Chapter 14.6

Mega Mysticism & Mental Telepathy

Table of Topics

A) Divine Revelation vs. Divine Manipulation through Mental Telepathy: And the problem with mega mystical doctrine

B) Examples of Divine Manipulation through Mental Telepathy

C) Unlikely Allusions to Divine/Human Mental Telepathy in Believers

C.1) Mental telepathy is to be distinguished from biblical means of revelation

C.2) David’s plans for the temple put in his mind by the Spirit? 1 Chron 28:12

C.3) God putting words in a Prophet’s mouth? Jer 1:9

C.4) The Spirit speaking through the disciples? Matt 10:18-20

C.5) God controlling the reply of the tongue? Prov 16:1

C.6) God directing the king’s heart? Prov 21:1

Table of Topics

Continued

D) Unlikely Allusions to Demonic Mental Telepathy

D.1) Does the devil “inspire” unbelievers? 1 Tim 4:1

D.2) Does the devil “inspire” believers?

E) Observations Regarding Divine Manipulation through Mental Telepathy

E.1) Divine revelation & human recognition are not necessary to fulfill God’s will: Prov 16:9; 19:21; 20:24

E.2) Divine/Human Mental Telepathy is Extremely Rare & Practiced on Pagans

E.3) Divine/human mental telepathy & “inspiration”

E.4) Divine/human mental telepathy & mega mysticism

E.5) Divine/human mental telepathy & prayer

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

• At times God controls people’s actions, thoughts, and desires, without them knowing it, which is divine manipulation rather than divine revelation.
• There is no other way to explain God’s control over a person’s mind than divine/human mental telepathy.
• The topic of divine manipulation through secret divine/human mental telepathy is important because the foundation of popular mega mysticism is the belief that God is habitually and directly planting thoughts and impulses in the mind of believers in order to guide them in extra-biblical matters.
• Unfortunately for mega mystics there is not a single example of what they claim in all of Scripture, nor any biblical instruction regarding it and they are therefore promoting false teaching.
• We believe that all of the clear biblical examples of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy occurred in the context of God controlling unbelieving pagans and His enemies, never His elect.
• Mega mystical claims of direct divine guidance being telepathically communicated to the mind of the believer must be distinguished from the biblical concepts of how the Holy Spirit works within us.
• There is not even clear biblical evidence that satan is able to secretly “inspire” thoughts in our mind.
• God does not need to reveal His will, nor do humans need to recognize His interventions, in order for His will to be fulfilled.
• The fact that all the clear biblical examples of divine/human mental telepathy occurred in the lives of unbelievers is a significant blow to the popular idea that the biblical “inspiration” of Scripture essentially happened in this way.
• We would challenge the reader to find any instruction or prayers in Scripture that would lead us to pray for divine manipulation or divine/human mental telepathy for believers. And yet many of our prayers can be asking for these very things.

A) Divine Revelation vs. Divine Manipulation through Mental Telepathy: And the problem with mega mystical doctrine

We have defined divine revelation as: God’s self-initiated and divinely authenticated disclosure of His ways, works, or will to His Creation for His glory. ^[1] Accordingly, we have written:

God may act in many “secret” ways in His Creation, but such deeds are hidden, and not intended to be revelation. Accordingly, divine deeds in and of themselves are not divine revelation. Revelation is communication which Webster’s defines as: “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals.” ^[2] Accordingly, our definition of divine revelation is: God’s self-initiated and divinely authenticated disclosure of His ways, works, or will to His Creation for His glory. A revelation discloses something, and if God does something rather “secretly,” it is not divine revelation. Accordingly, for any divine deed to become divine revelation, humans need to recognize it as such. ^[3]

Admittedly, this is our own definition of divine revelation, but it helps us distinguish divine acts that are “secret.” ^[4] The Bible records odd and rare times, in which God controls and manipulates people’s actions, thoughts, and desires, without them knowing it. Accordingly, we refer to this as divine manipulation rather than divine revelation. ^[5] By manipulation we simply mean direct control, and do not mean to necessarily imply the negative connotations that are usually understood with the word. Nonetheless, we distinguish divine manipulation from divine revelation because the people experiencing it apparently are not aware of God’s hand in it. Nor is the divine manipulation intended to be something that needs to be recognized or responded to, as God intends it to simply control the person, not communicate with them. While such instances do not fit our definition of divine revelation to the individuals that have and would experience such divine manipulation, they are a divine revelation to those who read of such instances in Scripture, of the incredible power and sovereignty of the Creator over His Creation.

In the biblical examples that follow, God’s control of a person’s thoughts, actions, and desires will be evident. However, most people do not ask the question of how God actually controls such things. In our opinion, there is no other way to explain God’s control over a person’s mind than divine/human mental telepathy. Mental telepathy is the direct communication of information from one mind to another apart from any intermediate means. Accordingly, in the biblical instances below, people simply acted on thoughts that God directly planted into their minds which they acted upon in order to fulfill His will, apart from any decision or “free” will of their own.

Such secret divine/human mental telepathy can be distinguished from the revelatory experience of visions and dreams. Admittedly, a certain kind of mental telepathy is occurring in such instances as God is apparently directly manipulating the visual parts of the person’s mind in order to produce the vision or dream with the desired content. The difference, however, is that the vision or dream was obvious, not secret. In biblical examples, even pagans were aware of the supernatural nature of a dream they had received from God.

Accordingly, the type of divine/human mental telepathy that we will discuss here is that which is imperceptible to the recipient. It is a secret manipulation because God intends it to be and it is in the form of mere thoughts or impulses, which humans would not be capable of distinguishing the source of. A thought, impulse, or feeling originating from our own reasoning processes or being planted supernaturally in our mind, as illustrated in the biblical examples below, would be experienced in precisely the same way, with no possibility of confidently or objectively distinguishing them without miraculous authentication.

Some may wonder why the topic of divine manipulation through secret divine/human mental telepathy is so important. It is because of the great popularity of mega mysticism. The foundation of their doctrine is that God is habitually and directly planting extra-biblical thoughts and impulses in the mind of believers in order to guide them in extra-biblical matters. Their claims are that such divine/human mental telepathy is happening on a regular basis, and is a vital method of extra-biblical divine revelation that God intended for believers to depend on and should give divine authority to. As we discuss further elsewhere, when mega mystics are claiming to “hear” God apart from Scripture, they are not referring to visions, auditions in which they physically hear a voice, nor the moral and biblical desires that come from our New Nature. On the contrary, they are claiming that God tells them extra-biblical revelation regarding all sorts of things through none other than divine/human mental telepathy.

