Deliverance Beyond Divine Revelation
A Study of Deuteronomy 18 and Isaiah 8 in Light of the Deliverance Ministries’ Practice of Questioning Demons on Supernatural Realities

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I. Introduction

Studying the new wave of spiritual warfare proves to be a fascinating occupation for most people, as it gives us a lot of new and unusual topics to speak, think and write about. However, a major question is, where do they get that which is new? What of the old adage, “there is nothing new under the sun, save heresy”?
     It is appalling to read the writings of the new spiritual warfare authors, such as Charles H. Kraft, C. Fred Dickason, Ed Murphy, C. Peter Wagner, and John Robb and find that their methodology is grounded not solely in the Word of God, but also in extra-biblical sources that describe the spiritual world. While Dr. Wagner and Dr. Robb mainly stick to merely using the teachings of other, non-biblical religions to undergird some of their teachings, Dr. Kraft and Dr. Murphy support their doctrinal and methodological findings with words from the mouths of the allegedly “demonized,” asthey like to call those that traditional Christianity would call “possessed.” Basically they are getting their information from demons.
      The goal of this study is to answer the question whether this is a valid practice from a Biblical standpoint, especially looking at the two Old Testament passages of Deuteronomy 18:10-11 and Isaiah 8:19-20. While you, dear reader, may be coming to this paper with a ready answer to this question, I would like to ask you to regard the evidence, both from the writings of the modern warfare movement and also from the Bible itself and draw your conclusions.
      We will begin by defining the terms “divination” and “magic” as they are used in connection with the Bible passages that we will look at individually next. Following we’ll look at the evidence within the books of these writers to get an idea of what they themselves think they are doing. Finally I will attempt to apply our findings to the problem at hand.

II. What Are “Divination” and “Magic”?

Unfortunately for our study of these passages, I was unable to find any evangelical studies on divination and magic in the Old Testament, probably from the fact that the study of such phenomena is forbidden by these two passages that we are going to look at. Most commentaries will briefly touch on the words and what their roots are, but leave it at a surface look. The book I found most helpful in conducting my word studies was Magic & Divination in Ancient Palestine & Syria by Ann Jeffers. She looks hard at the background of the words that we will be studying in the later passages and suggest some interesting conclusions.
      The basic definition of divination as given by Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is, “the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usu. by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.”[1] Emphasis in this paper will be placed upon “the art ... that seeks to ... discover hidden knowledge.”
      Among other things magic is defined as, “an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source.”[2]
      As instructive as these definitions are, the ones written by T.W. Davies are even more so, as  they pertain directly to our problem:

Divination is the art of obtaining special information from spiritual beings.[3]

Magic may be briefly defined as the attempt on man’s part to have intercourse with spiritual and supernatural beings, and to influence them for his benefit.[4]

As we will see later on, the type of practices that Dr. Kraft and the other spiritual warlords are engaged in fall under these definitions.

III. Focusing on God’s Word: Deuteronomy 18 and Isaiah 8

Both Deuteronomy 18:10-11 and Isaiah 8:19-20 are very strong in their emphasis that, when it comes to spiritual reality, we must not consult anyone save Yahweh, the One True God.

A. The Passage of Interdiction: Deuteronomy 18:10-11

1. Historical Background

      As I am assuming that the claims of Deuteronomy  are valid and that Moses himself penned its words (1:1), the setting of this passage lies at a turning point in Israel’s history. Something new was about to happen and a new generation needed to be warned of what they were up against. A possible date for when this was written is ca. 1405 bc.[5]
      The country that the Israelites were about to enter was already inhabited by the Caananite peoples, “the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites” (Dt 7:1 – NIV), whose religious practice is called “detestable” by Yahweh (18:10). They not only ran the major fertility cult of the day, complete with male and female temple prostitutes and wild orgies, but practiced every sort of divination and magic under the sun. Their gods were little more than glorified humans who could be manipulated by sex and offerings and who could be coerced into giving information about the great beyond by omens, divination, mediums, and spirtists. Their world was one that was vastly different from the one that the One True God, the Almighty, had revealed to Israel through Moses, a place where the whims of the gods wreaked havoc on the people and there was constant fear.

2. Previous Context

      Looking at such seductive practices as these, it is not surprising that God would give such uncompromising words of direction through the mouth of Moses. This passage that we will study is in a series of instructions for the conduct of the leaders of the people. Right before this the Levites are told how they are to live in order to live a holy life. Now we turn to the majority of the people who would be approaching the Levites and other leaders in order to understand how to live.

3. The Terms

      Moses uses a total of nine terms in order to describe the detestable practices that are practiced in Canaan. We will look at each separately and briefly describe their background and broader meaning.

a. one who makes his son or daughter pass through fire

While this is a phrase that is not in direct connection with what we are studying, it is important to mention it, as it describes another religion. Craigie mentions that it may pertain to “the offering of a child with the particular purpose of determining or discerning the course of events,”[6] thus also linking it to a form of divination.

b. one who uses divination

The Hebrew for this term is , possibly “diviner of divinations.” It is a generic term for diviner, which encompasses most divinatory technologies concerning signs and omens[7]. As to its root, it may mean cutting into pieces, thus having to do with casting lots. Cognitive Semitic etymology suggests an emphasis on types of lot-casting and that it is used with great frequency in the OT and is used in both a positive and a derogatory sense[8].

c. one who practices witchcraft

The Hebrew of this term is . The root of this verb is difficult to ascertain. Davies suggests that it may be , which means “to cover,” thus making this term refer to those who practice hidden or occult arts[9]. Jeffers cites three other possibilities: (i) It may come from , which means cloud, “thus denoting one who observes the clouds with a view to obtaining an oracle or one who brings clouds and storms.” (ii) It’s source may be from the Arabic for “a hoarse sound,” which would point to this practitioner being “one who divines from noises or practices incantations.” (iii) It could also come from another Arabic root, which means “to appear” or “to present oneself,” and thus would be one who causes something to appear.[10] To sum it up a is one who devines hidden wisdom, whether from clouds or sounds is unclear, but this person is also one who practices the dark arts.

d. one who interprets omens

The Hebrew term is , which probably derives from , which means snake, which would mean that the omens that this person interprets come from the movements of snakes.[11] It may have the Arabic root “unlucky,” behind it, pointing to the fact that most omens were unlucky. It may also come from the Aramaic “to discover”, “to research”, “to divine or learn by omens.”[12] Thus a is one who uses omens to foretell the future or get secret information.

e. a sorcerer

The Hebrew for this term is and its root basically means “to practice magic or sorcery.” Magic was common most ancient near eastern religions of the time, “involving use of spells, incantations, charms/amulets, and special rituals to manipulate natural powers and influence situations, people, and gods. ... In the OT magic is often spoken of along with mantic practices, indicating the interrelatedness of both practices.” These are often denounced in the Bible, as here (e.g. Isa 57:3; Jer 27:9-10; Mal 3:5).[13] The root may come from the Arabic, which would mean “to uncover” or “to reveal”, “so divination would be implied” or that it would have to do with another Arabic root, “to cut”, which would make a some sort of herbalist. Another possibility is an Akkadian root, which would have to do with restraining, compelling or binding. Modern scholarship relates this to the Assyrian terminology of “sorcery,” which would practice some kind of malevolent magic.[14]

f. one who casts a spell

The Hebrew is , which comes from the root “to unite”, “be joined”, or “charm.” So this person would be one who binds charms, probably by tying knots, a practice that is often used in the ancient near east. An Akkadian etymology suggests that this may also be someone who charms a person by muttering incantations or curses.[15]

g. a medium

The term used for medium is , being the classic term for medium, spiritist or necromancer in the Bible. It usually comes in pairs with the term , which is usually translated spiritist. The ’s main job seems to be calling up the dead, so the living can consult them. Its root may come from “wineskin,” suggesting that it may be someone who practices ventriloquism, as the LXX translates it as such 15 of the 16 times that it occurs.[16]

h. a spiritist

The Hebrew is , and it is also a generic term for spiritist. It’s root is the verb , which means “to know.” In this case it is “a known one” or “a knower”, “an intimate acquaintance” and can also mean “medium” or “familiar spirit.”[17] It is closely related to the , which has a similar function. As the Word speaks of people “in whom there is a ghost or familiar spirit” (Lev 20:11), we can infer that some kind of possession (or “demonization”) takes place as the channels the spirit of whomever he or she is speaking for.[18]

i. one who consults the dead

The Hebrew for this term is  and it is translated quite literally. As the term , which forms the basis of this consultation is more central to Isaiah’s passage, we will discuss it more clearly there. Suffice it to say that seems to be akin to an or a , perhaps being a descriptive term for what the first two already do.

      In summary, of all of the terms we have looked at all but two of these descriptions ( and ) have to do with some sort of discovery of the unknown by using a spiritual connection of some sort, be it by omens, possession / channeling, or anything else.

4. Following Context

      As the passage continues Moses emphatically says that God has forbidden His people to employ such divinatory and magical methods for consulting Him (v.14). And then immediately following is something that is very interesting for our present day case: Moses promises that God will send a Prophet like him to the people and the people must listen to this man (vv.15-19). We now know that Prophet to be Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-23). We may also refer to the fact that the subsequent generations mentioned here had access to at least part of Scripture and Joshua was told to meditate on it, lest he fall away (Jos 1:8).

5. Summary and Application

      As we have looked at this passage we have realized the following things: a) God has forbidden His people from using the methodologies of other world views to access information about the spiritual world. b) He has sent a Prophet whose task it was to tell us about the spiritual world and so c) His people should be patient and listen to what God has taught in the past as well as will teach through the Prophet.
      In our day and age this passage can be taken as a warning not to work with the divinatory practices of our “Canaan” when it comes to spiritual matters, for all of these “detestable things” had to do with spiritual matters. We are to rely solely on Yahweh and His prophet, Jesus Christ for what we are to learn about the spiritual world. Our world view is and should be different from that of the nations around us, as we are different from them.

B. The Passage of Pained Reproof: Isaiah 8:19-20

1. Historical Background

      Isaiah penned this passage in a time of great turmoil and uncertainty. The year was around 734 bc and Judah was being besieged by Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel, who were planning to overthrow Ahaz of Judah and place “the son of Tabeel” on the Judean throne in his stead, thus forming a strong alliance against the Assyrians who were getting ready to sweep into the Israeli coastlands. Into a time of turmoil such as this God spoke to His prophet, calling him to listen to the Almighty alone.

2. Previous Context

      This passage falls into the second part of the first historical section of Isaiah which stretches from chapter 6 to chapter 8. These chapters entail a series of warnings to different people, such as the House of David (chapter 7), all of Israel (8:1-10), and, finally, to Isaiah and his disciples (8:11-21). This passage falls into the last warning, whose last few verses are not merely extended to Isaiah, but also concern all the people.

3. The Terms

      As we have already discussed two of the more prominent terms in this passage the terms , a medium, and , a spiritst,[19] in the section on Dt 18, it would suffice to say that Isaiah is probably being reminded of the prohibition that God gave through Moses.
      However, the term that is more prominent in this passage than in Dt is the term , which is translated “consult.” The other term that is usually translated “consult” is the term , which is usually translated as “to” or “unto.” The interesting thing is that these two terms are split up when speaking of consulting the mediums, spiritists and the dead (), pairing with and and using with , whereas with God, both terms are together !
      The term basically means “to care about”, “inquire (of)”, “consult”, “seek”, “require (of)”, “study”, “investigate”, or “examine.” It is usually used parallel to the , which means “seek.” The abuses of this idea of consulting is that one would consult someone other than God Himself, such as the mediums. It is often used in emphasis of inquiry directed to God, as well and is favored over when used of seeking Yahweh![20]
      Motyer notes that, “The Hebrew of should not is inverted emphatic: ‘A people to their God should they not seek?.’“[21]

4. Following Context

      The passage closes with the judgment that will come upon those who consult the spiritist and mediums, namely spiritual darkness (vv.21-22). And yet God issues a promise that He will take care of this darkness and these people will see a great light (9:1-5). What is interesting is that just like Dt 18, the immediate context includes a promise of Messiah, this time as ruling King and Lord of Israel.

5. Summary and Application

      As this passage deals heavily with the idea of consulting other sources of spiritual knowledge in the times of trouble, most commentators will agree to the fact that these “mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter” are here drawn in stark contrast to God. V.20 brings this out even further with the Prophet’s cry of, “To the law and to the testimony!” Oswalt points out,

One does not have to go to the occult to discover the meaning and destiny of one’s life. It is not hidden to those who will look in the right place. God has been shouting it from the rooftops and recording it for all future generations ([Isa.] 65:1-5; John 7:37-39). The way of life is only hidden (Isa. 8:16) from those who refuse to hear what God has made plain (Rom. 1:18-32). In every age the Church needs to hear this word anew. For apart from the Word of God any light Christianity has is but darkness.[22] [emphasis mine]

      Oswalt’s words ring very true to our subject matter as well. We are not to go to other sources of information on spiritual reality. God’s word is the only one, and He has even made provisions for removing the darkness that blinds those who do seek the mediums and spiritists. He will give them light and He has given us a ruler: Jesus who is the Christ.

IV. The Spiritual Warlords’ Writings

The volume of writings on modern spiritual warfare is very large, so it would be impossible to address all of the writers who contribute to them. We’ll be looking especially at the writings of Charles H. Kraft, C. Fred Dickason, Ed Murphy, C. Peter Wagner, and John Robb and how they substantiate their teachings.

A. Disclaimers and Defenses of Methodology[23]

      Especially Dr. Kraft and Dr. Dickason take great pains to point out that what they are doing is not “divination.”[24] While Dr. Dickason’s disclaimer over the top of his work is proven to be untrue by his later descriptions of exorcisms, it is not quite as contradictory as what Dr. Kraft writes. He  warns about the deceptive nature of the demons, as does Dr. Murphy, but both of these gentlemen seem to think that they can discern what is true and what is untrue in their words. Especially Dr. Kraft puts emphasis on the fact that the experienced deliverance minister can be certain that what the demons say is true, because he learns to exert control over the demons in such a way that they will supposedly only tell the truth.[25]

B. Doctrinal Statements Supported by Demonic Testimony[26]

      These supposed foundations pave the way for their direct quotes of demonic utterances in order to prove their points. When Dr. Dickason wishes to support his contention that the teaching that Christians cannot be demonized is demonic, he doesn’t quote Scripture, or even cite experience, but goes straight to the demon![27]
      Dr. Kraft does likewise. He doesn’t cite Scripture when writing that demons are interested in possessing Christians more than Non-Christians, but quotes a demon’s utterance[28]. For more passages where he does so, see Appendix A. However, what I find most shocking is the following quote:

Though we have to be careful ... , the quickest way to get the insight God wants us to have is often to get it from the demons themselves.[29]

We are dealing with a clear admission to doing divination here, though Dr. Kraft would deny that!
      Though Dr. Wagner does not quote from his own experiences in exorcising demons, he uses a similar approach to substantiating some of his theories by quoting other deliverance ministers[30].

C. Appealing to Other Religions and World Views to Expand and Substantiate Teachings on the Demonic[31]

      While the above is shocking, what I am going to point out now may not surprise many readers, since appealing to other written sources seems normal these days. The scientific method that the spiritual warlords purport to use[32] almost demands that we look at more than one source before coming to a conclusion. However, as we have seen, going to any extra-biblical source is not allowed for the Christian when it comes to spiritual reality.
      Especially Dr. Wagner is into going to extra-biblical sources to support his strategic-level spiritual warfare model. He will cite sources such as ex-shamans, pagan religions, and animists in order to substantiate his view of how demons control geographical locations[33].
      Fellow warlord John Robb is a bit more cautious at first, but then launches into using the same examples himself[34].

