The number of the stars

[An excerpt:  The Universe Confirms the Bible by Jason Lisle] “The Bible often uses the “stars of heaven” to represent an extremely large quantity. Genesis 22:17 teaches that God would multiply Abraham’s descendants “as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on the sea shore.” Genesis 32:12 makes it clear that this represents a number which is uncountable by humans: “the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.”2 These are excellent analogies. Clearly the sand of the sea and the stars in the universe cannot be counted exactly by humans, though of course, they can be roughly estimated. Interestingly, the two quantities come out to about the same order of magnitude: 1022, or ten billion trillion, give or take a factor of ten or so.3 (For other verses using stars as an illustration of large numbers, see Deuteronomy 1:10 and 10:22.)

It was not always believed that the stars were so numerous. The astronomer Claudius Ptolemy (A.D. 150) cataloged 1,022 stars in his work The Almagest.4 Many astronomers believed that these were the only stars that existed, even though Ptolemy never claimed that his catalogue was exhaustive.5 Of course, there are many more stars than this number. The total number of stars that can be distinctly seen (from both hemispheres under ideal, dark sky conditions) with the unaided eye is around 10,000. The precise number depends on how good one’s vision is.

Today, with the help of modern science, we have an even greater appreciation of just how innumerable the stars are. Powerful telescopes allow us to see stars much too distant and faint to be seen without optical aid. Even binoculars reveal countless multitudes of stars that cannot be seen by the unaided eye. It is estimated that our galaxy alone contains over 100 billion stars. Astronomers believe that there are more galaxies in the visible universe than there are stars in our own. Each of these galaxies would have hundreds of millions to trillions of stars. Modern science certainly confirms Genesis 22:17…” full text:  Universe Confirms the Bible by Jason Lisle http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/tba/universe-confirms-bible

“The heavens declare creation and science confirms it.” Jason Lisle

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  "How many stars are there estimated to be in the universe?"

Lots.  It sounds as if God tossed the stars in for good measure:   

"It is interesting that the stars are mentioned as of only minor importance relative to the sun and moon. “He made the stars also.” Even though stars are incomparably bigger than the earth, and many of them even larger than our sun, they are of much simpler structure than the earth. A star is mostly hydrogen and helium, essentially quite simple; whereas the structure of the earth is of great complexity, perfectly and uniquely designed for living creatures. Complexity and organization are much more meaningful measures of significance than mere size!
There is no need to try to correlate this simple record of the making of the stars with various modern theories of stellar and galactic evolution. It is sufficient to note that these are all at best only interesting speculations, none of which is generally accepted and all of which encounter important objections. On the other hand, there is no reason at all (other than naturalistic prejudice) not to believe that the stars were made just as they are now. No one has ever seen a star or galaxy evolve, or change at all.
Since the heavenly bodies were to be used to denote the “seasons” (as well as “days and years”), it is obvious that there were to be distinct seasons through the year, and this implies that the earth’s axis was inclined as it is at present. Although the vapor canopy maintained a warm climate everywhere, there would still have been slight seasonal changes in temperature.
The use of the stars also “for signs” is somewhat more uncertain in meaning. Although various suggestions have been made, the most natural interpretation is that this term has reference to various star groupings which would serve both for easy visual recognition of the advancing days and years and also, by extension, for tokens of the advancing stages of God’s purpose in creation. If so, however, these zodiacal “signs” were soon corrupted into pagan astrology.
The phrase “and it was so” occurs in this passage for the fourth time (out of six) in Genesis 1 (verses 7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30). The account thus stresses that what God says, He also does. The phrase “and God said” occurs ten times (verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29). The first seven of these were each followed by a creative command beginning with the imperative word “Let …!”
Finally the work of this fourth day of creation was also summarized by an assertion that God saw it all to be “good.” There was at that time nothing on any of the stars, planets, satellites, or any other heavenly body that was out of place or indicative of conflict or catastrophe in any way."
Morris, Henry M.: The Genesis Record : A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids, MI : Baker Books, 1976, S. 67

Response to comment [from an atheist]:  "How is Yaweh going to make good on His promise to give Abe ten billion trillion descendants?"