Accordingly, Jack Deere in his widely read book, Surprised by the Voice of God, writes: “[T]here is something very wrong in our relationship with God when we do not . . . feel [impressions] from him, and yet leave our “time with him” feeling satisfied. ^[6] Likewise, Mr. Deere has said:

In order to fulfill God’s highest purpose for our lives we must be able to hear His voice both in the written word and in the Word freshly spoken from heaven. . . . Satan understands the strategic importance of Christians hearing God’s voice so he has launched various attacks against us [who promote mega mysticism] in this area. One of his most successful attacks has been to develop a doctrine that teaches God no longer speaks to us except through the written word. Ultimately this doctrine is demonic even though Christian theologians have been used to perfect it. ^[7]

Along the same lines, the well-known Pastor Bill Hybels has written:

A third way God speaks to us [in addition to Scripture and people] is through direct leadings of the Holy Spirit. This third Person of the Godhead is ready, willing and able to communicate with us. . . . And this is what he says to you: “I want to guide your life. I know the path that will glorify me and be productive for you, and I want to put you on it. I’ll do that primarily through leadings, so quiet your life and listen to me. ^[8]

According to Pastor Hybels, that “path” that God wants to give us extra-biblical revelation for, includes what topic we should study in Scripture, what job we should choose, whether we should marry, who we should marry, and what church we should choose. ^[9] Obviously Scripture is not going to specifically tell us these things, and Pastor Hybels claims God will, through essentially a process of divine/human mental telepathy.

Perhaps the best known promoter of such mega mysticism is Dallas Willard who writes concerning his popular book, Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God:

[A] major point of this book is that the still small voice–or the interior or inner voice, as it is also called-is the preferred and most valuable form of individualized communication for God’s purposes. God usually addresses individually those who walk with him in a mature, personal relationship using this inner voice. ^[10]

Notice again that mega mystics are not talking about seeing visions or experiencing auditions in terms of a physical voice or sound. On the contrary, when they speak of hearing God they mean receiving extra-biblical thoughts, impulses, and feelings directly from God. And while no mega mystic we know of has even attempted to explain how God does that, the only clear explanation is some sort of divine/human mental telepathy.

Accordingly, if such a method of extra-biblical divine guidance were not only a “third way God speaks to us” as Pastor Hybels claims, but also “the preferred and most valuable form of individualized communication for God’s purposes” as Dr. Willard claims, wouldn’t we expect a great deal of instruction or examples regarding this very thing in Scripture? Unfortunately for mega mystics there is not a single example of what they claim in all of Scripture, nor any biblical instruction regarding it.

As will be demonstrated below, there are clear biblical instances of divine/human mental telepathy but they always and only involved unbelievers and God’s enemies, never believers. And in such occurrences, the recipients of such divine manipulation never knew God was guiding their thoughts, desires, and actions. And while many think the devil can put thoughts in the minds of people, we find no clear biblical support for that either. Accordingly, the foundational tenet of modern mega mysticism is unbiblical, and exposes its promoters as false teachers.

B) Examples of Divine Manipulation through Mental Telepathy

We believe that all of the clear biblical examples of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy occurred in the context of God controlling unbelieving pagans and His enemies. There are no clear examples of such a thing occurring in the lives of His people.

The purpose for such divine manipulation of His enemies was normally to protect or bless His people, or carry out an instance of His sovereign will. Perhaps the first example we find in Scripture concerns Jacob of whom we read: “Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there . . . Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them” (Gen 35:1, 5). There seems to have been no objective, circumstantial reason for these pagan towns to be afraid of the rather unarmed Jacob, and we infer that God had given them this fear by the power of His Spirit or by commanding evil spirits to do so. ^[11]

The next example of such divine manipulation through what appears to be divine/human mental telepathy is in the life of Joseph: “While Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor [hēn: “grace, favor”] in the eyes of the prison warden” (Gen 39:20-21). The word hēn means “the favorable disposition of one person toward another.” William Mounce adds in his Expository Dictionary: “in a number of cases, God sovereignly changes the disposition of people in order to further his plans.” ^[12] Accordingly, Webster’s defines “favor” as a “friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior; gracious kindness.” ^[13] Having “favor” toward someone is a state of mind, and when we read that God makes someone have favor on a person, even against what would be expected, we suggest we have an instance of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy in which God directly plants thoughts and desires in the mind of people.

This would seem especially evident in Exodus. After being their slaves for hundreds of years, we read: “The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed [hēn] toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people” (Exod 11:3). Likewise, we read: “The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed [hēn] toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians” (Exod 12:36; cf. 3:21). It is unlikely that the “Egyptians” would have naturally been “favorably disposed” toward the Israelites and willingly “plundered” by them without divine intervention into their thinking.

A clear example of such mental intervention occurs in the protection of the Israelites leaving Egypt:

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. (Exod 14:23-24)

This would seem to be a clear example of God messing with the minds of people.

Likewise, regarding the Amorites in Joshua’s day we read:

After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. (Josh 10:9-10)

In the context of Gideon’s miraculous victory over the “Midianites” we read, “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords” (Jdg 7:21-22). Now that’s divine manipulation! ^[14]

In Elisha’s day we read how God dealt with a large army of the Arameans:

[T]he Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. (2 Kgs 7:6-7)

It is possible that the miracle here was that God created a real sound that the Arameans physically heard, but the text seems to put the emphasis on God causing “the Arameans to hear the sound,” rather than him actually producing a sound. ^[15]

In Hezekiah’s day, the Lord dealt with the Assyrian king Sennacherib and his army in the following way: “I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword” (2 Kgs 19:7). ^[16]

God manipulating the minds of pagan rulers is a rather common occurrence in Scripture. For example, Ezra writes of the Persian King Cyrus:

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing. (Ezra 1:1)

Likewise, we read:

For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. (Ezra 6:22)

Elsewhere God says He has “stirred up one from the East, calling him in righteousness to His service” (Isa 42:1), and speaks of, “Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of” (Isa 45:1). Speaking of the same event, we read in Jeremiah, “The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because His purpose is to destroy Babylon” (Jer 51:11).

Earlier, Jeremiah had described God doing the same thing with the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar when we read:

Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, ⁹ I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. (Jer 25:8-9)

Likewise, Ezekiel prophesies of a future day that God will force an army to attack His people:

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. ⁴ I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. ⁵ Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, ⁶ also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. (Ezek 38:1-6)

Divine manipulation to provide favor for His people is especially evident in the life of Nehemiah. He tells us that he prayed, “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man . . . the king” (Neh 1:11). The result? Nehemiah reports: “because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king [Artaxerses I] granted my requests” (2:8). Daniel had a similar experience and we read: “Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel” (Dan 1:9).

The story of Esther also reflects the phenomenon of God making a pagan ruler have a favorable disposition toward His people. Accordingly, “Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her,” and “the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Est 2:15, 17).

We believe it was also God who manipulated the following:

That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. (Est 6:1-2)

Divine manipulation apparently through divine/human mental telepathy in the minds of pagans for the sake of His people is described in Psalms and Proverbs where we read: “He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive” (Ps 106:46), and “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies live at peace with him” (Prov 16:7).

Likewise, we believe there are some examples of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy in the NT. In Luke we read: “Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world” (Luke 2:1). The timing and nature of this decree indicate that this was a divine intervention designed to fulfill the prophecy 700 years earlier by the Prophet Micah that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem (cf. Mic 5:2). ^[17] This is precisely where Joseph and Mary needed to travel for the census at the time of Mary’s pregnancy to fulfill the prophecy.

