Zodiac Signs and Bible Truth

The word zodiac comes from the Greek zodiakos meaning a circle. It is often assumed that the connection is with animals (living creatures, from the Greek zoe "to live" and the English zoo. However, the root meaning of zodiakos has nothing to do with living creatures, but instead comes from the primitive root zoad, meaning a path or way or going by steps. In this connection, it is used to denote the way along which the sun appears to move through the stars in the course of the 12 months. This course is repeated every year as the apparent position of the sun returns to almost the exact spot that it occupied on the same date a year before. So the path through the sky along which the sun travels (or appears to travel) is called the zodiac and is divided into 12 segments.

Each of these segments is marked by a group of stars which is easily recognized. These 12 groups of stars (constellations) have names that are familiar to most people and are known as the "signs" of the zodiac. Each of the 12 signs pictorially represents a prophetic event in relation to the unfolding story of salvation in the history of the world. Please keep in mind that the star groups (constellations) do not necessarily look like the objects for which they are named, but each is associated with the picture of the object.

The fact that the signs of the zodiac bear little resemblance the pictures associated with them should be of great interest to observers of the night-time sky. Every ancient culture with any knowledge or tradition concerning the stars recognizes the same 12 star groups and the same names or meanings of names. Examine the star knowledge of whatever ancients you choose (Babylonia, China, India, Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Central America.....) and everywhere the same constellations are identified and associated with the identical or similar meanings and names.

The only explanation for this fact is that there was one original Source who identified the constellations with their meanings before the dispersion of the peoples of the earth. God is that Source.

The 12 signs as originally given by God were a prophetic outline of the purpose of God in the history of salvation. They are understood, however, only if they are seen in their proper order. Since they form a circle, the problem is in knowing where to begin and finish. Astrologers begin with Aries, but this does not correspond with Biblical revelation. A comparison of the prophecies in the heavens with the prophecies in the Bible clearly shows that the starting point is the divine promise concerning the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), and the ending point clearly coincides with the climax of Scripture in the triumph of the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Jesus Christ) - (Revelation 5:5).

The promise of the Seed in the first book of the Bible (Genesis) is seen in the constellation Virgo (the woman). The promise of the triumphant Lion, seen in the last book of the Bible (Revelation), is displayed in Leo. So the outline begins with Virgo and ends with Leo. Confirmation of this is found in one of the very old zodiacs dating back to 2000 B.C. or before. It is called the zodiac of Dendereh and was found on the ceiling of the portico of the temple of Esneh in Egypt. In this zodiac there is placed between the signs of Virgo and Leo a picture of the Sphinx. The Sphinx (with the head of a woman and the tail of a lion) confirms the starting and finishing points for the zodiac. Many scholars think that this was in fact the main purpose of the Sphinx and thus solves its "riddle."

Note: For more information concerning the Biblical truths of the Zodiac, see the article "Horoscope Signs and the Bible."

Material in this article from Kenneth Fleming's God's Voice in the Stars.