This subject of the occult and sorcery lies at the root purpose of my own calling in Christ, as a brother to the body, as well as one who actively resists deception in the churches. It is without doubt the most important area of understanding today, which being misunderstood and misrepresented, even by many believers who have a testimony of having been saved from a former inclination to think in occult terms, results in increasing numbers of believers practising a form of sorcery, yet truly believing that they are serving God. The result of having an occult mind simply means that one will always be inclined to self promotion, the control of the very elements and a deep desire to control others for gain and profit. All of this can be done in the Lord’ name, and not simply by reason of occult knowledge itself, making this presentation in ministry the most controversial of all possible presentations.
To sum up this claim it is only necessary to say that this generation is becoming a generation of sorcerers; amongst which generation, are many true believers also practising sorcery, and not true body ministry of the Word of Christ.
That which lies at the heart of all occult activity and doctrine is real. All occultists understand that in the end communication, whether of speech or by means of writings, is key to the occult. Occult knowledge is important, yet without the corresponding presentation which accompanies its expression, knowledge is a dead thing.
Amongst those who take the name of Christ there is an understanding that God Himself acts according to His own prophets, when He chooses to do so. It is an understanding that if such a man is given, then the Lord will not let his word fall to the ground. Samuel was established on such a basis for his day even from his youth. Isaiah was brought to a state of complete wretchedness before God, so that he would comprehend that he was a man of unclean lips. Christ Himself as a prophet was established according to this same principle even though He knew no sin and never did speak foolishly or falsely. In the case of The Lord it was a determination of obedience. In the case of Samuel it was a determination of God from Samuel’ youth. In the case of Isaiah it was a being brought suddenly to a place wherein he could no longer trust his own speech, only then could he be sent. What is happening today in the church however, does not produce humility or a true comprehension of God or His Righteousness, it is producing boastings and giving rise to a generation of babylonian sorcerers carousing in their flesh and profiting from the knowledge of God without comprehending the enemy of God, or God Himself.
The understanding that speech lies at the heart of serving God is counterfeited by Satan and may be legitimately called the “doctrine of utterances.” From the very first words in the bible we see that God Himself speaks and when God speaks it is done. In counterfeiting this reality of God, the evil one has a desire for those who are gifted speakers and seeks to make them his instruments. Those who become adept at such speech will inevitably realise at some moment in their activities that they are an instrument of power. The power which is used is all that which arises from God’ true activity, yet is turned by Satan and men, to a purpose other than the one intended by God. Herein lies a startling insight as to what the root of the occult is. Rather than seeing witchcraft or satanism, or any number of such outward and visible activities, we need to comprehend that the occult is in fact, that which is hidden. This principle was well understood in ages past throughout the occult occident, and partly explains why elemental science was viewed with such fear by the church. It also explains why those who experimented with elemental knowledge were held in fear and suspicion. This concern was grounded in the understanding that the occult is not an invention of things, but an uncovering of those things which form the visible and invisible universe created by God Himself. Perhaps the most obvious development of this in the occult occident was Alchemy. In this age of scientific reason and instrumentation by which the elements can be observed and therefore measured, it has become a normal practise to mock the church of the middle ages on the grounds that what they feared simply represented material reality. It has to be said however, if the issue were one of simple material reality then there would be no issue at all. The great effort of Satan has been to open up to men and women of all ages the means to carry on supernatural activities, precisely by drawing to their attention the material universe that God has created, yet not by reason of knowing God, rather to exercise rebellious independence from God. It is to benefit from the universe and its laws and elemental systems by agreement with the prince of the power of the air. For men this seems like a progression of achievement, but to Satan it is the same wicked desire to be as God.
Pythagoras
Indeed if we look at ancient greek philosophical traditions which form the predominate philosophies that have helped to shape much of Western Civilisation, we can see that the most influential philosopher is Pythagoras. His ideas cumulatively form an oratory tradition in which the central characteristic was the communication of acquired knowledge. The recipient of such oratory knowledge would ascend in understanding to an eventual state of godhood through a cycle of reincarnation until eventual equivalence with Logos was realised. In this presentation Logos is the Divine and this divine is represented by the persona of Apollos.
