Occult practices

Astrology

Astrology (which comes from the Greek aster ‘star’ + logos ‘discourse’) is a ‘science’ which claims that the stars and other celestial bodies determine the character, the health and the activity of every human being, and that by observing the position of the celestial bodies at a given time one can foretell future events. So, according to astrology (I refer to traditional astrology), the character of every human being, his health, the length of his life, his outward aspect, his social status, and his fate, depend on the map of the sky at the moment of his birth. In other words, all these things depend on the position of the stars and planets at the moment of his birth. The map of the sky at that time is called horoscope (from the Greek hora ‘time’, and skopos ‘observer’). Therefore when a person consults an astrologer in order to know his personal horoscope, called also birth chart, the astrologer tells him the map of the sky over his birthplace at the moment of his birth, and the fortunes and misfortunes which depend – according to the astrologer – on that specific map of the sky. However, there is another kind of horoscope cast by astrologers for their clients; it is called horary horoscope and it concerns specific problems. In this case the client tells the astrologer a specific problem he is facing, and the astrologer – after complicated calculations – tells him the outcome of that problem and gives him the ‘solution’ of the problem, on the basis of the map of the sky at the time the question is asked. We can say, therefore, that according to astrology our fate is determined by the stars and planets; what we will do, what we will be, our outward aspect, our health, where we will go, etc. depend on the celestial bodies for they are the rulers of our life, so we should consult astrologers in order to know our future and how to solve our problems. In addition to this, according to astrology even all the future worldly events, such as wars, famines, earthquakes, etc., are determined by the celestial bodies for they are the rulers of all the events which take place on the earth. On the basis of what astrology affirms, we can conclude that astrologers believe in an astral predestination.

We do not know when and where astrology originated. Some say that it originated in Mesopotamia around 2300 before Christ. For sure we know that around 1400 before Christ, astrology was being practiced in the land of Canaan by its inhabitants, for God warned the Israelites against all kinds of occult arts which were practiced at that time by the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, among which was also astrology (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10 – “An observer of times” was a person who practiced astrology). We know also for sure that there were astrologers in Babylon in the days of the prophet Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 47:13) and the prophet Daniel (cf. Daniel 2:2). As for the way in which astrology originated, it is said that some people came to the conclusion that since many natural phenomena which occur on the earth are strictly linked with the functions of the celestial bodies (light and heat, which are indispensable to the life on the earth, come from the sun, while the moon causes tides), the celestial bodies must necessarily influence through their power even the human affairs; therefore, just as one is able to understand the end of a period of time and the beginning of another by observing the position of the sun or the position of the moon, so by observing the position of the sun, the moon, the planets and the stars, one could understand what was the fate of the kings and of the kingdoms. Afterwards that determinism was extended to the common individuals. Astrology is practiced and believed by millions of people all over the world.

Confutation

Introduction

Astrology is a fraud, whose father is the devil, a trap in which millions of people all over the world have fallen. And I am going to demonstrate it through the Holy Scriptures.

I think it is necessary for me to start this confutation by speaking about the host of heaven. The prophet Isaiah affirms: “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name …. “ (Isaiah 40:26 – NIV). What’s His name? His name is Yahweh, which means ‘He who always is,’ the great God of heaven and earth, who by His great power and endless wisdom created out of nothing all things, among which the sun, the moon, the stars and the planets. For the Scripture says: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:14-18). Someone may say, ‘The planets are not mentioned!’ Yes, you are right in saying that the word ‘planets’ is not mentioned, however planets also were created by God for somewhere else it is written that God “made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them” (Acts 4:24 – NKJV). It is evident, therefore, that just as on the earth and under the earth or into the sea there is nothing that was not created by God, so also in the heavens there is nothing that He did not create, and thus the planets are among the things which were created by God. Furthermore, it must be said that the Hebrew word ‘kowkab,’ which means ‘star,’ which is mentioned by the Scripture in Genesis 1:16, refers not only to the stars but also to those heavenly bodies which are known as planets - such as the known planets of our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto - for the origin of the word planet is a Greek term which translates as ‘wandering star’. Is it not true that the nearby planets and the distant stars both appear to be pinpoints of light in the night sky? So, since planets also have light or gives light, no wonder that the Bible calls them stars.

