Astrology in the Bible

The halo of Jesus (which is seen in many paintings) has remarkable similarities to the zodiac cross (below).

Astrology in the Bible has been theorized by many people. Over the centuries, ancient peoples observed the movements of the celestial bodies, personified them and created stories about them; this could mean the biblical authors might have also personified the stars, by then writing them in an allegorical language in the Bible.

Based on the many thousands of years of observation by the ancients, the sun was seen as a symbol of spirit, because it rises and sinks. The sun was the “soul of the world”, signifying immortality, as it is continuously resurrected after “dying” or setting.

Astrology dates before written history, and there is evidence of it all around the globe. If the gods lived in heaven, it was natural for priests to look to heaven for signs to what the king had to know to please them. Egypt has star charts that go as far back as 4,200 BCE. The earliest forms of astrology came from Babylonia, Assyria and Egypt. They merged with Greece when the conquests of Alexander the Great after 323 BCE spread Greek culture throughout the Mesopotamian and Roman world.

God as solar deity

Main article: Solar deity

In the Book of Job we find God reiterated as the power behind the sun, as at 9:7, which refers to him "who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars...". Job contains other astronomical and astrological knowledge, as in the discussion of the mazzaroth or zodiac at 38:32

"Can you lead forth the Maz'zaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children?"

With such a sacred origin and with the pervasiveness of the astrotheological religion of their neighbours, Israelite sun worshipping understandably became prevalent, so much so that the biblical writers proscribe it on several occasions, such as at Deuteronomy 4:19:

"And beware lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven."

Yet, these celestial bodies possess divine origins, as it is God who has "allotted to all peoples" the "host of heaven," including "the sun and the moon and the stars."

The continual Israelite/Hebrew/Jewish sun worship is logical, when we read at Psalms 84:11 and Deuteronomy 4:24, respectively:

"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire..."

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield."

The Israelite reverence of the sun was so intense that by Jeremiah's era (c. 625-565 BCE), the Jewish kings, princes, prophets and general inhabitants of Jerusalem continued to be portrayed as loving, serving and worshipping the host of heaven, including the sun and moon:

"And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth." Jeremiah 8:1-2

Ezekiel (c. 586 BCE) related that the Israelites/Hebrews/Jews continued to worship the sun, as at 8:16:

"And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD; and behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east, worshipping the sun toward the east."

The messiah prophesied as the sun:

"...the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings." Malachi 4:2.

Jesus as solar deity

Most paintings of Jesus feature a sun-like halo around his head.

Many of the world's sacrificed godmen have their traditional birthday on December 25 ("Christmas"), for example see Sol Invictus. This represents the ancient recognition that (from a perspective in the northern hemisphere) the sun makes a yearly descent southward until December 21 or 22, the winter solstice, when it stops moving southerly for three days and then starts to move northward again. During this time, people back then believed that "God's sun" had "died" for three days and was "born again" on December 25. After December 25, the Sun moves 1 degree, this time north, foreshadowing longer days. And thus it was said, the Sun died on the cross, was dead for 3 days, only to be resurrected or born again.

In the Gospel of Luke (1:78), Christ's very advent is depicted as a visitation from the "dayspring on high": "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us..." The word for "dayspring" or "day" in the original Greek is ἀνατολή or anatole, which means "sunrise, east."

Jesus's role as the "light of the world" and "Sun of Righteousness" is elucidated at Matthew 17:2:

"And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light."

As it was in Matthew, the face of Christ as the sun is likewise revealed at Revelation 1:16:

"...in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength."

Jesus's astro-theological nature is further indicated at Revelation 22:16, in which he is equated with the "bright morning star":

"I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star."

In these verses Jesus is symbolised as sunlight:

A red sunset, signifying Jesus' bleeding. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." - (Mark 14:24)

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." - John 12:46

"In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light." - John 1:4-8

"The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world." - John 1:9

"...Christ will shine on you." - Ephesians 5:14

The "bright morning star" is typically said to be the planet Venus, but it could also refer to the sun itself.

To paraphrase New Testament sentiment concerning Christ:

"I am the light of the world that every eye will see." - Revelations 1:7

If every eye can see this "light of the world," it is understandable that many people in ancient times believed Jesus Christ to be the solar orb itself, as they had with numerous gods preceding his purported advent. It is not only natural but logical that thousands of people in the earliest days of Christianity would have believed Christ to be the same as the gods they were already worshipping, the bulk of which possessed solar attributes and were often considered to be sun gods to a significant extent.

At lower angles the sun has more atmosphere to punch through, so red sunrises and sunsets appear with increasing frequency. Ancients saw these natural events as their sun god weakening as it was falling and bleeding.

Jesus Christ's Son of Man

Orion, or the Son of Man, wearing a long robe with a golden crown around his head, and holding a club. (Revelation 14:14 and Rev. 1:12-20)

The Son of Man in the Gospels can be linked to the constellation Orion. Revelation’s description of the Son of man fits the pattern of stars in the constellation Orion. The star on his right shoulder is bright red (upper left star). The three stars at his waist were later seen as the three wise men who announced the birth of Jesus.

