Preface by Roger Hathaway, September 4, 2006
        Have you ever tried to put a puzzle together when you didn't have a picture to reference? The Bible is like a giant puzzle for which the Big Picture is not shown. Jesus tells us to seek the Truth, for that will set us free, or in other words, that will give us the Big Picture which will end our puzzlement and liberate us from worldly ignorance. Bob Steffens, has seen how Bible pieces fit into the puzzle. While intellectual theologians don't have a clue about the Big Picture, God is revealing it to simple and sincere seekers of Truth during His end-time process. If you take your time with the following study, you will learn about God's basic long-term program which is a cycle of history over the 24,000 year period of Precession of Equinoxes, during which our sun traverses a path around the entire sky through twelve ages. Bob has found that the 12 Tribes of Israel correlate directly to the 12 astronomical periods commonly known as zodiac ages. In Numbers, chapter two, God orders the 12 Tribes in a specific order because they correlate to the historical process. Bob discovered this correlation and found it meaningful in many different aspects. You, too, might find that it brightly illumines your understanding of God's plan.
 
PROCESSION OF LIFE
SINE WAVE  CURVE
by Robert D. Steffens, Jan 2006 (rev Sep06)
 
     In the Book of Numbers Chapter 2 God is lining up His chosen Elect tribes for their walk through the desert.  Understanding this alignment and the purpose for it will help our understanding of many other things throughout the Bible.
     A clock has 12 numbers on it and there were 12 tribes.  Let us say the top (12) represents North, the rightmost (3) represents East, the bottom (6) represents South and the leftmost (9) represents West.  If we align the tribes accordingly as listed in Numbers, we could see the order of the procession as time on the face of a clock.  Let's start at East which is the 3 o'clock position.  Refer to drawing of a cycle below.
     Nu 2:3
"And they that encamp first toward the EAST shall be the order of the camp of Juda;" so let's place Juda between 3 and 4 o'clock. Nu 2:5 "And they that encamp next shall be of the tribe of Issachar;" which will lie between 4 and 5.  Nu 2:7 "And they that encamp next shall be the tribe of Zabulon;" between 5 and 6.  "These three will move FIRST with their forces."
     Nu 2:10
"This is the order of the camp of Ruben; their forces shall be toward the SOUTH:" between 6 and 7 o'clock.  Nu 2:12 "And they that encamp next to him shall be of the tribe of Symeon;" between 7 and 8.  Nu 2:14 "And they that encamp next to them shall be the tribe of Gad;" between 8 and 9.  Nu 2:16 "They with their forces shall proceed in the SECOND place."
     Nu 2:18 "The station of the camp of Ephraim shall be WESTWARD with their forces; between 9 and 10 o'clock.  Nu 2:20 And they that encamp next shall be of the tribe of Manasse; between 10 and 11.  Nu 2:22 And they that encamp next shall be of the tribe of Benjamin; between 11 and 12.  Nu 2:24 They with their forces shall set out THIRD.
     Nu 2:25
"The order of the camp of Dan shall be NORTHWARD with their forces;" between 12 and 1 o'clock.  Nu 2:27 "And they that encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Aser;" between 1 and 2.  Nu 2:29 "And they that encamp next shall be of the tribe of Nephthali;" between 2 and 3.  Nu 2:31 "They shall set out LAST according to their order."
     Nu 1:47
"But the Levites of the tribe of their family were not counted among the children of Israel."  In today's language we could say the Levites didn't have a float in the parade.  Nu 2:17 "In the procession they were behind the tribe of Gad and in front of the tribe of Ephraim."  9 o'clock position.  When camped, they would be on a smaller inner circle of the clock face with the tabernacle in the direct center.  Nu 3:38 "They that encamp before the tabernacle of witness on the EAST shall be Moses and Aaron."  Nu 3:29 "The families of the sons of Caath shall encamp beside the tabernacle toward the SOUTH."  Nu 3:23 "And the sons of Gedson shall encamp WESTWARD behind the tabernacle."  Nu 3:35 "The families of the division of Merari; shall encamp by the side of the tabernacle NORTHWARDS."
     When they camped, they were located in their respective positions according to a clock face and when they proceeded forward they went in the line of a parade with Juda leading and the Levites and tabernacle in the center following Gad and before Ephraim, with Nephthali bringing up the end.  Nu 10:5
"And ye shall sound an alarm and the camps pitched EASTWARD shall begin to move.  And ye shall sound a second alarm and the camps pitched SOUTHWARD shall move; and ye shall sound a third alarm, and the camps pitched WESTWARD shall move forward and ye shall sound a fourth alarm and they that encamp toward the NORTH shall move forward: they shall sound an alarm at their departure."