As you can see, God made the sun, the moon and the stars to give light on the earth; the sun to give light during the day, while the moon and the stars to give light during the night. As for the sun, it does another important thing for the earth, for it generates heat, as it is written: “And there is nothing hidden from its heat” (Psalm 19:6 – NKJV). Besides giving light on the earth, the sun and the moon mark seasons, days and years, for God said: “Let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years” (Genesis 1:14 – NIV). Is it not true that by observing the position of the sun during the day we can understand the part of the day in which we are (morning, midday, afternoon, evening), and that by observing the position of the sun in heaven during the year we can understand which season (autumn, winter, spring, summer) we are in, and so on? Instead, by observing the moon during the night we can understand if we are at the beginning of the month or at the end of it. What shall we say then? We shall say that God is mighty and wise and He made the heaven wonderfully, and every thing He made is in the right place and does a specific work at God’s command. Therefore, lifting our eyes and looking to the heavens, we are moved to say together with Paul that “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made …” (Romans 1:20 – NIV). Amen.

Man’s destiny

Now, do these wonderful and awesome works of God, which He set in the firmament of the heavens, influence directly the lives of men, so that their position at the time of their birth determine their destiny?’ The answer to this question is ‘No,’ for there is not one hint or suggestion in the whole Scripture that the host of heaven is able to determine the destiny of men. In the Bible there are many passages which refer to the sun, the moon, the stars and all the host of heaven, but not one of them teaches us that the acts of men are determined by the position of the stars and the planets. God uses His works, such as the sun, the moon, and the stars, to do good to men (let us consider just the function of the sun to realize how much good God does to us by the sun). And some time before the return of Jesus God will use the sun and the stars to punish the wicked, for it is written in the book of Revelation: “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire” (Revelation 16:8 – NKJV), and again: “And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind” (Revelation 6:13 – NKJV), for all these things serve God and obey His orders, as it is written: “All things serve you” (Psalm 119:91 – NIV). But no passage of the Scripture declares that men serve the sun, the moon, the stars and the planets, as if these things were the masters of our life. For all these things have no power to influence somehow human actions. Only God has the power to influence the life of men; the following biblical passages confirms it in a marvellous way: “… and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified” (Daniel 5:23 – NKJV); “The deceived and the deceiver are his” (Job 12:16 – NKJV – The Italian Bible Riveduta Version reads: “Da lui dipendono chi erra e chi fa errare” that is, “The deceived and the deceiver depend on Him”); “A man’s steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24 – NKJV); “There are many plans in a man’s heart. Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel – that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21 – NKJV). Someone may ask, ‘What about the devil?’ Well, the devil also influences people, but it is not the devil, but God, who determines the destiny of a man; for the devil, even though he is the prince of this world and influences the lives of men negatively, is still subject to the will of God, thus he is bound to keep (or to act) within the limits set by God to his authority. I mean that even the devil, who is a wicked being able to influence man’s behaviour deceiving them into doing evil things or to kill people, cannot act beyond the limits set to him by God, for the counsel of God must stand and will stand: the example of Job who was struck by the devil for God permitted him to struck His servant Job, and the example of Judas Iscariot who was prompted by the devil to betray the Master by the determined purpose of God, show clearly what I have said so far.

The Scripture, therefore, denies that the destiny of man is in the hands of the host of heaven, and teaches that man’s destiny is in the hands of God, He who created the host of heaven. In order to explain to you that it is God who determines the destiny of man even before he is born, and therefore the position of the sun, of the stars and of the planets has nothing to do with man’s destiny, I am going to cite some examples taken from the Scriptures.

