Fortune telling is the art forecasting the future supposedly by supernatural means, is an ancient practice which is still popular today. Fortune telling is also known as divination. The one who practices this activity is known as a diviner. Fortune tellers include all those who claim to predict your future or advise your life through such means as ouija boards, mirror mantic such as crystal balls, mirrors, rock crystals, extra sensory perception (ESP), horoscopes, astrology or biorhythm, telepathy, palm-reading, clairvoyancy, kabala (Jewish mysticism), pendulums, tarot and other card readings, coffee grounds, tea leaves, beans, candles, and use of certain devices such as throwing special sticks or dice, etc.
Interpreters practice looking into crystal balls, throwing cane, dice, using Ouija board, practicing palmistry, interpreting patterns of birds flying, or interpreting dreams, automatic writing and handwriting analysis.
Spiritism also called Necromancy involves the magic of calling spirits (seances), in which spiritist try to communicate with the dead. Spiritism sometimes called spiritualism is the oldest form of religious counterfeit known to man. The Bible speaks of spiritistic practices going back as far as ancient Egypt. The book of Exodus records to the Egyptians' many occultic activities, including magic, sorcery and speaking to the dead (Exodus 7 and 8).
We do not use spiritualism because we do not believe such practices are actually "spiritual" or approved by God. We prefer the term "spiritism" since we believe authentic mediums contact evil spirits only posing as the spirits of the dead.
(a meeting at which mediums try to communicate with the dead) During Seances people who seek to communicate with loved ones are often startled to hear familiar voices supplying details about one's life which no one else present could know. In addition to impersonating the voice of the dead these may well be the voices of the unclean spirits who actually lived within the person during their lifetime. After wondering in dry places (Job 30:3-8) and being called forth to return by the seance, they are in a position to re-enter the family. The opening is provided by seeking information from the demonic realm for them to gain a new "house." This might also explain why, after a time, these spirits can no longer be summoned in seances; they have entered a new victim and are no longer homeless. Evil spirits cannot enter people as easy as some believe. If they could they would, so that in every situation where demons were present, there would be no protection, and all could be subject to them. There must be legal grounds or legal holds to open a person to attacks.
A great many come in through family background, curses and inheritance. Even habitual sin enables a demon to enter aided by inherited family weakness and inclinations. Perhaps when habitual sin does allow the entrance of a demon it may be easier to dislodge, comparatively speaking, the same demon in a person who has an inherited opening in his family line. Can the Dead Communicate With the Living? According to the Bible, No! If there is any supernatural activity in the seance, it is most certainly not the spirit of the departed one speaking through the medium. It is not possible according to the Scriptures to contact the spirits of the dead. Jesus made this very clear with the account of the rich man and Lazarus. In Luke 16: 19-31 we read, there was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury everyday. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, "father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire." But Abraham replied, `Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' He answered, `Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them.' "No, `father Abraham, he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'" He said, to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' Two things need to be noted about this passage:
- There is a great gulf fixed between the abode of the righteous dead and the unrighteous dead which no one can cross. The dead, in other words, are limited in their movement.
- The rich man was refused permission to warn his five brothers of their impending fate if they did not repent. The passage indicates, along with the rest of the Scripture, that the dead are not allowed to speak to the living on any matter. The response in this case was that the brothers needed to believe what God had said to escape their doom rather than a voice from the dead. Jesus declared that those who harden their hearts against the very words of God through Moses and the prophets would not listen to one returned from the dead. This is proven by those who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ today. Jesus Christ did rise from the dead and yet people still reject His Word.
THE DESTINY OF A KING WHO CALLED THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAD
We read in the Old Testament about Saul the first king of Israel, a God fearing man, who at one time killed all the witches and sorcerers. However, when he did wrong, God turned His face away from him.
When Saul wanted to fight with the Philistines, he sought God's counsel, but He did not answer Saul. Instead of soul searching and repenting from his sins in the presence of God, Saul asked a woman (sorcerer) to call the spirit of Samuel (who was a great prophet of God, and was dead at the time). The woman called Samuel's spirit for the king to counsel. When Samuel's spirit was called, he said: Why have you called and distressed me? This false spirit was an evil one that had showed himself as Samuel's spirit. Mediums or sorcerers absolutely have no access to call the spirits of dead people, any manifestation belongs to evil spirits and their job is deceiving the people and bringing them under the curse of God to get control over them and their offspring. This wrong doing was the reason God turned His face from Saul, took away his kingship and gave it to David. Saul died in his sin.