Likewise, divine manipulation seems implied in the early Church’s understanding when they pray:

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, Whom You anointed. They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. (Acts 4:27-28; cf. 2:23)

And indeed, God made it happen by manipulating the minds of these rulers.

Such divine manipulation can extend to even putting words in people’s mouths. The Apostle John tells us regarding a discussion among the Pharisees about Jesus:

Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation. (John 11:49-51)

We have demonstrated at length that when God spoke through one of His Prophets, they knew He was doing so. ^[18] However, “Caiaphas” had no idea God was putting such thoughts in his mind. Accordingly, this was a case of divine manipulation rather than revelation.

We believe we can even give you a modern example in the life of Chinese underground church planter and leader, Brother Yun, who relates that while being in solitary confinement for preaching the Gospel: “I prayed . . . ‘Lord Jesus, I love you . . . Please give me a Bible.” He then testifies:

At around 8 a.m. the next morning a remarkable thing happened. The prison director opened the iron gate and came to my cell. He called out my name, “Yun, although you’ve committed many crimes, we still respect your faith. Yesterday we had a meeting and decided to give you a Bible. Come, take it!” ^[19]

Does anyone believe these evil men simply “decided” to give Yun a Bible?

C) Unlikely Allusions to Divine/Human Mental Telepathy in Believers

So far, the only biblical examples of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy have been in the lives of unbelievers or even enemies of God. Some have suggested there are descriptions of this in the lives of believers as well. Let us note here that God certainly has the freedom to act in any way He chooses even if we have no biblical examples of God working this way with His people. God may plant thoughts directly in the minds of believers to control them with or without our knowledge. But contrary to the claims of mega mysticism there is no clear biblical examples or instruction regarding this.

C.1) Mental telepathy is to be distinguished from biblical means of revelation

First, mega mystical claims of direct divine guidance being telepathically communicated to the mind of the believer must be distinguished from the biblical concepts of how the Holy Spirit works within us. In chapters 7.12 and 7.13 respectively we have discussed at length the divine revelation that God provides through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The New Nature that we are indwelled with produces the moral, biblical virtues of the Holy Spirit of love, joy, peace, etc., revealing the character of God in and through us. Also, the spiritual gifts that come with the Holy Spirit produce unique desires for ministry and reveal to us the special way in which God wants us to serve others.

While these are sources of biblical revelation apart from the Bible itself, we do not believe they come to us by God directly, intermittently planting thoughts in our mind through some sort of divine/mental telepathy. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit that lives in us is a Person, and both His fruits and ministry desires are simply expressions of His personality in us. We have discussed this fully elsewhere. ^[20]

In addition, it is admitted that the revelatory means of visions and dreams operate in a way quite similar to divine/human mental telepathy. In such cases, God is directly communicating to a person’s mind. However, the mode of revelation being promoted by mega mystics is a secret mental telepathy in which the person does not know for certain if God is “speaking.” As we have discussed fully elsewhere, biblical visions involved the parts of the mind that physically “see” and “hear” and were accordingly unavoidably obvious such that no biblical character experiencing them doubted that God was speaking to them. ^[21]

C.2) David’s plans for the temple put in his mind by the Spirit? 1 Chron 28:12

Some might suggest an example of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy in how God gave David the plans for the temple. The author of Chronicles describes it as follows:

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. ¹² He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. . . .

“All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and He gave me understanding in all the details of the plan. (1 Chron 28:11-12, 19)

The phrase, “the Spirit had put in his mind” could certainly suggest the kind of direct transfer of thoughts involved in divine/human mental telepathy. However, this is not a good translation of the Hebrew. The NKJV is better which simply translates: “the plans for all that he had by the Spirit (1 Chron 28:12). This translation reflects the fact that ruach here is referring to the Holy “Spirit” and is used only once in the text. In other words, the idea of David’s “mind” is not in the text at all. ^[22] Accordingly, David is simply saying that the Spirit gave him a revelation. This is supported by the fact that in verse 19, the plans are clearly described as coming from the Spirit of God, not the mind of David.

Accordingly, Keil and Delitzsch interpret David here as simply referring to “a writing coming by divine revelation, or a writing composed in consequence of divine revelation.” ^[23] David says he received these “plans” or “writing” “by the Spirit” when God’s “hand” was “upon,” him. This language is used by other OT Prophets to describe revelatory visions when they received biblical divine revelation that others were to obey, just as David did here. (cf. 2 Kgs 3:15; Ezek 1:3; 3:14). Therefore, this is not an instance of God simply putting something into David’s mind.

C.3) God putting words in a Prophet’s mouth? Jer 1:9

Jeremiah 1:9 could also be interpreted as an example of divine/human mental telepathy where we read: “Then the LORD reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put My words in your mouth” (cf. Isa 51:16). How did God do that? We have discussed at length elsewhere the biblical evidence that divine revelation came to God’s Prophets through rather objective means including apparitions and visions. Accordingly, two verses later, we get a description of how God put His word in Jeremiah’s mouth when we read, “The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” (Jer 1:11). ^[24]

C.4) The Spirit speaking through the disciples? Matt 10:18-20

Likewise, the following promise of Christ to His disciples need not be interpreted as divine/human mental telepathy. Jesus said:

“On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matt 10:18-20; cf. Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12)

This can be misconstrued as precisely the type of divine manipulation and divine/human mental telepathy that occurred with Caiaphas or other unbelievers. Clearly, Jesus is promising that in this situation “the Spirit” will give them words to speak, and in Caiaphas’ example such words were “secretly” and divinely planted in his mind. This may be a promise of divine/mental telepathy, but we have some reason to doubt it, as there are differences.

While Caiaphas had no idea that the words he was speaking had been directly planted in his mind as a prophecy from God, apparently the disciples will know that “it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” This strongly suggests the words are being given through a different means. How would the disciples know their words were coming from the Spirit if they are merely secretly and subjectively planted in their head? Accordingly, we believe these words will be given them in a much more obvious way as God is never described as revealing things to His people through divine/human mental telepathy.

Elsewhere, we demonstrate that the divine revelation that Apostles and Prophets received is always described in Scripture as occurring through much more obvious means such as visions or auditions. ^[25] There is nothing in the description of this promise in Matthew and Mark’s versions that require divine/human mental telepathy or suggest divine possession. ^[26] In fact, Luke’s version suggests to us a more obvious method of revelation when he records the promise as stating: “the Holy Spirit will teach [didaxei] you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:12). The Greek word for “teach” didaskō is never used in ancient Greek literature, including the NT, to mean anything but normal verbal speech. In other words, Luke’s description of the promise implies that the Apostles would actually hear something, even if it was in a vision.

Even if someone would claim that Matt 10 is an example of divine/human mental telepathy apart from a vision, it would not provide a proof text for mega mystical claims. A promise originally given to Apostles, for the specific purpose of speaking before pagan leaders during a period of great persecution, is quite different from the claim of inward guidance for personal, extra-biblical, amoral decisions in everyday life.

C.5) God controlling the reply of the tongue? Prov 16:1

In Proverbs 16:1 Solomon writes: “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.” Contrary to common interpretation, Keil and Delitzsch demonstrate that the “reply” is from the same individual who is making “plans” rather than from another person. ^[27] In other words, the Proverb is saying that while planning is the God-ordained responsibility of humans, what they say can be influenced by God.

