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Divine Condemnation of the Occult
Nothing is more terrifying than being in the clutches of occult
activity. The demonic forces of darkness can seize a person with
overwhelming intensity. The powers of Satan and his demonic hordes have
led many to mental and spiritual oppression and eventually to suicide.
The growing interest in the occult is a phenomenon of our
times. Some of the more benign but still dangerous form are astrology
and fortunetelling.
These practices may seem innocent to the majority of
people, but they are doors to a world that, once opened, are difficult
to close.
Some occult practices can be attributed to quackery and
illusion. However, it would be biblically irresponsible not to recognize
that the world of the occult is ultimately controlled and empowered by
Satan and his demonic legions.
Most practitioners of the occult see
little cause for alarm in their pursuits. In reality, this thinking is
very naïve. The many forms of the occult can lead people into spiritual
bondage. The definition of occult in The Occult Reference Centre
captures its basic meaning and some of the forms it takes.
"Occult" simply means "hidden", implying hidden forces or
knowledge. When we speak of the occult, we are usually referring to an
extremely wide and varied group of beliefs and practices of which the
average person has little or no knowledge (Hence "hidden"). These
include astrology, psychism and spiritualism, esoteric Christianity,
cabalism, freemasonry, channeling, withcraft, and many others too
numerous to list here".
The Word of God is not silent about all the occult. It speaks of its practice as an abomination to God. Individuals and nations have been judged by God because of their involvement in occultic activity. It is something in which Bible-believing Christians should not participate.
The Word of God is not silent about all the occult. It speaks of its practice as an abomination to God. Individuals and nations have been judged by God because of their involvement in occultic activity. It is something in which Bible-believing Christians should not participate.
The Occult in the Old Testament
The practice of the occult was rampant among the pagan
nations of biblical days. Israel was called by God to be a holy nation, a
people who were to be different from the surrounding nations. God
expressly prohibited the people of Israel from involvement in the
occult. The penalty could be as severe as death. Following are the three
basic areas of occultic practices (definitions are from the Dictionary
of Cults, Sects, Religions, and the Occult). These practices and their
different branches were prohibited to the people of Israel.
Divination:
"The attempt to foretell and/or explore the future.
The most common means of divination are Astrology, Tarot Cards, Crystal
Balls, Numerology, Palmistry, and various Omens."
Magic(k):
"The ability to control or manipulate nature and the
environment in order to serve a particular end or purpose... Using the k
spelling is helpful among occultists to distinguish between magic as
being "slight of hand" used by magicians and magick as being the power
endemic to the occult."
One of the darker sides of occult, Satanism, "is
classified as being magic chiefly because of its ritualistic procedures
during a Black Mass."
Mediums:
"The occult term for one who acts as an intermediary
between the spirit world ant the physical world. Mediums make use of
various object such as Ouija boards, drawings, rapping noises, etc. to
convey a message from the spirits to the living." The New Age practice
of channeling takes the form of a medium. The difference is that the
spiritist medium usually communicates with a dead relative or with
someone known to the person. The New Age channeler communicates with an
unknown spirit being.
The Word of God is clear in its condemnation of these practices. "When
thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou
shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
There
shall not be found among you anyone who maketh his son or his daughter
pass through the fire, or who useth divination, or an observer of times,
or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter of mediums,
or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an
abomination unto the LORD; and because of these abominations the LORD
thy God doth drive them out from before thee" (Dt. 18:9-12).
The Occult in the New Testament
Nothing changes in the New Testament regarding God's
people's being involved with the occult. The practice is to be shunned
because it is still an abomination to the Lord. All believers in the
Messiah are to abstain from any involvement with the occult.
Galatians 5:20 mentions witchcraft (sorcery) as one of the works of the flesh that will keep a person from the kingdom of God. Ephesians 6:12 states that the believers warfare is spiritual, "against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Galatians 5:20 mentions witchcraft (sorcery) as one of the works of the flesh that will keep a person from the kingdom of God. Ephesians 6:12 states that the believers warfare is spiritual, "against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
There is power in the forces of darkness. In the New Testament,
occultic powers were seen in Simon Magus (Acts 8:9-11), Elymas the
magicians (Acts 13:8), and the medium at Philippi (Acts 16:16-18).
We are warned that in the last days, a false Christian religion will influence many people. This false religion of miraculous power will subvert the faith of many people, using the same powers as the magicians of Egypt and Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim. 3:5-8). Occultic activity, in whatever form, is an attack on God.
We are warned that in the last days, a false Christian religion will influence many people. This false religion of miraculous power will subvert the faith of many people, using the same powers as the magicians of Egypt and Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim. 3:5-8). Occultic activity, in whatever form, is an attack on God.
It
is a Satanic attempt to keep people away from worshiping God. Satan
doesn't want anyone to find the love of God and the forgiveness of sin
that is provided through Jesus. Occultic activity is the same
abomination in the New Testament that it was in the Old Testament.