Palmistry or Chiromancy, is the art of divination from the shape and markings of the hands and fingers. A proper interpretation of these signs supposedly can be used to forecast the future. It is not to be confused with chirology, which is scientific study of the development of the shape and lines of the hands, or with graphology, which is handwriting analysis.
Cartomancy (Tarot Cards) forecasts the future by means of using cards. The elaborately illustrated cards used in this technique are called Tarot Cards. Supposedly these cards hold the secrets to the future. Those who turn to Tarot reading are often insecure about the future.
Not content to trust in the providence of God, they anxiously seek forbidden knowledge about the future in hopes that such knowledge will enable them to escape some impending doom or fate. Since these readings invariably lead a person away from the God of the Bible, and attempt to invade an area of knowledge God has determined should remain secret, we must conclude that they are demonic.
A Deck of Card: Most card addicts do not know that each of these fifty-two cards has secret meaning. There is a reason why good people have always looked upon cards with suspicion and uneasiness.
They are tainted with dishonesty and indecency. Nicknames for a deck of cards include: "The Devil�s Bible" and "The Devils Picture Book."
There was a time when the church took a strong stand against the card game. In the fifteenth century European clergy attacked the games as being immoral and unclean. In 1423 a German preacher called them "The Invention of the Devil" and his hearers made a huge bonfire of cards in the Town Square. In another city, cartloads were destroyed.
Until relatively recent times fundamental preachers and churches warned about the dangers cards. Although the deck of cards has lost neither their meaning nor their evil influence, there is a strange silence about them in most churches today.
The first deck of cards was made in 1392 for the insane French King Charles. The inventor evidently hated God and the Bible and designed a message in the cards, which was the exact opposite of the truth of Scripture. This is why it is common to find decks of cards possessed by prostitutes, gamblers, thieves, murders, in taverns, brothels, prisons, insane asylums, gambling dens, etc., but not at a prayer meeting.
The King represents Satan, Prince of darkness, usurper and foe of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ten cards are for the spirit of lawlessness, in opposition to the moral law in the Word of God. Closely associated with the ten cards is the club card. In 1300, clubs were the chief weapons used by murders, therefore this suit represents the Spirit of Murder and death by violence. The jack card represents the lustful libertine, from pimp to adulterer and whoremonger; a moral leper whose chief ambition is to gratify sensual fleshy lusts.
The Queen represents Mary, Mother of Jesus, but in the card language she is called Mother of Harlots. This is a vicious slander attacking the Lord and His Word.
The joker represents Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Joker means fool and therefore Jesus is held up to ridicule. Not only this, but the joker is said to be the offspring of licentious jack and the queen, Mother of Harlots. All of the other cards also have hidden obscene and blasphemous meanings. Nine-tenths of all gambling today is done with these cards. Unfortunately, most people learned to play with them at home.
Witches, Psychics, and Satan worshippers use playing cards for divination and to cast spells and curses. It is a bit difficult to see why any born-again believer would want to be in contact with such a tool of Satan.
It is unwise, even dangerous, to have abominable things in your home (Deuteronomy 7:26). This could bring a curse on you and your household. It is time that Christians clean house and destroy the hidden works of darkness (I John 2:15-17; Romans 12:1,2; II Corinthians 6:17, 18; I Timothy 6:12).
Pyromancy - Divination by use of fire configurations. Mirror Mantic uses crystal balls, mirrors, rock crystals or still water as "mirrors of the future." This is an ancient method of divination. The one gazing into the crystal, supposedly enters a state of clairvoyance where he can see events and things happening at the present or future, regardless of distance from the diviner. Actually crystal is used as a point of contact with the evil spirits.
Mirror mantic has no foundation in Christianity or science. Rather than being a "window of the future", it is most often just the product of good guessing and a rich imagination on the part of the diviner. Usually, a customer is seeking help from a medium or diviner. God condemns such practitioners and those who frequent them throughout Scripture.
Psychics claim to speak for God but are actually frauds. (Ezekiel 13:6-9) Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares", when the LORD has not sent them, yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divination's when you say, "The LORD declares", though I have not spoken? "`Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'"
Psychometry can also be classed in the area of fortune telling. Psycometry has no place in a Christian's life. Psycometry consists of a person holding some material object of another in his hands and having the ability to make statements and identify characteristics of the owner of the article. He may foretell part of the future of the owner.
