Biblical View on Mediums and Communication with Spirits
The Bible consistently prohibits and condemns communication with spirits through mediums, often categorizing such practices as divination [7, 8]. Divination is broadly defined as foretelling future events or discovering secrets through means other than human, often with the aid of "superior beings" [8]. This practice was widespread in ancient cultures, including among the Canaanites, Philistines, and Egyptians, and involved various methods such as consulting teraphim, examining entrails, or using arrows [7, 8].
Scripture explicitly warns against consulting mediums (Hebrew: yidde'oni), a term derived from a root meaning "to know," referring to those who claim special occult knowledge to communicate with the dead [9]. For instance, Deuteronomy 18:10-14 condemns anyone who practices divination, interprets omens, or consults the dead. The prophet Micah also speaks against false prophets and diviners [7].
In contrast to these forbidden practices, divine communication in the Bible occurs through God's Spirit, primarily through prophets [6]. The Spirit of God influences both waking thoughts and dreams, though dreams are generally considered a lower form of revelation compared to prophetic visions where understanding is active [1]. Prophets like Micah declared, "I am full of power by the Spirit of Yahweh, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his disobedience" [5]. The New Testament also describes the Spirit distributing gifts such as wisdom and knowledge [3, 4].
The Bible emphasizes that the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets [2], suggesting order and control in divine revelation, unlike the chaotic or deceptive nature often associated with mediums. While God's Spirit can work through various channels, including dreams and visions, these are distinct from the illicit practices of mediums [1, 13]. The apostle John cautions believers to "believe not every spirit," urging scrutiny of those who claim spiritual revelation [11]. The divine Spirit's operation is described as free, mysterious, and not subject to human volition [12].
The biblical view thus draws a clear distinction between legitimate divine revelation, which is God's work and often involves the Holy Spirit [6, 10, 14], and the forbidden practices of mediums and divination, which are associated with false systems of ascertaining the divine will [8].
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Dreams — The Scripture declares that the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends to its sleeping as well as its waking thoughts. But, in accordance with the principle enunciated by St. Paul in (1 Corinthians 14:15) dreams, in which the understanding is asleep, are placed below the visions of prophecy, in which the understanding plays its part. Under the Christian dispensation, while we read frequently of trances and vision, dreams are never referred to as vehicles of divine revelation. In exact accordance with this principle are the actual records of the ”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 14:32 (BSB) — The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 12:8 (BSB) — To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,”
- 1 Corinthians “For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; -- 1 Corinthians 12:8”
- Micah “But as for me, I am full of power by the Spirit of Yahweh, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his disobedience, and to Israel his sin. -- Micah 3:8”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: How The Prophetic Gift Was Received — --We learn from Holy Scripture that it was by the agency of the Spirit of God that the prophets received the divine communication; but the means by which the divine Spirit communicated with the human spirit, and the conditions of the latter under which the divine communications were received, have not been clearly declared to us. They are however, indicated. In (Numbers 12:6-8) we have an exhaustive division of the different ways in which the revelations of God are made to man. + Direct declaration and manifestation: "I will speak”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Divination — Of false prophets (Deut. 18:10, 14; Micah 3:6, 7, 11), of necromancers (1 Sam. 28:8), of the Philistine priests and diviners (1 Sam. 6:2), of Balaam (Josh. 13:22). Three kinds of divination are mentioned in Ezek. 21:21, by arrows, consulting with images (the teraphim), and by examining the entrails of animals sacrificed. The practice of this art seems to have been encouraged in ancient Egypt. Diviners also abounded among the aborigines of Canaan and the Philistines (Isa. 2:6; 1 Sam. 28). At a later period multitudes of magicians poured from Chaldea and A”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Divination — is a "foretelling future events, or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings, or other than human means." It is used in Scripture of false systems of ascertaining the divine will. It has been universal in all ages, and all nations alike civilized and savage. Numerous forms of divination are mentioned, such as divination by rods, (Hosea 4:12) divination by arrows, (Ezekiel 21:21) divination by cups, (Genesis 44:5) consultation of teraphim, (1 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 21:21; Zechariah 10:2) [[442]Teraphim]; divination by the liver, (Ezekiel 21:2”
- Leviticus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Leviticus 19:31: 19:31 mediums: Cp. 1 Sam 28:7-25. • The Hebrew term for consult the spirits (yidde‘oni) is derived from a root meaning “to know.” It describes those who claim to have special occult knowledge and use it to communicate with the dead.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 30: production of vegetable and animal life, are referred to his universal providential agency. The reference is special. The effect is one which the Scriptures recognize as not within the sphere of second causes, and therefore ascribe to God. They recognize the free agency of man; they acknowledge and treat him as a moral and rational being; they admit the adaptation of of truth to convince the understanding, and of the motives presented to determine the will and to control the affections, and nevertheless they teach that these secondary cau”
- 1 John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:1: The apostle, having said that God's dwelling in and with us may be known by the Spirit that he hath given us, intimates that that Spirit may be discerned and distinguished from other spirits that appear in the world; and so here, I. He calls the disciples, to whom he writes, to caution and scrutiny about the spirits and spiritual professors that had now risen. 1. To caution: "Beloved, believe not every spirit; regard not, trust not, follow not, every pretender to the Spirit of God, or every professor of vision, or inspiration, or revelation from God." Truth is the ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 5: ), spirit, soul, and body, up to the standard of the life of Christ, in whom the divine and human are merged into one, or rather appear in their original oneness. The communication of the theanthropic life to the soul is an act of the divine Spirit in which we have neither agency nor consciousness. Delitzsch infers from what our Lord said to Nicodemus, John iii. that “The operation of the Spirit of regeneration is, therefore, (1.) A free one, withdrawn from the power of human volition, of human special agency. (2.) A mysterious one, lying ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — ARGUMENT.--THAT THEY WHO HAVE ONCE BEEN WASHED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, OUGHT NOT TO BE RE-BAPTIZED. (part 22): and their daughters shall prophesy, and their young men shall see visions, and their old men shall dream dreams: and upon my servants, and upon my handmaidens, will I pour out of my Spirit; "[2]--which Spirit we discover to have been communicated in the Old Testament, not indeed everywhere nor at large, but with other gifts; or, moreover, to have sprung of His own will into certain men, or to have invested them, or to hav”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 140: always declared to be God’s work, his peculiar work, and a work of his mighty power, analogous to that which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead; as it is declared to be a making alive, an opening of the eyes, and an unstopping the ears; then, when it is also called a new creation, we are bound to understand that term as containing a new assertion that it is a work of almighty power. Another common Scriptural representation leads to the same conclusion. Believers are the children of God, not merely as his rational crea”