Today Pythagoras is almost universally thought of in terms of mathematical philosophical rationalism and form, yet this is the way in which he is eventually presented in late antiquity. In much earlier sources Pythagoras is presented as an occultist and a magician. His principle interest is not simply elemental forms and meanings pertaining to the Kosmos but is inherently centred on the development of the soul. Herein lies a key to understanding Pythagoras himself as a man, both his motives and his ambition in life. For those who are born again it is possible to comprehend that it is the Spirit Who gives life. So it is written “That which is born of Spirit, is spirit.”. The soul on the other hand is not born again. The soul is that which encompasses the spirit and the body. It is the individual man. All that which Pythagoras undertook represents an interest in improving the soul as well as the body. Satan is not capable of bringing the dead spirits of men alive. He can only stimulate the soul. The soul and the body therefore is the realm in which the occult is experienced and desired.
It is my own assertion that by various degrees, believers are today becoming more interested in the soul than in spiritual life. In this endeavour of Satan, which apostate as well as carnal believers are now walking in with pride, occult thinking is becoming the normal exercise of the mind rather than desiring a renewal of the mind. We are becoming sorcerers who have rejected the power of God working in us and through us, for His own good pleasure, and instead we are learning to comprehend how to wield the knowledge of God like a magicians wand to our own ends. In this endeavour no doctrine has a more clear outworking than the Word of Faith doctrines.
The Age of Lawlessness
With regard to the age in which we live it is not simply a question of what believers are doing it is more fully a question of the age itself. In the end it is possible to demonstrate that this was Satan’ original intention in tempting Adam to act independently of God, by simple disobedience. The effect of this disobedience, whilst it is always comprehended from the standpoint of sin and its chief consequence [death], it is rarely comprehended from the stand point of its other consequence; that of pressing Adam into an independent life of reliance on himself and a need to make a judgement between good and evil. This self reliance and the power which informs it, being of the soul, is the basis for all occult activity and makes for sorcerers when it is informed by the prince of the power of the air. One would imagine that if this were a matter of simply understanding the visible outworking of such activity, resisting it would be simple as well. As it is, the only possibility of escaping this independent power of the soul is inclusion in the death of Christ. If this reality of inclusion and the power to walk by that means is not apprehended the result will always be independent soulish activity. Given that the soul does not always sin, it is possible to be a decent soul, and to intend good things towards others. This is of course quiet normal and represents the portion of perhaps the many, rather than just a few. There are however some men and women who are visibly sorceric in their methodologies, and whose fruits are evidently fleshy and increasingly wicked. The same as these are having an increased influence in leading the saints into sorceric practises themselves, yet believing that they are making spiritual progress or else adding to the Kingdom of Heaven.
As I say, this is a controversial claim and so it is to be expected that it will be resisted. In the end it will be a simple matter of demonstrating how this same inclination came into Israel early in their experience as a nation before God, and led to sins which would have been unimaginable at the beginning of their walk. The incident of the golden calf pales in comparison with what followed at various times in Israel’ history. In the end Israel rejected their Messiah and by the hands of wicked men, crucified Him. One has to really ask how it was possible for a people to reject their Lord and King, who in the full sight of visibility demonstrated, by the power of God, that He was indeed the Christ of Israel. Much more incomprehensible even than this failure to believe in Christ, there were a singular few who had another kind of mind altogether; these were a number of the pharisees. What manner of mind could comprehend and believe that the good works which Christ presented in their sight, were evidence of the power of Satan. If we think that this mind was a mere attitude then we need to take account of the fact that this accusation directly led to these men being cut off from eternal life. It was no mere state of mind. Jesus identified it as the mind of Satan, by telling them plainly that God was not there Father, but the evil one.
Historically the occult has always been presented in terms of witchcraft and magic spells and so on. It has to be said that this occidental view of the occult is really very misleading. It is a view which Satan has fostered in the occult orient (middle Europe) as a response to the Gospel of Christ in and throughout the occident itself. It is in reality a cover, and the thing which it is covering is the true meaning of the occult. In the ancient world no such cover was necessary and so in Egypt, Babylon as well as Rome and Greece, the occult was openly admired. In seeking to look into this difficult subject, it must begin with its true meaning.
The Occult
There are many ancient threads of understanding which inform the occult mind including philosophy, mathematics, astrology, immanent reason as well as transcendental reason. The most rational and ordered presentation of these things comes to us through the writings of ancient greek philosophers, yet ironically have their most orderly roots in the oratory traditions of Pythagorus. Plato is often cited as a father of intellect and reason, through his writings, but Plato himself was grounded and rooted in the orations of Pythagorus. Yet long before the rational adept Pythagorus, we have Egypt, Assyria and babylon, as well as other nations and political systems, and before these we have individual men and before men we have Satan and his ambitions.
