Black Rock Seventh-day Adventist Church

Channeling is a modern name for what the Bible calls mediumship or spiritism. A channeler is a mystic who becomes a channel, or receptive agent, for intelligent communications coming from the spirit world. What does God say about mediumship? It's in the Bible, Leviticus 19:31 NIV. "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them."

Mediumship was common among the pagan peoples of the Bible lands. God warned the Children of Israel about it just prior to their entry into the Promised Land of Canaan. It's in the Bible, Deuteronomy 18:9-12 NIV. "When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord."

People seek counsel from psychic mediums. What is the real source of the messages uttered by these spiritists? An event in the life of the Apostle Paul throws light upon their identity. It's in the Bible, Acts 16:16-18 NIV. "Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved. ' She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her."

Wicked spirits, angels who at one time were living in heaven with God, rebelled with Satan and were cast down to planet earth. It's in the Bible, Revelation 12:7-9 NIV. "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."

Because the spirits of channeling are satanic, its activity is abhorrent to God. In fact, during the Israelites time, anyone practicing mediumship was put to death. It's in the Bible, Leviticus 20:27.NIV. "A man or woman who is a medium or a spiritist among you must be put to death." Isaiah 8:19 NKJ, "And when they say to you, 'Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,' should not a people seek their God?"

(For further information on Channeling, see our
Common Questions)