Nonetheless, Keil and Delitzsch certainly describe the practical application of this verse in a way that seems to require God directly planting thoughts in a person’s mind in a form of divine/human mental telepathy. These OT scholars write:

The scheme ([plan,] project, premeditation) which he in his heart contrives, is here described as . . . the consideration, analyzing, and putting a matter in order. These reflections, seeking . . . the solution of the question . . . are the business of men; but the answer which finally the tongue gives . . . will be regarded as right, appropriate, effective . . . [when it] is from God.

It is a matter of experience which the preacher, the public speaker, the author, and every man to whom his calling or circumstances present a weighty, difficult theme, can attest. As the thoughts pursue one another in the mind, attempts are made, and again abandoned; the state of the heart is somewhat like that of chaos before the creation. But when, finally, the right thought and the right utterance for it are found, that which is found appears to us, not as if self-discovered, but as a gift; we regard it with the feeling that a higher power has influenced our thoughts and imaginings; the confession by us, “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God, in so far as we believe in a living God, is inevitable. ^[28]

It is to be admitted that God may act in this way, planting thoughts directly into our mind that did not come from any pre-existing knowledge of our own. Nevertheless, the examples that Keil and Delitzsch give would more often be explained as the result of careful thought, reasoning, and meditation in which knowledge we already possess is properly appropriated for the present need.

A possible explanation of how a “reply” might come from the Lord is by virtue of the New Nature living in us through regeneration. Elsewhere we support the claim that some OT saints were indwelled with the Spirit (cf. Ps 51:11). ^[29] Solomon, the author of this Proverb, could certainly have been one of them. Accordingly, he would have experienced the fact that a gracious, loving, gentle “reply of the tongue comes from the Lord.” Accordingly, it need not be the content of the reply that he is referring to, as he recognizes that making “plans” that are particularly of an extra-biblical amoral nature “belong” to the province, responsibility, and ability of humans by God’s own design of giving them reasoning faculties. However, speaking in a loving, gentle, gracious manner does require the supernatural help of God, provided by the indwelling of the Spirit.

This interpretation avoids all kinds of rather radical and perhaps even unbiblical interpretations. Taken at face value, the statement could be understood as saying that we can never trust the plans that we make with even careful reasoning, but must always wait for a subjective, mystical, uncertain prompting and words coming from God through some sort of divine/mental human telepathy. If that is what the Proverb is suggesting then it is at odds with a great amount of other biblical revelation, as discussed elsewhere. ^[30]

C.6) God directing the king’s heart? Prov 21:1

A final verse in Scripture that some might interpret as an expectation of divine/human mental telepathy is Proverbs 21:1 where Solomon writes: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will” (Prov 21:1 ESV). Indeed, the NCV translation renders it: “The LORD can control a king’s mind as He controls a river; He can direct it as He pleases.”

Along these lines, Keil and Delitzsch remark:

[T]he heart of the king, however highly exalted above his subjects . . . has yet One above it by whom it is moved by hidden influences, e.g., the prayer of the oppressed; for man is indeed free, yet he acts under the influence of divinely-directed circumstances and divine operations. ^[31]

Likewise, Albert Barnes comments: “Yahweh directs the thoughts of the true king, that his favors may fall, not at random, but in harmony with a divine order.” ^[32]

Such descriptions, of course, reflect what we have seen in Scripture above regarding some pagan kings and enemies of God. But Solomon seems to be referring to a believing king like himself. Accordingly, while he may be referring to a life of mega mystical and divine manipulation through constant divine/human mental telepathy telling him every moment what extra-biblical thing to do, we doubt it. Instead, we believe Solomon is again referring to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that an OT Israelite king like David (cf. Ps 51:11) or Solomon experienced.

When we notice that Solomon described this experience of the Spirit as “a stream of water,” we are immediately reminded that Jesus in fact described the indwelling of the Spirit in precisely the same words when He said, “Whoever believes in Me . . . streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38). And we have demonstrated elsewhere that the “leading” of the indwelling Holy Spirit is always described in Scripture as involving biblical, moral virtues, not extra-biblical amoral decisions. ^[33] Accordingly, we believe that Solomon was speaking of the influence of the Holy Spirit in his life to love people and be holy, not to micromanage all of his extra-biblical, amoral decisions.

D) Unlikely Allusions to Demonic Mental Telepathy

We have argued above that there is no biblical support for the idea that God habitually reveals things to, or guides believers through, some sort of subjective, mystical, direct mental impressions or “inspiration” as mega mysticism claims. Surprisingly, one of the arguments used for mega mysticism is the belief that satan directly “inspires” thoughts in our mind, so God must do so as well. However, there is no biblical support for this either.

D.1) Does the devil “inspire” unbelievers? 1 Tim 4:1

First, we should note that, as we described elsewhere, the devil’s “inspirations” have come in the form of more objective and physical visions, as evidenced by Muhammad and Joseph Smith, and just about every other prophet and founder of false religions. ^[34] Likewise, even effective fortune-tellers, that seem to have some supernatural knowledge of events that could be conveyed by a demon, report their revelations as “seeing” something in a vision or divining things through occultic objects that can be manipulated. ^[35] And even if they do experience mental telepathy with demons, it is not an indication that either satan or God does the same with believers.

Of course, much of the control that satan exercises over unregenerated people comes through possession. ^[36] As described above concerning the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, such control would occur more as experiencing a personality or nature from the inside, not mental telepathy from the outside. Accordingly, it was probably a result of demonic possession that the “Chaldeans” attacked Job’s livestock and servants (cf. Job 1:17). “Haman” would seem to be demonically possessed when, “he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes” (Est 3:5). Likewise, when Herod ordered the slaughter of babies in Bethlehem (cf. Matt 2:16-18), there is much evidence of his demonic possession, including the fact that he was known as a madman who murdered several members of his own family.

Accordingly, we read that Judas was “prompted” by “the devil . . . to betray Jesus” (John 13:2; cf. v. 27), suggesting the kind of subjective, direct, mystical “inspiration” popularly thought of today. However, Luke records that satan had possessed Judas at the time of this “prompting,” when he writes: “Then satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus” (Luke 22:3).

Another instance of demonic possession seems to be described when the Apostle writes:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ³ They forbid people to marry. . . (1 Tim 4:1-3)

A statement such as this leads to the question, how would demons teach and deceive people? Notice that the deception being described is not coming directly from demons, but “through hypocritical liars.” So then, the question remains, how do these “hypocritical liars” learn “things taught by demons”? We believe the Apostle is describing false teachers who are actually possessed by demons. ^[37]

First, at face value, the Apostle is saying that when “some . . . follow” the human false teachers, they are actually following “deceiving spirits,” which apparently are at work in the false teachers. Likewise, when the people would listen to one of the false teachers speaking, they are listening to “things taught by demons,” implying that it is actually demons speaking through the false teacher.

Other indications that the false teachers mentioned here are demon possessed are the ways that Paul describes them. First they are “hypocritical liars” meaning that they know their teachings are false and are intentionally deceiving people, indicating an exceptional level of evil. Accordingly, John Stott remarks on the phrase:

It is a terrible combination of words, since hypocrisy is a deliberate pretence and a lie a deliberate falsehood. So then false teachers, although seduced by deceiving spirits, are themselves intentional deceivers, however misleading their mask of learning and religion may be. They do not themselves believe what they are teaching. ^[38]

Secondly, the Apostle describes these false teachers as those, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” This would imply they have no conscience, and no sensitivity to right or wrong, again no doubt leading to an exceptional depth of evil behavior often synonymous with demonic possession.

Thirdly, these false teachers have the audacity to teach something as unnatural as to “forbid people to marry,” which of course would lead to the most gross and destructive type of sin and immorality.

Accordingly, we believe the content of their teachings came through the fact that they were possessed by demonic spirits. Even here, then, there is no mystical “inspiration” by demons through demonic/human mental telepathy from the outside, but a control of the mind from the inside through possession.

While actual demonic possession certainly describes how satan may control some, we believe the sinful nature that possesses unregenerated humans is also synonymous with demonic control. Elsewhere we have written:

We believe that just as the New Nature in a Christian is synonymous with the Holy Spirit indwelling us, so the sinful nature in the unregenerate is synonymous with a demonic spirit indwelling unbelievers. It need not be an actual demon personality indwelling an unbeliever, which would manifest itself more in the sense of demonic possession in which even a person’s personality and even voice is controlled. Rather, the sinful nature is a demonic spirit in the sense that it controls an unbeliever’s “desires and thoughts” (Eph 2:2), so much so that they are “slaves to sin” (Rom 6:17) and, “live according to the sinful nature [and] have their minds set on what that nature desires,” resulting in a “sinful mind [that] is hostile to God . . . does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” because all unregenerated people are, “those controlled by the sinful nature” (Rom 8:5, 7-8). ^[39]

Accordingly, as argued elsewhere, the controlling effects of the sinful nature in unbelievers would seem the best explanation of what the Apostle means by stating that, “the spirit” of the devil “is now at work in those who are disobedient,” especially because in the very next sentence he describes this as, “gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts” (Eph 2:2-3). ^[40] Likewise, it is the God-hating control of the sinful nature as described in Romans 8:5-8 that best describes how, “The god of this age [satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel” (2 Cor 4:4). ^[41]

D.2) Does the devil “inspire” believers?

How then does the devil mess with Christians? Can he plant thoughts into the Christian’s mind? While this is a very popular belief, we believe it is unbiblical. When Scripture says, “Be self-controlled and alert because your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8) it does not imply that he “devours” by putting thoughts in our head. When Scripture says, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:10) it does not mean that the nature of this spiritual battle is the devil’s ability and practice of planting thoughts in our minds.

First, when the devil is described in Scripture as personally and directly deceiving God’s people, he is depicted as appearing in a rather physical or obvious form. The first such instance is his deception of Eve in the Garden which obviously did not occur through mere mental telepathy, but literally talking with a serpent (cf. Gen 3:1-4; 2 Cor 11:3). Likewise, in his personal temptations of Jesus, satan is described as coming and speaking in a way that goes beyond merely planting thoughts in Christ’s head (cf. Matt 4:1-11). Also, apparently referring to a real personal experience he had, Paul says, “satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14), again reflecting a rather physical appearance. ^[42]

Obviously, such supernatural means of interaction with satan will be extremely rare, if not nonexistent, in the believer’s life. Accordingly, in answer to the question, how does the devil mess with Christians, the following seems clear. All of the struggles and temptations believers have between the lies of satan and the truth of God, can be explained by the mental programming that occurs by virtue of having been possessed by the sinful nature, “following its thoughts and desires” (Eph 2:2), and living in a world that is run and influenced by these very kinds of people. We do not need the devil to “speak” something into our mind, but the old lies and habits we gained from our sinful nature and the world produce our inward struggle against sin.

Nonetheless, some have interpreted 1 Chronicles 21:1 as an instance of demonic mental telepathy in the life of a believer. The writer says, “satan [Heb. sātān “adversary”] rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel” (NIV and virtually every English translation; cf. 2 Sam 24:1). Here the Hebrew word for “adversary” can be referring to a person (8 times in NASB) or to satan (18 times in NASB). Because the definite article (i.e. the adversary) is missing here it seems likely that it is referring to a human adversary. Accordingly, the NET Bible translates: “An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel had,” and comments: “The Hebrew word שָׂטָן (satan) can refer to an adversary in general or satan in particular. There is no article accompanying the term here, which suggests it should be understood generally (cf. NAB “a satan”).”

Lexical evidence appears to support this conclusion as well. Of the 8 times that sātān is used to refer to a human enemy we find 6 of them in the historical section of the OT (cf. 1 Sam 28:16; 2 Sam 19:22; 1 Kgs 5:4; 11:14; 11:23, 25). On the other hand, 17 of the 18 times the NASB translates it as satan, it is found in Job (14 times) and Zechariah (3 times). The only remaining instance is the disputable translation in 1 Chronicles 21:1. In other words, it seems the word sātān was habitually used by the writers of the historical books (like 1 Chronicles) to refer to people, while the writer of Job and Zechariah used it to refer to satan.

Accordingly, we believe the author of 1 Chronicles is using the Hebrew sātān in the same way as the parallel writer of 1 Kings who writes: “Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary [sātān], Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom” (11:14). And again in v. 23 we read, “And God raised up against Solomon another adversary [sātān], Rezon son of Eliada.” Solomon’s adversaries were people, not satan directly.

Accordingly, we believe what happened in David’s case was that a human enemy threatened to attack Israel at this time, persuading David to sin against God by taking a census of his army. This translation would help relieve the difficulty of the Chronicler stating that satan incited David to take the census while the author of 2 Samuel says it was God (cf. 24:1). And God would have done this through exercising mental telepathy with an unbeliever as described in section B above and listed in section E.2 below.

Along these lines, Albert Barnes suggested another likely explanation:

In 1 Chr. 21:1 the statement is, “and an adversary” (not “Satan,” as the King James Version, since there is no article prefixed, as in Job 1:6; 2:1, etc.) “stood up against Israel and moved David,” just as 1 Kings 11:14, 23, 25 first Hadad, and then Rezon, is said to have been “an adversary” (Satan) to Solomon and to Israel. Hence, our text should be rendered, “For one moved David against them.” We are not told whose advice it was, but some one, who proved himself an enemy to the best interests of David and Israel, urged the king to number the people. ^[43]

E) Observations Regarding Divine Manipulation through Mental Telepathy

E.1) Divine revelation & human recognition are not necessary to fulfill God’s will: Prov 16:9; 19:21; 20:24

The first observation that can be made regarding divine manipulation is that God does not need to reveal His will, nor do humans need to recognize His interventions, in order for His will to be fulfilled. Accordingly, we write in a subsequent chapter:

While God may reveal His predestined will in an extraordinary manner, He often does not do so because it is not ultimately necessary to its fulfillment. For example, we think of Esther who fulfilled a specific will of God beyond that which she could have known from Scripture. For all she knew, especially before experiencing what seemed to be divine intervention on God’s part for His people, she was simply following the circumstances dictated to her.