The occult therefore whilst it takes on many outward and visible inclinations of men and demons, it is most “perfectly” expressed both at the dawn of time, when the promise of Satan came “ye shall be as God” and once again is being so expressed as to make of it in finality no mere promise, but a reality of behaviour and societal outworking. It ought to be remembered that the reason why God confused the languages of men in Genesis was because “there will be no limit to what man shall do”. Today in the opening of the hidden world of quantum knowledge and otherwise hidden material science, men are once again on the threshold of acknowledging the reality of God by reason, yet not according to God Himself, but despite Him. This was Nimrod, it was all of the ancient world, including the western philosophers, and it is today become an eclectic reality in an emergent apostate church which despite all of its seeming intelligence still craves that “mystical” union with God, despising the mystery of Christ Himself Who is already revealed in the hearts of those who truly love Him. In order to “prove” this occult mystery increasing numbers of evangelical believers are being drawn into self and the dominion of the soul, whilst slowly yielding up the true knowledge of God which can only be comprehended by the new man in Christ, expressed in the renewing of the mind.
An Ancient Danger & A Modern Reality
Occult thinking is now finding its fullest outworking in an emergent theology amongst God’ very elect. At the heart of this emergent theology lies a rational and undeniable reality which is so seductive that it makes of its adherents a tangible realisation of god like understanding and ambitions which resists rebuke because at the heart of it lies the natural hearts and minds of men and women and has little if anything to do with demonic activity as was historically understood even thirty years ago. In short men and women are themselves becoming demonic in their inclinations, thereby making demonic activity less visible and more subtle than at any time in history.
Sir Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton is arguably accredited with writing the most important work of modern science, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica was first published in 1687. What is not known generally is that like Pythagoras of the ancient world, Isaac Newton was also an occultist. What follows is a partial transcript of a speech made by John Maynard Keynes in 1946 to celebrate the tercentenary of Newton’s birth in 1642.
“I believe that the clue to his mind is to be found in his unusual powers of continuous concentrated introspection. A case can be made out, as it also can with Descartes, for regarding him as an accomplished experimentalist. Nothing can be more charming than the tales of his mechanical contrivances when he was a boy. There are his telescopes and his optical experiments, These were essential accomplishments, part of his unequalled all-round technique, but not, I am sure, his peculiar gift, especially amongst his contemporaries. His peculiar gift was the power of holding continuously in his mind a purely mental problem until he had seen straight through it. I fancy his pre-eminence is due to his muscles of intuition being the strongest and most enduring with which a man has ever been gifted. Anyone who has ever attempted pure scientific or philosophical thought knows how one can hold a problem momentarily in one’s mind and apply all one’s powers of concentration to piercing through it, and how it will dissolve and escape and you find that what you are surveying is a blank. I believe that Newton could hold a problem in his mind for hours and days and weeks until it surrendered to him its secret. Then being a supreme mathematical technician he could dress it up, how you will, for purposes of exposition, but it was his intuition which was pre-eminently extraordinary – ‘so happy in his conjectures’, said De Morgan, ‘as to seem to know more than he could possibly have any means of proving’. The proofs, for what they are worth, were, as I have said, dressed up afterwards – they were not the instrument of discovery” (John Maynard Keynes).
In reading these words it may not be immediately clear what Keynes is saying of Newton. Although even to a modest rationalist of scientific integrity the clues are there. Science is almost always comprehended by the majority of men and women as an empirical discipline. Science facts are observable and repeatable, even as hypotheses are drawn from these facts, usually mathematically presented. At the end of which testing and retesting, theories are formed. To almost all minds the part which eludes, is that of the mathematical contract (philosophy). It is in this area where intuition plays the greatest part. What Keynes is saying here of Newton is that his [Newton's] greatest ability was in using his intuition as a pressing instrument until that which cannot be known is forced into the open and thus comprehended [revealed]. This forcing into the open is the very ability which the occultist has and must needs have if he is to succeed in his endeavours. Such a mind is worth a city to Satan or an empire. In seeking to have the mind of Christ to his aid, Satan promised the whole world. Consider this which Keynes said of Newton by way of plain speech.
