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Reason #2,543 not to be a Beth Moore follower (or Bill Johnson, Kim Walker Smith, Ken Hagin etc...) Divination!
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Phil Johnson |
The passage this morning was an overview of 2 Kings 1, "Fire From Heaven." A short synopsis is that King Ahaziah is on the throne of Judah. Ahaziah is a descendant of King Ahab, and the LORD had already spoken that eventually, no descendant of Ahab's would live. He would wipe them all out. No mean feat, as Johnson said, Ahab had 70 sons.
There was a battle, and Ahaziah stayed behind in his castle. His castle was not so safe after all, for Ahaziah fell through the lattice from a high place, incurring critical injuries. Though God is still God is Israel, and Elijah is still prophesying, Ahaziah's apostasy, or worse, ignorance of the One True God, was so deep that "he sent messengers, telling them, 'Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.'"
Therein lay the crux of the matter.
First, let's see the LORD'S response:
"Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the LORD, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" (2 Kings 1:3-4)
Ahaziah was not so ill that the LORD could not have healed him if He chose, prolonging his life until His prophecy would be fulfilled at a later time. Alternately, Ahaziah could have died instantly upon falling through the lattice.
The reason Ahaziah was going to die at that time was because he sought an oracle from another god.
God is deadly serious about not indulging in oracles, divination, predictions, sorceries, or anything similar. Consulting mediums is the major reason of what cost King Saul his kingship, his dynasty, and his life. (1 Chronicles 10:13–14). Consulting another god is what cost King Ahaziah his life.
EPrata artwork |
An abomination. In the Hebrew the word abomination used here also means detestable and loathsome. In that verse, the LORD hates 9 things in particular:
- offers child for sacrifice
- diviners
- tells fortunes
- interprets omens
- sorcery
- charmers
- medium (King Saul's sin, 1 Samuel 28)
- necromancer
- inquires of the dead
Divination is having implied power to learn secret things via various methods such as hydromancy (through water), cast bones, cast arrows, divining rod (Ezekiel 8:17 alludes to) & etc. Hepatoscopy is divining via the liver (of a dead animal), which Ezekiel 21:21 says the King of Babylon engaged in. Today occult practitioners use Tarot Cards, chicken bones, crystals, crystal ball, palm reading, Ouija boards, horoscopes and the like.
The International Bible Dictionary says of divination,
"The word "divination" itself, from deus, "god," or divus, "pertaining to god," carries with it the notion that the information obtained came from deity." Astrology is a kind of divination, via peering into secret things of 'god' via the alignment of the stars.Mediums AKA Fortune tellers AKA witchcraft AKA soothsayers AKA necromancers (Leviticus 19:31) are persons who act as go-betweens from this world to the world of spirits. These occult practitioners claim ability to communicate with the dead or with spirits or familiars, bringing messages back and forth between the two realms. The 'spirits of the dead' are actually demons impersonating Grandma, and thus are lying spirits. In Luke 16:18-31 we are given information that the dead stay in their abode, a great gulf is fixed between Hades and Paradise, and it is alluded to that none escape from either location to return and commune with the living. (The Witch at En-Dor's conjuring of dead Samuel is a sole exception- to drive home the point that if you do this, you will die.) As an aside, remember the 1960s TV show "Bewitched" Samantha the witch's mother was named En-dora.
Mark Batterson's The Circle Maker book is a modern practice of the ancient art of witchcraft. I explored that issue in-depth here. Contemplative prayer is another re-packaged mystical-occult practice.
Charmers, #6,is an interesting occult practice. Psalm 58:5 Jeremiah 8:17; Ecclesiastes 10:11 and mention them. Charmers are occult practitioners who are also known as are whisperers, who by their voice engage in spells so that the hearer becomes spellbound and will do as the charmer wishes. Snake charmers would play their instrument, usually a flute or other high-pitched sound and the snake wold be drawn to the charmer, stop about two feet from him, rear its head, and sway in time to the music. Afterward they would lay docile at his feet. (Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Volume 9, by McClintock & Strong).
In the bible the intended audience was a snake, in modern times it could be any person who uses his voice to cast a spell over his audience. For example, many women attending Obama's speeches became spell-bound, swooned or fainted at the sound of his voice.
