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The Witness of the Stars
An in-depth study of the constellations and principal stars as they pertain to prophetic truth. Includes more than forty charts and diagrams.
204 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 1892
323 people are currently reading
547 people want to read
About the author
E.W. Bullinger
252 books39 followersE. W. (Ethelbert William) Bullinger was born in England. A direct dissent of Swiss reformer Johann Heinrich Bullinger, a covenant theologian, he was born and raised in a home strongly influenced by Wesleyan Methodist doctrine. An Anglican priest as well as secretary of the Trinitarian Bible Society, he is primarily known as a theologian who published numerous books. He is most commonly known for The Companion Bible.
Some of his theology was and remains controversial, but there is no arguing that he had an in-depth knowledge of Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew. Some of his more popular books still in extant include his Figures of Speech Used in the Bible and Number in Scripture.
Some of his theology was and remains controversial, but there is no arguing that he had an in-depth knowledge of Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew. Some of his more popular books still in extant include his Figures of Speech Used in the Bible and Number in Scripture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 12, 2012
This book was originally published in 1893. I am fortunate to have the Kregel publications edition with colour plates and a pull out constellation map in the back and it's a family book that I treasure.
Reading it gives you chills; Bullinger has written a sort of dissertation outlining a complex, well researched idea that all the constellations have at their core, meanings and interpretations, a primeval prophecy of Jesus, his redeeming power and ultimate victory over death. It's incredibly gripping, educational, and oftentimes convincing. As a Christian, and a believer in God's hand in Nature, and being in awe of the beauty and wonder of the world, I would like to believe that nature has esoteric knowledge stitched into the fabric of time. It's a thrlling concept. His theory is summarised in a quote from Psalms on the front page: "He telleth the number of the stars; He giveth them all their names." Psalm 147:4 - RV.
In the book, Bullinger describes each of the constellations in the zodiac starting with virgo through to leo - the riddle of the sphinx is explained (!!); the virgin to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah - by discussing their original names, in many ancient languages, and the names of the highest magnitude stars within them which elucidate the person of Jesus and his plan for the Bride of Christ (Israel, not the Church). Bullinger also mentions a few historical events and what was going on in the sky at that time which also tells a story, and takes great pain to highlight the shifting position of stars over the millenia, and how they would have been when originally set down or where relating to various events.
Some explanations and "proofs" seem a little tenuous and he is heavily biased; he has a habit of discounting any cultural name or explanation that doesn't fit his theory ie he says often enough that the Greeks and their myths were "ignorance" or they had "forgotten" the original meanings. Most of the cultural references are based on the zodiac of Denderah (Egypt), and the Egyptian, Hebrew and Arabic names are most commonly used, which suggests the obvious common root, but other cultures are referenced (Ethiopian, Syriac, Hindu, Greek, Latin, Chaldee etc) but not consistently. Even discounting the cultures not represented, if they are the names of the stars are real (weird if NOT signficant), and this is historically acurate research not a posteriori interpretation, then the story outlined in the heavens how it is described is quite simply jaw-dropping and certainly prophetic as it is millenia old.
He lost me in the last chapter talking about periods of time and special numbers outlining the time that Jerusalem will be "trodden underfoot," and he goes to great lengths in saying how some prophecies are about Israel and Jerusalem, NOT the Christian Church.
What is never explained is how the constellation pictures (that bear little resemblemce to the clusters of stars) came to be in the first place. The pictures are not a celestial dot to dot but still are - if his book is believed - similar the world over; if not for the same pictures exactly, but still similar meanings but the exact same clusters of stars - given the infinite choice, this is phenomenal in itself.
Overall, it's an amazing book, brilliantly presented and researched and written with obvious love and devotion, a magnum opus of biblical scholarship. Read it and I defy you not to be amazed at least once.
Reading it gives you chills; Bullinger has written a sort of dissertation outlining a complex, well researched idea that all the constellations have at their core, meanings and interpretations, a primeval prophecy of Jesus, his redeeming power and ultimate victory over death. It's incredibly gripping, educational, and oftentimes convincing. As a Christian, and a believer in God's hand in Nature, and being in awe of the beauty and wonder of the world, I would like to believe that nature has esoteric knowledge stitched into the fabric of time. It's a thrlling concept. His theory is summarised in a quote from Psalms on the front page: "He telleth the number of the stars; He giveth them all their names." Psalm 147:4 - RV.
