Belt of the Shouter

Last week's blog was on the start of the present search for intelligent life. However, way back in 1920, Epsilon Boötes was supposedly the source of some mysterious signals. A "translation" of these signals was produced in the 1970s. (A Google search will yield plenty of reading, if that's of interest.)

Epsilon Boötes is a pair of stars with magnitudes of about 5 and 3, and of contrasting colors of blue and orange or yellow and green—depending on which description you read. Click on the title above to see pictures of this lovely pair.

The star's traditional name is Izar, and it is located at Boötes' waist. The Hebrew root of Izar means to shout, or to whoop. In fact, in Arabia this star was called Al Mintakah al 'Awwa, The Belt of the Shouter.

Boötes, the Coming One (see blog archive March 2010 at right), is coming with a shout. It is a shout of triumph and a shout of joy: triumph over his enemies, and joy in meeting His chosen ones.

People get so excited over science fiction, and about possible alien life. But the truth of our great Lord, Savior, and coming King is greater than any science fiction that can be imagined. And it has been pictured for us in the stars and in their names for thousands of years.

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV.