What the Bible says and does not say about 'Trances'
Any Greek or Hebrew translations are quoted from
New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D.
Thomas Nelson Publishers 1990 edition
Many Christians treasure religious icons because of the spiritual sensation the objects bring. Many consider these objects to be sacred, not realizing that the evil spirits connected to the unclean objects enhance evil temptations (and give a false spiritual sensation). For example: the popular and so-called religious artwork of Michelangelo. Though many believe that Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel under the inspiration of God, while in a trance-like state of mind, one can plainly see by all the nakedness in his art that he allowed fleshly desire (under direction from evil spirits) to inspire him – it was not God. God did not place these visions of nakedness in Michelangelo’s heart and mind. Based on the blatant nakedness and scriptural inaccuracy of the paintings in Sistine Chapel (along with Michelangelo’s other so-called religious paintings) we have only one conclusion – his artwork was not God-inspired – but was influenced by the lusts of his own heart, under the inspiration of evil spirits. Anything that does not line up with God’s Word is not from God, no matter what it is or who does it. A person who claims to be placed in a trance from God and their hand just starts painting, or writing is not in a Biblical trance. Trances are mentioned in the Bible in Numbers 24:4, 16; Acts 10:10; 11:5; 22:17, but these trances are referred to as visions. Many of God’s people do not know scripture and have fallen for Satan’s counterfeits, especially the counterfeits behind the non-Biblical paintings of Michelangelo. A person who is under a Biblical trance will experience visions from God, but the visions will always line up with scripture.
Some Christians also have experienced another type of counterfeit. They have heard a person, supposedly under the anointing of God, start talking in what appeared to be another voice. I am not referring to prophesy as in I Samuel 10:6: And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. When we are in Christ we become new – but it does not mean we become someone else, or start speaking with someone else’s voice. What I am referring to when I say counterfeit is when people think God is prophetically speaking through someone and the person starts talking in a voice that is not their own. Some Christians who have experienced this actually thought that the person doing it was placed in a trance by God and that God was speaking through them, and when they spoke it appeared as if they actually turned into someone else. People do not literally turn into someone else under the anointing of God. When I Samuel 10:6 (above) says “turned into another man” it does not mean a literal change, it means converted. The Hebrew word for ‘turned’ in I Samuel 10:6 is “haphak’; to turn about or over… be converted”. The anointing of God also does not change the sound, or vocal level, of a person’s voice – but oppression or possession by evil spirits will! There is a scripture about a person who (while under the inspiration of God) was in a trance and was given a message to speak (found in Numbers 24:4, 16), but when this person spoke God’s message he did not turn into someone else while he was speaking. If you read in the New Testament (II Peter 2:15; Jude v. 11; Revelation 2:14) this same person afterwards went the way of a false prophet/teacher, and scripture warns us not to follow his ways. In I Samuel 10:6 Saul also prophesied when the Lord came upon him, but later fell away. Just because God once uses a person to prophesy this does not mean the person cannot fall from God’s grace and be used as Satan’s counterfeit.
Trances referred to in the Bible are visions; such accounts are found in Acts and are God inspired. Acts 10:10-11: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth. Acts 11:5: I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me. Acts 22:17: And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance. In these Biblical accounts though their mind was in God’s Spiritual realm (placed there by God) their body was not doing other things at the same time, such as: painting, writing, sculpting, or walking from place to place, etc. There is a false spiritual realm and we need to know the difference. See my document on ‘Satan’s playground’. Some people believe that God places them in a trance and then maneuvers their body. They believe He completely takes over their body – even their vocal cords and hands – but this is not true. It is not Biblical. Some people even believe that Michelangelo was placed in such a trance and that God took over his hands and started to maneuver and paint through them. Similar to automatic writing, another false teaching and practice. Based on the scriptural inaccuracy of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel if Michelangelo was in a trance-like state he could not have been placed in the trance by God. Again, see my document on ‘Satan’s playground’. The paintings in the Sistine Chapel are not Biblically accurate, and they go against God’s commandment. Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above…
Satan has his own spiritual counterfeits for everything that God has. If we(as Christians)would start following scripture, instead of man’s traditions, we would not be so easily deceived. Matthew 15:3, 9: But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Mark 7:7-9, 13: Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Colossians 2:8: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Whether Christians want to admit it or not our traditional religious pornography and idolatry has played a major role in the sexual lust that is running rampant today in the world and in our churches. See my document concerning religious ‘pornography’. It is our very own religious tradition that has kept us in bondage to lust, adultery, fornication, and homosexuality. It is my prayer that through this document God has opened your eyes. Matthew 13:16: But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Isaiah 29:18: And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
