What Does the Bible Say About Seeing the Future?
Many people desire to learn the future through fortune tellers or horoscopes. Let’s see what the Bible says about seeing the future.
Luke 10:23-24: (NKJV) “Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.’”
Even though the disciples saw, they did not yet understand. The meaning of Old Testament prophecies describing the future of the coming Messiah were never fully understood until after the Messiah came, died, and was resurrected from the dead (Luke 18:31-34; John 12:16). Prophecy fulfilled confirms God’s foreknowledge and increases our faith in Him. Bible prophecy is not for giving day-to-day guidance and timing of events in our lives because “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV). We can only develop faith in God when our future is uncertain and maybe even seems fearful, and hence then we look to Him for help through life’s adversities.
Yes, God did provide insight into the future through prophecies written in the Bible. Yet, often these prophecies were not meant to be fully understood until after they were fulfilled, again as faith-building evidence of God’s foreknowledge. If we desire to “see” the future, it may not be appropriate. Daniel, for example, was given incredible prophecies of the future and was told they would not be understood until a future appointed time for understanding (Daniel 12:8-9).
Again, not knowing the future helps us to develop faith and dependence on our Heavenly Father, just as a child trusts that his or her parents will feed and clothe them. Sincere Christians walk by faith trusting that God knows what is best for us and do not rely on fortune tellers or horoscopes to know the future.
In Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV) Jesus promised, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
We can trust that God has a plan and purpose in our experiences for our personal growth in the fruit of the holy spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV) comforts us with the promise that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Pagan or Christian Holidays?
Long ago, Paganism infiltrated Christianity. Although Jesus was actually born about October 3, the date when most Christians celebrate his birth is December 25, the Pagan date of the birthday of the Roman sun god, Saturn. This was the last day of more than a week of celebrations in Rome known as “Saturnalia.” Starting on December 17th, Saturnalia involved banquets and parties with family and friends. During this time, all social rules were reversed, but the most significant aspect of the Saturnalia was a traditional exchange of gifts.
According to the website statista.com, consumers in the United States spent 10.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 for the Halloween season as compared to 3.3 billion in 2005. The origin of Halloween can be traced back to the Celtic festival of Samhain at the end of summer when the druids believed that Samhain, the god of death, scattered evil spirits during this time throughout the world to attack humans. To escape the attack, humans would assume disguises and make themselves look like evil spirits, too. Ephesians 5:11 (ESV), “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday. The word “Easter” comes from the name of Eostre, the Germanic goddess of spring. Easter eggs and the Easter bunny were Pagan symbols of rebirth and fertility. Christian’s are not celebrating this pagan aspect. We find more background on the Pagan influence of the Easter celebration in the Bible.
2 Chronicles 33:1-3,6 (NASB) reads, “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. vs. 6 He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.”
Our text quoted above speaks of King Manasseh “erecting altars for the Baals and making Asherim.” Known as Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, she was the Pagan goddess of fertility and sexual lust from which the festival of Easter is derived. Each spring, the Pagans would set up phallic poles called Asherahs under trees on high hills and celebrate their fertility festival with unbridled sexual perversion.
Many Christians rightly enjoy and honor Christmas and Easter embracing the Biblical importance of Jesus’ birth and resurrections, while discarding pagan connections. Rejoicing in and celebrating these wonderful events each year are important parts of the Christian hope and experience.
Dangers in Dreams
The danger in relying on dreams is not only in being misled, but in misdirecting our faith away from God as is taught by the following scriptures:
Deuteronomy 13:3 (ESV) “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Jeremiah 23:25,27 (ESV) “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?” (See also Jude 1:8.)
In the Book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, had a very disturbing dream, and he wanted to understand its meaning.
Daniel 2:2 (NIV) “So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed…”
None of them could describe the dream, let alone explain its meaning. However, with God’s help, Daniel described and explained the dream. Dreams from God are rare and should not be trusted to guide our life in place of guidance from the Bible, especially since dreams can come from fallen angels or spirit guides. A dream from God will NEVER contradict His Word, the Bible. If a dream is contrary to God’s Word, it is a sure sign the dream is not from God.
FBI Archives on Interdimensional Beings from another World
Government involvement with the demonic spirit world is concerning. Memorandum 6751 is a United States document dated July 8, 1947, that was declassified in the year 2010, and disclosed to the public from the FBI archives. It includes a letter addressed to the Director of Intelligence at the Pentagon from J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, referencing a document with the numbered points.
Memorandum 6751 discloses the presence of supernormal beings from another world “which interpenetrates with our own and is not perceptible to us.” Weaponized with “radiant energy,” they enter the “etheric” (or cross dimensions) at will. Lokas or Talas. mentioned in the document, is a concept in Hindu mythology that refers to alternate worlds or realities, and in the simplest context, multiple dimensions.
We need not fear what devious plots and influence these fallen angels have with earth’s leaders. Take for example Adolf Hitler, who was known to get guidance from the occult, yet even with their aid his plans for conquest ultimately failed. Even so, we are told in the Bible that ultimately Jesus will bind and destroy Satan.
Satan and His Kingdom to Be Destroyed
For thousands of years, Satan has been the god and ruler of this world.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NASB) “…the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel...”
John 12: 31 (NKJV) “…the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
As ruler, Satan has done all in his power to blind the masses through earth’s governments, leaders, institutions and religions. With his authority as ruler, Satan even tempted Jesus by offering him the world - if Jesus would only worship him.
Matthew 4:8-9 (NKJV) “…the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.’”
Satan could only have offered Jesus the kingdoms of this world if he were in control of them. Jesus resisted the temptation to establish himself as king over the earth at that time. He had a different mission of sacrifice and knew he must wait for a future time to establish God’s kingdom on earth, in accordance with his Father’s time frame and methods.
Revelation 20:2-3 (NKJV) “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished…” vs. 10 “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire…”
Romans 16:20 (NKJV) “…the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet...”
Hebrews 2:14 (ESV) “…through death he [Jesus] might destroy… the devil.”
Yes, the ultimate destruction of Satan is assured in the Bible, and God never lies. Before Jesus can establish his kingdom on earth, the present governments and social order under Satan’s control must be destroyed and replaced, that destruction here being symbolized by a consuming fire:
Zephaniah 3:8 (ESV) “’Therefore…’ declares the LORD, ‘…my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.’”
This is not a literal fire. The very next verse says…
Zephaniah 3:9 (ESV) “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.”
The earth will not be literally burned up because after destroying Satan’s control over earth’s governments, institutions and social order, the people are taught the pure language of the gospel and they all serve the LORD. The time of Jesus’ reign and judgment over the earth is not a time of fear and dread, but rather, a time of joy and happiness for those who are willing to follow God’s laws and come into harmony with Him. At that time, evil and wickedness will not be tolerated.
Isaiah 28:17 (ESV) “And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies…”
Future Righteous Kingdom of God on Earth
With Satan and his works of evil destroyed, God will establish a righteous and peaceable kingdom on earth.
1 Chronicles 16:31-34 (NKJV) “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns.’ Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
In harmony with this glad view, Isaiah says:
Isaiah 40:5 (NKJV) “The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together…”
Isaiah 11:9 (NKJV) “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
Isaiah 26:9 (NKJV) “…For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
Haggai 2:7 (KJV) “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come….”
In God’s future peaceable kingdom on earth, the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth and mankind will learn righteousness as taught in the Bible, and will worship and serve their Creator.
In that kingdom age, everyone that has ever lived will be raised from the dead and, as expressed in Jesus’ prayer, will have the opportunity to learn about “the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent…” (John 17:3).
John 5:28-29 (NKJV) Jesus said, “the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will…come forth.”
Acts 24:15 (NKJV) Paul said, “…there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.”
Daniel 7:14,27 (NKJV) “Then to him [Jesus] was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed… vs. 27…His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
Working through Jesus, God promises a beautiful tomorrow of world peace and true justice for everyone. At that time, all peoples and nations will worship and learn from God.
Micah 4:1-4 (NKJV) “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.”
Yet, because God gives His creation free choice, not all people will agree to come under God’s guidance and authority.
Revelation 22:14-15 (NKJV) “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”
Even God’s mercy and patience has limits. In this future righteous kingdom of God on earth, if the wicked refuse to repent and worship God, they will be eternally destroyed.
Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Fire is here used as a symbol of eternal destruction and is here called “second death,” since after people are raised from the dead, if God judges them as irredeemably wicked, they are judged to die a second time. They will never again be raised from the dead, as Jesus died ONCE for ALL, not twice for all (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 9:25,26; 10:12). Everyone of mankind gets ONE full opportunity for eternal life free from Satan’s dominion and deceptions. Under these ideal conditions, God will not violate free will for those who love wickedness. He will not turn wicked people into good robots. Yet for the vast majority of mankind, there will be a happy ending.
Revelation 21:1-4 (NKJV) “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth…and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’”
Touch Not the Unclean Thing
Spirit guides (demons) are in rebellion against the true God. Their god, Satan, is a deceiver who appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:3,14), but he is in reality the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24; Ephesians 2:2). Some fortune tellers might be deceived into believing spirit guides are good. However, regardless of their intentions, these practices are so abhorrent to God that He describes this evil as an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:9-12) punishable by death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27) under the Law of Moses.
Demonic influence is a trap that replaces an uplifting spiritual connection with God (Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28), with deceitful enticements of promised insight, answers, influence and power (Genesis 3:5; Matthew 4:1-11; 1 John 2:15-16). Demon possession is the greatest danger from the spirit world and the Christian defense is prayer, confessing Jesus is Lord and putting on the whole armor of God. (See 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 and the section, “The Danger of Demon Possession.”)
We trust this investigation has been helpful and insightful for those interested in what the Bible teaches about fortune tellers and the spirit world. Certainly those who love God and His Word will take every precaution to be totally disconnected from the occult, knowing its dangers and God’s warnings against it.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (ESV) “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial [Satan]? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.’”
