What Does the Bible Say About Consulting Psychics?

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What does the Bible say about consulting psychics, astrology, reading horoscopes, or listening to false prophets try to predict the future?

The Omniscient God

What does the Bible say about consulting psychics, astrology, reading horoscopes, or listening to false prophets try to predict the future? Think about this: God doesn’t ever learn anything new because He is already omniscient, or all-knowing. God has said, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:4), so “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it” (Job 40:2). Not me, thank you, but even so, many people question God and His methods, but I believe, we have no business questioning God because God knows everything and all things work together for our good (Rom 8:28). And it doesn’t matter what it feels like it at the time. We can trust God and His Word as its all-sufficient, so to go outside of the Word of God to inquire about things we have no business inquiring about, is to venture into areas that God has said, “No Trespassing.”

Psychics

A psychic is someone who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information that’s hidden to others, but notice the definition says they claim to have ESP. Even if someone has the ability to identify information that’s hidden from most people, the source could be demonic. Besides, the scientific consensus is that there is no proof anyone but God can know the future. I find it interesting that several psychics have been sued because they gave their clients the wrong information and their clients acted on this false information and it resulted in something that harmed them. Several other psychics have gone out of business due to being taken to court. My question is, “Why didn’t they see this coming?” If they have special powers to see beyond human abilities and look into the future, why didn’t they see this lawsuit coming? It’s interesting that we hear about all these psychics who predicted this disaster and that disaster, but it’s always revealed after the events occurred, so that proves nothing.

Psychics’ Power Source

It’s unconscionable that someone can claim to be a Christian and yet call themselves a psychic. Isn’t that like saying “I’m a Christian atheist?” These two are not compatible. Fortune tellers fall into the same category as those who reads tarot cards to show someone their future however Scripture condemns anyone who even dabbles in these areas. If psychics are actually able to predict something, then guest what; it’s not from God, meaning it’s satanic. Think God was tolerant of those who practice such things in the Old Testament? Think again. God says, “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them” (Lev 20:27), so “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” (Deut 18:10-11). That’s abundantly clear, isn’t it?

Warnings for Psychics

For those of us who believe, it is still true that we should “not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your (God” Lev 19:31). Anyone that practices these things is declared unclean by God, and we know that “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27). Furthermore, all “the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev 21:8). You might as well add psychics to this list.

Was Nostradamus a Fake?

Nostradamus’ writings are a billion-dollar industry. So are those who are self-proclaimed prophets, but according to the BBC, books about Nostradamus is still on the bestseller list on Amazon.com. Despite Nostradamus being proven a fake, he is still widely read. Nostradamus’ infamy started when he published a collection of prophecies (“Les Propheties,” The Prophecies); things that were supposed to occur in the future. Even today, Nostradamus has many followers, but maybe they don’t know that he eventually turned to the occult and began writing almanacs; not that different from the Farmer’s Almanac today, but Nostradamus was more interested in the future than just predicting the weather. He wanted to become a seer, and look into the future of human history. Something God strictly forbids.

Horror-Scopes

I am always curious as to why some psychics go out of business. Shouldn’t they have seen that coming? Seriously, Nostradamus’ prophecies are so undated and so generic that it’s impossible to know to which event it was and when they could apply it to the date? It’s like the horoscopes you see (hopefully, don’t read) that predict things that most people encounter every day. No big deal you might think, but their predictions are so general that these things could happen to just about anybody. And did you know that Nostradamus based his writings on the wrong astrological calendar, so everyone’s reading the wrong horoscope, or I should call it, “Horror-scope.” This means that his prophecies have no better than a random chance of occurring (like “heads or tails”), but even a broken clock is right twice a day.

False Prophets (for Profit)

Have you ever noticed that many of the self-proclaimed prophets tell us that they have foretold many major events in human history, but it’s only after these events have occurred. Wouldn’t it have been better if Jeane Dixon, who allegedly foretold John F. Kennedy’s assassination, that he was going to be assassinated. But not a word! If she knew ahead of time, why didn’t she warn him? Wouldn’t that make her just as guilty!? It’s so interesting that it’s only after the fact (like the Twin Towers falling, Nostradamus was said to have prophesied) that we hear about these “prophecies.” It’s also interesting that right after the Twin Towers fell, there were suddenly dozens of prophecies that surfaced, about it….but every one, after it happened! That’s not very helpful, is it? What this means is they are false prophets, or if so many are selling books, “False Profits.” Its like, “Prophets and loss.”

It’s Not Baseball

It’s not like baseball and you can get it right about 50% of the time. If that’s true, it’s from God. It’s not like baseball…its one strike and you’re out! A prophecy that doesn’t warn us ahead of time isn’t really a prophecy is it? And, a prophecy that doesn’t warn us ahead of time is useless!

Seers

There were Old Testament “seers” who often helped the kings of Israel (2nd Chron 29:25, 29:30, 3:18; 25:15, etc.), but a seer and a prophet are the same thing. These men wrote down what God told them to write down (Heb 1:1), but a psychic alleges they can see into the future. Sorry psychic, but God calls that an abomination, not me. Remember, Jesus warned us to “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt 7:15). Even in Jeremiah’s day, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so” (Jer 5:31)!  Sadly, people today still love it.

Tests for Prophets

Here is how we can know for sure whether a prophet is from God or stems form their own selfishly motives and interests (best seller list). If God doesn’t call a prophet, then he is no prophet at all, but we can see if “the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet” (Jer 28:9) and “When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezk 33:33). On the other hand, “when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him” (Deut 18:22). Obviously, “The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass” (Isaiah 48:3). No one can say that today! Sadly, many Christians read their horoscopes every day and put stock in them, even though the source of that is satanic, but to try and use the services of a psychic, is, at best, an abomination to God. We are commanded to not inquire about the future but trust God with it…and to “come out of her My people” (Rev 18:4).

Conclusion

Reading Bible prophecy can be great, but it can become a preoccupation when we do nothing but study prophecy. Instead, we should be “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). God’s Word warns of that many will “have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word” (Ezk 13:6), but God says, “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God” (Ezk 13:9). I pray they take heed of His warnings. I pray you never consult a psychic, read another horoscope, continue to follow astrology, or listen to or read any other prophets except those found in the Word of God.

Here is some related reading for you: Is Following Astrology Sin? Does the Bible Condemn Horoscopes?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Astrology, false prophets, Horoscopes, psychics