Bible Verses About The Sibyl And Pagan Prophecy

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.

Direct prohibition of divination.

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.

Divination forbidden for Israel.

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

Diviners see lies.

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

No mediums or necromancers.

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Prophets searched carefully regarding Christ.

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

Direct passage about prophecy not being private interpretation.

For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.

Example of pagan divination practice.

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

Describes people seeking oracles from created objects.

Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Do not learn the way of the heathen.

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Lists occult practices forbidden in the law.

And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

Idols and sorcerers in Egypt are judged.

And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.

Oracle language in prophetic rebuke.

Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

Divination and soothsaying forbidden.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Spirit of divination in Acts provides NT background.

Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

Oracle language but weaker and not specific to divination.

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

Astrology mocked in judgment oracle.

But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

Sorceries condemned in judgment oracle.

Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

False and misleading oracles.

And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

Sealed vision used as prophecy background.

Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.

Vision sought in crisis.

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

Enchantment and sorcery condemned.

And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

Lying divinations condemned.

A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.

Soothsayers become fools under judgment.

Despise not prophesyings.

Do not despise prophecies.

And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

False prophet and sorcerer motif.

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.

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.

False divination is explicitly named.

Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

Scripture passage attached to the early Christian evidence page.