THE FALL OF THE END-TIME CHURCH – Article 5
False Prophecy and Divination – by Paul M Hanssen
FALSE PROPHECY AND DIVINATION
As we have already noted in the first and second article in this series, the major difference between the true spirit of prophecy and divination is the source. True prophetic word comes from the oracle of God. Whereas the words of divination come from an unholy, un-sanctified oracle within the spirit of man which is inspired by demonic powers, pythonic spirits, spirits of deceit and familiar spirits.
Divination was obviously a very serious matter since God warned His people not to engage with this spirit or entertain it in the land that they were to go and possess.
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 any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, 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. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. (Deuteronomy 18:9-14).
DO WE ALL DIVINE?
Actually, there is not a person on planet earth who has not been guilty of divining. We are all diviners in some form or fashion. Until the oracle of the heart is sanctified and possessed by the presence of God, we all divine. We divine by reading into people’s lives. Soothsayers and fortune tellers use tarot cards, cast lots, read tea leaves and use other practices for the purpose of divining the future, the present and even the past for the seeking soul. So also, diviners read into situations surrounding a person’s life and from the reading come to conclusions about a person. Based upon the conclusions of the reading, prophetic words are spoken into the life of a seeking, often hurting soul. This is divining.
So-called “prophets” in the church often read people’s faces, actions, and reactions, and then proceed to divine over people’s lives. This is false. It is not that what has been perceived is not true. But, the source of the word is not God. Yet, God’s Name is used and proclaimed over them.
Many churches today have prophetic rooms where gullible, seeking people go to receive a word from God. This is nothing but pure church witchcraft, and has no place in God’s house. People seeking for tailor made words from God are not truly seeking for God or His will. They are seeking to feed their own satisfactions, pride and rebellion. People who are hungry for these types of prophetic encounters are seeking a thrill, fascination, and a supernatural experience. But, they are not genuinely seeking God or Truth.
There was a sister in a church that I once pastored who walked up to me one Sunday after the service and asked, “Pastor, do you have a word from God for me?” I paused for a moment thinking to myself that I had just delivered a word from God in the sermon that I had taught. However, my response to her was, “No, sister, I do not, but I will be praying during the week concerning your question.”
The following Sunday, as the sister walked into the church, she came directly to me. With a huge smile on her face she asked, “So, Pastor, did you get a word from God for me?” Without even thinking about my response, the words that came out of my mouth even shocked me. I said to her “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” The smile disappeared from her face as she asked, “What, is that it?” My response was “You did want God’s will, correct?” “Yes”, she responded. “Well then, that is His will for you.” I responded.
Needless to say, my dear sister was not a happy camper. She didn’t want God’s will. She was not seeking for God’s purpose. Rather, she was looking for a tailor-made prophetic word to satisfy her flesh. She was seeking for something to fascinate her senses. Such thirst and hunger are dangerous. Seeking for this type of an encounter opens the windows, doors, and portals of the soul and spirit to experiences of divination and false prophetic guidance.
FALSE PROPHETS USE DIVINATION:
Any prophetic word that does not have its source in God and is not inspired by the breath and the Spirit of God is divination. False prophesy and prophetic words are inspired by spirits of deceit, divination and familiar spirits.
Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. (Jeremiah 14:14-15).
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken? (Ezekiel 13:2-3.6-7).
True prophets depend on the Spirit and the Word of God as their only source of inspiration, information and guidance. They do not seek, nor do they need, an outside source. The calling and ministry of a prophet depends solely upon God. Diviners, on the other hand, depend on information that has been given to them, or they read people’s body language and facial expressions. Diviners use spiritual gifts, but are inspired by other spiritual powers apart from God. Diviners look for signs, signals, and movements that will affirm their perceptions, with the inclusion of listening to tales and gossip. The church world is full of this spirit. It has brought a curse upon the church and devastating ramifications that we have yet to fully realize.
God has certainly given warning for His church to be on the look-out for this. We have been warned of these false Christs (anointed ones), false prophets, false apostles, and false teachers. Yet, this spirit is rampant within the church and is leading multitudes of people astray and away from the Truth.
DIVINERS USE SECRETISM:
Should you ever be stopped in the parking lot after church, or in the bathroom during church, or cornered in the church foyer by someone who is desiring to prophesy over you, or who states that they have a word from God to give, RUN! Words given in such a manner cannot be tried. Prophetic words given in secret cannot be judged by leadership. But then again, the whole purpose and reason of a diviner’s secretism is to avoid leadership. Giving prophetic words in secret also gives the diviner certain manipulating control over their victim, because there is a knowledge between them and the recipient that nobody else knows. (Secretism is not an actual word in the English dictionary, even though there have been some writers who have used it, as I have chosen to do).
Secretism is one of the powerful tools used by cults, and within the world of the occult. The use of secretism within cults, secret societies, and the occult is profound. Breaking the secret can lead to devastating consequences. To enter the Masonic Lodge, for example, one must go through a secret right and initiation. To be part of a witch’s coven, one must also go through a secret initiation ceremony.
The spirit that is resting upon diviners loves to work in secret. However, the diviner attempts to portray secretism as humility and a false pretense of not wishing to impose. Diviners come across as likable, trustworthy people. Most diviners seem to have a caring nature and they express themselves as motherly. However, in reality, they carry a demonic, sly spirit that works through them. True gifts of the Spirit operate openly in the church and can be tested. All gifts, and those operating in the gifts, should be under the authority of the leadership. Diviners avoid leadership and they create chaos within the church.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20-21).
There is no private or secret interpretation to the word of God. In like manner, there is no secret or private interpretation to a prophetic word. Many times, someone may have a prophetic word from God and may also attempt to interpret the word in secret. This is dangerous and can be misleading. In a case such as this, a so-called prophet, or a person who is attempting to operate in the gift of prophecy, can tear down, in a few minutes, what a pastor, counselor, or a loved one has built up in someone’s life over the course of many years.
Cults bask in secret wisdom. They cloak themselves in knowledge that supposedly no-one else has, or no-one else understands. God is, indeed, a God of mysteries. However, He is a revealer of those mysteries to any, and all, who seek and knock. God’s mysteries are not hidden from us. Rather, they are hidden for us.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:7-10).
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (Ephesians 1:9-10).
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ). (Ephesians 3:3-4).
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27).
The only prophetic book in the New Testament is called the book of Revelation. God is a revealer. God works in the light. Those who minister in His Name should also work in the light. (I am not saying that there are not some matters that shouldn’t be attended to behind closed doors for the sake of privacy. Absolutely, there are. But in such cases the ministry should be blessed, sanctioned, and honored by leadership).
This spirit has been allowed to grow within our churches and it has caused tremendous confusion and destruction. This Jezebel spirit must not be tolerated anymore as it is a major factor in bringing down the end-time church.
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For the sake of awareness and caution it is profitable to be informed as to some of the characteristics and traits of a person operating under the spirit of divination.
· They seek to manipulate
· They hunger for control
· They are rebellious towards authority
· They work behind the scenes to promote self
· Their lives are often wrapped in despair and/or depression
· They desire to be recognized
· Their motives are unclear and unclean
· They desire to control others
· They seek out the under-dog, the abused, the hurting, and the vulnerable
· Their secret lives are often sexually unclean
· They thirst for reward (which can be in the form of honor, acceptance, a title, a ministry, f fame, recognition etc.).