On your own printout, you might print the words more clearly. I wasn't able to scan a nice clear picture. Sorry.

     This was the line up for the parade just as the Rose bowl parade has a line up or any small town parade has a line up.  It is a necessity for the parade to be started; whether that is a Ready-Set-Go; a gun going off or whatever.  Nu 10:11 "In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month the cloud went up from the tabernacle of witness" Nu 10:12 "and the children of Israel SET FORWARD with their baggage in the wilderness of Sina."  Nu 10:29 "And Moses said to Obab, we are going FORWARD to the place concerning which the Lord said; This will I give to you."
     As they set forward, it's as though we could sit on bleachers and watch them go by; first Juda then Issachar, then Zabulon and so on with each tribe having its time in front of the bleachers or each having its day.  Or perhaps as the hour hand on a clock that points to one period for 60 minutes then to the next period for 60 minutes.  Today it would be considered a parade of Kingdoms or Nations (Peoples not geography) or as in the Bible: Horns.  It could also be likened the months of the year, each one following the one before it, with all the people of the world in one month at a time.  Each of the tribes had a turn hosting all of Israel.  For the past 2000 years, the entire House of Jacob and world, has been in the period hosted by Gad or Gad Kingdom or Gad Administration.  We will soon move into the Ephraim Kingdom period.  We could wonder if the tribes went around and around the clock as their walk in the desert was as though they were going around and around a circle.  As we follow the story through, we see that God in His Glory, so beautifully prevents that.
     Nu 13:2
"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, send for thee men, and let them spy the land of the Chananites, which I give to the sons of Israel for a possession; one man for a tribe."  13:31 "But the men that went up together with him said, we will not go up, for we shall not by any means be able to go up against the nation, for it is much stronger than we."
     Nu 14:1 All the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, they wept all that night, they murmured against Moses and Aaron, they complained that it would have been better if they had died in the land of Egypt or in the wilderness, they feared war and that their women and children would be prey for the enemy and thought it better to return to the land of Egypt and wanted to pick a ruler and return.
     Nu 14:6
"But Joshua and Chaleb spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we surveyed is indeed extremely good."  14:8 "If the Lord chose us, he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flows with milk and honey."  14:9 "Only depart not from the Lord; and fear ye not the people of the land, for they are meat for us; for the season of prosperity is departed from them, but the Lord is among us; fear them not."
     Nu 14:10
"And all the congregation bade stone them with stones; and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud on the tabernacle of witness to all the children of Israel."  14:11 "And the Lord said to Moses, How long does this people provoke me? And how long do they refuse to believe me for all the signs which I have wrought among them?"
     Here God is magnificently intervening and changing the direction of the parade.  Refer to Figure 2.  Set two clock faces so that the one on the left is the original and the one on the right is a mirror image of the original.  The left face is where they were in the desert, symbolic of the Garden of Eden after the fall, the face on the right is where they are going; to the promised land.  Draw a horizontal line from the 9 on the left face through the center of both faces 3s through the 9 on the right. (remember the 9 on the right face is in the 3 position because it's a mirror image) Call this the reference line.  It is only where this reference line and the 3 on the left face and the 3 on the right face intersect that is the door of opportunity to go into the promised land and this is where God is telling them to go FORWARD (not backward) into the promised land. 
     As they march downward from the 2 o'clock to the 3 o'clock, here is the decision point at 3 o'clock as to go FORWARD or to go backward.  The people murmured and wanted to GO BACK to Egypt which would be the position from 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock on the left face.  Using the reference line as a time line, God was telling them to GO FORWARD from the position of 3 o'clock to the position of 4 o'clock on the right face which represents the promised land.

