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ASTROLOGY; Is it mentioned in the Bible?

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
[font=arial, Arial, Helvetica]Well, who would have thought it ?[/font][font=arial, Arial, Helvetica]

Astrology is becoming popular, with many people regarding it to be a source of wise counsel. What does God say about those who consult with astrologers and use astrology as guidance for their lives? It's in the Bible, Isaiah 47:13-15 NIV. "All the counsel you have received has only worn you out. Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the flame... Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you."

In this first mention of astrology in the Bible, God is speaking to the people of ancient pagan Babylon. Middle East archaeology has confirmed that astrology did indeed originate in the nation of Babylon, now called the country of Iraq. Cuneiform tablets have been excavated depicting horoscope charts dating from the 5th Century BC and earlier. Astrology is a divination art which teaches that the relative positioning in the sky of the Sun, Moon and planets has an influence upon individuals and upon the course of human affairs. In our modern times, just like in ancient Babylon, a growing number of people are utilizing the services of astrology consultants.

In the Book of Daniel, there is narrated a profound event in the life of Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon. The king had a very disturbing dream, and he wanted to understand its meaning. Daniel 2:2 NIV, informs us, "So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed."

The astrologers, also known as 'Chaldeans', were part of the king's circle of so-called 'wise men' who practiced divination. The actual word for astrology in the Hebrew language literally means, 'divining the heavens'. Divination is the act of foretelling future events, or of revealing secret knowledge, by means of signs and omens or other supernatural agency. The practice of pagan divination is prohibited by God. It's in the Bible, Leviticus 19:26 NIV, "Do not practice divination or sorcery."

Divination was common among the pagan peoples of the Bible lands. When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land of Canaan, God warned them not to practice it. Says Deuteronomy 18:9, 12&14 NIV, "Do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there... The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so... Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." Divination is actually regarded to be a grave sin. Declares 1 Samuel 15:23 NIV, "Rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry."

For curiosity and amusement, millions of ordinary citizens read the daily horoscopes published in mass-circulation newspapers. Is it okay to have this kind of casual 'fun' interest in astrology? What counsel does the Bible give on this type of issue? In 1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV, God emphatically states that we should "abstain from all appearance of evil."

King Nebuchadnezzar had asked his astrologers and other wizards to tell him his dream and interpret its meaning. How did they respond? Daniel 2:10 NIV, informs us, "The astrologers answered the king, 'There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.' " The astrologers of Babylon were unable to help the King with his troublesome dream. However, God had blessed his prayerful prophet Daniel with the true gifts of the Holy Spirit, and he was brought before the king to interpret the dream. The Bible says in Daniel 2:27-28 NKJ, "Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, 'The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these...' " With God's anointing, Daniel was able to then describe and explain the king's great prophetic dream. If there is a need to understand perplexing situations in our lives, we are wise to shun the error and evil of astrology divination; but rather let us know that "there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets." Like Daniel, in prayer we can turn to God for help. And in the Bible, we have the assured counsel of His truth. [/font]
http://en.bibleinfo.com/old/H1/bil00048.htm

What do you yhink, guys?
:eek:
 

Scott1

Well-Known Member
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

 

cardero

Citizen Mod
In the Bible in the Genesis 1:1 account it explains hat God created the heavens and the earth so I would assume that includes the planet and stars. It also should be noted that the creation of these heavens must serve a purpose. In Cor 15:41 the author gives glory to the sun, moon and the stars and how they differ to each other (almost the way individual glory shines). Daniel 12:3 makes an interesting connection to the stars and the insight of man.
In astrology there are many factors that are considered with the birth of an individual. Time, place we were born, position of the sun, position of the moon, pkanets and which hemispheres (or houses) these planets have aligned. There are two perspectives to consider when understanding astrology. Our perspective on earth looking out to the universe and GOD's perspective in the universe looking towards our planet. Astrology as we understand it may still be in its infancy but there seems to be connection to the time when we were born to the schematics of the universe. Within time I elieve humans will be able to use these tools to understand the grand scale of human potential and individual ability as clearly as GOD can.
 

Dayv

Member
First, I find it funny that the bible makes such a point out of debunking things such as astrology, sorcery and necromancery calling them evil and such, but you'd think god would be able to figure out that their just bunk, wouldn't he? I have yet to see anyone raise a zombie from the dead, so instead of saying their terrible and evil, maybe he sould just have mentioned their a waste of time. To me it just seems like more evidence the bible was written by people of the time who believed such things to be real.