Samson was predestined by God to deliver His people out of the hand of the Philistines before he was conceived in the womb of his mother, as it is written in the book of Judges: “And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:2-5). What the angel of the Lord said to that woman came true, for that woman became pregnant and at the set time she gave birth to a son and called his name Samson, and when he was grown up he delivered the Israelites out of the hand of the Philistines.

Jeremiah was predestined to be a prophet before he was born, for God said to him when he was only a child: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 – NKJV), and so it came to pass that God appointed him prophet to the nations.

Cyrus king of Persia was predestined by God to rule the kingdom of Persia not only before he was conceived but even before the kingdom of Persia arose. Here is what God said about Cyrus through the prophet Isaiah: “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him …. For Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me ….” (Isaiah 45:1,4 – NKJV). And so at the time set by God, God raised up Cyrus and appointed him king of Persia, and He destroyed the kingdom of Babylon through him, and He set free the exiles of Israel, who had been carried away captive to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar.

John the Baptist was predestined by God, before he was conceived, to be the messenger who would go before the face of the Messiah, for the angel who appeared to Zechariah in the temple said to him: “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17). So the child was born, and when he was about thirty years of age he went before the Christ to bear witness of Him and to prepare His way.

Esau and Jacob, who were twins, were both predestined by God to play a specific role, before they were born, for God said to their mother while they were in her womb: “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23 – NKJV). And that was exactly what happened, for Esau, who was the older, served Jacob, who was the younger.

As you can see, the destiny of a man is determined by God and not by the position of the planets at the time of his birth, as the astrologers assert wrongly. If the destiny of a man were determined by the position of the planets at the time of his birth, it would follow that those who are born on the same day of the same year will have the same destiny, but things are not so at all for there are people who live in the same country or in the same town who were born on the same day yet their destiny is different from one another. There is nothing new under the sun, for Esau and Jacob were born on the same day, yet their destiny was different. Let us look at some of the differences between these two brothers. Esau became a skilful hunter, a man of the field; while Jacob became a mild man dwelling in tents (cf. Genesis 25:27); Jacob dwelt for many years in Padan Aram while Esau never went to Padan Aram; the wives of Jacob were daughters of Laban (the brother of Jacob’s mother), while the wives of Esau did belong to the daughters of Canaan (cf. Genesis 27:46; 28:8-9); Jacob, who was the younger, bought the birthright of Esau and thus Esau served Jacob.

Still today there are people who were born in the same year, month, day and hour, who were predestined by God to play different roles in this world. So one will become a prime minister or a senator or a major, another will become a prophet of God, another a pastor, another an apostle, another will be an engineer, another a mason, and so on. Therefore astrologers deceive themselves and those who consult them when they claim that they are able to foretell the destiny of a man on the basis of the map of the sky at the moment of his birth, for the destiny of men has already been determined by God and cannot be read in the sky, that is, on the heavenly bodies, for the destiny of men is written in the heavenly books which only God knows. One should consult those books to know the destiny of a man before his birth – by destiny here I refer only to the work he will do on the earth by God’s set purpose – and not the books of the astrologers who are full of lies; but we cannot consult the heavenly books. However, in certain cases God may reveal beforehand what a person will do, and when He reveals it his prediction will be fulfilled. However, the fact still remains that the map of the sky at the moment of a man’s birth does not influence his life at all.

But the astrologers even go as far as to affirm that the length of a man’s life depends on the map of the sky at the moment of his birth, but the Scripture nullifies what they affirm for it teaches that there is a time to die and this time has been set by God before one is born. David says: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:16 – NKJV). So what has the map of the sky to do with the length of man’s life? Nothing, for – as Job said to God – “his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass” (Job 14:5 – NKJV), and his limits are in the mind of God, God knows them, and He may reveal them in certain cases. So we have seen so far how the earthly occupation of a man and the length of his life are determined by God and not by the heavenly bodies.