Initially, even Mordecai was unsure of the purpose of Esther’s circumstances and even when her position seemed providential he could only say, “who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a time as this” (Esth 4:14 NCV). Because the eventual outcome of her circumstances were clearly miraculous and applied directly to God’s plan of salvation, she could be relatively certain only in hindsight that those circumstances had been manipulated by God. However, people often remain unaware of fulfilling a specific task pertaining to God’s predestined will. ^[44]

Accordingly, God may intervene in circumstances around us without our knowledge. Perhaps this prompted Solomon to write: “A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?” (Prov 20:24). The reason a man cannot “understand his own way” would seem to be because he is unaware of when his “steps are directed [manipulated?] by the LORD.” Obviously the divine directing here is not taking place through divine revelation, such as Scripture, as it would be out of place to describe it as something that cannot be understood.

This is not to say that every human step or decision is manipulated by God, for in most areas He gives us complete freedom to choose ourselves. ^[45] But there are things in our life that God may control and He will not clearly reveal that He is doing so, and therefore, it is unnecessary to try to “understand” it. God just simply does it and is not concerned that we know whether it was a result of divine intervention or random circumstances, or purely personal desires. Therefore, we need not be concerned with something that is completely in His hands.

Such sovereign “secret” divine directing is an important point to make in the context of claims in mega mysticism. In this perspective it is critical to recognize and properly interpret divine revelation occurring through the divine manipulation of our circumstances or impulses. However, God does not need for us to recognize and interpret such things because He does not intend them to be extra-biblical communication, but merely means to control something or someone.

Again, such a perspective may be communicated by Solomon when he wrote, in addition to the Proverbs quoted above on this topic: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Prov 16:9) and “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’S purpose that prevails” (Prov 19:21). We do not believe that such verses indicate that God manipulates everything, as He sovereignly allows many things to happen substantially by the choices of individuals or natural course of events. However, if a choice or event will somehow thwart His predestined will, then God will miraculously intervene and manipulate whatever He needs to, including people and circumstances, to ensure His predestined will is fulfilled. ^[46]

So, did God cause us to get a particular job, marry a particular person, or live in a particular place, thereby manipulating the ingredients of our life to supernaturally result in a miraculous outcome that would not have occurred apart from God’s intervention? Was God behind such things, or were they simply the result of more common, natural processes like wisely choosing a job we like, simply marrying someone we were naturally attracted to, or merely choosing to live where our relatives do like many others do? More specifically, did such events and decisions involve divine intention or were they simply random, natural human events that God essentially allowed?

First of all, the fact that God has a desire to ensure we properly recognize real miracles, should make us more comfortable with simply and often admitting we do not know! We may not know because God may supernaturally, but secretly intervene in our life, with no desire for us to know. ^[47] Contrary to mega mystics, recognizing direct divine intervention in our decision making is much more difficult than they suggest. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to matter.

Accordingly, for any divine deed to become divine revelation, humans need to recognize it as such. And God is able to ensure humans will recognize divine revelation for His glory when He intends something to be so. Regarding, “My word” God says it, “goes out from My mouth [and] It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa 55:11). The Scriptures know of no acts or words of God intended to be divine revelation, which were not recognized by humans as such. ^[48] Which is why humans were, and are always, judged for not heeding such revelations.

E.2) Divine/Human Mental Telepathy is Extremely Rare & Practiced on Pagans

The kind of “secret” divine acts to control people’s minds that we have witnessed in Scripture above are extremely rare. This is because divine miracles themselves are extremely rare. ^[49] Secondly, God normally desires and allows people to make “free” choices under the authority of His sovereignty, making His need to miraculously intervene much less than many people think. Thirdly, many of the verses that people might interpret as divine/human mental telepathy are actually speaking of the New Nature working in us, not in the way of planting extra-biblical thoughts and direction in our mind, but being a moral Person that we live by. ^[50]

Finally, the Bible only clearly reveals God using divine manipulation through a secret divine/human mental telepathy in the lives of pagans, not believers. These biblical examples include:

• Unbelieving inhabitants of Bethel
• An Egyptian prison warden (Gen 39:20-21)
• Egyptian people (Exod 3:21; 11:3; 12:36)
• Egyptian army (Exod 14:23-24)
• Amorite army (Josh 10:9-10)
• Midianite army (Jdg 7:21-22)
• Unnamed adversary of David (2 Sam 24:1)
• Hadad, adversary of Solomon (1 Kgs 11:14)
• Rezon, adversary of Solomon (1 Kgs 11:23)
• Unnamed adversary of David (1 Kgs 11:14)
• Aramean army (2 Kgs 7:6-7)
• Sennacherib king of Assyria (2 Kgs 19:7)
• Cyrus, king of Persia (Ezra 1:1)
• Xerxes king of Persia (Est 2:15, 17)
• Artaxerxes king of Persia (Nehemiah 2:8)
• A Babylonian official (Dan 1:9)
• Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (Jer 25:8-9)
• Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (Ezek 38:1-6)
• Caesar Augustus, Roman emperor (Luke 2:1)
• Herod, Jewish/Roman monarch (Acts 4:27-28; cf. 2:23)
• Pontius Pilate, Roman governor (Acts 4:27-28; cf. 2:23)
• Caiaphas, Pharisee and high priest
• God’s enemies in general (Ps 106:46; Prov 16:7)

As we list these we notice a trend: apparently divine/human mental telepathy exclusively occurred in the life of pagan unbelievers, especially leaders, and not the people of God. This was probably because God’s people had sources of divine revelation (Scripture, Prophets, etc.) whereas pagans did not. Yet, at times, God needed a pagan leader to perform some function and accordingly the Creator exercised the ability and right of divine manipulation. But again, we distinguish this from divine revelation.

From this data, we can also infer that God deems divine manipulation and the mental telepathy involved as inferior forms of communication with humans. Mega mystics should take notice of this.

E.3) Divine/human mental telepathy & “inspiration”

The fact that all the clear biblical examples of divine/human mental telepathy occurred in the lives of unbelievers is a significant biblical fact because the concept is abused in several areas of Christian theology. First, such a notion of God directly planting thoughts in people’s minds is a popular understanding of how Apostles and Prophets were “inspired” with divine revelation. First, admittedly, the Scriptures do not always tell us how divine messengers received their revelations, but it seems a mistake to assume God used a method that is clearly described as only occurring in the lives of unbelievers. And as demonstrated elsewhere, when the Scriptures do describe how divine messengers received their revelation, it describes them occurring through more physical means such as apparitions or auditions of God, or through visions. ^[51]

E.4) Divine/human mental telepathy & mega mysticism

As noted above, it is this very kind of direct, supernatural divine/human mental telepathy that is being claimed by the very popular practice of mega mysticism. Many Christians today are claiming and expecting God to “lead” them and “speak” to them by directly providing extra-biblical thoughts in their minds, like “go fishing today.” ^[52]

However, one of the things we have discovered in our study is that all of the clear examples of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy occurred in the lives of God’s enemies, not His elect. And even when it did, it was not intended to be recognized by those who experienced it, nor was it, because it was an act of control, rather than revelation. In other words, there is no biblical example relating to believers of the kind of divine/human mental telepathy that mega mysticism is so dependent on. The common mega mystical claim is something like, “God spoke to my heart.” Where is there any biblical example of that?