In the book, Bullinger describes each of the constellations in the zodiac starting with virgo through to leo - the riddle of the sphinx is explained (!!); the virgin to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah - by discussing their original names, in many ancient languages, and the names of the highest magnitude stars within them which elucidate the person of Jesus and his plan for the Bride of Christ (Israel, not the Church). Bullinger also mentions a few historical events and what was going on in the sky at that time which also tells a story, and takes great pain to highlight the shifting position of stars over the millenia, and how they would have been when originally set down or where relating to various events.
Some explanations and "proofs" seem a little tenuous and he is heavily biased; he has a habit of discounting any cultural name or explanation that doesn't fit his theory ie he says often enough that the Greeks and their myths were "ignorance" or they had "forgotten" the original meanings. Most of the cultural references are based on the zodiac of Denderah (Egypt), and the Egyptian, Hebrew and Arabic names are most commonly used, which suggests the obvious common root, but other cultures are referenced (Ethiopian, Syriac, Hindu, Greek, Latin, Chaldee etc) but not consistently. Even discounting the cultures not represented, if they are the names of the stars are real (weird if NOT signficant), and this is historically acurate research not a posteriori interpretation, then the story outlined in the heavens how it is described is quite simply jaw-dropping and certainly prophetic as it is millenia old.
He lost me in the last chapter talking about periods of time and special numbers outlining the time that Jerusalem will be "trodden underfoot," and he goes to great lengths in saying how some prophecies are about Israel and Jerusalem, NOT the Christian Church.
What is never explained is how the constellation pictures (that bear little resemblemce to the clusters of stars) came to be in the first place. The pictures are not a celestial dot to dot but still are - if his book is believed - similar the world over; if not for the same pictures exactly, but still similar meanings but the exact same clusters of stars - given the infinite choice, this is phenomenal in itself.
Overall, it's an amazing book, brilliantly presented and researched and written with obvious love and devotion, a magnum opus of biblical scholarship. Read it and I defy you not to be amazed at least once.
March 10, 2012
This was a .99 Kindle purchase. In this case, I got less than I paid for. Not that the content itself wasn't worthy -- it was. However, there were two unforgivable shortcomings: 1) The book was not indexed 2) Much more serious: there were no star chart illustrations that apparently were part of the original edition. The absence of the star charts really dissipated the value of this book. Come on publishers: charge a little more and make this a worthy read. There were also some typos that confirmed the editorial slothfulness.
As for the content itself. It's very intriguing. The first part of the book is difficult to read owing to its technical nature. It's the only work I knew of that examined Biblical Astronomy and NOT Astrology. Bullinger's premise is that the Heaven's pictorially proclaim Psalm 19:1 (The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.)
He then posits that among different cultures the same (or very similar) images are used to map the night skies. He then describes these images in the (star) light of Biblical redemption.
As with his brilliant Number in Scripture, Bullinger exhibits excellent scholarship. While there are no endnotes, he does reference several works. However, this was published in the 1880s. I'm not sure if the MLA or APA manual of styles existed. Such a work should be footnoted.
Despite this lame Kindle edition, this does provoke the reader to look at the skies in a different way. If Biblical Astronomy is something you would like to pursue, this work is the definitive way to start BUT NOT THIS EDITION!
As for the content itself. It's very intriguing. The first part of the book is difficult to read owing to its technical nature. It's the only work I knew of that examined Biblical Astronomy and NOT Astrology. Bullinger's premise is that the Heaven's pictorially proclaim Psalm 19:1 (The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.)
He then posits that among different cultures the same (or very similar) images are used to map the night skies. He then describes these images in the (star) light of Biblical redemption.
As with his brilliant Number in Scripture, Bullinger exhibits excellent scholarship. While there are no endnotes, he does reference several works. However, this was published in the 1880s. I'm not sure if the MLA or APA manual of styles existed. Such a work should be footnoted.
Despite this lame Kindle edition, this does provoke the reader to look at the skies in a different way. If Biblical Astronomy is something you would like to pursue, this work is the definitive way to start BUT NOT THIS EDITION!
April 9, 2025
Very in depth and nice interpretation but felt more like someone from the 1800s taking notes and less of a coherent message at times. Which is pretty much exactly what it is, so i guess I got what I asked for.
November 17, 2016
In this book, published in 1895, Bullinger demonstrates that the constellations, and specifically the signs of the Zodiac, are actually a perversion the the 12 signs called the Mazzaroth by God in the book of Job.
He suggests that the signs were basically intended as a set of three heavenly books, each with four chapters, to present the 12 pointed message of God's redemption plan for mankind.
