The Bible clearly condemns necromancy, the practice of communicating with the dead, as it is associated with occult practices. God warns His people to seek Him for guidance and not to turn to forbidden spiritual practices. Let’s explore what the Bible says about the dangers of necromancy and the importance of seeking God’s wisdom.
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What Does The Bible Say About Necromancy
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their 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 the Lord.”
This verse clearly states that engaging in necromancy, which involves consulting the dead or summoning spirits, is an abomination to God. It is forbidden for God’s people to participate in such occult practices.
God desires His people to rely on Him alone for guidance and to seek Him in prayer rather than seeking communication with the dead. Necromancy goes against God’s will and opens the door to demonic influence.
Leviticus 19:31
“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.”
This verse reiterates the commandment against engaging in necromancy. God warns His people against turning to mediums or seeking out those who claim to communicate with spirits.
By seeking out necromancers, one opens themselves up to spiritual defilement and invites evil spirits into their lives. God wants His people to completely trust in Him and find their guidance and comfort in Him alone.
1 Samuel 28:8-9
“So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. … But the woman said to him, ‘Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?’”
This passage depicts King Saul’s desperate attempt to consult a medium, despite it being strictly forbidden. He seeks out a woman who practiced necromancy to communicate with the deceased prophet Samuel.
This account serves as a cautionary tale, showing the dangers and consequences of attempting to communicate with the dead. Saul’s disobedience leads to his downfall and loss of God’s favor.
Isaiah 8:19
“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”
Isaiah challenges the people to turn to God for guidance instead of seeking answers from necromancers or mediums. The prophet emphasizes that it is God alone who should be consulted, as He is the living God who can provide wisdom and direction.
By seeking guidance from the dead, people deny their trust in God’s sovereignty and risk being led astray by false spirits. Isaiah’s words affirm the importance of seeking God’s counsel above all else.
Acts 16:16-18
“Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’ She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her.”
This passage recounts an encounter between Paul and a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination. The girl’s owners profited from her ability to predict the future, but Paul recognizes the spirit as demonic and casts it out in the name of Jesus.
This story illustrates the power and authority of Jesus over all forms of occult practices. It serves as a reminder that the Christian faith stands against any form of witchcraft or necromancy, relying instead on the power of Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 29:4
“Brought low, you will speak from the ground; your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth; out of the dust your speech will whisper.”
This verse depicts the consequences of indulging in necromancy and seeking communication with the dead. It describes how those who practice such occult arts will be humbled and reduced to uttering faint and unintelligible words.
God, in His wisdom, warns His people about the futility and deceptive nature of necromancy. He desires for them to turn to Him and seek His guidance, rather than seeking answers from the deceased who have no power or authority.
Jeremiah 27:9
“But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish.”
In this verse, God cautions His people against heeding the advice of false prophets, diviners, mediums, and sorcerers. This warning specifically relates to their predictions regarding political affairs and the Babylonian captivity.
Genuine prophetic wisdom comes from God alone, while those who engage in necromancy and divination lead the people astray and bring destruction upon themselves. God’s people are called to discern the truth and trust in His word above all other sources of guidance.
Acts 19:19
“A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.”
This verse describes the radical transformation of certain individuals who had previously engaged in sorcery and occult practices. When they embrace Christianity, they publicly renounce their former ways by burning their scrolls containing spells and incantations.
This act of burning the scrolls symbolizes their complete separation from necromancy and demonstrates their commitment to following Christ. It serves as a powerful example of repentance and turning away from the darkness of witchcraft towards the light of Jesus.
Leviticus 20:6
“I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.”
This verse reveals God’s strong stance against necromancy and seeking wisdom from mediums and spiritists. He makes it clear that those who practice such occult arts will face His judgement and be cut off from their community.
God’s reason for this stern warning is to protect His people from the deceptive powers of darkness and to preserve the purity of worship and reliance on Him alone. He desires obedience and complete trust in His guidance and provision.
Leviticus 20:27
“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.”
In this verse, God establishes the penalty for practicing necromancy and consulting with spirits. He commands that those involved in such practices be put to death by stoning.
This severe punishment underscores the seriousness of engaging in necromancy and warns against its destructive influence. God’s people are called to uphold His commandments and separate themselves from any form of occult involvement.
Isaiah 19:3
“The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.”
This verse speaks about the impending judgement upon Egypt and how their reliance on idols, spirits of the dead, mediums, and spiritists will prove futile and powerless. God will render their plans futile and bring about their downfall.
Through this account, we see that necromancy and other forms of occult practices hold no true power or wisdom. God alone should be sought for guidance and protection.
