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HANDS IN SCRIPTURE

Divination
Definition
Divine Revelation Versus Demonism
The Holy Spirit
Nebuchadnezzar's Palm Readers
Prohibitions Against Divination
Palmistry and Casting Lots
Reincarnation

Definition

The scripture clearly prohibits divination. Divination is the attempt to divine the mind of Deity
through some means other than God's way. It is an attempt to understand the past, present, or
future by some means other than the revelation of God. The revelation may come through the
human mind or through observing omens. But ultimately any revelation apart from God is
divination. God's revelation and divination are opposites. Divination carried the death penalty
under the Mosaic Law because divination opposes the whole design of God.

What made divination so bad is that it was actually the work of Satan and his demons. Through
divination Satan was opposing God. God had prophets, who were called seers because they
could see into the Spiritual realm (1 Samuel 9:9), and Satan had seers, who could see into the
spiritual realm. The difference between Spiritual and spiritual is that one is Light and the other
is darkness. The Spiritual Light of God cannot be seen by Satan and his demons unless God
permits it. Satan and his demons do not know the mind of God. No one knows the mind of God
unless He permits. Unless God reveals himself in some way, neither a demon nor an angel of
Light nor a person can know Him.

Satan and his super-creature demons are smart. They are far more brilliant than human beings,
but they are cut off from God in darkness. The darkness is called the Cosmic System, which
Satan has created to oppose God. Satan thinks he can use his brilliant mind and power to set up
his own kingdom and rule instead of God. Satan is a mastermind in his attack on God's
Sovereign Design. His counterattack is based upon the lie. God is truth. Satan is a liar. God is
Love. Satan is a murderer. God is Light. Satan is darkness. God is absolute Righteousness and
perfect Justice. Satan is a criminal and perverts justice. Satan is a user. With him the end
justifies the means.

In his counterattack of God, Satan has developed counterfeit religion and counterfeit doctrine.
The New Age religion, for example, is one of Satan's religions. Satan has amazing powers of
perception. He knows the past, and he knows much about the future. The only problem is that

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he lies. His demons lie. They have reason to lie. They have been sentenced to the Lake of Fire,
and they are lying to try to win their appeal trial. If they can convince ignorant people to follow
them, they will use the people as witnesses in the trial to try to convince the Judge, God, that
they were unfairly condemned.

God is perfect Justice. Those who practiced divination under the power of Satan were sentenced
to death under the Mosaic Law. If the diviners were unbelievers, which was usually the case,
then they would go to the Lake of Fire. Those who wanted to be like Satan could go to the Lake
of Fire with him. They were, therefore, to be executed. That's Justice.

Divine Revelation Versus Demonism

One of the best kept secrets is that there are ultimately only two sources of enlightenment. They
are defined by the tree in the Garden: Divine Good and evil. Divine Good refers to the
revelation of God, and evil refers to the Cosmic System. People who think they are the masters
of their fate and the captain of their soul are the pawns of Satan. They are thinking in the
Cosmic System, which is ruled by Satan and his demons. Man is a created being, which means
he cannot possibly be an original thinker. His thinking will either be under the power of God or
Satan (Romans 9:18-21).

A person who walks in the Light of God can receive revelation from God, but the person who
walks in the darkness of the Cosmic System is at the mercy of Satan and his demons. Human
viewpoint may be conclusions drawn by humans, but the major premise was Satan's. How did
scientists come to name the planets after demons? That was not the revelation of God. It was a
Satanic lie. Similarly, the names of the parts of the palm used by most palm readers are the
demon names of the planets. Both the names of the planets and the names of the parts of the
palm are Satan's attempt to take credit for God's creation. God created the heavens and
mankind.

The heavens are not evil, although the astrologer may be.

The hands are not evil, although the palmist may be.

