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The Gospel in the Stars or Primeval Astronomy, Annotated and Illustrated.
It was... the common and accepted doctrine of antiquity that the constellations were divine in origin and sacred in character. They are woven in with all the old ethnic religions. Much as heathenism has perverted them to false worship, it has ever held to the belief that they are from God... -from "Primeval Man" Did God arrange the stars in the sky to spell out his ultimate plans for the human race? Such is the conclusion of this curious book, first published in 1882 as an attempt to reconcile Christianity with the public fascination with astrology... a fascination that endures today. In this profusely illustrated volume, discover the connections between the signs of the Zodiac and Christian symbolism-Leo the lion represents Jesus, for instance; the Gemini twins signify both the relationship of Adam and Eve as well as God's relationship with his church. Building upon this language of the stars, the author demonstrates the truth of God's "one plan and purpose of Redemption for fallen man." American Lutheran pastor JOSEPH AUGUST SEISS (1823-1904) was born in Maryland and served congregations in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. In addition to numerous translations of hymns from the original German, he also authored numerous books, including The Apocalypse.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1972
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300 people want to read
About the author
Joseph A. Seiss
137 books8 followersJoseph Augustus Seiss (1823-1904) was one of the most effective and popular Lutheran preachers of the nineteenth century. In addition to his pastoral duties, he was active as a lecturer and writer. His more than a dozen works include The Gospel in Leviticus, Lectures on Hebrews, and The Apocalypse.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 2, 2019
A bit of a tedious read, style-wise, having been written in late nineteenth century English — but what an incredibly interesting concept it proposes!
Joseph’s big idea (sure to make many Christians, at first, leery) is that the constellations that make up the Zodiac, while used in horoscopes and more pagan practices today, are actually perversions of an originally Divine and Christian message, namely, that the constellations tell the story of the Gospel - “celestial picture gallery” as Seiss would call it.
The book goes through each of the main twelve constellations that make up the traditional Zodiac(?Virgo, Scorpio, Leo, and so forth) as well their corresponding constellations that surround them, known as Decans. All in all making 48, as well as the individual names of stars.
Seiss breaks down their history, what they mean, and how they correspond to the Gospel story. Some of Seiss’s interpretations of the images can seem a bit contrived ... while others seems spot on. Take the constellation Virgo, which everywhere means “Virgin”. And yet the stars that make up this constellation are called “The Desired One”, the “Seed” and the “Branch” .... sound familiar? Most Christians will know right off the bat that these are references to Jesus ... and yet how contrary to what one would expect that a constellation depicting a virgin would be pictured holding a child in many of the star charts?
We know from Scripture that God “calls all the stars by name” and several constellations are mentioned, especially in Job and Revelation ... “Arcurtus and his sons” “the seven stars of Pleides” “the band of Orion” and so forth. We also know that God made these stars, not just for navigation, but also to carry warnings and signs of things to come, like in the apocalyptic visions of John, and the Star of Bethlehem that lead the Magi to the cradle of Christ.
As a Christian reading this book my viewpoint is obviously biased into accepting the book’s conclusion ... but would non-believers be convinced? I think, at the very least, it gives one pause thinking about the great mystery of the constellations. Why, for instance, should the constellations mean the same things across the world. People from different cultures, different time periods, different languages, etc., all looking up at the sky at these scattering of bright dots and say, “Hey! That group looks like a lion and that one looks like a crab. And this group right here, that’s obviously a virgin, and that one, plainly, is a set of twins.”
It seems to defy all reason that these images should come so naturally and universally — when the substance from where these pictures and stories spring forth are nothing but a bunch of white specks in the sky ... how did it take place and why?
Unless, perhaps, they are divine in origin...
There is no direct quote in the Bible that says the purpose of these constellations is to prophesy the story of the Gospel — but it does say God made them and named them, so what they are must of some importance to us.
There is a rather startling reference to the constellation Virgo in the Book of Revelation: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." ... again, the picture of virgin giving birth.
In any case, I’ll stop rambling.
If you’re an open minded Christian I would highly recommend it as way of marveling at God’s creation in a way you never thought of before. And if you’re an atheist, or of some other creed, I would like to know what you thought of it. What is your belief in the origin of the Zodiac and constellations?
-Tim
Joseph’s big idea (sure to make many Christians, at first, leery) is that the constellations that make up the Zodiac, while used in horoscopes and more pagan practices today, are actually perversions of an originally Divine and Christian message, namely, that the constellations tell the story of the Gospel - “celestial picture gallery” as Seiss would call it.