Revelation 21:8
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
This verse provides a list of sinful behaviors that will result in eternal damnation. Among these listed behaviors is the practice of magic arts, which encompasses necromancy and any form of sorcery or witchcraft.
God’s judgment is severe upon those who persist in engaging in such immoral practices, highlighting the grave consequence of turning away from God and choosing darkness over light.
Leviticus 19:26
“‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination or seek omens.”
God commands His people to abstain from participating in divination or seeking omens. These practices, including necromancy, were prevalent in ancient cultures and involved seeking signs or predictions about the future from various sources, often considered superstitious or magical.
In forbidding these practices, God affirms His sovereignty and desires His people to place their trust in Him alone, rather than relying on supernatural signs or occult practices to guide their lives.
Deuteronomy 18:14
“The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.”
God warns His people against following the practices of the surrounding nations, who engage in sorcery and divination. He makes it clear that such practices are not permitted for His chosen people.
This verse emphasizes the distinction between God’s people and the pagan practices of the world. Christians are called to live by a higher standard, guided by the principles and commands of God, rather than resorting to occult practices for guidance and answers.
Jeremiah 14:14
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.’”
God reveals to Jeremiah the false nature of the prophecies being proclaimed by certain individuals. These false prophets used divination and their own fantasies to deceive the people with lies, rather than speaking the truth from God.
This passage cautions against the gullibility of relying on necromancers, diviners, and false prophets. It emphasizes the need for discernment and the importance of seeking God’s true word, rather than being led astray by those claiming supernatural insights.
Acts 8:9-11
“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.’”
This passage introduces Simon, a man who had practiced sorcery and had deceived the people by his magical abilities. The people regarded him as someone with great power, even attributing his abilities to God.
This story serves as a cautionary tale, exposing the deception and lure that accompanies magic arts. It warns against putting faith in those who use supernatural means for personal gain and highlights the importance of seeking true power and authority from God alone.
Deuteronomy 18:11-12
“or one who casts spells, or one who conjures up spirits, or one who consults a medium or spiritist, or one who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.”
These verses reiterate God’s strong disapproval of engaging in necromancy, casting spells, or seeking guidance from mediums and spiritists. He declares that those who practice these things are detestable to Him, and as a result, He will drive them out from the land.
These prohibitions reflect God’s desire for His people to maintain a pure and uncompromised worship of Him, free from the influences of witchcraft and sorcery.
1 Chronicles 10:13
“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance.”
This verse recounts the downfall of King Saul, who disobeyed God’s commandments and consulted a medium for guidance. His unfaithfulness led to his death and the loss of God’s favor.
This story serves as a warning against seeking guidance from necromancers or any other form of occult practices. God desires His people to trust in Him completely and seek His guidance through prayer and obedience to His word.
Isaiah 8:19-20
“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.”
Isaiah challenges the people to seek God’s guidance rather than turning to mediums and spiritists. He questions the wisdom of seeking answers from the dead when they should be seeking God’s instruction and following His guidance instead.
This passage emphasizes the importance of relying on God’s word for truth and light. It discourages the practice of necromancy and affirms the priority of seeking God’s counsel over all other sources.
Leviticus 20:27
“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.”
God’s commandment against necromancy and other occult practices is reiterated in this verse. He declares that anyone found to be a medium or spiritist should be put to death by stoning.
This severe punishment underscores the seriousness of engaging in such practices that invite spiritual darkness and rebellion against God’s authority. It serves as a deterrent and reinforces the importance of obedience to God’s commands.
Leviticus 20:6
“I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.”
In this verse, God reveals His strong opposition to those who engage in necromancy and seek guidance from mediums and spiritists. He declares that He will personally oppose and cut off anyone who turns to these practices, referring to them as prostituting themselves.
This verse demonstrates God’s desire for His people to remain faithful and committed solely to Him. He warns against seeking supernatural knowledge from sources that lead them away from Him and His truth.
Micah 5:12
“I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.”
In this verse, God declares that He will bring an end to witchcraft and the casting of spells. He promises to remove the influence of these occult practices from His people.
This verse highlights God’s desire to protect His people from the deceptive and manipulative powers of witchcraft. It serves as a reminder that God’s power is greater than any supernatural forces and that His people should rely solely on His protection and guidance.
2 Kings 17:17
“They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.”
This verse describes the sinful practices of the people of Israel, which included divination and seeking omens. These acts defied God’s commandments and led to His anger and judgment upon them.
By engaging in occult practices like divination, the people of Israel betrayed their trust in God and opened themselves up to the influence of evil forces. This verse serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God’s ways.