Besides determining what kind of occupation men will have on earth and the number of their days even before they were born, God determined also that some men will be saved and others lost, that is to say, He appointed some to be saved and others to go to perdition. The apostle Paul teaches this when he says to the Romans: “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:21-24). So the eternal destiny of men was determined by God even before they were born, in order that “the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls” (Romans 9:11 – NKJV).

Therefore, to sum up what I have said so far; men were all born in sin and do not know the work they will do nor their eternal destination, but God has already determined everything and men, not knowing what God determined, at the time set by God will do what God has decreed for them. For example, if according to God’s decree some men must emigrate to another continent God will work so that they might go to that continent; if according to God’s decree one must be a mason God will work so that he might become a mason; and so on. As for the length of man’s life, God will work so that men will live how long He has decreed. And as for salvation, God will work in some men – who do not know that God predestined them to be saved - so that they might repent and believe in the Gospel, while He will harden the hearts of the others, lest they should be forgiven, so that they might go to perdition. It is impossible for me to explain in detail how God does all these things, for we can’t comprehend fully how God works in the heart of a man, without him knowing that God is turning his heart wherever He wishes. The life of every man consists of an exceedingly great number of circumstances they are not able to control or to change, but God is able to do so, and therefore He can lead men to do what He has decreed without them knowing His decrees. This is why God can foretell the destiny of a man, for He can fulfil all His decrees, no one is able to prevent Him from doing what He has foretold. Many biblical examples confirm this.

I firmly believe that I have proved that according to the Holy Scripture the position of the heavenly bodies has nothing to do with the destiny of man for his destiny depends on God. So what the astrologers affirm is a lie; their work is useless.

Wars, famines and earthquakes

Astrology asserts that all the world events are determined by the heavenly bodies, therefore also wars and famines and earthquakes depend on the position of the sun, the moon, the stars and the planets, that is, on the map of the sky. This also is a lie, for what happens all over the world happens by God’s set purpose. God has not changed and He still punishes the nations by sending against them foreign armies, famines and earthquakes; yes, He punishes them in this way just as He did in ancient times. It is hard to accept this, but it is the truth, for the Scripture says that God is “He that chastiseth the heathen” (Psalm 94:10), and it says also: “When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?” (Amos 3:6 – NIV).

Now through the Scriptures I will show you how God in ancient times chastised the nations because of their wickedness (He foretold those chastisements long before), so that you may see that it is not the planets which cause the above mentioned disasters but the God of heaven and earth, the One to be feared.

Wars.

God, through the prophet Jeremiah, foretold His judgement on the kingdom of Babylon: “Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. ……. And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 51:11,24). And so it happened; the Persian army came against Babylon and destroyed it. The ruins of that city can still be seen by those who go there. The reason why God punished Babylon was that it was arrogant and it had done much harm to Jerusalem. I remind you that at that time in Chaldea astrology was widespread. Now we do not know what the astrologers had foretold for the kingdom of Babylon, but one thing is sure, their presages of peace were not fulfilled for God had decreed the end of the kingdom of Babylon. As you can see, the war the Persians made against Babylon occurred by God’s set purpose, and not because of the influence of the heavenly bodies.

God, through Jesus, foretold the destruction of Jerusalem because of its wickedness, that is to say, because it had rejected the Messiah. Jesus said: “For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” (Luke 19:43-44), and again: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24). And this is what happened in 70 A.D. when the Roman soldiers destroyed Jerusalem and killed thousands of people. Also in this case God executed His judgements on some rebellious people using a foreign army.

In the Scripture there are many other similar examples; but I think that the above mentioned ones are sufficient to demonstrate that it is God, and not the planets, who causes a nation to make war against another nation.

As for wars I want to say something else which I think is important: the wars which are still to break out are all written in a heavenly book called the book of truth, and when God wishes He reveals what is written in this book. That’s what we learn from what an angel of God said to the prophet Daniel. I will quote all the words spoken by that angel to Daniel: “But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north. So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress. And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it. For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches. And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” (Daniel 10:21; 11:1-45).