Bible Doctrine defines Divine Good, and the Holy Spirit is the teacher. In the Church Age, the
complete revelation of God is found in the scripture in the original languages. The Bible is the
rule book, and the Holy Spirit is the teacher. For example, a person looks at his hand and
wonders what the line around this thumb means. To find out, he sits under the ministry of a
doctrinal pastor, who teaches the doctrine of the Line of the Father, or Line of Life, in the palm.
The person believes the teaching of the scripture in the Filling of the Holy Spirit. Then the
person goes home, sits down and looks at his hand. The Holy Spirit then begins to reveal to the
person the meaning of all the markings along the Life Line in his hand. The pastor taught
academically. The Holy Spirit reveals personal details about the person's life as it relates to the
will of the Father in the Divine Design.

The Bible is the rule book, and the Holy Spirit is the teacher.

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The Holy Spirit

Like a helping hand, the Holy Spirit is the Helper of the Christian (John 14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7;
Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit is the teacher.

And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you
have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all
things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. (1
John 2:27, NAS)

"You have no need for anyone to teach you." This does not mean there is no place for teachers
because God has Himself ordained pastor-teachers. It means that the Christian cannot receive
the revelation from God apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Even when the pastor
teaches, the believer cannot learn anything from God unless it is revealed, or taught, by the Holy
Spirit. Further, since the canon of scripture is complete, the Holy Spirit will not reveal anything
beyond the scope of the Bible.

Since the Holy Spirit is the counselor, there is no need for counseling in the Church.
Counseling a Christian about the Spiritual Life is the job of the Holy Spirit - not people.
Counseling about the Spiritual Life is a violation of personal privacy. However, this does not
mean that a person should never consult others. A consultant or counselor in a legitimate role
can give advice. For example, lawyers, engineering consultants, and doctors are counselors.
However, the ultimate responsibility for accepting or rejecting their advice should be based upon
what the Holy Spirit says. Even when listening to a counselor under the Laws of Establishment,
the Christian should rely upon the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Palm readers are no different. When a person reads his own hands, the Holy Spirit must be the
teacher. When someone else reads the hands, the Holy Spirit must be the teacher. The Christian
should be filled with the Holy Spirit and should always obey the Holy Spirit. When a Christian
reads someone else's hand, he must not counsel the person on the Spiritual Life, which includes
most life choices. The Christian who is knowledgeable of hands must not usurp the authority of
the Holy Spirit.

Nebuchadnezzar's Palm Readers

Ezekiel explained how Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, used divination by means of palm
reading to decide to conquer Jerusalem. He came from the north down the King's Highway,
which was the normal route to Israel from Babylon. People did not cross the desert to get to
Israel. They always came down from the north. South of Damascus around Ashtoreth he came
to a crossroads. One fork led to Rabbah, which is the same as Amman, and the other fork led to
Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 21:18-20
18 And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 19 As for you, son of man, make
two highways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out
of one land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the highway to the city. 20

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You shall mark a highway for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon,
and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

To teach this, Ezekiel drew a picture of the highways and marked the crossroads with a signpost
that pointed to Jerusalem. As Nebuchadnezzar stood at the crossroads, he consulted his diviners
to decide whether to conquer Jerusalem or Rabbah.

For the king of Babylon stands at the parting (fork) of the highway, at the head of
the two highways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household
idols, he looks at the liver. (Ezekiel 21:21)

His diviners used three methods, arrows, household idols, and the liver. All were established
methods of divination. However, palm reading was also used.

Into his right hand came the divination, Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open
the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams
against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build a siege wall. (Ezekiel 21:22)

"Divination" is the Hebrew <s#q#(qesem), which is divination from a supposed revelation of

Deity within the human mind. The divination was in the "right hand," which is a clear reference
to palm reading because the right hand is the most significant for right handed people and the
one to which palm readers would pay the most attention. The one word answer was also
indicative of palm reading. The answer of which road to take, which may have been
inconclusive from the other methods, was clear from palm reading. The answer was,
"Jerusalem," that is, go to Jerusalem.