The book goes through each of the main twelve constellations that make up the traditional Zodiac(?Virgo, Scorpio, Leo, and so forth) as well their corresponding constellations that surround them, known as Decans. All in all making 48, as well as the individual names of stars.
Seiss breaks down their history, what they mean, and how they correspond to the Gospel story. Some of Seiss’s interpretations of the images can seem a bit contrived ... while others seems spot on. Take the constellation Virgo, which everywhere means “Virgin”. And yet the stars that make up this constellation are called “The Desired One”, the “Seed” and the “Branch” .... sound familiar? Most Christians will know right off the bat that these are references to Jesus ... and yet how contrary to what one would expect that a constellation depicting a virgin would be pictured holding a child in many of the star charts?
We know from Scripture that God “calls all the stars by name” and several constellations are mentioned, especially in Job and Revelation ... “Arcurtus and his sons” “the seven stars of Pleides” “the band of Orion” and so forth. We also know that God made these stars, not just for navigation, but also to carry warnings and signs of things to come, like in the apocalyptic visions of John, and the Star of Bethlehem that lead the Magi to the cradle of Christ.
As a Christian reading this book my viewpoint is obviously biased into accepting the book’s conclusion ... but would non-believers be convinced? I think, at the very least, it gives one pause thinking about the great mystery of the constellations. Why, for instance, should the constellations mean the same things across the world. People from different cultures, different time periods, different languages, etc., all looking up at the sky at these scattering of bright dots and say, “Hey! That group looks like a lion and that one looks like a crab. And this group right here, that’s obviously a virgin, and that one, plainly, is a set of twins.”
It seems to defy all reason that these images should come so naturally and universally — when the substance from where these pictures and stories spring forth are nothing but a bunch of white specks in the sky ... how did it take place and why?
Unless, perhaps, they are divine in origin...
There is no direct quote in the Bible that says the purpose of these constellations is to prophesy the story of the Gospel — but it does say God made them and named them, so what they are must of some importance to us.
There is a rather startling reference to the constellation Virgo in the Book of Revelation: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." ... again, the picture of virgin giving birth.
In any case, I’ll stop rambling.
If you’re an open minded Christian I would highly recommend it as way of marveling at God’s creation in a way you never thought of before. And if you’re an atheist, or of some other creed, I would like to know what you thought of it. What is your belief in the origin of the Zodiac and constellations?
-Tim
January 1, 2022
For a review of a similar book, The Gospel of the Stars by Bullinger, see my review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 12, 2019
File this work under the biblical assertion, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and nature sheweth his handiwork." - PSALM 19.
The premise of the author is that the Christian good news of salvation through Jesus Christ is heralded in the starry constellations above (a claim I have heard of a few times prior to delving into this book). Seiss proposes that this initial cosmic declaration has been obscured through the ages by daubing astrological ruminations and mythological tales atop the original gospel story. He offers in support of his theory rather detailed linguistic analyses of constellation names from Egyptian, Persian, Hindu and other sources; he also cites ancient and contemporaneous works (I cannot comment on the accuracy of these linguistic clues due to my ignorance in the specialized fields of ancient languages and histories).
I do venture one suggestion: the serious student may profit by consulting along with Seiss' work Bruce Malina and John Pilch, "Social-Science Commentary on the Book of Revelation," Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000, a book taking a similar tack in trying to unlock the riddles of the Apocalypse.
The 19th century English language used by the author here, while criticized by some, is no worse - indeed, better - than the KJV many moderns regularly read. It thus is not such a hindrance to understanding as is presented by some critics, still it can be a cumbersome read.
2.5 stars.
The premise of the author is that the Christian good news of salvation through Jesus Christ is heralded in the starry constellations above (a claim I have heard of a few times prior to delving into this book). Seiss proposes that this initial cosmic declaration has been obscured through the ages by daubing astrological ruminations and mythological tales atop the original gospel story. He offers in support of his theory rather detailed linguistic analyses of constellation names from Egyptian, Persian, Hindu and other sources; he also cites ancient and contemporaneous works (I cannot comment on the accuracy of these linguistic clues due to my ignorance in the specialized fields of ancient languages and histories).
I do venture one suggestion: the serious student may profit by consulting along with Seiss' work Bruce Malina and John Pilch, "Social-Science Commentary on the Book of Revelation," Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000, a book taking a similar tack in trying to unlock the riddles of the Apocalypse.