     Effectively what we have done is mirrored the left face to the right face.  The tribes are still in the same marching order, and the numbers are only for reference to explain the positions.
     The significance of understanding this is that it is repeated in the New Testament where we add the third clock face on the right, another original face and call it the promised land: Heaven.  See Figure 3.  At our present time, around 2,000AD, we are going from the period of Gad, between 8 and 9 on the center clock face, which we are in now, across the reference line and into the period of Ephraim, between 9 and 10 on the right clock face, which is above the reference line and into the positive half cycle called Heaven.  The "cross" over point is at the 9s this time.  Remember Joshua (Iesus in LXX) is from the tribe of Ephraim, the age which we are entering, and will lead us, as Jesus.  God is encouraging us both times to go into the promised land.  The first time we wanted to go back to the land of Egypt which symbolizes world.  The second time, which is now, we don't need a symbol.  We are just hanging on to the world (material, emotions, and ideas). Jesus said to die to the world, we refuse to let go.

 

 

     If we remove the clock faces and numbers and the unused halves of the circles, we have left just the path of the Israelites which I call the "Sine Wave" or "God's Procession of Life" which can be expressed as one would see a sine wave on an oscilloscope.  See Figure 4.  This same cycle (symbol) could be used to express much of life; Positive could be day (light) Negative could be night (darkness); OR Seasons with winter (East) Spring (South) Summer (West) Fall (North); OR Good (Positive) Evil (Negative); OR The cycle of leaves on a tree (West and North) and the dormancy (East and South); OR Hot (Positive) Cold (Negative).  In this case we are using the symbol to explain the Fall of God's Children (North) The scattering and lostness from God (East) the re-gathering and redeeming by Christ (South) and the Heaven (West).  This is explained many times in the Bible, but not understood.  Let's look at some examples how understanding this symbolic path can help us understand the Bible.
 
CALEB AND JOSHUA
     It is easy to look at the face of a clock and determine you can't go from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock or from 3 o'clock to 12 o'clock.  You can ONLY go from 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock.  Like wise as the tribes are in a specific procession, you can only go from Nephthali to Juda and from Juda to Issachar and Issachar to Zabulon as you can ONLY go from Gad to Ephraim.
     The tribes are more than just tribes as they are also symbols for periods of time, or the power of an Administration or Horn.  It could be said that each tribe has its day; or days or years and in this case each tribe has many years as a period of time.  As the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt and through the desert they were in the time position of Nephthali.  Only two of the men sent as spies said: Yes, we can go!  They were Chaleb, and Ause whom Moses called Joshua (Iesus) (see Nu 13:5-17 in Greek Septuagint LXX). Chaleb was from the tribe of Juda, the Kingdom/age they were entering, so he was next in line in the procession for going from the desert into the promised land.  Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim which follows Gad and is the next Kingdom we will enter, called Heaven.  Joshua is the Aramaic name for Jesus, the one who will lead us into the next promised land.  The other ten were not next in either succession; so it is obvious that they could not see the way into the promised land as they would have had to skip Juda and Ephraim to get to their own tribe

OUR ILLUSION
     Also it's interesting that the middle clock face is a mirror image of God's Kingdom as we know we are here on earth living an illusion or a lie.  Satan is trying to duplicate God's Kingdom here on earth while he has dominion, but all he can produce is an illusion that we can choose to believe or not.  If we believe it then we are attached to it and the world.  Jesus taught us to die to the world, or in other words; don't buy into Satan's illusion.  Paul said we see as though looking in a mirror.  The promised land today known as Israel, in Palestine, is the illusion and Satan's attempt to duplicate heaven.

ZACHARIAS 4 HORNS
 In Zacharias 1:18 thru 21
"And I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold four horns.  19 And I said to the angel that spoke with me, What are these things, my lord? And he said to me, These are the horns that have scattered Juda, and Israel, and Jerusalem.  20 And the Lord shewed me four artificers.  21 And I said, What are these coming to do? And he said, These are the horns that scattered Juda, and they broke Israel in pieces, and none of them lifted up his head: and these are come forth to sharpen them for their hands, even the four horns, the nations that lifted up the horn against the land of the Lord to scatter it."  The four horns that scattered Juda, Israel and Jerusalem are the four time periods or Kingdoms of Issachar, Zabulon, Ruben, and Symeon.  During this time God's children (sheep) were scattered and lost.  Zac 2:6 "Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I will gather you from the four winds of heaven, saith the Lord, even to Sion."  As the sheep flee from the land of the North, even from their captivity by Assyria and are scattered throughout the world, God will gather Israel (ALL 12 TRIBES) from around the whole world.  This is one of the reasons God sent His Son, Jesus who said in Mt 15:24 "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