“Why do I call him a magician? Because he looked on the whole universe and all that is in it as a riddle, as a secret which could be read by applying pure thought to certain evidence, certain mystic clues which God had laid about the world to allow a sort of philosopher’s treasure hunt to the esoteric brotherhood. He believed that these clues were to be found partly in the evidence of the heavens and in the constitution of elements (and that is what gives the false suggestion of his being an experimental natural philosopher), but also partly in certain papers and traditions handed down by the brethren in an unbroken chain back to the original cryptic revelation in Babylonia. He regarded the universe as a cryptogram set by the Almighty – just as he himself wrapt the discovery of the calculus in a cryptogram when he communicated with Leibniz. By pure thought, by concentration of mind, the riddle, he believed, would be revealed to the initiate.
He did read the riddle of the heavens. And he believed that by the same powers of his introspective imagination he would read the riddle of the Godhead, the riddle of past and future events divinely fore-ordained, the riddle of the elements and their constitution from an original undifferentiated first matter, the riddle of health and of immortality. All would be revealed to him if only he could persevere to the end, uninterrupted, by himself, no one coming into the room, reading, copying, testing-all by himself, no interruption for God’s sake, no disclosure, no discordant breakings in or criticism, with fear and shrinking as he assailed these half-ordained, half-forbidden things, creeping back into the bosom of the Godhead as into his mother’s womb” (John Maynard Keynes).
I cannot think of a more perfect definition of the true meaning of the occult than are found in this description of Sir Isaac Newton.
In closing on Newton we could say that despite his extraordinary risk in pressing his mind the way he did for near twenty five years, he escaped in the end with both his mind and his conscience in tact. History remembers both the great scientist and the affable Mr Newton. Yet there was one time the possibility of another kind of man altogether. In speaking about Newton’s chest of papers which were opened after his death Keynes writes:
alchemy 16th century“Another large section is concerned with all branches of apocalyptic writings from which he sought to deduce the secret truths of the Universe – the measurements of Solomon’s Temple, the Book of David, the Book of Revelations, an enormous volume of work of which some part was published in his later days. Along with this are hundreds of pages of Church History and the like, designed to discover the truth of tradition. A large section, judging by the handwriting amongst the earliest, relates to alchemy – transmutation, the philosopher’s stone, the elixir of life. The scope and character of these papers have been hushed up, or at least minimised, by nearly all those who have inspected them. About 1650 there was a considerable group in London, round the publisher Cooper, who during the next twenty years revived interest not only in the English alchemists of the fifteenth century, but also in translations of the medieval and post-medieval alchemists.
There is an unusual number of manuscripts of the early English alchemists in the libraries of Cambridge. It may be that there was some continuous esoteric tradition within the University which sprang into activity again in the twenty years from 1650 to 1670. At any rate, Newton was clearly an unbridled addict. It is this with which he was occupied ‘about 6 weeks at spring and 6 at the fall when the fire in the elaboratory scarcely went out’ at the very years when he was composing the Principia - and about this he told Humphrey Newton not a word. Moreover, he was almost entirely concerned, not in serious experiment, but in trying to read the riddle of tradition, to find meaning in cryptic verses, to imitate the alleged but largely imaginary experiments of the initiates of past centuries. Newton has left behind him a vast mass of records of these studies. I believe that the greater part are translations and copies made by him of existing books and manuscripts. But there are also extensive records of experiments. I have glanced through a great quantity of this at least 100,000 words, I should say. It is utterly impossible to deny that it is wholly magical and wholly devoid of scientific value; and also impossible not to admit that Newton devoted years of work to it.” (John Maynard Keynes).
Simon The Magician
Acts Chapter Eight
9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;
10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”
11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.
14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,
15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.
23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”
24 But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
A Sobering Reality
On reading this passage from the Book of Acts verse by verse it is difficult not to recognise something truly sobering. For one thing it reveals something of the occult mind, both with regards to Simon’s own attitude as well as the effect he had on the Samarian population when he was practising his magic art before he heard the Gospel of Christ. “And they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”” (v10). This is preceded by Simon’s own attitude in that his intention was to claim to be someone great (v9). When Philip preached Christ to the Samarian’s it is said that Simon believed, was baptised and continued on with Philip (v13). So we see at once that Simon did believe in Christ and was baptised. Despite the fact that Simon believed, he clearly continued to have a mind which was contrary to the gospel in its fullness, because when Peter and John came from Jerusalem, Simon exhibited this occult mind by offering to pay for the authority to impart the Holy Spirit himself (v19). If we can accept that this authority is an apostolic authority, we may be able to understand that what Simon became interested in at this point was apostolic authority and with it the power of God. In such a circumstance as the one presented to us here in Acts chapter eight, one would have to ask how it could be that a new believer such as Simon failed to have his heart stirred so as to have a right attitude towards God and instead fell into his occult mind of understanding. Specifically that the power of God can be purchased. What an extraordinary contradiction of circumstances for a man to have believed the gospel of Christ, but then to have gone on in an occult mind, comprehending only personal acquired power for ones own purposes, and not comprehending the mercy and goodness of God. There are many historical references to Simon after this encounter with Peter, but the most plausible account can be found in Hippolytus’ “Refutatio Heresiarum.
