Fantasy versus Reality by Gary Rose

 

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A Phoenix Aurora over Iceland
Image Credit & Copyright: Hallgrimur P. Helgason; Rollover Annotation: Judy Schmidt

Explanation: All of the other aurora watchers had gone home. By 3:30 am in Iceland, on a quiet September night, much of that night's auroras had died down. Suddenly, unexpectedly, a new burst of particles streamed down from space, lighting up the Earth's atmosphere once again. This time, surprisingly, pareidoliacally, the night lit up with an amazing shape reminiscent of a giant phoenix. With camera equipment at the ready, two quick sky images were taken, followed immediately by a third of the land. The mountain in the background is Helgafell, while the small foreground river is called Kaldá, both located about 30 kilometers north of Iceland's capital Reykjavík. Seasoned skywatchers will note that just above the mountain, toward the left, is the constellation of Orion, while the Pleiades star cluster is also visible just above the frame center. The 2016 aurora, which lasted only a minute and was soon gone forever -- would possibly be dismissed as an fanciful fable -- were it not captured in the featured, digitally-composed, image mosaic.

From Encyclopedia Britannica

( https://www.britannica.com/topic/phoenix-mythological-bird )

phoenix

mythological bird

phoenix, in ancient Egypt and in Classical antiquity, a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. The Egyptian phoenix was said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed at any time, and it was very long-lived—no ancient authority gave it a life span of less than 500 years. As its end approached, the phoenix fashioned a nest of aromatic boughs and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. From the pyre miraculously sprang a new phoenix, which, after embalming its father’s ashes in an egg of myrrh, flew with the ashes to Heliopolis (“City of the Sun”) in Egypt, where it deposited them on the altar in the temple of the Egyptian god of the sun, Re. A variant of the story made the dying phoenix fly to Heliopolis and immolate itself in the altar fire, from which the young phoenix then rose.

The Egyptians associated the phoenix with immortality, and that symbolism had a widespread appeal in late antiquity. The phoenix was compared to undying Rome, and it appears on the coinage of the late Roman Empire as a symbol of the Eternal City. It was also widely interpreted as an allegory of resurrection and life after death—ideas that also appealed to emergent Christianity.

In Islamic mythology the phoenix was identified with the ʿanqāʾ (Persian: sīmorgh), a huge mysterious bird (probably a heron) that was originally created by God with all perfections but thereafter became a plague and was killed.

I saw this beautiful picture entitled:“A Phoenix Aurora over Iceland”. I especially enjoy the superimposed constellations ( even though they are a bit difficult to see ) as they give it a definitive location in the heavens. Mythological imagination is an interesting topic for me personally, but I like actual history much better. Consider what the Bible has to say….

Acts 1 ( World English Bible )

¹ The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,

² until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

³ To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom.

⁴ Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me.

⁵ For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

⁶ Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

⁹ When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

The Phoenix is fantasy, but Jesus of Nazareth was a real live human being, born of a woman. His life is thoroughly documented and is an indisputable fact. His victory over death and the sacrifice of his life for those who will truly follow him is a cornerstone of Christianity.

It really doesn’t matter whether or not you believe in the Phoenix or not, but the choosing to follow Jesus is literally a matter of life and death. Choose life, choose Jesus… and live forever with him in heaven. See also… 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 2:14ff Galatians 1:11; Romans 1:16