Can astrology save a person from trouble?

By John Chopores

 

Let us see what the Bible has to say about it:

 

Astrology is not as great as God, and cannot save from Him!

Cf. Isaiah 47:13  You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you.

We can see from this verse, that the advice of astrology cannot help in the day of trouble.

Comments by others:

“astrologers--literally,  those who form combinations of the heavens; who watch conjunctions and oppositions of the stars. "Casters of the configurations of the sky" [HORSLEY]. GESENIUS explains it: the dividers of the heavens. In casting a nativity they observed four signs:--the horoscope, or sign which arose at the time one was born; the mid-heaven; the sign opposite the horoscope towards the west; and the hypogee.

 

monthly prognosticators--those who at each new moon profess to tell thereby what is about to happen.” [JFB].  

“Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels,  &c.] Taken of astrologers,  diviners,  and soothsayers; who were never able to give any satisfactory answers to questions put to them,  or to give good advice in cases of emergency; as appears from Nebuchadnezzar's consultation with them about his dream; and Belshazzar's about the handwriting upon the wall,  which was the very night that the city was taken,  #Da 2:2,10 5:7,8,30:

 

let now the astrologers; or,  "viewers of the heavens" ; not that look upon them,  and consider them as the work of God's hands,  in order to glorify him; but that examine the face of the skies,  and the position of the heavenly bodies,  their conjunctions with,  and aspects on each other,  in order to foretell what shall be below: or,  "the dividers of the heavens" ,  as it may be rendered,  from the use of the word in the Arabic language; who divide the heavens into so many parts,  or houses; who,  as Kimchi ,  from the same use of the word, fix and determine things according to the stars; and who next are called "the stargazers"; that look at them,  and,  according to their position,  conjunction,  aspect,  and influence,  judge what will come to pass among men. So Cicero observes ,  that the Chaldeans,  by long observation of the stars,  were thought to have formed a science, whereby they could foretell what should happen to everyone,  and what fate he was born to:” [JOHN GILL].  

“Let now the astrologers…The origin of this science is involved in great obscurity. Aristotle ascribes the invention to the

Babylonians and Egyptians. Ptolemy concurs in this opinion, and Cicero traces it to the same origin. Lucian says that both these nations, as well as the Lybians, borrowed it from the Ethiopians, and that the Greeks owed their knowledge of this pretended science to the poet Orpheus.

…The monthly prognosticators Margin, ‘That give knowledge concerning the months.’ That is, at the commencement of the months they give knowledge of what events might be expected to occur during the month; — perhaps from the dip of the moon, or its riding high or low, etc.” [BARNES].

 

ISA. 47:14  Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! 

Astrologers cannot save themselves, let alone others!

 

 Comments by others:

“Behold, they shall be as stubble They shall be no more able to resist the judgments which are coming upon the city, than dry stubble can resist the action of the fire. A similar figure is used in Isaiah 1:31 (see the notes at that verse). Compare also Isaiah 29:6; 30:30, where fire is a symbol of the devouring judgments of God.

They shall not deliver themselves Margin, as Hebrew, ‘Their souls.’ The meaning is, that they would be unable to protect themselves from the calamities which would come upon them and the city.

There shall not be a coal to warm at The meaning is, that they would be entirely consumed — so completely, that not even a coal or spark would be left, as when stubble, or a piece of wood, is entirely burned up.

According to this interpretation, the sense is, that the judgments of God would come upon them and the city, so that entire destruction would ensue.” [BARNES].

“not...a coal--Like stubble,  they shall burn to a dead ash, without leaving a live coal or cinder (compare #Isa 30:14),  so utterly shall they be destroyed.” [JFB].

“there shall not be a coal to warm,  nor fire to sit before it; stubble, when burnt,  leaves no coals to warm a man with; and though it gives a blaze for a short time,  while burning,  it is quickly out,  and gives no light nor heat for a man to sit by,  so that there is little or no profit by it; which signifies that there were no hope,  or help,  or comfort,  to be expected from those sorts of persons.” [JOHN GILL].       

 

We that a real man of God is many times better than astrologers!

Cf. Daniel 1:20  And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.

 

Comments by others:

“he found them ten times,  or ten hands  better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm; than all the magi and sophies,  the enchanters,  diviners,  soothsayers,  and such who pretended to judicial astrology,  and to judge of and foretell things by the position of the stars; these young men were able to give more pertinent answers to questions put to them,  and better advice and counsel when asked of them,  than all the persons before described,  throughout the king's dominions.” [JOHN GILL].

 “And in all matters of wisdom and understanding

Margin, “of.” The Hebrew is, “Everything of wisdom of understanding.”

The Greek, “In all things of wisdom “and” knowledge.” The meaning is, in everything which required peculiar wisdom to understand and explain it.

…He found them ten times better Better counselors, better informed.

Hebrew, “ten “hands” above the magicians;” that is, ten “times,” or “many” times. In this sense the word “ten” is used in

Genesis 31:7,41;

Numbers 14:22;

Nehemiah 4:12;

Job 19:3. They greatly surpassed them.” [BARNES].