Nebuchadnezzar's palm readers saw the imprint of the walls of Jerusalem in

his hand. These palmists were very proficient. They did not just look at
individual lines. They looked for patterns and pictures, and what they saw
blew their mind. They undoubtedly shouted when they saw it. The
picture of the walls of Jerusalem was in Nebuchadnezzar's hand. Now,
what they saw was the same as Jerusalem engraved in the Lord's palm as
explained by Isaiah, but they did not believe the scripture. They were not in fellowship with
God, and they jumped to the conclusion that since Nebuchadnezzar had the city of Jerusalem
inscribed in his hand that it was a sign that he was destined to conquer Jerusalem.

If Nebuchadnezzar's palm readers had been believers with doctrine, they would immediately
have recalled the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:3) and realized they would be cursed for
anti-Semitism. Just because Jerusalem was in his hand, did not mean that he should violate the
Abrahamic Covenant and conquer it. This palm reading was divination, not because of what the
palm readers saw, but because of Satanic viewpoint they attached to the knowledge. The
knowledge wasn't evil. The methodology wasn't evil. The conclusion was evil. The question
had been asked whether to go to Jerusalem or Rabbah. Since Nebuchadnezzar had Jerusalem
inscribed in his right hand, the palmists assumed that was the answer to the question. They said
the answer was "Jerusalem." He went to Jerusalem and conquered it just as the palmists had
predicted. They were elated that they had made such an important prediction.

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It was destiny. It happened. God had called for it in his Sovereign Design. But it wasn't the
directive will of God. It was the permissive will of God. It was divination, and it was evil. God
used the evil to punish Israel. However, later, God destroyed Babylon for conquering
Jerusalem. Reading Nebuchadnezzar's palm was not divination. Seeing Jerusalem in the palm
was not divination. But telling Nebuchadnezzar that the answer to his question was the one
word answer, "Jerusalem," was divination.

This was the classic Satanic half-truth, which is worse than an out-and-out lie. It was true.
Jerusalem was inscribed in Nebuchadnezzar's hand, but it was not true that he should go there or
conquer it. The palmists were the pawns of Satan. They gave anti-Semitic advice. They were
part of Satan's rebellion against God. Divination is supporting Satan. Satan can do the same
thing with scripture. He can quote the Bible to influence people. He tried to do this with Lord
Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11). He takes truth and uses it falsely to justify evil. This is the
half-truth. That is why a right thing must be done in a right way. Until a Christian understands
this, he doesn't have a prayer of understanding what's in the palm of his hand. His destiny is
there, but the devil will say one thing about it and God another. How will he know which to
believe? He has three choices. He can shut his eyes; listen to Satan; or listen to the Holy Spirit.

Prohibitions Against Divination

Divination in any form was prohibited by the Mosaic Law.

There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter in
the fire; anyone who practices divination, or a soothsayer, an augur, or a sorcerer,
(Deuteronomy 18:10)

The literal translation, "anyone who burns his son or his daughter in the fire," is commonly
referred to as passing through the fire. This was februation,1 or purification through fire, by
which children were consecrated to Molech (Leviticus 18:21), who was the god of fire
counterpart of Baal. "Divination" is the Qal active participle plus the plural noun of the Hebrew
<s#q#(qesem), which is divination from a supposed revelation of Deity within the human mind.
This could be literally translated, "anyone who divines with divinations."

"Soothsayer" is the Hebrew, /n^u*(`anan), which is from /y!u^ (ajin), an eye. It literally means
to ogle, then to bewitch with an evil eye.

"Augur" is the Hebrew, vj^n^ (nachash), from vj^n* (nachash), which means to whisper, and
vj*n* (nachash), a snake. A snake hisses. This literally meant to prophesy by observing snakes
and generally came to mean to prophesy by observing auguries, or omens.