What mega mystics crave and claim is depicted in Scripture as only clearly occurring in the lives of those who did not have a relationship with God. God provides revelation to people that He wants a relationship with. Manipulation and mind control is for His enemies. So much for the mega mystical teaching that divine/human mental telepathy exhibits a closer walk with God.

Finally, as discussed in a previous chapter, contrary to mega mysticism, when God wants to reveal something to His people He always ensures they know He is doing so. ^[53]

E.5) Divine/human mental telepathy & prayer

Finally, perhaps we should be more careful about what we pray for. When we pray that God would change the mind or control the actions of another believer in a specific way we would seem outside the bounds of praying according to God’s will. Obviously Nehemiah’s prayer to God to make Artaxerses have favor on him is an example of this, but it involved the mind and action of an unbeliever. We would challenge the reader to find any instruction or prayers in Scripture that would lead us to pray for such divine manipulation or divine/human mental telepathy for believers. ^[54] And yet many of our prayers can be asking for these very things.

Extras & Endnotes

Gauging Your Grasp

1. What do we mean by divine manipulation? How is it distinguished from divine revelation?
2. How do we suggest divine manipulation of people is accomplished? Do you agree or disagree and why?
3. Why do we claim that the topic of divine manipulation through secret divine/human mental telepathy is so important in modern Christian theology? Do you agree or disagree and why?
4. We claim that there is not a single clear example in Scripture of God exercising a secret divine/human mental telepathy in the life of a believer. Do you agree or disagree and why?
5. How do we distinguish the mega mystical claims of direct divine guidance being telepathically communicated to the mind of the believer, from the biblical concepts of how the Holy Spirit works within us through the New Nature and spiritual gifts?
6. We claim that there is not even clear biblical evidence that satan is able to secretly “inspire” thoughts in our mind. Do you agree or disagree and why?
7. How does the claim that God never exercised divine/human mental telepathy in Scripture in the lives of believers effect the common view of “inspiration”?
8. How does the claim that God never exercised divine/human mental telepathy in Scripture in the lives of believers effect what we pray for?

Publications & Particulars

1. For this definition of divine revelation and a description of its parts see chapter 7.1 sections A-B. ↑

2. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication. ↑

3. Excerpt from section 7.1.B.2. ↑

4. Likewise, we have not placed the topic of divine manipulation in Book 10 regarding miracles. There we write:

   The essential purpose of miracles is reflected in our reference to it as a divine revelation. This distinguishes a miracle from other supernatural acts of God. In other words, God may supernaturally and secretly intervene in natural processes and otherwise human events throughout the world, but if His intention is to hide the fact that He is intervening, we would prefer to label such an event as a secret divine manipulation, but not a miracle. The primary reason, is that we define a miracle as something God intends to be a mode of divine revelation, the purpose of which is to glorify God. (sec. 10.1.C) ↑

5. Some would categorize such clandestine supernatural interventions of God as an aspect of divine Providence. As we note elsewhere, the term divine providence is used in a variety of ways in Christian theology. We use it to refer to God’s ordained natural laws that sustain Creation, and therefore, distinguish it from divine miraculous interventions. For further discussion of common errors associated with divine providence see sections 10.1.C with endnotes; 10.2.A.1; 10.3.D.5; 10.12.B.4.. For further discussion on the need to recognize and authenticate any revelation, including the miraculous kind, see section 3.1.C and 7.1.B.5. ↑

6. Jack Deere, Surprised by the Voice of God (Zondervan, 1996), 291-2. ↑

7. Jack Deere, “John Wimber: Friend or Foe?” reprint from The Briefing (Sydney, Australia: St. Matthias Press, 1990), 18. ↑

8. Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not to Pray (InterVarsity, 1998), 142, 146. ↑

9. Ibid., cf., 142. ↑

10. Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God (Intervarsity, 1999), 89, underlining added. ↑

11. Many examples of “the terror of the Lord” falling on people seem to be a result of them hearing reports of the victories of the Israelites, and are not due to some sort of supernatural direct divine manipulation of their minds. Accordingly, as they began their campaign to defeat the kings west of the Jordan God told them:

    Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you. (Deut 2:24-25; Exod 15:14-16; 23:27-28; 2 Chron 17:10, cp. 20:29-30; Zech 12:13-14) ↑

12. William Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek (Zondervan, 1993), 242-3. ↑

13. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/favor. ↑

14. It is tempting to use the following as an example of divine manipulation through divine/human mental telepathy: “Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God” (1 Sam 14:15). Even Keil and Delitzsch describe this as “a supernatural terror miraculously infused by God into the Philistines” (Commentary on the Old Testament, Electronic Edition STEP Files CD-ROM [Findex.com, 2000], loc. cit.). However, the text states that the real miracle was that God caused “the ground” to shake, and the natural response to such an earthquake would have been “panic.” See 1 Samuel 7:10 where God does the same thing by causing thunder. ↑

15. Commenting on 2 Kings 7:6-7 OT scholars Keil and Delitzsch note:

    The miracle, by which God delivered Samaria from the famine or from surrendering to the foe, consisted in an oral delusion, namely, in the fact that the besiegers thought they heard the march of hostile armies from the north and south, and were seized with such panic terror that they fled in the greatest haste, leaving behind them their baggage, and their beasts of draught and burden. It is impossible to decide whether the noise which they heard had any objective reality, say a miraculous buzzing in the air, or whether it was merely a deception of the senses produced in their ears by God; and this is a matter of no importance, since in either case it was produced miraculously by God. (in loc) ↑

16. Some may see divine manipulation in the minds of people being described in 2 Thessalonians:

    The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (2 Thess 2:9-12)

    We do not believe this “delusion” comes through some sort of direct manipulation of people’s minds, but rather, is the natural deception that will occur because of the supernatural miracles the antichrist will perform. Accordingly, F. F. Bruce seems a little off track to suggest: “a power is set in operation within them which makes them prone to embrace error or be led astray” (1 & 2 Thessalonians (WBC) [Word, 1982], 174). On the contrary, all spiritually dead people are already “prone to embrace error” and no additional working “within them” would be necessary for them to be completely overwhelmed and duped by the miraculous powers of the antichrist.

