Astrology
in the Bible
"There
shall be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars."
- Jesus Christ, Luke 21:25
The Bible is filled with references
to
astrology.
This is because astrology was widely accepted as truth in
Biblical times. Christians who believe that astrology is
Satanic would be surprised to learn that the Bible is filled
with astrology and even Jesus himself made numerous references
to astrology.
People believed in the study of
the stars in Biblical times. Everyone knew the influence
of the sun on the Earth, and the sun was a star. It certainly
made a pattern, so far as life on Earth was concerned -
it shaped everything, or at least nourished everything -
and the shape had to be such as to allow the sun to give
life to it.
One of the great astrological
stories in the Bible is the story of the
star of Bethlehem.
It is written that the star was a sign from God signaling
the birth of the Messiah into the world. The three
Magi,
Persian astrologer-kings, determined the time of this birth
by the position of this star. In 1600,
Johannes Kepler
hypothesized that this star was actually a conjunction of
Jupiter and Saturn. Confirmed by modern astrology, this
symbolism ties in with the prophecies of that era concerning
a Messiah amongst the Jews. The conjunctions occurred at
the end of Pisces, ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter is the planet
of kings. Saturn is the planet that rules the Jews, thereby
giving the king of the Jews. This was a very infrequent
triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn and it occurred
in the year 7 B.C.
The following are some of the
most interesting Biblical references to astrology.
"I
know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught
up to the THIRD HEAVEN. Whether it was in the body
or out of the body I do not know - God knows. And I know
that this person - whether in the body or apart from the
body I do not know, but God knows - was caught up to paradise.
He heard inexpressible things, things that humans are not
permitted to tell." (2 Cor. 12:1-4)
The phrase, "I know a person,"
is a euphemism people used in those days to refer to themselves
in a humble manner. Paul explained that he was taken to
the "third heaven." The phrase, "third heaven,"
is a reference to the multi-level realms of the afterlife.
This is an astrological/religious concept believed by Jews,
Christians,
Gnostic Christians,
Platonists, and other people in those days. A correlation
with Paul's third heaven can be found in the Gnostic book
entitled "The
Apocalypse of Paul."
The Apocalypse
of Paul also describes Paul's afterlife visit to the third
heaven. It also describes how Paul travels through a hierarchy
of heavenly realms all the way to the "tenth heaven."
According to
Flavius Josephus,
the famed Jewish historian, the Jewish temple at Jerusalem
had the twelve signs of the zodiac inlaid in its floor.
Josephus also stated that the twelve loaves of showbread
in the temple was a reference to the zodiac. In modern
times, Israel issued stamps with the zodiac signs identified
with the twelve tribes of Israel and the astrological symbolism
of the temple.
The Bible
states that God made the heavenly bodies to show us "signs"
of his intentions. These signs can be read by anyone who
knows how to interpret them. Astrology is about interpreting
these signs in the motions of the sun, moon, planets, and
stars.
"And
God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the
sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve
as SIGNS to mark seasons and days and years, and let them
be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on
the Earth." And it was so." (Gen. 1:14-15)
"And
there shall be SIGNS in the sun, and in the moon, and in
the stars; and upon the Earth distress of nations, with
perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts
failing them for fear, and for looking after those things
which are coming on the Earth: for the powers of heaven
shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke
21:25-27)
In the
verse above, Christ uses astrology to reveal the "signs"
in the sky of his coming.
The Bible
states that the first communication from God came from the
stars. David writes in his Psalm:
"The
HEAVENS declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows
his handiwork. Day after day utters his speech and night
after night shows his knowledge. There is no tongue or language
where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone
out through all the Earth and their words to the ends of
the world. In them (the heavens) he has set a tabernacle
for the sun." (Psalm 19:1-4)
"Can you bring forth the
Mazzaroth
(the zodiac) in their seasons or lead out the Bear with
its cubs? (an astrological constellation)" (Job 38:32)
This Bible
verse shows God using astrology to answer Job.
The Bible also describes an astrological
sign called the "Morning
Star" which is
a reference to the planet Venus. The Morning Star, also
known as the "light bringer", is also an astrological
symbol that functions as a sign for the onset of dawn.
It appears as a brilliant "star" at night just
before the sun rises and brings light each morning to Earth.
The greatest function of this "light bringer"
is as a symbolic reference to the Messiah who brings
the light of God to the people. The Bible also uses the
term "Morning Star" as a reference to all sons
of God including Lucifer, the "light bearer".