Famines.

God, through two dreams, foretold Pharaoh that there would be a very severe famine in all lands. Here is what the Scripture says: “And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass” (Genesis 41:1-32). And so it happened: there were seven years of great plenty, and after them seven years of famine, and as you know God used that famine in order to send the sons of Jacob to Egypt.

God told the Israelites that if they forsook Him He would strike them with scorching heat and drought: “And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed” (Deuteronomy 28:23-24 - NKJV). And this is what happened in the land of Israel when the Israelites forsook God: He did not send rain on the earth and reduced the Israelites to poverty; this happened in the days of Elijah and in the days of Joel. Therefore when the rain ceases to come down from heaven and because of this there is a famine, that is a judgement of God; no matter what the meteorologists and the astrologers say, that lack of rain is due to the fact that God has decided to punish those people in that way.

Earthquakes.

God foretold Israel that He would send a great earthquake because of their wickedness. Here is what the prophet Amos said: “Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt” (Amos 8:8 – NIV). That earthquake occurred in the days of king Uzziah. As for earthquakes, I remind you that before the return of Christ God will strike the earth with the greatest earthquake of all times, for this is what is written in the book of Revelation (cf. Revelation 16:17-20).

I have demonstrated that also wars, famines and earthquakes, being judgments of the Almighty, depend on God. The planets have nothing to do with these events, that is, these events do not depend on the position of the planets, but on the will of God.

Our God rules the whole universe and not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will: we believe in Him. Astrologers, instead of examining the position of the planets in the heaven, you should rather examine your position in the sight of God and repent of your wickedness. That’s what you ought to do; then you will come to the knowledge of the truth, which will set you free from your deceitful arts that you practice and you will stop trusting in this nonexistent influence of the planets on the destiny of men, and you will put your trust in God, the One who created the planets.

Character, health and outward appearance

Astrologers affirm that planets determine even the character, the health and the outward appearance of men; I do not need to talk at length to refute this other nonsense. Suffice it to say that even in these things God rules over men and that the heavenly bodies do not determine such things.

As for the character of a person, it must be said that each one of us is born with a different character: some have a character similar to that of their father, some others have a character similar to that of their mother; surely one inherits his natural character from his parents. In addition to this, it must be said that our character is influenced somehow by many events which occur in our life, for Solomon says that all depend on time and circumstances (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:11). However, if there is a character which is inherited from our parents through the hereditary types there is another character which is inherited from God when one is born again, for the Holy Spirit comes into him and through the Word He transforms him making him good, humble, righteous, glad, peaceful. That’s what God does in those whom He foreknew, for this is what God determined beforehand to do in them, as it is written: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29 – NKJV). It is evident, therefore, that the heavenly bodies have no influence on the natural character nor on the spiritual character of a person. It is a very sad thing to hear astrologers say that he who is born under the sign of Taurus has a certain character while he who is born under the sign of Pisces has another character so they do not agree on this or that and so on; this is nothing but the fruit of their imagination, yet many people believe their words and are strongly influenced by them. The serious thing is that astrologers are the cause of the ruin of all those who have decided to be guided by astrology; if you read a book on love written by an astrologer you will come to know the diabolic devices plotted by astrologers against married people. You will read the most shameful things, the strangest things; women born under a certain sign are this or that and therefore they have certain tendencies (lesbian tendencies, or bisexual tendencies, or bestial tendencies, or sadomasochistic tendencies, or the tendency to betray her partner, etc. etc.), so sin is passed off as the solution of their marriage problems. These horoscopes surely undermine the foundations of marriage for they encourage women to sin. So astrologers, after saying that the heavenly bodies determine a specific character and cause certain problems, advice women to give themselves over to fornication, to adultery, to lesbianism, and to other sins; that’s in short their message. The words of these ministers of Satan, therefore, must be rejected for instead of resolving people’s problems they increase them by their craftiness and fraud.