Second, for those that do believe in astrology, i don't personally, and I think it seems a little to much like the old theory that the earth is at the center of the universe. I don't think humans or earth is at all special and to think that everything out there is just for us to read god's thoughts from seems to me to be a little arrogant
 

jewscout

Religious Zionist
Dayv said:
First, I find it funny that the bible makes such a point out of debunking things such as astrology, sorcery and necromancery calling them evil and such, but you'd think god would be able to figure out that their just bunk, wouldn't he?
IMPO i don't think G-d is trying to say they are bunk, just that they aren't meant for the Jews to perform. They don't need it they got G-d:)
and IMPO i think this goes for anyone who believes in the Abrahamic G-d

as for the rest of the world, to each their own.

Dayv said:
I have yet to see anyone raise a zombie from the dead...
Then you definetly need to play more resident evil!:bounce
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Scott1 said:
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:


2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.



I understand your reply, Scott and on a personal level I agree with it fully - I do not believe in foretelling of any kind.......

Astrology does, though, reveal someone's potential at birth; some would say that it can be used as a tool to advise someone as to what his/her strengths and weaknesses are. If Astrology is used solely for that purpose, does it make any difference to the Church's outlook? - it is obviously a difficult one, because the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as quoted by you above seems to be centered on the "divination" aspect.:)
 

may

Well-Known Member
so the question is , did God use the astrologers to lead themto jesus (the star in the sky)as he did not agree with them.or did the opposer (satan)have a part to play in this?
 

fromthe heart

Well-Known Member
I don't think we are to NOT watch the heavens and the signs of things to come but I do think we are not to rely on signs alone and run our lives based on astrology. I don't read my horoscope...I don't dwell in things of this kind at all. I do know however the stars are not put there for no reason...God CAN send us signs from above such as the star that lead the wisemen to the birthplace of Jesus. We must remember all things we see out in space was created by God for His purpose and we are to rely on HIS guidence and not our selves. By getting into reading plams,horoscopes and such is like saying we are in charge of our destiny and that is NOT the case. It all comes down to personal beliefs and faith...I sure wouldn't put my trust that I should not travel today because my horoscope said it's not safe...God alone will tell me when to do what and it's Him I will abide my trust in.


Just MY opinion:)
 

may

Well-Known Member
fromthe heart said:
I don't think we are to NOT watch the heavens and the signs of things to come but I do think we are not to rely on signs alone and run our lives based on astrology. I don't read my horoscope...I don't dwell in things of this kind at all. I do know however the stars are not put there for no reason...God CAN send us signs from above such as the star that lead the wisemen to the birthplace of Jesus. We must remember all things we see out in space was created by God for His purpose and we are to rely on HIS guidence and not our selves. By getting into reading plams,horoscopes and such is like saying we are in charge of our destiny and that is NOT the case. It all comes down to personal beliefs and faith...I sure wouldn't put my trust that I should not travel today because my horoscope said it's not safe...God alone will tell me when to do what and it's Him I will abide my trust in.


Just MY opinion:)
but did the star lead them to the birth place of jesus or was it about 2 years later and it led them to herod who wanted Jesus killed
 

Scott1

Well-Known Member
michel said:
Astrology does, though, reveal someone's potential at birth; some would say that it can be used as a tool to advise someone as to what his/her strengths and weaknesses are.
How?

Where does this power come from?
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
How does Astrology work?

http://www.astrologycom.com/order1.html Our bodies react to the world in ways which are still barely understood. We constantly interact with our environment on many levels, from the sub-atomic to the metaphysical. These physical, mental, emotional, even spiritual, levels of interaction vary in depth and intensity according to our character and training. Our world is really much more like a marvellous mind than a mere machine.

Our bodies are like sensitive broadcasting and receiving stations. We respond to a broad spectrum of radiant frequencies, not all of which have yet been catalogued by science. Bear in mind it was not so long ago that the idea of radio, movies, x-rays and televison signals would have been consigned to ridicule at best — or, more ominously, to the stake with the witches.

Some astrologers believe that planetary energies themselves generate events in our lives — and given recent advances in quantum mechanics, they may be right. Others believe, following Jung, the great psychologist, that planetary positions are synchronistically connected with our lives — meaning that environmental influences generating reactions in human beings may be tracked in the positions of the planets, although the two may not be causally related. Perhaps both are correct; in any case, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The detailed functionality of the mechanism is not a question of meaning, but of technical analysis.

(Excerpt) http://www.astrologycom.com/astrol3.html .

I can go into greater detail if you wish; one example (a very superficially simplistic example - is the effect the of the moon's position on tides)

While I dare not call 'astrology' a science (I know there would be a holler from those who consider astrology to be mumbo-jumbo) it basically is one - what one reads from horoscopes has absolutely nothing to do with Astrology - hence the bad reputation that it has earned.:)
 
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