He then walks the reader thru each sign, orchestrating historic & Biblical evidence to present the meaning and significance of each sign.
The writing is of an older style that is not as easy to follow in some places, and he often appears to start sentences in the middle of a thought in this book. He integrates Hebrew and Greek words into the argument, making it a goldmine for Biblical language students and enthusiasts but a bit confusing for folks with less interest or education. However, these portions can be simply skimmed over with minimal loss of continuity if desired.
In spite of the shortcomings, this book is an eye-opener and a goldmine for anyone with interest in the subject, and can inspire a desire to look closer at the constellations and to dig deeper into their significance.
I found it intriguing, inspirational, and thought provoking. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
He suggests that the signs were basically intended as a set of three heavenly books, each with four chapters, to present the 12 pointed message of God's redemption plan for mankind.
He then walks the reader thru each sign, orchestrating historic & Biblical evidence to present the meaning and significance of each sign.
The writing is of an older style that is not as easy to follow in some places, and he often appears to start sentences in the middle of a thought in this book. He integrates Hebrew and Greek words into the argument, making it a goldmine for Biblical language students and enthusiasts but a bit confusing for folks with less interest or education. However, these portions can be simply skimmed over with minimal loss of continuity if desired.
In spite of the shortcomings, this book is an eye-opener and a goldmine for anyone with interest in the subject, and can inspire a desire to look closer at the constellations and to dig deeper into their significance.
I found it intriguing, inspirational, and thought provoking. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
January 1, 2022
Some who read this book will claim it is shear bunk; others will proclaim the opposite. The truth may lie somewhere in the middle. Do we know—did Bullinger or others like him know—that God had written the gospel in the stars? Even a quick glance at the constellations, particularly the zodiacal signs, even from ancient times, do seem to give the impression that the stories or myths associated with them do convey some sort of spiritual truth. That these truths were corrupted and distorted at the time of Babel also seems extremely likely. As to the author of these stories, it is a matter of conjecture. God? Adam? Noah? It is impossible to tell, but it should not surprise us if a “gospel” written in the stars does foretell the redemptive story of the Bible, written before the Word was given in written form, after all, God has never left Himself without a witness and the stars were meant for signs, just as they proclaim His handiwork—might not that handiwork declare more than just that a Creator made the heavens and earth? For some this book might seem a bit tedious, but a careful study of it will leave a reader with the profound impression that a message was, and is, written in the stars. An equally interesting book on the subject is Seiss’ The Gospel in the Stars.
July 16, 2019
This book was loaned to me by someone very excited about its content. It is all speculation no substance from a dispensationalist hermeneutic. Its value is only as an historical document.
Another reviewer gave it 5 stars and described some of his arguments as tenuous. The entire premise is highly tenuous.
Unless you are interested in Dispensationalism as an historical phenomenon, then don’t waste your time.
Another reviewer gave it 5 stars and described some of his arguments as tenuous. The entire premise is highly tenuous.
Unless you are interested in Dispensationalism as an historical phenomenon, then don’t waste your time.
May 23, 2020
Well that was weird. Fun, but super bonkers about a ton of stuff.
March 22, 2010
This is an old book written over 100 years ago. Based on the information that the author had at the time he did a fairly remarkable job gathering and using the sources that were at his disposal. It was an intriguing concept that he was trying to prove....that the constellations of the zodiac held forth the message of the Redeemer as told in the Bible. He takes the names, meanings, and chronology of the zodiac and random Bible verses to try and prove his point. Because I believe that God is the creator, he did name the stars, and he calls them by their name I have no doubt that his fingerprints are all over the universe in ways that we are ignorant of but I do believe that as brilliant as Bullinger is he did stretch information to make it fit into what he believed to be true. I don't think all his sources were as fool proof as he would have liked to believe. His emphatic way of writing was quite humorous as he tried to use the style to convince the reader of the truth of his words. I only gave it two stars because it was a bit repetitious and I got his point halfway through the book so I decided not to finish it.
February 5, 2012
This book is amazing !if you are a student of the Word you will glean riches from this read.....
If you don't care for astronomy...you will after you read this. I found an old hardback edition that was sent to me from London. It is one of the most treasured in my collection.
If you don't care for astronomy...you will after you read this. I found an old hardback edition that was sent to me from London. It is one of the most treasured in my collection.
May 3, 2013
I love this book because it dismisses the New Age idea of "astrology" and instead glorifies the Creator of stars! You can "see" the gospel told through the 12 major constellations in our night sky. The heavens truly do declare the glory of God!