As for health, I say that it is not true that a person born under a certain sign is predisposed to a specific disease while a person born under another sign is predisposed to another disease, for the signs of the Zodiac have no influence on our body. Why then are people sick? What’s the cause of sickness? Some are born with certain diseases because they have inherited them from their parents, who lead a sinful life (they are drunkards, fornicators, homosexuals, etc.), and with this the Word of God agrees, as it is written: “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me” (Exodus 20:5 – NKJV), and again: “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7 – NKJV). Therefore if the children of some people are sick from their mother’s womb is because of the sin of their parents or one of their parents (some other children are born with diseases not because their parents sinned but that the works of God should be revealed in them, as in the case of the man born blind to whom Jesus gave the sight – John 9:1-7). Some fall ill a short time after their birth because of the wickedness of their parents; for instance the child whom Bath-Sheba bore to David, after David committed adultery with her, was struck by God with a disease and died of that disease after a few days because of the sin committed by David. Other people are sick for they have sinned against God and so He has struck them with diseases to punish them; among the numerous biblical examples of people stricken by God with diseases I remind you that of those believers of the church in Corinth who were sick for they had partaken of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:29:31), and also that of king Jehoram who was stricken in his intestines with an incurable disease because of his rebellion (cf. 2 Chronicles 21:18). Some other people are sick – despite of their right conduct - because God has decided to test them by a disease, and to make them patient by it; the example of Job, who afterward was healed, confirms this. Therefore, we do not believe at all that the health of a person depends on the heavenly bodies; it depends on God, but it surely depends on us also, for if we disobey to God and sow to our flesh we will of the flesh reap corruption, and thus sickness; for instance, if we eat too much or drink too much wine we will lose good health.

As for the outward appearance of a man, it also depends on God, who uses the parents of a child to give the child who is to be born the appearance He wishes, for it is God who forms every child in the womb of his mother, as it is written: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13 – NKJV). Therefore, Joseph, son of Jacob, “was handsome in form and appearance” (Genesis 39:6 – NKJV), for God had made him that way; Moses, when he was born, was a beautiful child, for God made him beautiful; David “was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking” (1 Samuel 16:12 - NKJV), for God made him that way; and last of all, Jesus “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2 – NIV), for God decided to give Jesus that appearance. The position of the planets at the time of their birth had no influence on their outward appearance.

Guidance in our life and the solution of our problems

Now I am going to examine the horary astrology, which claims to be able to help people to take the right decision in the things that pertains to this life, and to provide the solution of any problem. - That’s why many people go to consult astrologers when they need to take an important decision or when they have got a problem in their life to be solved - Without any doubt horary astrology also is a lie, for the simple reason that the position of the planets cannot help people to take the right decision nor can it have any influence on the solution of a problem, no matter what kind of problem a person has.

Only God can tell us what is the right decision to take when we are to take a decision. A young man wants to know if he must marry the young woman with whom he has fallen in love, he is not sure, he does not know if she is the woman God (and not the position of the planets) has appointed for him; what must he do? He must pray and wait on God with patience, for God will surely show him if he must marry her or not. We do not know when and how God will answer his prayer, but we know that God will answer his prayer for He has promised to guide His children. God does not leave them in doubt about what to do but He always enlightens their darkness and infuses into them in a glorious way the assurance they need whenever they are doubtful about what to do in certain circumstances. For it is written: “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way … Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him” (Psalm 25:9,12 – NIV). I have experienced all this, therefore I speak also from personal experience. However, one may have to take a decision about something else; for instance one may desire to know whether he must move from a place and go to another or not, or he may desire to know whether he must start to work on his own account or not, or whether he must rent a house rather than another, and so on. What must he do? The same thing I said before, he must pray to God in faith and wait on Him for the answer to his prayer will not tarry, it will come in due time, neither late nor in advance. Someone may say: ‘You are speaking in the abstract!’ It may be so for those who have no faith, but not for those who have faith in God because to them my words are based on the Word of God. This is what the Word of God teaches us, to trust in God (and not in ourselves or in the position of the planets) with all our heart and to make all our requests known to Him, and to wait patiently for the answer. If we keep this teaching we will be greatly blessed and we will avoid many troubles.