The Son of man has a cluster of stars in the background that look like the clouds upon which the Son of man rides. Astronomical maps show the Milky Way behind the constellation Orion. From earth, they look like clouds.

"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength." - Rev. 1:12-20

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle." - Rev. 14:14-20

Orion, as seen in human form, has his right hand holding a sickle or a club. His left hand could be holding an animal skin, a shield or a bow. The Milky Way is behind him. The arc above him represents the Sun’s path. The line going through his waist is the celestial equator which runs parallel to earth’s equator.

"As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, 'The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.' And they were greatly distressed." - Matt. 17:22-23

When the sun goes below the equator into the dark days, it is said to be delivered to the enemy. While the earth rotates, the stars appear to be moving westerly until they dip below the horizon. Three days later they reappear in the eastern horizon.

..."'tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.' Jesus said to him, 'You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.'" - Matt. 26:63-64

When facing North, Orion’s rising in the East can be seen as rising from the right. Orion appears at the right hand of the Sun.

Astrological ages

Main article: Astrological age

The fish is one of the main symbols of Christianity, which is also the emblem of the current astrological age, Pisces. Jesus' birth date is essentially the start of this age.

In the bible there are many references to ‘Age’. Each 2150-year period was called an age. In and around 2150, we shall enter the new age called the Age of Aquarius. The Bible showcases a symbolic movement through those three ages, while foreshadowing a 4th.

In the Old Testament, when Moses came down with The Ten Commandments he was very upset to see his people worshiping a golden bull calf. The Bull was the symbolic figure for the earlier religion of Mithraism which flourished in the Age of Taurus. The fact is that the golden calf is Taurus the Bull, and Moses represents the new Age of Aries the Ram. That is why Jews even today still blow the Ram's horn. Moses represents the new Age of Aries, and upon the new age, everyone should shed the old age.

Jesus ushers in the age following Aries, the Age of Pisces the two Fish. Jesus' assumed birth date is essentially the start of this age.

The symbol of Aquarius, where a man is seen pouring out water.

When Jesus is asked by his disciples where the next Passover will be, Jesus replied:

‘Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water... follow him into the house where he entereth in.’. - Luke 22:10

The man carrying a pitcher of water is Aquarius, the water bearer. He represents the age after Pisces. When the Sun leaves the Age of Pisces, it will go into the House of Aquarius, as Aquarius follows Pisces in the precession of the equinoxes. Apart from the depictions in the Book of Revelation, the main source of this idea comes from this verse, where Jesus says:

I will be with you even to the end of the world.- Matthew 28:20

In the King James Version, "the world" is the translation. The actual word being used is "aeon", which means age OR world, OR Eternity. Jesus' Solar Piscean representation will end when the Sun enters the Age of Aquarius.

The Zodiac

The pre-Christian Celtic cross, which is also a zodiac cross, bears a great resemblance to the Christian cross, and paintings of Jesus (above).

Main article: Sun cross

The Zodiac is one of the oldest conceptual images in history. It shows the sun as it figuratively passes through the 12 major constellations over the course of a year. It also reflects the 12 months of the year, the four seasons, and the solstices and equinoxes. The term Zodiac relates to the fact that constellations were anthropomorphized, or personified, as figures, or animals.

In comparison, Jesus had 12 companions or disciples, who traveled around with Jesus, just like the planets travel around the sun. The disciples were likely to be based on the movements of the sun through the skies, a phenomenon that can be found throughout the world because the sun and the 12 zodiac signs can be seen around the globe. Jesus' mother, the Virgin Mary is the constellation Virgo, which in Latin means virgin.

At the beginning of the 1st century, the sun, on the vernal equinox, passed from Aries to Pisces. That harmonizes with the mentioned lamb and fish in the gospels. With John the Baptist, is seen Aquarius, a man pouring water. Mary is Virgo the virgin. Next to Virgo is Bootes as Joseph. There is even a tiny constellation between them that represents baby Jesus, Coma Berenices.

By late October, when the sun gets in Scorpio, Judas betrays Jesus by kissing him. As the sun exits Libra, it enters into the waiting arms of Scorpio to be kissed by Scorpio's bite. Thus, when the sun enters the house of Scorpio, the scorpion figuratively stings the sun, wounding it to make it slowly die. After the sun has its fateful encounter with Scorpio, it moves on to Sagittarius (Pontius Pilate), leaving Scorpio below the horizon, a figurative death for Scorpio.

See also

• Astrology
• Astrological age
• Biblical names of stars
• Christianity and astrology
• Christianity and Paganism
• Christian mysticism
• Christian mythology
• Christian views on magic
• Esotericism
• Esoteric astrology
• Jewish mythology
• Origins of Christianity
• Western Esotericism

References

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