Expert: Marilyn - 4/23/2010

Question
Im wondering what the bible says about Divination arts such as Astrology and Numerology and also your own take on them. To me it seems that there are truths in them but there are also conflicts; so partial truths.

Answer
Hello Lance;

The Bible's overall teaching on any method of obtaining information about the future is negative. However, in the Old Testament the Urim and Thummim, items kept in the High Priest's breastplate, were used. As far as I know, nobody is really sure what the Urim and Thummim were, except they were used similarly to the casting of lots with the express purpose of discovering God's will.

The Apostles cast lots to choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot after his suicide. They wanted to discover God's will. They felt certain that they needed a 12th Apostle to complete the number Jesus had chosen. It should be noted that they did this BEFORE Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and baptized them and changed them from normal, fearful and leaderless men into dynamic, fearless and Holy-Spirit-guided men.

Perhaps they should have been wiser and waited for the Lord to handle the problem, but before Pentecost, they weren't capable of such wisdom--they didn't yet have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Not long afterward, Jesus personally called Paul to ministry on the Damascus road and Paul became the 12th Apostle.

Now that the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and we may be baptized in Him, such auguries as casting lots have even less place than they did before. We can access the wisdom and guidance of God directly through the Holy Spirit, John 14:26; I Corinthians 2:10 & 13.

Leviticus 19:26 plainly states, "do not practice divination." There are several reasons for that.

One is, as you stated, astrology and numerology only tell half truths. During Jesus' battle with satan in Matthew 4 He uses Scripture to rebut satan's temptations. Then satan quotes Scripture to Jesus, Psalm 91 specifically. Satan's choice of that passage is a half-truth, which Jesus immediately identifies and rebuts with the correct Scripture. Satan pointed out that God would command His angels concerning Jesus, they would lift Him up lest His foot strike a stone. But Jesus knew that if He were to step out of God's will, He would also step out of God's protection! Naturally, satan leaves out that part; his whole objective was to get Jesus to step out of God's will. Jesus answered, "Do not tempt the Lord your God."

So, if satan can use Scripture to beguile us with half-truths, we must be diligent students of the Word in order to avoid pitfalls he might set for us. If we can get into trouble that way, how much more trouble will we find if we believe half-truths not even found in Scripture!

Paul taught that in Christ we are a new creation, II Corinthians 5:17, behold old things have passed away and all has become new. If you were to have your astrology chart drawn, it may very well portray an accurate picture of your strengths and flaws. But astrology would lock you into that portrait; it offers no escape. Through the new birth we can be transformed and the old, bad qualities no longer hold sway over us. God wants to shape our personalities, our characters, our futures, guiding us into a better Way--better personality, better character and brighter future. If our faith is in astrology, we turn our backs on God and His Perfect Way.

Jeremiah 29:11, ""For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.""

We long to know the future, especially when we face difficult times. Through Jeremiah God said, ""Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great things and unsearchable things you do not know," Jeremiah 33:3. Peter quotes Psalm 34:4, "Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you," I Peter 5:7. Next to Love, God values Faith about equally, "Without faith it is impossible to please God," Hebrews 11:6. If we place our faith in numerology, astrology or divination--any auguries aside from prophetic word given us by a prophet of God or directly to us by His Holy Spirit or through His Word--then we have not placed our faith in Him. We essentially have made an idol out of whatever thing we are looking to for information and guidance. This is a grave sin, not because it hurts God, but because it hurts us.

An idol is something we place before our eyes that blocks our view and connection with God. Naturally, God doesn't like this because for some reason He loves us and like all parents, He doesn't want to lose His children to a misguiding force. But we're the ones who suffer the most because of idols. Placing faith in astrology or numerology to guide us, we shut God out, we announce that He can't and/or won't tell us the things we need to know or guide us as we need to be guided. In turning away from God, sooner or later we will find ourselves in a pit of trouble. Satan is the one who controls such auguries as astrology, numerology etc., not God, and it is his purpose to destroy and/or kill us. He would lock us into a path in which God has no say.

God does use numbers as a teaching tool. For example, I John 1:5, "God is Light." Science tells us that light is one substance with three properties. Those properties are: actinic-light that is neither seen nor felt; luminiferous-light that is both seen and felt and calorific-light that is felt but not seen. These three properties of light correspond with the Three Persons of God. The Father is neither seen nor felt, the Son is both seen and felt and the Holy Spirit is felt but not seen. Further, light is both particle and wave. Now that the Son has taken on human form to become a Man, God is both Spirit and Man. Sunlight is a picture of God for us, it helps us understand LIGHT (God). One is the number of unity. Two is the number of division--the Son was taken out of the Father to become a Man and live on earth as a Man, die as a Man and be raised to glory as King of Kings. Three is the number of Divine Perfection--God is Three in One and is Perfect.

This kind of numerology does not attempt to foretell the future or specifically guide our steps, but is a teaching tool to expand our understanding of God. I don't think numerology was ever intended to be used to guide daily lives or tell the future or what have you. Just as he did when tempting Jesus, the devil likes to take what God gives and twist it to his own purposes. Half-truths can bring devastating results. God must be our Source, we must rely on Him to inform, guide and shape us.

Sincerely,

Marilyn