Premonitions refer to intuitive feelings or visions about events that will happen in the future. Some people believe God gives them premonitions to prepare them for what’s to come or to warn others of impending danger. However, Christians hold differing views on whether premonitions are from God or not.
On one hand, some Christians believe God can and does use premonitions to speak to His people. They point to biblical accounts of God giving people visions and dreams about future events, such as Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams in Genesis 41. They also note examples of Jesus supernaturally knowing future events, like when He predicted Peter would deny Him three times (Matthew 26:34). So they believe premonitions can be a gift of the Holy Spirit to receive insight from God.
On the other hand, other Christians are more skeptical about premonitions. They warn that not all supernatural experiences are from God, but can have demonic origins instead. The Bible instructs believers to test every spirit to see if it is from God (1 John 4:1). These Christians caution that premonitions, especially those involving fortune-telling, could be manipulated by evil spiritual forces. They point to verses like Deuteronomy 18:10 that forbid divination and witchcraft.
Additionally, some Christians believe God may have at times used premonitions in biblical history, but that gift was meant only for early believers. They don’t expect God to continue speaking through premonitions today now that the full revelation of Scripture is available. Rather, God speaks primarily through the Bible and providing wisdom for applying it. From this view, Christians should evaluate modern-day premonitions against Scripture to discern if they are truly from God or not.
In summary, Christians hold differing perspectives on premonitions:
- Some believe premonitions can be God-given glimpses into the future or warnings of danger.
- Others are concerned premonitions may have demonic origins and caution against relying on them.
- Some think God used premonitions historically in biblical times, but does not gift them today now that Scripture is complete.
All Christians would affirm that the Bible is the ultimate authority and any premonitions should be carefully compared against Scripture. The Bible warns about deceptive prophecies, so sound discernment is required for evaluating premonitions (1 John 4:1-3). Any message from a premonition that contradicts or adds to biblical teaching should be rejected as false.
Biblical Examples of Premonitions and God Revealing the Future
The Bible records several occasions when God gave people premonitions, visions or dreams that revealed events before they happened. Some key examples include:
- Joseph’s dreams: As a young man, Joseph had dreams that foretold his future leadership and his brothers and parents bowing down to him (Genesis 37:5-11). Those dreams were fulfilled years later when Joseph became a ruler in Egypt.
- Pharaoh’s dreams: Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams about upcoming years of famine, allowing Egypt to prepare plenty of grain beforehand (Genesis 41).
- Jacob’s dream: The Lord appeared to Jacob in a dream about the multiplication of his descendants and promised to give him the land of Canaan (Genesis 28:10-15).
- Gideon’s dream: Gideon heard an enemy soldier telling a dream that predicted Gideon would conquer them, which encouraged Gideon to attack (Judges 7:9-15).
- Daniel interpreting dreams: God gifted Daniel to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, even predicting future kingdoms.
- Jesus’ prophecies: Jesus demonstrated supernatural knowledge of future events, like Peter’s denials and Judas’ betrayal (Matthew 26:21, 34).
- Saul’s conversion: Jesus appeared to Saul in a vision and told him he would become a witness for Him, which was fulfilled when Saul converted (Acts 9:3-6, 15-16).
- Cornelius’ vision: God gave Cornelius a vision about Peter coming to visit him and saving his household (Acts 10).
- Peter’s vision: Peter had a vision to guide him to share the Gospel with Gentiles (Acts 10:9-16).
- Paul’s visions: God gave Paul visions telling him where to travel for ministry, like calling him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10).
- John’s visions: The book of Revelation contains John’s visions about the future end times and the return of Christ.
In these examples, premonitions served to prepare God’s people for future events, guide key decisions, and demonstrate God’s sovereignty over history. They provided confirmation of God’s will and direction. At the same time, these premonitions were clearly set apart from occult practices condemned in the Bible.
Biblical Warnings About Premonitions and False Prophecies
Although the Bible records times when God revealed the future, it also includes many warnings about false prophecies and improper means of trying to predict the future. Christians should be alert to these dangers regarding premonitions.
The Bible expressly forbids occult practices like divination, witchcraft, interpreting omens, sorcery, casting spells, mediumship, and necromancy (contacting the dead). See passages like Deuteronomy 18:10, Leviticus 19:26, and Galatians 5:19-21.
Isaiah 8:19-20 warns against consulting mediums and wizards, saying people should consult God’s law and testimony instead.
In the New Testament, Jesus said no sign would be given except the sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:39). And 1 Corinthians 13:8 says prophecy and knowledge will pass away when the perfect comes, generally understood as meaning Christ’s return. Some interpret these verses to mean God will not give new supernatural revelations today.
1 John 4:1 instructs dear friends to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” There are false prophets so prophecies must be weighed carefully against Scripture.
Matthew 24:24 also warns that false messiahs and false prophets will appear performing great signs and wonders to lead people astray. Discernment is needed to distinguish false premonitions from true ones.
In summary, the Bible clearly prohibits occult practices and says prophecy and special knowledge will fade away, while providing warnings about false prophets and deceptive signs in the end times. Christians should apply these biblical principles to carefully and skeptically evaluate modern-day premonitions.
How Christians View Predicting the Future and God’s Sovereignty
Aside from outright occult practices, some Christians believe it is wrong to predict the future at all or try to read God’s hidden will. They highlight verses like:
- “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs 27:1)
- “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow.” (James 4:14)
Attempting to foresee or control the future could indicate a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty. Instead, believers are called to live one day at a time in God’s provision.
On the other hand, other Christians point out biblical heroes like Joseph, Daniel and Paul whose God-given premonitions allowed them to wisely prepare for the future. They see these verses as prohibiting worry or boasting about unknown future events, but not forbidding prudent foresight when God grants revelation.
Ultimately, Christians believe God is all-knowing and in control of the future. He may choose at times to reveal coming events to His servants, but His ways and timing are perfect. He holds the future securely in His hands.
Evaluating Modern Premonitions Biblically
When someone claims to have received a premonition or supernatural foretelling today, biblical Christians evaluate it carefully against these principles from Scripture:
- Does it explicitly align with biblical teaching or introduce doctrine not found in the Bible? (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Isaiah 8:20)
- Is the source truly from God and the Holy Spirit, or could it be demonic deception? Test the spirits. (1 John 4:1-3)
- Does it point people to Jesus Christ and salvation by faith in Him? Or some other way? (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
- Does the premonition bear good fruit in keeping with God’s character? Or does it stir up fear, confusion or sin? (Matthew 7:15-20)
- Do the prophecies actually come true or contain errors? Even true prophets can occasionally be wrong. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)
- Could the foretelling be a natural intuition or educated guess rather than supernatural? (Daniel 2:27-28)
Christians should reject any premonition that draws people away from the Bible, fails these tests, or stirs up fear or unbiblical practices. On the other hand, premonitions that illuminate biblical truth and bring wise counsel could potentially be from God, subject to careful discernment.
How Should Christians Respond to Premonitions?
When a Christian experiences a premonition or receives one from someone else claiming divine origin, how should he or she respond appropriately?
- Compare it to Scripture – What does the Bible say about this subject? Does the premonition align or contradict it? (Isaiah 8:20)
- Pray for discernment – Ask God sincerely for wisdom to identify the spiritual source and any deception. (James 1:5)
- Test everything – Don’t blindly accept it without careful evaluation. Wait to see if prophecies are fulfilled. (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21)
- Submit to godly counsel – Get input from wise, biblically-grounded believers who can help assess it. (Proverbs 12:15)
- Reject false prophecies – Have courage to speak out against any premonitions that teach false doctrine or make false predictions. (Jeremiah 29:8-9)
- Act prudently – If a warning premonition withstands testing, take prudent precautions but avoid paranoia or dismissing it. (Genesis 41:33-36)
- Focus on Christ – Center your faith on Jesus and the gospel message, not premonitions. (2 Peter 1:19)
The safest approach is to hold any modern-day premonitions at arm’s length until they are proven trustworthy or false. Test them thoroughly against Scripture and godly wisdom. What matters most is each believer’s personal relationship with Christ.
Conclusion
In summary, the Bible indicates that God has at times used premonitions, dreams and visions to reveal future events to His people when it served His purposes. However, the Bible strongly condemns fortune-telling and occult means of predicting the future. Christians are called to evaluate modern premonitions carefully in light of Scripture, testing the spirits behind them. While premonitions should never supersede God’s Word or distract from the gospel, those that prove reliable can potentially aid in making wise decisions if handled discerningly. The Bible provides all believers need for salvation and godly living, but God in His sovereignty may choose at times to supernaturally reveal specific things ahead of time by His Holy Spirit. Therefore, Christians approach premonitions with openness, caution and careful biblical examination. The Scriptures remain the bedrock for evaluating all spiritual claims and experiences.