"I,
Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for
the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David,
and the bright MORNING STAR." (Rev. 22:16)
"And
we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and
you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining
in a dark place, until the day dawns and the MORNING STAR
rises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)
"Just
as I have received authority from my Father. I will also
give him the MORNING STAR." (Rev. 2:27-29)
"How
you have fallen from heaven, O MORNING STAR, son of the
dawn! You have been cast down to the Earth, you who once
laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will
ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the
stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend
above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the
Most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14)
"After
this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
He said: "May the day of my birth perish ... May its
MORNING STARS become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn, for it did not
shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my
eyes." (Job 3:1-10)
"Where
were you when I laid the Earth's foundation? ... On what
were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone - while
the MORNING STARS sang together and all the angels shouted
for joy?" (Job 38:4-7)
In one
of the prophetic dreams of Joseph, he saw eleven stars bowing
down to his star. The interpretation of this dream was obvious and
that was that Joseph's brothers will bow down to him.
"Then
he (Joseph) had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen,"
he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun
and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father
rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had?
Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and
bow down to the ground before you?" (Gen. 37:9-11)
Of course,
we all know the rest of the story that they indeed had to
bow down to Joseph when Pharaoh made him a prince because
of his ability to interpret dreams.
Here is an excellent Bible passage
that describes the astrological influences on humanity:
"There
is a time for everything, and a season for every activity
under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time
to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time
to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a
time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a
time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather
them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to
search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time
to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time
to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time
to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." (Eccl.
3:1-8)
Astrology refers to every 2160
years as a new "AGE"
which is a different sign of the zodiac that comes into
position to influence the Earth. The Bible describes events
that will occur according to the signs of the astrological "ages".
And surely
I am with you always, to the very end of the AGE. (Matt.
28:20)
Anyone
who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,
either in this AGE or in the AGE to come. (Matt. 12:32)
The harvest
is the end of the AGE, and the harvesters are angels. As
the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will
be at the end of the AGE. (Matt. 13:39-40)
What will
be the sign of your coming and of the end of the AGE? (Matt.
24:3)
No one
who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children
for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive
many times as much in this AGE and, in the AGE to come,
eternal life. (Luke 18:29-30)
We do,
however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but
not the wisdom of this AGE or of the rulers of this AGE
... None of the rulers of this AGE understood it. (1 Cor.
3:6-8)
These
things happened to them as examples and were written down
as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the AGES
has come. (1 Cor. 10:11)
"[Christ
was raised] far above all rule and authority, power and
dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in
the present AGE but also in the one to come. (Eph. 1:21)
... who
have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers
of the coming AGE. (Heb. 6:5)
Then Christ
would have had to suffer many times since the creation of
the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the AGE
of the ages. (Heb. 9:26)
Just and
true are your ways, King of the AGES. (Rev. 15:3)
All these
Bible verses are referring to the end of the AGE of Pisces
(the fish, the Church age) and the beginning of the AGE
of Aquarius (the water-bearer, Christ).
Jesus was born under the end of
the age of Aries (the ram or lamb) and this may explain
why he called himself the "lamb of God." By
the time Jesus began his ministry, it was the beginning
of the age of Pisces (the fish, the Church age). The sign
of the fish has special significance to Christianity
because the sign of the fish has been known throughout the
millennia to be the sign of Christianity. Jesus recruited "fishermen"
as disciples to make them "fishers of men."
He fed the masses with a miraculous draft of fishes. His
followers were know in Latin as "pisciculi",
the "little fishes." A commonly used icon in Christian
churches is the "Vesica
Piscis", which
is Latin for "mouth of the fish". Its shape resembles
a fish without a tail. It can be seen in the shape of stained
glass windows in many churches and cathedrals. The Pope
wears a ceremonial hat in the shape of a fish head.
Around
the year 2300 A.D., the end of the age of Pisces will occur.
The world will then enter a new age, the age of Aquarius
(the Water-Bearer). It should be obvious to Christians that
the identity of this "Water-Bearer" is the
one who (1) came from the waters of Galilee
(2) baptized with water
(3) changed water into wine (4) walked on the water (5)
washed the feet of others with water (6) calmed the ocean
waters (7) gives living water (8) says we must be born
of water (9) drank the cup from the Father.
Sometime
before the age of Aquarius arrives, major Earth changes
were foretold by Jesus and Cayce to occur. Jesus said that
before this happens, there will be wonders in the sun, moon,
and stars signaling this coming age of the Christ consciousness.
