Christ Conspiracy_ The Greatest Story Ever Sold - Acharya S [85]
Ezekiel's four-faced creature composed of eagle, lion, bull, and man, was piously interpreted as prophesying the four evangelists; but the original biblical description was copied from the fabulous composite beasts of Assyria, who represented the four seasons of the year.'4
Biblical Diviners and Astrologers
In addition to these examples of astrology in the Bible can be found a number of references to esteemed biblical characters using the "arts of divination" to their and their Lord's benefit. Naturally, where characters are favored by biblical writers, these astrological and magical arts are perfectly good, but when used by those not favored, they are "evil." Regardless of this prejudice, there is no doubt that "good" biblical characters practiced the magical arts. In fact, in the earliest parts of the Bible, divination is praised as a way to commune with God or divine the future (Genesis 30:27). Indeed, the word "divination" comes from the word "divine," which is a demonstration that divination was originally considered godly and not evil.
Divination does not fall out of favor until later books, eventually being considered as "sin" in the first book of Samuel, in which the Israelite king Saul uses a diviner to "divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you." The diviner or medium, whom Saul is approaching in disguise, objects to his request, saying, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?" It is interesting that this Saul, like the Saul of the New Testament, is notorious for persecuting people of a different faith.
Moreover, when describing the men who joined David in his fight against Saul, biblical writers obfuscate the occupation of the men of the tribe of Issachar: "Of Issachar men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command." (1 Chr. 12:32) In reality, these "men who had understanding of the times" are astrologers, and quite a lot of them at that. It is obvious that, despite protestations to the contrary, the Israelites used astrologers to "know what Israel ought to do." Furthermore, from the repeated biblical exhortations against these magical arts, it is clear that large numbers of people in Israel and Judah were practicing astrology and divination, as indicated at Isaiah 3:2, for example, where "the Lord" takes away from Judah and Jerusalem "the judge and prophet, the diviner and elder." The "judges" in the OT are also priests and, in fact, judicial astrologers.15
Furthermore, although Abraham in Jasher is represented as turning away from the sun and moon, his title "of the Chaldeans" was a reference to his status as an astrologer, a fact confirmed by Church historian Eusebius who claimed that Abraham "taught the science to the priests of Heliopolis or On."16
Moses and the Tabernacle
For centuries, the character Moses has been held in high esteem, his every word studied and each move charted. Yet, few have understood the true nature of his "covenant with the Lord," as reflected by the esoteric or mystical meaning of Moses's tabernacle, which, in fact, is the "tent of the sun." Respected Jewish historian Josephus, who was an initiate of several secret societies, elucidates upon Moses's tabernacle:
And when [Moses] ordered twelve loaves to be set on the table, he denoted the year, as distinguished into so many months. By branching out the candlestick into seventy parts he secretly intimated the Decani, or seventy divisions of the planets; and as to the seven lamps upon the candlesticks, they referred to the course of the