 
JOB'S INPUT
     Job 29 is describing the Positive quarter cycle of Dan, Asur and Naphthali.
     Job 30 describes the Negative half cycle.
     Job 31 describes Job examining himself over his time spent in the negative half cycle
                before his judgment and his returning to the positive quarter cycle of Heaven.
 
SEVEN CHURCHES
 In Rev. the Seven Churches, if their geographical locations are plotted on a map, make a positive half cycle, which could be a hint.  We are told that John is receiving things for the past, present and future.  Perhaps these Seven Churches could be plotted as time periods on the positive half cycle of Heaven, which would enlighten us to their descriptions.
 
FOUR HORSES
 Zac 6:6 As for the chariot in which were the PALE (death/hell) horses they went out to the land of the NORTH (fall of man) and the WHITE (conquer) went out after them EAST; and the RED (kill/take peace) went out to the land of the SOUTH. 6:7 And the BLACK coloured (balances = judgment) went out WEST and they compassed the earth.  Each of these are referring to a different "three time periods" of the tribes of Israel as charted in Figure 4.  They also coincide with the four horses in Rev 6:2-White, :4-Red, :5-Black, :8-Pale.  The horses seem to be dynamic and always moving.  Each description of them appears to be a snapshot of where they were at that time.
 
TIME AND SPACE
 Nu 2:3 and they that encamp first toward the EAST; 2:10 Their forces shall be toward the SOUTH; 2:18 The station of the camp of Ephraim shall be WESTWARD; 2:25 The order of the camp of Dan shall be NORTHWARD.  The world has time and space which are finite; thus the finite and actual directions of EAST and SOUTH.  Heaven is not finite, therefore not the actual direction; thus WESTWARD and NORTHWARD as symbolic directions.  Also, according to gate assignments in 1 Chron 26:14-16.
 

JACOB'S RACHEL
 We are not really told why Leah was not the choice of Jacob for a wife and why he was so displeased with her.  Rachel was very favored, loved and treasured by him.  Perhaps it's because Leah's children occupy the first 5 positions of the negative half cycle (Juda, Issachar, Zabulon, Ruben and Symeon) with Gad being a child of Leah's handmaid occupying the 6th position.  Rachel's sons; Joseph, later divided into Ephraim and Manasse; and Benjamin occupy the favored positions of Heaven, while 2 of Rachel's handmaid's children (Dan and Naphthali) along with Leah's handmaid's child (Aser) occupy the time period of the fall of  man in the second half of the positive cycle.  Wonder if this fact had any effect on the fall.

 
SIMEON IN THE TEMPLE
 Lk 2:25-35 
"And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.  And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.  And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 
     The line separating the periods of Symeon and Gad is 0 BC / 0 AD.   Jesus was born around  7 BC which is just before the Kingdom of Symeon ended or died. Symeon did not end before Jesus was born.  And yes, I have no doubt that this man named Simeon was also at the temple.  God can do things like this.
 
ANNA OF ASER
 Lk 2:36-38 
"And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;  And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.  And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."
     Anna was active for seven years and was a widow for eighty four years.  What is the purpose of putting these three verses in the Bible, unless it benefits our understanding. I see that this information is giving us an indication of a time period for each of the ages, being eighty four years divided by twelve tribes equals seven years.  The seven is not equivalent however to seven years, for we have been in the period of Gad since Jesus' birth over 2000 years ago.  If perhaps it is as Daniel's 70 weeks of days equaling years which was 70 weeks times 7 days equals 490 days which equals 490 years, then this would be 7 years times 360 days  (which is year length used in Biblical calculations) which equals 2520 years per time period.  I doubt that 2520 is the correct number; this remains to be seen.  Unless this is where "And except that the Lord had shortened those days" applies. Mt 24:22 and Mk 13:20  Twelve periods of 2520 years equals 30,240 years but one cycle of world around the universe is figured to be between 24,000 and 26,000 years, therefore this doesn't agree.  It's possible that the number 7 is symbolic of the time needed to complete a period. Perhaps someone else has further insights about this; please let me know.
 
