God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). On the fourth day of creation, God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons, and days, and years” (Gen 1:14). God created the sun, moon and stars. The sun was to rule the day, and the moon was to rule the night.
The stars were created “to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness” (Gen 1:17-18, Ps. 136:7-9). God’s intended purposes for the stars were to give light and to be signs for seasons, days and years. Mankind learned to find directions at night using stars and to formulate calendars.
The prophet Isaiah revealed in Isaiah 40:26, that we are to lift-up our eyes to see the One who created them. He gave each star a name and knows their number. Just like He knows us better than we know ourselves (Ps. 147:4-5, Luke 12:7). In the book of Job, we are drawn into awe for God who is commanding the sun and seals the stars. He is the One who made Orion and all constellations (Job 9:7-9, 38:31-33).
God gave clear guidelines that those who follow Him are not to worship the stars (Deut. 4:19). He was clearly stating that any source of spiritual guidance outside of Scripture is forbidden. Those prophesying by the stars cannot save anyone. They will instead be consumed by fire (Is. 47:13-14).
I have seen people prophesying that when a specific star or comet or constellation is in a certain location, then the Holy Spirit will be pouring out more on a geographic location or ministry. But these proclamations are not scriptural. The Holy Spirit is pouring out without measure upon us already, just as He was pouring out on Christ (John 3:34, Acts 2). If a star or constellation is in a certain location in the sky, it has no bearing on the Spirit of God. It is only to be a light and a designation for days, seasons and years, making us admire the Creator for its beauty.
The Star of Bethlehem
But someone may ask, “What about the star of Bethlehem?” Numbers 24:17 says, “a star will come out of Jacob.” It is a prophecy that many people consider as referencing the star that lit the way for the magi to travel from the east to Israel. The magi were in the discipling lineage of Daniel. They were very familiar to Jewish scriptures.
However, this star was not a supernova, comet or a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Regulus. Instead, the wise men were familiar with the prophecies of the coming Messiah. And upon seeing the star, they knew it was the supernatural sign of the newborn King. It didn’t act like a normal star as it would appear and disappear for them (Matt. 2:2, Matt. 2:10). And it also did not stay in the cosmos, as it later appeared directly over the house Jesus was living when the Magi arrived into Bethlehem. This sign lit the way to the Savior for these magi to honor Him.
A Gospel in the Stars
The theory of a gospel in the stars was first published in the 1860s with no ancient sources verifying its claims. Among the proponents of this theory, there is no agreement for which “Biblical” zodiac chart is the true one to allegedly date back to Adam or Seth. And when the scriptures used to justify this theory are studied, the “gospel in the stars” disappears, similarly to how the stars will eventually fall from the sky, burning up and dissolving (Matt. 24:29, 2 Pet. 3:10). These theories are recycling and rebranding from time to time but have been refuted many times.
A principle of Biblical interpretation is that Scripture interprets Scripture. The stars are not interpreters. And no zodiacal chart can be used for interpreting the Bible. Even though the stars do not preach the gospel message, we can look at them, worshiping the Lord. But we also cannot interpret star constellations by Scripture because the Bible makes no room for this. God has only spoken through His prophets and recorded word. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at various times and in diverse ways spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. Whom He has appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the world.”
And we only respond to the original Gospel preaching. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says “how Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, rising again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Any other gospel message not aligning to this is contrary to the Bible.
David, the psalmist, said, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). This only refers to general revelation, that everything around us and above us points to a Creator. And it is like a painting by an artist. It is not a reference for the stars having a secret or hidden gospel message.
As we look upon all God has created, seeing its wonder and beauty, we worship the great artist. The designer of all creation. And each one of us are to preach the Gospel to the whole world. Faith comes by hearing the Gospel and not by the stars (Mark 16:15, Rom. 10:17).
This article was written by Jared Laskey of Fireborn Ministries. Jarred leads Destiny Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia and lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. He is also the co-author of Veronica’s Hero.
