The Daily Mail (29/12/97 – 2/1/98) featured a series of articles by astrologer Jonathan Cainer, who claims that ‘the Age of Aquarius is truly dawning.’ The articles paint a rosy view of the future in contrast with ‘gloomy visions’ that the 20th century would end ‘in chaos and collapse’. Cainer believes the 20th Century has ‘run out of steam’ and we are now about to create ‘a world based on enlightnement, prosperity, freedom and tolerance.’ He says ‘the separate ancient Eastern and Western expectations are now dovetailing beautifully into one global vision of peace and hope.’ This New Age is going to come about through ‘a spontaneous raising of consciousness of the whole planet – official academic recognition for a host of so-called supernatural abilities.’
The reason for this optimism? The earth is moving out of the astrological cycle of Pisces (the fish) into the cycle of Aquarius (the water bearer). The reasoning behind this is the basic astrological assumption that the stars or planets mysteriously influence the lives of people on earth. As far as individuals are concerned the position of the heavenly bodies at the moment of our birth is supposed to affect our character and ultimate destiny. There is also a collective significance for the whole of humanity in the progress of the planet through the constellations, which Cainer explains in the article:
‘If the Age of Aquarius is upon us, what have we been living through until now? The answer is the Age of Pisces. For just as the turning of the earth has its yearly seasons, it traces, as it travels through the sky, a much broader cyclic pattern… The Egyptians knew all about this. So did the Greeks. They called it a ‘great year’ and they subdivided it into 12 ‘great months’, each named after a different Zodiac sign. Each ‘great month’ lasts roughly 2,160 years. The last, Pisces, had just begun when Christ was born in Bethlehem. It’s interesting to speculate that it may be no coincidence that the early Christians used a fish as a symbol of their faith.’
What is the significance of this?
Astrology today is a huge industry with politicians, royalty, businessmen, film stars making decisions in the light of their ‘star signs.’ Major newspapers throughout the world carry horoscopes which countless people consult. In 1977 Lawrence Jerome claimed that at least one billion people around the globe believe and follow astrology to some extent. No doubt that figure is higher today.
We also see a huge rise in interest in the occult and New Age, both of which are connected to astrology. New Age writers have spoken of the ‘Piscean Age’ as ‘a dark, violent age’, which is giving way to the ‘Aquarian Age’ – ‘a millennium of love and light’ (‘The Aquarian Conspiracy’ – Marilyn Ferguson). As Cainer points out above, the Piscean Age began around the time of the birth of Jesus whose followers used the sign of the fish as a symbol. The implication is clear. The Piscean / Christian age, which held Jesus to be the Messiah, is passing, so now we need a new Messiah for the New Age.
Occultists like Benjamin Creme are proclaiming the coming of such a Messiah figure: ‘The Christ is now here pointing the way out of our present crisis. He comes not to judge but to aid and inspire, the World Teacher, Lord Maitreya, known by Christians as the Christ. And as Christians await the Second Coming, so Jews await the Messiah, the Buddhists the fifth Buddha, the Muslims the Imam Mahdi and the Hindus await Krishna. These are names for one individual. His presence in the world guarantees there will be no third world war. With his help we will build a new world.’ (Full page newspaper advertisement placed in many countries by the Tara Centre in 1982).
The New Age occult view of the Messiah also claims that the ‘Christ’ is an ‘anointing’ or initiation which comes collectively on those who receive it. Marcus Allen, who holds this view, writes: ‘Christ was the ultimate Pisces … and so he initiated the Age of Pisces which is now coming to an end with the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, which is initiated by the second coming of the Christ Life within all of us. In the Age of Aquarius everyone is the Avatar, everyone is tuned into their higher self.’ (Avatar is a Hindu term meaning god/man). ‘Astrology for the New Age’ p117.
This anointing can come upon other individuals or whole groups of people so they become as gods, equipped with supernatural power through which they will cleanse the earth and create a better world. This cleansing process involves removing the forces which are hindering the progress towards the New Age. The chief of these are those who have the biblical Christian faith that Jesus is the one Messiah, the sole mediator between God and man.
In the light of astrological predictions and Bible prophecies of the end times we can expect some major event to take place sooner or later which will cause a mass movement of a ‘spiritual’ nature world wide. The difference is that astrology and the New Age see this as a positive event bringing about a new awareness of our potential as ‘gods.’ Bible prophecies see this as the ‘strong delusion’ which will cause people to believe the lie because they refuse to repent and believe in Jesus as the Messiah. As a result they will accept the Man of Sin (Antichrist) as the Messiah, receive his mark (666) and suffer eternal damnation. (2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13-14).
The events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, last year were in many ways a dress rehearsal for this. Diana herself was heavily involved in astrology and consulted her astrologer before her death about her relationship with Dodi. Occultist Benjamin Creme wrote in ‘Share International Magazine’, October 1997:
‘Diana had certainly heard about Maitreya and was becoming interested in knowing the full story. This would have thrown new light on the experience – a vision – which Maitreya had given her in 1989. This reoriented her life to dedicated service to the underprivileged and sick. From then on Maitreya magnetised her own love energy which was such a potent force in her subsequent charity work. The unprecedented response to her death was from the hearts of the people, their love for Diana who gave so much love to the needy and neglected. Maitreya potentised that love by a tremendous outflow of his energy – the Christ Principle, to which people responded without quite knowing why. It was as it were a rehearsal of what will happen worldwide on the Day of Declaration.’
Conclusions.
Astrology itself is a massive deception. Planets and stars are created objects with no more influence over our character and destiny than lumps of rock on the earth. Without Christ however our lives are under the influence of the Devil who is described in Ephesians 2.2 as ‘the prince of the power of the air.’ The Devil and his fallen angels, described in Ephesians 6.12 as ‘the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places’, are able to channel their messages through astrologers who have opened themselves up to their influence. Because the evil spirits have supernatural power they are able to ensnare people by providing information which is sometimes (but not always) accurate. Because of the demonic source of astrology, the message it brings feeds our pride, lust, greed and other aspects of fallen human nature, telling us what we want to hear.
By contrast God our Creator is all knowing and able to guide those who trust in Him by the Holy Spirit. He calls us to repent of our sins and believe the Gospel, accepting Jesus as the unique Messiah, the only mediator between God and man. He died on the cross and rose again as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and ascended into heaven from where he is coming again in person to judge the world in righteousness.
The ‘Christ’ the astrological world view is proclaiming will not initiate a ‘millenniuum of love and light’ but the worst time the world has ever known, the seven year period of the Great Tribulation with which this age will end. If God did not cut short this time by the return to the earth of the Lord Jesus, no flesh (life) would survive. This return will be preceeded by false Messiahs and false prophets who will arise and show great signs and wonders bringing massive spiritual deception worldwide. Anyone claiming to be the ‘Christ’ for our age and turning up in any physical place will be a deceiver because the coming of the true Messiah will be a supernatural event visible to all: ‘For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west so will the coming of the Son of Man be.’ See Matthew 24.21-27.
To the astrologers and those who follow them God says: ‘All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those star gazers who make predictions month by month, let them come and save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves.’ Isaiah 47.13-14.