The prophet's dictionary guide to the supernatural

hostile threats. Indicative of impending captivity and oppression. Genesis 10:12. 119. Astarte—A Canaanite goddess also worshipped in parts of Arabia as a fertility goddess. She is identified with the planet Venus with whom she eventually became fused. This deity is the same as Babylon’s Ishtar, Diana, and Artemis. In Ras Shamra, she is Ashtartu and appears throughout history by a number of reinventions. Astarte is further revered as the mother goddess and the queen of heaven. Whenever goddess movements are fomented, this deity resurfaces as the spirit behind them. 120. Astoreth—Also Ashtoreth. Star. Phoenician goddess reformed from Solomon’s day. 1 Kings 11:5; 2 Kings 23:13. 121. Astral—That which pertains to the heavens or the sky and its celestial bodies. 122. Astral Deities—The planets, stars, and the heavens worshipped as gods. Beelzebub would be one example. Matthew 10:25 and 12:24; Luke 11:19. 123. Astrologers—One who divides or cuts up the heavens is the Old Testament understanding of the word. The term describes celestial prophesiers who sought and retrieved their predictions from the celestial bodies in the heavens. Often lunar worship figured prominently in their practices as they based many predictions on the movement and position of the moon at various times. Isaiah 47:13 says that astrologers cut up the heavens to follow their courses and assign their movements to their petitioner’s future. Those who rely primarily on lunar activity were seen by the prophet as prognosticators. This art (crafting of human deceptive devices) favored fortune-telling over simple futuristic predictions. Another word for the astrologer is “star gazer,” which completely melds the astrologers activities with the activities of the stars. It too is a form of divination. 124. Astrology—A) The study of the planets and stars to predict the future. It is forbidden by Creator God. B) Deifying the heavenly creatures over the Creator as a form of astral and numinous worship. Astrology appears in the Bible as the constellation Mazzaroth (see definition). As “the host of heaven” in modern translations, it is the study of the zodiac. Astrology is forbidden by Creator God because the service, neither performed nor required by Him, has nothing to do with giving humans the license or ability to cast or forecast His creature’s destinies. Originally, an ancient Babylonian (primarily) art, astrology’s sole purpose was