An interpreter of omens, according to the Holman Bible Dictionary, is defined-
The Israelites were prohibited from interpreting omens (Deuteronomy 18:10). Pagan prophesy employed reading of omens (Numbers 24:1, Ezekiel 21:21). As Lord of history, God frustrates the plans of “liars” who interpret omens ... The faithful witness of Christians in the face of opposition is likewise an omen or sign pointed to the salvation of believers and the destruction of God's enemies (Philippians 1:28).Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. (Acts 19:18-19)
An interpreter of omens would be the same as a diviner. For example, a person would sacrifice at a pagan temple, and an interpreter would divine the meaning of the way the person's animal burned, the way the bones lay and such.They would extract secret meaning from these 'omens.'
Modern examples of ancient pagan/occult practices may be seen today on CBN, when one of the hosts says "I'm getting a word of knowledge from the other side that someone listening is going to be cured of a backache." Or channeling, which seems to be very popular with Neale Donald Walsch of Conversations with God, Saran Young of Jesus Calling and Beth Moore of When Godly People Do Ungodly Things, whereupon they allow their bodies to be possessed for a time by a spirit which delivers information that the authors translate into a book allegedly full of extra-biblical spiritual insights from the other side. Circle makers are engaging in witchcraft. Prayer labyrinth walkers are doing something pagan, ritualistic, and unbiblical. People like Bill Johnson of Bethel Church and Kim Walker Smith and Beth Moore and many others who say they have entertained God Himself or Jesus in other dimensions through astral travel or visions, and returned with information or predictions to give the body of believers are diviners, witches, soothsayers, fortune tellers.
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However in returning to the 2 Kings passage, let's turn from the practitioners to looking at Ahazia's followers. His subjects, army men whom Ahaziah sent to meet Prophet Elijah to hear Elijah's message.
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. (2 Kings 1:9-10)
Pulpit Commentary:
Now, Ahaziah, the son of the wicked Jezebel, had challenged Jehovah to a trial of strength by first ignoring him, and then sending a troop of soldiers to arrest his prophet. Was Elijah to succumb without an effort, or was he to vindicate the majesty and honor of Jehovah?This happened again, so that 100 men, followers of Ahaziah were consumed.
Phil Johnson:
But Elijah's fire from heaven was meant by God as a public display of divine vindication, and a public judgment against an evil regime that sat on Israel's throne, opposing Jehovah and all He stood for. Such extreme wickedness called for a breathtaking, awe-inspiring judgment.
The judgment fell upon Ahaziah but it also fell on Ahaziah's followers, whose who followed the king, supported the king, and were an arm of the king in evil deeds.
But the third company of 50 men acted different than their predecessors.
Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. (2 Kings 1:13)
Here the men have an attitude not of command but of submission. Phil Johnson:
But the third group of soldiers is a reminder that "God . . . gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). God's mercies are never exhausted, and those who humble themselves before Him and confess their sins can always find mercy.
In today's Age of Grace, I am not saying that Beth Moore or Sarah Young or any of the modern occult practitioners will be consumed by fire. Jesus came not to destroy but to save. It is a different age. Final judgement is coming and until then, His mercies are manifold and opportunities for repentance are many. The same is true for these "teachers'" followers. Those who participate in their evil deeds, who buy Beth Moore books hoping to gain insights into the knowledge of God apart from the bible, or listen to Kim Walker Smith's visions about Jesus apart from the bible, or believe CBN's 'word of knowledge' are participating by proxy with the practitioners' occult evil deeds.
The first two groups of fifty men believed the king to be the highest authority and took to arrest the man of God. The third group of fifty men believed Elijah as the proxy for the highest authority and submitted to God.
God always looks favorably on humility and repentance. He looks unfavorably to the proud and stiff-necked.
Do not practice divination-by-proxy by following those who practice it. If you have been doing so, if you repent, God gives grace to the humble. Amanda Bowers repented, publicly, of her Beth Moore and Henry Blackaby following.
Harold Camping, predicter of the end of the world by specific date (fortune telling), did.
Sunny Shell did, too, not so much for following a diviner but publicly repented for something else.
You don't have to repent publicly if you haven't taught anything publicly to be repenting of, but the glory here is pointing to several real and recent examples of where the Spirit showed these people the error of their ways and in repenting gave glory to Him, just as the third group of 50 soldiers did. The idea is that God awaits a contrite heart, a seeking heart, a submissive heart. He is a great God who is literally a consuming fire -to the men of Ahaziah- but he is a loving Father to His children who seek to practice not occultism, but righteousness.
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Comments
Excellent!
ReplyDelete-Jennifer
Thank you for this entry. As a former occultist I agree wholeheartedly that 'visitations' from dead friends or relatives are nothing more than demons playing tricks on you. Why do they do this? I suspect, to draw attention away from Jesus. Why pay attention to Him when you can talk to dear old (dead) Aunt Hattie or whoever and receive messages from the other side?
