Bible Question:

Can we get God to change His mind by praying that premonitions do not come true? I have had premonitions that have come true before. I know He has a plan for us, but will He consider our requests?

Bible Answer:

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a premonition as “a feeling that something is going to happen.”[1] The Britannica Dictionary gives the definition of “a feeling or belief that something is going to happen when there is no definite reason to believe it will.”[2] These definitions are an important starting point since they help us understand what premonition means and does not mean. The purpose of this article is to answer the question, “Do premonitions come from God?

Premonition, Recognition, Clairvoyance, and Retrocognition

Premonition, precognition, clairvoyance, and retrocognition are closely related topics. Precognition, clairvoyance, and retrocognition are defined as the ability to have insight into the future, present, and past, respectively. As already stated, premonition is “a feeling that something is going to happen, but precognition refers to the ability to perceive future events before they occur. So, precognition is the ability to know, but premonition is a feeling. Some people define a premonition as a dream, where this use of “dream” does not imply certainty. So, premonition refers to something less certain than precognition.

Dreams in the Bible were always prophetic in nature and referred to certainty that an event or events would definitely occur. Examples of dreams can be found in the Old and New Testaments. Laban had a dream (Genesis 31:29) in which God spoke to him. God spoke to King Nebuchadnezzar in a dream (Daniel 2:31-45), to Daniel (Daniel 7:1-28), to Joseph (Matthew 1:20; 2:19, 22), the magi or wisemen (Matthew 2:12), and to Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19). Everyone of these dreams was from God. These were dreams about events that would definitely occur in the future and they did occur. So, dreams in the Bible were not premonitions nor precognitions.

Do Premonitions Come From God?

Omens in the Bible

Dreams in the Bible are not omens since an omen is a sign of something that may happen. An omen is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “an occurrence or phenomenon believed to portend a future event.”[3] The dictionary’s example of an omen is “The dark clouds were considered a bad omen.”[4] The point is that an omen does not reveal certainty. The Bible does refer to an omen which is a form of a premonition.

In Deuteronomy 18:10-11, God forbids us to seek omens and to know their interpretations. We are to avoid them. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 says,

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. Deuteronomy 18:10-11 (NASB)

This passage lists a number of demonic activities, including omens. Omens are occultic. The occult ignores God and depends upon Satan. This fact helps us understand that omens deceive people into believing that God is not necessary in order to gain knowledge about the future. Since omens are uncertain, they are deceptive allusions promoted by the occult. Eugene H. Merrill describes the ridiculous objects used to determine the future.

The interpreter of omens (menahes) divined through the use of certain revelatory objects or devices such as a cup (cf Gen 44:5) or through the actions or words of others (1 Kings 20:32-33).[5]

Jack S. Deere states,

To interpret omens is to tell the future based on “signs” such as the movements of birds, fire, or rain.[6]

That is, omens are from  the demonic realm. God did not use omens. He used dreams, visions, or spoke directly to people. That is the difference in methods between the occult and God.

Therefore, we are to avoid intentionally exploring these occultic activities. Remember that a premonition only refers to an undefined feeling that something will happen, and an omen is one form of a premonition.

Conclusion:

So, do premonitions come from God? The answer is no! They are promoted by the demonic realm and Satan himself.

 

References:

1. Merriam Webster Dictionary (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premonition)
2. The Britannica Dictionary (www.britannica.com/dictionary/premonition).
3. Merriam Webster Dictionary (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omen)
4. Ibid.
5. Eugene H. Merril. Deuteronomy. The New American Commentary. B&H Publishing Group. 1994. vol. 4. p. 271.
6. Jak S. Deere. Deuteronomy. Walvoord & Zuck. the Bible Knowledge Commentary. ChariotVictor Publishing. 1985. p. 297.

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