The 19th century English language used by the author here, while criticized by some, is no worse - indeed, better - than the KJV many moderns regularly read. It thus is not such a hindrance to understanding as is presented by some critics, still it can be a cumbersome read.
2.5 stars.
October 9, 2014
Truly astonishing to see God's handiwork in every corner of Creation -- and, most importantly, how He has expressed the Gospel message in that handiwork.
August 16, 2025
What an awesome book!
I have always loved the stars and constellations and this book has made the whole Zodiac make so much more sense. It’s fascinating to read that the original meaning for the Zodiac constellations tell the story of the Lord Jesus and his mission as the Messiah. It’s wonderful to see it written in the sky. If you are a Christian and also love astronomy then this book is an amazing journey. Would absolutely recommend it!
I have always loved the stars and constellations and this book has made the whole Zodiac make so much more sense. It’s fascinating to read that the original meaning for the Zodiac constellations tell the story of the Lord Jesus and his mission as the Messiah. It’s wonderful to see it written in the sky. If you are a Christian and also love astronomy then this book is an amazing journey. Would absolutely recommend it!
July 15, 2020
It was a good read
March 17, 2021
Some incredible stuff that is so important for Christians to regain. Difficult to read at parts.
September 8, 2023
I opener
There was a lot I didn't know, but I had a feeling that there was something to it. It's all there, right now. You just need to read this book.
There was a lot I didn't know, but I had a feeling that there was something to it. It's all there, right now. You just need to read this book.
May 17, 2015
The Christian message in the Zodiac
28 October 2011
There was a time when I found the esoteric and mystical elements of Christianity to be quite fascinating, and in a sense I still do. However I now accept that a lot of these elements can distract you from the core elements of the faith. What need is there to understand the relationship of the zodiac with the grand story of the Bible when your neighbour is starving? Further, I have noted that the more fundamentalist the sect becomes, the more they read into elements to attempt to garner some Christian truth from it.
Seiss' thesis is interesting, though I do not necessarily say that I agree with it. To me it seems a little contrived in his attempt to squeeze the Christian message into the zodiac. The zodiac is a lot more complicated than simply the twelve signs, and even then, despite being able to connect each of the twelve signs with some section of the Christian story, it must be remembered that based on the order of the Zodiac (and I am only speaking of the twelve signs here) the story simply does not fit. It is because of this that I am very reluctant to use the zodiac as a means of explaining the gospel.
Now, the concept really arises from an ancient Jewish idea (I believe it is the Mishrak, though I could be wrong) that the story of God's plan for humanity was written in the stars. However, remember that the zodiac had its roots in the Babylonian empire, and the Jewish people originally came out of Mesopotamia, so it would not be not unusual from them to borrow something from their old culture. However, as we read through Genesis (and Exodus) and see the development of the Jewish Culture, there is a significant trend away from the Babylonian practices. The opening chapters of Genesis are set to contrast the Jewish aetiological myth from that of their neighbours.
However, the Bible does suggest that there was a reason why God created the stars, though it does not explicitly saying that it was to tell a story. Genesis suggests that the stars were created to assist in telling the time and for navigating, and the Psalms indicates that they declare the glory of God.
A final point I wish to make is that the Zodiac is cyclical. It does not progress in a straight line, but turns around to end where it begins. Christianity (and Judaism) is teleological, meaning that it has a distinct beginning and end point, and history moves from the start to the finish. While Seiss's theories are interesting, I don't find them particularly helpful.
28 October 2011
There was a time when I found the esoteric and mystical elements of Christianity to be quite fascinating, and in a sense I still do. However I now accept that a lot of these elements can distract you from the core elements of the faith. What need is there to understand the relationship of the zodiac with the grand story of the Bible when your neighbour is starving? Further, I have noted that the more fundamentalist the sect becomes, the more they read into elements to attempt to garner some Christian truth from it.
Seiss' thesis is interesting, though I do not necessarily say that I agree with it. To me it seems a little contrived in his attempt to squeeze the Christian message into the zodiac. The zodiac is a lot more complicated than simply the twelve signs, and even then, despite being able to connect each of the twelve signs with some section of the Christian story, it must be remembered that based on the order of the Zodiac (and I am only speaking of the twelve signs here) the story simply does not fit. It is because of this that I am very reluctant to use the zodiac as a means of explaining the gospel.