ReplyDeleteRecently I have been reading a lot of ghost story compendiums, stretching from North America to Europe to Asia. I was struck by how many times the narrators said the visiting dead person was nice to them, apart from that one time they were pushed or had something thrown at them with damaging force. Or they heard scratching sounds in the walls, or smelled something awful.
The scratching, horrible odors and physical injury are all signs of demonic presence. Yet these people all failed to see it, since they were so entranced by the idea of having a former loved one visit their home after death. How sad they are so deceived.
-Joanne
Hi All....."For example, many women attending Obama's speeches became spell-bound, swooned or fainted at the sound of his voice".
ReplyDeleteCould you explain this quote from above? It's totally new to me! I don't recall seeing a woman EVER faint from the sound of a US politician's voice, and I go back as far as seeing President Eisenhower on TV! I thought of President Kennedy who was a congenial and somewhat charismatic speaker, but certainly not swoon worthy!! Can you document when this happened? Thanks!!
Hi, sure I'll offer some links. Thanks for asking,
DeleteDuring the campaign for his first term in office, so many women faintd that it was becoming kind of common. At most places, people discounted reasons such as excessive heat or other normal circumstances. I write about it here
http://the-end-time.blogspot.com/2012/07/whats-up-with-that-20-people-faint-at.html
and in that article there is a link to a news piece titled "More than 20 people faint at Obama rally".
Here are some other examples:
2012
NY Times:
"At Obama Rallies, Fainting Spells Resurge"
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/at-obama-rallies-fainting-spells-resurge/
CBS News: "Person faints during Obama's speech in North Carolina"
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/person-faints-during-obamas-speech-in-north-carolina/
2008:
Wall Street Journal: "We Shall Be Overcome"
http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB120300929392268785
James Vicevich, a Connecticut radio talk show host, takes note of yet another creepy element of the Obama campaign. Consider these reports from Obama rallies:
Montecito, Calif., Sept. 8, 2007. "A woman standing in front of the stage appeared to faint as Obama spoke about Iraq," the Associated Press reported. "The candidate paused and asked the crowd to make way for firefighters. One supporter shouted, 'You're a good man,' leaving Obama momentarily at a loss for words. 'Well, I'm not the only one stopping to help her,' he said, sounding almost embarrassed."
Madison, Wis., Oct. 22, 2007. "This excitement mirrored the aura in the room that grew throughout his speech," reported WISN-TV. "Before the senator arrived, students were tossing around an inflatable cow above the crowd. Three people fainted in the midst of all the enthusiasm."
Hanover, N.H., Jan. 8, 2008. "Barack Obama's first and only rally on election day came to a sudden and lengthy stop when a young woman in the Dartmouth College gym fainted, and was eventually rolled off on a gurney by emergency medical technicians," the Los Angeles Times reported. "At first Obama half-narrated the episode, saying soothing things like, 'She's OK,' 'She's talking.' But the longer she lay on the floor, the quieter Obama got, standing on the podium, arms folded, looking worried as the medical crew worked." Minneapolis's WCCO-TV has video showing Obama handing a bottle of water to the Dartmouth damsel in distress.
Hartford, Conn., Feb. 4, 2008. "And when a woman appeared to faint in the standing-only VIP section in front of the podium, Obama paused his speech for over a minute as he directed the crowd to make way for an EMT team and tossed a bottle of water from the stage," reported the Yale Daily News.
Seattle, Feb. 8, 2008. "Climate change, the Iraq war and Obama tossing a bottle of water to a woman about to faint all received big cheers," MSNBC.com reported. "As Obama told the crowd to part so that the woman in question could leave and called for help, a young girl in the crowd shouted out, 'What a man!' The audience roared with laughter (although the press that has seen this happen before rolled its eyes)."
What exactly are we to make of this? A cynic might wonder if the whole thing isn't staged, given how often it happens and how well-honed and self-serving Obama's standard response seems to be.
But if it's spontaneous, that's in a way even more unsettling. At the New Hampshire rally, Larry David of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fame quipped, "Sinatra had the same effect on people." Sinatra made girls swoon by singing romantic songs. But America isn't electing a crooner in chief.
Obama has a talent for eliciting intense emotion--an ability that can be dangerous in a politician. What more does he have to offer? That's a hard question to answer, and it makes the prospect of an Obama presidency quite worrisome.