This is a good reason why every Christian should study
astrology so that these heavenly signs can be interpreted.
Another
astrological reference concerning Christianity deals with
the winter solstice which begins on December 21. It is the
day of the year when the night is longest and the daytime
shortest. The ancient Egyptians noticed that on the
autumn equinox, the sun does not set farther south and sets
in the same place on the horizon for three days. This is
an astrological reference to when the sun (Son) goes down
for three days (dies) and then begins to rise again (resurrection).
Using the crude instruments available, ancient astronomers
were able to detect by December 25th of each year that the
daytime had become noticeably longer. This date was chosen,
and remains, the traditional date for followers of many
different religions to celebrate the "rebirth"
of the sun. Following the equinox, each succeeding day has
slightly more sunlight than the previous day. It was seen
as a promise that warmth would return once more to the Earth.
Numerous pre-Christian religions honored their gods' birth
or rebirth on or about that day.
The ancient Egyptians knew that
as long as the sun rose in the morning, life would continue
on the Earth. This explains why the Egyptians used the sun
as their symbol for the eternal life of the cycle of the
seasons. In many Christian churches today, the symbol
of the cross with a circle in the center of it appears on
church steeples. This icon of the circle as representing
the sun, comes from the Egyptian belief that the sun represents
eternal life.
In the
Book of Revelation,
the following symbolism is used to describe the appearance
of the Son:
Behold,
he comes with clouds and every eye shall see him. (Rev.
1:7) The Son (sun) is the light of the world and is seen
by everyone.
The Son
(sun) of righteousness arises with healing in his wings.
(Malachi 4:2)
The Egyptian
religion held that the Sun of God, Horus, was killed under
the sign of Virgo (the virgin) but was resurrected in the
age of Leo (the lion). This is why the Egyptians built the
Sphinx with the head of a woman (Virgo) and the body of
a lion (Leo).
During
the days of Moses, the Hebrews were subject to the religion
of Egypt. Before the worship of Amen-Ra (God) was instituted,
Egyptians worshipped Isis (the Mother of God). When the
Hebrews left Egypt and arrived in Canaan, their religion
was influenced by the Canaanite religion whose God was named
El (the planet of Saturn). The Star of David is a symbol
which comes from the star of Saturn (El) which is the planet
the ancients used to refer to the Hebrews.
With the
influence of the religions of Isis, Ra and El, or:
Is(is) Ra El(Elohim-Lord)
or Mother Father Son(Sun)
The Hebrews named their nation
Is-Ra-El, or Israel. The Hebrews adopted Saturday (from
Saturn's day) as their day of worship. Christians, whose
astrological influence was the sun (also from Egyptian origin),
worshipped on Sunday (or the sun's day).
The story
of Jonah (Semetic for "sun") is about a man who
is swallowed by a whale (death) and remains in it's belly
for three days at which time the man is freed (resurrection).
This story is another symbolic of the astrological account
of how the sun remains still for three days during
the winter equinox. It is also symbolic of the resurrection
of Christ.
When Moses
came down from the mountain, he saw the people worshipping
a golden calf. This idol came from the Egyptians astrological
worship of the sun. Golden represents the color of the sun.
The calf (Taurus the bull) represents the age in which
the Moses lived when he wrote the Torah. When history moved
into the next sign (Aries the ram), the Hebrews celebrated
the approach of their Messiah by blowing rams horns. The
sign of Aries influenced many religions to adopt the lamb
of God concept.
The concept
of the zodiac is very ancient, with roots in the early cited
cultures of Mesopotamia. Astrology is, more than likely,
the oldest religion created by humans. The first twelve-sign
zodiacs were named after the gods of these cultures. The
Greeks adopted astrology from the Babylonians, and the Romans,
in turn, adopted astrology from the Greeks. These cultures
renamed the signs of the Mesopotamian zodiac to symbols
of their own mythologies. This is why the familiar zodiac
of the contemporary West bears names out of Mediterranean
mythology.
The concept
of reincarnation is a necessary tenet of astrology. The
notions of reincarnation and karma together explain
why some people are born into lucky circumstances and others
into unfortunate conditions. For astrologers concerned with
the question of why some people are born into a life of
hardship written large across their horoscopes and other
people seem to be born under a lucky star, reincarnation
and karma prove important explanatory tools to understand
divine justice. Reincarnation also provides a framework
for explaining why a person has certain personality traits.
They are carryovers from past lifetimes.
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