V. Applying the Passages

Now that we have looked at both the passages in Scripture and their application to every day life and we have briefly summarized the way that the spiritual warlords use demonic utterance and other religions to substantiate their teachings, I would like to make direct application of the Word of God to their situation.

A. Appealing to Other Religions and World Views to Expand and Substantiate Teachings on the Demonic

      As we have said above, the whole idea of subscribing to another world view for insight into spiritual reality is not allowed. God has made it abundantly clear in Dt 18 that the children of Israel were not allowed to use Caananite methods, because the world view was different. Ann Jeffers supports this, pointing out that, “They [the a sorcerers] are banned because of the world-view they hold, a world-view that is similar to surrounding cultures.”[35]
      As the Priest-Mullen-Campbell paper has sufficiently shown, the new spiritual warfare model is not based on a Biblical world view, but on an animistic one.[36] In this way it falls under the ban of Dt 18.
      What Dr. Wagner and Dr. Robb are doing in using other religions to substantiate their claims also falls under this category. God has not revealed the truth to other animistic and pagan religions about the realities of the spiritual worlds. All that these hold are, at best, the fantasies of humans and, at worst, the claims of demons each purporting to be objective reality, which brings us to the problem posed by Dr. Kraft and the other warlords.

B. Doctrinal Statements Supported by Demonic Testimony

      As to the practice of questioning demons, from a purely logical point of view their very nature should make us wary of anything they say. Granted, they will tell the truth at times as they have while in the presence of Christ, but it is demonstrable that they will always subvert the truth to their own aims and thus it will be twisted in one way or another.
      Aside from this observation, Dr. Kraft, Dr. Murphy, and Dr. Dickason to a lesser degree are guilty of spiritism and divination for the following reasons:

1. They are getting information about the spiritual realm and their patients[37] with the help of supernatural forces that lie outside the Biblical scope. This would make them fall under the definition of divination as the art of obtaining special information from spiritual beings.
   

2. They are speaking to people who they claim are possessed by evil spirits, thus falling into the category of the who have familiar spirits. This is a practice that is not only forbidden by God in Dt 18, but also judged by God in Isa 8 by placing darkness upon those who will consult such people.

3. They are working on a “science” of spiritual warfare that sound suspiciously more like a magical science, something that the JPS commentary interestingly points out is exactly what separates a true prophet of God from a sorcerer, medium, spiritist, or false prophet.[38] Their using the Name of Jesus to subvert and control demons in a seemingly ritualistic way[39] would also fall under the definitions of magic that we gave.

VI. And What Are We Going To Do About It?

After we have looked at all of the evidence and the Scriptures and  given some application, it is time to summarize the problem and present the question that I wished to raise from the beginning.
      First of all, Dr. Kraft, Dr. Wagner, and the other spiritual warlords are turning to extra-biblical and demonic sources in order to substantiate their teachings concerning exorcism and territorial spirits. Doing this places them under the definitions of magic and divination that I have cited at the beginning of the paper.
      Second, in Deuteronomy 18 and Isaiah 8 the Bible clearly forbids any kind of divination, that is turning to sources other than God and the Bible for information about spiritual reality. Therefore what these gentlemen are doing is not only condemned by the Word of God, but is also clearly anti-biblical.
      Now I would like to challenge the Church: In light of this evidence, what are we going to do with the teachings of the Deliverance Ministry? Clearly they have gone beyond Divine Revelation and that is to be condemned, for spiritual reality is not subject to a social sciences approach.
      This is a crisis that I would put on a scale with that which Marcion posed to the early church and, though the Church is as fragmented as she is today,  we must rally and decide how we are going to deal with this teaching. May God give us the wisdom on how to proceed and the courage we seem to have lost in our academic and clerical circles to do as we must.