International Bible Teaching Ministries
What Do the Stars Say About Your Future?
In ancient Babylon, the king served as high priest and civil ruler. Since the king could not personally officiate in every temple in his area, he would appoint other priests to perform the duties. The task of interpreting dreams and knowing the will of the gods was the duty of the priests. The bura priests were experts in the interpretation of dreams. Hepatoscopy or “divination of the liver” was a method of divination used by Hittites and Babylonians. The liver was regarded as the seat of mental life. They believed that a god would take hold of the victim when it was sacrificed and enter its liver. After the death of the victim the liver was removed for careful inspection. Babylon was noted for its strong use of astrology. They believed strongly in demons. A special class of priests known as the ashipus were known to be specialists in counteracting demons. They believed that all sickness was the result of sin. It was the job of the ashipu to determine which sin the sick person had committed. Only when he had determined which sin the sick had committed could he overcome the demon. Often the ashipu would attempt to drive out the demon from its victim. They believed some demons could be fooled by placing a dead animal on top of the sick person. Then the ashipu would attempt to lure the demon from the sick person into the body of the dead animal while following a prescribed ritual. These were some of the things going on about 600 years before the birth of Christ.
Before we laugh too much about beliefs of the ancient Hittites and Babylonians, look at what is happening all around us today. Within the past few years we have witnessed a massive turning to the occult. Palmistry, numerology, fortune-telling, witchcraft, and psychic friends and psychic hotlines are all around. There are over 10,000 full-time and 175,000 part-time astrologers in the USA. Astrology columns are featured in daily newspapers all over the world. The Encyclopedia Americana defines astrology as “the belief in the occult influence of heavenly bodies on human affairs and the practice or technique of divining events from astronomical observances.”
Consider what the Old Testament said about astrology and the occult. “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). The Hebrew word enchanter is also translated “fortune-teller.” Exodus 22:18 said, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
In Acts 19 at Ephesus Paul preached the gospel of Christ and many turned from error obeying the truth. Some of them practiced the occult. “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19). In Galatians 5:19-21 witchcraft is mentioned as one of the works of the flesh.
Millions of Americans and even some Christians refuse to face the world until they have checked their horoscope for the day. These are not new sins; they have been around for many years. Do not be deceived by these things.