JACOB BLESSES DAN
     Gen 49:17
"Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.  Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward."  This is Jacob's blessing to Dan prior to Jacob's death.  Rev 6:7-8  "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.  And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."  The fourth part of the Sine Wave consists of the periods of Dan, Aser and Naphthali.  The horse is the pale horse.  The period of Dan starts at the very top of God's High Mountain of pureness and righteousness and goodness, which is referred to as the Garden of Eden.  It is Adam and Eve's sin with the apple, encouraged by the serpent, that brings about man's fall into Death and Hell.  The "biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward" is that prior to Dan, the last six periods were each rising/ascending until reaching the Apex of God's High Mountain.  With Dan, the horse changes direction and begins the fall backward/downward toward the Nadir.  A word of caution: Do not be guided by limitations as God is not limited.  Things associated with each tribe do not have influence ONLY during that time period.  Example: During the Woodrow Wilson Administration, he signed the Federal Reserve Act.  The influence of that act has been with us every since.  Different aspects of it have caused significant actions and reactions since that signing, and will have even greater impact in our lives in the near future.  In the same way, Dan's blessing concerning "fourth part of the earth, sword and hunger" is not effective ONLY during the period of Dan.
 
GOD'S HIGH MOUNTAIN
 As mentioned in the paragraph above: "God's High Mountain" is symbolized by the top of the sine wave curve which also symbolizes the Garden of Eden.
Is 40:9
"O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings"
Ezk 17:22
"and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent."
Ezk 34:14
"I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel."
Ezk 40:2
"In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain"
Mt 4:5
"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city"  4:8 "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them."
Mt 17:1
"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart"  17:3 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him"
Rev 21:10
"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God"
 
SATAN'S SEAT
     And like wise, Satan's seat would be the exact opposite at the bottom of world and symbolized by the bottom of the sine wave curve which also symbolizes Hell.
Rev 2:13
"I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."

WOMAN AT THE WELL
     Num 20:7
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8 'Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.' 9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, 'Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?' 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, 'Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.'"
     It was water from the rock, which we need to drink several times a day, that took the children of Israel out of the desert and into the promised land.  Moses failed to give God the glory for the water.  Now as we approach the end of the Kingdom of Gad and prepare to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, this time we will need the living water to get us into the promised land.  The living water is God's Truth, that once you have the truth, you never need it again.  It is that truth, the hidden mysteries of God, and that in the end times all things will be made known that will cause the return of Jesus and carry us across the line into Heaven.  Between the two periods, Jesus explains to the woman at the well that she is looking for "Moses water" and that she will thirst again, but had she asked Him for living water (Truth) she would have needed that water only once.  This time we MUST remember to GIVE GOD THE GLORY for the Living Water when the Holy Spirit shows us His Truth.
 Jn 4:10
"If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee Living Water.  4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her,  Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

 
FIVE HUSBANDS
 Jn 4:15
"The woman saith unto him, 'Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.'  16 Jesus saith unto her, 'Go, call thy husband, and come hither.'  Jn 4:17  The woman answered and said, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said unto her, 'Thou hast well said, I have no husband:  18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.'  19 The woman saith unto him, 'Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.'"
 This exchange does not draw any meaning about the five husbands.  Is it possible that Jesus is referring to the five kingdoms of Juda, Issachar, Zabulon, Ruben and Symeon all children of Lea with Jacob/Israel being the husband, and Gad, her present non-husband, a child of Jacob from a woman where he was not the husband.  This would play strongly with the meaning above of the "Moses water" with the "Living Water," and Jesus in the center, at the beginning of the time period of Gad.  

ABOVE are only a few examples of pieces of the puzzle that will fit on the sine wave chart. As I continue to search Scripture, I will maintain awareness of new possibilities. You might enjoy doing the same.

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Note by Roger Hathaway: While Bob Steffens has built upon my works, and while I accredit the article above, I cannot accredit any other of his writings not carried on this website, writings which lead into directions contrary to that of my work. January, 2012