage after we got married but before we decided to have
children.  

Anyway, it turned out that Tim eventually met his real father and they
have some kind of relationship.  I never met mine (other than some vague
memories from when I was very little) and I heard that he DIED a few
years back- my mother, who never talked about him, claims she saw an
obit in the local newspaper.  Ironically, this allowed my mother to go back
to church for the first time in many years- as a divorcee in the Catholic 
Church in the 1960s, she was excommunicated- now in the eyes of the church 
she is a WIDOW (even though she had remarried and divorced my adopted father
in the intervening years).

Now my thoughts go back 2000 years to a time when socially things were
very strict and backwards compared to today (in most of the world
anyway); in some ways the world today is MORE SAVAGE than it was 2000
years ago...

A young boy grew up not knowing his real biological father,
but loving his REAL father  as far as he knew- a kind gentle man, a
carpenter named Joseph who loved his mother and took care of his family
against some very staggering odds.  Joseph taught young Jesus his trade,
how to work with his hands, how to create something out of nothing but
wood.  But he recognized great promise in a boy who seemed more attuned
to studies in the temple rather than the manual trades.  So he let his
son follow his heart and his head, rather than forcing him to stay in
the family business.  Maybe he had a little reticence about disciplining
the boy, knowing deep down that he wasn't his "real" father, and Mary
would give him that LOOK when he would get too strict with the young
man.   Besides, that Jesus was somewhat of a prodigy, coming out with
some amazing interpretations of scripture that even the rabbis at the
temple found astonishing- kids say the darndest things, you know?? 

So this boy grows up not really fitting in anywhere, but amazingly able
to learn and adapt to different environments.  He felt just as "at home"
hanging out with the blue collar workers- carpenters, tax collectors,
"everyday people" as he did hanging around the temple discussing
prophecy with the rabbis and anyone who would listen.  But he also had
a restless spirit- he wanted to see the world, learn what else was out
there.  So in his teenage years and early 20s it is believed he
travelled- possibly to Tibet, possibly to Rome.   

NEW: I recently read another interpretation.  Growing up in Alexandra Egypt
in the first century A.D.,  Jesus would have access to the GREAT LIBRARY before
it was burned!  So it may be that his exposure to foreign ideas and cultures
was 'book learning.' 

The missing years of Jesus life are the most interesting to 
speculate about.  But it is all speculation- based on the fact 
that Jesus' philosophy had elements of Hellenistic/Socratic 
thinking as well as Eastern/Buddhist philosophy.  His philosophy 
appears to be a SYNTHESIS of mega-trends that were
colliding in the near east at that time- Greco-Roman, Judaic, and
Eastern ideas and beliefs. 

Before his 30th birthday, he decides to stop running away.  He knows he
has to return home to stand up for what he believes in without
compromising his integrity.  He devotes his life to helping people
realize that they can do anything they want if they put their mind to it
and their hearts in it ("ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be
opened unto you.").  He takes joy in helping those less fortunate than
himself.  And he does some AMAZING things that gain him greater
renown...  the rest is history!  (Or is it? Legend and history are 
often indistinguishable). 

Well, I am no where near like Jesus but if I try to live my life just a
little bit like the man then I am doing okay in my book.  Haven't saved
any souls or healed anyone lately as far as I know, although people tell
me they have been touched by some of the things on my web site.  Gone
through some rough soul-searching times in my life when I was down on my
luck and couldn't figure out why life wasn't fair- but I went through
some changes that helped me back on my feet.  Before my thirtieth
birthday I made a decision to stand up and pay the piper, living up to
my wedding vows, not running from my problems but taking them head on.  

See, I really relate to the whole Jesus story.  It could have something
to do with the fact that my adopted name is the most CATHOLIC name
anyone could ever have- Christopher Lawrence Mastrangelo literally means
"Bearer of Christ, Crowned with Laurels, Master of the Angels."  I tend
to take myself a little too seriously, magnify the significance of
events in my life that most people would find mundane.  When I have a
bad day, its not just me, its the planets lining up, and eclipses, and
explosions of neutron stars in distant galaxies that are behind it all. 

So when I say that Tim McGraw and I have something in common with Jesus-
forgive me my self-indulgence, okay?  Other people grow up in far worse
circumstances than not knowing their real father- I never felt deprived,
I had a wonderful childhood and a wonderful family growing up.  Wish I
could say that were true for every little child around the world.  For
when someone "hurts the least of these, you have hurt me." 

God bless.

Comet SOHO

Another great comet discovered by a spacecraft...
then the spacecraft DISAPPEARS (see news item below)!

This was the Astronomy Picture of the Day for June 4 1998. The discovery photo by the Solar and Heliographic Observatory spacecraft was made public on May 21 1998, the same day my second daughter Alexandra was born. This led to another rash of Hale-Bopp-like UFO conspiracy theories- people thought the image on the discovery photo looked like a Klingon Warbird.

More Comet SOHO (1998 J1) photos from Australia...
Michael Horn's Page

NEWS UPDATE

LATEST NEWS (Last updated October 19 1998)

SOHO spacecraft recovered; Systems coming back online!
NASA News Release

From the SIMULACRUM File, Part II

On the left is an artists conception of Jesus return "in the clouds" that appears on Stan & Holly Deyo's "Noah's Ark" page. On the right is another famous image. Coincidence?

What do you think? Share your thoughts with me (mailto:cmastran@bellatlantic.net) via email.

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