The Heavenly Constellations
There are few mentions of heavenly constellations in the Bible. Many religious scholars talk about “the eye of God” one such starry constellation mentioned in the Bible through which they claim the new Jerusalem will descend.
The Bible teaches that God arranged the stars into recognizable groups that we call constellations. The Word of God mentions three of these: Orion, the Bear (Ursa Major), and “the crooked serpent” (most likely Draco) in Job 9:9; 26:13; 38:31-32; and Amos 5:8.
The same passages also reference the star group Pleiades (the Seven Stars). God is the One Who “fastens the bands” of these constellations; He is the One who brings them forth, “each in its season.” In Job 38:32, God also points to the “Mazzaroth,” usually translated “constellations.”
There have been theories about an ancient display of God’s redemptive plan in the heavenly constellations. For example, the constellation Leo can be seen as a celestial depiction of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), and Virgo could be a reminder of the virgin who bore Christ. But the Bible does not indicate any “hidden meaning” for these or other constellations.
The Bible says that stars, along with the sun and moon, were given for “signs” and “seasons” (Genesis 1:14). The final signs of the end time will be accompanied by astronomical events relating to the stars (Isaiah 13:9-10; Joel 3:15; Matthew 24:29). For end time signs in the sun, moon and stars check out Signs of the times.
The stars should awaken wonder at God’s power, wisdom, and infinitude. God used the stars as an illustration of His promise to give Abraham an innumerable seed (Genesis 15:5). Thus, every time Abraham looked up at the night sky, he had a reminder of God’s faithfulness and goodness.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
