WHAT’S UP WITH ALL THESE PSYCHICS?

Rev. Dr. Michael T. Welhous

There is no doubt that today there are many people who claim to be “psychics,” and who state that they are able to prognosticate, i.e., predict events in a person’s future by either communicating with spirits or allegedly with the dead. They oftentimes attempt to prove their abilities by telling the person something that no one else could possibly know, except the person they’re dealing with, or perhaps the dead person they claim to be communicating with.

It is not my intention to try and disprove their claims, but rather to point out that God CLEARLY disapproves of anyone who is involved in such practices. I will, however, state that just as a parent says to his or her child, “Don’t play in the street!” because there is a real danger in doing so, I believe that God likewise would not warn his children of certain practices unless there was a real danger in doing them!

After God redeemed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he took them as his people and he began to give them laws to live by. One of the commands that he gave is found at Deuteronomy 18:9-12:

“When you enter the land Jehovah your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to Jehovah, and because of these detestable practices Jehovah your God will drive out those nations before you.”

The aforementioned Scripture reference shows some of the “detestable ways” of the people living in Canaan, i.e., the Promised Land. Child sacrifice was a common part of worship in Canaan. Notice that interpreting omens, mediums and spiritists, and those who consult the dead, are just as detestable in God’s eyes as child sacrifice! Also, consider that it was BECAUSE OF THESE VERY PRACTICIES that Jehovah was casting the Canaanites out of their land in the first place! He was in essence using the Israelites to bring judgment upon the people of Canaan.

Moses had already told the Israelites, “After Jehovah your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘Jehovah has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that Jehovah is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, Jehovah your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 9:4-6)

As I mentioned previously, Scripture is clear on how God feels about all this “psychic” stuff. It doesn’t get any clearer that Leviticus 20:27 which states, “A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.” (Boy, if Miss Cleo or Ms. Dionne Warwick were around back then, they would certainly have found themselves between a rock and a hard place!)

These references are, of course, taken from the Mosaic Law, also known as the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, God does not command us to stone the “psychics,” but he still warns us of their outcome, and has instead appointed Jesus to do the judging of all men and women at a time we do not know. References such as Deuteronomy 9:4-6, Deuteronomy 18:9-12, and Leviticus 20:27 are still very important to us today because they nonetheless reveal to the believer the things that please God and the things that do not!

The Greek of the New Testament uses basically three words to sum up spiritist practices. They are pharmakeis, pharmakeus, and pharmakos. Most versions of the Bible translate these words and “sorcery,” “sorcerer,” “witchcraft,” “magic,” “magician,” or simply “spiritism.” The references where these words occur are as follows:

Galations 5:19-20 “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and spiritism; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Revelations 21:7-8 “He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice spiritism, the idolators and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Just as a side note, the reference to “cowardly” in this verse refers to those who were afraid, for whatever reason, to make a stand for the truth.)

Revelations 22:14-15 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice spiritism, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolators and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”