    For further discussion on satan’s ability to perform real miracles see section 10.6.A. ↑

17. Regarding the fulfillment of Micah 5:2 see section 9.8.B.2. ↑

18. For the obvious nature of the revelation received by biblical Prophets see section 9.5.A. ↑

19. Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway, The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun (Monarch Books, 2002), 179. ↑

20. Regarding the distinction between mega mysticism and how the New Nature and spiritual gifts operate see sections 7.12.B.4 and 7.13.C respectively. ↑

21. Regarding the obvious nature of revelatory visions and dreams and their distinction from mega mystical means, see sections 10.7.C and 10.11.A.9. ↑

22. Admittedly, removing “mind” from the English translation goes against most of them (NASB, ESV, RSV, NRSV, NLT, NCV) and Barnes. The NET Bible translates ruach in 1 Chronicles 28:12: ““the pattern of all which was in the spirit with him.” Our translation is supported by KJV, NKJV, and Keil and Delitzsch ↑

23. Keil and Delitzsch, 1 Chron 28:11-12. ↑

24. Even if someone still desires to claim that God “put words in the mouth” of Prophets through divine/human mental telepathy apart from a vision, such examples still could not be used as a proof text for mega mystical claims. Providing divine revelation to a Prophet that is to be divinely authoritative to others is quite different than the mega mystical claim of inward guidance for personal, extra-biblical, amoral matters. ↑

25. Regarding the obvious nature of the divine revelation received by Apostles and Prophets see chapter 8.3, 9.5, section 10.7.C and chapters 10.8-10.11. ↑

26. Some would suggest that the words, “the Spirit will be speaking through you” means this was a promise of divine possession in which God takes over the very mind of a person. But this is an unbiblical idea, especially as regards “prophesying”: ““The spirits of Prophets are subject to the control of Prophets” (1 Cor 14:32). Possession in order to control the mind of body of a person is a demonic act, not a divine one. Regarding the fallacy of possession revelation see section 9.5.D. ↑

27. Keil and Delitzsch, Prov 16:1. ↑

28. Ibid. ↑

29. Regarding the indwelling of the Spirit in OT saints see section 4.16.E. ↑

30. Regarding the biblical value and purpose of human reasoning see section 3.1.C, chapters 3.2, 3.3, 4.3, 4.4. ↑

31. Keil and Delitzsch, Prov 21:1. ↑

32. Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Electronic Edition STEP Files CD-ROM (Findex.Com, 1999), Prov 21:1. ↑

33. Regarding the biblical meaning of being “led by the Spirit” see section 14.15.A. ↑

34. For further discussion of false religions founded on false visions by false Prophets see section 10.11.A.6. ↑

35. For further discussion of the supernatural nature of many fortune tellers see section 9.12.A.2. ↑

36. For further discussion of demonic possession see section 10.6.B.2. ↑

37. No commentators we know of even attempt to answer the question as to how the false teachers described in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 learned their false teachings. ↑

38. John Stott, Guard the Truth : The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus (Intervarsity, 1996), 111. ↑

39. Excerpt from section 4.12.B.1. ↑

40. For further discussion on the meaning of Ephesians 2:2-3 and the reference to “the spirit that is at work in those who are disobedient” see section 4.12.B.1. ↑

41. For further discussion regarding the psychological influence of satan on the minds of the unregenerate, including its description in 2 Corinthians 4:4, see section 4.12.B.1. ↑

42. Regarding satan appearing as “an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14), most modern commentators suggest that Paul is referring back to the Genesis account where Eve is deceived by satan (cf. Colin Kruse (2 Corinthians (TNTC) [Eerdmans, 1999], 190); C. K. Barrett (The Second Epistle to the Corinthians [Hendricksen, 1997], 286); and Paul Barnett (The Second Epistle to the Corinthians (NICNT) [Eerdmans, 1997], 525-6). This is primarily based on Paul’s reference in verse 3 that “Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning.” and to some apochryphal works that describe satan appearing to Eve as an angel. But Paul himself reminds us of the biblical story that satan appeared as one of the animals in the Garden, a “serpent,” which is surely to be distinguished from an angel.

    Calvin interpreted Paul as referring to temptation in general, and applied it to the Pope (Commentaries; online at http://www.ccel.org).

    Hodge commented:

    It is by no means clear that the apostle refers either to the history of the fall or to Satan’s appearing with the sons of God as mentioned in Job 1:6. It is more probable that the statement rests on the general doctrine of the Bible concerning the great adversary. He is everywhere represented as the deceiver, assuming false guises, and making false representations. (Commentary on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; online at http://www.ccel.org)

    Barnes was in agreement with us and believed Paul to be referring to an actual personal appearance of satan disguised as an angel (Notes; online at http://www.ccel.org). ↑

43. Barnes, 2 Sam 24:1. Keil and Delitzsch maintain that the “inciter” was satan. ↑

44. Excerpt from section 7.15.B.1.a. ↑

45. Regarding the scope of the Christians freedom to choose see section 7.15.B.3. ↑

46. For further discussion of God’s predestined will see section 7.15.B.1. ↑

47. As discussed above, because we define a miracle as a divine revelation, we would not consider such secret supernatural acts a miracle. ↑

48. We claim here that, “The Scriptures know of no acts or words of God intended to be divine revelation, which were not recognized by humans as such.” We maintain this claim despite what Elihu is recorded as saying to Job:

    My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. . . . Why do you complain to Him that He [God] answers none of man’s words? For God does speak—now one way, now another—though man may not perceive [shur: “behold, notice”] it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride. (Job 33:3, 13-17)

    It is possible that the “speaking” Elihu is referring to is an instance of divine manipulation or telepathy that God does not intend to be perceived by a person. However, the statement “God does speak” seems to clearly imply that God does intend to reveal something. Accordingly, we would contend that Elihu was wrong to claim “man may not perceive it”, just like he was wrong about a lot of things throughout the book of Job. When God speaks “out of the storm” and asks, “Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge?” (Job 38:1-2), it is specifically Elihu He is referring to (cf. Job 36:1ff). Accordingly, Elihu admits that thoughts on divine revelation “come from” his “heart” (Job 33:3) and merely from what he knows, and there is no indication that they were by divine revelation.

    For additional discussion regarding God’s intention for divine revelation and miracles in particular to be readily recognized see section ? ↑

49. Regarding the rarity of miracles see section 10.2.B. ↑

50. Verses that we believe are referring to the New Nature rather than divine/human mental telepathy are Philippians 2:13 (see section 7.12.B.1); 1 Thessalonians 4:9 (see section 7.12.B.2); and 1 John 2:20, 27 (see section 14.15.B).

    Likewise, Jesus’ promise of the Spirit as an Advocate, being mistranslated as a Counselor (cf. John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7), along with other apostolic promises concerning divine revelation are dealt with in chapter 14.13. ↑

51. Regarding the nature of apostolic and prophetic revelation see chapters 8.3 and 9.5. ↑

52. As noted in chapter 14.1, the popular author John Eldredge claims that “God whispered, ‘Go fishing’” (even though he physically heard nothing) (Waking the Dead [Nelson, 2003], 216-17). This is a claim of extra-biblical revelation through a process of divine/human mental telepathy. ↑

53. Regarding the obvious and authenticated nature of divine revelation as it pertains to mega mysticism see sections E and G of chapter 14.9 ↑

54. Some may suggest that Paul was praying for divine/human mental telepathy in such prayers as those recorded in Ephesian 1:17-19 and Colossians 1:9. However, see the discussion on these verses in sections 14.18.A.3-4. ↑