October 6, 2013
Wonderful book! It explains why we have only certain constellations handed down through history and how they allowed the sharing of the Gospel before Pagans perverted their meanings. Look up! God has written the Good News in the stars as well!
November 12, 2017
Thoroughly brilliant. A picture of hope and faith. Bullinger wrote this not knowing Israel would become a nation again and regain ownership of Jerusalem in the next 50 years!!! This book renewed my interest and wonder if the stars and constellations.
November 3, 2020
Dynamic book. I'm very close to saying that Job is my favorite book of the Bible, and some of the content in the book of Job needs an explanation for its presence. Well, this book provides that. It's a real jewel. He outdid himself here. Glorious.
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October 8, 2025I am sorry but it does not seem probable that fifteen Arabic words can all mean the same thing, I.e., The Redeemer, The Vanquished, He Cometh, etc.).
For example, Altair: Al (The) ta ir (Eye of the Eagle), not “the wounding” as per Mr Bullinger.
Altair is the alpha star in the constellation Aquila, The Eagle.
Yes the Greeks corrupted the meaning beheld in the Star Stories known to all cultures of the Ancients (2.5 to 1.5 millennia BC); Hebrew, Babylonian, Assyrian, Mesopotamian, but Mr Bullinger has taken a great many liberties, himself intentionally distorting what may still be discoverable as Revealed Ancient Truth and Prophesy depicted in the stars.
There were a great many gross generalizations, as if the author were preaching with confident certainty that his pronouncements were never to be questioned or confirmed vs disconfirmed.
Make no mistake, this work was not intended as a scholarly publication. Some nice Christo-centric bed time stories maybe, in contrast to the sordid, not family friendly, pagan soap opera of Greek mythology.
For example, Altair: Al (The) ta ir (Eye of the Eagle), not “the wounding” as per Mr Bullinger.
Altair is the alpha star in the constellation Aquila, The Eagle.
Yes the Greeks corrupted the meaning beheld in the Star Stories known to all cultures of the Ancients (2.5 to 1.5 millennia BC); Hebrew, Babylonian, Assyrian, Mesopotamian, but Mr Bullinger has taken a great many liberties, himself intentionally distorting what may still be discoverable as Revealed Ancient Truth and Prophesy depicted in the stars.
There were a great many gross generalizations, as if the author were preaching with confident certainty that his pronouncements were never to be questioned or confirmed vs disconfirmed.
Make no mistake, this work was not intended as a scholarly publication. Some nice Christo-centric bed time stories maybe, in contrast to the sordid, not family friendly, pagan soap opera of Greek mythology.
August 17, 2025
The premise is fascinating, and I think the author provided enough evidence and scholarship to prove his main point- that the zodiac or Mazzaroth was originally made by God to tell the story of the Gospel - or of Jesus coming down as God man both to suffer as a sacrifice and to conquer as a warrior. However, there are some specific interpretations I'm not convinced of: He insists that Pisces is speaking of only Israel and not the church, but I've heard others interpret it as the church and it makes more sense to me. The problem is that he comes from a dispensationalist, premil interpretation of Revelation, so he insists that the stars are only referring to Israel the nation and not spiritual Israel or the church. There are other constellations i am unsure about his interpretation and I would like to find someone else who has studied this and compare their interpretations.
October 19, 2025
Interesting book.
It has some unsubstantiated speculation at its premise, and at times he dismisses evidence against his hypothesis, but as a framework, the idea is quite profound. I wish more modern theologians were as bold (and even speculative) in their writing as Bullinger is.
I could also quibble about his dispensationalist hermeneutic, but that's neither here nor there.
I will definitely be referencing this book as I continue my study on planets, stars, astrological cycles, and Christianity. I'd love to take some of Bullinger's ideas and put them to a more rigorous test - and see which ones still hold up.
It has some unsubstantiated speculation at its premise, and at times he dismisses evidence against his hypothesis, but as a framework, the idea is quite profound. I wish more modern theologians were as bold (and even speculative) in their writing as Bullinger is.
I could also quibble about his dispensationalist hermeneutic, but that's neither here nor there.
I will definitely be referencing this book as I continue my study on planets, stars, astrological cycles, and Christianity. I'd love to take some of Bullinger's ideas and put them to a more rigorous test - and see which ones still hold up.
December 20, 2020
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
Genesis 1:14 NKJV
God created the heavens and the earth. The stars and the planets. He gave them names and placed them in the heavens and gave them to us "for signs."