Tea cup reading - This form of divination interprets the shapes and relative positions left by tea leaves at the bottom of a cup. Fortunes are told using the same principles as are found in the oriental 1 Ching readings.
Geomancy - This system of divination employs a map with 12 divisions in which the symbols of geomancy are placed in conjunction with the planets.
Arithmancy - Divination by numbers, especially by attaching mystical significance to the numbers associated with a person, especially those numbers associated with the letters of the person's name.
Aeromancy - This form of divination observes atmospheric conditions or ripples on the surface of an open body of water.
Capnomancy - This form of divination uses the smoke of an altar or sacrificial incense as a means of foretelling the future.
Rhapsodmancy - this form of divination is based upon the line in a sacred book that strikes the eye when the book is opened after the diviner prays, meditates or invokes the help of spirits.
Augury - Divination by the flight of birds. The word is used for all kind of divination, also for any omen or sign on which divination is or can be based.
Ouija Board is an instrument for communication with the spirits of the dead. Made in various shapes and designs, some of them used in the sixth century before Christ. The common feature of all its varieties is that an object moves under the hand of the medium, to different corners, or through the pointer attached to it, spells out messages by successively pointing to letters of the alphabet, numbers, "yes" or "no" marked on a board which is a part of the instrument.
The Ouija board is considered by some as nothing more than a party game. Others believe that using it can reveal hidden things in the subconscious. Still others believe that, while the communications are produced supernaturally, the supernatural source is demonic rather than from beyond the grave. According to my past experience in Deliverance Ministry I give you this warning; Ouija board is a dangerous game. Many cases of "Possession" after a period of Ouija board use, support my claim. The "possessed person" physically, emotionally and mentally would be under the attack of high ranking and dangerous demons. There is no way for that person to be freed from demonic attacks unless, one repents from one's Occult sin and accepts the Lord Jesus as his/her Savior. Repeating the self-deliverance prayer out loud in chapter seven is very helpful. Then getting help from one of the "Christian Deliverance Workers" who specializes in this ministry to pray for him/her. Medical profession reveals that, the families of those involved in fortune telling or occultism develop in a remarkable way, illnesses such as: Nervous disturbances, psychopathic and hysteric symptoms, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, epilepsy, symptoms of paralysis, confusion, shattered mind, hesitancy, cases of mediumistic psychoses, a general tendency toward emotional and mental illnesses. Actually I do not believe in mental illness, it is caused by demon activity. The demonically tormented person might hear some voices from evil spirits, in most cases they introduce themselves as one of the loved one's or family members that has already passed away. Evil spirits may appear to the person as ghosts or even ugly creatures causing a lot of fear and anxiety. Evil spirits usually touch, beat, choke, accuse and assault during the day or rape the victim during their sleep causing nightmares. Usually tormented person is embarrassed to share his/her problem with others because people may think of him/her as one "with a screw loose or living in cloud cookoo land." This is beyond the understanding and help of the medical profession or psychologists. They may say it is caused by chemical imbalance. Medicine has no solution for this type of illness except offering medication which leads one to drowsiness and being semi-conscious. A Possessed Person needs the occult curses to be broken and the trouble making demons cast out in the mighty name of Jesus, through the ministry of deliverance. Monstrosity and deaf mutes are dominantly due to the curse(s) which are passed down the generations. The Bible never says fortune tellers can predict the future. It is their attempt to peer into the future through occult means that is objectionable. However, whether they can do it or not, does not make that much difference. If the person having his fortune told, believes that they can, the same end is accomplished. The person, instead of looking to God for direction, now consults fortune tellers to receive guidance for his life. Satan has accomplished his purpose, which is getting people away from worshipping the true and living God. Since fortune tellers achieve this, it should never be practiced even for fun. It is a device of the devil that takes one farther away from the kingdom of God. As Christians we can remain confident and peaceful, knowing that God is in full control of our unseen future. Jesus Christ is the only answer for anyone who is anxious about his future. He said: (Matthew 6: 30-34) "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more, clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' Or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." The Bible teaches that anyone may come to Christ regardless of what he has done and receive forgiveness. The Scriptures says, "Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Jesus further stated, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." (John 6:37) There are those who are deceived by Satan and believe that they are too good to need God. They may feel no guilt or shame for any sin committed and they certainly do not feel that they need a Savior. This person is willing to go before God based upon his own merit, on the good works he has done in his life, feeling that God will certainly accept him. However, the Scripture says, "..All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "..The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
