Christian Crier
People have long been fascinated by the universe. Specifically, the stars and everything in the night sky has fascinated great minds and laypeople alike. Some people center their entire worldview or religion on it, resulting in things like horoscopes and mapping the stars for direction in their life. In fact, take a look at popular movies and literature—the ideas are prevalent! Stars are often viewed as a type of guide, telling people exactly what path they should take in their life. This leads one to wonder; does the Bible have anything to do with Astrology? Astrology is, after all, a system of thinking that often looks at things that happen in the universe and relates them to human events (thus the horoscopes). So, what does the Bible say about astrology?
The Bible and the Stars
A person doesn’t have to read the Bible for long before they notice that there is ample talk about stars. Whether it is in a prophecy or a description, stars do show up. In fact, they often point to God. For example, the book of Psalms contains many beautiful passages that reveal the majesty and power of God through the stars. Psalm 8:3 proclaims: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained.” To put it simply, the stars and even the galaxy as a whole points people to the ultimate power of God. He created them, and because they are so beautiful and amazing, people can assume that a powerful, creative God must have made them.
But What About Astrology?
Okay, so far there has been no answer as to what the Bible says about astrology. People can now know what some passages about the stars relate to, but they can still be clueless about astrology within the Bible. The Bible does, oddly enough, mention constellations and often groups them for readers to recognize (if interested, see Job 9:9 and Amos 5:8, among others). However, nowhere does the Bible say that people should worship them or seek them for guidance in their lives. For that, the Bible would say to go to Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-2 lays it out pretty plainly: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His son…” In other words, God speaks to mankind through Jesus (and by extension, the Bible, or The Word of God). Nobody needs to seek out psychics, horoscopes, or the like in order to understand what they must do in life. The answers have already been given.
So, Is That a No to Astrology?
Does this mean astrology is prohibited by the Bible? Well, I think that would determine as to how astrology is being defined. Often times, it can be vague and misapplied. If a person simply means studying the stars and constellations, then of course it’s not prohibited. However, astrology usually refers to studying the relationship of astronomical happenings to that of human destiny. If that is the case, the Bible definitely seems to sway people away from it. In the book of Daniel, the astrologers that were a part of the Babylonian royal court were repeatedly outdone by Daniel, under the power of God. Daniel 1:20 says that “in all matters of wisdom and understanding,” the king found that Daniel was “ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers…”Certainly, it the passage doesn’t strictly forbid astrology, but it clearly sets a line of demarcation between the power of God and the power of astrology. By the way, the power of God won. In the next chapter of Daniel, the astrologers cannot interpret a dream; meanwhile, Daniel has no problem doing it.
Scriptural Support Against Astrology
There are a handful of verses that do, in fact, forbid astrology.
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Deuteronomy 18:10-14 – Part of the wicked customs Israel was commanded to avoid
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Deuteronomy 4:19 – Israel was told to stay away from worshipping the sun, moon, and stars (or “the host of heaven”). In Biblical history, every time that they did worship the stars, they were judged.
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Leviticus 19:31 – They were told, once again, to stay away from that type of divination
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Isaiah 47:13-14 – Astrologers will be judged, of which they cannot escape.
Conclusion
The stars are supposed to bring people to worship the God who made them. They are great to study, along with the rest of the universe. In fact, it has helped people navigate the physical landscape of the world (the wise men followed a star, didn’t they?) and has helped societies follow times and seasons. Apart from these things, however, they are not too useful. Although astrology sells itself very well, it is a false divination, according to the Bible, that is not to be practiced. If anyone wants guidance in their life, all they need to do is turn to Jesus and The Word of God.
If you have any more biblical passages on astrology, or any valuable feedback or questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
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