What was "The sign in the heavens the Wiseman saw that led them to Bethlehem to worship Him who was born "King of the Jews?" This book, using Scripture and astronomy, provides a compelling answer.
Genesis 1:14 NKJV
God created the heavens and the earth. The stars and the planets. He gave them names and placed them in the heavens and gave them to us "for signs."
What was "The sign in the heavens the Wiseman saw that led them to Bethlehem to worship Him who was born "King of the Jews?" This book, using Scripture and astronomy, provides a compelling answer.
April 26, 2019
A stretch.
The book was written to prove a hypothesis that the symbols of the constellations and the names of the stars in those constellations told the story of Israel and the salvation of Christ. But the reasoning seemed to be a stretch, meaning the scriptures and evidence used was not convincing. I felt he was trying his best to make it fit but it seems that if this hypothesis were true you wouldn't need to reach so far to make it work.
The book was written to prove a hypothesis that the symbols of the constellations and the names of the stars in those constellations told the story of Israel and the salvation of Christ. But the reasoning seemed to be a stretch, meaning the scriptures and evidence used was not convincing. I felt he was trying his best to make it fit but it seems that if this hypothesis were true you wouldn't need to reach so far to make it work.
December 27, 2025
I only gave one star because the conclusion of the book was to decide that it was a practically perfect. In my opinion it was far from all that. I appreciated the historical astronomy/astrology perspectives, there were a few morsels of interesting information. The rest was mostly cherry picked bible verses, which did not always make sense in the context of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2018
Brilliant, brilliant brilliant!
This is my second read-through.
Well researched and thoroughly meaningful read of this old classic.
Indicates clearly how God - in His love & mercy - spreads the message of His plan of salvation throughout the world from the earliest of created time.
This is my second read-through.
Well researched and thoroughly meaningful read of this old classic.
Indicates clearly how God - in His love & mercy - spreads the message of His plan of salvation throughout the world from the earliest of created time.
April 6, 2023
religious, abrahamic
This does get tiring, but there is lots of history and a little bit of everyone involved in this tribute to the skies: very entertaining and maybe more sidereal than we are used to
This does get tiring, but there is lots of history and a little bit of everyone involved in this tribute to the skies: very entertaining and maybe more sidereal than we are used to
November 1, 2025
This book is challenging to read but worth digging into. It was great to learn how the stars line up to tell the story of Christ. I wish someone would research the modern information and apply it to what this book has to say.
December 27, 2020
Super interesting book! Full of curious bits and knowledge besides a different interpretation of the constellations!
February 1, 2021
A very complex book but it's also amazing how much it makes sense logically & tells the story of the stars & the astrological signs are a witness to God's Word
Read
June 28, 2023Very informative and interesting book.
Read
October 19, 202448:9. So you may all believe in God and his messenger, and revere and honor him, and glorify him morning and evening.
June 7, 2025
Clearly something there. But this is some outdated information. Some of his translations are flat out wrong.
October 11, 2025
Very interesting how the stars, constellations and astrology going back over 4000 years ties in with the Bible.
November 6, 2025
Incredible!
November 12, 2007
Interesting astronomical look at how the Zodiac and the total of 48 constellation points to JESUS CHRIST than some weak Greek mythology. To paraphrase Aristotle, these Zodiacs, the imagery only slightly different over the worldwide cultures, were weak representations of a once objective truth proclaimed by the stars.
Bullinger, being an ultra-dispensationalist, allowed his theology to somewhat hinder an objective view of the Witness of the Stars. His reasoning fluctuates - and indeed it is much stronger in the beginning of the book compared to the latter part. Though SOME of the reasoning should be taken with a pinch of salt, the biblical references, the astronomical imagery are uncanny and no doubt of God's design. Furthermore, there is a epilogue chapter commenting on the calculation of prophecies, which I've been very skeptical about, but one should definitely take a look into it and find a surprise there if you've been following historical events in the Middle East in the last century... :)
Bullinger, being an ultra-dispensationalist, allowed his theology to somewhat hinder an objective view of the Witness of the Stars. His reasoning fluctuates - and indeed it is much stronger in the beginning of the book compared to the latter part. Though SOME of the reasoning should be taken with a pinch of salt, the biblical references, the astronomical imagery are uncanny and no doubt of God's design. Furthermore, there is a epilogue chapter commenting on the calculation of prophecies, which I've been very skeptical about, but one should definitely take a look into it and find a surprise there if you've been following historical events in the Middle East in the last century... :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews