Is it ever ok for Christians to use divination? How can we see Christians claim divination is ok? What does the Bible say about divination? What are various types of divination Christians need to be aware of?
Bite-sized is a series I made to introduce you to some topics and terms you might not be familiar with. But even if you are, I share a lot of resourses at the end, if you would like to further your understanding on the topics. I hope this is helpful.
Last week, I shared 5 scriptures on divination (see: 5 Scriptures To Mediate On This Month | Divination & Warning of Occult ). With Halloween season fully underway, I think it’s crucial Christians are able to identify how divination cloaks itself as “Christian,” but divination, of any kind, is an abomination to God.
Some Terms to Know:
Divination is something that relates to the spiritual. Often, people are trying to use the spirit realm to gain information, usually about themselves. What many may not realize is this is part of the occult. (Bold-faced words are defined below.)
Let’s go through some terms. Not all terms listed below are inherently sinful. But I want you to think about how easily we can take something from creation and make it sinful.
- Divine has a few meanings. It can relate to or being God, god-like. It can relate to a priest (and therefore, probably a priestess, too.) It can also mean inferring or predicting with assurance or on the basis of mystic knowledge. (Webster)
- Diviner is “someone who practices divination.” (Webster)
- Divination is defined as “the art or practice of using omens or magic to foretell the future.” (Webster)
- Omens – An event or a phenomenon believed to be a sign or warning of a future occurrence. (Webster)
- Symbol– Attributing different meaning to an object, event, or person. (Webster)
- Symbolism – A representation of abstract or intangible things by use of symbols. (Webster)
- Mystic – “Person who follows, advocates, or experiences mysticism.” (Webster)
- Mysticism – “Belief that direct knowledge of God or ultimate reality is attainable through immediate intuition or insight.” (Webster)
- Intuition – “Ready insight or the power of knowing things without conscious reasoning.” (Webster)
- Insight – “Power, act, or result of seeing into a situation.” Wisdom or discernment is often associated. Biblical wisdom is obtained through meditating on God’s word see: How Does Wisdom & Meditating on Scripture Help Us in Our Life? | God’s Will (Webster)
- Gnosticism – Hidden or secret knowledge.
- Magic – There are a few definitions. “The use or means (as charms or spells), believed to have supernatural power over natural forces. Having qualities resembling the supernatural.” Words associated with magic include occult, witchcraft, necromancy, sorcery, bewitchment, enchantment – I’d add possession, as well, see bewitchment. (Webster)
- Witch – Can be a person who practices magic. (Webster)
- Bewitch/Bewitchment – “To attract or affect by power of witchcraft.” Words associated with bewitching do include possess, captivate, and fascinate. (Webster)
See: The Rise Of Millennial Witches (Allie Beth Stuckey) to understand why witcraft is enticing. See these interviews of ladies who got out of witchcraft:
A few things to understand. Mystic knowledge sounds like special knowledge – which those practicing psychic readings, Ouija boards, tarot cards, and the like – are practicing the occult.
- Occult –“Not easily understood, mysterious, relating to supernatural agencies, their effects or knowledge.” (Webster)
- Automatic Writing – Involuntarily writing, often through demonic possession. Automatic writing is a practice of the occult. It is a practice of divination, to receive special knowledge- gnosticism through spiritual beings, which are actually demons.
Anyone who is using some form of means to obtain knowledge they do not already have through use of:
- connecting to spirits
- the spirit realm
- attracting new information
- doing rituals to obtain insight
- emptying the mind to be filled by knowledge of something else, etc
- this is all part of the occult.
Christians can participate in the occult and not know it. When we try to communicate with dead saints, like Catholics, that’s part of the occult. When we try to communicate with “angels,” that’s part of the occult.
Remember, demons will appear as angels of light. We are NEVER told in scripture to communicate with anyone in the spiritual realm, except the Lord. Demons can appear as dead loved ones, as spirit guides, as a Christ figure, but not be the real Jesus.
When we slap down the word Christian, and then use mystical practices, like cards, even if they are angel cards, or color cards meant to say something about our personality, our purpose, our spiritual gifts, etc, this is all from the occult, these practices are NOT Christian, they are not commanded from the Lord.
Using symbols from “Christian items” and determining what those symbols mean from our feelings and experiences – even if we try to connect that symbol to scripture – is part of the occult. We are using mysterious means to understand something outside of God’s word.
Example: If we use nature as a symbol to explain to someone, “God is showing me I need to do this because I saw a blue bird today.” – this is occult-like. It’s using divine means to understand symbols from the spiritual realm.
God does not speak to us in an occult manner. We are not told EVER in scripture to interpret God through occult practice. We are not told to listen in silence for the Lord in prayer. We are told to think, to use our mind, to meditate (think over) scripture, to listen to what God IS saying in His word, and to pray with words.
When people twist scripture and add different meaning to scripture, only then will people think it’s ok to hear the Lord through ways of the occult, and think it’s not occult-like.
What Does the Bible Say?
