The Bible has a lot to say about magic, magicians, and illusionists. At its core, the Bible condemns the practice of magic and occult arts as sinful rebellion against God. The Bible also makes a distinction between supernatural miracles performed by God’s power and illusionary magic tricks performed by deception.
Here is an overview of some key biblical passages regarding magic and illusion:
Old Testament Verses
Exodus 7-8 – Moses and Aaron performed genuine miracles by God’s power, while Pharaoh’s magicians used tricks and sorcery.
Exodus 22:18 – “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” This demonstrates God’s prohibition against occult practices.
Leviticus 19:26 – “You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.” God forbids superstitious divination and fortune-telling.
Leviticus 19:31 – “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers.” Consulting with the dead and spiritism are condemned.
Leviticus 20:6 – “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers…I will set my face against that person.” God promises judgment on occult practitioners.
Leviticus 20:27 – “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death.” Occult arts warranted capital punishment.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 – A lengthy warning against child sacrifice, divination, fortune-telling, interpreting omens, sorcery, casting spells, mediums, spiritists, and necromancy.
1 Samuel 15:23 – “Rebellion is as the sin of divination.” Saul’s stubbornness is equated to the sin of divining and idolatry.
2 Kings 9:22 – “What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?” Sorcery is associated with depravity.
2 Kings 17:17 – Israel sacrificed children, practiced divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to evil, provoking the Lord.
2 Kings 21:6 – King Manasseh practiced divination, used omens, consulted mediums and spiritists, provoking God’s anger.
2 Chronicles 33:6 – Manasseh practiced sorcery, divination, consulted mediums, and provoked the Lord to anger.
Isaiah 2:6 – God’s people are filled with influences from the East including pagan sorcery and divination.
Isaiah 8:19 – Mediums and spiritists who whisper and chirp should not be consulted by God’s people.
Isaiah 19:3 – The Lord frustrates Egyptian plans so they resort to idols, mediums, and spiritists.
Jeremiah 14:14 – Lying prophets make false divination saying, “You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine.”
Ezekiel 13:6-9 – False prophets see lying visions and perform divination deceiving God’s people.
Daniel 1:20 – In every matter of wisdom and understanding, the king found Daniel to have ten times better insight than magicians and enchanters.
Daniel 2:2 – King Nebuchadnezzar summoned magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to interpret his dream.
Daniel 2:10 – The astrologers answer the king saying no one can reveal mysteries except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
Daniel 4:7 – The magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers could not interpret the king’s dream.
Daniel 5:7 – King Belshazzar offered promotion to whoever could read the writing, including enchanters, astrologers and diviners.
Daniel 5:11 – Daniel said King Nebuchadnezzar made him chief over magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers.
Micah 3:7 – Diviners have shame and disgrace because they cannot give true visions or interpretations.
Micah 5:12 – God will destroy witchcraft, sorceries, fortune-tellers, and idolatry from the land.
Nahum 3:4 – The prostitute city Nineveh is full of sorcery, enchantments, divination, and witchcraft.
Malachi 3:5 – The Lord is against sorcerers and adulterers and will be a swift witness against them.
In summary, the Old Testament strongly condemns magic, sorcery, divination, necromancy, fortune-telling, interpreting omens, consulting mediums and spiritists as forbidden occult practices. God’s people must avoid these evils.
New Testament Verses
Matthew 2:1-2 – Magi from the East came to worship Jesus, guided by His star.
Matthew 2:7-8,16 – Herod secretly summoned the magi then killed children based on the time he learned from them.
Matthew 24:24 – In the end times false messiahs and false prophets will perform great signs and wonders to deceive people.
Mark 13:22 – False christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to lead astray the elect.
Acts 8:9-13 – Simon had practiced magic and amazed the people of Samaria, but he believed and was baptized.
Acts 13:6-12 – Elymas the magician opposed Paul and tried to turn the proconsul from faith, but was struck blind.
Acts 19:19 – New converts who formerly practiced magic burned their scrolls worth 50,000 drachmas.
Galatians 5:19-21 – Those who practice sorcery and witchcraft will not inherit the kingdom.
1 Timothy 4:1 – The Spirit says that later times will see people abandon faith to follow deceitful spirits and demonic teachings.
2 Timothy 3:8 – Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses like the false teachers who are warped, disqualified and follow evil ways.
Revelation 9:21 – People did not repent of magic arts, sorceries, thefts, murders, and immorality.
Revelation 18:23 – Babylon the prostitute city deceives by her sorcery and magic spell all nations.
Revelation 21:8 – Sorcerers and their lot will be in the lake of fire, the second death.
Revelation 22:15 – Outside God’s city are sorcerers, occultists, sexually immoral and all who love falsehood.
In summary, the New Testament indicates magic and sorcery will increase in the last days to deceive people. But practitioners of such occult arts will be excluded from God’s kingdom and face judgment.
Principles About Magic and Illusion
Based on these Bible passages, here are some key principles that can be drawn regarding magic and illusion:
- Practicing magic arts, sorcery, divination and occult rituals is clearly prohibited in Scripture.
- Consulting mediums, spiritists and necromancers is forbidden, since it invokes demons.
- Fortune-telling and interpreting omens is considered a form of rebellion against God.
- Magic and occult practices attempt to manipulate the spirit realm apart from God.
- Miracles performed by God’s power expose magic as fraudulent tricks.
- Magicians may use deception, spells, demons or sleight of hand to perform illusions.
- Astrology and horoscopes are rejected since only God knows the future.
- Witchcraft, spells and incantations are condemned as occult evils.
- Those who practice magic arts will face exclusion from God’s kingdom.
- All magic leads people astray into spiritual darkness and deception.
- God’s people must reject and expose magic, not be fooled by it.
Distinguishing Supernatural Miracles from Magic
The Bible makes a distinction between the supernatural miracles performed by God’s power and magic tricks done by deception. Here are some differences between God’s miracles and magic illusions:
- Miracles – performed by God, confirm His truth, point to Jesus, happen instantly, often public
- Magic – performed by humans, confirm deception, point to deception, entertainment tricks, often secretive
- Miracles – heal visible and organic diseases, restore life to dead, demonstrations of God’s love and power
- Magic – sleight of hand, misdirection, psychology, chemicals, spirits
- Miracles – done through prayer, calling on Jesus’ name, by faith in God’s Spirit
- Magic – spells, incantations, potions, occult rituals, palmistry, medium spirits
- Miracles – Jesus did them to prove He is God, resulting in belief, repentance, salvation
- Magic – deceives people, convinces them spiritual forces can be manipulated for gain
In conclusion, the Bible strongly condemns magic, sorcery and occult arts as deceptive practices that lead people away from faith in Jesus. Christians must avoid association with these practices and expose their dangers versus Biblical miracles.
