• When the earth's shadow crosses the moon, a lunar eclipse occurs. Astronomers can predict future lunar and solar eclipses through mathematics. Astronomers are akin to prophets in their ability to predict future events.
• But an astronomer is not a prophet. The Spirit directed the prophets. Pious men listened to the Almighty and spoke His words.
• Astronomers, unlike prophets, predict future lunar and solar eclipses by the exact laws of physics. There is no spiritual leading for the astronomer.
• Yet, there is a fundamental link between the prophet and the astronomer. I can sum up this link as follows: "Sometimes the prophets predicted events that happened at the time of a new moon, a full moon, or even New Year's Day."
• In the Bible, faith is tied to astronomy as the heavens relate to events in Christ's life:

"Do not let anyone judge you . . . with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ" (Col. 2:17-18).

• This verse links the time of a new moon to the future or as, "a shadow of the things that were to come." We have a meager glimpse of how a new moons or astronomical positions point to future biblical events.

Consider the Feasts of Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. The day for each of these feasts is affixed to a definite time of the year or the solar position, and the lunar position.

The New Testament has a direct correlation to these Old Testament feasts. For example, Christ was crucified on the Passover which in the Old Testament was the day Moses and the Israelites sacrificed a lamb in Egypt. Even the hour of Christ's death on the cross transpired at the time the lamb's death in Egypt as a sacrificial offering.

Christ's resurrection occurred on the Feast of First Fruits, which in the Old Testament always occurred on the Sunday following the Passover (See Lev. 23:9-11). The Hebrew Apostle Paul noted this and wrote in his epistle to the Corinthians, "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep" (1 Cor. 15:20).

Fifty days after the Feast of First Fruits, the Day of Pentecost took place. The correlation between the Old Testament and the New Testament is the Feast of Weeks or the 50th day. On this date in the Old Testament, Moses received the law written on stone tablets at Mount Sinai; whereas in the New Testament, Christ's followers received the Holy Spirit Who wrote the law of love upon their hearts.

Is it any wonder that religious festivals in the Old Covenant are a shadow of the things to come, meaning these feasts are prophetic of the Messiah foretold by the Scriptures. (Col. 2:17-18).

Now Christ fulfilled the Spring time feasts of Passover, First Fruits, and Pentecost at his first coming to earth. The autumn festivals are prophetic of Christ's second coming to earth. Consider the importance of the Feast of Trumpets as being prophetic of the day of Christ's return in the light of Daniel's "time-oriented" prophecy concealing 14,000 days that fit perfectly into both the 1st century and the 20th & 21st centuries.