"...[T]he Lord renewed His promise. Before, He had said Abram’s seed would be as the dust of the earth. Now, He says they will be as the stars of heaven. Not only does this imply a great number, but perhaps also that the sphere of activity of the promised seed in the eternal ages will be both on earth and in heaven.
Now, once again we have a first mention, this time of the word “believe.” Abram “believed God and he counted [or ‘imputed’] it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Here is the great principle of true salvation, set forth for the first time in the Bible. Not by works do men attain or manifest righteousness, but by faith. Because they believe in the Word of God, He credits them with perfect righteousness and therefore enables sinful men to be made fit for the fellowship of a holy God. In this verse is also the first occurrence of “imputed” (Hebrew chashad) and the first occurrence of “righteousness” (except in the name “Melchizedek”; also, a similar word, though not the same, was applied to Noah, in Genesis 6:9, translated “just”). The whole vocabulary is new, because here is a new covenant. In Noah’s case, “grace” comes before “righteousness”; in Abram’s case, “faith” comes before “righteousness.” The one stresses God’s sovereignty, the other man’s responsibility. Both are true and necessary. “By grace are ye saved through faith.… For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:8, 10).
This wonderful verse, Genesis 15:6, is quoted in three epistles of the New Testament (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23); and in each it is stressed that Abraham was a type of all who would ever be saved, the principle always being that of salvation through faith unto righteousness."
Morris, Henry M.: The Genesis Record : A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings. Grand Rapids, MI : Baker Books, 1976, S. 325
 

"Stars:  (Heb. kôḵāḇîm; Gk. (lxx, NT asteres) are nowhere in the Bible the subject of scientific curiosity. The term is used generally of any luminous non-terrestrial body, other than sun and moon. The great number of the stars is symbolic of God’s prodigality (Ex. 32:13; Dt. 1:10; 10:22; 28:62; 1 Ch. 27:23; Ne. 9:23; Heb. 11:12). God promises Abram that his seed shall be numerous as the stars (Gn. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4). Pre-Christian astronomers (e.g. Hipparchus, 150 bc) mapped about 3,000 stars; not until the beginning of telescopic astronomy by Galileo in 1610 was it appreciated how many stars there were. This is, however, implied by the Bible references given above.

They are seen poetically as a majestic manifestation of God’s ‘otherness’ in relation to men. He alone makes, controls, numbers them. Man’s arrogant pride sometimes endeavours to usurp this authority (Gn. 1:16; Pss. 8:3; 136:9; 147:4; Am. 5:8; Jb. 9:7; Je. 31:35; Is. 14:13; Ob. 4; Na. 3:16; cf. Gn. 37:9). A constant temptation was to worship stellar deities; but the stars are insignificant compared with Yahweh himself (Dt. 4:19; Je. 7:18; Am. 5:26; Acts 7:43). He is at the zenith of the heavens (Jb. 22:12).
God’s final acts of redemption and judgment are foreshadowed by astronomical signs. The prophets and our Lord foretell such signs; and in Revelation they are prominent (Is. 13:10; Ezk. 32:7; Dn. 8:10; Joel 2:10; 3:15; Mt. 24:29; Mk. 13:25; Lk. 21:25; Rev. 6:13; 8:10–12; 9:1)."
The word ‘star’ is also used metaphorically without astronomical reference, usually to imply dignity, either innate or usurped (Jb. 38:7; Dn. 12:3; Rev. 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1; 12:1; 22:16).
lxx Septuagint (Gk. version of OT)
NT New Testament
bc before Christ
cf confer (Lat.), compare
Wood, D. R. W.: New Bible Dictionary. InterVarsity Press, 1996, c1982, c1962, S. 1131

The number of the stars