The Spirit of Divination

The word Divination is derived from the Latin “divinare” which means to foretell and is usually by means of the occult. One of the most common examples of this term describes what we know as “fortunetellers.” Since ancient times, people have made a business of predicting other people’s lives by claiming they can see into their past, present, and future. Also known as retrocognition, prophecy, and clairvoyance. This spirit is a perversion of the actual God given prophetic visions and dreams, so do not be confused that these are the same type of gifts. These “gifts” of divination are courtesy of the occult and is condemned in Scripture. Deuteronomy 18:10-13 — “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who does these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.” God is extremely specific about what to avoid as a believer.

The list is extensive of what qualifies as divination, but I will name a few: horoscopes, alveromancy (sorcery using sounds, an example would be listening for answers to questions in a seashell such as a conch shell), astrology (although, there is a good Biblically supported type that involves things such as the “The Star of Bethlehem,”) botomancy (burning sage,) and cartomancy (tarot cards.) Strangely enough, and I did not realize this until after learning about the different methods, there is an episode of the show “SpongeBob SquarePants” that features a theme of alveromancy. SpongeBob and Patrick put their trust in a “Magic Conch Shell,” and do whatever it says to do even if it is just “yes” and “no” answers. Squidward ends up starving because the conch shell tells him he cannot have any food that miraculously falls from the sky when they hail the “Magic Conch Shell.” Could the show be highlighting the absurdity of certain belief systems or was this evil in disguise, I am not sure, but this is something to look out for when our children are watching these cartoons supposedly designed for kids.

As for Horoscopes or “Horrorscopes” as I call them, these are predictions of your current lifestyle or future, and there are Christians that even put stock in this basing their “sign” on who they will be most compatible with and seeing what kind of day or week they will have based on their reading. All of this is an abomination and becomes idolatry when you place your faith in these practices and rituals.

The fate of those that dabble in these things is sealed in Revelation 21:8 — “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Repentance is required for anyone that has placed their faith in this or been a practitioner of the dark arts.  Acts 8:18-24 shows an instance of a sorcerer that was converted; he believed and was baptized — “And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.’ Then Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.’

Although Simon Magus did indeed believe in the Lord Jesus and was baptized, he still needed to repent from his old ways. We too need to do this if we are believers and ever messed around with witchcraft, repent and get deliverance to be set free. Acts 3:19-21 — “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”