Even if one needs health, money, a house, a wife, children, a car, and so on, he must not consult astrologers for the planets cannot help him. God is the one who can resolve our problems, and so He is the one we must call upon when we are in trouble: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15 – NKJV), says God. Are you sick and you want to be healed? Ask God to heal you, He is the one who heals all your diseases. Do you need a wife? Ask God for her. Have you received notice to quit and you see yourselves in the midst of a road without knowing where to go? Pray to God and He will give you a house. Do you need some money and you do not know how to get it? Ask God for it, He meets this kind of need also. Are you unemployed and you think that there is no chance to find a job where you live? Ask God for a job, for He gives a job to those who need to work. Do you want to have some children for you wife is barren? Do not worry, pray to God for it is the One who gives children. What else shall I say? For the time would fail me to speak of all the other distresses in which a man is called to call upon God for He is able to deliver him out of every distress. However, let me speak to you of those circumstances in which one needs to know what is the right thing to do. Do you want to know how to bring up your children? Read the Word of God. Do you need to know how to behave toward your wife in certain circumstances? Read the Word of God. Do you need to know how you must behave toward your employer or one of your fellow workers who is annoying you or exploiting you? Read the Word of God. Do you want to know how to use wisely your money? Read the Word of God and you will avoid wasting money. You may ask me, ‘Why do you speak in this way? Because the Word of God is “a light that shines in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19 – NKJV), and a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (cf. Psalm 119:105), and if one wants to see good days and love life he must keep the commandments of God which are written in the Bible.

Predictions

Astrologers claim that by observing the map of the sky they can foretell the future. But – as I have just demonstrated – astrology is a false science which cannot foretell the future of a man or of a nation, for only God knows the future of a person or of a nation, and thus He only can make known what is still to come. But the impostors (that is, the astrologers) of every generation, being under the power of Satan and thus without the fear of God, have foretold the future of nations and of some people, basing their predictions on the map of the sky, hoping that their predictions would be fulfilled, but their hope was frustrated by God who caused the omens of these babblers to fail.

Let me cite some of these famous predictions from the book of Paul Couderc, Astrology, which was published in Italian in 1977.

In 1179 the world was seized with terror for a certain John of Toledo foretold that by the year 1186 there would be a conjunction of all the planets under the sign of the Scales, so the year 1186 would be an unlucky year and in the month of September of that year the earth would be shaken by earthquakes and great storms. His predictions spread all over the world, in Germany many people dug caves, the archbishop of Canterbury commanded people to fast; in Constantinople the windows of the Royal Palace were bricked in; in Persia some caves were settled. The month of September, in 1186, arrived but there was no cataclysm, there were no storms (except in the north of France, but those storms did not cause damages).

In 1499, John Stoffer, announced that in the month of February, 1524, there would be terrible floods, another universal flood, for many planets would be in conjunction by that year under a damp sign. Despite of the opposition of the astronomers, people were frightened. Some couriers were sent to Charles V so that he might provide some refuges; some people sold their houses and furniture to take refuge on the ships; some others went mad as a result of their anguish. In Brandenburg the margrave and its court gathered together on the mount Kreuzberg, near Berlin, to wait for the fateful days. The month of February in 1524 was unusually dry!

Girolamo Cardano, an Italian scientist, was the most eminent astrologer in his days. In 1552 he went to Scotland to cure a high-ranking prelate. During his return he stayed with Sir John Clerke, who was the tutor of king Edward VI, who at that time was fifteen years of age. The young prince was in bad health and Cardano was asked to cast the horoscope for the king. Cardano, observing the map of the sky, foretold the king would live a long and happy life, and that when he would reach the age of 55 years and 3 months and 17 days, the king would begin to be sick of various diseases. The following month of July, 1553, that is, nine months after the prediction of Cardano, Edward died. He was just 16 years old.

