Some responses. Barry is here with me so this post is from both of us -- mostly from him and I'll do the typing.
Pete, you asked if the Gospel was still in the stars. Basically, yes. All languages had the same meaning for the same star and the same constellation up until about 1850-1880 A.D. At that time an international council on astronomy fixed which star names would be used for each star. Sometimes they chose the Greek, sometimes they chose the Hebrew, sometimes they chose the Chaldean name. But in those names we still see the Gospel.
Originally, the teaching of the message of the stars would not have been completely necessary, for a lot of the basics are actually in the names of the stars themselves, and those names were in the languages of the individual peoples. The other thing to remember is that the knowledge itself came down from Adam via Noah, and so was available to every culture, and so yes, there would have to have been SOME teaching involved. When the languages diverged at Babel, the meaning of the name of each star was carried into every culture and place from that time on.
But no, just any of us looking up at a twinkling sky would not recognize that it told a story. The names of the stars of course would have to be taught and the groups as they have been universally recognized in the constellations. Once those had been taught, it would not have been difficult to put the story together.
The Gospel in the Stars, however, does not mention the types or numbers of people on earth but only the story of Christ, so that the inclusion of the Gentiles was indeed a bit of a shock to the Jews -- although, if they had paid attention to the Scriptures they already had, it shouldn't have been.
Preach, I still assume you have not taken the time to read the article or you would not be making the judgment you are making. But let's look at the verses you say are in denial of this Gospel in the Stars.
First you referenced Romans 10:17, which says that faith comes from hearing the message and the message through the word of Christ. Before we get to what Paul quotes two verses later, let's consider something. Hearing WHAT message? The message of salvation, right? That was given to Eve in Genesis 3. In fact, in the verse ahead of 17 -- verse 16 -- Paul quotes Isaiah as saying "Lord, who has believed our message?" What message was Isaiah referring to? Since this comes in the middle of discussing the Gospel, or good news (verse 15-16) itself, then Isaiah HAD to be referring to the Gospel he already knew!
Consider also that the word of Christ is the word of the Creator, and that was known from Genesis. For Christ mentions in John that Abraham knew His day and was glad.
BUT, let's now take a look at your verse in context, which makes it different from what you claim:
How then can they call on the one they have not believed in ? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."
The quote Paul was using is, as you probably know from Psalm 19. Here is Psalm 19:
The heavens decleare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
Therefore, Preach, Paul was declaring exactly the opposite of what you were trying to indicate he was saying. He is saying that yes, the people have all heard due to the message in the heavens themselves. This is not astrology. This is God's way of making sure there was no change in the message until Christ arrived.
One other thing -- don't forget that God Himself personally gave the stars their names. And, again, nothing He does is random or without purpose.
Your next reference was to 1 Corinthians 1:18-21. This is in reference to God choosing the "foolishness" of the cross to confound the wise and the philosopher. This, however, has nothing to do with the fact that God's telling of the Gospel to all men, and its simplicity of the necessity of just trusting God, was there in the heavens themselves, as declared by both David and Paul.
Consider also, that Paul wrote to the Galatians,
"Understand then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture FORESAW that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and ANNOUNCED THE GOSPEL IN ADVANCE TO ABRAHAM: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." [Paul is referring to Genesis 15]
Please note that part of the Gospel as Paul defines it is that all nations are included. We tend to concentrate on just the story of Jesus, but evidently, part of the Gospel message is the inclusion of every nation and tribe and language, as again reiterated in the praises of Revelation.
Preach, you also used the partial quote that the Jews request a sign -- as though that were something to do with the stars! That quote has NOTHING to do with the stars! The signs the Jews were looking for were miraculous signs -- they wanted Christ to do as they commanded in terms of healing or raising from the dead or whatever. These are the signs Paul is referring to, clearly. Please do not take these quotes out of context and distort their meaning.
Johnv -- astrology is real alright -- real distortion, demonism, etc.!!
But it cannot be a distortion if there was not something to distort. The Gospel in the Stars presents the life story of Christ. The astrological distortion is that you can tell YOUR life story via the stars, which is nonsense. The demons cannot make up new things, they can only try to twist the originals. That is what has happened here. But, as Hebrews 1 says, that although in the past God spoke to the prophets through various means, NOW it is through Christ, the Savior, and that we have no need for the other means now. That relegates the Gospel in the Stars to secondary, along with so much else, but that does not negate the original meaning or purpose of the heavens declaring the glory of God.