Leviticus 20:06 – “then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech. If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.“ – Note: Turning to divination is prostituting ourselves with false gods instead of turning to the true God through Jesus. Divination practices are considered an abomination and are just as bad as sacrificing children to the burning hands of the false god, Molech.
Leviticus 19:26,31 – There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer… “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.
Deuteronomy 18:09-12 -“When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.
Deuteronomy 18:14 – for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this. Note: We are not to turn to fortune-tellers and those who practice seeking spirits. God destroyed nations who used the occult.
Resources to Learn More:
Posts on the Blog to Learn More:
- Should We Use Our Emotions As Truth? | What Is Emotionalism?
- Contemplative Prayer/Spirituality | What You Need To Know About That “Still, Small Voice”
- The Still Small Voice | Problems With People Speaking As “Jesus”
- Christian Mysticism | Are We Putting God In A Box?
- What Is Law of Attraction | Bite – Sized
- Vision Board Breakdown: Should Christians Ever Use One?
- Vision Boards & What is a Christian Visionary? | Warning
- Listening Prayers & Their Dangers
Articles & People to Check Out:
- What is the Definition of the Term Gnostic? – Got Questions
- What is Christian Gnosticism? – Got Questions
- Are There Gnostics in Today’s World – Answers in Genesis
- The Occult: Brief Terms & Concepts Pg. 1 by Marcia Montenegro – If you want to know multiple terms, this is your resource.
- The Occult and Paranormal: What Does God Say? – Marcia Montenegro
- Divination Terms – Marcia Montenegro
- What Is Spiritualism – Got Questions
- What Is Faithism & the Oahspe Bible? – This discusses what automatic writing is – Got Questions
- Are There Doctrinal Problems With Jesus Calling? – Got Questions
- Automatic Writing & Contemplative Prayer – Right Response Ministries With Doreen Virtue
- How Can I Know I’m Hearing God, Satan, Or My Own Thoughts?– Got Questions
- Dramatic Reading of Bethel’s Statement RE: Christalignment by Fighting 4 Faith (6 mins, hilarious and points out error)
- Dumpster Fire: ChristAlignment Destiny Cards by Fighting 4 Faith (Explains the problem in more detail.)
- What is Grave Soaking/Sucking by Got Questions
- What Is Listening Prayer? – Got Questions
- Mysticism: The Deadly Dangers of Trusting Experiences Over Biblical Authority – Justin Peters
- Breath Prayers – IHOP is New Age, a fellow WP blogger
- What Is Quietism – Got Questions
- Mystical Nonsense in the Church of the Nazarene – Reformed Nazarene, a fellow WP blogger – He covers Rick Warren and how Rick Warren promotes “breath prayers.”
- The Spiritual Damage from Spiritual Encounters – Melissa Dougherty
- “Abide in Me” = Breath Prayers? – Marcia Montenegro
- “Just Breathe: The Age of Magical Breathing” – Marcia Montenegro
- “Is Breathing Prayer? And a look at pray without ceasing” – Marcia Montenegro
- “Breath work and its trick” – Marcia Montenegro
References:
Bewitch. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 99). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Divine. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 320). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Diviner. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 320). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Divination. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 320). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Insight. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 577). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Intuition. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 689). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Magic. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 658). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Mystic. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 720). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Mysticism. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 720). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Occult. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 754). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Omens. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 759). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Symbol. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 1085). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Symbolism. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 1085). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Witch. (2014). In Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus (p. 1241). Springfield, MA, MA: Merriam-Webster.
The Gospel Message: With the Good News means there’s bad news. We all are sinners and condemned. We all deserve the just punishment of God’s wrath. Christianity is unlike any other religion because we cannot earn our way into Heaven. God saw the weakness of man and his utter depravity. Yet, He showed us grace. Jesus, God, One Person of the Trinity, became God in the flesh, the God-Man. He was always perfect and sinless. And His humanity was perfected on the cross, living the full sinless life. He became our atonement sacrifice. Dying in our place, taking on the wrath of God upon Himself. He died on the cross, and He was resurrected because death could not hold Him. Jesus is the answer. We, as guilty sinners, need His blood to pay off our debt of sin. For all who put their faith in Him – meaning eyes are opened to the Gospel, we see ourselves as a sinner, we see the need for Christ, we desire our Savior, and we see the ugliness of our sin. Putting our faith in Jesus, we seek HIs forgiveness and repent from our sins, we turn away from our old way of life. We, through the work of the Holy Spirit, continue to become convicted of sin daily. Our eyes will never be the same again. We see things in a different light, and the truth of Christ affects how we live and serve Him. Christ tells us to count the cost. Salvation is a serious topic, it is not to be taken lightly. For a breakdown of this powerful message, understanding how Christ could be God and Man, why God required sacrifices, and more -please see: Why Did A Loving God Kill His Son? (Does God Hate?)
If you think you know the Gospel, check out these questions and see how prepared you are for the day someone might ask you why you believe: The Gospel Challenge (30 Question Quiz) – Are You Ready To Defend Your Faith?
Scripture To Meditate On – (ESV) Ezekiel 13:22-23 – Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD.”
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