All these examples of predictions which did not come true are the fulfilment of the following words of God: “I am the Lord ….. who frustrates the signs of the babblers, and drives diviners mad” (Isaiah 44:25 – NKJV), and also of these ones: “Present your case,’ says the Lord. ‘Bring forth your strong reasons,’ says the King of Jacob. Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; let them show the former things, what they were, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; yes, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed and see it together. Indeed you are nothing, and your work is nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination” (Isaiah 41:21-24 – NKJV). That’s what he who chooses to consult astrologers is in the sight of God: an abomination! So know this, that astrologers are idle talkers who, taking advantage of the credulity of people and their desire to know the future, foretell events which will not happen. God is just and puts them to shame by frustrating their predictions, showing thus that they are false and that the heavenly bodies can’t reveal the future. Even some people of this world believe that astrologers are impostors! Only God can foretell the future, for only Him knows the things which are still to come. Many biblical passages affirm this, I will quote just some of them: “Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come – yes, let him foretell what will come” (Isaiah 44:7 – NIV); “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it” (Isaiah 46:9-11 – NKJV); “Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you … You have heard; see all this. And will you not declare it?” (Isaiah 48:5,6 – NKJV).

We saw before that God foretold the birth and work of Samson, the birth and work of John the Baptist, the birth of Cyrus and what He would do, as well as what would happen to Esau and Jacob, and that all His predictions came to pass. Who foretold all those things? God. Who brought them to pass? God. But the time would fail to me to tell all the predictions written in the Bible and their fulfilment. I could speak also of the flood which God foretold Noah, of the things which God foretold Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph; and then I could speak of the numerous things God foretold through the prophets which at God’s appointed time were fulfilled. Particularly I could speak of the things which God foretold about the Christ; I could write a whole book on the biblical predictions which came to pass just as God had said. If you are interested in them, take a Bible and read it, and you will recognize that God alone declares from ancient times things that are not yet done, and at His appointed time He brings them to pass. So you can trust with all your heart in what God foretells, for He watches to see that His word is fulfilled. Therefore if you want to know something concerning the future, you must call upon God, who – through the word of wisdom, which is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit - reveals things still to come. Yes, because our God does not change, He still can foretell a marriage, the birth of a child, a war, a famine, a flood, an earthquake, the death of somebody (even the exact time) and many other things. Inquire of Him, call upon Him in faith, desire also the word of wisdom for it is one of the gifts given by God for the profit of all. But I urge you not to consult astrologers, who are idle talkers, greedy for money, people under the power of the devil.

Conclusion

In the heavens there are many heavenly bodies, which differ one from another in size and appearance, which we can see with our eyes, but the destiny of man is not in their hands nor do they control the life of men. However, in the heavens there is also God, who established His throne in heaven, whom nobody can see, and the destiny of each man depends on Him, and He is the One who guides us infallibly when we have to take a decision, and He is the One who solves our problems, no matter what kind of problem we are facing. In Him we must put our trust, and to Him we must make known our requests, and His Word we must read and meditate so that we may walk in the light without stumbling.

It follows that we as believers must not put our trust in astrology, lest we become corrupt and slaves of all kinds of superstitions and errors. Brothers and sisters, avoid reading your horoscope knowing that astrology causes believers to wander from the faith in God, and reject and expose it through the Scripture. Let your light shine before men, and show those who believe in the influence of the planets in the life of men that you refuse to believe their profane and old fables for you believe in God, who created all things, whose throne is in heaven from where He performs His purposes on the earth; tell them very clearly that the destiny of man has been set by God, that you are guided by the bright morning star, that is, Jesus; tell them clearly that whenever you are in trouble you seek the face of the Lord to be delivered out of all your distresses; tell them clearly that “the Lord reigns” (Psalm 96:10 – NKJV). To God, who has set us free from all kinds of superstitions, be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

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