“God in the beginning created the lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” Gen 1:14

The constellation universally known as Cassiopeia beautifully depicts the biblical Bride of Christ. Cassiopeia means: The Enthroned Woman, or The Beautiful, also called The Daughter of Splendor, or The Glorified Woman.

She is pictured as a glorious woman sitting on a throne with one hand holding a branch and the other holding her hair and brushing it with the branch. The branch that she is holding is symbolic of Jesus. Often in scriptures Jesus is called “The Branch” so we can say that she is holding onto him. Next she is brushing her hair with the branch. Hair is symbolic of glory, “But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given her for a covering.” 1 Cor 11:15

Jesus is her covering, and that is precisely what makes her glorious and beautiful.

From the beginning of Man’s appearance on earth God had recorded his whole plan of the ages in the stars in heaven. The names of the stars and signs of the Zodiac and accompanying constellations recording the story of redemption through the Son of God was passed on from Adam, his son Seth to Shem and down through his word to present day.

Although people throughout time have spun their own version of the signs and their meaning, it has not altered God’s plan. It still remains plainly written in the heavens and especially in His Word for everyone to know. God does not do things in the dark. Everything He does is done in the light for all to see. This revelation about the Bride of Christ he has done through the lights shining out of darkness.

His plan has been to find a Bride for his Son that will love Him with her whole heart and reign with Him throughout eternity. The constellation Cassiopeia depicts this woman. She allows her beloved to bestow gifts of salvation upon her. She was not content with simply being saved. Jesus, the Son of God, is everything she wants to be and she is persuaded she can become like Him.

She is depicted looking in the mirror, she yearns to measure up to her loves likeness. This hunger and thirst to be like him drives her forward pressing her “toward the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus”. She is not presumptuous. She knows she is in a spiritual state of ‘becoming’ the Bride and it will not be over until the day of her marriage supper.

She not only has been Born Again but has also built her foundation on sound biblical doctrinal teachings, adding pillars of knowledge, while being brought through a purification process. By these disciplines she has become a partaker of his divine nature. She lives a crucified life in Christ and has learned to endure the pressures hardships that cross her path daily. She is undergoing a spiritual makeover that is complete and consistent with the Bible’s advice and instruction. Even still, she recognizes that she is in constant need of his help. She trusts and loves him and knows that He only wants what is best for her. He’s everything to her; she clings to Him and him only.

Another depiction of Cassiopeia pictures her holding the branch in one hand and holding a strap of her garment. If we consider this picture again it shows the woman holding onto “The Branch” Jesus and the other hand holding onto the straps of her garment, which is symbolic of her being clothed in his righteousness. The following scriptures confirms this:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:    According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:    Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.    In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Eph 1:3-7“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,    Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)    And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:    That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God:    Not of works, lest any man should boast.    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:4-10 ”…even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it;    That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,    That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Eph 5:25-27

What a blessed Saviour we have that he would give up his place in heaven, become a man to redeem us so we can live and reign forever with him in glory. He did it all for us.

This is illustrated in her by the brightest star that is on her right breast bearing the Hebrew name Shedar, the Freed. She is freed from her bondage and slavery to sin and self and by the milk of the Word is nourished by Christ, sanctified, perfected and prepared.

There is another star on the back of the chair with the Hebrew name Caph meaning: The Branch. , which refers to Christ the Savior. Also the Arabic Caph means “hand” or “palm” which portrays that she is in the palm of his hands and is the work of his hands, not of herself. It also speaks of his being the sacrificial lamb for mankind, the nails that crucified Him being driven through his hands of flesh.

Then there are four principal stars of the third magnitude which never set and they form the throne upon which the resurrected Christ sits in eternal life. Therefore they are always visible in the sky no matter the season, there until the end of time.

Another notable bright star in this constellation is called “Ruchba” or” Rukbat” meaning “knee”’ possibly symbolizing her humility before God. The last  bright star which I have not clearly seen a name for, which if that is the case, also hints at a scripture in Revelation 3:12 regarding the church of Philadelphia …”I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

The Constellation next to Cassiopeia is King Cepheus who is to her right holding out the Royal Scepter to her, just as we see in Esther 5:2 when the King held out his scepter to her to show that she had found favor in his sight. Esther, also being a symbolic person of one submitted to the Holy Ghost and finding favor with the King, was made a Queen and even had a part in saving other people.

Cassiopeia is a beautiful picture of the glorious Bride of Christ, seated on a throne ruling with him forever. Jesus will be everything to her and she will be faithful to him. She will be prepared and waiting for his appearing until her final breath on this earth, nothing or no-one will be able to get in the way of that. She is His forever.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Rev 19: 7-8 “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Rev 21: 2 “And the Spirit and the bride say, come…..” Rev 22:17 If you haven’t entered into this Journey of Brideship, please don’t delay in doing so. We want to see you on the other side…..come….

Sources: The Bible, Wikipedia, Joseph Seiss “The Gospel in the Stars” and William D Banks “The Heavens Declare”.