As difficult as Simon is to understand fully, it does speak clearly of a man motivated to believe in Christ for reasons of personal gain and not because he came under a true conviction of sin. If you then add to this a statement about the way the gospel is presented today in many places, it is possible to comprehend something of what I am seeking to share in this area of understanding.
Brief Summary
I appreciate that it is not a simple thing to make a distinction between valid knowledge, which may be called natural philosophy and that which may be called occult. One reason for this is because of the prevailing paradigm of thinking which we have all inherited and internalised. Atheists often mock believers because of their perception and understanding of the development of scientific knowledge. This itself may be as a result of the way in which the church historically reacted to scientific discoveries or claims. The same thing could be said for many christian denominations today with regard to the age of the earth or the theory of evolution. It is therefore said that the church was or is “ignorant” and that the natural philosopher was or is “wise”. We could put it slightly differently and say that the church is said to be “ignorant” and the scientist is said to be “informed”. In this diatribe the christian is superstitious and the scientist is rational. It has to be said that this way of understanding the natural world may well have a narrow frame of reference to physical reality as far as iterative science is concerned. What it does not take account of is the men throughout every generation who have had an ability to see through the veil of material occultism and penetrate the philosophical life blood of the very same substance, grasping realities which lay at the back of the material universe and making use of this knowledge for their own ends. Given that the natural world is real regardless as to whether it is understood or not, people generally understand life through their own experience of it, and not necessarily through another’s understanding of it. This leads to the necessity of a formal paradigm of majorative acceptance. Today this is scientific empiricism. This leads to a point of understanding.
Thinking of Isaac Newton, as a natural philosopher and experimental scientist does not of itself produce a great concern. If we had lived at that time and known the man and understood his mind, perhaps during his darkest moments, we would have been reasonably concerned. Knowing now the hidden papers of his occult efforts it is only a passing concern in fond memory of the later, affable man about town. In thinking about Simon the Magician we are at once against him because he is presented to us as one who was seeking for a great name. He provoked admiration in the immediacy of his activities. Moreover his activities were all intended to influence others and from which he is assumed to have profited personally. It was his silver which he was willing to part with upon comprehending the apostolic office and its power of God. In thinking about materialists today or else “spiritual” men we have to say that the majorative paradigm of a secular Western World does not negate the sum of the underlying reality that God Himself created the heavens and the earth. Neither does this iterative view of life alter one single jot the reality of spiritual life, nor the knowledge of good and evil. If Isaac Newton had been like Simon the Magician he would have become a profoundly dangerous man. Just as Simon the Magician is said to have become a heretic and occultist of immense proportions in his own day. That which restrained the godly Isaac Newton, failed to restrain the ungodly Simon the Magician. These are two of the three threads I am drawing here. The third has to do with what happens when those who are born again, and therefore have every good reason to know the reality of God, give themselves to a process of spiritual delusion which presses the individual into an occult way of thinking and in doing so gives rise to natural sorcery, denying the true power of God in favour of self interest. In closing this article therefore I would say that those who love the Lord Jesus and have fallen into an attitude of commanding the elements in the name of the Lord had better examine themselves very throughly to comprehend if they are truly in the spirit or whether they are yet in the realm of the soul. Witchcraft and sorcery are in the first instance a fruit of the flesh. They are a natural outworking of sin and death and represent, in evidence, the separation which exists between men and God because of sin. Having been reconciled to God through Christ Jesus we ought not to go back to the flesh with its independent inclinations. More important even than this, we must examine the doctrines we have believed and received which inform our thinking and which may have more to do with the prince of the power of the air, than with truth and righteousness. If we do not do this and we do command the very elements we may find that one day we will be rejected of Christ in His kingdom, because we have served ourselves and not the Lord at all. Amen and Peace.