As many as 70 million Americans check their horoscopes every day. Yet, according to NASA scientists, "no one has shown that astrology can be used to predict the future or describe what people are like based only on their birthdate." NASA calls astrology "a pseudoscience, which means its tenets are not rooted in fact."
In contrast to impersonal constellations, the book of Daniel tells us that a personal God is running the universe. This is proved, over and over, through Daniel's prophecies. If God can "[declare] the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done" (Isaiah 46:10), then His sovereignty is established. He says, in the last part of this verse, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure."
Think back to the end of the Cold War. The United States had spent billions every year spying on the Soviet Union. And yet, not even two years before its collapse did anyone in the American intelligence community predict it would happen. In contrast, the prophet Daniel, writing in the sixth century BC, made accurate predictions about the rise and fall of empires. Today, we can look back and see for ourselves that Babylon was succeeded by Medo-Persia, Medo-Persia by Greece, Greece by Rome, and Rome by divided Europe.

  Another prediction in the Bible, found in today's text above, is that God would bring His people out of captivity back to their homeland. Not only did this happen in a literal sense with the return of the Jews after the fall of Babylon, but it will happen again in a symbolic sense when God destroys spiritual Babylon and brings all His saints to their heavenly home. How comforting, amid the world's turmoil and suffering, to know that good will ultimately triumph under God's sovereign hand!

 

Reflect: Amid my turmoil and suffering, how can I trust in God's ultimate plan?