Now, the concept really arises from an ancient Jewish idea (I believe it is the Mishrak, though I could be wrong) that the story of God's plan for humanity was written in the stars. However, remember that the zodiac had its roots in the Babylonian empire, and the Jewish people originally came out of Mesopotamia, so it would not be not unusual from them to borrow something from their old culture. However, as we read through Genesis (and Exodus) and see the development of the Jewish Culture, there is a significant trend away from the Babylonian practices. The opening chapters of Genesis are set to contrast the Jewish aetiological myth from that of their neighbours.
However, the Bible does suggest that there was a reason why God created the stars, though it does not explicitly saying that it was to tell a story. Genesis suggests that the stars were created to assist in telling the time and for navigating, and the Psalms indicates that they declare the glory of God.
A final point I wish to make is that the Zodiac is cyclical. It does not progress in a straight line, but turns around to end where it begins. Christianity (and Judaism) is teleological, meaning that it has a distinct beginning and end point, and history moves from the start to the finish. While Seiss's theories are interesting, I don't find them particularly helpful.
June 20, 2013
This is an eye-opening book regarding the ancient myths, their symbolism and importance. The author, Joseph Seiss, has a bit of a cumbersome writing style (first published in 1882), but the book contains some wondrous and powerful information. I highly recommend it.
Seiss observed that certain skeptics had found ancient traditions that had common elements with the Christian Gospel. He reported that these skeptics used their research in a manner “to throw contempt on Christianity as a mere accommodation of certain old mythic ideas common to all primitive peoples.” Seiss however, noted that their research could also be used in support of a conclusion opposite to what they intended:
"These men adduced a large amount of traditional and astronomic lore, proving the great antiquity of the constellations and showing a striking correspondence between them and the subsequent scriptural story of Christ and salvation. . . . But though the[ir] argument . . . is false and worthless, it does not follow that the materials collected to build it are the same. . . . and the gathering of them was a valuable contribution to a better cause. The showings made of the close likeness between the old constellations and the Gospel are well founded. . . . But instead of proving Christianity a mere revival of old mythologies, they give powerful impulse toward the conclusion that the constellations and their associated myths and traditions are themselves, in their original, from the very same prophetic Spirit whence the Sacred Scriptures have come, and that they are of a piece with the biblical records in the system of God’s universal enunciations of the Christ."
Seiss observed that certain skeptics had found ancient traditions that had common elements with the Christian Gospel. He reported that these skeptics used their research in a manner “to throw contempt on Christianity as a mere accommodation of certain old mythic ideas common to all primitive peoples.” Seiss however, noted that their research could also be used in support of a conclusion opposite to what they intended:
"These men adduced a large amount of traditional and astronomic lore, proving the great antiquity of the constellations and showing a striking correspondence between them and the subsequent scriptural story of Christ and salvation. . . . But though the[ir] argument . . . is false and worthless, it does not follow that the materials collected to build it are the same. . . . and the gathering of them was a valuable contribution to a better cause. The showings made of the close likeness between the old constellations and the Gospel are well founded. . . . But instead of proving Christianity a mere revival of old mythologies, they give powerful impulse toward the conclusion that the constellations and their associated myths and traditions are themselves, in their original, from the very same prophetic Spirit whence the Sacred Scriptures have come, and that they are of a piece with the biblical records in the system of God’s universal enunciations of the Christ."
February 7, 2010
I have an older edition, but what it brings out from the zodiac is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Starting with Virgo and ending with Leo one can understand many of the symbols as a part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Dealing with ancient symbols can be fun. Deciding what the ancient symbols were originally intended to represent can be rewarding.
August 6, 2011
This book answered a lot of questions I had about some of the astrologic imagery found in some places in the Bible. The short story is: God put it there, and its message retells the whole Gospel story of God, man, redemption, and the establishment of His Kingdom.
September 10, 2013
Good book. It can be hard to read because it gets very tedious.
Interesting concept of how the Stars tell the story of Christ. It was written in the 1800's so language and scientific at that makes it a tedious read.
Interesting concept of how the Stars tell the story of Christ. It was written in the 1800's so language and scientific at that makes it a tedious read.
October 28, 2019
Most books are rated related to their usefulness and contributions to my research.
Overall, a good book for the researcher and enthusiast.
Read for personal research
- found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
Overall, a good book for the researcher and enthusiast.
Read for personal research
- found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
February 16, 2012
A little difficult to read but super interesting!!!
November 8, 2017
An interesting look into how the constellations actually portray Christ, and how pagans have corrupted its original meaning.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews