Divination and False Prophets 

quote from website 

http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue82.htm 


Balaam was an occultist. Joshua 13:22 calls him a “diviner.” He went to high places to read omens. He practiced “augury.” His 
renown in dealing out spiritual curses was such that Balak was willing to pay a lot of money to have Balaam curse Israel. 
Whenever mentioned in the Bible, Balaam is condemned (the story of Balaam is in Numbers 22-24; he is condemned in 2Peter 
2:15; Jude 1:11; Revelation 2:14). 
One remarkable thing about Balaam is that though he was a false prophet, he made a significant true prophesy. He prophesied 
about the coming of Messiah! He said, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from 
Jacob, And a scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of 
Sheth” (Numbers 24:17). Balaam, though normally practicing divination, had the Spirit of God come on him: “When Balaam saw 
that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the 
wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.” 
(Numbers 24:1, 2) Balaam blessed Israel though he was hired to curse them. 

There are three tests of prophets given in Deuteronomy: 
1) if they use forbidden methods they are false (Deuteronomy 18:10-12), 
2) If they make a prediction that does not come to pass they are false (Deuteronomy 18:22), and 
3) If they make a true prediction yet lead the Israelites away from faithfulness to God they are false (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). 

Given the fact that God spoke to and through Balaam, how can it be that he was a false prophet? Balaam failed two of the 
tests given in Deuteronomy. He was a false prophet according to Deuteronomy 18 because he used forbidden methods. The 
Israelites were specifically told not to listen to anyone who practiced divination. 
He also failed the test of prophets given in Deuteronomy 13: 
If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, 
concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you 
shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if 
you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) 
A prophet may give an accurate prediction or do a sign that would indicate he has power from God, yet still lead the people 
astray. 
Balaam, after failing to directly curse Israel through divination, taught Balak how to lead Israel astray and thus get them 
cursed. We learn this in the New Testament: “But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the 
teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to 
idols, and to commit acts of immorality” (Revelation 2:14). Failing to curse Israel, he taught Balak how to get them to put 
themselves under God’s curse. Thus Balaam led Israel away from covenant faithfulness and failed the test of Deuteronomy 13. 
False prophets are linked with divination in this passage: “Then the Lord said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying falsehood 
in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, 
divination, futility and the deception of their own minds” (Jeremiah 14:14). These prophets were telling the people what they 
wanted to hear, that the judgment that Jeremiah was predicting would not come to pass (Jeremiah 14:15). They were soon proven 
false. The point is this: God’s people need to be able to distinguish between prophets and diviners. The criterion for doing 
so is objective and not subjective. The false prophets were diviners whose source was subjective: “deception of their own 
minds.” 

http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue82.htm 

summary : there is one more test, that is the motive of people’s heart 
If they make a true prediction yet lead the Israelites away from faithfulness to God they are false (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). 
this test is so important