"Sorcerer" is the Hebrew, [v@K! (kisheph), which is a sorcerer or sorceress, a demon possessed
medium.

or one who casts a spell, one who calls up a departed spirit (a medium), or a wizard,
or one who consults the dead (necromancer). (Deuteronomy 18:11)

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"One who casts a spell" is the Hebrew rb^j*(chabar) in the Qal active participle plus the noun,
which means a conjurer or one who pronounced a ban (probably referring to binding or banning
by magical knots).

"One who calls up a departed spirit" is the Qal active participle of the Hebrew la^v* (sha`al),
which means to inquire; and the Hebrew, boa ('obh), which is a necromancer or a departed
spirit. It literally means a skin-bottle, which symbolizes a departed spirit, or ghost. The person
who calls up a departed spirit may be called a medium. Such people are demon possessed by
the ensastrimuthos demon (Isaiah 8:19). They don't really talk to dead people. The
ventriloquist demon simply mimics the dead person.

"Wizard" is the Hebrew, yn!u)D=y! (jide`oni), (ref. Leviticus 19:31; 1 Samuel 28:3, 9), which
means the knowing, or "clever man." This is the male counterpart of the sorceress, or witch.
The word may also be translated, wise man. This wise man, however, sought wisdom from the
dead. Yet, what he discovered was not true wisdom, but the lies of Satan.

"One who consults the dead" refers to a necromancer.

Palmistry and Casting Lots

Conspicuous in their absence from any prohibitions in the Bible are palmistry and casting lots.
Nowhere in the Bible are these practices prohibited, although at times both gave the wrong
answer and were used as divination. It would be hypocritical for God to prohibit palmistry since
in Isaiah 49:16, the Lord speaks of reading His own palm to remember Jerusalem, which is
engraved upon His palm. Those who have equated palmistry with divination or foolishness don't
know their Bible and will never be able to explain Isaiah 49:16 or Ezekiel 21:22.

Casting lots includes various methods, such as drawing straws. The practice was not mentioned
in the types of divination. On the contrary, it was used to consult God for divine revelation.
Joshua cast lots before the Lord to determine the allotments of the tribes of Israel in the
Promised Land (Joshua 18:6-10). Saul cast lots to determine the guilt of Jonathan (1 Samuel
14:38-43). Jonah was found guilty by casting lots (Jonah 1:7). Roman soldiers cast lots for the
garments of Christ at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:35). Matthias was elected to be the 12 apostle
by casting lots (Acts 1:26), but in this case it didn't work. The right person wasn't included in
the sample of the lots; so it would have been impossible to get the right answer. What's more
God reserves the prerogative of choosing apostles. They cannot be elected by man.

Casting lots works because random probability does not exist with God. In God's Sovereign
Design all things are deterministic.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation is not taught in the Bible. It is a lie of the doctrine of demons. One of the favorite
scriptures used to support reincarnation is Matthew 11:14:

Matthew 11:13-14

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13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you will
receive it (the Gospel), he himself (John) is Elijah who is to come.

Since John the Baptist was such a great evangelist and since he had the same Spiritual power as
Elijah, people were wondering if John the Baptist might be Elijah. Jesus answered the question
with a metaphor, which could only be understood by believers. Verse 14 begins with a Greek
first class condition that presents a supposition for the purpose of argument. It means "if, and it
is true." If they would receive the Gospel and believe in Jesus Christ, then they would be able to
know the answer.

The meaning of the metaphor is: John the Baptist was the herald of the First Advent like Elijah
who was promised to be the herald of the Second Advent (Malachi 4:5). For those who believe
the Gospel, and therefore know Jesus Christ in the First Advent, then they can accept that John
is the herald of the First Advent just as Elijah is the herald of the Second Advent.

References

1. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzch (James Martin, Translator), Commentary on the Old Testament,
Vol. I, ISBN 0-8028-8035-5 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co.), 1978; 3rd
Book, pp. 417, 425; 5th Book, p. 393.
Released September 4, 2002 - Revised Sept. 23, 2013
Author: Larry Wood
Beginning Author Comments Home

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