Israel and the Occult
Israel often turned their back on the blessings of their
relationship with Jehovah. More often than not, it was through the
exaltation of manmade traditions. The Lord rebuked the Israelites in
Jeremiah 2:13: "For my people have committed two evils: they have
forsaken me, toe fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns,
broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
Israel at times became like the surrounding nations by embracing
occult activity. This practice brought God's wrath and judgment upon
them: "And they (Israel) left all the commandments of the LORD their
God, and made them melted images, even two calves, and made an idol, and
worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
And they caused
their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used
divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight
of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
Therefore, the LORD was very
angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; there was none
left but the tribe of Judah only" (2 Kings 17:16-18).
Amos tells of Israel's occultic practices and God's judgment
of destruction and captivity: "
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your
Moloch and Chiun, your images, the star of your god, which ye made to
yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond
Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts" (Amos
5:26-27).
Nation and the Occult
God judges the nations of the world for occult activity.
Possibly the greatest example of this is Babylon. In splendor, power,
wealth, and pleasures, Babylon was second to none. They were so mighty
that they thought they were invincible.
A number of sinful pursuits led
to their destruction, one of prime causes of which was their involvement
in the occult. God's pronouncement of judgment should cause every
nation to have second thoughts about embracing occultic activity in
their public life.
"But these two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day: the
loss of children, and widowhood; they shall come upon thee in their
perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great
abundance of thine enchantments" (Isa. 47:9).
God's promised judgment was the destruction of the citizens of this great nation and the destruction of the nation itself.
God's promised judgment was the destruction of the citizens of this great nation and the destruction of the nation itself.
God challenged these false gods of the occult to protect the nation and
its people: "Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude
of thy sorceries, in which thou hast labored from thy youth, if so be
thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art
wearied in the multitude of thy counsels.
Let now the astrologers, the
stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from
these things shall come upon thee" (Isa. 47:12-13). There is no hope in
the powers of the occult. They are impotent before God. Destruction will
come, and no one can prevent it.
Individuals and the Occult
Involvement in the occult can lead to spiritual bondage and
open people to demonic possession. We see this with the account of the
young woman at Philippi (Acts 16:16-18) and the seven sons of Sceva
(Acts 19:14-16). The ultimate end of those involved in the occult is
separation from God in hell. In John's revelation of the eternal
kingdom, he mentions that sorcerers, among others, will not be in
heaven.
A child of God cannot be demon possessed. Our bodies are the Lord's (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16). It is impossible for a child of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, to be demon possessed. It is possible, however, for believers to be negatively influenced by demons. To guard against the attacks of the Devil and his powers, we are told in Ephesians 6:10-18 to "put on the whole armor of God".
If a believer becomes involved in occult activities, God will exercise
discipline on His child as He does for all sin (Heb. 12:5-11). If that
child of God continues in this activity, God may take the final step of
discipline and bring His child home to heaven through death (1 Jn.
5:16).
This, however, seems to be a rare occurrence. Continued rebellion
and sinfulness would have to be ongoing in a believer's life before he
or she became involved in the occult and this final step of discipline
would be carried out.
King Saul of Israel is an example of a child of God who was slain by
Him because of involvement with the occult. It appears that Saul was a
child of God. Samuel shared the Word of God with him (1 Sam. 9:27), and
we are told that Saul received "another heart (i.e., a circumcised heart
or was born again)" (1 Sam. 10:19). He obviously must have believed
what Samuel shared about his God.
Saul ended up in a position of service that God did not intend for him.
Saul ended up in a position of service that God did not intend for him.
This initially humble man (1 Sam. 9:21) was placed in a
position where he was lifted up with pride. He disobeyed God's Word and
ultimately lost his kingship and even his life through suicide. The
account of that suicide is very revealing. First Samuel 31 makes it
clear that Saul killed himself, but 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 sheds more
insight on the event: "
So Saul died for his transgression which he
committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he
kept not, and also for asking counsel of a medium, to inquire of her,
and inquired not of the LORD; therefore, he slew him, and turned the
kingdom unto David, the son of Jesse.
"
The divine perspective is that God slew Saul - the method
being his own suicide - because of his sin. Saul, a child of God,
committed the "sin unto death" and was removed from the scene by God.
The Answer to the Occult
The only way of deliverance from occult activity is through
the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to break the bondage of sin, including
the sin of occult practices.
Through His death, burial, and resurrection, we can have forgiveness of sin and a relationship with the living God. He alone can break the bondage of the demonic. God stands unalterably opposed to the occult. He has condemned it in His Word and will eventually judge its practitioners. It is an abomination to the Lord.
Through His death, burial, and resurrection, we can have forgiveness of sin and a relationship with the living God. He alone can break the bondage of the demonic. God stands unalterably opposed to the occult. He has condemned it in His Word and will eventually judge its practitioners. It is an abomination to the Lord.
Why get involved with the forces of darkness and the
possibility of being possessed by murderous, lying, evil spirits, when
you can be filled with light by the loving, righteous Holy Spirit of
God?
Mark Robinson